GB2252852A - Data collation devices - Google Patents

Abstract

A device for displaying data relating to events occurring over two or more consecutive periods has a reference area identification (1) for each of the periods and a corresponding number of elements (3) bearing time-related information are displayed in those areas. The elements are displaceable relative to the reference areas so that with the passing of the periods an individual element can be registered with the successive periods appropriate to the information it bears. Thus, the elements may be associated with periods of the calendar whereas the reference areas are associated with the present and immediate future time, so that the device displays which calendar related events are imminent. <IMAGE>

Description

DATA COLLATION DEVICES This invention relates to a device for assembling or collating data, particularly time-related information.

It is convenient to be able to keep a record of events, for example appointments and things to be done in a form which is simple to refer to. The present invention is concerned with a device suitable for use in displaying data relating to events occurring over several consecutive periods.

According to the invention, there is provided a device for assembling or collating data, said device being arranged to display a plurality of reference areas each allotted to a specific time period and the device further comprising a plurality of elements for bearing timerelated information, said plurality of areas and said elements being relatively displaceable to bring the individual elements into registration with alternative areas.

In one form, the invention provides a device for assembling or collating data, said device having a series of reference areas each relating to a different but equal time period, arranged such that a consecutive series of said areas represents a chronological sequence, and a series of sheet-form elements having writing surfaces, said series of areas and elements being relatively movable to display each of said elements at alternative ones of said reference areas.

It will usually be most convenient to have the reference areas arranged in a fixed position and to displace the elements with their time-related information between different reference areas.

Any time period may be allotted to the reference areas, such as a day, week, month or year. Similarly, any number of these time periods may be included in the consecutive series. In one convenient arrangement, the time period of each area is a week, so that there will always be a display of at leat two weeks' data. A particularly preferred form of the device includes three or four reference areas, eg. the device conveying information relating to forthcoming events in the current week and two or three subsequent weeks.

A title or a series of titles allocated to any time period may be indicated in the reference area or in a part of the device which registers with the area. For many purposes it would be appropriate to have the device show a three week period with the individual weeks titled "this week", "next week" and "and the week after"..

Each element relating to a set time period may be divided into sections, with each section allotted to a shorter time period. For example, an element which covers one week may be divided into seven parts allotted to the days of that week. The parts may be titled on the element and/or such titles may provided in a fixed position on the device, which registers with an element. For example, where each element covers one week and the element is divided into seven parts, one for each day of the week, the day titles (Monday, Tuesday ....) may be included on the element. Alternatively or in addition thereto, the day titles may be in a fixed position on the device to register with a reference area.

The elements may have a re-usable surface which allows the time related information to be deleted from it after the week has passed. Alternatively, the elements may be disposable, in which case the date, month and year may be included on the element.

A device according to the invention may be arranged for use as an appointments organiser, planner, diary or other reminder system or the like. An advantage of such a device is that it allows clear visual reference to forthcoming events covering a period of several weeks, irrespective of whether a calendar month expires during that period, and without the need to turn pages or sheets as required with conventional calendars or diaries.

In addition, as the device concentrates on a shorter period than conventional wall charts or long-term planners, it allows clearer and more detailed depiction of events occurring over that period. For ease of use it can be arranged that the current period is either in or can be put in one fixed position on the device, and the user is therefore drawn to this immediately.

By way of example, the invention will be described in more detail with reference to the accompanying schematic drawings, which show various embodiments of the present device. In the drawings: Fig. 1 illustrates a first device according to the invention, Fig. 1A illustrates a modification of the device in Fig. 1, Fig. 2A illustrates another device according to the invention, Figs. 2B and 2C illustrate two alternative arrangements that can be taken by the device in Fig. 2A, Figs. 3A and 3B illustrate a further device according to the invention in front view and sectional view respectively, and Fig. 4 illustrates a still further device according to the invention.

Fig. 1 shows a device for assembling or collating information related to events occurring over a period of three weeks.

The device comprises a board divided into a grid in which the week titles 1 "this week", "next week", "and the week after" are set out in sequence as the columns of the grid. For each title there is an individual reference area in the grid below it. Day titles 2 are labelled as the rows of the grid. Elements 3 comprising strips of material, such as paper or card, divided into seven sections are placed in the grid, one strip for each week.

Each strip registers with a different reference area and the sections of the strips register with the day titles.

Each strip section is pre-printed with the day, date, month and year. Miscellaneous information, such as holiday dates, can also be included on the strip.

Sufficient blank space is left on the strips, however, to allow the user to insert time-related information, such as appointments, events etc. at the appropriate sections.

The strips are affixed to the reference areas of the board by means allowing their ready removal. The device illustrated in Fig. 1 employs channel-like gussets 5 at the top and bottom of the reference areas to hold the strips by their edges. Magnets, releasable adhesives, hooks, hook and loop fasteners or elastic materials are some suitable alternatives.

Strips that are not in use on the grid are stored in date order in a pouch 4 which can be mounted on the board. The pouch is open-faced or has a transparent cover to show the strip for the week subsequent to those on the grid. Any strip may be extracted from the pouch 4 for the insertion of time-related information.

Conveniently, the strips for future dates are held in the front part of the pouch whereas the past strips are held at the rear.

Once the first week, ie. "this week" has elapsed, the completed strip is removed and placed in the rear of the pouch. The other two strips are each displaced across by one reference area and, as a result, brought forward by one week. The strip at the front of the pouch is then inserted into the reference area corresponding to the vacant column labelled "and the week after".

In a modification of this first-described embodiment, the board may be dispensed with and replaced by any convenient flat surface. The surface may be of metal, wood or plastic. Carriers, defining the reference areas and bearing the week titles and day titles are fastened to the flat surface. The elements relating to the time-periods and comprising sheets of material are also attached to the flat surface, or directly to the carriers, to register with the reference areas. The carriers and elements may be attached by means which allow their ready-removal, such as magnets or releasable adhesives.

A further modified version of the device in Fig.

1 is shown in Fig. lA. The board now has event-recording elements in the form of wire-bound pads 3A removably located by being suspended from a wire 5A fixed to the board. Above the wire 5A the reference area titles appear on a plastics headboard 1A.

A further device according to the invention illustrated in Fig. 2A comprises a plurality of sheetform elements as successive sections of a rotatable reel 6. In the version of this device that is illustrated further in Fig. 2B, reel 6 comprises a length of material held in a cassette housing 7 on wind-on and wind-off spools 7A,7B. On the reel there are successive sections, one for each week, covering one year. Each week section is divided into days and is pre-printed with the day, date, month and year. Reference areas are defined by a window 8 in the housing through which the sections of the reel 6 may be viewed. The week titles 1 ("this week", "next week", "and the week after") are inserted above the window and the day titles may be inserted on one or both sides of the window.The user writes the time-related information on the sections of the reel, a rigid backing 6A behind the window providing support as the user writes on the exposed sections. Knurled discs (not shown) or other means are provided so that the spools can be rotated to and fro as necessary to expose any desired section or to align the relevant sections on the reel with the titles 1.

The reel 6 is moved on at the end of each week, once "this week" has passed, and the corresponding section of the reel disappears from view. The next two sections being displaced across the window by one reference area are, as a result, brought forward by one week. The next section of the reel which now becomes exposed is aligned with the week title "and the week after".

The spool drive may be motorised, in which case the drive may be programmed to display any particular week that is desired.

A device of Fig. 2A may alternatively be constructed as shown in Fig. 2C. In this example, the reel comprises a continuous band 6' successive portions of which provide the information display elements. These may consist of about seven or eight week sections, each of which is divided into days. The band is of a nonabsorbent material; the pre-printing on the material is confined to the days of the week. The user writes in the date, month and year and relevant information and erases it eventually for re-use.

A further example is illustrated in Fig. 3. The front section of the device comprises a rotatable disc 9, mounted on a board 10. The disc rotates about a spindle 9A, which has a flange 9B to retain the disc in position.

The disc 9 has three rotatable pads of sheet-form elements comprising pre-printed tear-off strips. The pads are mounted on the disc 9 through respective spindles 9C so that they are each rotatable also. The strips in each pad are divided into sections corresponding to the days of every third week. The strips and pads are arranged to form a chronological sequence as follows: Pad One Pad Two Pad Three Week 1 2 3 Week 4 5 6 Week 7 8 9 etc etc etc The pads are equally spaced around the centre of the disc, with respect to the centre of the disc and each other.

At three spaced regions around the board 10 beyond the rim of the disc there are reference areas, each labelled with the week titles 1 in chronological sequence, either clockwise or anticlockwise. The disc is rotated so that the appropriate strip appears by the label "this week" on the board and the other two strips are thereby aligned with the other week titles.

Once the first week, ie. "this week" has passed, the corresponding strip is removed from the pad to reveal beneath, the strip which now relates to the title "and the week after". The disc is rotated to align the strips with the correct week titles. The pads also rotate so that the strips are displayed the right way up; this may be done automatically by the use of gearing between the spindles 9C and the disc 9.

In this embodiment, a transparent disc may be employed. The week titles 2 on the board 10 are then visible through the disc 9. As a further alternative, the rotatable pads are affixed to the arms of a rotor rather than the disc 9. The strips may be held together in each pad by any means which allows their ready removal.

Releasable adhesives, hooks and ring binders are suitable alternatives.

