GB2173630A - Display signs - Google Patents

Abstract

A display sign has at least two sheets 1, 2 spaced apart in face to face relation one in front of the other. The front sheet 1 is transparent and bears at least one opaque design or character(s). The rear sheet 2 bears a design or character(s) which (i) has an outline of substantially the same shape and size as on the front sheet, (ii) is aligned with the design on the front sheet, and (iii) is more light transmitting than its background. The sheets 1, 2 are lit from behind 4. The arrangement then gives a three dimensional effect to the design or character(s). <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Display signs This invention relates to display signs.

According to this invention there is provided a display sign comprising at least two sheets spaced apart in face to face relation one in front of the other, the sheet in front being transparent and bearing at least one less transparent or opaque design or character, the rearward sheet bearing a design or character which (i) has an outline of substantially the same shape and size as that on the front sheet, (ii) is aligned with it, and (iii) is more light transmitting than its background, at least over a marginal region adjacent the outline.

The terms "transparent" and "opaque" are used to denote that the areas concerned can and cannot be seen through. However, they are not absolutes.

Some light may pass through an opaque area: a transparent area will absorb some light, inevitably, and may diffuse light slightly as well.

The sheets should be lit from behind. The arrangement then gives a remarkable three dimensional effect to the design or character, because when viewed from the front and slightly off centre the marginal region of the aligned design or character on the rear sheet can be seen and appears as the edge face of a three dimensional object. Preferably the sheets are substantially parallel.

In the simplest case the signal will consist of two sheets only, the front sheet bearing opaque letters, and the back sheet being a negative of the front sheet in that it bears the same letters, formed as transparent or translucent letters on an opaque background.

The spacing between the sheets must be selected in relation to the size of the lettering (or other design). If the spacing of the sheets is too great the effect is lost. If it is desired to provide two sizes of lettering (or other design or characters) on the front sheet, two separate sheets may be provided behind it, the rear sheet bearing a negative of the large characters (or other design) on the front sheet, and the intermediate sheet bearing a negative of the smaller characters (or other design) on the front sheet.

Stated in more general terms, this is an arrangement in which there are at least three sheets, the sheet in front bearing at least two sets each consisting of at least one design or character, opaque or less transparent on a transparent background, with each of the two (or more) sheets behind bearing a design or character which in relation to one of the said sets, satisfies the conditions (i), (ii) and (iii) recited above. Of course the or each middle sheet must allow the sheet(s) behind it to be seen through it.

Conceivably the signs might not rely on back lighting, but rely on contrasting opaque colours, especially if fluorescent colour is employed. Thus in a wide aspect the invention provides a display signal comprising at least two sheets spaced apart in face to face relation one in front of the other, the forward sheet being transparent and bearing at least one design or character which is less transparent or opaque, the rearward sheet bearing a design or character which (i) has an outline of substantially the same shape and size as that on the forward sheet, (ii) is aligned with it, and (iii) contrasts in colour, and/or light transmittance, both with its background and with the associated design or character on the forward sheet.

Where back lighting is employed, a sheet to diffuse the light may be provided behind the rearward sheet. Alternatively the design on the rearward sheet might be made to diffuse light.

Where a plurality of sheets are provided behind the forward sheet the designs on each one may be made to diffuse light, and/or the design on the rearmost sheet, together with all other light transmitting areas of the rearmost sheet could be made to diffuse light.

The sign may include means to provide rear illumination.

The plurality of sheets required by this invention could conceivably be mounted in a conventional holder for a box sign, and back-illuminated by fluorescent tubes within the box.

Another possibility employs dished plastic sheets held together at their edges. A further possibility is to use flexible sheets suspended from above, and preferably weighted at the bottom.

In a separate aspect this invention provides a display sign printed or otherwise applied to a flexible plastic sheet suspended from above, and pulled down from below. Pulling down from below may be by means of a weight at its base. The sign may be suspended from a roller onto which it can be rolled up when not required. It may consist of a loop of flexible sheet, hanging from above and weighted at the base of the loop, so as to provide front and rear sheets.

