US3668700A

US3668700A - Segmental readout device

Info

Publication number: US3668700A
Application number: US876763A
Authority: US
Inventors: Alfred Skrobisch
Original assignee: ALLARD INSTRUMENT CORP
Current assignee: ALLARD INSTRUMENT CORP
Priority date: 1969-11-14
Filing date: 1969-11-14
Publication date: 1972-06-06
Anticipated expiration: 1989-06-06

Abstract

A segmental readout device of the digital or alphanumeric type comprising an assembly of a plurality of closely spaced elongated electromagnetic coils, each having a core of ferrous metal, and in which the display elements comprise cylindrical magnet segments each provided with a surface character to be displayed or exhibited, magnetization of each electromagnet being effective to polarize its core to effect a bodily movement and a rotation of its related magnet segment between character exhibiting and non-exhibiting positions. A specially structured arrangement is devised for providing return magnetic flux paths to eliminate strays in the magnetic interaction between the separate magnet segments and their cores that is the cause of false displays taking place.

Description

United States Paten Skroblsch 1 June 6, 1972 SEGMENTAL READOUT DEVICE {72] Inventor: Skrobisch, Huntington Station, jzmi fgzzggfiimi y [73] Assignee: Allard Instrument Corp., Westbury L. l., ABSTRACT A segmental readout device of the digital or alphanumeric [22] Filed: Nov. 14, 1969 type comprising an assembly of a plurality of closely spaced elongated electromagnetic coils, each having a core of ferrous [21] App]. No.: 876,763 metal, and in which the display elements comprise cylindrical magnet segments each provided with a surface character to be 521 U.S. Cl ..340/378, 340/381 displayed exhibited magnetizafi each electwmagne 51 1 1m. Cl. ..G09i' 1 1 02 being effective f is we effect bdily [58] Field of Search ..340/336, 366, 381, 378, 373 and a math" magnet segment between character exhibiting and non-exhibiting positions. A specially [56] Referenm Cited structured arrangement is devised for providing return magnetic flux paths to eliminate strays in the magnetic interaction UNlTED STATES PATENTS between the separate magnet segments and their cores that is v the cause of false displays taking place. 1124,943 2/1961 Skrobisch ..340/38l X 3,487,403 12/1969 Pihl ..340/381 X 5 Claims, 10 Drawing Figures PATENTEQJUH' staff SHEET 10F 2 SEGMENTAL READQUT DEVICE This invention relates to a segmental readout device'and more particularly to a readout device of the digital or alphanumeric type in which magnetic segments are employed as the segmental readout display elements.

In my US. Pat. No. 3,096,594 patented July 9, 1963, there is disclosed a segmental readout device in which magnetic segments are employed as part of the readout exhibiting or display elements. In that patent, the readout elements are made to comprise narrow elongated white flaps arcuately movable between exposed display and concealed positions, each attached to and movable with a small-diametered permanent rotor; and each readout element is associated with a stationary elongated electromagnet coil located behind the rotor having a magnetizable core, said core when magnetized having two spaced poles of like polarity and a single pole of opposite polarity, said poles being so disposed relative to the poles of the magnet rotor that when the electromagnet is energized the rotor rotates no more than 90 to move the readout flap between its exposed and concealed positions The readout device of my present invention relates to improvements in the readout device of my said patent in which the following objects are accomplished:

1. The readout exhibiting or display elements in digital or alpha-numeric display are themselves simplified in structure and operation to comprise cylindrical magnet segments pro vided with surface characters to be displayed or exhibited, each mounted for free rotation about its longitudinal axis at an end of each electromagnet core and for bodily movement to and from said core;

2. Such a readout device of small compass in which the elongated electromagnetic coils are closely spaced and the associated magnet segments are arranged to form an array of character exhibiting elements in, for example, a seven segment digital array in which the elements define the numeral or figure 8, and in which return magnetic flux paths for the magnet segments and cores are provided arranged in such a manner as to eliminate the strays in the magnetic interaction between the separate magnet elements and cores that is the cause of false displays; and

3. A readout device of this described character in which the elements provided for the return magnetic flux paths are located in the areas of the central spaces i.e., within the two rectangles of the numeral or figure 8 array, each of the two return magnetic paths serving as a common return path for all the magnetic segments encompassing a central space or rectangle.

