Electronically sequenced hydraulic circuit for displaying time measurements

Abstract

 The current time and/or date, expressed in respective units of time of increasing order is displayed by an electronically controlled hydraulic circuit which comprises a plurality of graduated reservoirs and/or series of indexed reservoirs hydraulically connected in cascade, and at least a recycling tank. At least an electronically controlled volumetric liquid transfer device transfers liquid from said recycling tank to a first graduated reservoir or to a first reservoir of a first series of indexed reservoirs indicating a unit of time of the lowest order which is displayed by the level reached by the liquid in the graduated reservoir or by the number of sequentially filled containers of the series. Upon the striking of the interval of time thus displayed, a discharge electrovalve is commanded to open for a set period of time sufficient to transfer the liquid from said first graduated reservoir or from the series of indexed reservoirs into a second graduated reservoir or the first of a second series of indexed reservoirs for displaying a unit of time of a higher order and so forth, through a sequence of displaying reservoirs down to said recycling tank. Different embodiments of the hydraulic display system are described.

Description

[0001] The present invention relates to an electronically sequenced hydraulic plant or circuit for displaying through the observation of liquid levels in a plurality of graduated reservoirs a time measurement, e.g. the current time.

[0002] Innumerable clock systems are known for displaying the current time or more in general a time measurement, either in an analog or digital fashion. The known time measurement systems and displaying devices respond to the most different functional, aesthetic, comfort and personal taste requirements. For example the ticking noise of a mechanism for advancing the arms of an analog clock, whether mechanical or electrical, may cause discomfort and be ill tolerated. Electroluminescent diodes, liquid crystals and similar displaying devices, capable of being electronically commanded without any mechanical transmission often provide an ultramodern aesthetic which is not particularly pleasing to a lot of people.

[0003] Peculiar and fancy displays may often offer useful and pleasing display solutions by constituting attractive objects per se, capable of focusing attention and induce curiosity and interest or more simply displaying the current time in a particularly pleasing fashion. On the other hand, fancy displays systems are often intrinsically unprecise and quickly accumulate intolerable errors thus requiring excessively frequent resettings of the exact current time.

[0004] There is a need and/or utility for a time measurement displaying system which, while having characteristics of singularity and attractiveness is intrinsically precise and/or has a mode of operation such as not to cause an accumulation of an eventual error and which therefor may provide a visual indication of the current time with acceptable margins of precision for relatively long periods.

[0005] These objectives are fully met by the displaying system object of the present invention which essentially consists in a sequentially operated hydraulic plant or circuit which is electronically timed by a precision clock, for example an electronic quartz clock, or the like.

[0006] Basically, the display system of the invention consists of a sequentially operated hydraulic plant electronically timed and which comprises an hydraulic circuit composed of a plurality of graduated or indexed (labelled) transparent reservoirs, hydraulically connected in cascade and by at least a recycling tank.

[0007] According to a first embodiment, an electronically controlled volumetric pump employing a timing signal produced by a precision clock, for example an electronic quartz clock, pumps liquid from the recycling tank into a first transparent graduated reservoir, which may have a graduation and relative internal volumetry from 0 to 60 seconds (for example having markings that correspond to 10 second intervals). The volumetric pumping rate will be such as to fill the first reservoir up to its 60 second marking (the higher level reservoir) in exactly 60 seconds.

[0008] A discharge line, controlled by an electrovalve or similar electrically controlled device, connects the bottom of the first reservoir to a second reservoir, placed at a lower level than the level of the first reservoir. The second reservoir, hydraulically connected in cascade with respect to the first reservoir, may have a graduation and relative internal volumetry from 0 to 60 minutes and is in turn connected by a line controlled by a second discharge electrovalve to a third graduated reservoir having an internal volumetry and graduation that may go from 0 to 12 or from 0 to 24 hours, depending on a construction option of the time display plant for cycles of 12 hours or for cycles of 12 hours. Similarly, by employing additional reservoirs hydraulically connected in cascade, even the current date may be displayed in a similar fashion.

[0009] The liquid contained inside the third graduated reservoir (displaying the hours) may discharge into the recycling tank through a line controlled by an electrovalve upon the striking of the 12th or 24th hour, thus restarting a new cycle of the display.

