While emerging from the shower this morning, I saw that the wall clock in my bathroom was covered in steam. This gave me an idea for an "art nouveau" clock.

What I'm imagining is a clock connected to a water reservoir. The clock is a typical plastic-covered "wall clock"; it's just a clock face covered by a slightly hemispherical plastic bubble. This clock continuously exudes steam through a small hole inside the bubble. This steam would coat the inside of the bubble, causing the clock to be obscured and foggy at best. However, the second hand of the clock is curved outwards slightly so that it rests against the plastic. It is lined with a squeegee, so that it wipes the steam off of the clock as it passes around. Thus, a wedge of the clock face is always visible behind the second hand, but it is quickly filled in again by steam.
-- DrWorm, Dec 21 2009

[+]
-- FlyingToaster, Dec 21 2009


Great idea. [+] Does it blow a steam whistle on the hour?
-- swimswim, Dec 21 2009


+ yeah this is cute!
could it be adapted to eyeglasses that fog up?
-- xandram, Dec 22 2009


Nace. [+]
-- MaxwellBuchanan, Dec 22 2009


It would be possible to create the hands such that all three swept out separate (annular) wedges. The wedge length of the hour hand would be very short, since it doesn't move quickly. Minute, a little bigger, and seconds fairly long.
-- MechE, Dec 22 2009



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