Impact resistant modular braille display device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11715389-B2
Application number	US-202117372078-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 9, 2021
Priority date	Jun 20, 2017
Publication date	Aug 1, 2023
Grant date	Aug 1, 2023

Abstract

Disclosed is a braille display that is impact resistant and that employs a modular construction. The impact resistance is achieved, in part, by molded and resilient end caps. Each end cap includes a centrally positioned slit that functions in absorbing lateral impacts to the display. The impact resistance is further achieved by an over molded housing that is positioned about an associated USB connector. The modularity of the display is achieved by way of a subassembly that is releasably secured within the interior of a main housing. The subassembly, in turn, includes a series of cell compartments that are arranged in groups. Each group of cell compartments is controlled by an individual shift register. This allows a grouping cell compartments to be removed and replaced as needed without disturbing the remaining cell components.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An impact resistant modular braille display device comprising:
a main housing including forward and rearward extents, and first and second opened ends, an upper cover with a top surface extending between the first and second opened ends, a series of braille keys formed within the top surface, a lower tray releasably coupled to the upper cover, an opening formed within the forward extent of the main housing, a motherboard positioned between the upper cover and lower tray, a removable faceplate positioned over the forward opening of the main housing;
a pair of end caps, each end cap including an inner core of a first plastic material and an outer housing surrounding the inner core and that is formed from a second plastic material, the first plastic material being harder than the second plastic material, a slit formed along a top surface, the slit functioning as a shock absorber for the display device, each inner core being positioned within one of the first and second opened ends of the main housing;
an opening for an electrical connector formed within one of the two end caps, the opening including an inner periphery with a raised ridge;
an electrical connector including a housing formed from an impact resistant plastic and including a female recess about its periphery, the raised ridge of the opening being positioned within the female recess to properly orient the connector within the main housing, the connector further including a flex cable interconnecting the motherboard to the connector.

2. The display device as described in claim 1 wherein the inner core of each end cap include a protruding anchor.

3. The display device as described in claim 2 wherein a snap lock is associated with each end cap, each snap lock including a housing with an upwardly extending post and a downwardly extending foot, a screw securing the housing to the lower tray of the main housing, whereby the downwardly extending foot impinges upon the associated anchor to secure the end cap to the main housing.

4. The display device as described in claim 1 wherein the faceplate includes a space bar, opposing rocker bars, and panning buttons.

5. The display device as described in claim 1 further comprising a subassembly positioned within the forward opening of the main housing, the subassembly including a series of interconnected cell compartments, each cell compartment including forward and rearward ends and housing a series of bimorph reeds, each bimorph reed supporting an associated tactile pin, the rearward ends of the cell compartments forming a back surface.

6. The display device as described in claim 5 further comprising a series of five backplanes positioned in end to end relationship along the back surface, each backplane including a shift register that functions to provide instructions to a group of associated cell compartments, a series of flex cables electrically interconnecting the five backplanes to the motherboard, whereby an individual shift register and its associated cell compartments can be removed from the subassembly without disturbing the remaining cell compartments.

7. A braille display device comprising:
a housing including forward and rearward extents, and first and second ends, an upper cover with a top surface extending between the first and second opened ends, a series of braille keys formed within the top surface, a lower tray releasably coupled to the upper cover;
a pair of end caps, each end cap secured over one of the first or second ends of the housing, each end cap including a slit formed along a top surface, the slit functioning as a shock absorber for the display device.

8. The braille display device as described in claim 7 further comprising an opening for an electrical connector formed within one of the two end caps, the opening including an inner periphery with a raised ridge.

9. The braille display device as described in claim 8 further comprising an electrical connector including a housing formed from an impact resistant plastic and including a female recess about its periphery, the raised ridge of the opening being positioned within the female recess to properly orient the connector within the main housing.

10. The braille display as described in claim 9 further comprising a flex cable interconnecting connector to a motherboard.

11. The braille display as described in claim 10 wherein an opening is formed within the forward extent of the main housing, the motherboard positioned between the upper cover and lower tray, a removable faceplate positioned over the forward opening of the main housing.

12. The braille display as described in claim 7 wherein each end cap is formed from an inner core of a first plastic material and an outer housing surrounding the inner core and that is formed from a second plastic material, the first plastic material being harder than the second plastic material.

Assignees

• Freedom Scientific Inc

Inventors

• Murphy Patrick
• Conard Todd
• Davis Bradley S
• Van Egmond Maarten

Classifications

• G09B21/004 Primary

  Details of particular tactile cells, e.g. electro-mechanical or mechanical layout · CPC title

• G06F3/016

  Input arrangements with force or tactile feedback as computer generated output to the user · CPC title

• G09B21/02

  Devices for Braille writing (typewriters for Braille B41J3/32) · CPC title