Another possibility is for the sign to be provided as an inflatabje structure. A further separate aspect of this invention provides a display sign comprising at least one flexible sheet bearing at least one design or character, and connected around its periphery to a hollow inflatable structure, such that inflation of the structure spreads out the sheet, to be held extended by the inflated structure.

The designs, lettering or characters displayed on the signs of this invention can be of various forms.

A reasonable width of line is necessary to obtain the effect of the invention. However, lettering with narrow lines can be displayed within panels which are made to appear three-dimensional, even though the narrow-lined letters remain two-dimensional.

A further possible form of mounting is for the sheets to extend across faces of a hollow frame assembled from extruded material.

For further explanation of the invention, embodiments will now be described with reference to the accompanying schematic drawings. In these drawings: Figure 1 is a perspective view of a simple arrangement; Figure 2 shows its rear sheet; Figure 3 shows a modified arrangement for two sizes of letters; Figure 4 shows a modified- arrangement for thin lettering; Figure 5 shows the rear sheet'from Figure 4; Figure 6 is a schematic perspective view of a suspended sign; Figure 7 is a schematic side elevation of a large suspended sign; Figure 8 is a cross-section through a box sign with conventional internal fluorescent tubes; Figure 9 is a cut away perspective view of a further form of sign; Figure 10 is a cross section through a sign similar in principle to FigureS but having a middle sheet;; Figure 11 is a perspective view illustrating another possible method of manufacturing a sign.

Figure 12 is a cross-section on lines XII-XII of Figure 11; Figure 13 is an analogous section showing a modification; Figure 14 is also an analogous section showing two of the assemblies of Figures 11 and 12 used to form a double sided sign; Figure 75 shows an inflatable sign; Figure 16 is a section on the line XVI-XVI of Figure 15; and Figures 17 and 18 are analogous diagrammatic sections of two other inflatable signs.

Figures 1 and 2 show a simple example, to illustrate the way in which a three dimensional effect is obtained.

A sign is formed by a front sheet 1, a rear sheet 2 and a light diffusing sheet 3 behind them both.

The whole is lit from behind by a spotlight 4. As shown by Figure 1, the front sheet is transparent, but bears an opaque design. In this case it is the letter A drawn with a fairly wide line thickness. The rear sheet 2 shown in Figure 2 is the negative of the front sheet 1. It carries a letter A of the same size and in the same position, but this time it is a transparent letter on an opaque background. The opaque areas of sheets 1 and 2 are shown shaded, the transparent areas unshaded.

The sheets 1 and 2 are spaced apart as shown by Figure 1. Because the letter A's are aligned, and of identical shape and size, only the opaque front letter is seen if viewed from directly in front. However, when viewed from an off-centre position as in Figure 1, the observer can see the front letter, and a portion 5 of the transparent back letter.

(More strictly the observer looks through the portion 5 of the transparent back letter to see an area of the back-lit diffusing sheet 3).

Provided the spacing between the sheets 1 and 2 is not too large, I have found that this portion 5 of the transparent back letter appears as the edge face of a three dimensional letter A, apparently formed from a sheet material having thickness and with the opaque A on the front sheet 1 appearing to be the flat front face of this three dimensional letter.

The three-dimensional appearance and the apparent thickness of the letter are preserved over a range of positions of the observer. A limit comes when the observer's position is so oblique that he can see opposite edges of lines of the letter A on the rear sheet 2.

The effect is dependent on choice of an appro priate spacing between the sheets 1 and 2. It can notbe too great in relation to the size of the letter A, or the effect is lost. Suitable spacings can be found buy experiment.

For a sign in a shop window with letters some 8 inches (200 mm) high, the front and rear sheets might be- placed 1-3 ins (25-75 mm) apart. For a sign hung well above eye level, say, in an exhibition hall, the letters might be 3 feet (1 metre) high with a spacing of 3-6 ins (75-150 mm)- between the sheets.

