# US 5,343,644 A · Pliable pin strip

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- Number: US 5,343,644 A
- Document ID: US5343644A
- Status: Granted
- Kind: A
- Application number: 07/879,985
- Filed: 1992-05-08
- Granted: 1994-09-06
- Earliest claimed: 1992-05-08
- Inventors: Ward Fleming
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US5343644A

## CPC

- G09F 19/125: {Stereoscopic displays; 3D displays}
- G09F: DISPLAYING; ADVERTISING; SIGNS; LABELS OR NAME-PLATES; SEALS

## Abstract

A display device includes a highly pliable web having an array of longitudinally and transversely pins mounted on a face of the web, the pins having shanks projecting upwardly perpendicular to the area of the web at which the respective pin shanks are located. A shaping member has a contoured pressed against the underface of the web to recoverably deform the web and vary the pin shank orientations. Different webs and pin anchoring constructions are described.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A display device comprising a pliable first web having opposite inner and outer faces and responsive to deformation of said inner face to correspondingly deform said outer face, and array of closely spaced pins carried by said web, each of said pins including an enlarged head anchored to said web and an elongated shank projecting outwardly from said outer face perpendicular to said outer face adjacent to said respective pin head and shaping means for applying pressure to said web inner face varying in amount and direction to form said web to a predetermined contour.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The display device of claim 1 wherein said shaping means comprising a shaping member having a contoured face engaging said web inner face.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The display device of claim 2 wherein said web and said shaping member are relatively longitudinally movable.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The display device o claim 1 wherein the heads of said pins have outer end faces and are anchored to said web by an adhesive between said outer end faces of said pins and said web outer face.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The display device of claim 1 wherein said web is formed of a thermoplastic polymeric resin and said heads of said pins are embedded in said web.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The display device of claim 1 comprising a pliable second web overlying said first web and said heads of said pins and adherent to said first web and having apertures traversed by said pin shanks.