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US3696536A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Display device
Assignee: Individual
•
Filing: 1969-03-12
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Granted: 1972-10-10
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Expires: 1989-03-12
Abstract
Abstract A display device is provided which includes a plurality of display panels arranged side-by-side in a series and means for capturing a panel at one end of the series and moving it in a positively controlled manner to a position at the opposite end of the series.
Inventors
- 👤 Frank P Reese
- 👤 Leroy D Yancey
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-31 19:00
CPC Classifications
G; G09; G09F; G09F11/00; G09F11/02; G09F11/025
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 19
Claim 1
Independent Claim
420 words
A display device comprising A. a plurality of generally coextensive display panel assemblies each defining a first and a second display surface and having a common edge, 1. said panel assemblies being mounted for free pivotal movement about a common pivotal axis with the common edge of each panel assembly generally colinear with said common pivotal axis, 2. said panel assemblies being so proportioned and of such number that when they are arranged side-by-side in a circular series about said common pivotal axis with each assembly in contact with an adjacent assembly the first display surface of the lead panel assembly at one end of the series and the second display surface of the last panel assembly at the opposite end of the series lie generally in a common display plane parallel to and closely adjacent the common pivotal axis of the panel assemblies, B. a first coupling means on each of said panel assemblies, C. an actuating member for pivoting the lead panel assembly at one end of the series away from its adjacent panel assembly in the direction of and into contact with the last panel assembly at the opposite end of the series so as to advance each assembly in the series incident to such contact, thereby moving a panel assembly into the position formerly occupied by said lead panel assembly and placing said lead panel assembly in a position at the opposite end of the series formerly occupied by said last panel assembly wherein its second display surface lies in the said common display plane, D. a second coupling means on said actuating member adapted to interfit with any one of said first coupling means so as to permit said actuating member to be coupled to any one of said second coupling means and, hence, to any one of said panel assemblies in such a manner as to prevent relative movement therebetween incident to such coupling and thereby insure positive movement of a panel assembly by said actuating member, E. one of said first and second coupling means defining a slot bounded on at least two opposing sides by retaining surfaces lying in a plane generally normal to the direction of movement of said panel assemblies and the other of said first and second coupling means being adapted to be received into said slot intermediate said retaining surfaces, F. and means for moving said second coupling means into and out of coupling relationship with each of said first coupling means in accordance with a predetermined pattern.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
420 words
A display device comprising A. a plurality of generally coextensive display panel assemblies each defining a first and a second display surface and having a common edge, 1. said panel assemblies being mounted for free pivotal movement about a common pivotal axis with the common edge of each panel assembly generally colinear with said common pivotal axis, 2. said panel assemblies being so proportioned and of such number that when they are arranged side-by-side in a circular series about said common pivotal axis with each assembly in contact with an adjacent assembly the first display surface of the lead panel assembly at one end of the series and the second display surface of the last panel assembly at the opposite end of the series lie generally in a common display plane parallel to and closely adjacent the common pivotal axis of the panel assemblies, B. a first coupling means on each of said panel assemblies, C. an actuating member for pivoting the lead panel assembly at one end of the series away from its adjacent panel assembly in the direction of and into contact with the last panel assembly at the opposite end of the series so as to advance each assembly in the series incident to such contact, thereby moving a panel assembly into the position formerly occupied by said lead panel assembly and placing said lead panel assembly in a position at the opposite end of the series formerly occupied by said last panel assembly wherein its second display surface lies in the said common display plane, D. a second coupling means on said actuating member adapted to interfit with any one of said first coupling means so as to permit said actuating member to be coupled to any one of said second coupling means and, hence, to any one of said panel assemblies in such a manner as to prevent relative movement therebetween incident to such coupling and thereby insure positive movement of a panel assembly by said actuating member, E. one of said first and second coupling means defining a slot bounded on at least two opposing sides by retaining surfaces lying in a plane generally normal to the direction of movement of said panel assemblies and the other of said first and second coupling means being adapted to be received into said slot intermediate said retaining surfaces, F. and means for moving said second coupling means into and out of coupling relationship with each of said first coupling means in accordance with a predetermined pattern.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
