AU2007100617A4 - Illuminated Panel - Google Patents

Description

1 Illuminated Panel Field of the Invention.

The present invention relates to an illuminated panel. In particular, the present invention relates to an illuminated panel for use in windows, doors, and the like or as a free-standing item.

Background Art.

Decorative panels, in which a pattern is formed on a glass sheet or block, have been used in the past to increase privacy or simply to provide a more aesthetically pleasing finish to a panel.

The drawback with these panels is that the pattern on the panel can only be seen clearly when in strong light, and particularly sunlight. Even then, depending on the direction from which light striking the panel comes, the pattern may be difficult to see because of light reflecting off the panel and so on. At night, or in a darkened or poorly-lit room, the pattern will not be seen.

Therefore, there would be an advantage if it were possible to provide a decorative panel which can be viewed from all angles and in all light conditions, particularly at night or in poor lighting conditions.

It will be clearly understood that, if a prior art publication is referred to herein, this reference does not constitute an admission that the publication forms part of the common general knowledge in the art in Australia or in any other country.

Throughout this specification, the term "comprising" and its grammatical equivalents shall be taken to have an inclusive meaning unless the context of use indicates otherwise.

Object of the Invention.

It is an object of the present invention to provide and illuminated panel which may overcome at least some of the abovementioned disadvantages, or provide a useful or 2 commercial choice.

In a first aspect of the invention, there is provided an illuminated panel made of substantially clear material and having an edge, and at least one light source adapted to project a light into the edge, at least one face of the panel containing a cut such that light passing through the edge of the panel contacts the cut to provide an illuminated area.

The illuminated panel may be made from any substantially clear material, such as, but not limited to, glass, plastic, Perspex and the like. The cut contained in at least one face of the panel may be produced by any suitable method including engraving, etching or sandblasting. Alternatively, the cut may be formed during the process by which the panel is manufactured by moulding). The cut may be of sufficient shape and dimensions such that the light from the light source that passes through the panel may reflect and/or refract when it strikes the cut, giving the cut a glowing appearance.

In some embodiments of the invention, the cut in the face of the panel may form a part of a decorative design.

The at least one light source may include any suitable device, such as standard light globes, LEDs, halogen lights and the like. The at least one light source may be adapted to be housed on the edge of the panel. Alternatively, the at least one light source may be adapted to be housed within a recess formed in the edge of the panel. In this way, the light from the at least one light source passes through the panel at an angle substantially parallel to the front surface of the panel. By projecting light from the light source through the panel in this manner, the decorative design on the surface of the panel may be highlighted, thus making the decorative design visible even at night or in a darkened room.

In some preferred embodiments of the invention, the illuminated panel comprises a plurality of separate light sources. The plurality of separate light sources may be located all on the same edge of the panel, or at least one of the plurality of light 3 sources may be located on a different edge of the panel. In some embodiments of the invention, the plurality of separate light sources is arranged on at least one edge.

The at least one light source may be connected to any suitable power source, such as mains power or a battery. Preferably, the leads, wires or the like connecting the at least one light source to the power source are adapted to be housed at the rear of a backing member applied to the rear of the panel. In this way, the leads, wire or the like cannot be seen from the front of the illuminated panel, thereby maintaining an aesthetically pleasing finish.

The illuminated panel may further be provided with a switch or similar device to enable the user to turn the at least one light source on and off when desired.

Alternatively, the illuminated panel may be provided with a timer to automatically switch the at least one light source on and off at a desired time. In some embodiments of the invention, the illuminated panel may be provided with light sensors which switch the at least one light source on when the ambient light level drops to a certain pre-determined level (for instance, at sunset) and switch the at least one light source off when the ambient light level rises to a certain pre-determined level (for instance, at sunrise).

The illuminated panel of the present invention may be provided as a free-standing decorative unit. Alternatively, the illuminated panel may be mounted on a wall, or retained within a window frame or door.

In some embodiments of the invention, the illuminated panel may be adapted to be retained within a frame. The frame may be of any suitable design. For instance, the frame may be constructed from a plurality of members, or may comprise a single member. In some embodiments of the invention, the frame may be cut to shape from a solid sheet or block. The frame may be constructed from any suitable material, such as, but not limited to, wood, plastic, glass, fiberglass, stone, cement, metal and the like.

In some embodiments of the invention, the frame may be provided with a decorative finish. The finish may be applied by painting, spraying, coating, papering or otherwise covering the outer surfaces of the frame.

In embodiments of the invention in which a frame is present, the at least one light source may alternatively be located on an inner surface of the frame. In embodiments of the invention in which a plurality of light sources are present, the plurality of light sources may be located on at least one inner surface of the frame, or an at least one edge of the panel, or a combination of the two.

A light source located on the inner surface of the frame may be adapted to be retained within a recess on the inner surface of the frame. Alternatively, the light source may simply abut the inner surface of the frame.

As previously discussed, the illuminated panel may further comprise a backing member behind which leads, wires and the like may be disguised. The backing member may be of any suitable form. Preferably, the backing member is a sheet or panel which may be attached to the rear of the panel, or to the rear of a frame. The backing member may be fabricated from any suitable material, such as wood, paper, cardboard, plastic, glass, fiberglass, metal and so on. In some embodiments of the invention, the backing member may be attached directly to the rear surface of the frame. Alternatively, the backing member may be adapted to be retained within the frame at a point towards the rear of the frame.

