US3553869A

US3553869A - Illuminated sign

Info

Publication number: US3553869A
Application number: US739564A
Authority: US
Inventors: Donald A Dickinson
Original assignee: Gilbert and Barker Manufacturing Co Inc
Current assignee: Gilbarco Inc
Priority date: 1968-06-24
Filing date: 1968-06-24
Publication date: 1971-01-12
Anticipated expiration: 1988-01-12

Abstract

AN ILLUMINATED DISPLAY PANEL WHEREIN A TRANSPARENT MATERIAL SHEET IS FACED SELECTIVELY ON OPPOSITE SIDES WITH OPAQUE MATERIAL SO THAT A LIGHT POSITIONED ON ONE SIDE OF THE SHEET WILL ILLUMINATE A PRESELECTED DESIGN ON THE OPPOSITE SIDE OF THE SHEET THAT IS CHARACTERIZED BY A HALO EFFECT SURROUNDING THE PERIPHERY OF THE DESIGN.

Description

Jan. 12, 1971 D. A. DICKINSON ILLUMINATED SIGN Filed June 24, 1968 FIG.I

FIG.2

0 m Oul K C El D A D L A N O D United States Patent O 3,553,869 ILLUMINATED SIGN Donald A. Dickinson, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, assignor to Gilbert & Barker Manufacturing Company, New York, N.Y., a corporation of New York Filed June 24, 1968, Ser. No. 739,564 Int. Cl. G09f 13/06 U.S. Cl. 40--130 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE An illuminated display panel wherein a transparent material sheet is faced selectively on opposite sides with opaque material so that a light positioned on one side of the sheet will illuminate a preselected design on the opposite side of the sheet that is characterized by a halo effect surrounding the periphery of the design.

BACKGROUND, BRIEF SUMMARY, AND OBJECTIVES OF THE INVENTION A significant increase in the use of indirectly illuminated novelty display panels and advertising signs has taken place within the past several years as these items have almost exclusively replaced formerly used electric light bulb and neon signs. The popularity of these indirectly lit panels is at least partially attributed to the manner in which the illuminated designs and/ or lettering form attractive, uninterrupted lines and, when illuminated, cast a characteristic surrounding glow or halo effect not achieved with conventional bulb signs.

Some commodities such as gasoline at gasoline dispensing areas are especially attractively advertised by the use of such signs. Often a customer responds to a particular fuel or related automotive commodity according to the advertising medium employed, and more importantly, illuminated displays are more noticeable at night especially when designed with attractive indirect lighting producing the above-mentioned halo effect.

The present invention involves a further development in the use of indirect lighting to achieve a halo effect about preselected designs or wording. Here, a transparent material sheet is faced on a front exposed side by an opaque screen having a selected design cut therein so that the transparent material will pass light through the unfaced portion of the screen forming the design. All opaque material mirror image of the design is then placed on the opposite side of the transparent material sheet to coincide with the cut-out design on the sheet front surface. Both opaque facings have reflective surfaces contiguous with the sheet. Since the mirror image design is somewhat larger than the front surface, a light source situated near the rear surface of the material sheet will be reflected about the opaque material within the transparent material sheet to form a halo about the periphery of the selected design on the front of the material sheet.

From the foregoing, it will be appreciated that a primary objective of the present invention is to provide a display panel which will produce a halo effect around the periphery of selected designs or wording when illumination of the panel is accomplished.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a display panel of the type described which is attractive in appearance and inexpensive in construction and operation.

Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a display panel of the type described which is susceptible to numerous diversified applications all equally effective in forming the halo effect about a preselected design.

CCv

These and other objects of the present invention will become more apparent after a consideration of the following specification taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings wherein like characters of reference designate like parts throughout the several views.

FIGURE DESCRIPTION FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of a section of opaque material wherein selected printing has been removed, the section to be applied to the front of a transparent material sheet.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged sectional view of a portion of the section shown in FIG. 1 in perspective illustrating the formation of the selected design within the opaque material section.

