Watch

Abstract

A watch to assist a smoker to break the smoking habit comprises a standard watch mechanism including hour, minute and second indicators, an additional minute indicator that is resettable to zero by the momentary depression of a first switch, a counter with a rotatable indicator that is incrementally displaced by the momentary depression of a second switch and a manually rotatable graduated dial mounted about the periphery of the watch crystal.

Description

This invention relates to a watch. More particularly, this invention relates to a watch that is designed to help a smoker break the smoking habit.

It is now almost universally recognized that smoking is dangerous to health. Besides smoker's cough and numerous other minor ailments, it is now believed that smoking causes emphyzema, lung cancer, heart disease and other major circulatory diseases. Actuarial proof has shown that nonsmokers live longer than smokers. Because of this, life insurance companies offer lower premiums to individuals who do not smoke.

Besides being detrimental to a smoker's health and well-being, smoking is an expensive habit. Although the cost of the production of cigarettes is not excessively high, the taxes levied upon cigarettes by federal and state officials are substantial. Accordingly, the cost of the production of cigarettes added to the substantial taxes levied thereon results in a habit that is not inexpensive to maintain.

In view of the above, many smokers have expressed the desire to forsake the smoking habit. However, the average smoker usually experiences great difficulty in breaking the smoking habit.

Accordingly, it is an object of this invention to help a smoker forsake the smoking habit.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a watch that will help a smoker forsake the smoking habit.

Other objects will appear hereinafter.

Clinical observations over many years have shown that the urgent craving for a cigarette may be likened to the pangs of hunger. However, although the pangs of hunger become increasingly greater if not satisfied, the pangs of smoking have a very short duration irrespective of whether these pangs are satisfied or not.

It is known that the urge to smoke is in an acute stage from 2 to 5 minutes only no matter how many cigarettes are smoked per day. For example, if one normally smokes one pack of cigarettes a day, an urge to smoke will occur every 30 to 45 minutes and last for a duration of about 2 to 5 minutes. If one smokes three packs of cigarettes a day, the urge to smoke will occur every 10 to 15 minutes but each urge will last only from 2 to 5 minutes.

Thus, if an individual can withstand the urge to smoke a cigarette during the critical 5-minute period, the urge will pass and will not reoccur until another cigarette would normally be smoked.

In accordance with the present invention, a special watch is provided to enable a smoker to control his desire to smoke during those periods when he would normally smoke a cigarette.

For the purpose of illustrating the invention, there is shown in the drawings a form which is presently preferred, it being understood, however, that the invention is not limited to the precise arrangements and instrumentalities shown.

FIG. 1 is a top view of the watch of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a top view of the watch of the present invention showing it in greater detail.

Referring to the drawings in particular, wherein like numerals designate like elements, there is shown in FIG. 1 the watch of the present invention generally designated as 10. The watch may be worn upon the wrist of a smoker through the use of straps 38 and 40.

Crystal 14 covers a dial plate carrying the face 12 of the watch. Inner dial in the form of an annulus 16 is mounted underneath the crystal at the periphery of face 12. Outer dial 18 is not covered by crystal 14 but lies exterior thereto. Outer dial also in the form of an annulus 18 is located about the periphery of crystal 14.

Besides providing means for helping a smoker break the smoking habit, the watch also provides the time of day. In this regard, hour indicator 32 and minute indicator 34 function to accurately portray the time. Also, seconds indicator 30 rotates directly above seconds face 28 in order to accurately indicate the passage of seconds.

Day indicator 26 whose function will be explained hereinafter is located underneath crystal 14. Similarly, resettable indicator 36 whose function will be explained hereinafter is located underneath crystal 14.

Watch 10 contains a conventional watch movement (not shown) therein. Shaft 20 acts as a control for this conventional watch movement. Thus, shaft 20 may be rotated in order to wind the watch. Also, as is done in conventional watch movements, shaft 20 may be pulled out in order to set the accurate time on the face of the watch.

Resettable indicator 36 may be actuated to sweep across face 12 once each hour to indicate the minutes elapsed since its actuation. The indicator may be reset to its zero position by shaft 22. Both indicator 36 and shaft 22 are connected to a stop watchlike movement so that upon depression of shaft 22 the normal rotation of indicator 36 is stopped and is returned to its zero position. Thus, as is apparent, depression of shaft 22 serves to simultaneously stop the normal rotation of indicator 36 and return it to zero.

Inner dial 16 is mounted about the periphery of face 12 and located underneath crystal 14. As shown in FIG. 2 inner dial 16 has 100 calibrations designated generally as 46. A conventional stepping mechanism (not shown) is utilized to incrementally rotate inner dial 16 one increment upon the momentary depression of shaft 24.

Outer dial 18 is located on the exterior of the watch about the periphery of crystal 14. As shown in FIG. 2 outer dial 18 is divided into 60 equal divisions separated by calibrations designated as 48. Outer dial 18 may be manually incrementally rotated for reasons hereinafter explained. Index 50 serves as a zero point for outer dial 18.

In order that the time may be accurately portrayed on face 12, calibrations 52 accurately divide the periphery of face 12 into 60 equal partitions.

Face 12 has red zone 42 painted thereon. Red zone 42 represents a 2-minute segment. Face 12 also has yellow zone 44 painted thereon. Yellow zone 44 is representative of a 3-minute segment following the 2-minute segment represented by red zone 42. In order to distinguish resettable indicator 36 from hour indicator 32 and minute indicator 34, resettable indicator 36 is painted a color distinctively different from the colors of hour indicator 32 and minute indicator 34.

