Multicolor display apparatus

Claim 2

A multi-color display element comprising: a rotary member having a plurality of separate display regions of different colors, for displaying one of the colors at a time, the rotary member having a shaft to which the rotary member is fixedly mounted; a support member for rotatably supporting the shaft; drive means coupled to the support member for rotating the rotary member, the drive means including, a permanent circular magnet, having a circular peripheral side surface, fixed to the shaft to rotate with the rotary member, a plurality of stators coupled to the support member, and arranged close to and around the circular peripheral side surface of the permanent circular magnet so as to substantially surround the circular peripheral side surface thereof, each one of said plurality of stators having an arcuate inner side surface which is provided on a portion of each said stator opposite said circular peripheral side surface of said magnet, said arcuate inner side surface having a uniform radius from the center of said magnet, said plurality of stators being mutually arranged in an identical plane with a first clearance formed between said circular peripheral side surface of said magnet and said arcuate inner side surface of each said respective stator, said first clearance being uniform along the overall peripheral side surface of said magnet, each of the plurality of stators including a magnetizable core with a magnetizing coil wound thereon; and control means coupled to the magnetizing coils for selectively polarizing the cores to cause the rotary member to rotate to display a selected display region.

Claim 3

A multi-color display element according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of stators are adjacently arranged around said circular magnet, with a second clearance formed between the neighboring stators, said second clearance being set at a value no greater than said first clearance.

Claim 4

A multi-color display element according to claim 2 wherein the first and second clearances are set at a value so that a self holding force of the rotor and a rotational resistance thereof are substantially balanced.

Claim 5

A multicolor display element according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of coils are positioned around the rotary shaft, each coil of a pair of the plurality of coils being diametrically opposed to form the driving means.

Claim 6

A multicolor display element according to claim 4, wherein the plurality of coils comprise at least two pair of coils, and a different drive circuit for driving each pair of the at least two pair of coils independently of one another.

Claim 7

A multicolor display element according to claim 5 wherein the control means includes means for controlling a plurality of said drive circuits to change the polarity of each of said plurality of stators.

Claim 8

A multicolor display element according to claim 6 wherein the control means includes means for controlling said plurality of stators, so that a polarity of one stator is identical to a polarity of an adjacent stator, while said polarity of said one stator is different from the adjacent stator opposite said adjacent stator.

Claim 9

A multicolor display element according to claims 1 or 2 or 3 or 4 or 5 or 6 or 7 wherein the display regions of the rotary member each has a rectangular configuration, and at least one of the sides of each rectangle is less than 20 mm.

Claim 10

A multicolor display element according to claims 1 or 2 or 3 or 4 or 5 or 6 or 7 wherein the drive means includes means to rotate the rotary member from one display region to another within 60 milliseconds.

Claim 11

A multicolor display element according to claim 1 wherein the rotary member has an external cross sectional configuration comprising any one of the configurations from the group consisting of a cylinder, a triangle, a cube, a pentagon, a hexagon, and a polyhedron.

Claim 12

A multicolor display element according to claims 1 or 2 or 3 or 4 or 5 or 6 or 7 wherein the control means includes a printed circuit board positioned on the support member for supporting the rotary shaft of the rotary member.

Claim 13

A multicolor display element according to claim 11 wherein the control means includes an integrated semiconductor circuit for controlling the drive means through the printed circuit board.

Claim 14

A multicolor display element comprising: a stacked substrate formed of a support member and a circuit board, the support member being a magnetizable plate; a bearing hole formed in the substrate; a plurality of magnetizable cores positioned on the circuit board along a perimeter of an imaginary circle that is concentric to the bearing hole, the cores being magnetically coupled to the magnetizable plate; an excitation coil wound on each of the magnetizable cores, each of the excitation coils having terminals electrically connected to circuit patterns formed on the circuit board; a rotary shaft supported by the magnetizable plate; a permanent circular magnet, having a circular peripheral side surface, fitted to the rotary shaft and positioned on a rotary member, the permanent magnet having a plurality of magnetic poles; a plurality of stators connected to and extending from each of the magnetizable cores, and arranged close to and around the circular peripheral side surface of the permanent circular magnet so as to substantially surround the circular peripheral side surface thereof; each one of said plurality of stators having an arcuate inner side surface, which is provided on a portion of each said stator opposite said circular peripheral side surface of said magnet, said arcuate inner side surface having a uniform radius from the center of said magnet, said plurality of stators being mutually arranged in an identical plane with a first clearance formed between said circular peripheral side surface of said magnet and said arcuate inner side surface of each said respective stator, said first clearance being uniform along the overall peripheral side surface of said magnet, each of the plurality of stators including one of said respective magnetizable cores with one of the excitation coils wound thereon; and said rotary member, having in the alternative either a cylindrical or polyhedral pipe shape perimeter, fitted to the rotary shaft, the perimeter of the rotary member including a plurality of color display regions corresponding to the number of the excitation coils.

