Communications: electrical – Visual indication
Reexamination Certificate
1998-11-16
2001-04-10
Crosland, Donnie L. (Department: 2632)
Communications: electrical
Visual indication
C340S815420, C340S815470, C340S815450, C340S815730, C340S331000, C362S035000, C362S800000, C362S153100
Reexamination Certificate
active
06215409
ABSTRACT:
This invention relates to display apparatus.
This invention has particular application to display apparatus for displaying house numbers, such as for the purposes of identification of any dwelling or other building structure, and street names, particularly during the hours of darkness but also during daylight hours. However it has other application in general signage and advertising.
House numbering is a well known method for identifying established dwelling houses and the like, numbers commonly being permanently secured to a visible mounting. Frequently these numbers cannot be observed during the night without the aid of some form of lighting. In addition existing numbers fade and deteriorate, and therefore cannot be readily observed.
The present invention aims to alleviate the above disadvantage by providing display apparatus which permits displayed information to be readily viewed both during daylight and night-time hours.
Accordingly, the present invention in one aspect provides an illuminated display apparatus for displaying indicia, including:
a transparent panel;
a light source;
means for introducing light from the light source into the transparent panel whereby the introduced light is internally reflected within the panel from the panel air interfaces formed at the front and rear faces of the panel; and
indicia covering in intimate contact with the rear face and forming a panel/indicia covering interface enabling internal light in the panel to illuminate the indicia covering for visibility thereof through the front face.
The light may be introduced in any convenient manner and along one or more sides of the panel. Preferably said means for introducing light from the light source includes light dispersal means dispersing light through at least one edge of said panel. However it is preferred that the light is introduced into the transparent panel from the illuminating means as dispersed light along at least one edge of the panel.
In a preferred aspect of the invention the illumination means comprises a prism having one transparent or translucent face arranged in light transmitting contact with an edge of the panel and having a light source therein and reflective faces substantially confining light transmission therefrom to the one transparent or translucent face. More preferably the prism is a right angled triangular prism arranged with its hypotenuse as the transparent or translucent face and the recess for the LED in the shorter of the other two faces.
The hypotenuse may extend the full length of the one side of the panel and it may house a plurality of LEDS or incandescent bulbs or the like. However it is preferred that each prism has a relatively short hypotenuse and a plurality of such prisms and associated LEDS are disposed in series along the full length of the one side of the panel. Suitably the panel and the prisms are formed from similar thickness material such as acrylic plastics sheet.
The LEDS may be of any desired colour as may be the face of the indicia which contacts the panel. Preferably however the light source is provided as a green or yellow coloured light and the contact face of the indicia is coloured white or yellow. Other combinations which may be desirable are a white light and any colour contact face.
In a further aspect this invention resides broadly in light dispersal means comprising a triangular prism having opposed major faces and smaller side faces interconnecting the major faces and including a light source housed within a recess disposed medially in one said smaller faces and reflective means covering the major faces, the smaller face containing the light source recess and an adjacent smaller face.
The light source is suitably a low powered light source such as a LED however any light source which may operate effectively confined in a recess or shining its light into the recess may be utilised.
It is also preferred that the display apparatus when used for street or house numbering utilise a battery operated light source and solar powered recharging means for charging the battery during daylight hours.
In order that this invention may be more readily understood and put into practical effect, reference will now be made to the accompanying drawings which illustrate a preferred embodiment of the invention:
FIG. 1
is a perspective view of a display assembly according to the invention;
FIG. 2
is a cross-sectional view of the assembly of the invention;
FIG. 3
is a side elevational view of the display assembly used in the embodiment of
FIG. 1
;
FIG. 4
illustrates a typical circuit layout for the assembly of the invention;
FIG. 5
is a side elevational view of an alternate arrangement of the light diffusing blocks, and
FIG. 6
illustrates a two-sided version of the invention.
REFERENCES:
patent: 5005108 (1991-04-01), Pristash et al.
patent: 5027258 (1991-06-01), Schoniger et al.
patent: 5146354 (1992-09-01), Piesinger
patent: 5151679 (1992-09-01), Dimmick
patent: 5219217 (1993-06-01), Aikens
patent: 5276591 (1994-01-01), Hegarty
patent: A15598080 (1980-02-01), None
patent: A11707792 (1992-12-01), None
patent: WO891171 (1989-11-01), None
patent: WO9617207 (1996-06-01), None
patent: WO9744771 (1997-11-01), None
Anderson Denton L.
Crosland Donnie L.
Sheldon & Mak
Solaglo Pty Ltd.
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