Abstract:
A self-powered, self-contained, signage device includes a bistable display with its state-change power received from an actuator handle or pushbutton attached to a mechanically activated generator integral to the display. The device may be integrated into actuating members for various equipment types thereby providing a highly visible status indication of equipment operations.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates generally to electro-mechanically activated bistable information displays such as may be associated with manual operation. The present disclosure relates more particularly to signage and indicators of status for electrical distribution equipment operated integrally with operation of the equipment. 
     2. Discussion of the Known Art 
     In the present art, signage is know to be static, i.e. “printed,” whose meaning herein includes embossed or the like “permanently” without need for electrical power, or it is actively powered and controlled, i.e. electronic display with continuously provided display signal and electrical power. Bistable displays such as the electronic paper displays are known in the art and can hold an image indefinitely with an electrical pulse only needed to change the displayed indicia. Bistable displays are currently known to be utilized with on-board power sources such as batteries or power supplies. Bistable displays are also currently known to be utilized with apparatus such as thumb drives carrying a manually operated power source activated by shaking the thumb drive. 
     Static signage may suffer from lack of visual clarity, brightness, contrast, color, legibility, etc. as it ages and is further subject to degradation of the printed image by physical forces such as fading, abrasion, erosion, or the like. Movable mechanical signage such as known in the electrical distribution equipment art where an indicia panel moves with the throw of a switch handle into a viewing window cut into the equipment enclosure can suffer from the degradation of mechanical linkage. Opening of the enclosure envelope exposes the inside of the enclosure to environmental forces and the outside of the enclosure, and operators, to electrical forces inside the enclosure. Electrical and electronic displays suffer from the further disadvantage of being relatively expensive and needing a ready external power source which must be supplied, maintained, recharged, or the like. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     Due to the above limitations a self-contained device providing static indicia to indicate the status of a variety of associated apparatus conditions would be welcome in the art. For example, highly visible indications of operating conditions, such as ON or OFF, of apparatus such as an electrical distribution safety switch, with the indications located on or near the operating handle of the switch, would be a boon to safety in that industry. 
     To that end, aspects of the present invention can provide self-powered, self-contained signage having a bistable information display with an integral, mechanically activated, generator. Electro-mechanical activation of the generator tied to manipulation of the apparatus actuators, such as push buttons or handles, can provide state-change power to the bistable display indicating their status. Mechanical activation may be accomplished manually or through mechanical operation from powered manipulating means within the scope of the invention. 
     Several benefits of the present invention would include improved operator safety from static signage/operating indicia displays without reliance on purely mechanical displays, removal of the need for opening viewing windows in electrical equipment enclosures, and decreased wiring and power requirement from electrical displays, at a very reasonable product cost. 
     In some aspects the invention may provide a self-contained information display device for status communication, comprising a bistable display electrically attached to a mechanically powered electrical generator allowing operation of the mechanically powered generator to cause the bistable display to change state. 
     As commonly understood, a bistable display can be defined as a matrix-controlled display whose surface can store information. Bistable display elements need only be addressed once to assure that they are on or off. The display is static, i.e. persistent without need for an electronic refresh. The Bistable display member itself may typically be an electronic paper display including any necessary electronic substrate to control or dictate the indicia. It will be appreciated that a bistable display of the present invention could be a two-state indicator, e.g. displaying ON or OFF, or with suitable input and electronics could be a multistate display wherein the electronic paper can display a variety of selectable display choices, i.e. one or more the display states may be changed, and the on-board mechanical generator merely toggles the state of the display from one state to another. 
     The self-contained information display may for example be controlled, i.e. operated by, a push button or a handle, which may be either integral with, or attached to, an actuator causing movement of the electrical generator piece needed to generate the operating current. In a readily understood example, the bistable display changes state to give a status of operations of an electrical distribution device. The self-contained information display device is integrated into the handle assembly of the operating handle of an electrical safety switch used to turn the switch off and on (i.e. open and close the contacts) from outside of a metal enclosure surrounding the contacts. The mechanical operation of the handle whether in a rotary or linear fashion, will cause the on-board mechanical generator to develop a charge and hence cause the bistable display integrated into the handle to toggle the display to the corresponding “OFF” or “ON” status of the contacts. In other examples, the generator may be operated and caused to toggle the display by operating a pushbutton intended to toggle an operation or status of the electrical equipment. 
     It will be appreciated that all additional electrical devices of the self-contained display, such as any necessary transformers, and electronic devices such as a display substrate, components for production or storage of additional display signals, appropriate memory devices, and the like, are contemplated to be present as needed or desired. 
     It will further be appreciated that operation of the handle or push button need not merely change the state of the bistable display but, per the above example, will usually cause actions to happen in the underlying equipment. The generator of the display device could thus be integrated into the operation of the underlying equipment or it could be used merely to change the status indication of the bistable display. 
     Some aspects of the invention may be particularly suited or adaptable merely for self-powered and self-contained information display without integration into selectable equipment operations. For example it is contemplated that the present invention can be used as an exterior blankable information display panel capable of receiving status messages on the operation of enclosed equipment wherein the status messages will persist until removed by the operator. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The foregoing and other advantages of the present disclosure will become apparent upon reading the following detailed description and upon reference to the drawings of which: 
         FIG. 1  is a front perspective view of an electrical distribution switch enclosure with a display device according to the present invention integrated into the operating handle of the switch and displaying the ON, or closed, operating status of the enclosed switch contacts. 
