EP0563467A1 - Dispositif d'affichage d'information illuminé amélioré qui peut regarder à grand angle et procédure de sa fabrication - Google Patents

Dispositif d'affichage d'information illuminé amélioré qui peut regarder à grand angle et procédure de sa fabrication Download PDF

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Publication number
EP0563467A1
EP0563467A1 EP92302821A EP92302821A EP0563467A1 EP 0563467 A1 EP0563467 A1 EP 0563467A1 EP 92302821 A EP92302821 A EP 92302821A EP 92302821 A EP92302821 A EP 92302821A EP 0563467 A1 EP0563467 A1 EP 0563467A1
Authority
EP
European Patent Office
Prior art keywords
microbeads
display assembly
information display
optical fiber
viewing side
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Withdrawn
Application number
EP92302821A
Other languages
German (de)
English (en)
Inventor
Michael J. c/o Tru-lyte Systems Inc. Reidinger
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
TRU-LYTE SYSTEMS Ltd
Original Assignee
TRU-LYTE SYSTEMS Ltd
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by TRU-LYTE SYSTEMS Ltd filed Critical TRU-LYTE SYSTEMS Ltd
Priority to EP92302821A priority Critical patent/EP0563467A1/fr
Publication of EP0563467A1 publication Critical patent/EP0563467A1/fr
Withdrawn legal-status Critical Current

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Classifications

    • G—PHYSICS
    • G09—EDUCATION; CRYPTOGRAPHY; DISPLAY; ADVERTISING; SEALS
    • G09F—DISPLAYING; ADVERTISING; SIGNS; LABELS OR NAME-PLATES; SEALS
    • G09F9/00—Indicating arrangements for variable information in which the information is built-up on a support by selection or combination of individual elements
    • G09F9/30—Indicating arrangements for variable information in which the information is built-up on a support by selection or combination of individual elements in which the desired character or characters are formed by combining individual elements
    • G09F9/305—Indicating arrangements for variable information in which the information is built-up on a support by selection or combination of individual elements in which the desired character or characters are formed by combining individual elements being the ends of optical fibres