An additional example of the device, comprising a free-standing body 13 having an equilateral triangular horizontal cross-section is illustrated in Fig. 4.

A lid 11 fits removably onto the body and has a rim 12 overlapping to top of the body. The rim 12 has the same triangular cross-section as the body 13 so that the lid can be turned to fit onto the body in any of three alternative positions. Each of the three vertical faces of the rim 12 carries a different week title 1 to define respective reference areas below them. On each of the vertical faces of the body in these references areas holds a pad of tear-off strips, or the strips can be mounted within the body to be visible through windows in the body.

The strips are pre-printed with sections for the days of the week and successive strips of a pad are for each fourth week, as in the example of Fig. 3. At the end of each week the strip 3 for that week is removed to reveal beneath, the strip which now relates to the title "and the week after". The lid 12 is rotated on the body 13 to align the week titles with the correct strips.

The body may have the reference area identifications on a part separate from the lid, possibly permanently attached to but rotatable on the body.

Other polygonal cross-section bodies may be used, the number of faces of the polygon corresponding to the number of weeks to be displayed. The pads 3 may be replaced by wire-bound pads, such as are shown in Fig. 1A, straddling the top edge of the body so that at least that sheet of the pad being displayed is on the outside of the body.

It is also possible to employ a circular crosssection body, but preferably with means for retaining the reference area identifications and the strips in register with each other.

Various modifications of the described devices are contemplated. In each case, although the devices illustrated are used to assemble or collate information covering a time period of three weeks, clearly any number of time periods may be covered, each period being of any desired length, such as days, weeks, or months.

As stated the strips 3 and the length of material in the rotatable reel 6 may be pre-printed with dates corresponding to the day titles in a particular calendar year. The dates for a subsequent calendar year may optionally be printed on the reverse. Conveniently, the reel 6 covers more than one calendar year. Where the strips 3 or reel 6 are pre-printed with the day (and the date, month and year), the day titles 2 need not appear on the device.

Alternatively, strips 3 may (like band 6') be of a non-absorbent material, used in combination with an appropriate marking medium. The user writes both the date and any information relative to that date on the material and erases it eventually, for re-use.

For particular regular events or appointments (eg. doctors' appointments) labels may be used which are preprinted with the title of that event. The label is affixed to the relevant section of the strip 3 or reel 6.

Where the strips are pre-printed it is a simple matter to up-date the device with new strips bearing later dates. In the examples of Figs. 3 and 4 the new pads are conveniently glued to the backing of the old pad.

Claims (14)

1. A device for assembling or collating data, said device displaying or having a plurality of reference areas each identified by a specific time period and a plurality of elements for bearing time-related information, said plurality of areas and said elements being relatively displaceable to bring the individual elements into registration with alternative areas.

2. A device for assembling or collating data, said device having a series of reference areas, each relating to a different but equal time period, arranged such that a consecutive series of said areas represents a chronological sequence, and a series of sheet-form elements having writing surfaces, said series of areas and elements being relatively movable to display each of said elements at alternative said areas.

3. A device according to claim 1 or claim 2 wherein there are at least three said areas.

4. A device according to any one of claims 1 to 3 wherein the reference areas are in fixed positions on a common mounting and said elements are displaceable relative to the mounting.

5. A device according to any one of claims 1 to 3 wherein said elements are in the form of pads or stacks of sheets.

6. A device according to claim 5 wherein the sheets are each identified with a period of time, the sheets being grouped in a number (n) of pads or stacks corresponding to the number of reference areas, said periods of time in the sheets running in sequence from one pad to another so that each successive sheet in any one of the pads is identified by the periods p, p+n, p+2n...

where p is the period on the first sheet of that pad or stack.

7. A device according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the elements are removably supported in pockets or pouches on a common mounting.

8. A device according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the elements are suspended from a common mounting.

9. A device according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the elements are supported on a rotatable mounting for displacement relative to the reference areas.

10. A device according to claim 9 wherein the elements are mounted in a plane transverse to the axis of rotation of the mounting and means are provided to maintain them in a fixed orientation when they are displaced.

11. A device according to claim 4 wherein the elements are arranged in series as a strip which is displaceable to move the elements through reference areas which are arranged in series in the direction of displacement of the strip.

12. A device according to claim 4 comprising a hollow body with a peripheral surface on or through which said elements are displayed, and a member identifying for reference areas is displaceably locatable with respect to said body to associate the displayed elements with the respective reference areas, said association being changeable by relative displacement between said body and said member.

13. A device according to claim 12 wherein said body and/or member have a polygonal cross-section, the number of reference areas corresponding to the number of sides of the polygon.

14. A device constructed and arranged for use substantially as described herein with reference to any of the examples illustrated in the accompanying drawings.