THREE-PHASE ROTATING RING DISPLAY

• US 3,750,151 A
• Filed: 08/25/1971
• Issued: 07/31/1973
• Est. Priority Date: 08/25/1971
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Hans G. Dill
• Original Assignee: Hans G. Dill
• Inventors: Dill, Hans G.
• Primary Examiner(s): Caldwell, John W.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Wannisky, William M.
• Application Number:
  US05/174,695
• Time in Patent Office: 706 Days
• Field of Search: 340/366R,378R,376,379,271,324,325,378MW 310/49R,266,156,168 116/115 335/219,209 58/23D,126R
• US Class Current: 340/319
• CPC Class Codes: G04B 19/202 by means of turning discs disc-shaped indicating devices with a reference mark or a window G04B19/046; discs driven by clockwork and producing optical special effects G04B45/0007; with inscriptions or drawings driven by a clockwork G04B45/0023; with figures or parts of figures driven by clockwork G04B45/0038

Abstract

A data display device which includes an indicia-bearing rotor driven by three multiple stators. In one embodiment the three stators extend collectively around the rotor. In another embodiment, each stator extends fully around the rotor. The rotor carries a plurality of equally spaced-apart magnetic domains upon which the three stators act in succession. One of the magnetic domains is purposely omitted, however, to permit magnetic detection of a predetermined position of the rotor.

Claims

1. A display device comprising in combination a. an indicia-carrying ring rotor having a plurality of magnetic domains;

b. three multi-pole electrically wound stators magnetically coupled to said domains, poles of a given stator being concurrently aligned with a corresponding plurality of said domains, poles of the respective stators being successively aligned with domains of said rotor at successive positions of said rotor;

c. means for magnetizing said stators; and

d. means for modulating the magnetization of said stators through three cyclically recurring phases.

2. means including a permanent magnet and a magnetic means for providing a flux path between said magnet and said magnetic members for simultaneously imposing a magnetic field by means of said magnet across all of the gaps of said stator;

and

3. The display device of claim 2 characterized further in that each said stator extends along approximately one-third of the periphery of said rotor.

4. The display device of claim 2 characterized further in that said rotor is comprised of three concentric ring portions, each carrying an individual set of magnetic domains and respective ones of said stators extend around the full periphery of respective ones of said ring portions.

5. The display device of claim 4 characterized further in that each said stator includes first and second sets of pole pieces distributed in a circular array, said sets being spaced apart so as to receive said rotor between them, each pole piece in the first set of a stator being opposite a corresponding pole piece in the second set of that stator.

6. The display device of claim 5 characterized further in that the first set of pole pieces of all three of said stators are formed from a single ring of magnetic material having a plurality of three-stepped spokes extending generally radially between inner and outer rim portions of said ring of magnetic material.

7. The display device of claim 3 characteRized further in that each said stator includes a pair of arcuate magnetic members with mutually opposite sets of pole teeth pole teeth of each said member being spaced apart by the same distance as the spacing between adjacent ones of said magnetic domains.

8. The display device of claim 1 characterized further in that said domains are spaced apart equally around the periphery of said rotor, one of said domains being different from the other domains sufficiently to be magnetically identifiable therefrom, to permit a predetermined location of said rotor to be detected magnetically.

9. The display device of claim 8 characterized further in that it includes additionally a magnetic pick-off adjacent said rotor for detecting the presence of said different domain.

10. The display device of claim 8 characterized further in that said different domain differs from the remaining domains in that it is substantially non-magnetic.

11. The display device of claim 1 characterized further in that said domains are uniformly spaced around the periphery of said ring, except that one domain is omitted and characterized further in that a magnetic pick-off next to said rotor is provided for detecting a predetermined position of said rotor by the absence of said domain.

12. The display device of claim 1, characterized further in that each said stator is configured to define a plurality of arcuately distributed gaps and in that said means for magnetizing said stators includes for each stator a permanent magnet and a magnetic member coupled between said magnet and said stator to apply the magnetic field of said magnet across all gaps of said stator.

13. The display device of claim 12 characterized further in that said means for modulating includes a coil wound around said magnetic member.

14. The display device of claim 1, characterized further in that said rotor is comprised of a ring of uniformly magnetic material whose cross-section deviates at intervals along its circumference in order to create said magnetic domains.

15. The display device of claim 1 characterized further in that said rotor is comprised of a ring of uniformly magnetic material corrugated to create said magnetic domains.

16. A display device comprising in combination a. an indicia-carrying ring rotor having a plurality of magnetic domains;

b. a plurality of multi-pole stators magnetically coupled to said domains, poles of a given stator being concurrently aligned with a corresponding plurality of said domains, poles of the respective stators being non-concurrently aligned with the domains of said rotor, each said stator extending fully around the periphery of said rotor;

c. means for steadily magnetizing said stators; and

d. means for individually modulating the magnetization of each said stator.

17. The display device of claim 16 characterized further in that said stators comprise a toroidal ring of magnetic material in which said ring is rotatably disposed.

18. A display device comprising in combination a. a rotor having a plurality of magnetic domains;

b. three multi-pole stators magnetically coupled to said domains, poles of a given stator being concurrently aligned with a corresponding plurality of said domains, poles of the respective stators being aligned with domains of said rotor at every third successive position of said rotor;

c. means for steadily magnetizing said stators; and

d. means for individually modulating the magnetization of said stators.

19. The display device of claim 18 characterized further in that said means for steadily magnetizing said stators includes a permanent magnet for each of said stators and in that said means for modulating the magnetization of said stators includes for each said stator a coil wound thereon.

20. A display device comprising in combination a. an indicia-carrying ring rotor carrying a plurality of magnetic domains;

b. three stators extending along the periphery of said ring, each staTor including

21. The display device of claim 20 characterized further in that said domains are uniformly distributed along said rotor and in that for each stator its gaps are so spaced that they all become simultaneously aligned with a corresponding number of said magnetic domains, said stators being so spaced relative to each other that the domains of said rotor reach alignment with the gaps of the respective stators in a cyclically recurring succession.

22. The display device of claim 20 characterized further in that said means for simultaneously modulating includes an electric coil wound around a portion of said magnetic means.