Abstract: An electromechanical braille cell is disclosed wherein each cell includes six braille indicia formed by the free ends of six rods protruding through six openings in braille reading surface. The six rods are raised and lowered by six piezoelectric reeds. Applying an operating potential to a respective reed causes the reed to bend about a fulcrum at the supported root end of the reed causing the free end to deflect in such a manner as to cause the indicia rod to be raised and to protrude through an opening in the reading surface of the braille cell. Simultaneous energization of one or more of the six reeds defines a given braille character sensed by the braille reader. Modulating the voltage applied to a given reed serves to vibrate the respective rod for sensing by the braille reader for indicating information, such as upper case, to the reader in addition to the braille character information represented by merely elevating a pattern of rods above the braille reading surface.

Abstract: An electromechanical braille cell is disclosed wherein each cell includes six braille indicia formed by the free ends of a vertical stack of cantilever supported piezoelectric reeds. Applying an operating potential to a respective reed causes the reed to bend about a fulcrum at the supported root end of the reed causing the free end to deflect in such a manner as to cause the indicia rod to protrude through an opening in the reading surface of the braille cell. Simultaneous energization of one or more of the reeds in the respective stack defines a given braille character sensed by the operator. The free ends of the reeds are tiered in pairs in a stair step configuration so that the sensing rods from a lower pair of reeds pass by the free end portions of the reeds of a higher step. The upper reed of each pair of reeds is notched to allow passage of the sensing rod associated with the lower reed of that pair of reeds.