Freedom Scientific, Inc.

Lucent Technologies Inc.

Optelec Development B.v.

Enhanced Visions Systems, Inc.

Maarten Van Egmond

Todd Conard

Patrick Murphy

Bradley S Davis

Michael A Zimmerman

Ming-Ju Tsai

Lukas Wilhelmus Van Hees

Keith V Guinn

Stelios Papatheodorou

Edward Bryan Roberts

Walter Van Tujil

Disclosed is a Braille display with protection against the ingress of contaminants. In one embodiment, contaminant protection is provided by a flexible film that is secured beneath the Braille dots of the display. This film both secures the dots and prevents contaminants from coming into contact with pin actuators within the display housing. In another embodiment, ingress protection is provided by air pressure supplied to a plenum located at the base of the dot pins.

Ingress protected braille display

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.

Braille display device

Impact resistant modular braille display device

A braille display comprising an outer wall comprising an outer surface, an inner surface and a plurality of holes extending between the outer surface and the inner surface and which are arranged in an at least substantially regular pattern relative to each other. The braille display is further provided with braille cells wherein each braille cell comprises at least one tactile member which is movable between a first outer position and second outer position and activations means for moving the at least one tactile member between the first and second outer position. The at least one tactile member comprises a free top and each braille cell is located near the inner surface of the tactile member wherein each tactile member extends through one of the holes from the inner surface in a direction of the outer surface, at least if the tactile member is in the second position and wherein a position of the free top of the tactile member relative to the outer surface when the tactile member is in its first position differs from the position of the free top of the tactical member relative to the outer surface when the tactile member is in its second position, wherein each braille cell of a group of the braille cells is attached to the outer wall by means of a connection which acts on the one hand on the braille cell and on the other hand on the outer wall at a location adjacent to the braille cell.

Braille display

A non-conductive frame supports the resonators in a patch antenna assembly. The frame supports the resonators without making holes in the resonators and thereby avoids the problem of creating unwanted electric field polarizations. Additionally, the frame grasps the resonators in areas of low current density and thereby avoids creating additional disturbances in the radiation pattern. The frames may also include posts that are used to attach the frames to the feedboard without using additional components such as screws.

Patch antenna using non-conductive frame

Growing community of inventors

Rijnsburg, Netherlands

Maarten Van Egmond