To the accomplishment of the foregoing objects and such other objects as may hereinafter appear, my invention relates to the segmental readout device as more particularly defined in the appended claims taken together with the following specification and the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the encased readout device of the present invention showing how the same is used for a digital device, with a part of the case broken away;

FIG. 2 is a front view of the readout device of FIG. I removed from the case drawn to a slightly enlarged scale and depicting the same with the magnetic segments removed from elongated openings in which they are normally mounted;

FIG. 3 is a view of the readout device taken in section in the plane of the line 3-3 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view drawn to an enlarged scale of one of the magnetic segments of the device;

FIG. 5 is a rear view of the readout device as shown in FIG.

FIG. 6 is a vertical view of a section of the readout device drawn to an enlarged scale and taken in section in the plane of the line 3-3 of FIG. 2, and depicting one phase of the operation thereof;

FIG. 7 is a view similar to FIG. 6 depicting a different phase of the operation thereof;

FIG. 8 is a view similar to FIGS. 5 and ,6 and depicting a still further phase of the operation thereof;

FIG. 9 is a rear elevational view of the readout device shown in FIG. 1; and

FIG. 10 is a diagrammatic view of a modification showing how the magnetic segments may be used for an alpha-numeric type of readout device.

Referring now more in detail to the drawings and having reference first to FIG. 1 thereof, the segmental readout device of the invention comprises a readout unit generally designated as 10 mounted in a casing 12 in which the unit is slidably received with a close fit, said casing, of rectangular cross section, being provided with a front opening 14 closed by a clear glass window 16, the said casing having a rear end 18 (shown more in detail in FIG. 9 of the drawings). The readout unit 10 comprises an assembly of a plurality of closely spaced elongated

electromagnetic coils

20,20 mounted and fixed to a front plate 22 made of an insulating material and a rear plate 24 made of a ferrous metal, the front plate being provided with narrow

elongated openings

26,26 in which

cylindrical magnet elements

28,28 are mounted. FIG. 1 depicts the front plate with the magnet segments mounted therein; and in FIGS. 2 and 3 the readout unit is shown with the magnet segments removed from the

elongated openings

26,26. The electromagnetic coils are each provided with a

core

30,30 made of a ferrous metal fixed in the front mounting plate 22 and the rear backing plate 24, the front 32 of each core terminating at the elongated openings 26, as best shown in FIG. 3.

The

magnet segments

28,28, as best shown in FIG. 1, are arranged to form a seven segment digital array of character exhibiting elements defining the figure or numeral 8. Each magnet segment 28 is mounted for rotation in its opening 26 (acting as a socket opening) for rotation about its longitudinal axis at an end of the core 30 associated therewith and also for a bodily movement to and from the saidcore, the movement being between an end 32 of said core and the front glass window 16. This will be best exemplified in connection with a later description of FIGS. 6 to 8 of the drawings.

The structure of each magnet segment 28 is best depicted in FIG. 4 of the drawings, the same comprising a cylindrical ceramic magnetized element made of a magnetizable material such as barium ferrite bonded with a suitable cement presenting a black surface 28 which is painted with a reflectively white coating 28 over one half of its cylindrical surface, the said white coating providing a surface character to be exhibited in the operation of the readout device. This is illustrated best in FIG. 1 of the drawings where four of these magnet segments have been rotated to a position where the white surfaces thereof are exposed in the readout display with the remaining magnet segments rotated to a position where the black surfaces (28) thereof are in exposed positions, thereby effecting an assembled display, against the black background 22 of the front mounting plate, of the numeral 4. As will be explained later, magnetization of each electromagnet 20 is effective to polarize its core 30 to effect a bodily movement and a rotation of its related magnet segment 28 between character exhibiting and non-exhibiting positions. It will be understood that, as is common in readout devices, the seven segment digital array shown in FIG. 1 may be operated, by means hereinafter described, to exhibit any one of the digital characters 0 to 9.

The readout unit 10 further comprises ferrous elements arranged in relation to each core 30 and magnet segment 28 to provide a magnetic flux return path for each said core and magnetic segment. The readout device illustrated is a unit of small compass the dimensions of which are 9/16 inch wide by inch high and 1 inch long. In a device of such small dimen sions and embodying the digital array described, difficulty is experienced in eliminating the strays in the magnetic interaction between the separate cores and magnetic elements that is the cause of false displays taking place. I have found that such a readout unit may be designed and constructed with ferrous elements providing the flux return paths so arranged that such magnetic strays and false displays are entirely obviated. To the accomplishment of this end I provide elements for the return magnetic flux paths located inthe areas defined by the central spaces, i.e., within the two rectangles of the numeral or figure 8 array, each of the two return magnetic paths serving as a common return path for all of the magnetic segments which encompass a central space or rectangle.

