Magnetic Patents (Class 40/449)
  • Patent number: 4566210
    Abstract: A display device has lever mounted display members with their members on one end movable from exposed to eclipsed position to provide a variable display and permanent magnets on the other end to provide for control of the lever by magnetizable cores located rearwardly thereof. A housing structure accurately mounts both a frame which holds the levers and a rear face which holds the cores in three dimensions contributing to the precision of the magnetic control. The cores are mounted projecting from the rear wall of the housing. The forward ends of the cores may be accurately located again contributing to the precision of the magnetic control. The improvement of the magnetic coil means the energizing coils for the windings must be made smaller and for this and other reasons the device may be made smaller from front to back.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 13, 1983
    Date of Patent: January 28, 1986
    Assignee: Nei Canada Limited
    Inventors: Donald Winrow, Kenneth G. Copeland
  • Patent number: 4558529
    Abstract: A display element comprises a stator housing with a front aperture and a rotor electromagnetically rotatable to assume three or four rotary positions. At each rotary position a different area of the rotor is seen through the aperture. Two or three of the areas of the rotor are translucent. Apertures in the stator housing and registering apertures in the rotor allow the translucent areas to be illuminated by lighting placed to the rear of the stator housing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 4, 1985
    Date of Patent: December 17, 1985
    Assignee: NEI Canada Limited
    Inventors: Kwangling Chang, Pankaj J. Dave
  • Patent number: 4541189
    Abstract: A matrix display device includes an array of display elements each comprising a member (12) rotatable between two states and an array of bearing elements (13) associated with said rotatable members manufactured as a single piece, such as a frame (11).This allows an improved method of manufacture of such display devices in that a matrix sheet (1) having display apertures (2) and bearing members (3) is produced with spacing such that the frame (11) of display element members (12) aligns with the matrix sheet and the respective bearing elements (13) and members (3) can interengage simultaneously, resulting in saving of time and simplification of the assembly procedure. Once interengaged, the residual parts of the frame (11) are severed and discarded. Matrix sheet (1) is also made as a single piece, enabling a whole matrix of hinged display elements to be made from only two or three parts.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 22, 1983
    Date of Patent: September 17, 1985
    Inventor: Hassan P. A. Salam
  • Patent number: 4536428
    Abstract: A magnetic display panel having a transparent or translucent front substrate and a rear substrate bonded thereto by an adhesive with a dispersing liquid confining space formed between the substrates, preferably in the form of multiple cells. The dispersing liquid, composed of a fine particulate thickener, fine magnetic particles, a colorant and a dispersing medium, has a yield value of at least 5 dyne/cm.sup.2. A clear, long-lasting image is recordable by tracing a permanent magnet upon the face of the first substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 18, 1980
    Date of Patent: August 20, 1985
    Assignee: Pilot Man-Nen-Hitsu Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yasuzo Murata, Hiroshi Sato
  • Patent number: 4531318
    Abstract: A thin disk contrastingly colored on opposite sides is rotatably mounted to rotate about its diameter. A permanent magnet on the disk allows the disk to be driven by a pair of reversibly magnetizable cores. One of the cores is bent to provide a stop which limits the rotation of the disk in either direction. The two limiting positions correspond to the display of the contrastingly colored sides in the viewing direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 16, 1983
    Date of Patent: July 30, 1985
    Assignee: NEI Canada Limited
    Inventors: Kwangling Chang, Dalpat D. Mistry
  • Patent number: 4528932
    Abstract: An iron core for the magnetic induction of a visual information displaying element with a magnetic flip plate, wherein the display element comprises one or more permanent-magnetic flip plates magnetized perpendicular to their face and suitable for the direct or indirect display of the information. It is provided with one or more exciting coils with an iron core with a repolarizable remanent induction adapted to produce a magnetic field and with a coercive force less than the coercive force of the permanent magnet in the flip plate. On the end of the core facing the display element a profiled body is closely fitted, which is made of a magnetic material having a higher initial permeability than the initial permeability of the iron core and which is provided with a profiled cut-out corresponding to the cross-section of the end of the iron core.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 31, 1983
    Date of Patent: July 16, 1985
