Claims
- 1. In an indicator device for an indicator formed of individual indicator elements, having an optical fiber with a corresponding bore in an indicator board located in front of the indicator elements for each of the indicator elements, a plurality of switching elements positioned between the ends of the optical fibers and the corresponding bores of the indicator board, each of said switching elements corresponding to the individual optical fibers, said switching elements selectively brought by a plurality of electromagnets into one of a non-indicating position, where they cover the end of the corresponding optical fibers, and an indicating position, where the optical fiber is uncovered,
- the improvement comprising:
- each said optical fiber (31) closed off by a reflecting body (30), a housing (10) comprising a plate and a plurality of walls extending from a surface of said plate and forming a plurality of indicator compartments (11) approximately square in cross-section and open in a direction toward the indicator board (20), each said reflecting body (30) extending into each of said indicator compartments (11) through a bore (12) formed by the plate in each of said indicator compartments (11),
- the switch elements comprising a flat flap (15), rotatably seated with a rotational axis (14) in an area of said open side of the indicator compartment (11) which in a non-indicating position is pivoted into the plane of the open side, covering the open side of the indicator compartment (11) and, together with the walls and the plate of the housing (10), enclosing the reflecting body (30) within the indicator compartment (11),
- the reflecting body (30) disposed outside of the rotational axis (14) of the flat flap (15) and used laterally as a stop for limiting a rotational movement of the flat flap (15) to approximately 90.degree., about one half of said flap (15) being pivoted into the indicator compartment (11) in an indicating position, uncovering an end of the reflecting body (30), and
- a light collector (22) fixed in a corresponding bore (21) of the indicator board (20), said light collector (22) comprising a section of a solid body made of one of glass or a transparent plastic material and having at least a first face (23) facing the reflecting body (30) which is polished.
- 2. In an indicator device in accordance with claim 1,
- wherein
- the flaps (15) are rotatably seated with rotational axes (14) approximately diagonally to the indicator compartments (11).
- 3. In an indicator device in accordance with claim 1,
- wherein
- a cross section of the reflecting body (30) and of the light collector (22) is round.
- 4. In an indicator device in accordance with claim 1,
- wherein
- the indicator compartments (11) of the housing (10) with the reflecting bodies (30) fixed therein and the corresponding light collectors (22) of the indicator board (20) are arranged as a matrix in lines and columns.
- 5. In an indicator device in accordance with claim 1,
- wherein
- said first face and a second face of the light collectors (22) are polished and terminate approximately flush with the respective facing sides of the indicator board (20).
- 6. In an indicator device in accordance with claim 4,
- wherein
- for setting a display, the electromagnets (13) of the flaps (15), arranged in lines and columns, are temporally controlled in succession, whereby the flaps (15) are brought into the indicating position, where the lines are cyclically selected and each of the columns is cyclically controlled by setting pulses in a pre-set direction of flow in a course of each line actuation.
- 7. In an indicator device in accordance with claim 6,
- wherein
- for erasing the display, the electromagnets (13) of the flaps (15), arranged in lines and columns, are temporally controlled in succession, whereby the flaps (15) are brought into the non-indicating position, where the lines are cyclically selected and each of the columns is cyclically controlled by restoring pulses in an opposite direction of flow in the course of each line control.
- 8. In an indicator device in accordance with claim 1,
- wherein
- the flaps (15) are maintained in one of the indicating position and the non-indicating position by an appropriate residual magnetism of the corresponding electromagnets (13).
Priority Claims (1)
| Number |
Date |
Country |
Kind |
| 4022649 |
Jul 1990 |
DEX |
|
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
This application is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 07/731,000, now abandoned.
This invention relates to an indicator device for an indicator formed of individual indicator elements in which an optical fiber with a corresponding bore in an indicator board located in front of the indicator elements is assigned to each indicator element. Switching elements disposed between the ends of the optical fibers and the corresponding bores of the indicator board are assigned to the individual optical fibers. The switching elements can be selectively brought into a non-indicating position by electromagnets, in which position they cover the end of the assigned optical fibers, or into an indicating position, in which position the optical fiber is uncovered.
