Classifications

• • G—PHYSICS
  • G02—OPTICS
  • G02B—OPTICAL ELEMENTS, SYSTEMS OR APPARATUS
  • G02B6/00—Light guides; Structural details of arrangements comprising light guides and other optical elements, e.g. couplings
  • G02B6/0001—Light guides; Structural details of arrangements comprising light guides and other optical elements, e.g. couplings specially adapted for lighting devices or systems
  • G02B6/0011—Light guides; Structural details of arrangements comprising light guides and other optical elements, e.g. couplings specially adapted for lighting devices or systems the light guides being planar or of plate-like form
  • G02B6/0033—Means for improving the coupling-out of light from the light guide
  • G02B6/0035—Means for improving the coupling-out of light from the light guide provided on the surface of the light guide or in the bulk of it
  • G02B6/0036—2-D arrangement of prisms, protrusions, indentations or roughened surfaces
• • G—PHYSICS
  • G02—OPTICS
  • G02B—OPTICAL ELEMENTS, SYSTEMS OR APPARATUS
  • G02B6/00—Light guides; Structural details of arrangements comprising light guides and other optical elements, e.g. couplings
  • G02B6/0001—Light guides; Structural details of arrangements comprising light guides and other optical elements, e.g. couplings specially adapted for lighting devices or systems
  • G02B6/0011—Light guides; Structural details of arrangements comprising light guides and other optical elements, e.g. couplings specially adapted for lighting devices or systems the light guides being planar or of plate-like form
  • G02B6/0033—Means for improving the coupling-out of light from the light guide
  • G02B6/0058—Means for improving the coupling-out of light from the light guide varying in density, size, shape or depth along the light guide
  • G02B6/0061—Means for improving the coupling-out of light from the light guide varying in density, size, shape or depth along the light guide to provide homogeneous light output intensity
• • G—PHYSICS
  • G02—OPTICS
  • G02B—OPTICAL ELEMENTS, SYSTEMS OR APPARATUS
  • G02B6/00—Light guides; Structural details of arrangements comprising light guides and other optical elements, e.g. couplings
  • G02B6/0001—Light guides; Structural details of arrangements comprising light guides and other optical elements, e.g. couplings specially adapted for lighting devices or systems
  • G02B6/0011—Light guides; Structural details of arrangements comprising light guides and other optical elements, e.g. couplings specially adapted for lighting devices or systems the light guides being planar or of plate-like form
  • G02B6/0081—Mechanical or electrical aspects of the light guide and light source in the lighting device peculiar to the adaptation to planar light guides, e.g. concerning packaging
• • G—PHYSICS
  • G08—SIGNALLING
  • G08B—SIGNALLING OR CALLING SYSTEMS; ORDER TELEGRAPHS; ALARM SYSTEMS
  • G08B5/00—Visible signalling systems, e.g. personal calling systems, remote indication of seats occupied
  • G08B5/22—Visible signalling systems, e.g. personal calling systems, remote indication of seats occupied using electric transmission; using electromagnetic transmission
  • G08B5/36—Visible signalling systems, e.g. personal calling systems, remote indication of seats occupied using electric transmission; using electromagnetic transmission using visible light sources
• • G—PHYSICS
  • G08—SIGNALLING
  • G08B—SIGNALLING OR CALLING SYSTEMS; ORDER TELEGRAPHS; ALARM SYSTEMS
  • G08B7/00—Signalling systems according to more than one of groups G08B3/00 - G08B6/00; Personal calling systems according to more than one of groups G08B3/00 - G08B6/00
  • G08B7/06—Signalling systems according to more than one of groups G08B3/00 - G08B6/00; Personal calling systems according to more than one of groups G08B3/00 - G08B6/00 using electric transmission, e.g. involving audible and visible signalling through the use of sound and light sources
• • 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
  • G09F13/14—Arrangements of reflectors therein

