A tactile pin display apparatus comprises: tactile pins 20 for braille
display; a support housing 30 for supporting and allowing the tactile
pins 20 to move forward and backward; cams 40 for raising ends of the
tactile pins 20 to a desired height (ON-state) from a tactile surface 35;
compression coil springs 10 for biasing the tactile pins 20 against the
cams 40; shape memory wires 60 to be heated by current for pivoting the
cams 40 forward to bring the tactile pins to the ON-state; and a cam
return plate 50 for pivoting the cams backward to lower the tactile pins
20 back to a level (OFF-state) of the tactile surface 35. Even if in the
ON-state the tactile pins 20 are strongly pressed by a user, or the
current to the shape memory wires 60 is disconnected, the tactile pins 20
are not lowered back because upper surfaces of the cams 40 support lower
surfaces of the tactile pins 20. All the tactile pins 20 can be lowered
back to the OFF-state by a single reciprocal movement of the cam return
plate 50.