Apparatus for performing raised dot formations.

(24) Running day

Patent Office (G2) National application number (86) International filing date (86) Filing date for European patent application (30) Priority information □ European patent application converted with number

<td> (71 )</td><td>Applicant</td><td>Brother Allan Eräks-son, Skattfcäsrv4.gen 36 Box 10022 650 10 Karlsfead SE</td>

<td> (72)</td><td>Inventor</td><td>search</td>

<td> (74)</td><td>Agent</td><td>Röjne I</td>

<td> (54 )</td><td>Name</td><td>Apparatus for forming a pumpkin text</td>

(56) Published Publications: ---- (57) Abstract:

The invention relates to an α-north for forming α 1. p un ^ ^ ajqjp ftstext. It consists of a band (A) baked in an endless loop, which is pierced by a large number of tightly lying holes, in which balls can be inserted. In the upper substantially horizontally extending part of the band, all holes are initially filled with balls. The belt then passes through a thinning station where Mjfrvaida balls are dropped through a gap (L) in the fixed clearance (G) for the belt. The remaining beads that partially project from the top of the tape and which can form Braille code are then brought by the tape to an exposure location where the symbol can be sensed with the fingertips. The device may also comprise a printing plant (N), by means of which imprints of the balls and the symbols formed therefrom can be obtained on a running paper web (Q). At the lower payt of the band loop, all-cavity wets are filled with balls.

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The invention relates to a device for displaying text or images composed of dot-shaped elements arranged according to a certain pattern or grid. The invention relates to a so-called Braille display which may in particular constitute a substitute for braille-coded Braille, where each character is formed by embossed small raises in paper arranged within a small box according to this code.

Braille display for the visually impaired has been around for a long time. The problems have consistently been that the physical dimensions become too extensive as several characters are displayed simultaneously. Among other things, the present invention solves this problem in a very simple manner. The invention also makes it possible to transfer the displayed text to paper where a typographic copy can easily be obtained.

The essential features of the invention are the points which together represent a symbol of any kind, e.g. alphanumeric or braille code characters, and formed by bullets. These are placed in holes in a conveyor belt and conveyed by this to a place where reading can be done with the sensation in the fingers or visually. The tape runs in an endless loop and after it has passed the showcase and the printing roll that performs any paper stamping is refilled the empty holes in the running tape so that a new text can be displayed when the same piece of tape passes the showcase. An essential feature of the invention is that the belt does not provide the function of a carrier but acts as a carrier where the balls are given the opportunity to end up on the inside of the space formed by the belt and the ends intended to prevent the balls from leaving it laterally, and that an annealing ring takes place at a later passing station in such a way that the balls are prevented from falling down, for example, either by holding small electromagnets with their traction on the upper side of the band

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8400899-4 the balls in their position as they pass a gap of a given width. The balls that are thrown away fall back onto the filling station. The cut-out ring can also be done by placing rods of ceramic material in the gap below which, through the so-called piezoelectric effect, can be bent to the side when applying an electrical voltage to the rods. The balls will then fall down by bending the bridge that the piezo staves form. The holes in the band form a regular pattern of closely spaced, intersecting rows and can be gathered in groups corresponding to the number of required points to clearly display characters in the kind of symbols to be displayed. The thinning takes place under the control of e.g. computer, hole strip or other mass memory.

An application of the invention to a Braille display is described in more detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Figure 1 shows a side and top view of the Braille display which includes the following components: A is a band of, for example, metal or other suitable material, the appearance of which is also shown in Figure 2. The band shown here is provided with circular holes, which does not prevent one from can perform the holes with another geometric shape. The holes are placed in suitable matrix to generate braille code - 2x3 matrix. You can do the matrix in other ways for example graphical presentation. The band A is synchronized with the rollers B, C in the traditional way with spikes with, preferably, the same pitch as braille paper is provided. The band A is driven around the switch rollers by motor M which is connected to and controlled by an electronic controller which may consist of a conventional microprocessor control. From the band A and suitable gables, not shown here, a space D is filled with a suitable number of balls. In the space D there is the ball catcher E which guides the balls to the location D closest to the break roller C where the empty holes are filled. I and K are scrapers that prevent loose balls from falling between the belt and the break roller B. Here, there are also piezoelectric rods F which can be caused to bend sideways through an applied voltage

8400899-4 of the control unit (here not drawn out. These rods are located in the gap opening L and in one position constitute a bridge for the balls over the opening in the track support G. H are, for example, of plate-shaped supports that hold the balls in position so that they do not fall out of their positions at the rollers.

There is often a need to have the contents of the display printed on paper, which can be easily satisfied with the present invention. This is so that the printing roller N, which is provided with a coating of suitable material, e.g. rubber, has the ability to spring away and form the pad for the passing balls, and by the pressure roller N being able to engage the drive roller C by the handle O which affects the eccentric bearing P of the roller N. The paper Q can now be fed between the rollers C and N. The balls will hereby form the punching matrix and the soft roll N will form the pad. In this way, the paper is also embossed. Of course, it is possible to provide the roll N with recesses instead.

As engine M drives the belt in the direction of the arrows, all holes in the belt will be filled with bullets at D, a scraping of any. Excess balls are made of brush in and scraper K. At the gap opening L, the balls are selected by the piezo cheese bars, which are two in number at each braille code column. Reading can then be done immediately after this selection. The printout of text is received after the point where rollers C and N have engaged.

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