Timer Kit With Rotating Colored Disk for Activity Guidance
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing timers lack the ability to visually display activities and require manual setting without clear guidance, making it difficult for users to determine the appropriate time duration for tasks, and they lack storage compartments for accessories.
Innovation Solution
A timer kit comprising a battery-powered, rotating colored disk with a background member and positioner for setting time, integrated with a caddy assembly that includes storage compartments and clips for activity cards, allowing visual representation of tasks and easy time setting.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a timer displays only elapsed time visually, then the timer structure remains simple, but the user cannot determine the appropriate time duration for tasks
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces activity cards as intermediary elements that bridge the gap between the timer's visual display and the user's task requirements. These cards provide visual representations of activities with suggested time durations, serving as mediators that help users determine appropriate timer settings without complicating the timer's core mechanical structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements preliminary action by pre-displaying activity cards with suggested time durations before the user needs to set the timer. This allows users to view and select appropriate time durations in advance, eliminating the need for complex real-time calculation interfaces while still providing guidance on task timing.
2Ease of operation
If the timer lacks storage compartments for accessories, then the device structure remains simple, but user convenience is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the timer function with a caddy assembly that provides storage compartments for accessories. This combination allows the timer to serve multiple purposes: timing activities, storing clips and activity cards, and providing a convenient all-in-one solution for task management, thereby improving user convenience without requiring separate devices.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies multi-functionality by designing the timer system to not only display time but also to store accessories and provide visual activity guidance. The caddy assembly with storage compartments and the activity card display system enable the timer to perform multiple functions simultaneously, making it a universal tool for both timing and organizational needs.
3Ease of operation
If the timer does not display activity images, then the visual display remains simple, but the operator cannot set the timer correctly for specific activities
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses activity cards as intermediary visual elements that provide activity-specific time guidance. These cards serve as mediators between the simple timer display and the user's specific task requirements, offering visual representations of activities with suggested durations without requiring complex integrated display systems.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent adds a dimensional aspect by introducing activity cards that can be displayed alongside the timer. This creates a two-dimensional information display system where the timer shows elapsed time and the activity cards provide contextual activity information, enabling users to correlate visual time progression with specific task requirements.
Data Source
AI summary
A timer kit comprises a battery powered timer and a caddy assembly. The battery powered timer has a colored disk attached to a rotatable shaft. The initial position of the colored disk is manually set by an operator using a positioner accessible through a circular opening extending through a front wall of the caddy assembly. The battery powered timer is removable from the caddy assembly in a generally vertical direction behind the front wall of the caddy assembly. The caddy assembly has a receptable for holding the battery powered timer in a generally vertical orientation behind the front wall of the caddy assembly.