Patent US3410705A successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
Patent US3581301A successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
US3581301A
Expired / Lapsed
US
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Display arrangement for symbols
Assignee: Rheinmetall Air Defence AG
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Filing: 1967-10-24
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Granted: 1971-05-25
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Expires: 1987-10-24
Abstract
Abstract A display arrangement for displaying any desired symbol in an arbitrary manner in any desired sequence. The display is in the form of a grid pattern in which the grid areas confined by the lines and columns of the grid are either of one visual surface or another visually contrasting surface. The surfaces are flipped from one to the other through the application of a magnetic actuating device. The actuating device supports the visually contrasting surfaces and includes two permanent magnetic discs mounted in a plane perpendicular to the axis of movement or rotation about which the device moves in flipping from one display surface to the other. The permanent magnets operate in conjunction with an electromagnet which generates a field directed through an airgap. When the direction of the magnetic field is in one sense, one of the two permanent magnetic discs is attracted into the airgap while the other is repelled. When the direction of the magnetic field is reversed, the action upon the permanent magnetic discs is correspondingly reversed and the actuating device is moved so as to display the appropriate visual surface. By energizing the electromagnet with current in the proper direction, a particular area within the grid pattern may be made of one or the other contrasting surface and as a result any desired symbol may be displayed.
Inventors
- 👤 Theo Stutz
- 👤 Werner Mueller
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-28 21:53
CPC Classifications
G; G08; G08B; G08B5/00; G08B5/22; G08B5/24; G08B5/28; G04; G04G; G04G9/00; G04G9/08; G04G9/12; G04G9/128; G09; G09F; G09F9/00; G09F9/30; G09F9/37; G09F9/375; G09F13/00; G09F13/04; G09F13/0418; G09F13/0472
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 14
Claim 1
Independent Claim
528 words
An arrangement for the selective display of symbols comprising, in combination, a plurality of symbol portion carrier means each with two optically contrasting display plates, each of said plates being movable into the plane of a screened grid having lines and columns, each of said plates being visible on said screen grid when moved into said plane, said plates being mounted in said symbol portion carrier means at an angle of 60* relative to each other, the axis of intersection of said plates being the vertex of said angle and being parallel to an axis of rotation about which said plates are movable, said plates being movable about said axis of rotation from moving said plates into and out of said plane; wall members perpendicular to said axis of rotation and secured to said plates, said wall members being perpendicular to said plates; U-shaped yoke members of ferromagnetic material in each of said symbol portion carrier means and behind said plane, said yoke members being plates perpendicular to said axis of rotation and extending over said wall members; bearing means on said yoke members for rotatably holding said wall members so that said wall members with said plates secured thereto are rotatable about said axis of rotation; a coil carrying core secured at one end to the transverse portion of said U-shaped yoke member and arranged parallel between said plates of said yoke member, said core being of ferromagnetic material; a crossmember of ferromagnetic material secured to the other end of said coil carrying core, said crossmember being parallel to said axis of rotation, the axis of said crossmember being spaced by a predetermined amount from said axis of rotation, the end surfaces of said crossmember being parallel to said yoke plates and being spaced from said yoke plates through a predetermined airgap, said wall members extending into said airgap; a pair of permanent magnetic discs in each wall member and of opposite polarity, said permanent magnetic discs being spaced by said predetermined amount from said axis of rotation, the axes of said permanent magnetic disc subtending an angle of 120* from said axis of rotation, one of said permanent magnetic discs being within said airgap when one of said plates is moved within said plane and the other one of said permanent magnetic discs being within said airgap when the other plate is moved within said screened grid plane; coil means on each of said core means for inducing when energized a magnetic field through said core means; and control circuit means connected to said core means for selectively inducing a magnetic field through said core means so that one of said permanent magnetic discs is selectively moved into said airgap, the selection of said permanent magnetic discs depending upon the polarity of said induced magnetic field through said core means, said control circuit means moving selectively said permanent magnetic discs into said airgap through a current pulse applied to said coil means, the permanent magnetic disc moved into said airgap through said current pulse remaining within said airgap until a current pulse of opposite polarity is applied to said coil means by said control circuit means.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
528 words
