Card – picture – or sign exhibiting – Display device with gas or liquid movement
Reexamination Certificate
2001-05-08
2003-04-22
Browne, Lynne H. (Department: 3679)
Card, picture, or sign exhibiting
Display device with gas or liquid movement
C040S407000, C040S427000, C040S439000, C040S480000, C446S176000, C446S267000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06550168
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a display assembly which can be used to display or advertise any of a variety of products or services and particularly designed to incorporate a visual simulation of moving liquid in the displayed product or service. The simulated image of moving liquid may be more specifically representative of a carbonated or effervescent beverage and is accomplished by introducing air under pressure to a quantity of fluid which is disposed in aligned relation with a pictorial, ornamental representation or like indicia depicting the product or service being displayed.
2. Description of the Related Art
Display assemblies in the form of signs or like structures have been utilized for many years for the promotion and advertisement of an infinite number of products and services. As time progressed the signs became more sophisticated in terms of more accurately depicting the product or service being advertised. In years past, typical advertising signs included an exposed surface with indicia, representative of the product or service being promoted, painted, printed or otherwise formed thereon.
As society progressed and modernized, the advertising industry as well as proprietors of a variety of businesses, also progressed to the extent of modernizing the signs or display assemblies utilized in promoting the various products or services. As a result, display assemblies became more sophisticated, such as by adding illumination both internally and externally, to advertising signs and like display structures, thereby generally enhancing the appearance, as well as more realistically representing the various products or is services being displayed. In current times the design and manufacture of advertising and like display structures have developed into a well recognized and sophisticated industry which is required to effectively customize an extremely large number of display assemblies, dependent upon the particular product or service being advertised. In addition, the specific and individualized requirements of a wide variety of different businesses must be satisfied. Extensive technical development in this area has resulted in overcoming the vast majority of problems associated with the accurate depiction of any given product or service. More specifically, modern design, manufacturing and/or production capabilities have advanced to the point where the majority of advertising or other display structures clearly and accurately represent the product or service being advertised. In addition, aesthetic improvements have been developed which cause the visual attention of the consuming public to be focused on the sign structure being displayed.
Therefore, a primary goal in the advertising industry, as well as the industry associated with the design and manufacture of advertising displays, is to visually distinguish a given display assembly in a manner which will direct the attention of the consuming public to the particular article, product or service being displayed and will make the product appear more desirable. Focusing the attention of the consuming public is particularly important, in light of the fact that numerous display assemblies which may be in the same general vicinity are also highly developed and are attempting to directly compete in focusing the attention of those consumers.
Accordingly, there is a significant need in the display and advertising industries for an improved type of display assembly capable of presenting a visual display of a large variety of goods and/or services in a uniquely distinctive manner, which greatly facilitates the focusing of the attention of the viewing public on the image being displayed and which enhances the overall appeal towards the product generated by the depiction.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to a display assembly adapted to display and/or advertise any of an extremely large number of products, goods, services, etc. and particularly designed to visually simulate the presence of moving liquid, preferably but not necessarily, in the form of an effervescent or carbonated beverage, thereby increasing the appeal of that beverage.
More specifically, the display assembly of the present invention comprises a housing which may have a variety of structural designs, dimensions, configurations, etc. so as to be readily adaptable to a variety of different mountings or applications. For example, the housing of the display assembly of the present invention could be specifically structured for attachment to or mounting on a vending or dispensing machine for carbonated beverages, such as soft drinks. The soft drink product being displayed would be presented on an exposed surface of the vending machine and pictorially represented as a “real life” carbonated beverage moving within or being poured from a bottle or other container. Indeed, the realistic depiction would not only draw a consumers attention to the advertisement, but will also increase the products appeal to the potential consumers senses of sight and/or sound.
Regardless of the particular structural configuration assumed by the housing, the display assembly of the present invention further includes an exposed face, preferably defined by an outer surface of a plastic, or other applicable material, sheet or panel. An ornamental configuration, including indicia in the form of a pictorial representation, alpha-numeric display, or other visual representation depicting the product or service being displayed and/or advertised is formed on a viewable portion on the exposed surface. At least a portion of the exposed face and particularly a portion disposed in aligned relation with the aforementioned indicia, is formed from a transparent, translucent or like light transmittable material.
The display assembly of the present invention further includes a chamber mounted on or within the housing in aligned relation with the exposed face and particularly disposed in aligned relation with the indicia formed thereon. A fluid is contained within the chamber and may comprise a plurality of substances having a variety of different viscosities and colors, dependent on the particular visual effect desired to be accomplished, as set forth in greater detail hereinafter. The viscosity of the fluid may vary from a viscosity equal to water to a much higher viscosity, somewhat equal to a gel. A material capable of being used within the chamber includes but is not limited to a petrochemical such as a petrolatum. In any such embodiment, however, the display assembly is configured to achieve an environmentally safe configuration.
An illumination assembly is also mounted on or within the housing and is disposed so as to direct light through the fluid and at least a portion of the chamber containing the fluid, which is also at least partially formed of light transmittable material. Moreover, the illumination may also pass through the indicia and the exposed face on which the indicia is formed. Accordingly, visual observation of the indicia and more particularly of the fluid disposed in aligned relation with light transmittable portions of the indicia, will provide a visual simulation of a liquid product or beverage. The provision of the illumination assembly makes the contained fluid more visible and greatly enhances the features of a displayed product such as, but not limited to, carbonated characteristics of a beverage.
Another feature of the present invention is the provision of a flow fluid supply assembly. The flow fluid supply assembly is disposed in fluid flow communication with the fluid contained within the chamber. As a result, at least one but preferably a plurality of streams of flow fluid, such as air, are delivered directly into the fluid within the chamber, thereby forming a predetermined, preferably random pattern of air flowing through the fluid which, depending upon the particular image intended to be depicted, may include a large concentration of bubbles ascending from a lower part of the fluid to the upper surface thereof.
Acc
Browne Lynne H.
Hewitt James M.
Malloy & Malloy P.A.
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