Card – picture – or sign exhibiting – Signs – Adhesive attaching feature
Reexamination Certificate
1998-05-27
2001-09-04
Melius, Terry Lee (Department: 3628)
Card, picture, or sign exhibiting
Signs
Adhesive attaching feature
C040S593000, C040S447000, C040S452000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06282824
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention refers to a display device, in particular in a motor bus, comprising at least one fastening means for releasably securing a display field, an observation window being arranged at least between said display field and a viewer.
Such display devices are known in practice as destination indications from vehicles used for public transport, such as trams and motor buses. According to the regulations, such display means are to be arranged in the forward part, on both sides and in the rear part of the respective vehicle. The destination indications may indicate the destination of the vehicle as well as a number associated with this specific line of the public transport means.
The display devices are normally arranged with the aid of a fastening means directly on frame members of the respective vehicle and in the roof area of the vehicle. Such display devices arranged in the roof area are normally not visible from the passenger compartment. Due to the size of the display device, a comparatively large amount of space is, however, required in the roof area, whereby less space will be available e.g. for the passenger compartment. If these known display devices are suspended directly in the passenger compartment with the aid of their fastening means, they constitute a source of danger for passengers, the resultant risk of injuries being too high to be neglected. Furthermore, the known display devices are comparatively voluminous and heavy so that the fastening means must have a sufficiently stable structural design and so that sufficient space for installing said display devices must be available in the vehicle.
A further disadvantage of known display devices is that the actual display field is covered by means of a separate observation window so that irritating reflections, which may impair the legibility of the display, may occur between this observation window and a further window covering the display device in th e vehicle towards the outside.
It is therefore the object of the present invention to improve the known display device in such a way that this display device will have smaller dimensions and less weight and that it can also be produced and installed at a moderate price and read more easily.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
On the basis of the known display device, this object is achieved in that the fastening means is releasably secured directly to the inner side of the observation window, said inner side facing away from the viewer. The display device is thus held directly by the observation window. Neither a separate fastening by means of screws nor any other kind of fastening to the frame members of the vehicle is required. This makes the display device in its entirety lighter and smaller. Since the display device can in this way be arranged such that its display field extends at a small distance from the observation window, the display device will have a small depth so that less space will be required for installing it e.g. in the roof area of the vehicle or that it will project substantially less far into the passenger compartment.
In this connection, it must also be considered to be advantageous when the observation window is formed by a window-like glazing. This has the effect that a separate observation window for the display field, which would have a negative influence on the legibility of the display, can be dispensed with, and the display device in its entirety is attached directly to a glazing provided in the vehicle.
The windowlike glazing can in this connection be part of a front glazing or rear glazing or side glazing in a motor bus or in some other vehicle. The display device is in this way attached directly to the windows existing in the vehicle anyhow, without restricting e.g. the field of vision of a passenger or a driver, since the display device is normally arranged at the upper end of the windows.
Yet another advantage can be attained when the display device and the associated glazing are arranged above and in spaced relationship with a front glazing or a rear glazing or a side glazing in the vehicle. This applies especially to display devices which are arranged in the roof area and separately from the actual passenger compartment. However, as has already been stated hereinbefore, the space required for installing the display device is comparatively small, due to the fact that the display device is attached directly to the inner side of the glazing; this will be of advantage especially in the case of vehicles of the low-floor type, which always require more space in the roof area.
Due to the smaller spaces required for installing the device according to the present invention, costs will be saved, since the space saved can, for example, be used in some other way or since a respective covering of the mounting space will have smaller dimensions.
According to a preferred embodiment, the fastening means can be fixed directly to the inner side of the glazing by means of an adhesive. Another releasable fastening for the fastening means can be effected by screw-fastening or the like.
For fastening the display field and, consequently, the display device in its entirety to the glazing in a comparatively stable manner, the fastening means can be formed by fastening rails extending at least partially along the display field. These fastening rails can have secured thereto the display field directly or indirectly by pushing on, by screw fastening, by a locking engagement or the like.
In the case of the normally used, substantially rectangular display fields, it proved to be sufficient when the fastening rails extend at least along the longitudinal sides of the display field. The display field can, for example, be pushed onto the fastening rail in the longitudinal direction of said fastening rail by means of sliding guides formed on said display field.
In order to protect the display field against damage and soiling as far as possible, the display device may be provided with a covering which covers the display field at least on its back that faces away from the glazing. This will be advantageous especially in the case of display devices arranged in the passenger compartment, since a possible risk of injuries as well as damage which may be caused to the display field when a passenger touches said display field are largely excluded in this way.
A simple covering is formed in that said covering comprises a frame member and a rear cover which are releasably fixed to one another and which hold an edge flange that surrounds the display field at least partially. The frame member and the rear cover can be implemented such that the frame member surrounds the display field essentially as a border and is secured thereto, the rear cover being adapted to be secured directly to the frame member and/or the display field.
In accordance with a simple embodiment, the edge flange can extend along the longitudinal sides of the display field and the frame member can be formed by two flat profiles which abut on the edge flange on one side thereof, the edge flange being arranged between said flat profiles and respective contact surfaces or contact projections formed on said rear cover and being held therebetween in that said cover and said flat profiles are releasably fastened, especially by means of screws. A recess for positively or non-positively receiving therein at least a part of the edge flange can be formed between said flat profiles and said contact surfaces.
For holding the edge flange not only in a recess between the cover and the flat profiles, the edge flanges can be provided with holes and/or recesses for receiving therein screws for releasably fastening the cover, the edge flange and the flat profiles. In this case, a flat profile is arranged on one side of the edge flange and this flat profile is secured to the cover, especially in the area of the contact surfaces, by means of the screws passed through the holes and/or recesses in the edge flange.
A cover having small dimensions by means of which the depth of the display device is red
Nahrgang Helmut
Noll Barbara
Brinks Hofer Gilson & Lione
Evobus GmbH Corporation
Hewitt James M
Lione Richard G.
Melius Terry Lee
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