Battery Clock

Abstract

A battery-operated clock having an opening formed within the housing thereof for the insertion of a battery. A movable contact plate is provided and may be moved to close the opening by means of a slidable adjustment nut and bolt combination projecting through the clock housing. The movable contact plate is formed in a concave configuration so as to apply a spring bias to the slidable adjustment nut and bolt combination which secures the movable contact plate to a flat contact plate fixed to the bottom of the clock housing. The movable contact plate has a beveled surface along one edge thereof which urges against the positive pole of an inserted battery upon the closing of the opening. An indentation may be formed in the movable contact plate for receiving the positive pole of the battery.

Description

BACKGROUND, OBJECTS AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The invention relates to a battery-operated clock and, more particularly, to an alarm clock with a chamber for receiving the battery and with an opening for inserting the battery which opening may be closed by a shiftable plate which serves as an electrical contact.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a battery-operated clock of the above-mentioned type which can be manufactured simply and which facilitates the formation of good electrical connections. According to the invention, a battery contact plate is slidably mounted on and urged against a fixed, electrically conductive plate which is electrically connected with an electric consumer. The contact plate is arched concavely within itself as compared with the fixed plate and a holding element is disposed within the area of the arch as to bias the contact plate against the fixed plate. The holding element projects, at one end thereof, from the clock housing so that an operator may adjust the contact plate.

The contact plate may have a bevel surface along the leading edge of the end thereof which covers the opening used for battery insertion. The bevel surface operates to urge the battery toward a counter contact during closing of the opening. A battery contact element is formed on the contact plate adjacent the bevel surface thereof and may be formed as an indentation for receiving the projecting positive pole of a battery.

The fixed plate is provided with at least one resilient arm for making a spring-biased contact with a current supply contact of the current consumer. An electrical contact plate having two electrical contact arms is disposed within the end of the clock housing away from the opening and adjacent the battery. One arm forms the resilient counter contact while the second arm operates as a second contact for the electric consumer.

The invention is explained in detail in the following paragraphs on the basis of the drawing and a preferred embodiment is given by way of example. In the drawing:

DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 shows a rear sectional view of a battery clock according to the present invention taken along the line I-I in FIG. 2;

FIG. 2 is a plan view of the clock according to FIG. 1 taken from beneath the device;

FIG. 3 is a partial view of the clock as shown in FIG. 1 wherein an opening for inserting a battery has been opened;

FIG. 4 shows a sectional view of the clock shown in FIG. 1 taken along the line IV-IV;

FIG. 5 is an exploded view of a closure device for closing the opening for inserting the battery;

FIG. 6 is an isometric view of a counter contact for the battery; and

FIG. 7 is an elevation view of a driving arrangement for the clockwork mechanism.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

In FIG. 1 a clock housing is designated by 10. The housing 10 may, for example, consist of plastic, Inside the housing 10, an intermediate wall 10a is provided which serves to separate a chamber for the reception of a battery 11 from the remaining space within the housing. An opening 10c is formed in the floor of the housing 10, through which opening 10c the battery 11 may be introduced into the battery chamber. A slidably mounted plate 13, made of electrically conductive material, is provided for the closure of the opening 10c. This plate 13 has a beveled surface 13b at its leading end which surface 13b operates to lift the battery 11 as the plate 13 is slid under the positive pole of the battery 11. Adjacent this beveled surface 13b, an indentation 13a is provided for receiving the positive pole of the battery 11 so that a special click-stop device is not required.

Directly on the inside floor of the housing 10, a fixed plate 12 is disposed and formed with a longitudinal slot 12a. A bolt 14 projects through this slot 12a, which bolt is attached to the contact plate 13. The contact plate 13, as shown in FIG. 5, is arched concavely within itself in relation to the fixed plate 12. Through the action of the bolt 14, the contact plate 13 is spring biased against the fixed plate 12 so that a faultless electric contact is formed between the contact plate 13 and the fixed plate 12.

The fixed plate 12 is provided with two resilient tongues 12b and 12c, which serve as current supply contacts.

Numeral 16 generally designates a clockwork mechanism. Member 17 is a plate comprising insulating material which plate 17 carries switching elements for a driving circuit for a movement-regulating oscillator. The plate 17 is provided with a printed circuit as shown in FIG. 7. Electrically conductive portions 17a and 17b of plate 17 are in contact with conductive elements through which current is supplied to the plate 17. The current supply contact tongue 12b engages portion 17a and electrically connects plate 17 with the sliding plate 13. The portion 17b is attached to the clockwork 16 by a screw 26. The clockwork mechanism 16 is connected with an electrical contact arm 15b, which is a part of an electrically conductive plate 15 inserted within the clock housing 10. The plate 15 has an additional arm 15a which presses with its free end against the negative pole of the battery 11.

