An illuminating unit (28) is presented for use in an internally illuminated sign device (1) for displaying a pattern indicative of certain fixed information within an indicia area. The illuminating unit (28) comprises a light boundary structure (33) for a light source (38) to be mounted thereon. The
An illuminating unit (28) is presented for use in an internally illuminated sign device (1) for displaying a pattern indicative of certain fixed information within an indicia area. The illuminating unit (28) comprises a light boundary structure (33) for a light source (38) to be mounted thereon. The light boundary structure (33) has an indicia area carrying side (16) having said pattern indicative of the information to be displayed, and has an inner surface made of at least one highly reflective material to thereby increase the amount of light propagating from the light source (38) to said indicia area
대표청구항▼
The invention claimed is: 1. An illuminating unit for use in an internally illuminated sign device for displaying an indicia pattern indicative of certain fixed information within at least one indicia area, the illuminating unit comprising a light boundary structure for a light source, to be mounte
The invention claimed is: 1. An illuminating unit for use in an internally illuminated sign device for displaying an indicia pattern indicative of certain fixed information within at least one indicia area, the illuminating unit comprising a light boundary structure for a light source, to be mounted thereon, wherein said light boundary structure is formed of at least two attachable parts including, respectively, a frame and at least one indicia area carrying panel removably mountable onto said frame defining together a six-sided box including the indicia carrying panel, an opposite side, and side walls, at least one of the side walls having a curved surface formed by at least two facets, said at least one indicia area carrying panel being a multi-layer structure formed by at least two layers patterned in accordance with the information to be displayed, an upper external layer of the multi-layer structure of the indicia area carrying panel having translucent regions of the indicia pattern and light blocking regions of the indicia pattern, and a lower inner layer of the multi-layer structure of the indicia area carrying panel having translucent regions of the indicia pattern and reflective regions of the indicia pattern, the illumination unit being thereby configured to increase the amount of light propagating from the light source to said at least one indicia area and enable replacement of the indicia area carrying panel to display different information, and enable visibility of the indicia area via internally reflected light. 2. The illuminating unit according to claim 1, wherein the light source includes at least one LED mounted inside the light boundary structure, the at least one LED for illuminating the indicia area on the indicia area carrying side being oriented such that it emits light directly propagating onto the inner surface of the light boundary structure opposite said indicia area carrying side of the light boundary structure, to thereby increase the amount of light propagating from the light source to said indicia area. 3. The illuminating unit according to claim 1, wherein a portion of the highly reflective inner surface within the indicia area carrying side is made of a reflective diffusive material. 4. The illuminating unit according to claim 1, wherein a portion of said highly reflective inner surface located outside the indicia area carrying side includes a specularly reflective material. 5. The illuminating unit according to claim 1, wherein said light boundary structure comprises a diffusive translucent layer located inside the structure underneath the indicia area carrying side. 6. The illuminating unit according to claim 5, wherein said diffusive translucent layer is a foil plastic selected from the group of polyester and PVC. 7. The illuminating unit according to claim 1, wherein the indicia area carrying side has a protective coating made of mat varnish to thereby prevent said side from UV radiation. 8. The illuminating unit according to claim 7, wherein said protective coating contains a flame retarding material. 9. The illuminating unit according to claim 1, wherein said highly reflective material within the inner surface of the indicia area carrying side is reflective diffusive and includes 3M Light Enhancement Film. 10. The illuminating unit according to claim 1, wherein said highly reflective material of the inner surface of the light boundary structure outside said indicia area carrying side is specular reflective and includes polished aluminum. 11. The illuminating unit according to claim 1, wherein the light source is mountable onto the light boundary structure aside said indicia area carrying side. 12. The illuminating unit according to claim 1, wherein said opposite side is also an indicia area carrying side patterned in accordance with information to be displayed. 13. The illuminating unit according to claim 1, wherein the light source comprises at least one LED mountable onto at least one of the side walls of the light boundary structure. 14. The illuminating unit according to claim 13, wherein said at least one LED is oriented such that it emits light directly onto the opposite side. 15. The illuminating unit according to claim 1, wherein at least the indicia area carrying side of the light boundary structure is inclined downward with respect to a vertical plane so as to reduce glare in direct sunlight. 16. An internally illuminated sign device for displaying fixed information, comprising the illuminating unit of claim 1 and a power supply source connectable to the light source, wherein said power supply source comprises a battery assembly. 17. The device according to claim 16, wherein said power supply source comprises a switching circuit for controlling the operation of the battery assembly. 18. The device according to claim 17, wherein said switching circuit comprises a connector shiftable between its operative and inoperative positions, such that when in the operative position the connector actuates the battery assembly, and when in the inoperative position prevents the battery assembly from being actuated, thereby enabling to keep that battery assembly disconnected when the device is not in use. 19. The device according to claim 17, wherein said switching circuit comprises a recharge circuit operable to recharge the battery assembly. 20. The device according to claim 16, wherein said battery assembly comprises a solar panel. 21. The device according to claim 20, wherein said solar panel is inclined upward with respect to a vertical plane so as to increase the amount of collected global solar radiation. 22. The device according to claim 20, wherein said switching circuit comprises a solar cell circuit, and is operable to selectively disconnect the battery assembly from the light source. 23. The device according to claim 16, wherein said switching circuit comprises a voltage limiting circuit operable to limit voltage created by the recharge circuit to thereby provide a desired input voltage to the battery assembly. 24. The device according to claim 16, wherein said switching circuit comprises a current adjusting circuit operable to provide a constant electric current through the light source. 25. The device according to claim 21, wherein said switching circuit comprises a solar cell circuit, and is operable to selectively disconnect the battery assembly from the light source. 26. An illuminating unit for use in an internally illuminated sign device for displaying a pattern indicative of certain fixed information within an indicia area, the illuminating unit comprising a light boundary structure for a light source to be mounted thereon, wherein said light boundary structure is configured as a six-sided box including an indicia area carrying side having said pattern, an opposite side, and side walls, at least one of the side walls having a curved surface formed by at least two facets, and said light boundary structure has a highly reflective inner surface, wherein the light source includes at least one LED for illuminating the indicia area on the indicia area carrying side which is, mounted on at least one of the side walls of the light boundary structure and oriented such that it emits light directly propagating onto the inner surface of the light boundary structure outside said indicia area carrying side which is to be illuminated by said at least one LED, to thereby increase the amount of light propagating from the light source to said indicia area. 27. A power supply source for use with the illuminating unit of claim 1 to supply power to the light source, the power supply source comprising an assembly of rechargeable batteries, a solar cell and a switching circuit for controlling the operation of the battery assembly and of the solar cell to provide the following effects: selective connection and disconnection of the battery assembly to and from the light source; recharge of the battery assembly by means of the solar cell; supply of a constant electric current to the light source. 28. The power supply source according to claim 27, wherein said selective disconnection of the battery assembly utilizes photoswitch element. 29. The power supply source according to claim 27, wherein said switching circuit comprises a voltage limiting circuit operable to limit voltage created by the recharge circuit to thereby provide a desired input voltage to the battery assembly. 30. An illuminating unit for use in an internally illuminated sign device for displaying a pattern indicative of certain fixed information within two opposite indicia areas, the illuminating unit comprising a light boundary structure for a light source to be mounted thereon, wherein said light boundary structure is a six-sided box formed of attachable parts including a frame defining side walls with at least one of the side walls having a curved surface formed by at least two facets, and first and second indicia area carrying panels removably mountable onto said frame, the indicia area carrying panel being a multi-layer structure formed by at least two layers patterned in accordance with the information to be displayed, an upper external layer of said multi-layer structure of the indicia area carrying panel having translucent regions of the indicia pattern and light blocking regions of the indicia pattern, and a lower inner layer of said multi-layer structure of the indicia area carrying panel having translucent regions of the indicia pattern and reflective regions of the indicia pattern, the illumination unit being thereby configured to increase the amount of light propagating from the light source to said indicia areas and enable replacement of the indicia area carrying panels to display different information, and enable visibility of the indicia areas via internally reflected light.
연구과제 타임라인
LOADING...
LOADING...
LOADING...
LOADING...
LOADING...
이 특허에 인용된 특허 (12)
Grondal Daniel J. ; Johnstone Robert M., Apparatus and method of indirectly illuminating a sign.
※ AI-Helper는 부적절한 답변을 할 수 있습니다.