Illumination – Sound equipment illuminator
Reexamination Certificate
1998-10-28
2001-03-06
Sikder, Mohammad Y. (Department: 2872)
Illumination
Sound equipment illuminator
C362S087000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06196694
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to an audio amplifier having a transparent cover plate which is illuminated from a side edge by a black light or a neon gas light having a power supply mounted on the amplifier chassis. A design or pattern etched or engraved in the cover plate is highlighted by the concentration of the light source at those areas. A portion of the amplifier circuitry is shielded to prevent alternating current noise produced by the power supply for the black light or neon gas light from interfering with the function of the amplifier.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The audio amplifier business is a highly competitive, rapidly changing field particularly audio amplfiers for use in vehicles such as automobiles. There is a constant need for different, aesthetically pleasing improvements in powered auxiliary amplifiers for stereo speakers. This need translates into rapidly changing designs, which are often copied by competitors.
One possible way to thwart appropriation of original designs, is to create an aesthetic affect that will instantly be recognizable as associated with a particular source of origin or manufacturer. This requires a dramatic departure from prior concepts.
One such approach is incorporated in copending design patent application Ser. No. 29/077,849, assigned to the same assignee as the present invention, and herein incorporated in its entirety by reference, and which discloses a face panel of an automobile acoustic amplifier including a transparent cover with twin VU meters. The use of a transparent amplifier cover allows viewing of the interior of the amplifier, as well as viewing vu meters mounted on the amplifier chassis, producing a unique and unusual visual effect. However, a need exists for even greater versatility and options in the selection and presentation of the appearance of an amplifier.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide an innovative, unique visual display for an audio amplifier, particularly a powered car amplifier. This object is accomplished by the use of a transparent cover plate formed of a plastic material capable of “edge lighting”, i.e., transmitting light from an edge of a sheet of such material through the material to be concentrated at a design or pattern etched or engraved in the surface thereof. According to the preferred embodiments of this invention the design or pattern is etched or engraved in the undersurface of the cover plate and a black light or neon gas light tube surrounds an edge of the cover plate whereby the light produced from the light source is collimated at the pattern so that, without any visible source of light, the pattern appears illuminated when viewed through the cover plate. Ancilliary light may also highlight the circuitry of the amplifier chassis located below the cover plate, if desired.
Neon is a colorless, odorless gas which may be placed in a vacuum electric discharge tube. When a current is passed through the gas, the neon gas is ionized by the flow of electric current to produce a luminous glow discharge depending on the nature of the gas in the tube, the luminous glow may be any of a variety of colors, including red, blue, purple, aqua and others. A black light produces invisible light, such as ultraviolet rays, which when they fall on fluorescent materials, cause the fluorescent materials to emit visible light. It has been found that the transmission of light from energized neon gas or light produced from a black light is sufficient to traverse a transparent cover plate and reflect from an etched or engraved pattern in the cover plate to highlight the pattern, whereas ordinary incandescent or fluorescent light will not do so.
A conventional converter may be used as the power supply for the black light or neon gas charged tube to convert direct current (DC) from a car battery to high voltage (400-100 volts), low amperage (0.1-1.0 amps) alternating current (AC). However, such a power supply tends to generate high levels of alternating current noise when placed in close proximity with an amplifier chassis of a car audio amplifier which especially interferes with the preamplifier section or low voltage input side of the amplifier chassis.
To avoid this problem when using neon in an automobile, such as in a license plate illumination device, the power supply for the neon gas charged tube has been isolated from the car audio amplifier by locating the power supply in a remote section of the automobile, positioned as far as possible away from the audio amplifier chassis. According to the present invention, it has been found that a black light or neon light can be used in an automobile with its AC power supply in close proximity to a car audio amplifier, and can share the power source for the audio amplifier supplied by the car battery. This is accomplished by shielding the preamplifier section of the car audio amplifier chassis with a metallic hood or cover thereby eliminating the interference caused by the alternating current noise.
Thus, it is now possible to utilize a black light or a neon gas light to illuminate a design in a car audio amplifier cover plate without spacing the power supply in a totally remote location. This saves on space constraints of an automobile storage area as well as eliminating additional wiring necessary to distance the power supply for a black light or neon gas light from the car audio amplifier.
It is therefore another object of the present invention to mount a power supply for a black light or neon gas light on a car audio amplifier chassis and to shield a portion of the amplifier such as the pre-amplifier so as to prevent alternating current noise from affecting the quality of the sound produced by the car audio amplifier.
It is still another object of the present invention to provide a car audio amplifier having a transparent cover plate with a black light or a neon gas light at its side edges to illuminate an etched or engraved pattern formed preferably in a lower surface of the transparent cover plate, with the power supply for the light source mounted on the car audio amplifier chassis and a protective shield covering a pre-amp portion of the amplifier to shield the same from AC interference.
These and other objects of the invention, as well as many of the intended advantages thereof, will become more readily apparent when reference is made to the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.
REFERENCES:
patent: 4765080 (1988-08-01), Conti
patent: 5336849 (1994-08-01), Whitney
patent: 5546273 (1996-08-01), Harris
patent: 5690421 (1997-11-01), Shea et al.
patent: 6067074 (2000-05-01), Lueders
“Making Waves”, Car Audio and Electronics, Jun. 1998, p. 92.
“Reactor Limited Edition Amplifier” Specification Sheet. Dec. 5, 1997.
Norvell Gene Edgar
Rochel Sohail
Epsilon Electronics, Inc.
Jacobson Price Holman & Stern PLLC
Sikd-er Mohammad Y.
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