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
  • G09F13/06—Signs, boards or panels, illuminated from behind the insignia using individual cut-out symbols or cut-out silhouettes, e.g. perforated signs
• • 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
  • G09F13/08—Signs, boards or panels, illuminated from behind the insignia using both translucent and non-translucent layers
• • G—PHYSICS
  • G09—EDUCATION; CRYPTOGRAPHY; DISPLAY; ADVERTISING; SEALS
  • G09F—DISPLAYING; ADVERTISING; SIGNS; LABELS OR NAME-PLATES; SEALS
  • G09F21/00—Mobile visual advertising
  • G09F21/04—Mobile visual advertising by land vehicles

Definitions

• the present Invention relates to a display panel, in particular tor use In an automotive vehicle, having a front side to present displayed symbol to a user and a back side apt 5 to be illuminated by a light source.
• the present invention relates also to a display assembly comprising such a display panel.
• Display panels of this kind are commonly used in various consumer devices to illuminate given symbol in a form of a mark, sign, picture, letter, word, or other when ID required.
• the hidden until lit feature ensures that this symbol is visible only when illuminated from the back side of the panel. Since the energization of the light source is the only condition required to present the displayed symbol to the user, display panels of this kind have an advantage over the full-area 2-dimensional displays which are controlled by computer systems. Since no computer system can be made 15 entirely hang or freeze-proof, malfunction of the computer system may lead to the malfunction of the display.
• Display panels of this kind should provide sufficient brightness and homogeneity of the displayed symbol with substantially constant directivity or wide angle of visibility. Furthermore the light illuminating a given symbol on the panel should not propagate 20 through the panel to illuminate other inactive (unlit) symbols of the panel, which adverse effect is commonly known as cross talk.
• Publication G8 2558941 discloses an interior car part with a lighting element lying in a recess in a substrate and covered by a translucent layer and next a stencil layer, covered in turn by a top, translucent layer. From the front a visible effect of light 25 through the stencil layer is seen and when the lighting element is switched off the presence of the element and the stencil is largely or completely hidden.
• the part 10 may include an Intermediate layer in line with the lighting element.
• the top translucent layer and intermediate layer may be layers of lacquer.
• the lighting element may comprise and electroluminescent device or one or more LEDs,
• the top 30 translucent layer and/or intermediate translucent layer may be tinted.
• Publication US 2005/0074881 discloses a display panel including a transparent image recording sheet having electrophotographically formed thereon at least a background portion, wherein space factor of pinholes per unit area of the background portion is no greater than 1 x10 -2 % .
• the background portion has a transparent optical density of 3.0 or greater and an image portion has a transparent optical density of 1,0 or less, and preferably 0.1 to 1 ,
• US 2012/0281423 discloses an illuminated indicator display apparatus for use in an automotive vehicle display or dashboard.
• the illuminated indicator includes a light source, at least one baffle disposed adjacent the light source, a first panel disposed opposite the light source and connected to the at least one baffle, and a second panel spaced apart at a predetermined distance and positioned parallel to the first panel.
• the first panel or the second panel further includes printed or painted graphics viewable to the operator of an automotive vehicle.
• the baffle is made of an opaque material operable to block light from the light source.
• the second panel is tinted dark operable only to allow a portion of the light from a light source to pass through the second panel thereby further dimming the light able to pass through the second panel.
• Another object of the present invention has been to provide a display assembly comprising such a display panel.
• the invention provides a display panel, as mentioned in the outset, characterized in that, it has a layered arrangement comprising, starting from the front side of the panel, a non-opaque solid base layer; a semi-opaque layer; an opaque stencil layer which includes voids representing the symbols displayable at the front side of the panel when illuminated from the back side of the panel; and a translucent layer adjoining the back side of said stencil layer.
• non-opaque layer denotes either transparent or translucent layer, in particular a layer featuring absorbance, defined as the logarithm with base 10 of the ratio of the incident optical power to the transmitted optical power (i.e. inverse of transmittance), of 0,4 or less (i.e. more than about 40% of the incident optical power is transmitted through the non-opaque layer).
• translucent layer denotes a layer which allows light to pass through but on the macroscopic scale does not follow Snell's law, providing diffuse reflection of light characterized by omni-directional reflection angles within the volume thereof, in particular a layer featuring absorbance of 0,4 or less.
• transparent layer denotes a layer which allows light to pass through and on the macroscopic scale substantially follows Snell's law between the angles of incidence and refraction, in particular a layer featuring absorbance of 0.4 or less.
• semi-opaque layer or “hidden until lit layer” as used in the context of the present invention denotes a layer which is substantially opaque, but mainly due to its relatively low thickness, becomes non-opaque when illuminated by the light source from the back side of the panel, in particular a layer featuring absorbance within the range of 0.4 to 1 (i.e. about 10 to 40% of the incident optical power is transmitted through the semi-opaque layer).
• opaque layer or "stencil layer “ as used in the context of the present invention denotes a layer providing lightseating ability (i.e. an ability to prevent light from transmitted therethrough), in particular a layer featuring absorbance of 1,3 or more (i.e. up to 5% of the incident optical power is transmitted through the opaque layer).