[0010] Alike the volumetric pump, the opening of the electrovalves for sequentially discharging the liquid contained in a certain graduated reservoir into the graduated reservoir or recycling tank that follows in cascade, is commanded by the timing circuitry driven by the precision system's clock signal, respectively triggering commanding the emptying of the graduated reservoirs that display the seconds, the minutes, the hours (at the end of the 24 or 12 hour cycle) and so forth. The respective periods of opening of the sequenced discharge valves are set in order to allow a complete discharging of the liquid from a certain graduated reservoir to the graduated reservoir of higher order.

[0011] The error introduced by the finite time taken by the discharging process of the volume of liquid contained in the lowest order reservoir fed continuously with liquid by the volumetric pump into the reservoir of higher order, beside being easily compensable, is not cumulated and therefore remains negligible in terms of the overall precision of the current time display even after long periods of operation.

[0012] The setting of the exact current time upon starting the clock display by setting the relative levels of liquids in the different graduated reservoirs of the system of the invention, or every time it is necessary to reset the exact current time, takes place by completely filling all the graduated transparent reservoirs and by sequentially commanding manually the opening of the discharge electrovalves (in a reverse order and for the appropriate period of time of discharge of the liquid set by the timing system) thus setting sequentially the levels of the liquid in the different reservoirs of increasing order connected in cascade on the right markings so as to display the exact current time. At this point, the display system may be restarted in a normal operation mode.

[0013] Preferably, the distinct reservoirs hydraulically connected in cascade may be placed at different levels in order to permit the transfer of the liquid from a reservoir to the successive reservoir by gravity. Of course, this will not be necessary if a plurality of pumps or appropriate pressurizing devices are employed. Moreover, the display of different units of measurement may be implemented, as an alternative, by a plurality of reservoirs arranged one next to the other which may be filled in sequence, for example through an overflow line from one to the next, instead of displaying them by the level reached by the liquid in a graduated reservoir. Of course, such an alternative embodiment will require to confine together a plurality of discharge lines from the series of reservoirs so as to control the emptying of all the reservoir of the series by means of a single electrovalve upon the filling of the last of these reservoirs of the same order (that is every 60 seconds, 60 minutes or 12 or 24 hours).

[0014] According to a first embodiment, the filling of all the graduated or indexed reservoirs for setting the exact current time may be carried out by commanding the performance of a fast filling cycle through the liquid raising pump and the sequential opening of the various discharge valves of the graduated reservoirs to properly set the display.

[0015] According to another embodiment of the invention, the hydraulic circuit may be substantially closed and a nonintercepted line for the redistribution of the gas phase (air) within the closed hydraulic circuit functionally interconnects the top parts of all the reservoirs of the hydraulic circuit. This unintercepted line for the redistribution of the gas phase, may also permit to fill all the graduated reservoirs, by physically turning the plant up-side down. For this purpose, the hydraulic plant may be mounted on a pivoting board that can be blocked in an upright operating position and momentarily turned up-side down for resetting the display.

[0016] The various aspects and advantages of the invention will become even more clear through the following description of several important embodiments and by referring to the annexed drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a basic diagram of the hydraulic circuit of the display system of the invention, according to a first embodiment;

Figure 2 is a partial scheme of a hydraulic plant of a display system of the invention, according to a different embodiment thereof;

Figure 3 shows another alternative embodiment of the invention;

Figure 4 is a block diagram of an electronic sequencing circuit for controlling the hydraulic display of the invention.

[0017] According to the embodiment shown in Fig. 1, the hydraulic display system of the invention comprises a volumetric pump 1, provided with non-return valves 10 and 10' on the inlet and outlet lines. The volumetric pump 1 draws liquid from a recycling tank 2 pumping it into a first graduated reservoir 3. The internal volumetry and graduation of the first reservoir 3, set at the highest level, may be consistent with a graduation from 0 to 60 seconds and the pumping rate of the volumetric pump 1 may be controlled as to fill the reservoir 3 up to the marking 60, in exactly 60 seconds.