Additionally, a spring contact 20 is attached to the plate 17 which spring contact 20 cooperates with a cam 27, which, in turn, is moved by the clockwork mechanism 16. As shown in FIG. 7, a contact 19a is formed on a conductive area 19 of the plate 17 and is disposed adjacent to the spring contact 20 so as to operate as a counter contact therewith. The conductive area 19 is connected with a cable 21 which carries a plug contact 22 at its free end. The plug contact 22 may be plugged into an angle bracket 23 having an end 23a pressing resiliently against an electrically conducting element of an additional plate 25 of insulating material having all the essential elements of a tonal generator. A second current supply to plate 25 is provided through the contact tongue 12c of the fixed plate 12.

A key 24, having a contact arm 24a, is swivelably mounted in housing 10. The arm 24a projects into the area adjacent the angle bracket 23. At one end of the key 24, the arm 24a urges against the end 23a of the angle bracket 23 and operates to lift the latter from the plate 25 so that the current supply to the tonal generator will be interrupted. Thereby, key 24 serves as a switching key. When the element 23a is permitted to contact an electrically conducting area of the plate 25, the tonal generator is put into operation as soon as the contacts 20 and 19a are closed by the operation of the cam 27.

Claims

I claim:

1. A battery-operated clock comprising:

a. a clock housing;

b. a chamber for receiving a battery formed within said housing;

c. an opening formed in said housing for inserting a battery into said chamber;

d. a moveable electrical contact plate;

e. a first fixed electrically conductive plate;

f. said moveable electrical contact plate being mounted adjacent said opening for sliding movement across said opening and along said first fixed electrically conductive plate and being operable to cover said opening;

g. said moveable electrical contact plate being resiliently urged against said first fixed electrically conductive plate;

h. said first fixed electrically conductive plate being in electrical connection with an electric consumer within said housing; and

i. means for preventing the removal of said contact plate through said opening.

2. A clock according to claim 1 wherein:

a. said moveable electrical contact plate is concaved in configuration;

b. said first fixed electrically conductive plate is generally flat in configuration; and

c. a holding element attaches said moveable electrical contact plate to said first fixed electrically conductive plate whereby said moveable plate is biased against said fixed plate.

3. A clock according to claim 1 wherein said first fixed electrically conductive plate is formed with at least one resilient electrical contact tongue which is urged against a first current supply contact of said electric consumer.

4. A clock according to claim 1 wherein said opening for inserting said battery is formed on a bottom side of said clock housing.

5. A clock according to claim 2 wherein:

a. One end of said holding element protrudes through said housing; and

b. said holding element is adjustable whereby said moveable electrical contact plate may be positioned over said opening from outside said clock housing.

6. A clock according to claim 3 with the addition of:

a. a second fixed electrically conductive plate;

b. said second plate being disposed within said housing at an end thereof away from said opening;

c. said second plate being formed with two electrical contact arms; and

d. one of said electrical contact arms of said second plate comprising said counter contact urging resiliently against said battery and the second of said electrical contact arms comprising a second electrical connection for said electric consumer.

7. A clock according to claim 3 wherein:

a. said electric consumer comprises printed circuit means; and

b. each said at least one resilient electrical contact tongue of said first fixed electrically conductive plate urges against a conductive portion of said printed circuit means.

8. A battery-operated clock comprising:

a. a clock housing;

b. a chamber for receiving a battery formed within said housing;

c. an opening formed in said housing for inserting a battery into such chamber;

d. a moveable electrical contact plate;

e. a first fixed electrically conductive plate;

f. said movable electrical contact plate being slidably mounted on said first fixed electrically conductive plate and being operable to cover said opening;

g. said movable electrical contact plate being urged against said first fixed electrically conductive plate;

h. said first fixed electrically conductive plate being in electrical connection with an electric consumer within said housing;

i. said contact plate being formed with a beveled surface comprising a portion of a first end of said contact plate;

j. said first end of said contact plate being the end of said contact plate operable to cover said opening upon the movement of said contact plate to a position over said opening;

k. a counter contact provided within said housing and disposed adjacent to an end of a properly inserted battery which end is away from said contact plate;

l. said beveled surface being operable to urge the battery against said counter contact in response to the movement of said contact plate to a position covering said opening; and,

m. a contact element provided on said contact plate adjacent said beveled surface, said contact element being operable to engage a pole of said battery.

9. A clock according to claim 1 wherein said contact element comprises an indentation formed on said contact plate for receiving a protruding pole of said battery.