Definitions

  • This invention relates to a light emitting information display assembly, and more particularly to an improved illumination display assembly of wide angle viewing.
  • a light transmitting assembly comprised of a screen assembly having a plurality of generally conically-shaped repeater orifices wherein an optical fiber of an optical fiber bundle is disposed within each repeater orifice and wherein the repeater orifices are enclosed with an optical fiber array disc and wherein the optical fiber bundle of the assembly is positioned between the screen assembly and a frame member onto which is displayed electromagnetic radiation, preferably in the visible range.
  • a light transmitting display assembly comprised of a display board containing information and having bulbous or tapered ends of optical fibers of an optical fiber bundle selectively positioned as known to one shelled in the art therein and wherein each bulbous end is overlayed or enclosed with a lens system for wide angle display together with a source of electromagnetic radiation in the visible spectrum which is directed onto the other ends of the optical fibers of the optical fiber bundle.
  • the process for manufacturing the display assembly requires an inordinate degree of tedium to ensure complete, overlay of a lens system for each optical fiber thereby increasing cost as well as the concomitant potential for incomplete overlay.
  • a light transmitting display assembly comprised of a display board containing information and formed with channels or orifices into which ends of optical fibers of an optical fiber bundle are selectively positioned and after positioning the surface of the display board is coated with a transparent or translucent resin in which is dispersed glass beads of a particle size of from about 50 microns to 1.0 mm and a source of electromagnetic radiation in the visible spectrum is directed into the other ends of the optical fibers of the optical fiber bundle to provide a light transmitting display assembly capable of wide angle viewing.
  • a light transmitting display assembly comprised of information containing display board of substrate 12, an optical fiber bundle, generally indicated as 14, comprised of a plurality of optical fibers 16 and an assembly including a source of electromagnetic radiation in the visible spectrum, generally indicated as 18, positioned in a housing 20 including a back wall 22.
  • the display board 12 may be formed of any plastic material and by any molding technique (extrusion, injection, etc.) from the plastic resin, e.g. polystyrene or the like, together with a plurality of channels or orifices 24, referring specifically to FIGURE 5.
  • the channels may be of a diameter from 50 microns to 0.5 inches in predetermined array (rows and columns of even or uneven spacing) of a spacing of from 0.1 micron to 3.5 inches depending on visual effect and diameter of optical fibers to be used.
  • the channels 24 may be generally V-shaped, as disclosed in the aforementioned United States Letters Patent No. 4,569,571, or formed of a channel portion 26 on a viewing side (V) of the display board 12 in coaxial or coherent alignment with a channel portion 28 of a smaller diameter on the non-viewing side.
  • the illustrated embodiment of the present invention is specific to an emergency "exit” sign with the word “EXIT” spelled in capital letters.
  • Each letter is formed with straight line portions by silk screening, hand painting, the use of preformed letters, wood signs, etc., the non-informational portion; however, it will be understood that curved, random or other line form matrices may be used depending on intended use.
  • the information portion is formed with a plurality of channels or orifices 24 in vertical and horizontal alignment with a spacing of from .5 to 10 mm between channels, referring particularly to FIGURE 4, and constituting the information of the display board as more fully hereinafter described.
  • optical fibers to be used in accordance with the present invention may be of a slightly smaller diameter of the smaller channel portion or orifice 28 to facilitate assembly of the display board 12.
  • plastic or glass optical fibers are used of a diameter of from 100 microns to .5 inches with cladding of from 1 to 2 mm.
  • each optical fiber 16 is cut to a predetermined length and an end thereof is heated to a temperature above its melting point for a time sufficient to form a bulbous or bell-shaped end 30, as illustrated in FIGURE 5, or be pressed against a plate at a preset temperature as known to be skilled in the art.
  • Each thus fromed optical fiber 16 is coursed through each of the channel portions 26 and 28 formed in the display board 12 to a point where the bulbous end 30 of each optical fiber 16 is wedged within a lower portion of the channel portion 26 or up against the surface in a manner to prevent further coursing of the optical fiber 16.
  • the optical fiber 16 is fixedly positioned within the display board 12, such as by an epoxy resin system, generally disposed at the rear of the bulbous end 30 of each optical fiber 16 prior to final positioning in the display board 12.
  • the optical fibers 16 are preferably gathered up and formed into a convenient optical fiber bundle 14.
  • the free ends of the optical fibers 16 are gathered and formed into a closely packed array and held in place by suitable means, for example bound into an epoxy resin. Once bound into such closely packed array, the thus bound end may be cut and polished to form a frame member 32, such as disclosed in United States Letters Patent No. 4,569,571, referring to FIGURE 3, and positioned proximate a source 34 of electromagnetic radiation in the visible spectrum including, for example, a high-intensity laser light emitting diode or halogen bulb of the assembly 10.
  • the source 34 may be connected to a power source, such as a battery 36 or as described in United States Letters Patent No. 4,201,005 to Hunt, incorporated herein by reference.
  • a transparent resin, in liquid form, in which is dispersed glass beads of a diameter of from 90 micronsto 1 mm is coated on the viewing side (V) of the display board 12 to a thickness of from 50 microns to 1/8".
  • dispersion of the layer 40 including microbeads 42 is from 2 to 50%, preferably about 10-20% percent by volume of the resin.
  • any resin which will solidify after a reasonable period of time by drying under ambient conditions or accelerated time periods at elevated temperatures may be used in the coating dispersion; e.g. epoxy, etc.
  • glass beads manufactured by Flex-o-lite, Inc. have been effectively used, beads formed of synthetic materials may also be used provided that such beads maintain structural integrity in the resin dispersion.
  • the coating resin for most applications is transparent, however, may be somewhat transluscent or partially opaque and yet provide effective optical results. Additionally, by varying particle size distribution of the microbeads will vary visual effect in the fact that the particles will distribute themselves in the resin during curing, i.e. larger or heavier microbeads closer to the surface of the display board. Alternately, a plurality of coatings may be sequentially formed wherein each coating is of differing size distribution of microbeads, generally of successively smaller size distribution with each subsequent coating. While a single source of electromagnetic radiation in the visible spectrum is disclosed, it will be understood that more than one source may be employed depending on, inter alia , size, desired distance of visibility and recognition, etc., as will be understood by one skilled in the art. Additionally, the display board must be coated with a resin and thence with microbeads of desired size.
EP92302821A 1992-03-31 1992-03-31 Dispositif d'affichage d'information illuminé amélioré qui peut regarder à grand angle et procédure de sa fabrication Withdrawn EP0563467A1 (fr)

