ARTICLE OF JEWELLERY

TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to an article of jewellery, stationery or the like which provides the user with information about time zone differences.

BACKGROUNDART

Many devices have been proposed to calculate and display differences in time zones.

These devices are especially useful to international business people or constant travellers such as airline pilots or the like.

A drawback of many or these devices is that they tend to be complicated as they are usually incorporated into wrist watches or other clocks. This leads to a situation where they are expensive and in some cases, unsightly.

Alternatives to the above devices are time zone charts or schedules, but these are not always at hand and are in some cases also difficult to operate.

It is an object of this invention to provide an uncomplicated but effective alternative to the above devices, but without any of the drawbacks.

DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION

According to the invention a device to simultaneously indicate the time in multiple time zones includes a rotatably mounted circular band on a base of a slightly smaller radius, the band including information in the form of place names and/or time intervals spaced apart about the circumference of the band,

a second stationary circular surface being provided and containing information corresponding to that on the band also in the form of place names and/or time intervals, the band being rotatable relative to the stationary surface to match a place name with a time.

The base may include a ratchet or similar arrangement to prevent accidental rotation of the band.

In a preferred form of the invention as applied to a jewellery ring the arrangement includes one or more intermittent stop members comprising deformable metal plates which are connected to the base at one end and slightly curved upwards at the other end.

The stop member may be embedded into the base and only the curved ends may protrude from the base.

In this form of the invention the circular band contains notches in its inner surface corresponding to the stop members on the base. The band may include one notch for each place name or time interval displayed on the outer circumference.

In the preferred form of the invention as applied to a ring, the second surface is in the form a band/ring which is connected to one edge of the base, and a third band/ring is connected on the opposite edge thereof, thereby effectively securing the first band on the base.

The time and location names may be calculated and placed in such a way on the bands that all increments of time register with their respective places when the time in the current location is set by rotating the band until it lines up with the time increment on the second surface i.e. if it is 2pm in Cape Town, the first band is rotated to that 2pm and Cape Town are in register, which gives the time in Sydney as being 10pm, for example.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

An embodiment of the invention is described below with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is an isometric view of the device according to the invention; Figures 2A and 2B are exploded perspective views of the device; and Figure 3 is a side view of the device.

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

In the drawings the device includes a base 10, a circular band 12 and a second circular surface 14, both of which contain information 16 displayed on the outer surfaces 18A and 18B and set at predetermined distances.

The information on the first band 20 is names of cities, countries or the like - while the information on the second surface/band 24 is increments of time, in this case increments of 2 hours.

The base contains stop members 26 in the form of small metallic plates 28 which are embedded into the base. The stop members are connected to the base at one of its ends 30, while the other end 32 is slightly curved upward. The curved part is the only part of the stop member protruding from the surface of the base.

The band includes notches (not shown) on its inner surface (not shown). The notches are placed in such a manner that each time a stop member engages a notch, information on the two rings line up or register.

The stop members prevent the first band from rotating in both directions, while also preventing accidental movement of the band.

The device further includes a third member 40 in the form of a band which is connected to the other end 42 of the base, and thereby securing the first band in a channel 44 created between the second and third rings.

In use the name of the user's current location is lined up with the time in that location. The times next to the other names on the first band indicates the time in those cities/places.

An example would be if the user finds himself in Moscow at 2pm, he may set the first band to register the name of the city with the 2 time increment. If the time in another part of the world, say Sydney, needs to be calculated the user may simply read it off the ring.