Multicolor display apparatus

A multicolor display apparatus, comprising:

• a plurality of multicolor display units,
• each said unit including a plurality of multicolor display blocks;
• each said block having a plurality of multicolor display elements,
• each of said elements including a rotary member having a plurality of separate display regions of different colors, for displaying one of the different colors at a time, the rotary member having a shaft to which the rotary member is fixedly mounted,
• a support member for rotatably supporting the shaft,
• drive means coupled to the support member for rotating the rotary member, the drive means including, a permanent circular magnet, having a circular peripheral side surface, fixed to the shaft to rotate with the rotary member,
• a plurality of stators coupled to the support member, and arranged close to and around the circular peripheral side surface of the permanent circular magnet so as to substantially surround the circular peripheral side surface thereof, each one of said plurality of stators having an arcuate inner side surface which is provided on a portion of each said stator opposite said circular peripheral side surface of said magnet, said arcuate inner side surface having a uniform radius from the center of said magnet,
• said plurality of stators being mutually arranged in an identical plane with a first clearance formed between said circular peripheral side surface of said magnet and said arcuate inner side surface of each said respective stator, said first clearance being uniform along the overall peripheral side surface of said magnet, each of the plurality of stators including a magnetizable core with a magnetizing coil wound thereon;
• and
• control means coupled to the magnetizing coils for selectively polarizing the cores to cause the rotary member to rotate to display a selected display region;
• each of the multicolor display units having an address circuit and drive circuits the address circuit of each of the multicolor display units distributing a display signal including display color data to the corresponding drive circuits to drive the corresponding multicolor display elements.