[0018] Upon the striking of the minute, the liquid contained in the reservoir 3, discharges by gravity into the successive graduated reservoir 4 through the line 30 which is controlled by the electrovalve 31. The second graduated reservoir 4 may have a graduation and a corresponding internal volumetry consistent with a graduation from 0 to 60 minutes. Similarly, the liquid contained in the reservoir 4 is eventually discharged by gravity into the successive reservoir 5 through the line 40 controlled by the electrovalve 41. The reservoir 5 may have an internal volumetry and a corresponding graduation from 0 to 12 or from 0 to 24 hours. Finally the liquid contained in the reservoir 5 discharges in the recycling tank 2 through the line 50 controlled by the electrovalve 51.

[0019] According to the embodiment shown, an unintercepted line 16 for the redistribution of air among the different tanks interconnects the top portions of all graduated reservoirs 2, 4 and 5 as well as of the recycling tank 2, thus permitting to seal off the hydraulic circuit with respect to the atmosphere. Through this line 16, it is even possible to completely fill the graduated reservoirs 2, 4 and 5 by gravity, by physically turning upside-down the sealed hydraulic circuit, which for this purpose may be mounted on an hinged frame that can be blocked in an operative upright position.

[0020] An electronic system of synchronization, not shown in the figure, which may comprise a precision quartz clock for providing a system's clock signal and an appropriate logic circuitry commands the operation of the volumetric pump 1 and of the electrovalves 31, 41 and 51, through the switches 1', 31', 41' and 51', respectively.

[0021] During normal operation of the clock, the volumetric pump 1, which may be of any suitable type capable of providing an extremely precise and easily adjustable pumping rate, may be driven by the clock signal through a rate regulation circuit in order to provide a liquid flow rate suitable to fill up to the marking 60 the reservoir 3 in exactly 60 seconds. Upon the striking of the minute, the logic circuitry provides to command the opening of the electrovalve 31 (closing of the switch 31') for a set period of time sufficient to permit a complete transfer of the liquid contained in the reservoir 3 (having reached the level indicated by the marking 60) into the reservoir 4, which will have an internal volumetry so as to record an increment of the liquid level therein corresponding to one marking, that is to a minute. Similarly, upon the striking of the hour, the logic circuitry commands the opening of the electrovalve 41 (closing of the switch 41') for a set period of time long enough to allow a complete transfer of the liquid contained in the reservoir 4 (which in the meanwhile would have reached the marking 60) into the graduated reservoir 5, which will have an internal volumetry so as to record an increase of the liquid level therein due to the volume discharged from the reservoir 4, corresponding to an hour marking.

[0022] Similarly, upon the striking of the 12th (or 24th hour), the logic circuitry commands the opening of the electrovalve 51 (closing of the switch 51') for a period of time long enough to permit a complete discharge of the liquid contained inside the reservoir 5 (which in the meanwhile will have reached the maximum level marking 12 or 24) into the recycling tank 2.

[0023] The setting of the exact current time may be effected at any moment and necessarily when starting the clock (that is the display system), by completely filling the graduated reservoirs 2, 4 and 5. A complete filling of all the graduated reservoirs may be achieved by commanding through the control logic circuitry the run of a fast filling cycle, during which the pump 1 is commanded to deliver an enhanced liquid rate and the electrovalves 31 and 41 to open so as to permit a quick filling of all the graduated reservoirs. Once the filling is completed and the electrovalves closed, the operator may manually command the opening of the electrovalves in sequence and for preset intervals of time by acting on appropriate push buttons 31'', 41'' and 51'', as schematically shown.

[0024] Alternatively, the complete filling of the graduated reservoirs 3, 4 and 5 for setting the exact current time, may be effected by stopping the pump 1 and by physically upturning the hydraulic circuit (if implemented in a substantially sealed manner) in order to fill completely by gravity the graduated reservoirs through the line 16. By returning the hydraulic circuit to a correct upright position, the exact current time may be set by acting manually and sequentially on the push buttons 31'', 41'' and 51'' for setting the correct levels in the various graduated reservoirs of the display.