    Assignee: "FOK-GYEM" Finommechanikai es Elektronikus Muszergyarto Szovetkezet
    Inventors: Lajos Ducza, Laszlo Jagicza, Laszlo Jaki, Sandor Jodal, Jozsef Mandzsu, Gabor Sumegi
  • Patent number: 4521983
    Abstract: A rotating display element which is provided with a display surface member having a plurality of display surfaces which are selected by rotating the display surface member, and a display unit which uses the display element. The display surface member of the rotating display element has incorporated therein a permanent magnet type motor mechanism and is driven by the permanent magnet type motor mechanism. The rotor of the permanent magnet type motor mechanism has first and second double-pole permanent magnet members, and its stator has first and second magnetic members having wound thereon first and second exciting windings, respectively. The display unit has first and second power supply means for supplying power to the first exciting winding of the permanent magnet type motor mechanism and third and fourth power supply means for supplying power to the second exciting winding.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 7, 1984
    Date of Patent: June 11, 1985
    Inventor: Yoshimasa Wakatake
  • Patent number: 4507888
    Abstract: A sign for displaying information including numerals, having a background member including ferromagnetic material and a plurality of substantially similar individual character elements which may be magnetically attached to the background member to cooperatively form individual digits. Seven or fewer individual character elements, each preferably having the identical elongated hexagonal shape, are combined to form each digit of a price being advertised. Each such character element is made of flexible sheet material including comminuted permanently magnetized material, and an outer surface of each character element may be coated with light-reflective or fluorescent paint of a color contrasting with the color of the background member. Alternative labels may be magnetically mounted on the background member to identify the product for which the price is advertised.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 12, 1983
    Date of Patent: April 2, 1985
    Assignee: King Design, Inc.
    Inventors: Larry G. Robinson, Edward C. King
  • Patent number: 4466207
    Abstract: A stationary matrix panel has magnetic display elements arranged in vertical and horizontal rows, each element having two stable states of contrasting appearance. Electromagnetic actuator heads are mechanically coupled together by resilient couplings so as to move in unison and actuate selected display elements. The couplings are arranged to allow limited movement in a direction normal to that of the travel of the actuator heads across the matrix panel, thereby allowing for slight misalignment in the panel. Each actuator head contains a number of individual electromagnets and is responsive to a respective indexing track which provides signals indicative of the actual position of the actuation of the electromagnets in the head. The matrix panel has a plurality of guide rails arranged to provide accurate vertical registration of the heads, each guide rail being slotted to provide the indexing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 12, 1981
    Date of Patent: August 21, 1984
    Assignee: Unisplay S.A.
    Inventor: Hassan P. A. Salam
  • Patent number: 4462177
    Abstract: An electromagnetic display element is controlled by one or more high remanence cores which have control windings. A circuit is connectable to an A.C. outlet and provides to the windings a D.C. pulse in one sense (to switch the display element in one direction) when the circuit is connected to the A.C. outlet. The circuit included a capacitor charged during such connection. The circuit is designed so that, on its disconnection from the A.C. outlet, the capacitor discharges through the winding in the opposite sense and switches the display element in the opposite direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 6, 1982
    Date of Patent: July 31, 1984
    Assignee: Nei Canada Limited
    Inventor: John P. Browne
  • Patent number: 4426799
    Abstract: A display or indicator element has a set of movable and a set of fixed vanes of contrasting colors. Each set of vanes encompasses what is substantially a circle in the viewing direction. The sets of vanes are arranged so that the moving vanes move between a position where they are hidden (in the viewing direction) behind the stationary vanes and a position where the moving vanes occlude the stationary vanes. In such movements each moving vane passes between a pair of stationary vanes. Accordingly, contrasting effects are produced. Preferably the actuation for the movable vanes is electromagnetic.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 21, 1982
    Date of Patent: January 24, 1984
    Assignee: Nei Canada Limited
    Inventor: Donald Winrow
  • Patent number: 4417241
