대표
청구항
▼
What is claimed is: 1. An address indicator combination comprising: a plurality of rectangular character panels each having a translucent character that is surrounded by an opaque remainder of each panel, and each having a height and a width; a frame defining a channel with upper and lower rails spaced by an amount for capturing the height of each of a plurality of said character panels that are each slidably engaged between the rails, the channel having a length equal to at least an integral number of panel widths, the frame including an upper chamber ...
What is claimed is: 1. An address indicator combination comprising: a plurality of rectangular character panels each having a translucent character that is surrounded by an opaque remainder of each panel, and each having a height and a width; a frame defining a channel with upper and lower rails spaced by an amount for capturing the height of each of a plurality of said character panels that are each slidably engaged between the rails, the channel having a length equal to at least an integral number of panel widths, the frame including an upper chamber above the channel and a rear chamber behind the channel defining a space; stop means for stopping character panels that are between the rails, from sliding out of the channel; a plurality of electrically powered light sources spaced along and being within the upper chamber for casting light into the space; a translucent screen in the space for defusing light from the space into the channel for illuminating the translucent character of each panel captured between the rails, the translucent screen including an upper edge with a lens adjacent each light for helping to defuse the light; a plurality of solar cells for receiving light and for converting the light into electrical energy; a battery compartment with a battery cradle for receiving a plurality of rechargeable and replaceable batteries; and a power distribution circuit connected to the solar cells for receiving electrical power from the solar cells and being connected to the battery compartment for supplying the electrical power to charge batteries in the compartment when electrical power is being converted from light by the solar cells, the circuit being connected to the light sources for supplying power from charged batteries in the compartment to the light sources to light the light sources when no electrical power is being converted from light by the solar cells. 2. The combination of claim 1, including a mailbox defining an enclosure for receiving mail, the mailbox having a side wall for receiving the frame for displaying the characters, a top wall for receiving the solar cells and for exposing the solar cells upwardly for receiving sun light, and an on-off switch connected to the circuit and mounted to the mailbox for manually interrupting power supply to the light sources so that any charge of batteries in the compartment is maintained. 3. The combination of claim 1, including a mailbox defining an enclosure for receiving mail, the mailbox having a side wall with a pocket formed in the side wall, for receiving the frame for displaying the characters, a top wall for receiving the solar cells and for exposing the solar cells upwardly for receiving sun light, the compartment being mounted in the mailbox and having a door for covering the battery cradle and that is manually removable for exchanging rechargeable batteries in the compartment. 4. The combination of claim 1, wherein the plurality of solar cells, the battery compartment and the power distribution circuit are mounted in a housing that is separate from the frame, the frame and the housing each having a positive and negative electrical and mechanical connector that are each mechanically and electrically connected to each other in only one way so that polarity of the connection between the frame and housing is always the same, the electrical and mechanical connectors of the housing being connected to the circuit and the electrical and mechanical connectors of the frame being connected to the light sources, the housing having a door for covering the battery cradle and that is manually removable for exchanging rechargeable batteries in the compartment, there being fewer light sources than spaces in the channel for character panels. 5. The combination of claim 1, wherein the frame includes the plurality of the light sources which are each an LED spaced along the upper chamber above the space for distributing light evenly along the screen, there being fewer LEDs than spaces in the channel for character panels, the combination including a mailbox defining an enclosure for receiving mail, the mailbox having a side wall for receiving the frame for displaying the characters, a top wall for receiving the solar cells and for exposing the solar cells upwardly for receiving sun light, and an on-off switch connected to the circuit and mounted to the mailbox for manually interrupting power supply to the LEDs so that any charge of batteries in the compartment is maintained, the compartment being mounted in the mailbox and having a door that is manually openable for exchanging rechargeable batteries in the compartment. 6. The combination of claim 1, wherein the frame includes a plurality of the light sources which are each an LED spaced along the upper chamber above the space for distributing light evenly along the screen, the plurality of solar cells, the battery compartment and the power distribution circuit being mounted in a housing that is separate from the frame, the frame and the housing each having a positive and negative electrical and mechanical connector that are each mechanically and electrically connected to each other in only one way so that polarity of the connection between the frame and the housing is always the same, the electrical and mechanical connectors of the housing being connected to the circuit and the electrical and mechanical connectors of the frame being connected to the LEDs. 7. The combination of claim 1, including a closure plate connected to the frame for closing a rear of the rear chamber, the frame including a plurality of the light sources which are each an LED spaced along the upper chamber above the space for distributing light evenly along the screen, the plurality of solar cells, the battery compartment and the power distribution circuit being mounted in a housing that is separate from the frame, the frame and the housing each having a positive and negative electrical and mechanical connector that are each mechanically and electrically connected to each other in only one way so that polarity of the connection between the frame and the housing is always the same, the electrical and mechanical connectors of the housing being connected to the circuit and the electrical and mechanical connectors of the frame being connected to the LEDs. 8. The combination of claim 1, including a pair of half panels that are each opaque and each have the same height as one of the character panels and one half the width of one of the character panels for being slide on opposite sides of at least one character panel in the channel for substantially filling the channel. 9. The combination of claim 1, wherein the stop means comprise at least one peg inserted into a close fitting aperture at least one end of the channel. 10. The combination of claim 1, including a clouded translucent film on one of a rear and front surface of the translucent screen. 11. The combination of claim 1, wherein the light sources are each an LED, the translucent screen including a recess for each LED in the upper edge and each centered on one said lens, each lens being substantially semi-circular. 12. The combination of claim 1, wherein each character panel has a volume of clear plastic material, and has a rear surface covered by a layer of opaque material everywhere except a rear area of the character on the panel. 