Patent ID: 6776619
Filing Date: 2004-08-17
Classification: G09B

Abstract:
A refreshable Braille reader comprising:a housing having a reading aperture; a rotatable wheel assembly including a wheel connected to a stepper motor for rotation thereof, said wheel defining a tactile display surface at an outer edge thereof, said wheel having a plurality of openings therethrough to said display surface, said openings arranged at said display surface in at least three endless rows and said wheel mounted in said housing with said tactile display surface positioned to pass said reading aperture as said wheel is rotated; a plurality of pins having first and second ends, each one of said pins mounted in a different one of said openings and movable therein; a static actuator assembly concentrically mounted relative to said display surface of said wheel at said housing and adjacent to said display surface of said wheel and including actuators at least equal in number to said rows of openings through said wheel but fewer in number than said openings, said actuators positioned in advance of said reading aperture relative to the direction of wheel rotation and including shafts selectively extendible for contacting said second ends of said pins to move said pins, said second ends of said pins in said rows selectively contactable by different ones of said actuators so that said first ends of said pins are selectively positioned relative to said display surface; and a static position retainer maintained adjacent to said reading aperture of said housing at a location adjacent to said wheel for passively securing position of said pins during a selected extent of rotation of said wheel.