    Abstract: A display panel which is provided with a display surface structure having a large number of display elements rotatably arranged in a vertical plane. The display elements are each formed by a block member having a plurality of display surfaces of different colors and a plurality of magnetic pieces. One of the magnetic pieces is shorter than the others in a lateral direction. By successive movement of head assemblies, each comprised of a first erasing head, a second erasing head and a writing head, one or more of the display elements are turned to bring a predetermined one of their display surfaces to the front of the display surface to erase a display of a character, graph, pattern or the like provided thereon, thereafter bringing a selected one of the display surfaces of a selected display element or elements to the front of the display surface to provide thereon a display of a character, graph, pattern or the like.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 26, 1981
    Date of Patent: November 22, 1983
    Assignee: Yugen-Kaisha Wakatake Giken
    Inventor: Masayuki Wakatake
  • Patent number: 4394652
    Abstract: The invention refers to a system for data display by means of magnetically controlled bistable rotors.It is characterized by the fact that this point is itself comprised of several colored ranges which are juxtaposed and borne by distinct rotors (101, 102, 103, 104) grouped to be controlled synchronously and by the fact that, so that all the rotors of the same group are activated at the same time, this system includes a single electromagnet (10) the poles (17, 18) of which are placed in the plane of the axes of the rotors on either side of this group of rotors so as to directly exert their effect only on the permanent magnets (6) of the rotors (101, 102, 103, 104) located at the ends of the group, and this exclusively on their pole oriented towards the outside of the group.Application to display of data which must be read at great distances.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 3, 1981
    Date of Patent: July 19, 1983
    Assignee: Societe Vandeputte Fils & Cie, S.A.
    Inventor: Jean Rabette
  • Patent number: 4381112
    Abstract: A game apparatus is disclosed as including a vertical game board A having two playing faces 10 and 12 which includes a plurality of windows 12 and 14. A pair of color coded game playing pieces 30 and 32 is held completely captive in individual compartments B between the playing faces which are movable by manipulation of a hand device in and out of the window position to produce a game winning color pattern on the faces. Playing piece 30 includes magnetic material and device C includes a magnet by which pieces 30 and 32 are moved into the window position. All pieces may be simultaneously returned to a start position by tilting the game board.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 15, 1981
    Date of Patent: April 26, 1983
    Inventor: Stanley T. Dupuy
  • Patent number: 4342173
    Abstract: A simulated portable doctor's office play set is provided with a diagnostic capability of prescribing specific medication for specific ailments. The diagnostic instrument including a magnet therein is capable of not only contacting the patient, but also a display panel to make visible a particular remedy. The play set further has a capacity of dispensing a color-coded medication container that corresponds to the remedy shown on the display panel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 29, 1980
    Date of Patent: August 3, 1982
    Assignee: Takara Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Michiko Otake
  • Patent number: 4308528
    Abstract: An electromechanically driven digital indicating device comprising an arrangement of seven flaps electromagnetically movable to one of two defined positions. The flaps are disposed in a housing at one plane thereof so as to form an "8"-shaped figure. The device includes a deep drawn parallelopiped housing having a front window opening in the form of a parallelogram and having a plate with an elevated, freely accessible "8"-shaped contour constructed integrally with the housing. The plate is supported only at connecting rods at the rear of the housing in internal sides walls of the housing. On the reverse side of the bar-shaped contour, there are provided grooves into which bearing bolts of the flap elements are pivotally inserted.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 26, 1979
    Date of Patent: December 29, 1981
    Assignee: Kienzle Apparate GmbH
    Inventors: Dietmar Hummel, Felix Muller
  • Patent number: 4288936
    Abstract: A magnetic displaying device adapted for hanging on a wall including a displaying panel made of a hanging panel and a parallel disposed magnetic displaying panel between which is disposed a liquid containing magnetic particles. A translatable erasing magnet is arranged perpendicular to the downward direction of the device and coupled to a magnet lifting mechanism. The erasing magnet rests at either the upper or lower end of the panel and moves up and down through guiding means such as rails. A string or the like coupled to the lifting mechanism is pulled downwardly to move the erasing magnet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 11, 1979
    Date of Patent: September 15, 1981
    Assignee: Pilot Man-Nen-Hitsu Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Hiroyasu Okutsu
  • Patent number: 4259801
