Element with expansible relief

• US 6,877,986 B2
• Filed: 06/20/2001
• Issued: 04/12/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 06/21/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Intellectual Ventures Fund 23 LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: Commissariat a L'Energie Atomique (French Alternative Energies and Atomic Energy Commission)
• Inventors: Riwan, Alain, Fournier, Raymond
• Primary Examiner(s): Banks, Derris H.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Suhol, Dmitry
• Application Number:
  US10/312,489
• Publication Number:
  US 20040029082A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,392 Days
• Field of Search: 434/112, 434/113, 434/114, 434/115, 434/116, 434/117, 605/27
• US Class Current: 434/112
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 21/004 Details of particular tactile cells, e.g. electro-mechanical or mechanical layout
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 21/02 Devices for Braille writing typewriters for Braille B41J3/32

Abstract

An element (10) comprises sealed cavities (24) arranged according to a regular pattern. Each cavity (24) contains a product such as a wax which changes in volume, in reversible fashion, when a given temperature threshold is crossed, together with an individual heating organ (26). The cavities (24) are separated from the front face (10a) of the element by a mobile or deformable organ (38). A separate piloting for each of the heating organs (26) makes it possible to make the relief of the front face (10a) of the element evolve in controlled fashion. Such an element can be used to re-transcribe, in relief, tactile (visually handicapped) or visual information.

Claims

1. Element with a front face with evolutive relief, said element comprising individual means for modifying the relief of the front face, arranged according to a regular pattern and control means capable of piloting separately all the individual means for modification of the relief of the element, wherein the individual modification means of the relief comprise sealed cavities filled with a product able to change volume when a predetermined temperature threshold is crossed, a deformable or mobile organ separating each cavity of the front face, and individual heating means for the product contained in each cavity, where the heating means are heating organs piloted by an electric current and the control means are connected to these heating organs by electrical conductors with a matrix layout.

2. Element according to claim 1, wherein the electrical conductors cross a rear wall of the element.

3. Element according to claim 1, wherein the electrical conductors are supported by a substrate on which a back face of the element is formed.

4. Element according to claim 1, wherein the cavities are defined by perforations formed in a plate.

5. Element according to claim 4, wherein the mobile organ comprises a piston able to slide in each perforation, on the side of the front face of the element, in such a way as to close the perforations hermetically.

6. Element according to claim 5, wherein a recall means is associated with each piston, to return it automatically to an idle position.

7. Element according to claim 4, wherein the deformable or mobile organ comprises an elastic membrane covering said plate on the side of the front face of the element, so as to close the perforations hermetically.

8. Element according to claim 1, wherein the cavities are integrally defined within an elastic membrane with one front face forming the front face of the element.

9. Element according to claim 1, wherein at least one temperature sensor measures the overall or local temperature of the element and the control means are sensitive to a signal delivered by each sensor to adjust, overall or locally, piloting of the heating means.

10. Element according to claim 9, wherein the control means adjust, overall or locally, an idle current and an activation current for the heating organs.

11. Element according to claim 1, wherein the control means use the measurement of the current crossing the heating organs and the voltage at the terminals of these organs to estimate their temperature and to adjust an idle current and an activation current for the heating organs.