FIG. 3 is an opposite sectional side elevational view of a transparent material sheet having a facing of opaque material formed as a mirror image of the cut-out portion shown in FIG. 2 formed thereon.

FIG. 4 is a side elevational sectional view of the display panel embodying the present invention showing the configuration of light rays emanating from a light source in passing through the transparent material sheet to form the halo lighting effect for a display panel.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Referring now to the drawings and particularly to FIG. 4, a clear sheet of material 10 preferably formed from a relatively inexpensive plastic such as Plexiglas or Lexan is cut to the required panel size after which a front display opaque screen 12 having the requisite design formed therein is adhered to the front 14 of sheet 10 so that open exposed portions 16 are viewable through the pre-cut design of the opaque screen. The back side of the opaque screen is coated with a reflective substance and a bonding composition suitable to adhere the screen to the sheet.

After the front of screen 10 has been prepared as described, an opaque mirror image coating is adhered in registry to the cut-out design on the rear face 18 of sheet 10. Again this opaque design 20 has a reflective substance of paint or the like on its rear side which will communicate with the material sheet 10 when the opaque design is adhered to that component.

A fluorescent tube 22 preferably forms a light source for the present display panel and allows illumination in a manner to be described subsequently. It has been found most effective to position the tube 22 approximately inch from the rear surface 18 of the material sheet 10, this dimension providing extremely good lighting characteristics which will be described.

One technique for providing the reflective substance which will also insure that the coating is opaque is first to apply white ink over the back of the material sheet 10, where the reverse image of the design 20 is carried. After the white ink has dried, black ink is applied so that light rays can pass through only those areas not coated by the inks. The coating of white ink will permit reflection of light rays introduced from a light source to achieve the halo effect that is so desirable in a panel design. Any number of screens may be used for the front display area of the panel so long as the material from which the design is cut is impervious to light.

Light reflection occurs as shown in FIG. 4 whereby light rays from the fluorescent tube 22 enter the transparent material sheet 10 at an angle and are reflected in some instances up to two times before .finally being emitted from the openings 16 forming the design in the front screen. The mirror image of the design 20 bonded to the rear of screen 10 is most effective when the reversed lettering or configuration is approximately inch larger than the front design, this size differential achieving through light reflection the desired halo effect about the periphery of the selected design on the panel front.

While there has been described and illustrated a preferred embodiment of an illuminated display panel, it will be obvious that any number of changes may be made in the arrangement of the material parts of this concept Without departing from the real spirit and purpose thereof. Such modifications and the use of equivalents to those herein disclosed are contemplated.

What is claimed is:

1. A display panel comprising: a transparent material sheet; a viewable opaque screen having a selected design formed therein proximate one side of said transparent material sheet; an opaque mirror image design of said viewable screen design formed proximate the other side of said transparent material sheet in alinement with said selected design; a light source adjacent said opaque mirror image design illuminating said transparent material and forming a light rim halo effect on the opaque screen about the periphery of the selected design, the viewable screen having a reflective surface contiguous with said material sheet and said opaque mirror image design having a reflective surface contiguous with said material sheet.

2. A panel as claimed in claim 1, said opaque mirror image design being slightly larger than said viewable screen design.

3. A- panel as claimed in claim 1, said opaque screen positioned contiguous one side of said material sheet and said opaque material image design positioned contiguous the other side of said material sheet.

4. A panel as claimed in claim 2, said opaque screen positioned contiguous one side of said material sheet and said opaque mirror image design positioned contiguous the other side of said material sheet.

5. A panel as claimed in claim 4 wherein said light source is centrally located with respect to the opaque mirror image so that light rays emitted from said source are reflected from said reflective surfaces and illuminate the selected design in said viewable screen.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 6/1942 Davis 40l33 9/1957 Hardesty 40-130(K)