The backing member may be attached to the frame using any suitable method, such as using fasteners screws, nails, staples etc.), adhesives, or other suitable techniques such as welding.

Preferably, the front surface of the backing member the surface that faces towards the front of the illuminated panel) is adapted to enhance the visibility of the panel during use. This may be achieved using any suitable method, however it is preferred that the backing member is provided with a dark-coloured front surface. Providing the backing member with a dark-coloured front surface may be achieved by painting, coating or otherwise covering the front surface of the backing member using any suitable technique. Alternatively, the backing member may be constructed from a dark-coloured material, such as a black plastic, dark timber and so on.

In a second aspect of the invention, there is provided a method of producing an illuminated panel comprising the steps of: a) Providing a substantially clear panel having an edge, and at least one face of the panel containing a cut; b) Installing at least one light source on at least one edge of the panel; and c) Connecting the at least one light source to a power source.

In some embodiments of the invention, the method of producing an illuminated panel may further comprise the further step of providing a frame and retaining the panel within the frame.

In further embodiments of the invention, the method of producing an illuminated panel may comprise the further step of attaching a backing member to the rear of the frame and/or the rear of the panel. The backing member may be provided so that any electrical leads, wires and the like may be hidden behind the backing member to give the illuminated panel a more aesthetically-pleasing finish. Preferably, at least one surface of the backing member is of a dark colour. Preferably, the at least one dark surface of the backing member is the surface that faces towards the front of the illuminated panel.

In an alternative embodiment of the invention, the method of producing an 2 5 illuminated panel may include the further steps of providing the panel with a switch allowing the user to turn the at least one light source on and off. The method may also include the steps of providing the panel with a timer and/or light sensors to allow automatic switching of the light sources.

In some embodiments of the invention, the cut in the at least one face of the panel may form a part of a decorative design. The decorative design may be provided using any suitable technique, although it is preferred that the decorative design is provided by engraving, etching or sandblasting the panel. Alternatively, the cut may be formed during the manufacturing process of the panel, for example by moulding.

In some embodiments of the invention, the frame may be provided with a decorative finish prior to the assembly of the illuminated panel.

Brief Description of the Drawings.

An embodiment of the invention will be described with reference to the following drawings in which: Figure 1 illustrates an illuminated panel according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Figure 2 illustrates an illuminated panel according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Detailed Description of the Drawings.

It will be appreciated that the drawings have been provided for the purposes of illustrating preferred embodiments of the present invention and that the invention should not be considered to be limited solely to the features as shown in the drawings.

In Figure 1 there is shown an illuminated panel 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention. The illuminated panel 10 consists of a frame 11, a glass panel 12 and a black backing member 13 seen through the glass panel 12. The glass panel 12 is provided with an engraved decorative design 14.

The illuminated panel 10 is further provided with a plurality of light sources 15 in the form of LEDs. The LEDs are located on an inner surface of the frame 11 and, in the embodiment of the invention shown in Figure 1, project their light onto the upper edge 16 of the glass panel 12. The light from the light sources 15 travels through the glass panel 12 at an angle parallel to the front surface 17 of the panel 12. As the light passes through the panel 12, it highlights the decorative design 14, making it appear to glow. The presence of the black backing member 13 serves to intensify this effect.

The light sources 15 are connected to a power source (not shown) which may be mains power or a battery by a lead 18. The lead 18 and wiring (not shown) for the light sources 15 is housed at the rear of the backing member 13 in order to ensure that 7 the lead 18 is not visible through the glass panel 12.

The frame 11 illustrated in Figure 1 is provided with a decorative outer surface 19 to enhance the aesthetic appeal of the illuminated panel In Figure 2, an alternative embodiment of the invention is illustrated. The illuminated panel 10 shown in the figure comprises a frame 11, a glass panel 12 provided with a decorative design 14 and a black backing member 13 visible through the glass panel 12.

The illuminated panel 10 comprises a number of light sources 15 in the form of LEDs.

Each of the light sources 15 is located on a different inner surface of the frame 11.

The light sources project their light through the panel 12 at an angle parallel to the front surface 17 of the panel 12. This highlights the design 14, thus giving the illuminated panel 10 a glowing effect.

Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the present invention may be susceptible to variations and modifications other than those specifically described. It will be understood that the present invention encompasses all such variations and modifications that fall within its spirit and scope.

Claims (3)

1. 2. An illuminated panel according to claim 1, wherein the cut forms part of a decorative design.
2. 3. An illuminated panel according to claim 1 or claim 2 wherein a plurality of separate light sources are arranged on at least one edge of the illuminated panel.
3. 4. An illuminated panel according to any one of claims 1 to 3 wherein the illuminated panel is adapted to be housed within a frame, and optionally a backing member is provided, the backing member adapted for attachment to the rear of the frame or illuminated panel. An illuminated panel according to any one of claims 1 to 4 wherein the illuminated panel is free-standing or is adapted to be mounted on a wall or retained within a window frame or door. Dated: 9 July 2007