IP Library › Granted Patent US 12,743,973
Granted Patent B2
US 12,743,973 · App. 18/832,705 · Granted Sep 22, 2026

Pin display apparatus, pin display system

Inventor: Kentaro Yasu (Tokyo, JP)
Assignee: NTT, Inc.
G09F9/375
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,743,973
App. No.
18/832,705
Granted
Sep 22, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

One aspect of the present invention is a pin display device 100 including a housing and a plurality of pins, the pin display device 100 being used as a pin display system 300 such that a direction in which at least gravity acts is set as a negative direction of a z direction, and a lower surface of the housing is brought into contact with or into proximity to an upper surface 200 a that is one surface of a magnetic sheet 200 . Each pot magnet emits a magnetic field capable of moving a pin 120 including the pot magnet in a positive direction of the z direction by a repulsive force due to a magnetic force generated between the pot magnet and the upper surface 200 a of the magnetic sheet 200 in a state where the pin 120 including the pot magnet is inserted into a pin insertion hole.

Claims (42)

1 . A pin display device comprising a housing and a plurality of pins,

the pin display device being used as a pin display system such that a direction in which at least gravity acts is set as a negative direction of a z direction, and a lower surface of the housing is brought into contact with or into proximity to an upper surface that is one surface of a magnetic sheet,

wherein

the housing includes the lower surface of the housing that is a plane perpendicular to the z direction, an upper surface of the housing that is in a positive direction of the z direction with respect to the lower surface of the housing, and a same number of pin insertion holes as the pins,

each of the pin insertion holes is a hole into which the pin is inserted from the upper surface of the housing,

the same number of pin insertion holes as the pins have different positions in a plane perpendicular to the z direction,

a material of the housing is a material that does not block or reduce a magnetic force line, does not control a path of a magnetic force line, and does not generate a magnetic force line,

each of the pins is provided at one end with a pot magnet with an opening of a container facing outward, and is inserted into the pin insertion hole with the end provided with the pot magnet facing the negative direction of the z direction,

each of the pot magnets emits a magnetic field capable of moving the pin including the pot magnet in the positive direction of the z direction by a repulsive force due to a magnetic force generated between the pot magnet and the upper surface of the magnetic sheet in a state where the pin including the pot magnet is inserted into the pin insertion hole,

an interval between adjacent pin insertion holes is equal to or greater than a shortest distance at which a magnetic force generated with respect to the pot magnet of the pin inserted into the adjacent pin insertion hole does not affect movement of the pins, and

a gap having a length in the z direction equal to or greater than a shortest distance in which at which rewriting of a magnetic sheet of a same type as the magnetic sheet does not occur due to a magnetic field emitted by a pot magnet that emits a same magnetic field as the pot magnet is provided between a bottom of the pin insertion hole and the lower surface of the housing.

2 . The pin display device according to claim 1 , wherein

the upper surface of the housing is J planes corresponding to J (J is an integer of two or more) partial regions different from each other on the lower surface of the housing and moved by different distances in the positive direction of the z direction,

the J planes that are the upper surface of the housing are disposed such that distances from the lower surface of the housing are sequentially increased, and

a plurality of the pin insertion holes is disposed such that at least one of the pins is inserted from each of the J planes.

3 . A pin display system comprising: the pin display device according to claim 1 ; and a magnetic sheet that uses one surface in contact with or in proximity to the lower surface of the housing of the pin display device, wherein

a portion of the upper surface of the magnetic sheet facing the pot magnet of a pin to be moved in a positive direction of a z direction is magnetized with a magnetic pattern of

a first portion of a same pole as a pole of a permanent magnet exposed from the opening of the container of the pot magnet, and

a second portion that is a portion surrounding the first portion and is a pole opposite to the pole of the permanent magnet exposed from the opening of the container of the pot magnet, and

a portion of the upper surface of the magnetic sheet facing the pole of the pot magnet of a pin not to be moved in the positive direction of the z direction is magnetized with a magnetic pattern that is not a magnetic pattern of

a third portion of a same pole as the pole of the permanent magnet exposed from the opening of the container of the pot magnet, and

a fourth portion that is a portion surrounding the third portion and is a pole opposite to the pole of the permanent magnet exposed from the opening of the container of the pot magnet.

4 . A pin display system comprising: the pin display device according to claim 1 ; and a magnetic sheet that uses one surface in contact with or in proximity to the lower surface of the housing of the pin display device, wherein

a portion of the upper surface of the magnetic sheet facing each of the pot magnets of a plurality of pins to be moved in a positive direction of a z direction is magnetized with a magnetic pattern of

a first portion of a same pole as a pole of a permanent magnet exposed from the opening of the container of the pot magnet, and

a second portion that surrounds the first portion and is a pole opposite to the pole of the permanent magnet exposed from the opening of the container of the pot magnet, and

a magnetic pattern with which a portion facing the pot magnet of a pin a moving amount in the positive direction of the z direction of which is a first moving amount among a plurality of the pins to be moved in the positive direction of the z direction is magnetized, and a magnetic pattern with which a portion facing the pot magnet of the pin a moving amount in the positive direction of the z direction of which is a second moving amount different from the first moving amount among a plurality of the pins to be moved in the positive direction of the z direction is magnetized are different.

5 . A pin display system comprising: the pin display device according to claim 1 ; and a magnetic sheet having one surface disposed in contact with or in proximity to the lower surface of the housing of the pin display device, wherein

the upper surface of the magnetic sheet is larger in area than the lower surface of the housing of the pin display device,

the upper surface of the magnetic sheet is magnetized in advance with a texture of an S pole and an N pole, and

in a state where the lower surface of the housing of the pin display device and the upper surface of the magnetic sheet are brought into contact with or into proximity to each other, a relative position between the pin display device and the magnetic sheet can be changed in a direction perpendicular to a z direction.

6 . A pin display system comprising: the pin display device according to claim 1 ; and a plurality of (K, K is an integer of two or more) magnetic sheets, wherein

one surface of each of the K magnetic sheets is magnetized with a texture of an S pole and an N pole,

any one of the K magnetic sheets is selectable, and

a surface of one magnetic sheet selected from the K magnetic sheets that is magnetized with the texture is disposed in contact with or in proximity to the lower surface of the housing of the pin display device.

7 . The pin display system according to claim 3 , wherein

the magnetic sheet is obtained by stacking a plurality of magnetic sheet materials,

all magnetic sheet materials are magnetized in advance with a same texture of an S pole and an N pole, and

the magnetic sheet is obtained such that same textures of all the magnetic sheet materials overlap at a same position.

8 . The pin display system according to claim 3 , wherein

the magnetic sheet is obtained by stacking a plurality of magnetic sheet materials, and

each magnetic sheet material is magnetized in advance with different textures of an S pole and an N pole.

Assignments (2)
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Jan 1, 2026
From: NIPPON TELEGRAPH AND TELEPHONE CORPORATION
To: NTT, INC.
Reel/Frame 074164/0641 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Aug 25, 2024
From: YASU, KENTARO
To: NIPPON TELEGRAPH AND TELEPHONE CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 068391/0263 →
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20250095518A1 · Mar 20, 2025
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