13. The combination of claim 1, wherein each character panel has a volume of clear plastic material, and has a rear surface covered by a layer of opaque material everywhere except a rear area of the character on the panel, each panel being formed so that the shape of the character projects forwardly of a front surface of the remainder of the panel and the rear surface of each panel is indented so that a opaque area defined by the layer surrounds the translucent character for each panel. 14. The combination of claim 1, including a white closure plate connected to the frame for closing a rear of the rear chamber and for reflecting light toward the channel, the frame including a plurality of the light sources which are each an LED spaced along the upper chamber above the space for distributing light evenly along the screen, the plurality of solar cells, the battery compartment and the power distribution circuit being mounted in a housing that is separate from the frame, the frame and the housing each having a positive and negative electrical and mechanical connector that are each mechanically and electrically connected to each other in only one way so that polarity of the connection between the frame and the housing is always the same, the electrical and mechanical connectors of the housing being connected to the circuit and the electrical and mechanical connectors of the frame being connected to the LEDs. 15. An address indicator combination comprising: a plurality of rectangular character panels each having a translucent character that is surrounded by an opaque remainder of each panel, and each having a height and a width; a frame defining a channel with upper and lower rails spaced by an amount for capturing the height of each of a plurality of said character panels that are each slidably engaged between the rails, the channel having a length equal to at least an integral number of panel widths, the frame including an upper chamber above the channel and a rear chamber behind the channel defining a space; stop means for stopping sliding of character panels that are between the rails, out of the channel; a plurality of electrically powered light sources spaced along and being in the upper chamber for casting light into the space; a translucent screen in the space for defusing light from the space into the channel for illuminating the translucent character of each panel captured by the rails, the translucent screen including an upper edge with a lens adjacent each light source for further defusing the light; a plurality of solar cells for receiving light and for converting light into electrical energy; a battery compartment with a cradle for receiving a plurality of rechargeable and replaceable batteries; a power distribution circuit connected to the solar cells for receiving electrical power from the solar cells and being connected to the battery compartment for supplying the electrical power to charge batteries in the cradle when electrical power is being converted from light by the solar cells, the circuit being connected to the light sources for supplying power from charged batteries in the compartment to the light source to light the light source when no electrical power is being converted from light by the solar cells; and a mailbox defining an enclosure for receiving mail, the mailbox having a side wall for receiving the frame for displaying the characters, a top wall for receiving the solar cells and for exposing the solar cells upwardly for receiving sun light, and an on-off switch connected to the circuit and mounted to the mailbox for manually interrupting power supply to the light source so that any charge of batteries in the compartment is maintained, the compartment being mounted in the mailbox and having a battery door that is manually openable for exchanging rechargeable batteries in the compartment. 16. The combination of claim 15, including a pair of half panels that are each opaque and each have the same height as one of the character panels and one half the width of one of the character panels for being slide on opposite sides of at least one character panel in the channel for substantially filling the channel. 17. The combination of claim 15, wherein the stop means comprise at least one peg inserted into a close fitting aperture at least one end of the channel. 18. An address indicator combination comprising: a plurality of rectangular character panels each having a translucent character that is surrounded by an opaque remainder of each panel, and each having a height and a width; a frame defining a channel with upper and lower rails spaced by an amount for capturing the height of each of a plurality of said character panels that are each slidably engaged between the rails, the channel having a length equal to at least an integral number of panel widths, the frame including an upper chamber above the channel and a rear chamber behind the channel defining a space; stop means for stopping character panels that are between the rails, from sliding out of the channel; a plurality of electrically powered light sources spaced along and being in the upper chamber for casting light into the space; a translucent screen in the space for defusing light from the space into the channel for illuminating the translucent character of each panel captured between the rails, the translucent screen including an upper edge with a lens adjacent each light source for further defusing the light; a plurality of solar cells for receiving light and for converting light into electrical energy; a battery compartment with a cradle for receiving a plurality of rechargeable and replaceable batteries; and a power distribution circuit connected to the solar cells for receiving electrical power from the solar cells and being connected to the battery compartment for supplying the electrical power to charge batteries in the cradle when electrical power is being converted from light by the solar cells, the circuit being connected to the light sources for supplying power from charged batteries in the cradle to the light sources to light the light sources when no electrical power is not being converted from light by the solar cells; the plurality of solar cells, the battery compartment and the power distribution circuit being mounted in a housing that is separate from the frame, the frame and the housing each having a positive and negative electrical and mechanical connector that are each mechanically and electrically connected to each other in only one way so that polarity of the connection between the frame and the housing is always the same, the electrical and mechanical connectors of the housing being connected to the circuit and the electrical and mechanical connectors of the frame being connected to the light sources. 19. The combination of claim 18, including a white closure plate connected to the frame for closing a rear of the rear chamber and for reflecting light toward the channel, the frame including a plurality of the light sources which are each an LED spaced along the upper chamber above the space for distributing light evenly along the screen, the plurality of solar cells, the battery compartment and the power distribution circuit being mounted in a housing that is separate from the frame, the frame and the housing each having a positive and negative electrical and mechanical connector that are each mechanically and electrically connected to each other in only one way so that polarity of the connection between the frame and the housing is always the same, the electrical and mechanical connectors of the housing being connected to the circuit and the electrical and mechanical connectors of the frame being connected to the LEDs. 20. The combination of claim 18, wherein the stop means comprise at least one peg inserted into a close fitting aperture at least one end of the channel.
