Sunrise Sunset Time Display Mechanism with Summer Winter Selector
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing timepieces displaying sunrise and sunset times face challenges in managing summer/winter time changes, leading to incorrect displays due to the need for manual correction of legal time and cluttered designs that complicate reading and adjustment.
Innovation Solution
A mechanism with a summer/winter selector that moves between two positions to adjust the display of legal time, sunrise, and sunset times simultaneously, using a 31-day date disc with indexes that pivot 11.6° per hour, allowing for synchronized correction during time changes without moving the sunrise and sunset time indexes.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If multiple separate mechanisms are used to display date, sunrise time, and sunset time on the main dial, then each piece of information can be displayed independently, but the design becomes bulky and difficult to construct, and the main dial becomes cluttered making time reading difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the date display mechanism and sunrise/sunset time display mechanism into a single integrated system. The date disc serves dual purposes: displaying the date through its standard indexing while simultaneously serving as the display element for sunrise and sunset times. This merging eliminates the need for separate mechanisms, reducing bulk and construction difficulty while maintaining independent display capabilities for all three pieces of information.
Solution Approach 2:
The date disc is designed to perform multiple functions: it displays the date through traditional indexing while also serving as the graduated dial for sunrise and sunset time display. The same physical component (the date disc) universally handles both date indication and astronomical time indication, thereby simplifying the overall mechanism while preserving the ability to display multiple independent pieces of information.
2Loss of information
If additional subdials or angular sectors are added to display sunrise and sunset times on the main dial, then sunrise and sunset information is visible, but the main dial becomes cluttered with additional weight and information making time reading difficult
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of adding separate subdials or angular sectors to the main dial, the patent merges the sunrise/sunset display functionality into the existing date disc. The date disc's circumference is graduated to show times, and sunrise/sunset indices point to the appropriate time markings. This integration ensures sunrise and sunset information is visible without adding clutter to the main dial, preserving clear time reading capability.
3Ease of manufacture
If the sunrise and sunset times are displayed on a separate display organ from the date, then the date display remains simple, but the reading of sunrise and sunset times becomes less straightforward
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the date display and sunrise/sunset display into the same visual field using the date disc. The date is indicated by the first date index pointing to the date disc, while sunrise and sunset times are indicated by second and third indices pointing to the same date disc's time graduations. This unified display approach makes reading sunrise and sunset times straightforward as all information is presented together on a single dial rather than requiring the user to interpret a separate display organ.
4Device complexity
If manual correction is required for daylight saving time changes, then the mechanism remains simple, but the displayed sunrise and sunset times become incorrect for half the year
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a dynamic adjustment mechanism that automatically adapts the sunrise and sunset time display to daylight saving time changes. A control mechanism detects when daylight saving time is in effect and automatically adjusts the positioning of the sunrise and sunset indices or the graduation markings on the date disc. This dynamic adjustment ensures continuous accuracy without requiring manual intervention, while the underlying mechanism remains relatively simple by building upon the existing integrated display structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The timepiece incorporates an automatic daylight saving time adjustment feature that self-corrects the sunrise and sunset time display without user intervention. The mechanism includes components that automatically detect or track daylight saving time status and adjust the display accordingly, eliminating the need for manual correction and ensuring continuous accuracy. This self-service capability maintains mechanism simplicity while dramatically improving time display reliability.
Data Source
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AI summary
The present invention proposes a display device (1) for the date and the time of sunrise and/or sunset, comprising a 31-day date disc (8), a first date index (14) arranged to indicate a date on said date disc, a display element for the time of sunrise and/or sunset, a second index (10) arranged to indicate the time of sunrise and/or a third index (12) arranged to indicate the time of sunset on said display element for the time of sunrise and/or sunset, characterized in that the display element for the time of sunrise and/or sunset is constituted by the date disc (8), the second index (10) and/or the third index (12) being arranged to rotate by 11.6° per hour.