Classifications

• • G—PHYSICS
  • G09—EDUCATION; CRYPTOGRAPHY; DISPLAY; ADVERTISING; SEALS
  • G09F—DISPLAYING; ADVERTISING; SIGNS; LABELS OR NAME-PLATES; SEALS
  • G09F13/00—Illuminated signs; Luminous advertising
  • G09F13/04—Signs, boards or panels, illuminated from behind the insignia
• • G—PHYSICS
  • G09—EDUCATION; CRYPTOGRAPHY; DISPLAY; ADVERTISING; SEALS
  • G09F—DISPLAYING; ADVERTISING; SIGNS; LABELS OR NAME-PLATES; SEALS
  • G09F13/00—Illuminated signs; Luminous advertising
  • G09F13/16—Signs formed of or incorporating reflecting elements or surfaces, e.g. warning signs having triangular or other geometrical shape

Definitions

• Illuminated advertising especially illuminated letters
• the invention relates to a neon sign, in particular an illuminated letter, with
• a front mirror which closes the housing on the visible side and is made of translucent material.
• neon signs of this type the color in which they are perceived by the viewer is essentially the same day and night; it is determined either by the coloring of the front mirror or directly by the color of the light generated by the light source. A higher attention value of the neon sign could, however, be achieved if different appearances, especially color impressions, could be created during the day and at night.
• the object of the present invention is to design a neon sign of the type mentioned at the outset in such a way that the viewer may experience a more variable impression, in particular different color impressions during the day and at night.
• the front mirror is at least partially covered with a Layering is provided in a grid pattern, which is composed of small-structure areas that cover the front mirror opaque and intermediate small-structure areas in which the front mirror is exposed.
• the coating comprises a first layer of that applied directly to the front mirror
• Color in which the front mirror is to be perceived by the viewer during the day and comprises a second white or silvery reflective layer applied congruently over the first layer.
• the total area of the front mirror is divided into small structures in areas in which the light from the light source can penetrate the front mirror, and in those areas which have the color intended for the day's appearance. So that the coloring layer does not disturb the appearance at night, as mentioned, it is covered on the inside by a congruent white or silvery reflecting layer.
• a “grid pattern” is understood here to mean such a structure that repeats itself in a pattern-like manner on the surface in such a way that, viewed from a distance, it has an approximately constant or only slightly changing brightness.
• the word "small structure” should also be understood in this sense: at the normal viewing distance between the neon sign and the viewer's eye, these structures should no longer be easily resolvable.
• the user therefore consciously perceives those areas of the front mirror of the neon sign, that are covered with the coloring layer, while the structures in between are not recognized. The viewer sees the entire front mirror essentially in the color of the coloring layer.
• the intermediate, exposed areas of the front mirror gain their meaning.
• the light from the light source passes through here, possibly colored accordingly;
• the areas of the front mirror, which are then essentially unlit from the outside and covered by the coating, are completely suppressed in the visual impression and are not recognized, so that the viewer is given the impression of a uniformly or almost uniformly illuminated illuminated sign, but this time with a different color, if necessary becomes.
• Grid dimension is understood to mean the distance that lies between repeating structures of the grid pattern. So that it remains unresolved at the usual viewing distances, the grid size should be on the order of a few millimeters.
• degree of coverage is approximately 70%.
• degree of coverage is to be understood as the area-related portion of the front mirror which is covered by the coating in the grid pattern, that is to say the light from the light source cannot pass through it.
• particularly variable optical impressions can be achieved by patterning the lens. For example, interesting optical effects if the diffuser is completely or partially opaque in certain strips.
• the grid pattern can differ in the color of the coloring layer, in the geometry of the underlying geometric pattern, in the grid dimension and / or in the transparency.
• this neon sign variable changes continuously at least in certain areas on the front mirror. It can be imagined, for example, that the grid dimension continuously increases or decreases as it progresses in one or more directions; similarly, the transparency of the grid pattern or its basic geometric shape, progressing in one or more directions, can be varied continuously.
• Figure 1 shows a section through a light letter
• FIG. 2 shows the plan view of the coated side of the front mirror of the illuminated letter from FIG. 1 on a greatly enlarged scale
• FIG. 3 shows a section through the front mirror of FIGS. 1 and 2 on an enlarged scale.
• the U-shaped housing 1 is composed of two side frames 2, 3 and a bottom part 4.
• the frames 2, 3, which are white on the inside, are fastened to the bottom part 4 by means of screws 5, 6.
• a diffusing screen 9 are engaged in grooves 7, 8 in the upper region of the frames 2, 3.
• the visible side of the housing 1 is closed by a front mirror 10, which is glued in stages 11, 12 to the upper edges of the frames 2, 3 and sealed against them.
• the front mirror 10 is curved in the exemplary embodiment shown; however, it can also be flat or any other desired shape, e.g. B. prismatic in cross section.
• the housing 1 In the interior of the housing 1 there is a neon tube 13 with neon tube return 14 underneath the lens 9, as well as the electrical and electronic power supply components 15 required to supply the neon tube 13.
• the front mirror 10 which is made of a translucent material, is provided on the inside with a coating 33 in a grid pattern 26, preferably by means of screen printing.
• the grid pattern 26 of the coating 33 is now explained in more detail with reference to FIGS. 2 and 3.
• a "grid pattern” is a relatively small structure that looks like a repeat repetitive pattern understood, which from the usual viewing distance can no longer be resolved into its individual structures by the human eye, but from this distance presents itself as an area of essentially uniform brightness. It is essential that the coating 33 covers the translucid material of the front mirror 10 in certain areas, while leaving the intermediate areas free and allowing an unimpeded passage of the light coming from the interior of the housing 1.
• the permeable regions consist of three sets of strips: a first set 27 extends at an angle of 45 to the right upwards; a second share 28 cuts this first share 27 at a right angle and therefore extends at an angle of 45 to the right below the horizontal.
• These two sets of strips 27, 28 form squares 29 standing on top, which are coated in the manner explained below and are therefore opaque to the light coming from the interior of the housing 1.
• a third set 31 of equidistant strips is passed so through the upper and lower corners of adjacent squares 29 that a corresponding row of
• a first layer 33 which is a color-imparting layer, is applied directly to the material of the front mirror 10. The color of this layer 33 corresponds to what the viewer of the illuminated letter recognizes as color during the day. Over the coloring layer 33 a second layer 34 is applied, the color of which is white or reflecting silvery.
• the coloring layer 33 applied directly to the front mirror 10 is illuminated by daylight; from the appropriate distance, the viewer sees the illuminated letter essentially as a homogeneous surface colored in the appropriate color.
• the color impression caused by the coloring layer 33 recedes. Instead, the light generated by the neon tube 13 now shines through the lens 9; The light components that are let through by this diffusing screen 9 then reach the outside through the strips 27, 28, 31 in the front mirror 10 that are not covered by the coating 33. Due to the relatively small grid size of the grid pattern 26, the viewer perceives the front mirror 10 as a surface that is uniformly colored in the color of the lens 9, given a corresponding minimum distance; the intermediate, darker areas 29, 32 of the coating 33, 34 remain unnoticed.
• the grid pattern 26 is identical across the entire front mirror 10.
• optical effects can also be generated by using 10 different grid patterns in different areas of the front mirror.
• An embodiment is conceivable in which the surface of the front mirror 10 is divided into different areas, in which different, but uniform within the respective area, grid patterns are applied.
• beautiful optical effects can be can also be achieved by a continuous transition from one to the other grid pattern, for example by continuously changing the grid dimension and / or the proportion of the area covered by the opaque coating 33.

