Display or indicating element with bent core

Claim 1

Electromagnetically operated display or indicator element comprising: a relatively thin disk defining a median plane and of contrastingly colored on opposite sides; a housing rotatably mounting the disk for rotation about an axis adjacent and approximately parallel to said median plane, the outline of said disk when viewed along its thickness dimension being approximately symmetrical about said axis of rotation, a permanent magnet mounted on the body of and to rotate with said disk and defining a longitudinal and a magnetic axis both transverse with respect to said pivotal axis, and both generally parallel to the plane of said disk, a pair of high remanence magnetic cores mounted on said housing and defining free ends located adjacent the edges of said disk when said disk is displaying either of its contrasting sides in the viewing direction, at least one of said cores being bent adjacent its free end to define a tip extending transverse to the viewing direction and located to act as a stop for said disc on rotation in either direction theretowards whereby said bent core defines a first limiting position for rotation of said disk with said disk overlying said bent tip and displaying one side in the viewing direction and a second limiting position for rotation of said disk with said disk underlying said bent tip and displaying the other side in the viewing direction, said cores being arranged relative to the locus of said permanent magnet so that with said free ends oppositely magnetized in one sense, said disk will be rotated from the first to the second limiting position; and with said free ends oppositely magnetized in the other sense, said disk will be rotated from the second to the first limiting position, means for selectively magnetizing said cores in one of said opposing senses.