The watch of the present invention may be utilized to help a smoker break the smoking habit in the following manner. When the smoker wearing the watch feels an urge to smoke, he depresses shaft 22 which causes resettable indicator 36 to reset to its zero position. If the smoker can withstand the urge to smoke during the critical 2 to 5 minute period immediately after the urge to smoke has occurred, the smoker will not have a recurrence of the urge to smoke until another cigarette would normally be smoked. Thus, the smoker by observing the watch will realize that the urge to smoke will be greatest while resettable indicator 36 lies within red zone 42. The smoker will also realize that an appreciable urge to smoke will remain while resettable indicator 36 lies within yellow zone 44. By knowing when the urge to smoke is maximized, the smoker can summon enough willpower to successfully withstand the urge to smoke during this critical period.

Since resettable indicator 36 rotates at the speed of a minute hand, the occurrence of the next urge to smoke will notify the smoker of the elapsed time in minutes between urges to smoke. By mentally keeping track of the time between urges, the smoker can successfully prolong the period between urges to smoke.

After the smoker has gone 1 day without smoking, he may reset day indicator 26 to the "1" position thus indicating the number of days he has abstained from smoking. Thus, day indicator 26 will function to indicate the number of days of abstention from smoking. Day indicator 26 may be the conventional calendar movement (not shown) used in a conventional calendar watch. Thus, day indicator 26 may be reset to the "1" position through rotation of shaft 20 as is done in conventional calendar watch movements.

Each time an urge to smoke occurs, the smoker may momentarily depress shaft 24 which causes inner dial 16 to be rotated one position. Therefor, throughout the day, the smoker may keep track of how many urges he has successfully withstood. This is important because it allows the smoker to know how well he is doing and thereby encourages him to do even better.

In the event that the smoker cannot successfully withstand an urge to smoke, outer dial 18 may be manually rotated one division for each cigarette smoked in order to keep track of the number of cigarettes smoked during the day. This helps the smoker to break the smoking habit because it forces him to keep track of every cigarette smoked during the day.

It is known that in the course of giving up smoking, the desire for food becomes more intensified. Accordingly, weight problems may accompany an attempt to forsake the smoking habit. If the smoker has successfully withstood the many urges to smoke during the day, he will have no need to record the number of cigarettes smoked each day on outer dial 18. Therefore, outer dial 18 can be used as a calorie counter. If each of the 60 equal divisions on outer dial 18 represents 50 calories, it is possible to keep an accurate check of 3,000 calories per day.

The watch of the present invention may be used for other purposes besides helping a smoker break the smoking habit. For example, the watch may be used as a diet aid. Resettable indicator 36 may be utilized to keep track of the elapsed time between urges to eat. Inner dial 16 may be utilized to count the number of days maintained on the diet. As described above, outer dial 18 may be utilized to monitor the caloric intake per day.

The watch of the present invention can also function as a parking meter guard. When a coin is inserted in the parking meter, resettable indicator 36 may be set to its zero position by the momentary depression of shaft 22. If the meter allows 1-hour parking in consideration for the coin inserted therein, the individual will realize that the time allowed by the meter will expire when resettable indicator 36 traverses one revolution.

Thus, the timing mechanism of the present invention performs many functions. It performs the function of a conventional watch by accurately giving the time of day. It also functions as an aid to smokers who are desirous of breaking the smoking habit. The timing mechanism of the present invention also functions as an aid to diet watchers. In addition, the watch of the invention may act as a parking meter guard. Other uses of the watch of the present invention will be obvious to the reader.

The present invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or essential attributes thereof.

Claims

I claim:

1. A watch comprising a watch case, a dial plate disposed in said watch case, a zero position defined on said dial plates, said dial plate defining two sectors disposed in side-by-side relation with one of said sectors having its boundary remote from said other sector aligned with said zero position, the arcuate sum of said two sectors being equal to about 5 minutes measured from said zero position, a minute hand rotatably supported by said watch to normally move over said dial plate about a central axis so that it moves in a complete revolution in 1 hour, means for selectively returning said minute hand to said zero position, said minute hand and said sectors cooperating to give a graphic portrayal of the periods of intense desire to light a cigarette.

2. A watch as defined in claim 1 including a first annular dial mounted for rotation about said central axis, said dial being disposed on the periphery of said dial plate and being divided into a plurality of regular arcuate increments, means supported by said watch being operative to selectively rotate said first annular dial about said central axis through one increment so that said first dial may function as a first counter, and said means for selectively rotating said first dial about said central axis is operative to override said incremental rotation to rotate said first dial to a predetermined position.

3. A watch as defined in claim 1 including a second annular dial mounted for rotation about said central axis, said second dial being disposed on said watch case concentrically outwardly of said first dial and having a plurality of indicia deposed thereon, and means on the outer periphery of said second dial for rotating it about said central axis.

4. A watch as defined in claim 1 wherein each of said sectors is a different color, and each of said different colors is different from the color of said dial plate.

5. A watch comprising a watch case, a dial plate disposed in said watch case, a minute hand rotatably supported by said watch to normally move over said dial plate about a central axis so that it moves in a complete revolution in 1 hour, a zero position defined on said dial plate, and means for selectively stopping the normal rotation of said minute hand and simultaneously returning it to said zero position.