An arrangement for the selective display of symbols comprising, in combination, a plurality of symbol portion carrier means each with two optically contrasting display plates, each of said plates being movable into the plane of a screened grid having lines and columns, each of said plates being visible on said screen grid when moved into said plane, said plates being mounted in said symbol portion carrier means at an angle of 60* relative to each other, the axis of intersection of said plates being the vertex of said angle and being parallel to an axis of rotation about which said plates are movable, said plates being movable about said axis of rotation from moving said plates into and out of said plane; wall members perpendicular to said axis of rotation and secured to said plates, said wall members being perpendicular to said plates; U-shaped yoke members of ferromagnetic material in each of said symbol portion carrier means and behind said plane, said yoke members being plates perpendicular to said axis of rotation and extending over said wall members; bearing means on said yoke members for rotatably holding said wall members so that said wall members with said plates secured thereto are rotatable about said axis of rotation; a coil carrying core secured at one end to the transverse portion of said U-shaped yoke member and arranged parallel between said plates of said yoke member, said core being of ferromagnetic material; a crossmember of ferromagnetic material secured to the other end of said coil carrying core, said crossmember being parallel to said axis of rotation, the axis of said crossmember being spaced by a predetermined amount from said axis of rotation, the end surfaces of said crossmember being parallel to said yoke plates and being spaced from said yoke plates through a predetermined airgap, said wall members extending into said airgap; a pair of permanent magnetic discs in each wall member and of opposite polarity, said permanent magnetic discs being spaced by said predetermined amount from said axis of rotation, the axes of said permanent magnetic disc subtending an angle of 120* from said axis of rotation, one of said permanent magnetic discs being within said airgap when one of said plates is moved within said plane and the other one of said permanent magnetic discs being within said airgap when the other plate is moved within said screened grid plane; coil means on each of said core means for inducing when energized a magnetic field through said core means; and control circuit means connected to said core means for selectively inducing a magnetic field through said core means so that one of said permanent magnetic discs is selectively moved into said airgap, the selection of said permanent magnetic discs depending upon the polarity of said induced magnetic field through said core means, said control circuit means moving selectively said permanent magnetic discs into said airgap through a current pulse applied to said coil means, the permanent magnetic disc moved into said airgap through said current pulse remaining within said airgap until a current pulse of opposite polarity is applied to said coil means by said control circuit means.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
34 words
The arrangement as defined in claim 1 including limit stop means on each symbol portion carrier means for limiting the motion of said permanent magnetic discs when moved into and out of said airgap.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
50 words
The arrangement as defined in claim 1 including a plurality of electromagnetic coils on each of said cores, said coils of one core being interconnected with coils of other cores so that when applying a current pulse from said control circuit means a predetermined symbol is displayed on said plane.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
243 words
A display arrangement for displaying symbols arbitrarily as desired comprising, in combination, rotatably movable supporting members for individual matrix elements of a symbol and having two visually contrasting display surfaces; means for mounting said supporting members in a screened grid pattern, each of said supportinG members being rotatably movable about an axis between two predetermined positions, each position being associated with one of said display surfaces so that one of said surfaces is displayed in one of said positions of said supporting member and the other surface is displayed in the other one of said positions; at least two permanent magnetic elements of opposite polarity and mounted on each of said movable symbol supporting members, said magnetic elements being spaced from each other and being eccentrically mounted with respect to said axis; magnetic field generating means for generating a magnetic field linked through at least one predetermined airgap to said permanent magnetic elements; ferromagnetic means magnetized by said field and directing said magnetic field through said airgap, so that one of said permanent magnetic elements is attracted to said ferromagnetic means and the other one of said permanent magnetic elements is repelled from said ferromagnetic means; and selection means for selecting the polarity of said magnetic field of each supporting member to select the magnetic element attracted to said ferromagnetic means whereby a predetermined symbol is displayed on said grid pattern through selective positioning of said supporting members in said predetermined two positions.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
243 words
