Braille writing device
OwnerHilary Anna Johnson, Vadim Kuklov +1inventors
InventorsHilary Anna Johnson, Vadim Kuklov, Alexander H. Slocum
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Abstract
Braille writing devices and systems, and corresponding methods of writing braille characters on a tape medium are described herein. The devices and systems emboss tactile dots on different types of tape medium to enable braille character writing and advance the tape medium to create accurate and repeatable spacing of the braille characters. The devices and systems may be comprised of simply molded plastic parts that snap together using elastically averaging precision alignment features.
Claims20
A braille writing device, comprising:
- a housing, the housing further comprising;
- a plurality of flexural button arms oriented such that the flexural button arms project radially toward each other and the center of the device;
- and
- a tape exit port;
- an embossing arm structure within the housing, comprising embossing arms projecting radially inwards and tapering to a tip, where the embossing arm tips form a grid of at least three rows of two tips;
- an embossing anvil, within the housing, wherein the embossing arm tips align with concave features arranged in a grid on the embossing anvil;
- and
- a tape handling structure within the housing, wherein the tape handling structure is capable of accepting a tape medium, wherein the tape handling structure is arranged to guide the tape medium between the embossing anvil and the embossing arm tips to the tape exit port, and wherein the flexural button arms, embossing arms, and embossing anvil are arranged such that depressing the flexural button arms causes displacement of the embossing arms and coupling of the embossing arm tips and the concave features of the embossing anvil.
A user input device comprising:
- a housing that defines an internal cavity of the device and includes a tape exit port;
- a plurality of finger-actuatable button arms disposed on a top surface of the housing;
- an embossing arm structure that is disposed within the internal cavity, the embossing arm structure comprising embossing arms projecting radially inwards and tapering to a tip, where the embossing arm tips are configured to form a grid of at least three rows of two tips;
- an embossing anvil that is disposed within the internal cavity and below the embossing arm structure, the embossing anvil comprising concave features configured in a grid corresponding the configuration of the embossing arm tips;
- a tape medium;
- and
- a tape advancement structure disposed within the internal cavity of the device that is operable to advance the tape medium between the embossing anvil and the embossing arm tips to the tape exit port.
A braille writing device, comprising:
- a housing comprising a tape exit port;
- an embossing arm structure within the housing, comprising embossing arms projecting radially inwards and tapering to a tip, where the embossing arm tips form a grid of at least three rows of two tips;
- an embossing anvil, within the housing, wherein the embossing arm tips align with concave features arranged in a grid on the embossing anvil;
- a tape handling structure, wherein the tape handling structure is configured to hold a tape medium and guide the tape medium between the embossing anvil and the embossing arm tips;
- and
- a tape advancing structure, the tape advancing structure comprising a ratchet drum with notches that are operable to engage a pawl to advance the tape medium by a width of a single braille letter.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.