The elements thus provided for-this purpose comprise two elongated

ferrous elements

34 and 36 mounted on and fixed to the front mounting plate 22 and the rear (ground) plate 24, one located in each central space area of the numeral 8, each provided at its front end with a rectangular plate-like formation, 34 for the element 34 and 36' for the element 36, these plate-like formations thus substantially filling the central space areas of the numeral 8 array. The surfaces of these plate-like formations also provide a black background similar to the front surface of the front plate 22. .The rear ends of the

ferrous elements

34 and 36 are threaded to receive the

nuts

38 and 40, these serving to unite the parts of the readout device 10 into a firm assembled unit (10). As will be further explained below, each core 30 and magnet 28 is thus provided with a flux return path in the parts of one or the other of the

ferrous elements

34, 36, including also the ferrous material of the back plate 24.

The electrical and the magnetic circuits and the operation of elements of the readout device are illustrated in FIGS. 6, 7 and 8 of the drawings. The magnet segment 28 is permanently magnetized, this being designated by the South and North poles S and N applied thereto in FIGS. 6 to 8. The unmagnetized core 30 is magnetized when the electromagnetic coil 20 is operated. For setting and resetting the device, each coil 20 is formed in two sections 20' and 20 the coil being provided with conductor a connected to one end of the coil section 20 the conductor b connected to one end of the coil section 20 and a conductor connected to a midpoint of the coil 20. The conductor a of each coil is provided for a setting operation, the conductor b is rovided for a resetting operation and the conductor c is connected to ground. The seven conductors a, a of all of the electromagnets are individually connected to seven

terminals

42, 42 mounted on the back 18 of the casing (see FIG. 9); the seven conductors b, b are unitedly connected as illustrated by the connections b, b to the reset button 44 mounted on the back 18 of the casing; and all of the seven ground conductors c, c are similarly unitedly connected to the ground terminal 46 mounted on the back 18 of the casing.

Upon closing the circuit to any of the

setting buttons

42,42, and thus to any of the conductors a, a, its associated coil section 20 will be energized to magnetize the associated core 30 in one direction with a polarity N-S such as is indicated in FIG. 8 of the drawings; and upon closing the circuit to the reset button 44, and thus combinedly to all of the conductors b, b (12) their associated coils 20' will be simultaneously energized to magnetize the associated cores 30 in the opposite direction with a polarity S-N such as is indicated in FIG. 6 of the drawings. The magnetic circuits to provide the return magnetic flux paths are illustrated in FIGS. 6 to 8 by the magnetic circuitry that connects the topmost magnet 28 and its core 30 to its nearmost ferrous element, namely element 34, this magnetic circuit being represented by the encompassing dot-anddash lines 48 which embrace in sequence the core 30, the magnetic element 28, the plate-like formation 34', the elongated rod-like ferrous element 34 and the ferrous back plate 24. As noted above, the ferrous return flux path combination 34' and 34 also serves as the return flux path for the other three magnet segments and their associated cores which form the top rectangle of the FIG. 8 array. As already noted each magnet segment 28 is arranged for free rotation in its elongated opening 26 and for bodily movement between the end 32 of a core and the front glass plate 16.

The operation of any of the magnetic segments for setting purposes and the operation of all of them in unison for resetting purposes may now be described in connection with FIGS. 6 to 8 of the drawings. Assuming that a magnet segment 28 by a previous operation has been positioned as shown in FIG. 6 of the drawings, with the black face 28 thereof in the exposed display position, the closing of the circuit to a conductor a (via temiinal 42) will energize the coil 20 and thereby magnetize the core 30 to a polarity N-S as indicated in FIG. 7; and thereby the sequential movements illustrated in FIGS. 7 and 8 take place. The first of these sequential movements is a bodily polar repulsion of the magnet segment 28 toward the glass window 16 and a rotation by polar repulsion of the magnet segment in the direction indicated by the arrow 50 (FIG. 7); and the second of these sequential movements is a bodily polar attraction of the magnet segment toward the core 30 and a continued rotation thereof by polar attraction, the magnet segment 28 coming to rest against the end 32 of the core 30 in the position depicted in FIG. 8. The magnet segment at this point exhibits or displays the reflectively (visible) white coated face 28 thereof. The parts are held in this FIG. 8 position even after the circuit to the coil 20 is deenergized, the core 30 acting as a keeper for the magnet segment.

In this way any of the seven magnet segments or a combination of a number thereof may be operated to produce any of the desired digital characters. For the simultaneous return of all of the magnet segmenm, the circuit to the reset button 44 is closed, thereby energizing all of the coils 20, resulting in the return bodily and rotative movement of all of the magnet segments 28 from the position illustrated in FIG. 8 to the position illustrated in FIG. 6. Here again the parts are held in their FIG. 6 position after the circuits to the coils 20' are deenergized, the

cores

30, 30 acting as keepers for the

magnet segments

28, 28.

As so far described the readout device has seven segments for the display of digits. FIG. 10 shows a possible array of 14 segments, in which alphabetic as well as numeric characters may be displayed. With this modified structure it will be understood that there are 14 magnetic segments with 14 leads or connectors running to a suitable control or so-called logic box provided therefor.

The structure, operation, use and advantages of the readout device of this invention will, it is believed, be fully apparent from the above description thereof. It will be further apparent that changes may be made in the disclosed structure without departing from the spirit of the invention defined by the following claims.

I claim:

I. A segmental readout device comprising an assembly of a plurality of elongated electromagnetic coils closely arranged about a space common thereto, each having a core of ferrous metal, a cylindrical magnet segment, provided with a surface character to be exhibited, mounted for free rotation about its longitudinal axis at an end of each core and for bodily movement to and from said core, magnetization of each electromagnet being effective to polarize its core to effect a bodily movement and rotation of its related magnet segment between character exhibiting and nonexhibiting positions, and a ferrous element arranged in said space in relation to each core and magnet segment of the assembly to provide a common magnetic flux return path for all said cores and magnet segments of the assembly.

2. The segmental readout device of claim 1 in which the magnet segments are arranged to form a seven segment digital array of character exhibiting elements defining the figure or numeral 8, and in which the ferrous elements providing the magnetic flux return path comprise two ferrous elements, one located in each center space area of the numeral 8, and each serving as a common magnetic flux return path for all of the magnet segments and their related cores encompassing said center space.

3. The segmental readout device of claim 1, in which the electromagnetic coils, their ferrous cores and the ferrous elements are mounted on and fixed to a front insulating plate and a rear metallic plate, the front plate being provided with narrow elongated openings in which the cylindrical magnet segments are mounted for said rotation and bodily movement, the rear plate defining a ground plate for the ferrous cores and the ferrous elements.

4. The segmental readout device of claim 3 in which the elongated openings in the front plate and the magnet segments mounted therein are arranged to form a seven segment digital array defining the numeral 8 and the electromagnets are arranged in a corresponding figure 8 relation, and in which the ferrous elements providing the magnetic flux return path comprise two members, each comprising a pan located in a central space of the figure 8 and an elongated core connecting the same to the rear metallic plate, and each serving as a common magnetic flux return path for all the magnet segments and their related cores encompassing said center space.

5. A segmental readout device comprising an assembly of a plurality of coils closely arranged about a space common thereto, each coil having a core of ferrous metal, a magnet segment provided with a surface character to be exhibited mounted for free rotation at an end of each core, magnetization of each electromagnet being efiective to polarize its core to effect a rotation of its related magnet segment between character exhibiting and non-exhibiting positions, and a ferrous element in said space serving as a common magnetic flux return path for the said plurality of cores and magnet segments of the assembly.

t I! I l

Claims

1. A segmental readout device comprising an assembly of a plurality of elongated electromagnetic coils closely arranged about a space common thereto, each having a core of ferrous metal, a cylindrical magnet segment, provided with a surface character to be exhibited, mounted for free rotation about its longitudinal axis at an end of each core and for bodily movement to and from said core, magnetization of each electromagnet being effective to polarize its core to effect a bodily movement and rotation of its related magnet segment between character exhibiting and nonexhibiting positions, and a ferrous element arranged in said space in relation to each core and magnet segment of the assembly to provide a common magnetic flux return path for all said cores and magnet segments of the assembly.

4. The segmental readout device of claim 3 in which the elongated openings in the front plate and the magnet segments mounted therein are arranged to form a seven segment digital array defining the numeral 8 and the electromagnets are arranged in a corresponding figure 8 relation, and in which the ferrous elements providing the magnetic flux return path comprise two members, each comprising a part located in a central space of the figure 8 and an elongated core connecting the same to the rear metallic plate, and each serving as a common magnetic flux return path for all the magnet segments and their related cores encompassing said center space.

5. A segmental readout device comprising an assembly of a plurality of coils closely arranged about a space common thereto, each coil having a core of ferrous metal, a magnet segment provided with a surface character to be exhibited mounted for free rotation at an end of each core, magnetization of each electromagnet being effective to polarize its core to effect a rotation of its related magnet segment between character exhibiting and non-exhibiting positions, and a ferrous element in said space serving as a common magnetic flux return path for the said plurality of cores and magnet segments of the assembly.