Patent Publication Number: US-2006013075-A1

Title: InfantClock

Description:
BACKGROUND OF INVENTION  
      Although the device of this invention may be thought of as simply a novelty or decoration, it has as a basis the need for time dating of materials related to the early days, weeks and months of infants. It has long been the practice of professional photographers to use props in order to establish the age of a child at the time a particular picture was taken. An example would be the use of a large numeral 1 used in a photograph to indicate that the child was one year old at the time of the photograph. Including a cake with one candle in a picture would, of course, be another way of establishing the age when a photograph was taken.  
      With the technology development of recent years, video recorders and digital cameras are available and are commonly used in most households. This is, in fact, particularly true of households having infants and small children. There is a need, then, for a device which can be used in this household environment which would easily and effortlessly indicate time associated with child development. It should be noted that during the first days and weeks of an infants life changes are taking place rapidly. It is this time that is the most hectic for parents as well. For this reason, it is important that photographs taken during this time be documented and related to the baby&#39;s age. The device of this present invention provides a convenient and practical means to record age while also providing a novelty or decoration for the nursery. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION  
      The invention is a device having the appearance of a conventional clock typically with the numerals 1 to 12 arranged in a circle and “hands” indicating hours and minutes. The appearance would be such as to be recognizable as a common time keeping device. In one embodiment of the present invention the clock, or simulated clock, would have the common clock markings but would have the word “weeks” as a predominate marking.  
      The device would provide a means to change the pointers or “hands” so that different weeks could be indicated. As an example, if the long hand were toward the 12 while the short hand was toward the 3, it would be obvious that a 3 week time period was indicated. This example is shown by  FIG. 1 .  
      Such a device serves as a novelty or decoration for a baby&#39;s nursery but also functions to time stamp photographs taken during the first weeks and months of the child&#39;s rapid development. This clock-like device would be placed near the infant while the picture is taken. When video equipment is used the user would simply pan the room to focus on the clock which would be on the wall or an appropriate stand. In this way photographs taken in the early stages of child development could easily be documented with the appropriate time or age of the child. It will be well understood by new parents that such a convenience would be most welcomed during these hectic first days and weeks.  
      It is envisioned that the device might be provided with interchangeable faces which could be changed as the child grows. For example, a face indicating days such as that shown by  FIG. 2  would be changeable to one indicating the first 12 weeks as was shown in  FIG. 1 . A version could be made showing weeks  11  through  22  such as that shown by  FIG. 5 . This could then be followed by a face to indicate months as shown in  FIG. 3 . It may even be desired to continue using such a device to indicate the first years ( FIG. 4 ). The clock face could be simply changed by temporarily removing the clock hands and any protective cover.  
      It is also envisioned that the device would be designed to be pink in color for use by the parents of a girl while the color scheme would be predominately blue when intended for use in a boy&#39;s room.  
      In a particular embodiment of the invention a working second hand is included to add realism and perhaps even the ticking noise. In general, the device would be manually advanced either directly or by a knob located on the back. It is, of course, possible to provide actual working mechanisms to advance the clock but these mechanisms, when provided, would increase cost.  
      Other embellishments are possible without departing from the spirit of the invention. In order to keep cost low a plastic version is expected to be most common. However, when used as a keepsake a brass or other refinement might be used. Personalized versions can be made such as those shown by the drawing of  FIG. 6 .