US4586903A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Means for generating a tactile character field
Assignee: Wincor Nixdorf International GmbH
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Filing: 1985-01-03
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Granted: 1986-05-06
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Expires: 2005-01-03
Abstract
Abstract An apparatus for reading by blind persons comprising a data medium in the form of a thick elastic belt and having formed therein a dense uniformly spaced two-dimensional array of data elements of thin membrane-like construction integral with the belt and capable of assuming stable convex and concave conditions wherein they either project upwardly from the belt to be sensible by a person's finger or down into the belt where they may not be felt. Because of the thickness of the belt, the data elements are also capable of assuming intermediate unstable conditions wherein they do not experience a transition to the opposite state simply because they are compressed flush with a surface of the belt. Means are provided for setting and resetting the data areas.
Inventors
- 👤 Joachim Burchart
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-27 14:44
CPC Classifications
G; G09; G09B; G09B21/00; G09B21/001; G09B21/003
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 9
Claim 1
Independent Claim
130 words
Apparatus for producing fields of tactile-sensible characters comprising: a data medium of first thickness defining opposite reading and bearing surfaces, said medium containing a two-dimensional array of spaced tactile data areas, the material thickness of the data areas being substantially less than the thickness of the medium; each of said data areas being formed of an elastic material of dome-like configuration and of sufficient rigidity to be stable in each of convex and concave conditions relative to said reading surface and capable of an over-center snap-action transition between said conditions; and each of said data areas being compressible from either of said conditions to an intermediate nonstable condition in which it is essentially flush with the surfaces of said medium without experiencing the over-center snap-action transition to the opposite condition.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
130 words
Apparatus for producing fields of tactile-sensible characters comprising: a data medium of first thickness defining opposite reading and bearing surfaces, said medium containing a two-dimensional array of spaced tactile data areas, the material thickness of the data areas being substantially less than the thickness of the medium; each of said data areas being formed of an elastic material of dome-like configuration and of sufficient rigidity to be stable in each of convex and concave conditions relative to said reading surface and capable of an over-center snap-action transition between said conditions; and each of said data areas being compressible from either of said conditions to an intermediate nonstable condition in which it is essentially flush with the surfaces of said medium without experiencing the over-center snap-action transition to the opposite condition.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
20 words
Unit as claimed in claim 1 characterized in that the data areas (6) are made integral with the medium (2).
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
49 words
Unit as claimed in claim 1 further comprising a piston (30,44) arranged to be movable in the medium plane relative to the medium (20) whereby the date areas can be positioned between the convex and concave positions one after another as the medium is moved relative to the piston.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
128 words
Unit as claimed in claim 1 wherein the medium is in the form of a flexible table (20) and the data areas are in the form of elastic knobs (32), the apparatus further comprising one row of pistons (30) for setting the knobs (32) is provided under the table (20) which row is aligned in the direction of the knob columns or knob lines, having a number of pistons movable against the under side of the table which number corresponds to the number of lines and is arranged in the line spacing or corresponds to the number of columns and is arranged in the column spacing, where the rows of pistons are movable relative to the table (26) in the line direction or in the column direction, respectively.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
47 words
Unit as claim in claim 1 further comprising a clearing roller (40) for clearing the line direction or in the column direction relative to the top side of the medium and is equipped with projections (44) arranged according to the matrix pattern of the data areas (32).
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
71 words
Unit as claimed in claim 5 wherein the medium is in the form of a flexible table and the data areas are in the form of elastic knobs, said table (20,52) being made in the form of an endless drivable belt guided over deflector rollers (22,24) which belt in the reading region is guided over a solid backing plate (50) or the like, where the rows of pistons are arranged stationary.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
31 words
Unit as claimed in claim 6 characterized in that the clearing roller (40) is made in the form of a stationary tension roller lying aginst the return sdie of the belt.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
32 words
Unit as claimed in claim 1 wherein the data areas (32,56) are arranged in a Braille code with at least one or even a plurality of Braille lines forming a Braille page.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1989-05-05 | 1989-11-04 | 1990-05-06 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1993-05-05 | 1993-11-04 | 1994-05-06 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1997-05-05 | 1997-11-04 | 1998-05-06 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |