GB2038526A - Illuminated display apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

This invention relates to a display apparatus comprising a display region, a light source for illuminating said display region, a control means for supplying power to said light source in accordance with a predetermined sequence, and a viewing panel through which the display region can be viewed only whilst said display region is illuminated by said light source. In a preferred embodiment a cabinet contains a plurality of display regions 39 each visible through a viewing panel 31, 34, 37 individual thereto and illuminated by a light source 38 individual thereto, and the control means supplies power to the light sources in accordance with predetermined sequence so that, from a viewing point, the display regions are illuminated one at a time in what appears to be a random order. The viewing panels are reflective when their respective light sources are extinguished. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Display apparatus This invention relates to display apparatus and more particularly to display apparatus in which a display is visible only when illuminated.

It is known in the art to form a display solely by an illuminating source by, for example, forming the display from neon tubing or an assembly of electric light bulbs. It is also known in the art to permanently illuminate a display, sometimes limiting the illumination to dark periods, by simply directing lights from an illuminating source onto the display. The present invention is not concerned with such displays as are formed by the illuminating source displays, permanently illuminated, or illuminated only during the hours of darkness.

The present invention seeks to provide a display apparatus which is visible only in accordance with a predetermined time sequence.

Acccording to the present invention there is provided a display apparatus comprising a display region, a light source for illuminating said display region in accordance with a predetermined time sequence, and a viewing panel through which the display region can be viewed only whilst said display region is illuminated by said light source, said light source being located in a plane passing between said display region and said panel.

Preferably said viewing panel is reflective when the light source is extinguished.

In one embodiment in accordance with the invention the panel comprises a so-called oneway mirror but in an alternative embodiment the panel comprises a coloured material, such as a smoked glass.

In one embodiment in accordance with the present invention the display region is three dimensional but in a preferred embodiment the display region is two dimensional and lies in the plane of the viewing panel.

The invention also envisages a display apparatus comprising a plurality of display regidns, each having a light source and a viewing panel individual thereto, and a common timer for actuating the light sources in accordance with a pre-determined programme so that said display regions, or selected groups of display regions, are successively illuminated.

Preferably the viewing panels are arranged in a common plane and are separated by opaque areas and, conveniently said light sources are located behind opaque areas so so to be obscured from view.

In a preferred embodiment in accordance with the invention nine display regions are located in three rows of three, the rows being vertically stacked, and the timer is located beneath the assembly of displays.

The invention will now be described further by way of example with reference to the .accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 shows a front view through a display apparatus in accordance with the invention.

Figure 2 shows a criss-cross section through the apparatus on line 1111 in Fig. 1.

The illustrated apparatus is in the form of a cabinet comprising a back wall 11, top and bottom walls 1 2 and 1 3 respectively, side walls 14 and 1 5 and a front wall 16. Two vertical partitions 1 7 and 1 8 separate the interior of the cabinet into three equal vertical chambers and two horizontal partitions 1 9 and 20 separate the three vertical compart ments to define nine chambers A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, J, chambers A, B, C, D, E and F, being of equal volume and chambers G, H, J being of greater vertical height than chambers A, B, C, D, E and F.

The front wall 1 6 comprises four vertical members 21, 22, 23, and 24, and four horizontal members 25, 26, 27, and 28, supporting nine viewing panels 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36 and 37 for chambers A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, and J, respectively, the viewing panels 29 to 37 being of equal height and width. The width of each panel 29 to 37 is less than the width of its respective chamber A to J, the height of each panel 29 to 37 is less than the height of its respective chamber A to J and each panel 29 to 37 is located with the upper edge substantially in the plane of the upper limits of its respective chamber A to J so that the lower regions of each of the chambers A to J are obscured by the respective horizontal members 26, 27 or 28.With the above arrangement, and as chambers G, H and J have greater vertical height than the other chambers, it will be appreciated that the height of member 28 is greater than that of members 26 or 27 so that a greater depth of the lower region of chambers G, H and J is obscured by member 28.

The contents of the chambers A, B, C, D, E, and F are identical and therefore, to avoid repetition, only the content of chamber F will be described.

Chamber F includes a light source individual thereto and defined by an electric strip light 38 located in the forward lower regions of chamber F so as to lie adjacent and below the upper edge of horizontal member 28. The light 38 is thus hidden from view by member 28. Chamber F also includes a two dimensional display, for example a picture 39, inclined to the viewing panel 34 for chamber F, said picture 39 having its lower edge towards the rear of chamber F and its upper edge spaced forwardly thereof.

The light 38 includes a reflection shield 39 to direct light from strip light 38 towards the picture 39 when light 38 is illuminated.

Each chamber G, H and J, also includes a two dimensional display, such as display 39 in chamber J, and a strip light, and reflector, identical with light 38 and reflector 40, adjasent but just below the upper edge of mem ber 28.

A timer 41, which may comprise a simple clockwork mechanism, is located in the lower regions of chamber H and rotates a wiper contact 42 which sweeps successively over nine fixed contacts 43 spaced about the rotational axis of contact 42, the nine contacts 43 are each connected by electrical cables (not shown) to a strip lamp 38 individual thereto, and wiper contact 42 is connected to a power source (not shown) such as a battery or mains power supply. Thus, as contact 42 makes contact with contact 43 it completes the power supply to the strip lamp -38 connected to the contact 43 thereby illuminating the display individual to that strip light 38. As the contact passes out of contact with a contact 43 the power supply to the strip light 38 associated with the contact 43 is terminated and the light strip 38 is extinguished.

It will be seen that the wiper contact 42 may successively supply power to the strip lights 38 of the chamber A to J inclusive in a predetermined sequence and, by-coupling one or more lights 38 to more than one contact 43m such lights 28 may be illuminated twice or more times per revolution of wiper contact 42 and by this means a large number of different illumination programmes can be obtained.

Each viewing panel 29 to 37 inclusive is arranged to present good light reflecting characteristics to light from outside the cabinet and whilst a preferred panel structure comprises a so-called "one-way" mirror, that is to say a transparent panel with small light reflecting spots or strips spaced over one of the surfaces, the invention is not limited thereto and it has been found in practice that many coloured materials, such as smoked glass, can present good light reflective properties when the strip light 38 is extinguished with good transparency when the light 38 is illuminating the display. The "reflective" panel may comprise a single sheet of material or a plurality of sheets in contacting, or spaces apart and generally parallel, relationship.

The panels 29 to 37 may comprise individual panels or areas of one or more panels and, in a preferred embodiment, the panels 29 to 37 are defined by areas of a single sheet of material externally of frame members 21 to 28 inclusive so that the front of the display comprises a large and reflective surface broken only by the programmed illumination of one or more displays.

While the present invention has been described by way of example with reference to a specific embodiment and modifications and variations will be apparent to persons skilled in the art.

Claims (11)

1. A display apparatus comprising a display region, a light source for illiminating said display region, a control means for supplying power to said light source in accordance with a predetermined sequence, and a viewing panel through which the display region can be viewed only whilst said display region is illuminated by said light source.

2. A display apparatus as claimed in claim 1 in which the light source is located between the said display areas and said viewing panel.

3. A display apparatus as claimed in claim 1 or 2 in which the light source-is shielded to direct light only to said display region.

4. A display apparatus as claimed in claim 1, 2 or 3 in which the viewing panel is reflective only when the light source is extinguished.

5. A display apparatus as claimed in claim 4 in which the viewing panel is a one-way mirror.

6. A display apparatus as claimed in claim 4 in which the viewing panel comprises coloured glass.

7. A display apparatus as claimed in any preceding claim in which the display region is three dimensional.

8. A display apparatus as claimed in any preceding claim including a plurality of different display regions arranged to be illuminated.

9. A display apparatus as claimed in claim 8 in which a plurality of light sources are provided at least some of which are adapted to illuminate only one, or selected ones, of said display regions.

10. A display apparatus as claimed in claim 9 in which the control means comprise a timer adapted to control the illumination of said light sources in accordance with a predetermined sequence.

11. A display apparatus as claimed in any preceding claim comprising a cabinet presenting a plurality of viewing panels, a display region individual to each panel housed in said cabinet, a light source individual to each display region and adapted, when illuminated, to illuminate only its respective display region, and a control means including a timer adapted to control the supply of power to said light sources so that each and every light source is illuminated in accordance with a predetermined sequence.

1 2. A display apparatus substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.