Card – picture – or sign exhibiting – Illuminated sign – Edge illuminated
Reexamination Certificate
1999-12-09
2001-10-23
Silbermann, Joanne (Department: 3628)
Card, picture, or sign exhibiting
Illuminated sign
Edge illuminated
C040S617000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06305109
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a signboard, and more particularly to such a signboard, which comprises a rail, a light conducting board fastened to the rail, a LED circuit board mounted inside the rail and controlled to illuminate the design on the light conducting board, and a plurality of mounting members coupled to the rail for positioning.
In public places and buildings indicator lights and signboards are installed to give indications. A signboard for this purpose is generally comprised of a metal casing having a transparent sidewall marked with a design, and a lamp circuit assembly installed inside the casing and controlled to illuminate the design on the casing. This design of signboard is bulky and less attractive. Because welding metal elements into shape makes the metal casing of the signboard, the metal casing is heavy and complicated to manufacture. Further, because the lamp circuit assembly is comprised of a lamp tube and ballast, it produces a light of a particular color only.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is one object of the present invention to provide a signboard, which uses color light emitting diodes for illumination. It is another object of the present invention to provide a signboard, which is compact and high mobility. It is still another object of the present invention to provide a signboard, which causes a sense of beauty. It is still another object of the present invention to provide a signboard, which can be conveniently installed in any of a variety of places. According to the present invention, the signboard comprises a rail, the rail having a longitudinally extended bottom opening, two parallel flanges longitudinally downwardly extended at two opposite sides of the bottom opening, at least one longitudinal coupling groove on the periphery thereof, and two longitudinal mounting grooves bilaterally disposed on the inside; a LED circuit board mounted in the longitudinal mounting grooves inside the rail, the LED circuit board having a plurality of light emitting diodes at a bottom side thereof; a light conducting board mounted in the bottom opening on the rail and fixedly connected between the parallel flanges, the light conducting board having a design; two end caps respectively covered on two distal ends of said rail; and a plurality of mounting members respectively fastened to the rail for positioning, said mounting members each having at least one coupling rib respectively coupled to the at least one longitudinal coupling groove on the rail. Because light emitting diodes are used to provide illumination, battery can be used to provide the necessary working voltage, enabling the signboard to be used indoors, or outdoors where no city power supply is available. Because the LED circuit assembly is installed inside the rail and the light conducting board has a certain thickness (about 10 mm), the whole structure is strong and weatherproof. Furthermore, because the whole assembly of the signboard is thin but strong, it can be used in different places for different purposes.
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Rosenberg , Klein & Lee
Silbermann Joanne
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