Display element with notched disk

Abstract

A rotor presents bright and dark sides of a flat disk to a viewer. When the bright side is presented this side plus a stationary panel form a bright viewing area. When the dark side is presented the panel is occluded. The edges of the panel and of the disk in ON position define an aperture for light emission from an optic fibre end.

I claim: 
     
       1. Display device adapted to provide a pattern area of selectively brighter or darker appearance in an ON and OFF state respectively to viewers within a cone of viewing locations, a suitor,   a generally flat rotor defining a median plane   said rotor rotatable on the stator between ON and OFF limiting positions about a axis parallel to said median plane and being coloured to display a brighter and a darker side to said viewing locations respectively in said ON and OFF limiting position,   the rotor comprising two portions on each side of the rotary axis,   a panel on said stator providing a brighter surface designed to match said rotor brighter side and located on one side of said axis and spaced therefrom,   said panel surface and said rotor brighter side being designed in the ON position of said rotor to collectively occupy the pattern area to said locations,   said rotor, panel and stator being shaped to allow said rotor to rotate between limiting positions with the portion of said rotor on the side of said axis nearer adjacent said panel in the ON position, moving on the side of said axis remote from the viewing locations   said rotor being designed to occlude said panel to viewing locations in said OFF position and to present its darker side to said locations   electromagnetic drive means for selectively causing rotation of said rotor between ON and OFF positions and selectively maintaining said rotor in either of said positions.   
     
     
       2. Display device as claimed in claim 1 wherein said panel and said rotor in ON position define an aperture between their edges and having a light source located to shine through said aperture. 
     
     
       3. Display device as claimed in claim 2 where said light source is the end of an optic fibre. 
     
     
       4. Display device as claimed in claim 3 wherein said rotor is provided with a notch, located in the portion adjacent said panel in the ON position of said rotor and the edge of said panel is shaped to define said aperture with an edge of said notch and said panel is otherwise shaped with the area of said aperture and the bright side of said rotor to form said pattern area in the viewing direction in the ON position of said rotor. 
     
     
       5. Display device as claimed in claim 4 wherein said rotor is mounted on brackets extending forwardly from a mounting board and said light source is mounted on a pillar extending forwardly of said mounting board, wherein said notch and panel are shaped so that the edges of said notch pass on each side of said pillar and source in rotor rotation between ON and OFF position. 
     
     
       6. Display device as claimed in claim 5 wherein said mounting board is mounted towardly of a base board wherein an array of said stators are mounted on such mounting board, and a corresponding array of light sources are mounted on pillars which in turn are mounted on said base board, and wherein said pillars project through apertures in said mounting board. 
     
     
       7. Display device as claimed in claim 2 wherein said rotor is provided with a notch, located in the portion adjacent said panel in the ON position of said rotor and the edge of said panel is shaped to define said aperture with an edge of said notch and said panel is otherwise shaped with the area of said aperture and the bright side of said rotor to form said pattern area in the viewing direction in the ON position of said rotor. 
     
     
       8. Display device as claimed in claim 7 wherein said rotor is mounted on brackets extending forwardly from a mounting board and said light source is mounted on a pillar extending forwardly of said mounting board, wherein said notch and panel are shaped so that the edges of said notch pass on each side of said pillar and source in rotor rotation between ON and OFF position. 
     
     
       9. Display device as claimed in claim g wherein said mounting board is mounted towardly of a base board wherein an array of said stators are mounted on such mounting board, and a corresponding array of light sources are mounted on pillars which in turn are mounted on said base board, and wherein said pillars project through apertures in said mounting board. 
     
     
       10. In a display device for display within a cone of viewing locations wherein a disk generally defining a median plane is rotatably mounted on and forwardly of a mounting means to rotate, about an axis intermediate opposite edges of the disk, and near and substantially parallel to the median plane, between ON and OFF limiting positions, to display bright and dark sides, respectively, to the viewing locations, and is provided with means for so rotating said disk between ON and OFF positions, the improvement comprising: providing an optic fibre extending forwardly on a narrow support from said mounting means to a light emitting end, directed toward said viewing locations, located just rearwardly of said disk and on one side of said axis in the ON position or the disk;   said disk being shaped to define a notch extending inwardly from an edge of said disk which is located on said one side of said disk in the ON position,   said notch being shaped so that its inward end is located near to the axis of the disk to register with said fibre and relatively close to the center of the disk to expose said fibre to the viewer in the ON position and to give an almost symmetrical impression to the viewer in the ON position and allows the notched portion of said disk to pass said support in rotating between ON and OFF positions;   said disk being shaped to mask said fibre optic end to the viewing locations in the OFF position. .Iadd.   
     
     
       11.  A graphic character matrix display assembly, comprising: a support providing a nonreflecting background for said display; a multiplicity of display units mounted on said support in an array for cooperatively displaying said character; each of said display units comprising:   a flat non-apertured display element having a symmetry axis, a light reflecting side and a nonreflecting opposite side, and having a radial cutout at its periphery;   motive means on said support for rotating said display element substantially along the axis of symmetry of said display element between a light reflecting display position exposing said light reflective side and a reversed position exposing said nonreflecting side;   an illumination means carried by said support adjacent said display element and arranged to project said light beam forward of said display position through a cutout and to project an outline of said display element, when said disk is in said display position, said display element having an imperforate edge to block said light beam when said display element is in said reversed position;   whereby said character is displayed in ambient reflected light where certain ones of said disks are in said display position, and whereby said character is displayed in the absence of said ambient light by said projected light beams. .Iaddend..Iadd.12. A graphic character matrix display assembly as claimed in claim 11, wherein said illuminating means is a lamp. .Iaddend..Iadd.13. A graphic character matrix display assembly as claimed in claim 11, wherein said illuminating means is a light   
     
     
        emitting diode. .Iaddend..Iadd.14.  A graphic character matrix display assembly as claimed in claim 11, wherein each of said display elements has a suitable geometric shape, and whereby said cutout is comprised of two spaced legs each extending inwardly from the periphery of said display element with their inner ends joined together for effectively passing said light beam thereinbetween when said display element is in said display position. .Iaddend..Iadd.15. A graphic character matrix display assembly as claimed in claim 11, wherein said illuminating means is disposed to project said light beam upon the rear of said display element within said periphery thereof when said display element is in said reversed position to block said light beam. .Iaddend..Iadd.16. A display unit for a graphic character matrix display assembly, comprising: a flat non-apertured display element having a symmetry axis and light reflecting and non-reflecting opposite sides;   a support for rotatably mounting said display element and for providing a nonreflecting background behind said display element;   motive means on said support for rotating said display element substantially along the axis of symmetry of said display element between a light reflecting display position exposing said light reflecting side and a reversed position exposing said nonreflective side; and   a light source carried by said support and disposed adjacent said display element to project a light beam forward of said display position and to project an outline of said element, when said display element is in said display position,   said display element having a cutout peripheral portion arranged to transmit said light beam display element when said element is in said display position, said display element having an imperforate peripheral portion to block and conceal said light source when display clement is in   
     
     
        said reversed position. .Iaddend..Iadd.17.  A display unit as claimed in claim 16, wherein said light source is a lamp. .Iaddend..Iadd.18. A display unit as claimed in claim 16, wherein said light source is a light emitting diode. .Iaddend..Iadd.19. A display unit for a graphic character matrix display assembly, comprising: a flat non-apertured display disk having a symmetry axis and light and dark opposite sides and a peripheral radial notch;   a support for rotatably mounting said disk and for providing a dark background behind said disk;   motive means on said support for rotating said disk substantially along the axis of symmetry of said disk between a display position exposing one of said sides of said disk, and a reverse position to expose the other side of said disk;   a light source carried by said support and disposed adjacent said disk to project a light beam through said notch when said disk is in said display position;   said disk having an imperforate edge portion arranged to block said light beam and to conceal said light source when said disk is in said reverse   
     
     
        position. .Iaddend..Iadd.20.  A display unit as claimed in claim 19, wherein said light source is a lamp. .Iaddend..Iadd.21. A display unit as claimed in claim 19, wherein said light source is a light emitting diode. 
     
     
        .Iaddend..Iadd.22.  A graphic character matrix display assembly, comprising: a support providing a dark background for said display;   a multiplicity of display units mounted on said support in an array for cooperatively displaying said character;   each of said display units comprising:   a flat non-apertured display element having a symmetry axis, a light side and a dark opposite side, and having a radial cutout at its periphery;   motive means on said support for rotating said display element substantially along the axis of symmetry of said display element between a light reflecting display position exposing said light side and a reversed position exposing said dark side;   an illumination means carried by said support adjacent said display element and arranged to project said light beam forward of said display position through said cutout when said disk is in said display position, said display element having an imperforate edge to block said light beam when said display element is in said reversed position;   whereby said character is displayed by ambient reflected light where certain ones of said disks are in said display position, and whereby said character is displayed in the absence of said ambient light by said projected light beams. .Iaddend..Iadd.23. A display unit for a graphic character matrix display assembly, comprising:   a flat non-apertured display element having a symmetry axis and light and dark opposite sides;   a support for rotatably mounting said display element and for providing a dark background behind said display element;   motive means on said support for rotating said display element substantially along the axis of symmetry of said display element between a display position exposing said light side and a reversed position exposing said dark side; and   a light source carried by said support and disposed adjacent said display element to project a light beam forward of said display position when said display element is in said display position,   said display element having a cutout peripheral portion arranged to transmit said light beam past said display element when said element is in said display position, said display element having an imperforate peripheral portion to block and conceal said light source when said display element is in said reversed position. .Iaddend.