• tinted layer denotes a layer which is either transparent or translucent for the tight in particular within a predefined wavelength range of a light source used for backlighting the panel of the present invention, in particular a layer featuring absorbance for the light within a predefined wavelength range of 0.4 or less. This layer is responsible for the external appearance of the display panel but not for the hidden until lit functionality.
• said non-opaque base layer is transparent.
• said layered arrangement further comprises a tinted layer disposed between said base layer and said semi-opaque layer.
• said non-opaque base layer is made of plastic and has a thickness within the range of 0.2 to 1.5 mm (milimetre).
• said non-opaque base layer said tinted layer, said semi-opaque layer, said opaque layer and/or said translucent layer is/are composed of more than one sublayer.
• said layered arrangement further comprises an adhesive layer adjoining the back side of said translucent layer, made of glued tape or glue coating and having a thickness within the range of 10 to 100 ⁇ m.
• said layered arrangement further comprises a non-opaque scratch resistant layer adjoining the front side of said non-opaque base layer, made of foil or coating and having a thickness within the range of 5 to 20 ⁇ m.
• the display panel according to the Invention is easy and cost efficient to manufacture, in particular in embodiments in which all the layers but the carrier base layer are made by subsequent coating the base layer with paint, ink or lacquer. Due to relatively low thickness of the optic layers and elasticity of the base layer the panel is flexible and resistant to cracking and delamination.
• the invention also provides display assembly comprising a housing having a number of chambers opening at the front face of the housing, and at least one light source disposed in at least one of said chambers, characterized in that, it further comprises a display panel as defined above and fixed to said front face of said housing.
• said light source has a form of a light-emitting diode.
• Fig. 1 is a schematic axonometric view of an embodiment of a display assembly comprising an embodiment of a display panel according to the present invention
• Fig. 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the embodiment of a display assembly shown in Fig. 1 ;
• Fig. 3 is a schematic cross-sectional view of an embodiment of a display panel; and Fig. 4 Is a schematic axonometric, exploded view of a display panel shown in Fig. 3.
• Figs. 1 and 2 show an embodiment of a display assembly 1 according to the present Invention comprising a display panel 3 and a housing 2 containing energizable light sources 4,
• the housing 2 is made of opaque plastic and comprises a number of chambers 21 opening at the front face 22 of the housing.
• Light sources 4 in the form of a LEDs are disposed at the bottoms of the chambers 21 and electrically connected with a separate control unit (not shown) through an interface socket 23 of the housing 2.
• a narrow wavelength range such as 495 to 570 nm for green or 625 to 740 nm for red
• dispersed around a certain dominant wavelength that to the human eye appears as a pure colour.
• the display panel 3 that shall be explained below is glued to the front face 21 of the housing 2.
• the panel may display symbol 5 In a form of Latin letters 5a, words 5h and icons 5c, such as low fuel indicator, battery status, etc.
• the display panel 3 shown in Fig. 3 and 4 has a layered construction and in this embodiment comprises a non-opaque solid base layer 31 made of transparent plastic such as polycarbonate (PC), poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA), or polyamide (PA) having a thickness of about 0.7 mm.
• the base layer 31 provides support for the remaining layers of the panel 3 but It is not designed to substantially affect the optical properties of the panel 3.
• the base layer 31 Is coated at the back side with a tinted layer 32 made of paint or ink and having a thickness of about 10 ⁇ m.
• the tinted layer 32 absorbs light within a given wavelength range transmitting only light of a predefined wavelength that to the human eye appears as a pure colour. Obviously the transparency range of the tinted layer 32 corresponds to wavelength range of the light source 4.
• the tinted layer 32 Is in turn coated at the back side thereof with a semi-opaque or hidden until lit layer 33 made of lacquer and having a thickness of about 10 ⁇ m.
• the semi-opaque layer 33 is substantially opaque for the ambient light shining on it from the front side of the panel 3 but, mainly due to its relatively low thickness, becomes transparent when Illuminated by the light source 4 from the back side of the panel 3.
• An opaque or stencil layer 34 adjoins the semi-opaque layer 33 at the back side thereof.
• the stencil layer 34 is made of opaque foil or paint or ink coating and has a thickness of about 12 ⁇ m.
• the stencil layer 34 includes voids 341 representing symbols 5a, 5b, 5c. Each symbol 5 can be viewed separately at the front side of the panel 3 when the light source 4 disposed In a given chamber 21 of the housing 2 is energised.
• the stencil layer 34 and parts of the semi-opaque layer 33 exposed by the voids 341 of the stencil layer 34 are coated at the back side thereof with a translucent layer 35 made of paint or ink or foil and a thickness of about 10 ⁇ m.
• the translucent layer 35 provides diffuse reflection of light emitted by the tight source 4 within the volume of the translucent layer 35.
• an adhesive layer 36 made of glued tape or glue coating and having a thickness of about 90 ⁇ m adjoins the translucent layer 35 at the back side thereof.
• the adhesive layer 36 also includes voids 361 corresponding to the groups of voids 341 of the stencil layer 34 defining particular symbols 5, so that the voids 361 of the adhesive layer 38 are larger than voids 341 of the stencil layer 34.
• an optional non-opaque scratch resistant layer 37 made of foil and having a thickness of about 20 ⁇ m adjoins the front side of the base layer 31.

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• Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
• General Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Theoretical Computer Science (AREA)
• Business, Economics & Management (AREA)
• Accounting & Taxation (AREA)
• Marketing (AREA)
• Illuminated Signs And Luminous Advertising (AREA)

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Publications (1)

Family

ID=69844875

Family Applications (1)

Country Status (2)

Family Cites Families (6)

• 2020
  • 2020-02-03 EP EP20711669.0A patent/EP4100940A1/de active Pending
  • 2020-02-03 WO PCT/PL2020/050013 patent/WO2021158132A1/en unknown

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