Definitions

• the present invention relates to the provision of emergency lighting and signage in buildings and in particular the invention provides an improvement to low cost emergency lights to incorporate an emergency sign which is illuminated under emergency conditions.
• Prior art illuminated emergency signs take a number of forms. These include streamlined designs centering on thin, edge lit, sign carrying blades, incorporating a light transmitting core extending from a lamp housing containing a fluorescent tube adjacent an edge of the blade as well as batteries, inverter and control circuits. At the other end of the scale, less expensive but bulkier rear illuminated signs are commonly found to be in use, in which the sign housing includes space behind a single sign panel or between bi-directional signs in which one or more fluorescent lamps are located
• Prior art emergency lights known as satellites are relatively low cost and light, comprising a quartz-halogen bulb mounted in a relatively small low profile base having simple spring mount to hold the fitting in an appropriately sized hole in the ceiling.
• the Satellite fitting typically has an associated electronics and battery unit located in close proximity in the ceiling to detect power failures, to operate the lamp under emergency conditions and to maintain battery charge in non-emergency conditions. Satellite fittings, however, have not previously been associated with emergency signage.
• references to even distribution of light are intended to be read as meaning sufficiently even distribution to meet the relevant standard applicable to the device or the particular feature of the device (eg, standards relating to even illumination of emergency signs or even distribution of light emitted from an emergency light).
• the present invention consists in a sign carrying element for an illuminated sign, the sign carrying element including connection means for connecting the sign carrying element to a cooperating base of an emergency light, the sign carrying element having a light receiving surface and internal light transmission means arranged to distribute light entering through the light receiving surface and to evenly project the light through a sign carrying surface of the sign carrying element, the sign carrying element connection means located adjacent to one edge of the sign carrying element to engage with a cooperating portion of the base when the sign carrying element is connected to the base, and the light receiving surface being located adjacent to a lamp of the emergency light when the sign carrying element is connected to the base, such that when the emergency light is illuminated an emergency sign mounted over the sign carrying surface is illuminated by light projected through he light receiving surface from the emergency light.
• the present invention consists in an emergency light and sign carrying element for an illuminated sign, the sign carrying element projecting from a base of the emergency light, the sign carrying element having a light receiving surface and internal light transmission means arranged to distribute light entering through the light receiving surface and to evenly project the light through a sign carrying surface of the sign carrying element, and the light receiving surface being located adjacent to a lamp of the emergency light, such that when the emergency light is illuminated an emergency sign mounted over the sign carrying surface is illuminated by light projected through he light receiving surface from the emergency light.
• Embodiments of the present invention provide an emergency sign which is illuminated in emergency conditions by the emergency light without significantly degrading the projected light output of the emergency light, the illumination through sign carrying surfaces of the sign being relatively evenly distributed (with reference to the requirements of national and international product standards).
• the emergency lamp is a "satellite" lamp comprising a quartz-halogen bulb mounted in a co-operating base.
• the base is a low profile, light weight unit which mounts by clipping through a hole in the ceiling and the electronics to monitor supply interruptions and to operate the lamp in emergency conditions is mounted in a separate housing located in the ceiling.
• the sign carrying element also preferably includes an internal lamp or lamps which indicate the current operational status of the light when the emergency light is not operating.
• the sign carrying element can take a number of forms including elements having opaque external structures, with light conducting members mounted in the structure, or alternatively, the body of the element can be transparent or translucent with the light conducting elements integrally formed and with masking and/or diffusing material applied in appropriate regions.
• the sign carrying element is formed as a pair of half shells, moulded in transparent or translucent plastics material, such as acrylic or poly carbonate.
• the light transmitting region can be simply an opening or may incorporate a lens or diffuser.
• Figure 1 is a bottom view of an emergency light and sign assembly according to the present invention
• Figure 2 is a front view (partially in section) of the sign body of the assembly of Figure 1;
• Figure 3 is a sectional end view the sign body of the assembly of Figure 1;
• Figure 4 is a front view of one half of the sign body of Figure 3; and Figure 5 is a sectional side view of the emergency light and sign assembly of Figure 1 showing the mounting arrangement on a ceiling.
• FIG. 1 of the accompanying drawings a bottom view of an emergency light and sign assembly, according to an embodiment of the invention is illustrated.
• a base unit 11 is arranged to be mounted to a ceiling 33 (refer to Figure 5).
• the base 11 carries a test switch and indicator panel 15 for initiating a manual test of the emergency light and indicating the status of various components of the emergency lighting system (communications, battery power etc).
• the sign body 12 clips onto the base as best seen in Figure 2. The remaining features of the base are best viewed from figure 2, which shows the profile of the base and sign when viewed from the front.
• the base 11 has an essentially convex shape when viewed from below, with a concave reflector region 19 around the bulb 13 and bulb receptacle 32. Electrical connection to the bulb 13 is via a cable 34 which enters the top of the receptacle 32. Slots 14 are provided in the concave reflector region 19 to permit airflow over the bulb 13.
• the sign body 12 comprises a clipping portion 35 which clips over the peripheral edge of the light base 11, making use of the resilient properties of the sign body material, and the sign blade 37 which, when mounted to the base, projects below the bulb 13.
• the sign body 12 is formed as two moulded shell halves which are held together by clips 36 located about the periphery of the sign body.
• Sign carrying surfaces 31 of the sign body 12 may either carry a sign image screen printed onto the surface, or alternatively, a translucent film carrying the sign image (also not shown) may be inserted behind tabs 21.
• Sign images may be located on one or both surfaces of the blade 37.
• Light assemblies 23 are located in cavities 41 extending to the outer edges towards the upper extremity of the blade 37.
• the indicator assembly 23 includes connector posts 24 projecting through the upper edge of the sign carrier and through holes in the basell where a driving circuit (not shown) is connected to the posts 24.
• the indicator light assemblies 23 comprise a number of series connected LEDs which may be driven in a conventional manner via a current limited source. The intended use of the LED assemblies 23 is to illuminate the sign carrier under normal circumstance where power is present and the emergency light is therefore, not energised.
• the removable sign body 12 of the preferred embodiment is preferably formed in a transparent, semi-transparent or translucent high impact plastics material such as acrylic or poly carbonate and is moulded as a pair of shell halves which are clipped together by cooperating clip elements 36 around the periphery of each shell half
• the internal surfaces 27 of the light conducting elements face a tapered cavity 26, and are provided with corrugations ripples 22 to assist in creating multiple internal reflection modes and to cause some light to break out of the light pipe.
• light travels from the light entry point along each of the halves of the sign body and is subsequently refracted and reflected out of the respective body half.
• the light emerging from the sign carrying outer surfaces 31 of the body halves back illuminates the signs carried on the sign carrying surfaces, while the light emerging from the inner surfaces 27 of the body halves travels across the cavity 26 and through the opposite walls 31 of the sign carrying element 12 to back illuminate the signs carried over the opposite outer surfaces of the sign carrying element.
• light is refracted and/or reflected towards the respective sign carrying surfaces 33 by virtue of the corrugations 22 on the inner surfaces 27.
• Other possible internal reflection modes involve light undergoing multiple internal reflections within one of the body halves before emerging from one of the surfaces 31.
• the domed portion 43 of the sign body acts as a transparent or translucent cover/diffuser for the lamp 13 such that the coverage of the lamp is substantially the same, if not better than when the sign body 12 is not fitted.
• the bulb 13 is not significantly obscured by the blade 37 as most of the light from the bulb 13 travels outside the blade past each face 31, with the only significant obstruction being in the plane of the blade 37 itself.
• some of the light coupled into the blade through surface 42 passes right through the blade and out of its edges such that the shading effect of the blade on the emergency lighting function is not a significant issue and is addressed where necessary, by a small reduction in the rating of the lighting capacity of the fitting.
• the sign carrier body 12 may be readily undipped from the base 11 for replacement of the bulbs 13.
• the base 11 of the emergency light is mounted to a ceiling 33, over an opening 20 in the ceiling 33 and is retained in position by a resilient member 29.
• the resilient member 29 can be sprung in, to pass through the opening 20, and when released, it will spring back towards its rest position such that it engages the upper edge of the opening 20 to hold the base 11 against the ceiling 33.
• the resilient member 29 extends from a collar 30 which clips into the base 11.

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• Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
• General Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
• Optics & Photonics (AREA)
• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Theoretical Computer Science (AREA)
• Electromagnetism (AREA)
• Illuminated Signs And Luminous Advertising (AREA)

Applications Claiming Priority (3)

Publications (2)

Family

ID=3820734

Family Applications (1)

Country Status (5)

Families Citing this family (1)

Family Cites Families (8)

• 2000
  • 2000-03-31 AU AUPQ6638A patent/AUPQ663800A0/en not_active Abandoned
• 2001
  • 2001-03-30 EP EP01914845A patent/EP1279154A4/de not_active Withdrawn
  • 2001-03-30 WO PCT/AU2001/000356 patent/WO2001073732A1/en not_active Application Discontinuation
  • 2001-03-30 NZ NZ521862A patent/NZ521862A/en unknown
• 2003
  • 2003-02-06 HK HK03100861.3A patent/HK1048696A1/zh unknown

Non-Patent Citations (1)

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