Solenoid for scanned flip-disk sign improvements

• US 6,028,582 A
• Filed: 04/01/1997
• Issued: 02/22/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 12/18/1995
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Readervision, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Reader Vision Incorporated
• Inventors: Dye, G. Frank, Black, F. Martin, Drew, W. Brooks
• Primary Examiner(s): Hjerpe, Richard A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Tran, Henry N.
• Application Number:
  US08/831,071
• Time in Patent Office: 1,057 Days
• Field of Search: 345/55, 345/59, 345/105, 345/108, 345/109, 345/111, 40/430, 40/447, 40/449, 40/463, 40/735, 40/745, 40/749, 340/815.44, 340/815.55, 340/815.59, 340/815.62, 340/815.86
• US Class Current: 345/108
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 9/375 the position of the elements being controlled by the application of a magnetic field

Abstract

An improved solenoid and reset pin for a modular display apparatus for displaying indicia at a front thereof having a frame for rotationally mounting a plurality of pixels. Each pixel includes first and second display faces joined along respective adjacent edges. A triggering mechanism has a plurality of solenoids adapted for selective actuation to rotate selected ones of the pixels for changing the pattern of the desired display indicia and a plurality reset pins to return the pixels to an original position. The reset pins and the plungers for the solenoids include a spring and a rod extending axially outward from said spring to provide radial flexibility.

Claims

1. An improved solenoid plunger and reset pin for a modular display apparatus for displaying indicia at a front thereof, having a frame;

a plurality of pixels rotationally supported in the frame for providing a desired arrangement of display faces on said pixels at the front of the display apparatus;

a triggering mechanism adapted for trasverse movement behind the pixels, the triggering mechanism having a plurality of solenoids having plungers adapted for selective actuation to rotate selected ones of the pixels and a plurality of reset pins for resetting the pixels rotated by said solenoids, wherein said solenoid plungers and said reset pins are radially flexible.

2. The improved solenoid plunger and reset pin of claim 1 wherein said radially flexible solenoid plunger and said reset pin each include a spring.

3. The improved solenoid plunger and reset pin of claim 2 wherein said springs of both said radially flexible solenoid plunger and said reset pin are adapted to minimize axial compression while providing radial flexibility.

4. The improved solenoid plunger and reset pin of claim 3 wherein said springs include substantially adjacent coils, said substantially adjacent coils providing said minimized axial compression.

5. The improved solenoid plunger and reset pin of claim 2 wherein both said plunger and reset pin further including an axial rod portion extending axially from said spring portion.

6. An improved solenoid plunger and reset pin for a modular display apparatus for displaying indicia at a front thereof, having a frame;

a plurality of pixels rotationally supported in the frame and arranged into a matrix of rows and columns, the pixels each including at least two display faces, only one of which is displayed at a given time, for providing a desired arrangement of the display faces at the front of the display apparatus;

a triggering mechanism adapted for bidirectional movement behind the pixels, the triggering mechanism having a plurality of solenoids adapted for selective actuation to rotate selected ones of the pixels for changing the pattern of the desired display indicia and a plurality of reset pins for resetting the pixels rotated by said solenoid, wherein both said improved solenoid plunger and said reset pin include a spring and an axial rod extending axially outward from said spring to provide radial flexibility.

7. An improved solenoid for a display apparatus for displaying indicia at a front thereof that includes:

a frame;

plurality of pixels rotationally supported in the frame and arranged into a row, the pixels each including at least two display faces, only one of which is displayed at a given time, for providing a desired arrangement of the display faces at the front of the display apparatus; and

a triggering mechanism adapted for transverse bidirectional movement behind the pixels,

the triggering mechanism having a plurality of solenoids adapted for selective actuation to rotate selected ones of the pixels for changing the pattern of the desired display indicia, wherein said solenoid has a plunger that is radially flexible.