Claim 15

A multicolor display element comprising: a stacked substrate formed of a support member and a circuit board, the support member being a magnetizable plate; a bearing hole formed in the substrate; a plurality of magnetizable cores positioned on the circuit board along a perimeter of an imaginary circle that is concentric to the bearing hole, the cores being magnetically coupled to the magnetizable plate; an excitation coil wound on each of the magnetizable cores, each of the excitation coils having terminals electrically connected to circuit patterns formed on the circuit board; a rotary shaft supported by the magnetizable plate; a permanent circular magnet, having a circular peripheral side surface, fitted to the rotary shaft and positioned on a rotary member, the permanent magnet having a plurality of magnetic poles; a plurality of stators connected to and extending from each of the magnetizable cores, and arranged close to and around the circular peripheral side surface of the permanent circular magnet so as to substantially surround the circular peripheral side surface thereof; each one of said plurality of stators having an arcuate inner side surface, which is provided on a portion of each said stator opposite said circular peripheral side surface of said magnet, said arcuate inner side surface having a uniform radius from the center of said magnet, said plurality of stators being mutually arranged in an identical plane with a first clearance formed between said circular peripheral side surface of said magnet and said arcuate inner side surface of each said respective stator, said first clearance being uniform along the overall peripheral side surface of said magnet, each of the plurality of stators including one of said respective magnetizable cores with one of the excitation coils wound thereon; and said rotary member, having in the alternative either a cylindrical or polyhedral pipe shape perimeter, fitted to the rotary shaft, the perimeter of the rotary member including a plurality of color display regions corresponding to the number of the excitation coils.

Claim 16

A multicolor display element according to claim 13, wherein the plurality of magnetizable cores and the support member is an integral member, with a magnetizable plate being a bent portion of the support member; and each of the stators being fitted to a corresponding one of the cores.

Claim 17

A multicolor display element according to claim 13 wherein each of the stators is a separate piece fixed to the magnetic cores, respectively.

Claim 18

A multicolor display element according to claim 13, wherein each one of the stators is integral with a corresponding magnetizable core and formed at an outer end of the corresponding magnetizable core.

Claim 19

A multicolor display element according to claim 14 further comprising a stator frame for fixedly holding the plurality of stators, the stator frame having a bearing hole supporting the rotary shaft.

Claim 20

A multi-color display element comprising: a rotary member having a plurality of separate display regions of different colors, for displaying one of the colors at time, the rotary member having a shaft to which the rotary member is fixedly mounted; a support member for rotatably supporting the shaft; drive means coupled to the support member for rotating the rotary member, the drive means including, a permanent circular magnet, having a circular peripheral side surface, fixed to the shaft to rotate with the rotary member, a plurality of stators coupled to the support member, and arranged close to and around the circular peripheral side surface of the permanent circular magnet so as to substantially surround the overall circular peripheral side surface thereof, each one of said plurality of stators having an arcuate inner side surface which is provided on a portion of each said respective stator opposite said circular peripheral side surface of said magnet, each said inner side surface having a uniform radius from the center of said magnet, said plurality of stators being mutually arranged in an identical plane with a first clearance formed between said circular peripheral side surface of said magnet and said arcuate inner side surface of each said respective stator, said first clearance being uniform along the overall peripheral side surface of said magnet, said plurality of stators being arranged close to each other around said circular magnet with a second clearance formed between each of the arranged adjacent stators and said second clearance being set at a value no greater than said first clearance; each of the plurality of stators including a magnetizable core with an excitation coil wound thereon; and control means coupled to the excitation coils for selectively polarizing the cores to cause the rotary member to rotate to display a selected display region; wherein each one of the plurality of stators is recessed at one end thereof to restrict a direction of turning of said circular permanent magnet to one direction of rotation.

Claim 21

A multi-color display element comprising: a rotary member having a plurality of separate display regions of different colors, for displaying one of the colors at time, the rotary member having a shaft to which the rotary member is fixedly mounted; a support member for rotatably supporting the shaft; drive means coupled to the support member for rotating the rotary member, the drive means including, a permanent circular magnet, having a circular peripheral side surface, fixed to the shaft to rotate with the rotary member, a plurality of stators coupled to the support member, and arranged close to and around the circular peripheral side surface of the permanent circular magnet so as to substantially surround the overall circular peripheral side surface thereof, each one of said plurality of stators having an arcuate inner side surface which is provided on a portion of each said respective stator opposite said circular peripheral side surface of said magnet, each said inner side surface having a uniform radius from the center of said magnet, said plurality of stators being mutually arranged in an identical plane with a first clearance formed between said circular peripheral side surface of said magnet and said arcuate inner side surface of each said respective stator, said first clearance being uniform along the overall peripheral side surface of said magnet, said plurality of stators being arranged close to each other around said circular magnet with a second clearance formed between each of the arranged adjacent stators and said second clearance being set at a value no greater than said first clearance; each of the plurality of stators including a magnetizable core with an excitation coil wound thereon; and control means coupled to the excitation coils for selectively polarizing the cores to cause the rotary member to rotate to display a selected display region; wherein each one of the plurality of stators is recessed at one end thereof to restrict a direction of turning of said circular permanent magnet to one direction of rotation.

Claim 22

A multi-color display unit comprising a plurality of the multi-color display elements according to claims 1 or 13, and a mother board, and wherein said plurality of the multi-color display elements being positioned adjacent one another to form either a row, a column, or matrix of rows and columns on said mother board.

Claim 23

A multicolor display apparatus comprising a plurality of the multicolor display units of claim 19, wherein the multicolor display units are positioned adjacent one another to form either a row, a column, or a matrix of rows and columns.

Claim 24

A multicolor display unit according to claim 19 wherein a combination of colors of the color display regions of at least one rotary member provided in a position of the unit is different from a combination of colors of the color display regions of at least another rotary member provided in another position of the same unit.

Claim 25

A multicolor display unit according to claim 21 wherein the multicolor display elements having the different combinations of colors, are arranged at a predetermined ratio.

Claim 26

A multi-color display unit according to claim 19, wherein said unit is covered with a sealed casing having a transparent windshield.

Claim 27

A multicolor display unit comprising a plurality of the multicolor display elements according to claim 19 fitted to a common support frame, and a sealed casing, having a transparent windshield, containing the common support frame.

Claim 28

A multicolor display apparatus comprising a plurality of the multicolor display units according to claim 23 and arranged in either a row, a column, or a matrix of rows and columns.

Claim 29

A multicolor display unit according to claim 23, wherein the sealed casing comprises an outer frame and a back panel; the outer frame having the transparent windshield and a side frame integrally formed with the windshield; the multicolor display unit being in contact with the inner surface of the side of the outer frame with the color display surface of the rotary member facing the transparent windshield, the side of the outer frame and the back panel being fixedly joined together.

Claim 30

A multicolor display unit according to claim 26, wherein the side of the outer frame is thinner than the transparent windshield.

Claim 31

A multicolor display unit according to claims 23 or 24, wherein the outer face of the windshield has a coarse surface.

Claim 32

A multicolor display unit according to claims 23 or 24, wherein an ultraviolet filter layer is disposed over an inner face of the windshield.

Claim 33

A multicolor display unit according to claims 23 or 24, wherein heater wires are disposed on an inner face of the windshield.

Claim 34

A multicolor display unit according to claims 19 or 24, further comprising a mask disposed in front of the color display portions of the multicolor display elements.

Claim 35

A multicolor display unit according to claim 31, comprising a heating mechanism combined with the mask.

Claim 36

A multicolor display unit according to claim 32, wherein the heating mechanism comprises either heater wires fixed to the mask, or the mask itself is made of heat generating material.

Claim 37

A multicolor display apparatus according to claim 26, comprising a lever formed on the back panel of the casing, the lever being removably connected to a corresponding support frame.

Claim 38

A multicolor display element according to claim 17, wherein the stator frame is comprised of a plastic material.

Claim 39

A multicolor display apparatus comprising a plurality of multicolor display units according to claim 19, wherein each multicolor display unit corresponds to one pixel.

Claim 40

A multicolor display apparatus according to claim 36, wherein each said pixel includes means for displaying gradations of color.

Claim 41

A multicolor display apparatus according to claim 37 further comprising a mask positioned in front of said elements, each said mask having a plurality of windows for exposing predetermined color display regions of the rotary members.

Claim 42

A multicolor display apparatus according to claim 38 wherein each mask includes either a color corresponding to one of the colors of the color display regions of the rotary members, or black.

Claim 43

A multicolor display unit according to claim 19, wherein the plurality of said multicolor display elements are positioned adjacent one another on a continuous base plate made of magnetizing material.

Claim 44

A multicolor display unit according to claim 40, wherein a magnetic neutral point of a magnetic coil, caused by the respective drive means of each of said multicolor display elements, is formed in a base plate.

Claim 45

A multicolor display unit according to claim 40, wherein a plurality of the rotary shafts are provided on said base plate, and positioned perpendicularly to a surface of said base plate; and the plurality of the rotary members are rotatably mounted on the respective rotary shafts.

Claim 46

A multicolor display unit comprising a mother board; a plurality of base plates positioned perpendicular to a surface of said mother board and parallel to each other; said base plates having a plurality of said rotary members according to claim 42, mounted thereon.

Claim 47

A multicolor display unit according to claim 31, wherein said mask is integrally formed with a base plate as a unitary member.