[0025] During a manual setting of the current time, the timing circuitry will remain active to control the period of aperture of an electrovalve following each manual command exerted through the respective push button.

[0026] The display of any of the time measurement units, instead of being implemented in the form of different levels of the liquid inside a transparent graduated reservoir, may alternatively be implemented by employing a series of transparent containers, each indicating a certain multiple of the unit or time measurement, for example 10, 20, 30, 40, 50 and 60 minutes (or hours, days or months) and standing one next to the others on a same level. The liquid introduced in a first container, at a controlled rate or intermittently, fills in succession the series of containers set one next to the other through an overflow line connecting the top portions of a container to the top portion of the container following it in the series and so forth. Of course, according to this alternative way of displaying, an unique electrovalve controls the simultaneous discharging of the liquid from all the containers on the series into the graduated reservoir or the first container of another series of a higher order. This alternative form of displaying is schematically depicted in Fig. 2, showing for example an alternative way of displaying the minutes in a liquid display system of the invention as the one depicted in Fig. 1.

[0027] It should be clear that the display system of the invention employing a succession of graduated or otherwise indexed (labelled) containers hydraulically connected in cascade, may be realized even in different ways from the ones described for purely illustrative purpose in the figures. For example, the volumetric pump 1, driven by a system's clock signal, through an appropriate logic control circuitry, may be substituted by a normal recycling pump that can be intermittently commanded into operation by employing a recycling tank placed at a higher level than any of the graduated or indexed displaying containers or reservoirs and by controlling the rate of discharge of the liquid from the recycling tank into the first of the graduated reservoirs of the display through a special electrovalve controlled by pulses generated by a rate control circuit. The precision of the flow rate produced by the pump of by the discharge valve controlled through an appropriate logic circuitry synchronized by a general clock's signal may be ensured by employing a feedback type control system. A closed loop control system may employ a flow rate sensor in the delivering line (filling the graduated reservoir or indexed reservoir containers of a first order of unit of time). The signal produced by the flow rate sensor may than be used by the driving circuitry of the volumetric pump or of the primary liquid delivery device to the hydraulic display circuit in order to exert a closed loop control of the flow rate and therefore ensure an improved precision of the recirculating liquid display under any operating condition.

[0028] It is evident the possibility of displaying even the current date beside the current hour and eventually minutes, by simply expanding the hydraulic display system. This can be done by to adding indexed reservoirs that may be filled in cascade through transfer lines controlled by electrovalves controlled by the electronic sequencing system which uses and extremely precise system's clock signal, produced for example by a quartz clock.

[0029] Especially in case of implementing a display system that includes the indication of orders of unit of time particularly different from each other, the problem of gathering large quantities of liquid in a graduated reservoir or in a series of indexed containers for displaying a unit of time of a relatively high order, such as hours, days or months, may be alleviated by implementing the display system according to an alternative form of realization.

[0030] According to this alternative embodiment, a subdivision of the amount of liquid relative to an indication of a certain unit of time into a congruent plurality of indexed containers connected in cascade is effected and only the liquid dischargeable from the last one of the sequential containers is used to carry the information to a graduated reservoir or to a similar series of indexed containers connected in cascade that display the unit of measure of a higher order.

[0031] In this way, a certain information (for example the striking of the hour) that is displayed by the filling of the last one of a series of indexed containers (for example of six containers, each indicating the passing of 10 minutes), is effectively transferred by discharging only the liquid contained in the last one of the containers into a graduated reservoir or into the first one of a series of indexed containers connected in cascade which indicates the passing of the hours. Such an alternative embodiment of the display system of the invention is partially depicted in Fig. 3.

[0032] With reference to the partial scheme of Fig. 3, a volumetric pump (or the timed discharge stream of a graduated reservoir displaying the seconds) introduces the liquid into the container labeled 50 of the six containers connected in cascade, each indicating the passing of 10 minutes. It is evident that the containers (10, 20, 30, 40, 50 and 60) will fill in succession with the passing of time. After the container 50 itself will eventually be filled, the liquid will start to fill also the last one of the containers, labeled 60. Upon the opening of the electrovalve 21, only the quantity of liquid contained in the last container 60 will be transferred to the series of labeled containers connected in cascade (1, 2, ..., 12) displaying the passing of the hours. Simultaneously to the opening of the electrovalve 31, also an auxiliary electrovalve 31a will open. This auxiliary electrovalve will empty all the other containers: 10, 20, ..., 50, by returning the liquid into the recycling tank. It is evident how the information of the passing of an hour is effectively transferred from the first series of cascaded containers displaying the passing of minutes to the second series of cascaded containers displaying the passing of the hours, by a fractionary quantity of liquid (in the example corresponding to the passing of 10 minutes).

[0033] According to this embodiment of the invention, the internal volumetry of the containers 1, ..., 12 for displaying of passing of the hours may be substantially reduced. This type of embodiment is exceptionally useful for displaying the time through the indication of units of relatively different orders from one another.

[0034] An electronic circuit for controlling the liquid display system of the invention, designed for displaying seconds, minutes, hours and adaptable for a displaying cycle of 12 or 24 hours, is shown in Fig. 4. The control circuit employs an integrated timer produced by SGS-THOMSON MICROELECTRONICS (ST 6215) and an external quartz crystal for generating a stable system's clock frequency. The electronic clock card of Fig. 4 generates sequenced pulses at the striking of each second, each minute, each hour, every 12 hours and every 24 hours through respective outputs. Distinct dedicated control circuits, each commanded by a relative output of the clock's circuit of Fig. 4, will command the opening of the respective electrovalve of the display system for a set interval of time.

Claims

1. An electronically controlled hydraulic display of a time measurement, characterized by comprising
   a hydraulic circuit composed of a plurality of graduated reservoirs and/or series of indexed transparent reservoirs hydraulically connected in cascade, at least a liquid recycling tank, at least a volumetric liquid transfer means transferring the liquid from said recycling tank to a first graduated reservoir or to the first of a series of indexed reservoirs, at least an electrovalve functionally set in a transfer line from the bottom of each of said reservoirs to a reservoir or recycle tank following it in said cascade;
   means for controlling the flow rate of said volumetric liquid transfer means and for timing the sequential opening of said electrovalves;
   manual control means of the sequence of timed openings of said electrovalves for resetting the display following a complete filling of all said reservoirs;
   said reservoirs having an internal volumetry and markings defining units of time of increasing order along said cascade.

2. The hydraulic display system as defined in claim 1, wherein said volumetric liquid transfer means are constituted by a volumetric pump.

3. The hydraulic display system as defined in claim 1, characterized in that said graduated and/or reservoirs are arranged in cascade by gravity, the graduated reservoirs and/or series of indexed reservoirs indicating a unit of time of a lower order being placed at a higher level than a graduated reservoir or series of indexed reservoirs indicating a unit of time of a higher order.

4. The hydraulic display as defined in claim 1, characterized in that it is a substantially sealed circuit and comprises a gas phase redistribution line interconnecting the top portions of each of said reservoirs and recycling tank, permitting the filling by gravity of all reservoirs by overturning the hydraulic circuit.

5. The hydraulic display system as defined in claim 1, characterized in that the displaying of a measure expressed in a certain unit of time is implemented by a series of indexed containers placed one next to the other at the same level and sequentially connected by overflow lines, the liquid being fed into the first container of the series and filling in succession the plurality of containers.

6. The hydraulic display system as defined in claim 1, characterized in that the displaying of a measure expressed in a certain unit of time is implemented by a plurality of indexed reservoirs gravitationally connected in cascade wherein liquid is fed into the second last to be filled of said reservoirs which is placed at a level immediately lower than the level of the last one of said reservoirs;
   said last and highest reservoir being filled often the complete filling of all the other reservoirs of the series and having a line of the liquid contained therein controlled by an electrovalve for transferring the quantity of liquid contained in said last reservoir of the series to a graduated reservoir or to a plurality of indexed reservoirs displaying a unit of time of a higher order;
   all the other reservoirs of said first plurality being provided with a discharge line controlled by an auxiliary electrovalve through which the liquid contained in all the reservoirs of the series with the exception of said last reservoir is recycled to said recycling tank.

Drawing