Patent US4177458A successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
US4177458A
Expired / Lapsed
US
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Display panel and display elements therefor
Assignee: NIHON ADVANCED PRODUCTS KK
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Filing: 1978-01-23
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Granted: 1979-12-04
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Expires: 1998-01-23
Abstract
Abstract A display panel which is provided with a display surface structure having a large number of display elements rotatably arranged in a vertical plane. The display elements are each formed with a plate-like (or four-cornered) block member having two (or four) display surfaces of different colors and one (or three) magnetic pieces. A selected one or ones of the display elements are rotated by the movement of a display control head or heads and by temporary energization of one (or three) magnets of each head to make a selected one of the two (or four) display surfaces of the selected display elements face forwardly, providing a display of a character, graph, pattern or the like on the display surface structure.
Inventors
- 👤 Yoshimasa Wakatake
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-02 10:29
CPC Classifications
G; G09; G09F; G09F9/00; G09F9/30; G09F9/37; G09F9/375; G09F13/00; G09F13/04; G09F13/0418; G09F13/0472
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 9
Claim 1
Independent Claim
316 words
A display panel comprising: a display surface structure; a display switching unit; and a drive unit; in which, letting N vertical lines of arrangement spaced a predetermined distance from adjacent ones of them in a horizontal direction be represented by a 1 , a 2 , . . . a N , respectively, the display surface structure has M display elements D i1 , D i2 , . . . D iM disposed on the vertical line a i (i+1, 2, . . . N) at predetermined intervals in a vertical direction; in which the display element D ij (j+1, 2, . . . M) is formed with a block member having a shaft receiving hole extending in the horizontal direction, an outer periphery forming a plurality of display surfaces of different colors to form a plurality of corners around the shaft receiving hole, and a magnetic piece disposed in each of the corners except one of them, the display element D ij being supported by a shaft loosely inserted into the shaft receiving hole in a manner to be rotatable about the shaft, the shaft receiving hole having such an inner peripheral configuration as to permit a selected one of the display surfaces to lie in a vertical plane in the state of the display element D ij being supported by the shaft; in which the display switching unit has a display control head E i disposed to be movable along the vertical line a i in the vertical direction, the display control head E i having electromagnets less than the corners of the block member by one; and in which the drive unit has means for simultaneously moving down the display control heads E 1 to E N and means for driving the electromagnets of the display control head E i in synchronism with the movement of the display control head E i .
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
316 words
A display panel comprising: a display surface structure; a display switching unit; and a drive unit; in which, letting N vertical lines of arrangement spaced a predetermined distance from adjacent ones of them in a horizontal direction be represented by a 1 , a 2 , . . . a N , respectively, the display surface structure has M display elements D i1 , D i2 , . . . D iM disposed on the vertical line a i (i+1, 2, . . . N) at predetermined intervals in a vertical direction; in which the display element D ij (j+1, 2, . . . M) is formed with a block member having a shaft receiving hole extending in the horizontal direction, an outer periphery forming a plurality of display surfaces of different colors to form a plurality of corners around the shaft receiving hole, and a magnetic piece disposed in each of the corners except one of them, the display element D ij being supported by a shaft loosely inserted into the shaft receiving hole in a manner to be rotatable about the shaft, the shaft receiving hole having such an inner peripheral configuration as to permit a selected one of the display surfaces to lie in a vertical plane in the state of the display element D ij being supported by the shaft; in which the display switching unit has a display control head E i disposed to be movable along the vertical line a i in the vertical direction, the display control head E i having electromagnets less than the corners of the block member by one; and in which the drive unit has means for simultaneously moving down the display control heads E 1 to E N and means for driving the electromagnets of the display control head E i in synchronism with the movement of the display control head E i .
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
44 words
A display panel according to claim 1, wherein the block member forming the display element D ij is plate-shaped, and hence has two corners and two display surfaces and has one magnetic piece, and wherein the display control head E i has one electromagnet.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
45 words
A display panel according to claim 1, wherein the block member forming the display element D ij is a four-cornered block member, and hence four-corners and four display surfaces and has three magnetic pieces, and wherein the display control head E i has three electromagnets.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
30 words
A display panel according to claim 1, wherein the display control head E i has a resilient piece for receiving the block member forming the display element E ij .
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
129 words
A display element for a display panel, which is formed with a block member having a shaft receiving hole extending in a horizontal direction, an outer periphery forming a plurality of display surfaces of different colors to form a plurality of corners around the shaft receiving hole and a magnetic piece disposed in each of the corners except one of them and which has the construction that the block member is supported by a shaft loosely inserted into the shaft receiving hole and extending in the horizontal direction, and in which the shaft receiving hole has such an inner peripheral configuration as to permit a selected one of the display surfaces to lie in a vertical plane in the state of the block member being supported by the shaft.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
129 words
A display element for a display panel, which is formed with a block member having a shaft receiving hole extending in a horizontal direction, an outer periphery forming a plurality of display surfaces of different colors to form a plurality of corners around the shaft receiving hole and a magnetic piece disposed in each of the corners except one of them and which has the construction that the block member is supported by a shaft loosely inserted into the shaft receiving hole and extending in the horizontal direction, and in which the shaft receiving hole has such an inner peripheral configuration as to permit a selected one of the display surfaces to lie in a vertical plane in the state of the block member being supported by the shaft.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
27 words
A display element according to claim 5, wherein the block member is plate-shaped, and hence has two corners and two display surfaces and has one magnetic piece.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
26 words
A display element according to claim 5, wherein the block member is four-cornered, and hence has four-corners and four display surfaces and has three magnetic pieces.
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) | 1982-12-03 | 1983-06-04 | 1983-12-04 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1986-12-03 | 1987-06-04 | 1987-12-04 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1990-12-03 | 1991-06-04 | 1991-12-04 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |