초록 ▼

An alternating sign assembly includes a sheet of light permeable material comprising a front surface and a rear surface; a front design that includes a front design layer; a silhouette pattern including light-restricting imaging material, said front design being superimposed on or forming a part of

An alternating sign assembly includes a sheet of light permeable material comprising a front surface and a rear surface; a front design that includes a front design layer; a silhouette pattern including light-restricting imaging material, said front design being superimposed on or forming a part of the silhouette pattern, said silhouette pattern subdividing said sheet into a plurality of discrete areas of said imaging material and/or a plurality of discrete areas devoid of said imaging material; a switchable front source of artificial illumination of said front design; a rear design disposed rearwardly of the front design; and a switchable rear source of artificial illumination of said rear design. The sources of illumination may be alternately turned on to make the front and rear designs alternately visible to an observer in front of the assembly.

대표청구항 ▼

1. An assembly comprising: a sheet of light permeable material comprising a front surface and a rear surface;a front design including a front design layer;a silhouette pattern comprising light-restricting imaging material, said front design being superimposed on or forming a part of the silhouette p

1. An assembly comprising: a sheet of light permeable material comprising a front surface and a rear surface;a front design including a front design layer;a silhouette pattern comprising light-restricting imaging material, said front design being superimposed on or forming a part of the silhouette pattern, said silhouette pattern subdividing said sheet into a plurality of discrete areas of said imaging material and/or a plurality of discrete areas devoid of said imaging material;a rear design disposed rearwardly of the front design; anda switchable rear source of artificial illumination of said rear design,wherein said rear design comprises a plurality of interlaced images,wherein said front design is applied to said sheet of light permeable material and said rear design is applied to another sheet of light permeable material. 2. An assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein said plurality of interlaced images are interlaced in a pattern of two, three or four images in sequence. 3. An assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein said silhouette pattern comprises a pattern of lines parallel to said interlaced images. 4. An assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein said interlaced images comprise a plurality of frames, and wherein the gaps between said lines are of similar width to the width of a single frame of said plurality of frames. 5. An assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein a 3-D image of said rear design is visible by means of said rear source of artificial illumination. 6. An assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein changing images are visible to an observer by means of said rear source of artificial illumination and relative movement between the assembly and an observer. 7. An assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein said rear source of artificial illumination comprises an array of light sources. 8. An assembly as claimed in claim 7, wherein said array of light sources are linear. 9. An assembly as claimed in claim 7, wherein said array of light sources are point light sources. 10. An assembly as claimed in claim 9, wherein said point light sources comprise a fixed or programmable array of Light Emitting Diodes (LEDs). 11. An assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein: wherein said assembly comprises a front source of artificial illumination of said front design; andsaid front source of artificial illumination is remote from the front design. 12. An assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein said sheet of light permeable material is remote from said interlaced images. 13. An assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein said assembly comprises a switchable front source of artificial illumination of said front design. 14. An assembly as claimed in claim 13, wherein said front source of artificial illumination of said front design and said rear source of illumination of said rear design are capable of instantaneous transition. 15. An assembly as claimed in claim 13, wherein said front source of artificial illumination of said front design and said rear source of illumination of said rear design are capable of gradual transition. 16. An assembly as claimed in claim 13, wherein said front source of artificial illumination comprises edge lighting. 17. An assembly as claimed in claim 13, wherein said front source of artificial illumination comprises an electroluminescent layer. 18. An assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein said front design is applied to said front surface of said sheet of light permeable material. 19. An assembly as claimed in claim 18, wherein said rear design is applied to said rear surface of said sheet of light permeable material. 20. An assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein said front design is applied to said rear surface of said sheet of light permeable material. 21. An assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein said rear design comprises a rear design layer illuminated by said rear source of artificial illumination. 22. An assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein said sheet of light permeable material is imperforate. 23. An assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein said rear source of artificial illumination comprises LEDs. 24. An assembly as claimed in claim 23, wherein said LEDs comprise a plurality of LED ribbons. 25. An assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein said assembly further comprises: a switchable front source of artificial illumination of said front design; andswitchgear operatively connected to the switchable front and rear sources of artificial illumination, the switchgear being constructed and arranged to alternately light the front and rear sources of artificial illumination. 26. An assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein, when the rear source of artificial illumination illuminates the rear design, different ones of the plurality of interlaced images are visible from a front of the assembly at different angles of observation relative to the assembly. 27. An assembly comprising: a sheet of light permeable material comprising a front surface and a rear surface;a front design including a front design layer;a silhouette pattern comprising light-restricting imaging material, said front design being superimposed on or forming a part of the silhouette pattern, said silhouette pattern subdividing said sheet into a plurality of discrete areas of said imaging material and/or a plurality of discrete areas devoid of said imaging material;a rear design disposed rearwardly of the front design; anda switchable rear source of artificial illumination of said rear design, wherein said rear design comprises a plurality of interlaced images, wherein the rear surface of said silhouette pattern is reflective, andwherein the rear surface of said silhouette pattern is white or silver. 28. A method of using an assembly, the assembly comprising: a sheet of light permeable material comprising a front surface and a rear surface;a front design including a front design layer;a silhouette pattern comprising light-restricting imaging material, said front design being superimposed on or forming a part of the silhouette pattern, said silhouette pattern subdividing said sheet into a plurality of discrete areas of said imaging material and/or a plurality of discrete areas devoid of said imaging material;a rear design disposed rearwardly of the front design; anda switchable rear source of artificial illumination of said rear design, wherein said rear design comprises a plurality of interlaced images, the method comprising switching said rear source of artificial illumination such that the front design and said rear design are alternately visible from in front of the assembly. 29. The method of claim 28, wherein an observer is located in front of said assembly and observes the alternating visibility of the front and rear designs. 30. The method of claim 28, wherein said front design is alternated with a 3D rear design formed by said plurality of interlaced images. 31. The method of claim 28, wherein said front design is alternated with a changing rear design, and wherein said changing rear design is visible to an observer by means of said rear source of artificial illumination and relative movement between the assembly and the observer. 32. The method of claim 28, further comprising making different ones of the plurality of interlaced images visible at different angles of observation relative to the assembly when the rear source of artificial illumination illuminates the rear design.