    Abstract: A display device which can rotate a flap of a display unit in opposite directions in accordance with a predetermined program without necessitating any expensive electronic circuit and switch mechanism. The device comprises a substrate, a flap rotatably supported on the surface of the substrate, a permanent magnet secured to the flap, and a driving magnet located in the rear of the substrate and movable rotative to the substrate. The driving magnet includes an S pole magnetized region and an N pole magnetized region arranged so as to hold the flap at either one of two positions disposed on the substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 24, 1978
    Date of Patent: April 7, 1981
    Assignee: Kokusai Display Kogyo Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Reijiro Ito
  • Patent number: 4223464
    Abstract: A display element is mounted on a base to rotate less than 180.degree. between two limiting positions and to create mutually contrasting effects in the two positions. A magnetizable element mounted on the base extends parallel to the axis of rotation and exerts rotational torque at each of its free ends on one of two permanent magnets mounted on the display element to rotate outside of the free ends.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 22, 1979
    Date of Patent: September 23, 1980
    Assignee: Ferranti-Packard Limited
    Inventor: Donald Winrow
  • Patent number: 4177458
    Abstract: A display panel which is provided with a display surface structure having a large number of display elements rotatably arranged in a vertical plane. The display elements are each formed with a plate-like (or four-cornered) block member having two (or four) display surfaces of different colors and one (or three) magnetic pieces. A selected one or ones of the display elements are rotated by the movement of a display control head or heads and by temporary energization of one (or three) magnets of each head to make a selected one of the two (or four) display surfaces of the selected display elements face forwardly, providing a display of a character, graph, pattern or the like on the display surface structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 23, 1978
    Date of Patent: December 4, 1979
    Assignee: Nihon Advanced Products Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Yoshimasa Wakatake
  • Patent number: 4163332
    Abstract: A matrix display comprises an array of display elements arranged in vertical and horizontal rows. Each element comprises a vane pivotally mounted for movement between stable positions in one of which the vane covers a light-transmissive area contained in an opaque member arranged to be illuminated from behind by a first light source and displays a low-reflectance face to an observer. In a second stable position the vane exposes the illuminated area to the observer and also reflects light from a second source towards the observer, for which purpose the vane may be supported at an acute angle to the opaque member. Each vane is fastened to a permanent magnet arranged to cooperate with a reversibly polarizable electromagnet to be moved from one stable position to the other. In one embodiment an array of electromagnets, one for each horizontal or vertical row of shutters, is traversed across the array and the electromagnets are individually selectively energized to produce a required display.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 30, 1978
    Date of Patent: August 7, 1979
    Inventor: Hassan P. A. Salam
  • Patent number: 4115936
    Abstract: Sign having self-storing characters which are quickly changeable. The face of the sign has a patterned array of openings juxtaposed against a contrasting background. The background may be supplied by color contrast and/or by illumination. Shutters are mounted for sliding or pivotal movement for selectively closing the openings so that the remaining exposed background areas define visual information such as symbols or characters. Alternatively, the shutters may be rotatably mounted in the openings and have opposite sides which, respectively, contrast with and match the sign face color.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 3, 1977
    Date of Patent: September 26, 1978
    Assignee: Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company
    Inventor: James G. Nidelkoff
  • Patent number: 4111363
    Abstract: A unit type slanting water fountain display apparatus for displaying time and/or characters on a slopewise display surface. The apparatus is formed as a portable type and is easily moved at a desired site.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 23, 1977
    Date of Patent: September 5, 1978
    Inventors: Koichi Kawamura, Yoshiko Kawamura
  • Patent number: 4094464
    Abstract: A water fountain device having stepwisely arranged nozzles in matrix. The water fountain may be displayed to express clock, characters or notations under control of electromagnetic valves controlled by program in a controller. The display is in three dimension so that it is very easy to be seen from the ground level.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 5, 1976
    Date of Patent: June 13, 1978
    Inventors: Koichi Kawamura, Yoshiko Kawamura