Landscapes

• Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
• General Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Theoretical Computer Science (AREA)
• Geometry (AREA)
• Illuminated Signs And Luminous Advertising (AREA)
• Electroluminescent Light Sources (AREA)
• Led Device Packages (AREA)

Applications Claiming Priority (4)

Publications (2)

Family

ID=39563536

Family Applications (1)

Country Status (7)

Families Citing this family (4)

Family Cites Families (7)

• 1997
  • 1997-09-02 DE DE19738299A patent/DE19738299B4/de not_active Expired - Fee Related
  • 1997-09-02 DE DE29715752U patent/DE29715752U1/de not_active Expired - Lifetime
• 1998
  • 1998-07-22 WO PCT/EP1998/004610 patent/WO1999012146A1/fr active IP Right Grant
  • 1998-07-22 EP EP98942599A patent/EP1010159B1/fr not_active Expired - Lifetime
  • 1998-07-22 AT AT98942599T patent/ATE216527T1/de not_active IP Right Cessation
  • 1998-07-22 DK DK98942599T patent/DK1010159T3/da active
  • 1998-07-22 ES ES98942599T patent/ES2178249T3/es not_active Expired - Lifetime
  • 1998-07-22 PT PT98942599T patent/PT1010159E/pt unknown

Non-Patent Citations (1)

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