8. The improved solenoid plunger of claim 7 wherein said radially flexible solenoid plunger includes a spring.

9. The improved solenoid plunger of claim 8 wherein said spring of said radially flexible solenoid plunger is adapted to minimize axial compression of said plunger during actuation of the solenoid while providing radial flexibility.

10. The improved solenoid plunger of claim 9 wherein said spring includes substantially adjacent coils, said substantially adjacent coils providing said reduced axial compression.

11. The improved solenoid plunger of claim 8 further including an axial rod portion extending axially from said spring portion.

12. An improved solenoid for a display apparatus for displaying indicia at a front thereof that includes:

a frame;

a plurality of pixels rotationally supported in the frame and arranged into a row, the pixels each including at least two display faces, only one of which is displayed at a given time, for providing a desired arrangement of the display faces at the front of the display apparatus; and

a triggering mechanism adapted for bidirectional movement behind the pixels,

the triggering mechanism having a plurality of solenoids adapted for selective actuation to rotate selected ones of the pixels for changing the pattern of the desired display indicia, wherein said improved solenoid plunger includes a spring and an axial rod ex-ending axially outwvard from said spring to provide radial flexibility.

13. An improved reset pin for a modular display apparatus for displaying indicia at a front thereof, having a frame;

a plurality of pixels rotationally supported in the frame and arranged into a matrix of rows and columns, the pixels each including at least two display faces, only one of which is displayed at a given time, for providing a desired arrangement of the display faces at the front of the display apparatus;

a triggering mechanism adapted for transverse bidirectional movement behind the pixels, the triggering mechanism having a plurality of solenoids adapted for selective actuation to rotate selected ones of the pixels for changing the pattern of the desired display indicia and a plurality of reset pins for resetting the pixels rotated by said solenoid, wherein said improved reset pin is radially flexible.

14. The improved reset pin of claim 13 further including a spring.

15. The improved reset pin of claim 14 further adapted to reduce axial compression during contact with a pixel while providing radial flexibility.

16. The improved reset pin of claim 15 wherein said spring includes substantially adjacent coils, said substantially adjacent coils providing said reduced axial compression.

17. The improved reset pin of claim 14 farther including an axial rod portion extending axially from said spring portion.

18. An improved reset pin for a modular display apparatus for displaying indicia at a front thereof, having a frame;

a plurality of pixels rotationally supported in the frame and arranged into a matrix of rows and columns, the pixels each including at least two display faces, only one of which is displayed at a given time, for providing a desired arrangement of the display faces at the front of the display apparatus;

a triggering mechanism adapted for bidirectional movement behind the pixels, the triggering mechanism having a plurality of solenoids adapted for selective actuation to rotate selected ones of the pixels for changing the pattern of the desired display indicia and a plurality of reset pins for resetting the pixels rotated by said solenoid, wherein said improved reset pin includes a spring and an axial rod extending axially outward from said spring to provide radial flexibility.

19. An improved solenoid having a radially flexible plunger for a scanned pixel display comprising:

a body mountable to a moveable carriage in a scanned pixel display; and

a radially flexible plunger adapted to flexibly bypass jammed pixels during a scan or retrace as needed,

said plunger axially actuable to control positioning of the pixels.

20. The improved solenoid of claim 19 wherein said plunger includes a spring and an axially extending rod extending from said spring.

21. A method for the improved operation of a scanned pixel display comprising:

providing a triggering mechanism with a solenoid having a radially flexible plunger;

scanning a row of pixels with the triggering mechanism;

selectively actuating the solenoid to set at least one desired pixel; and

when the plunger encounters a jammed pixel, radially flexing the plunger to avoid damage.

22. A method for the improved operation of a scanned pixel display comprising:

providing a triggering mechanism with a solenoid having a radially flexible plunger and a radially flexible reset pin;

scanning a row of pixels with the triggering mechanism;

selectively actuating the solenoid to set at least one desired pixel;

retracing the row of pixels to reset the at least one desired pixel set during scanning; and

when the plunger or reset pin encounters a jammed pixel, radially flexing the plunger or the reset pin to avoid damage.