Priority Applications (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
EP92302821A EP0563467A1 (fr) 1992-03-31 1992-03-31 Dispositif d'affichage d'information illuminé amélioré qui peut regarder à grand angle et procédure de sa fabrication

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
EP92302821A EP0563467A1 (fr) 1992-03-31 1992-03-31 Dispositif d'affichage d'information illuminé amélioré qui peut regarder à grand angle et procédure de sa fabrication

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
EP0563467A1 true EP0563467A1 (fr) 1993-10-06

Family

ID=8211307

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
EP92302821A Withdrawn EP0563467A1 (fr) 1992-03-31 1992-03-31 Dispositif d'affichage d'information illuminé amélioré qui peut regarder à grand angle et procédure de sa fabrication

Country Status (1)

Country Link
EP (1) EP0563467A1 (fr)

Cited By (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
WO1996018180A1 (fr) * 1994-12-09 1996-06-13 Shell Oil Company Pompe a carburant eclairee par fibers optiques
WO2012074914A2 (fr) * 2010-12-01 2012-06-07 Dinjian Mark A Applicateur de signature d'ouverture pour fibre optique

Citations (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
EP0330590A1 (fr) * 1988-02-26 1989-08-30 Jackie Jean Baron Procédé de fabrication d'un panneau ou capteur lumineux à fibres optiques et panneau ou capteur obtenu par ce procédé
US4917448A (en) * 1988-10-27 1990-04-17 Oppenheimer M David Lighted display device
EP0397917A2 (fr) * 1989-05-19 1990-11-22 Dambach-Werke GmbH Dispositif d'affichage pour images alphanumériques
US5040320A (en) * 1983-10-04 1991-08-20 Tru-Lyte Systems, Incorporated Illuminated information display assembly

Patent Citations (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US5040320A (en) * 1983-10-04 1991-08-20 Tru-Lyte Systems, Incorporated Illuminated information display assembly
EP0330590A1 (fr) * 1988-02-26 1989-08-30 Jackie Jean Baron Procédé de fabrication d'un panneau ou capteur lumineux à fibres optiques et panneau ou capteur obtenu par ce procédé
US4917448A (en) * 1988-10-27 1990-04-17 Oppenheimer M David Lighted display device
EP0397917A2 (fr) * 1989-05-19 1990-11-22 Dambach-Werke GmbH Dispositif d'affichage pour images alphanumériques

Cited By (6)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
WO1996018180A1 (fr) * 1994-12-09 1996-06-13 Shell Oil Company Pompe a carburant eclairee par fibers optiques
US5761837A (en) * 1994-12-09 1998-06-09 Shell Oil Company Fiber-optics illuminated fuel dispenser
AU706435B2 (en) * 1994-12-09 1999-06-17 Shell Oil Company Fiber-optics illuminated fuel dispenser
WO2012074914A2 (fr) * 2010-12-01 2012-06-07 Dinjian Mark A Applicateur de signature d'ouverture pour fibre optique
WO2012074914A3 (fr) * 2010-12-01 2012-08-02 Dinjian Mark A Applicateur de signature d'ouverture pour fibre optique
US8823925B2 (en) 2010-12-01 2014-09-02 Mark A. Dinjian Fiber optic port signature applicator

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