Binary information display device

• US 5,772,440 A
• Filed: 09/29/1995
• Issued: 06/30/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/1994
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Mitsubishi Materials Corporation
• Original Assignee: Mitsubishi Materials Corporation
• Inventors: Ida, Takashi
• Primary Examiner(s): Smith, Jeffrey A.
• Application Number:
  US08/537,238
• Time in Patent Office: 1,005 Days
• Field of Search: 434/114, 434/113, 434/112, 340/407.1
• US Class Current: 434/114
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 21/004 Details of particular tactile cells, e.g. electro-mechanical or mechanical layout
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 9/375 the position of the elements being controlled by the application of a magnetic field

Abstract

The present invention relates to a compact and precise binary information display device having a simple structure at low cost.

The device includes a drive mechanism (13) to extrude and retract pins (11) from and into a display surface (12a). The drive mechanism is composed of a linear cam (16) to be moved orthogonal to the axis of the pins (11) and to move the pins (11) in their axial direction. The display device has a linear movement mechanism (17) including a stepper motor (20) for moving the linear cam (16) linearly, a conversion mechanism (21) for converting a rotary motion of a shaft (19) of the stepper motor (20) into a linear motion of the linear cam (16), and a reset mechanism (22) for setting an original position of the stepper motor (20) when the linear cam (16) reaches a reference position. Downsizing of the device is enabled by reducing the dimension thereof in the crosswise direction and the entire device is simplified by eliminating a rotational position detector.

Claims

1. A binary information display device, comprising:

a plurality of pins, each said pin having opposed first and second ends and a longitudinal axis extending between said ends, said pins being arranged at regular intervals with their axes being parallel;

a support member for supporting said pins so that said pins can move separately and linearly along; and

a drive mechanism for pushing the second end of each of said pins to extrude and retract the second end of said pin from and into the display surface on said support member, said drive mechanism comprising a linear cam having an uneven cam surface with recesses and projections and being in sliding contact with the first end of each said pin, said linear cam being movable in a direction orthogonal to the axes of said pins to move said pins in their respective axial directions, and a linear movement mechanism for moving said linear cam linearly, said linear movement mechanism having a shaft extending in the direction orthogonal to the axes of the pins, a stepper motor for rotating the shaft, conversion means located between said shaft and said linear cam for converting rotation of said shaft into a linear motion of said linear cam, and reset means located near a moving area of said linear cam to set an original position of said stepper motor when said linear cam reaches a reference position.

2. A binary information display device according to claim 1, wherein said reset means is a stopper to be butted against said linear cam, which has reached the reference position from one direction, to stop further movement of said linear cam in the same direction.

3. A binary information display device according to claim 1, wherein said reset means is a sensor for sensing said linear cam, which has reached the reference position, and for transmitting an original position reset signal to said stepper motor.