A display arrangement for displaying symbols arbitrarily as desired comprising, in combination, rotatably movable supporting members for individual matrix elements of a symbol and having two visually contrasting display surfaces; means for mounting said supporting members in a screened grid pattern, each of said supportinG members being rotatably movable about an axis between two predetermined positions, each position being associated with one of said display surfaces so that one of said surfaces is displayed in one of said positions of said supporting member and the other surface is displayed in the other one of said positions; at least two permanent magnetic elements of opposite polarity and mounted on each of said movable symbol supporting members, said magnetic elements being spaced from each other and being eccentrically mounted with respect to said axis; magnetic field generating means for generating a magnetic field linked through at least one predetermined airgap to said permanent magnetic elements; ferromagnetic means magnetized by said field and directing said magnetic field through said airgap, so that one of said permanent magnetic elements is attracted to said ferromagnetic means and the other one of said permanent magnetic elements is repelled from said ferromagnetic means; and selection means for selecting the polarity of said magnetic field of each supporting member to select the magnetic element attracted to said ferromagnetic means whereby a predetermined symbol is displayed on said grid pattern through selective positioning of said supporting members in said predetermined two positions.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
54 words
The display arrangement for displaying symbols arbitrarily as defined in claim 4, wherein said magnetic field generating means includes at least one coil carrying plate, and at least one electromagnetic coil mounted on said coil carrying plate for determining the direction of said magnetic field through said airgap when energized by a DC current.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
125 words
The display arrangement for displaying symbols arbitrarily as defined in claim 4, wherein said ferromagnetic means includes a U-shaped yoke having two parallel legs connected by a connecting base member; rod means secured to said connecting base member and extending between said legs of said yoke; and a crossmember secured to the other end of said rod means and spaced by an airgap from each external end surface of said crossmember and the inner surface of the leg of said yoke facing said end surface of said crossmember, said magnetic field being directed uniformly through said airgap in one of two possible directions and selectively attracting one of said permanent magnetic elements into said airgap while repelling the other one of said permanent magnetic elements.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
77 words
The display arrangement for displaying symbols arbitrarily as defined in claim 6, including a plurality of coil carrying plates each provided with a plurality of apertures, a plurality of excitation coils mounted on said plates and each surrounding one of said apertures, and said rod means extending through and interconnecting in series associated ones of said coils on the respective plates, said excitation coils being operative for displaying a predetermined symbol when energized through a DC current.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
33 words
The display arrangement for displaying symbols arbitrarily as defined in claim 4, including switching means connected to said coils for controlling the polarity state of said excitation coils by transmitting DC current thereto.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
48 words
The display arrangement for displaying symbols arbitrarily as defined in claim 4, including mounting members for mounting said visually contrasting display surfaces parallel to said axis about which said movable supporting member rotates, said display surfaces being mounted at an angle of 60* with respect to each other.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
99 words
The display arrangement for displaying symbols arbitrarily as defined in claim 9, including connecting plate means connecting said mounting members of said visually contrasting display surfaces and being transverse to said axis about which said movable symbol supporting members rotate, said permanent magnetic elements being magnetic discs mounted on said mounting members and spaced from each other, the axes of said discs being spaced from said axis by a predetermined amount so that radial lines between said axes of said discs and said axis of rotation subtend a central angle of 120* with vertex at said axis of rotation.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
35 words
The display arrangement for displaying symbols arbitrarily as defined in claim 5, including limiting means for limiting the movement of said supporting member when one of said permanent magnetic elements is moved into said airgap.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
39 words
The display arrangement for displaying symbols arbitrarily as defined in claim 11, including additional limiting means for limiting the movement of said symbol supporting member when the other one of said permanent magnetic elements is repelled from said airgap.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1974-05-24 | 1974-11-23 | 1975-05-25 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1978-05-24 | 1978-11-23 | 1979-05-25 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1982-05-24 | 1982-11-23 | 1983-05-25 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |