Digital display indicator

Claim 2

A digital indicator for visually displaying numerals 0 thru 9 comprising: a. an indicator member having a plurality of indicator bars provided therein arranged in the shape of a figure 8, said indicator bars including three generally parallel horizontal bars, and two pairs of vertical bars on opposite sides of the horizontal bars: b. two movable shutters positioned adjacent to the indicator bars of said figure 8 member for selectively blocking out selected bars in order to selectively display numerals 0 thru 9; c. one of said shutters including a plurality of generally horizontal opaque bars for selectively Blocking out one or more of the three generally horizontal indicator bars, said horizontal bar shutter being arranged for movement up and down in a generally vertical direction behind said figure 8 member; and d. the other shutter including a plurality of generally vertical opaque bars for selectively blocking out one or more of the vertical indicator bars which are positioned on opposite sides of the horizontal bars, said generally vertical bar shutter being arranged for movement in a generally horizontal direction behind said figure 8 member.

Claim 3

A digital numeral display indicator as defined in claim 1 wherein the horizontal and vertical indicator bar portions are formed as slots in an opaque plate with the slots extending through the plate from one side of the plate to the other side of the plate.

Claim 4

A digital indicator as defined in claim 1 including: a. guide means for permitting slidable movement of said horizontal bar shutter in a generally vertical direction; b. guide means for permitting movement of said vertical bar shutter in a generally horizontal direction; c. a first lever operatively connected to said vertically movable shutter for moving the shutter; d. a second lever operatively connected to said horizontally movable shutter for moving the shutter; e. a rotatable cam having a front face and a rear face; f. a cam follower formed on said first lever for moving said vertically movable shutter; g. a cam follower formed on said second lever for moving said horizontally movable shutter; and h. cam tracks formed in the front and rear surfaces of said rotatable cam, one of the cam followers being positioned in one of the tracks for moving the horizontal shutter and the other cam follower being positioned in the other track for moving the vertical shutter, the cam track in the front surface of the cam being so related to the cam track in the rear surface of the cam so that in any one of a plurality of selected positions of said cam, the cam tracks and cam followers position the horizontal and vertical shutters to block out the appropriate indicator segments to display a numeral from 0 thru 9.

Claim 5

A digital display indicator as set forth in claim 3 wherein the cam follower on the lever which is operatively connected to the horizontal bar shutter is positioned in the cam track formed on the front surface of the cam and the cam follower on the lever which is operatively connected to the vertical bar shutter is positioned in the track formed in the rear surface of the cam.

Claim 6

A digital indicator as defined in claim 3 wherein the cam followers and the rotatable cam are formed of plastic material and the slope of the cam tracks vary from 0* thru 60* .

Claim 7

A digital display indicator as defined in claim 1 wherein the shutters are made of a relatively thin transparent material, the opaque shutter bars are formed on the shutters, and a light source is positioned behind the shutters and the indicator bar member for illuminating the bars in the indicator member which are not blocked out by the shutters.

Claim 8

A digital indicator as defined in claim 1 wherein the shutter with the vertical bars includes an enlarged vertical bar at its lower left portion for blocking out the lower left indicator bar in the indicator member for displaying numerals 1, 3, 4, 7 and 9.

Claim 9

A digital indicator as defined in claim 7 wherein a vertical opaque bar is positioned inwardly from the vertical bar at the lower left portion of the shutter for blocking out the lower left indicator bar for displaying the numeral 5.

Claim 10

A digital indicator as defined in claim 1 wherein the shutter with the vertical bars includes an enlarged vertical bar at its upper right portion for blocking out the upper right indicator bar for displaying the numerals 5 and 6.

Claim 11

A digital display indicator as defined in claim 9 wherein a vertical bar is formed in the lower right portion of the vertical bar Shutter inwardly from the bar formed at the upper right portion of the shutter for blocking out the lower right indicator bar for forming numeral 2.

Claim 12

A digital display indicator as defined in claim 1 wherein the shutter with the vertical bars includes a vertical bar at its upper left portion for blocking out the upper left indicator bar to display numerals 1, 3 and 7.

Claim 13

A digital numeral display indicator as defined in claim 11 wherein a vertical bar is positioned inwardly from the vertical bar which is formed at the upper left portion of the shutter for blocking out the upper left indicator bar for forming numeral 2.

Claim 14

A digital display indicator as defined in claim 1 wherein the shutter with the horizontal bars includes an enlarged horizontal bar at its upper portion for blocking out the upper indicator bar to display the numeral 1.

Claim 15

A digital display indicator as defined in claim 13 wherein an opaque shutter bar is positioned immediately below the upper horizontal shutter bar for blocking out the upper indicator bar for displaying the numeral 4.

Claim 16

A digital display indicator as defined in claim 14 wherein an opaque shutter bar is positioned below the upper two horizontal shutter bars for blocking out the middle horizontal indicator bar to display a numeral 1.

Claim 17

A digital display indicator as defined in claim 15 wherein a fourth opaque horizontal shutter bar is positioned below the upper three horizontal shutter bars for blocking out the middle indicator bar to display the numeral 7.

Claim 18

A digital display indicator as defined in claim 1 wherein a lower most opaque horizontal shutter bar is formed in the horizontal bar shutter for blocking out the lower indicator bar for forming the numerals 4 and 7, and an opaque bar is positioned above the lower most shutter bar for blocking out the lower most indicator bar to display the numeral 1.

Claim 19

A digital display indicator as defined in claim 1 wherein the indicator member having the plurality of indicator bars is formed of a clear plastic material which is blocked out to reveal a clear numeral 8 unobstructed by any blocking out material at the corners of the numeral 8.