Apparatus for the digital display or recording of data

Claim 3

The apparatus defined in claim 1, which further includes a frosted outer surface on the fiber-optic plate for displaying the output of the cell.

Claim 4

The apparatus defined in claim 1, which further includes a photosensitive record carrier for receiving the output of the cell.

Claim 5

The apparatus defined in claim 1, which includes a plurality of transparent walls between which a plurality of bodies of liquid crystal material is confined.

Claim 6

The apparatus defined in claim 1, wherein said optical fibers are perpendicular to said plate and said light rays are inclined relative the plate.

Claim 7

The apparatus defined in claim 1, wherein said light rays are perpendicular to the plate and said optical fibers are inclined relative to the plate.

Claim 8

The apparatus defined in claim 1, wherein an optical prism is positioned between the light rays and said cell to incline the light rays relative the plate.

Claim 9

The apparatus defined in claim 1, wherein said plate forms one wall of the cell.

Claim 10

In an apparatus for weighing articles and applying alpha-numerical data and/or machinereadable code marks to the articles, which apparatus includes a liquid crystal cell for producing data and/or marks to be applied to a record carrier applicable to the articles, a weighing device for weighing the articles and feeding a first input to the cell, and a computer receiving the first input of the device and the input of a unit having adjustable and fixed text and feeding a second input to the cell, the improvement in the cell which comprises a pair of spaced transparent walls, said cell having an input side on one side of the cell at one of said walls and an output or display side on the opposite side thereof at the other of said walls, transparent electrodes on the facing sides of said walls, a liquid crystal material between said walls, means for electrically addressing said electrodes in accordance with said inputs, said electrodes profiled to produce said data and/or marks, a source of light producing parallel light rays directed to the input side of the cell, a fiber-optic plate at the output side of the cell having a plurality of parallel arranged optical fibers embedded in a light-absorbing material, and said source and optical fiber axes being such that the angle of inclination therebetween exceeds the limit angle for which total reflection within the fibers occurs of light rays passing undisturbed through the liquid crystal material whereby such light rays do not pass through the fibers.

Claim 11

In an apparatus for weighing articles and applying alpha-numerical data and/or machinereadable code marks to the articles, which apparatus includes a liquid crystal cell for producing data and/or marks to be applied to a record carrier applicable to the articles, a weighing device for weighing the articles and feeding a first input to the cell, and a computer receiving the first input of the device and the input of a unit having adjustable and fixed text and feeding a second input to the cell, the improvement in the cell which comprises a pair of spaced transparent walls, said cell having an input side on one side of the cell at one of said walls and an output or display side on the opposite side thereof at the other of said walls, transparent electrodes on the facing sides of said walls, a liquid crystal material between said walls, means for electrically addressing said electrodes in accordance with said inputs, said electrodes profiled to produce said data and/or marks, a source of light producing parallel light rays directed to the input side of the cell, a fiber-optic plate at the output side of the cell having a plurality of parallel arranged optical fibers embedded in a light-absorbing material, and said source and optical fiber axes being such that the angle of inclination therebetween exceeds the limit angle for which total reflection within the fibers occurs of light rays passing undisturbed through the liquid crystal material whereby such light rays do not pass through the fibers.

Claim 12

The liquid crystal cell of claim 9, wherein the length of the fibers is at least several times the diameter thereof.

Claim 13

The liquid crystal cell of claim 9, wherein the length of each fiber is at least a thousand times the diameter thereof.

Claim 14

The liquid crystal cell of claim 9, wherein the angle of inclination is produced by arranging the fibers perpendicular to the plane of the plate and arranging the light rays at an angle relative the plane of the plate.

Claim 15

The liquid crystal cell of claim 9, wherein the angle of inclination is produced by arranging the fibers at an incline to the plane of the plate and arranging the light rays perpendicular to the plane of the plate.

Claim 16

The liquid crystal cell of claim 9, wherein the fiber-optic plate defines one wall of the cell.

Claim 17

The liquid crystal cell of claim 9, wherein the cell is divided by one or more transparent partition walls each of which is provided with transparent electrodes and between each adjacent pair is provided liquid crystal material.

Claim 18

In an apparatus for weighing articles and digitally displaying price and weight values, which apparatus includes a liquid crystal cell having a display face for displaying digital price and weight values, a weighing device for weighing the articles and feeding a first input to the cell to display the weight value, a computer receiving the first input of the device and the input of a unit having programmable text which in turn feeds a second input to the cell, the improvement in the cell which comprises a pair of spaced transparent walls, said cell having an input side on one side of the cell at one of said walls and an output or display side on the opposite side thereof at the other of said walls, transparent electrodes on the facing sides of said walls, a liquid crystal material between said walls, means for electrically addressing said electrodes in accordance with said inputs, said electrodes profiled to produce said weight and price values, a source of light producing parallel light rays directed to the input side of the cell, a fiber-optic plate at the output side of the cell having a plurality of parallel arranged optical fibers embedded in a light-absorbing material, and said source and optical fiber axes being such that the angle of inclination therebetween exceeds the limit angle for which total reflection within the fibers occurs of light rays passing undisturbed through the liquid crystal whereby such light rays do not pass through the fibers.

Claim 19

In an apparatus for weighing articles and digitally displaying price and weight values, which apparatus includes a liquid crystal cell having a display face for displaying digital price and weight values, a weighing device for weighing the articles and feeding a first input to the cell to display the weight value, a computer receiving the first input of the device and the input of a unit having programmable text which in turn feeds a second input to the cell, the improvement in the cell which comprises a pair of spaced transparent walls, said cell having an input side on one side of the cell at one of said walls and an output or display side on the opposite side thereof at the other of said walls, transparent electrodes on the facing sides of said walls, a liquid crystal material between said walls, means for electrically addressing said electrodes in accordance with said inputs, said electrodes profiled to produce said weight and price values, a source of light producing parallel light rays directed to the input side of the cell, a fiber-optic plate at the output side of the cell having a plurality of parallel arranged optical fibers embedded in a light-absorbing material, and said source and optical fiber axes being such that the angle of inclination therebetween exceeds the limit angle for which total reflection within the fibers occurs of light rays passing undisturbed through the liquid crystal whereby such light rays do not pass through the fibers.

Claim 20

The liquid crystal cell defined in claim 16, wherein the display side of the cell is frosted.

Claim 21

In a liquid crystal cell having transparent parallel spaced front and back walls, a source of light producing parallel light rays at the back wall, transparent electrodes on the facing sides of said walls, and a liquid crystal material between said walls which when activated cause the scattering of light rays, the improvement in the front wall where an image may be produced being in the form of a fiber-optic plate comprising a plurality of parallel arranged optical fibers at an inclination to the light rays in excess of that which would cause total reflection of the light rays within the fibers, said plate having a plurality of parallel arranged optical fibers embedded in a lightabsorbing material for preventing the transmission of undisturbed light rays and allowing transmission of light rays disturbed by activation of electrodes.

Claim 22

In a liquid crystal cell having transparent parallel spaced front and back walls, a source of light producing parallel light rays at the back wall, transparent electrodes on the facing sides of said walls, and a liquid crystal material between said walls which when activated cause the scattering of light rays, the improvement in the front wall where an image may be produced being in the form of a fiber-optic plate comprising a plurality of parallel arranged optical fibers at an inclination to the light rays in excess of that which would cause total reflection of the light rays within the fibers, said plate having a plurality of parallel arranged optical fibers embedded in a lightabsorbing material for preventing the transmission of undisturbed light rays and allowing transmission of light rays disturbed by activation of electrodes.