Golf Watch Bezel for Pace Tracking

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current timekeeping devices, including analogue and digital watches, lack a simple means to conveniently measure and sub-divide time intervals spanning multiple hours, particularly in golf where maintaining a pace of play is crucial to avoid slow play issues.

Innovation Solution

A rotatable bezel mechanism on a conventional analogue clock face with indicia representing golf holes allows users to track time progress, providing a compact and aesthetically pleasing way to monitor pace of play without additional mechanical complexity or electronic programming, by aligning a set point with the minute hand to indicate time elapsed or remaining for each hole.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of operation

If a conventional analogue clock face is used, then aesthetic appeal and ease of reading are improved, but the ability to measure and sub-divide time intervals spanning multiple hours deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveease of readingVSAvoidability to measure and sub-divide time intervals
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The clock face is segmented into multiple zones, each representing a different hour interval. The first zone shows hours 0-4, the second zone shows hours 4-8, and so on. This segmentation allows the single analogue clock face to simultaneously display multiple time intervals, enabling golfers to track progress through different hours of play without needing multiple clocks or complex digital programming.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

2Adaptability or versatility

If digital time keeping equipment with complex programming is used, then the ability to measure and sub-divide time intervals is improved, but device complexity and ease of operation deteriorate

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveability to measure and sub-divide time intervalsVSAvoidcomplex programming
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The clock face is designed to be self-explanatory and self-operating. The zone indicators and hour markings automatically show the current time interval without requiring the user to program or configure anything. The golfer simply reads the time from the appropriate zone based on when they started play, eliminating the need for complex programming while maintaining the ability to measure and sub-divide time intervals.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

3Loss of information

If additional hands or dials are added to an analogue watch, then the ability to present additional information is improved, but device complexity and ease of manufacture deteriorate

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveability to present additional informationVSAvoidease of manufacture
Core Design Contradiction:
Loss of informationVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

Instead of adding additional hands or dials in the traditional dimensional space of the clock face, the invention utilizes the angular/rotational dimension by dividing the clock face into multiple zones that radiate from the center. Each zone represents a different hour interval, allowing multiple pieces of time information to be displayed within the existing circular boundary without adding physical hands or dials, thus maintaining ease of manufacture while presenting additional information.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

Data Source

PatentEP2452314B1Golfing accessory time piece
Publication Date: 2019.04.17 BUTLER K S
  • EP2452314B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP2452314B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP2452314B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

A golfing time-keeping apparatus is arranged to indicate time of day using a clock face and a movement which has at least a minute hand arranged to complete a revolution of the clock face every hour. The time piece includes means for indicating a plurality of subdivisions of a time period longer than 1 hour and shorter than 5 hours, the means comprising an indicator having a plurality of markings arranged for general visual alignment with the minute hand. The markings include a sequence of indicia circumferentialIy spaced apart and continuing for more than one but no more than five revolutions wherein some of the later indicia in the sequence are interleaved with some of the earlier indicia.