2. Description of the Prior Art
An indicator device of this type is known from Austrian patent disclosure AT 36 086E in which the optical fiber is held by a U-shaped strap, in the lateral legs of which a cover, which is pivotable out of the area of the strap, is pivotably seated. In the non-indicating position the cover closes the corresponding bore in the indicator board. Such a design of the individual indicator elements requires a large amount of space, particularly next to the strap. Furthermore, the indicator elements are not clearly separated from one another, which results in a deterioration of the contrast between light and dark of the indicator elements.
An optical fiber luminous signal device is known from German patent disclosure DE 38 12 418 A1, in which the ends of individual optical fibers of a bundle are directly inserted into the bores of an indicator board and form indicator elements. Such an indicator device is only suitable for changing signs.
It is an object of this invention to provide an indicator device of the type previously mentioned, in which the indicator elements are switchable and which has a very high contrast between the indicating position, that is, light, and the non-indicating position, that is dark.
This object is attained in accordance with one embodiment of this invention in which each optical fiber is closed off by a reflecting body which extends into a compartment of a housing open in the direction of the indicator board and which is held in a hole in the bottom of the compartment. A switch element is formed by a flap, which is rotatably seated with its rotational axis in the area of the open side of the compartment and which covers the open side of the compartment in the non-indicating position. The reflecting body is positioned outside of the rotational axis of the flap and is used laterally as a stop for limiting the rotational movement of the flap to approximately 90.degree.. Approximately one half of the flap is pivoted into the compartment in the indicating position, so that the end of the reflecting body is uncovered. A light collector is fixed in the corresponding bore of the indicator board. The light collector is formed as a section of a solid body made of glass or a transparent plastic material and at least the face facing the reflecting body is polished.
The compartments of the housing enclose all of the reflecting bodies except for the open side facing the indicator board, so that the indicator elements are clearly separated. In the non-indicating position the flap closes the corresponding compartment and in the indicating position the light collector fixed in the indicator board collects the light emitted from the uncovered reflecting body, providing a very high degree of contrast between light and dark.
In accordance with a preferred embodiment of this invention, the compartments of the housing have approximately square cross sections, and the flaps are rotatably seated with their rotational axes approximately diagonally in respect to the compartments. In order to permit the use of conventional optical fibers it is preferred that the cross section of the reflecting bodies and the light collectors be round.
The indicator device is set up in such a way that the compartments of the housing, together with the reflecting bodies fixed therein and the corresponding light collectors of the indicator board are arranged matrix-like in lines and columns.
To simplify the insertion of the light collectors in the indicator board, in accordance with another embodiment of this invention, both faces of the light collectors are polished and terminate approximately flush with the respective facing sides of the indicator board. Thus, the light collector can be inserted into the bore of the indicator board in any position because, as required, the front of the light collector facing the reflecting body is always a polished face.
The setting of the indicator elements, that is, placement into the indicating position, is accomplished in accordance with one embodiment of this invention in which electromagnets of the flaps, which are arranged in lines and columns, are temporally controllable in succession, whereby the flaps are brought into the indicating position. The lines are cyclically selected and each of the columns is cyclically controlled by setting pulses in a pre-set direction of flow in the course of each line actuation. The shut-off of the indicator elements, that is setting of the non-indicating position to erase a display, is accomplished by the electromagnets of the flaps, which are arranged in lines and columns, being temporally controlled in succession, whereby the flaps are brought into the non-indicating position. The lines are cyclically selected and each of the columns is cyclically controlled by restoring pulses in an opposite direction of flow in the course of each line actuation.
The bistable behavior of the indicator elements is attained whereby the flaps are maintained in the indicating or non-indicating position by the appropriate residual magnetism of the corresponding electromagnets.
This invention will be described in detail by means of an exemplary embodiment shown in the drawings.
US Referenced Citations (5)
Foreign Referenced Citations (3)
| Number |
Date |
Country |
| 36086 |
Dec 1988 |
ATX |
| 3812418 |
Oct 1989 |
DEX |
| 2051447 |
Jan 1981 |
GBX |
Continuation in Parts (1)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
| Parent |
731057 |
Jul 1991 |
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Patent Grant
5351065