         FIG. 2  is a front perspective view of the switch of  FIG. 1  but with the operating handle of the switch in the OFF, or open, position and with the display device displaying the appropriate operating status of the enclosed switch contacts. 
         FIG. 3  is an exploded view of the handle of  FIGS. 1 and 2  detailing certain aspects of a self-contained and self-powered display device according to aspects of the present invention. 
         FIG. 4  is a schematic representation of another aspect of the invention wherein a push button is the member enabling a toggle of the bistable display state as well as additional signal generation for remote operation of other equipment functions. 
         FIG. 5  is a front perspective view similar to  FIG. 1  of the electrical distribution switch enclosure with the display device displaying the OFF, or open, status of the enclosed switch contacts. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
       FIG. 1  is a front perspective view of an apparatus, here being an electrical distribution switch  10  with an enclosure  11  associated with a display device, i.e. signage,  12  according to the present invention integrated into the operating handle  13  of the switch. The handle  13  mechanically operates the electrical contacts  14  (shown in  FIG. 5 ) within the enclosure  11 . The handle  13  is in the vertical position, as illustrated, and is displaying the ON, or closed, operating status  15  of the enclosed switch contacts. It will be appreciated that the electrical distribution switch  10  is merely exemplary and any number of types of electrical distribution equipment or other apparatus may be suitable for use with the present invention. 
     As seen in  FIG. 2 , a front perspective view of the electrical distribution switch enclosure  11  of  FIG. 1 , the operating handle  13  of the switch has been moved to the horizontal OFF position to open the contacts, and the display device  15  according to the present invention now displays the appropriate OFF operating status  17  of the enclosed switch contacts. 
       FIG. 3  is an exploded view of the handle  13  and integral display device  12  of  FIGS. 1 and 2  detailing certain aspects of a self-contained and self-powered display device according to the present invention. The handle  13  comprises a shaft portion  19  with an annular handle portion  21  at one end. The annular portion  21  has fitted thereto a coil  23  movable as a rotor with the motion of the handle  13 . Beneath the rotor coil  23  is an annular magnetic stator  25  into which the rotor  23  is fitted when assembled. Also within the annular handle portion  21  is contained an electronic substrate, here a printed circuit board (PCB)  27 , carrying additional electrical devices, such as any necessary amplifiers, drivers, transformers, or the like, to regulate power to a bistable display  31 , and electronic devices e.g., components for production or storage of additional display signals, appropriate memory devices, as deemed necessary by the designer, and indicated schematically on the drawing. Overlying and connected to the PCB  27  is the bistable display  31  including any necessary display substrate  29  for changing, i.e. control of, the pixels of the bistable display  31 . 
     A protective transparent cover  33  is then preferably overlaid on the bistable display  31  and a sealing ring  35  is used to hold the cover  33  in place and complete the display device  12 . Suitable spacing and provision for mechanical connections of the handle  13  to the drive system for the switch contacts  14  within the enclosure ( FIG. 5 ) is considered within the ordinary skill of the art. 
     It will be appreciated that the various discrete components of the display device  12  as illustrated may be combined in any convenient fashion, e.g. the bistable display  31  and display substrate  29  may be combined in a single device, such as a so-called electronic paper display. 
     Thus as the handle  13  is grasped and moved as the actuator to operate the switch contacts of the electrical distribution apparatus  10  the rotor  23  and stator  25  of the display device  12  act as a generator supplying a current to the PCB  27  which can supply the necessary voltages to the display substrate  29  and change the state of the bistable display  31 . It will be appreciated by those of skill in the art that movement of a handle, by definition herein meaning something grasped in order to be manipulated, may be in a linear, reciprocal, or rotary motion, and be operable to produce a current from a selected generator. Likewise, should the actuator be a button, by definition herein meaning something pushed in order to be manipulated, it will likely produce a linear or reciprocal initial motion which can directly drive movement of a rotor, or the force may be transferred to a rotary motion with suitable gearing. 
       FIG. 4  is a schematic diagram of another aspect of the invention wherein a push button  37  is the member enabling a toggle of the bistable display state as well as additional signal generation for remote wireless operation of equipment function. A commercially available self-powered, transmitting, wireless, batteryless pushbutton switch, such as a HARMONY XB5R available form Schneider Electric USA, Inc. combines a pushbutton actuator mechanism with an on-board, i.e. integral, electrical and signal generator and has been found to generate sufficient power at a pulse of 75 mWatts with 3.3. Volts, in conjunction with a microtransformer  39  such as an “AnyVolt Micro” from Dimension Engineering of Akron Ohio, to be boosted up to the 15 Volts required to run a commercially available bistable display  41  of the electronic paper display type. Signal  38  will be received by a complementary receiver within the equipment (not shown) and acted upon separately. 
       FIG. 5  is a front perspective view similar to  FIG. 1  of the electrical distribution switch  10  with an enclosure  11  associated with a display device, i.e. signage,  12  integrated into the operating handle  13  of the switch  10 . The handle  13  mechanically operates the electrical contacts  14 , shown in phantom, within the enclosure. The handle  13  is in the horizontal position, as illustrated, and is displaying the OFF, or open, operating status  15  of the enclosed switch contacts  14 . 
     Having thus described a self-contained information display device; it will be appreciated that many variations thereon will occur to the artisan upon an understanding of the present invention, which is therefore to be limited only by the appended claims.