362 words
said panel assemblies being so proportioned and of such number that when they are arranged side-by-side in a circular series about said common pivotal axis with each assembly in contact with an adjacent assembly the first display surface of the lead panel assembly at one end of the series and the second display surface of the last panel assembly at the opposite end of the series lie generally in a common display plane parallel to and closely adjacent the common pivotal axis of the panel assemblies, B. a first coupling means on each of said panel assemblies, C. an actuating member for pivoting the lead panel assembly at one end of the series away from its adjacent panel assembly in the direction of and into contact with the last panel assembly at the opposite end of the series so as to advance each assembly in the series incident to such contact, thereby moving a panel assembly into the position formerly occupied by said lead panel assembly and placing said lead panel assembly in a position at the opposite end of the series formerly occupied by said last panel assembly wherein its second display surface lies in the said common display plane, D. a second coupling means on said actuating member adapted to interfit with any one of said first coupling means so as to permit said actuating member to be coupled to any one of said second coupling means and, hence, to any one of said panel assemblies in such a manner as to prevent relative movement therebetween incident to such coupling and thereby insure positive movement of a panel assembly by said actuating member, E. one of said first and second coupling means defining a slot bounded on at least two opposing sides by retaining surfaces lying in a plane generally normal to the direction of movement of said panel assemblies and the other of said first and second coupling means being adapted to be received into said slot intermediate said retaining surfaces, F. and means for moving said second coupling means into and out of coupling relationship with each of said first coupling means in accordance with a predetermined pattern.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
362 words
said panel assemblies being so proportioned and of such number that when they are arranged side-by-side in a circular series about said common pivotal axis with each assembly in contact with an adjacent assembly the first display surface of the lead panel assembly at one end of the series and the second display surface of the last panel assembly at the opposite end of the series lie generally in a common display plane parallel to and closely adjacent the common pivotal axis of the panel assemblies, B. a first coupling means on each of said panel assemblies, C. an actuating member for pivoting the lead panel assembly at one end of the series away from its adjacent panel assembly in the direction of and into contact with the last panel assembly at the opposite end of the series so as to advance each assembly in the series incident to such contact, thereby moving a panel assembly into the position formerly occupied by said lead panel assembly and placing said lead panel assembly in a position at the opposite end of the series formerly occupied by said last panel assembly wherein its second display surface lies in the said common display plane, D. a second coupling means on said actuating member adapted to interfit with any one of said first coupling means so as to permit said actuating member to be coupled to any one of said second coupling means and, hence, to any one of said panel assemblies in such a manner as to prevent relative movement therebetween incident to such coupling and thereby insure positive movement of a panel assembly by said actuating member, E. one of said first and second coupling means defining a slot bounded on at least two opposing sides by retaining surfaces lying in a plane generally normal to the direction of movement of said panel assemblies and the other of said first and second coupling means being adapted to be received into said slot intermediate said retaining surfaces, F. and means for moving said second coupling means into and out of coupling relationship with each of said first coupling means in accordance with a predetermined pattern.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
130 words
A display device in accordance with claim 1, wherein a first latch is provided for preventing the lead panel assembly at one end of the series from undergoing unintended pivotal movement about said common pivotal axis in a direction away from its adjacent panel assembly, wherein a second latch is provided for preveNting pivotal movement of the last panel assembly at the opposite end of the series from undergoing pivotal movement about said pivotal axis in a direction away from its adjacent panel assembly, and wherein means are provided for releasing said first latch so as to release only the lead panel assembly substantially coincident with the effecting of coupling engagement between said first coupling means on said lead panel assembly and said second coupling means on said actuating member.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
73 words
A display device in accordance with claim 1, wherein each of said display panel assemblies is formed of a pair of panels, wherein each panel includes surfaces which converge to a sharply defined line, and wherein means are provided for interlocking the panels with the converging surfaces of the two panels disposed in face-to-face contact with the lines of convergence merging into an essentially single line defining the common edge of the assembly.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
58 words
A display device in accordance with claim 3, wherein a hinge plate is disposed adjacent each end of each panel assembly, wherein each of said hinge plates includes an opening to receive a hinge pin common to all of the assemblies, and wherein interlocking means are provided on said panels and hinge plate to effect positive positioning therebetween.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
39 words
A display device in accordance with claim 4, wherein said interlocking means includes a flange mounted on the inner surface of each of said panels and a groove on said hinge plate to receive the flange of each panel.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
38 words
A display device in accordance with claim 4, wherein said interlocking means locates the center of the opening of said hinge plates substantially on a line constituting an extension of the common edge line of said panel assembly.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
51 words
A display device in accordance with claim 4, wherein the portion of said hinge plate defining said opening projects beyond the common edge of said panel assembly, and wherein each of said panels is cut away adjacent each of its opposite ends to accommodate said projecting portion of said hinge plate.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
81 words
A display device in accordance with claim 4, wherein the hinge plate adjacent each end of each panel assembly is spaced a predetermined distance from that end, wherein the predetermined distances vary for each panel assembly of the series so that when the panel assemblies are mounted on a common hinge pin, the hinge plates are spaced from each other along the hinge pin, and wherein means are provided for maintaining the spacing between the hinge plates along the hinge pin.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
34 words
A display device in accordance with claim 1, wherein means are provided for biasing the panel assemblies at opposite ends of the series for pivotal movement in directions away from their adjacent panel assemblies.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
73 words
A display device in accordance with claim 9, wherein said biasing means comprises a bumper projecting from each panel assembly and adapted to engage an adjacent panel assembly, the total extent of projection of the bumpers as a whole being such that when all of the assemblies are positioned about their common axis and retained by said first and second latches at least one of said bumpers is in a state of compression.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
93 words
A display device in accordance with claim 2, wherein each of said latches comprises a member disposed at a fixed location and adapted to engage a portion of a panel assembly passing adjacent thereto, wherein means are provided biasing said member into the path of movement of the panel assemblies as they pivot, and wherein means are provided on each of said members defining a camming surface engageable by a latch releasing means to move said latch member out of the path of said panel assemblies against the force of said biasing means.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
47 words
A display device in accordance with claim 11, wherein said latch releasing means comprises a rotatable cam engageable with the said camming surface of said latch member and effective to urge said member out of the path of said panel assemblies when in engagement with said surface.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
45 words
A display device in accordance with claim 12, wherein said rotatable cam is symmetrical so as to permit it to move said latch member into and out of the path of said panel assemblies when said cam is rotated in either of two opposite directions.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
47 words
A display device in accordance with claim 1, wherein said second coupling means is provided with said slot, wherein each of said panel assemblies comprises at least one panel, and wherein said first coupling means of each of said panel assemblies comprises an extension of said panel.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
76 words
A device in accordance with claim 1, wherein a cam follower is provided on said second coupling means, and wherein a stationary cam is provided and positioned so as to be engaged by said cam follower, said stationary cam being of such a configuration as to cause said second coupling means to be extended and retracted in a predetermined manner into and out of coupling relationship with said first coupling means of said lead panel assembly.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
55 words
A display device in accordance with claim 15, wherein said stationary cam is symmetrical so as to move said second coupling means into and out of coupling relationship with said first coupling means on one of said panel assemblies when said actuating means is moved in either of two opposite directions relative to said cam.
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) | 1975-10-10 | 1976-04-10 | 1976-10-10 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1979-10-10 | 1980-04-10 | 1980-10-10 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1983-10-10 | 1984-04-10 | 1984-10-10 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |