Communications: electrical – Visual indication – Movable
Patent
1984-07-24
1987-09-15
Curtis, Marshall M.
Communications: electrical
Visual indication
Movable
340763, 340783, 570130, G09G 334
Patent
active
046942890
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
This invention relates to a bistable display element.
In one form the invention resides in a display member comprising a housing having a chamber with a viewing face and a lamina member movably mounted within said chamber to be movable into a first position in which one face of the member is in face to face contact with said viewing face and a second position in which the one face of the member is out of contact with the viewing and the other face is in face to face with a rear face of the chamber spaced rearwardly from the viewing face, drive means being provided to produce an attractive and/or repulsive force between said housing and said member to move said member from said first or second position to the other position wherein no external drive means need be provided to maintain said member in said first or second position, an opaque fluid filling said chamber.
According to a preferred feature of the invention, said drive means comprises a first magnetic device on said housing and a second magnetic device on said member wherein the polarity of at least one magnetic device is capable of being reversed.
According to a further preferred feature of the invention, the other face of the lamina member is formed with a post which supports said second magnetic device and which is receivable in a portion of the housing accommodating the first magnetic device.
According to a further preferred feature of the invention, wherein said first magnetic device comprises an electromagnetic coil.
According to a further preferred feature of the invention, said housing is supported on a mounting plate which supports said electro-magnetic coil.
According to a further preferred feature of the invention, said post is axially slidable in said portion but is incapable of relative rotation therein.
According to a further preferred feature of the invention, said member has a substantially zero buoyancy within fluid in said chamber.
According to a further preferred feature of the invention, said lamina member, the viewing face and the rear face are substantially planar.
According to a further preferred feature of the invention, said member is formed with apertures to permit communication between the faces of said member.
The invention will be more fully understood in the light of the following description of several specific embodiments. The description is made with reference to the accompanying drawings of which;
FIG. 1 is a schematic view of a display member according to the first embodiment;
FIG. 2 is a sectional elevation of a display member according to the second embodiment;
FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional elevation along line 3--3 of FIG. 2;
FIG. 4 is a section elevation of a display member according to the third embodiment;
FIG. 5 is a section elevation of a fourth embodiment; and
FIGS. 6 and 7 are a front elevation and section elevation respectively of a fifth embodiment.
The embodiment shown at FIG. 1 is directed towards a display unit 10 comprising a housing 14 which defines a substantially square prismatic chamber 12 having a transparent front viewing face 16, a rear face 15 and is formed with a centrally disposed axial sub-chamber 18 extending from the rear face 15. The chamber 12 contains a laminar shaped reference member 24 having a display face 26 adjacent the viewing face 16 and a rear face 25 adjacent the rear face 15 of the chamber 12. The reference member 24 is formed with a central axially located post 20 on its rear face which is axially slidable within the recess 18 whereby on movement of the reference member 24 between the viewing face 16 and the rear face 15 of the chamber 12, the post 20 moves into the recess 18. The spigot 20 accommodates a permanent magnet having its poles axially spaced along the post. The portion of the housing 14 defining the recess 18 supports an electro-magnetic coil which is connected to a D.C. electrical supply. The chamber 12 contains an opaque liquid whereby on movement of the reference member 24 to the rear face 15 of the chamber 12, the display face 26 can not be observed through t
REFERENCES:
patent: 1049240 (1912-12-01), Janacek
patent: 3698793 (1972-10-01), Tellerman
patent: 3812490 (1974-05-01), Goodrich
patent: 3825927 (1974-07-01), Passien
patent: 4062009 (1977-12-01), Raverdy et al.
Curtis Marshall M.
E.R.G. Management Services Pty., Ltd.
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