JPS59198483A - Tactile display for blind - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Summary] This bulletin contains application data before electronic filing, so abstract data is not recorded.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a tactile display for blind people for providing information such as letters and figures as tactile stimulation.

Conventional tactile displays for blind people use vibrations caused by the Renoid or piezoelectric effect to drive each stylus arranged in a matrix, but these driving means have been sufficiently miniaturized due to their structure. Therefore, there was a limit to the ability to arrange the tactiles in a high density.

The present invention aims to solve such problems, and its purpose is to provide a tactile display in which a large number of stylus needles can be arranged at high density.

In order to achieve the above object, the tactile display of the present invention includes stylus arranged in a matrix, each stylus is supported by a support made of a shape memory alloy, and the tactile display has stylus arranged in a matrix. It is constructed by providing a heating means for heating the support in order to protrude or return the desired stylus based on the graphical information (2).

In such a tactile display of the present invention, the stylus for transmitting information such as characters and figures is supported by a support made of a shape memory alloy, and the support is heated by the entire heating means. Since the desired stylus is driven, it is possible to downsize the stylus driving means.
The above-mentioned contact wires can be arranged in a high density, and not only can the entire device be downsized, but also information can be transmitted more accurately.

Embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 shows main parts in a first embodiment of the present invention,
That is, it shows one stylus drive mechanism in a stylus group arranged in a cross-shaped configuration. This stylus drive mechanism 1
In the above, a stylus 2 is arranged so as to be able to protrude from a hole 4 formed in a cover 3, and the proximal ends of the stylus 2 are arranged in a first support 5 and a second support 6 each having a spring shape. It is supported by the base 7 via. Additionally, in order to self-heat the supports 5 and 6, both ends of the supports 5 and 6 are connected to power sources 10 and 11 via switches 8 and 9, respectively, which are controlled to open and close by arbitrary means. This constitutes heating means for the support 5.6. The first support 5 and the second support 6 are each made of a shape memory alloy,
The first support 5 is stored with an axially extended state in order to project the stylus 2, and the second support 6 is stored with an axially shortened state in order to return the stylus 2 by downward movement. It was memorized.

Therefore, the stylus 2 protrudes against the biasing force of the second support 6 due to the heating of the first support 5, and the contact of the first support 5 is caused by the heating of the second support 6. They will resist the forces and make a downward movement return. Note that other stylus drive mechanisms are also constructed in the same manner as the stylus drive mechanism 1 described above.

The stylus 2 in the tactile display configured as described above is driven by the axial extension and contraction of the first support 5 and the second support 6, and is disconnected from the power source 11 by closing the switch 8. If a current is passed through the first support 5,
The stylus 2 protrudes as the first support 5 expands due to self-heating, and when the switch 9 is closed and current is passed from the p power source 1j to the second support 6, the second support 6 As the stylus 2 shortens due to self-heating, the stylus 2 returns to its movable state. Therefore, by controlling the opening and closing of the switches 8 and 9 in each of the stylus 2 by any means using electrical signals based on text or graphic information, the above information can be transmitted as tactile stimulation to the palm or the like.

FIG. 2 shows a second embodiment of the present invention, in which the stylus wires can be arranged at a higher density than the stylus wires. In the same figure, 21
indicates one stylus row in the stylus group arranged in a matrix, and 22 indicates a heating means for driving any stylus 2:3 in the stylus group.

In the above-mentioned stylus array 2, each stylus 23 is arranged so as to be able to protrude from the hole 25 of the cover 24, and the lower end of each stylus 23 is provided with a first support 26 and a second support 26 configured in a spring shape. One end of the support bodies 27 are connected to each other, and the other ends of the support bodies 26 and 27 are respectively fixed to the lower surface of the cover U. The first support 26 and the second support 27
As in the case of the first embodiment and ITiJ, the first support body 26 is made of a shape memory alloy, and the first support body 26 is made to memorize the winding shape for protruding the stylus 23, and the second support body 26 is made of a shape memory alloy. The body 27 is stored with an expanded shape for returning the stylus 23 in one motion. Therefore, each stylus is connected to the first support 26
The heating causes the second support 27 to protrude against the biasing force, and the heating of the second support 27 causes the first support 26 to protrude.
It returns to its downward motion against the urging force of. The tactile display is provided with a plurality of stylus rows 21 configured in this manner.

The heating means 22 is for driving the stylus 23 to which the first and second supports 26 and 27 are connected by irradiating and heating the first and second supports 26 and 27 with laser light from the outside. Laser oscillator 29 that emits light
, a scanner t-32 equipped with a shutter 30 that cuts off the laser light measurement, and a mirror 31 that reflects the laser light measurement, and by changing the direction of the mirror 31 and scanning with this scanner 32, the laser light 28 is configured so that the support 26 or 27 of any stylus 23 in the stylus group can be irradiated.

The stylus 23 in the tactile display having the above configuration is the first
It is driven by the winding and stretching of the support 26 or the second support 27 by heating, and by applying character or graphic information as an electric signal to the scanner 32 and displacing the mirror 3, The support 26 or 27 of the desired stylus 23 in the needle column is heated by the laser beam 28, and the stylus 23 connected to the supports 26 and 27 is accordingly driven, and the above information is transmitted. is transmitted to the palm of the hand as a tactile stimulus.

As is clear from the detailed description above, according to the present invention, the stylus can be supported by a support made of a shape memory alloy, and therefore a large number of stylus can be arranged at extremely high density. .

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a partial sectional view showing essential parts of a first embodiment of the invention, and FIG. 2 is a sectional view of a second embodiment of the invention. 2.23... Stylus, 5, 26... First support, 6.27... Second support, 22... Heating means. Designated Agent Director, Hayasu Science Research Institute, Agency of Industrial Science and Technology

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. Equipped with stylus arranged in a matrix, each stylus is supported by a support made of shape memory alloy, and the desired stylus is selected based on the text or graphic information to be transmitted. 1. A tactile display for blind people, characterized in that a heating means is provided for heating the support in order to cause the support to protrude or return.