One variation on the arrangement of Figures 1 and 2 would be to make the letter A in the rear sheet 2 diffusely translucent rather than clear. The sheet 3 could then dispensed with.

The background area of the rear sheet 2- could be made slightly translucent also, so that it transmitted some light but less than the letter A.

Figure 3 exemplifies a modification. The front sheet 1 carries a large letter A at its top and smaller letters below. There are two sheets behind, with a diffusing sheet 3 and a rear spotlight 4 behind them all. The sheet 6 carries a negative of the large letter A and the three-dimensional effect described above is obtained. However, the spacing between the sheets 1 and 6 is too great to obtain this effect if the sheet 6 carries the negative ofthe smaller letters L, N. Instead the negative of the smaller letters is on the lower part of the middle sheet 7. The upper part of the sheet 7 is transparent, allowing the large negative letters on the sheet 6 to be seen through it. The lower part of the sheet 6 is transparent, to allow backiighting of sheet 7's lower part.

Once again the negative letters could be made diffusely translucent, so avoiding the need for the sheet 3.

Figures 4 and 5 exemplify another modified arrangement. Since the effect is lost if both sides of a negative letter can be seen, letters with thin lines or serifs can present a difficulty.

As shown by Figure 4 a front sheet 11 carries an opaque design which-consists of.an opaque coloured panel 12 with thin letters on it in a contrasting colour; The rear sheet 13 carries a negative 14 of the panel as shown by Figure 5 omitting the lettering. The effect then created is of a three-dimensional panel formed in a thick material, with the letters on its front face. It will be appreciated that the central area of the negative panel 14 on the rear sheet, shown bounded by the dotted line 15, is never seen. What matters principally-is that the outlines of the panels 12, 14 are identical on the front and back sheets, and on the back sheet the border extending in towards the dotted line 15 is light transmitting.

The lettering on the panel 12 does not need to be entirely opaque. It could transmit and diffuse light The area on the rear sheet within the border 15 could be made entirely clear, or coloured differently to the panels' marginal area outside the bor der 15, so as in each case to back-light the lettering appropriately.

in all the forms described above colour may be employed as desired, on opaque areas, or to tint clear transparent areas, or to tint diffusely translucent areas.

Figure 6 illustrates a constructional arrangement intended to provide a display in a shop window when the shop is closed. The two sheets are formed by a single length of flexible transparent plastic sheet. One end 20 is anchored at ceiling level. While the shop is open the remainder is wound up on a roller 21 at ceiling level (like a roller blind), slightly in front of the anchored end 20. When the shop closes it is let down to hang in a loop. A loose roller 22 lies in the base of the loop to weight it. The diameter of this is chosen so that the front and back halves of the loop lie in parallel planes constituting the front sheet 23 and back sheet 24. The length of plastic sheet is printed (e.g.

by screen printing) so that the front half 23 carries an opaque design e.g. the shop name. The rear half 24 is opaque or slightly translucent overall, and carries a strongly translucent design of identi cal shape and size to that on the front half 23. Obviously the length of plastic sheet must be lowered by the right amount to align the designs on the front and back halves.

Figure 7 is a side view of an arrangement for a sign to be suspended in a large hall. The front sheet 31 employs large and smaller letters, requiring two sheets behind it, as explained in relation to Figure 3.

Two length of plastic sheeting are employed.

Both are attached to a common anchor 32. One hangs in a loop fron this- and a front roller 33 at ceiling level, onto which it can be wound. The other sheet forms an interior loop within the first, supported by the anchor 32 and a roller 34. The two sheets descend together at the rear. The outer loop provides the front sheet 31. The inner loop provides a middle sheet 37. At the rear the outer loop provides an overall light diffusing sheet 38 and the inner loop provides a rear sheet 36 which carries a negative of the large letters on the front sheet. The middle sheet 37 carries a negative of the small letters, in the manner as described above for the sheets 1, 6 and 7 of Figure 3.

As mentioned, the top ends of the loops are held by rollers 33, 34 on which they can be wound. The loops are weighted by rollers 41, 42, 43 hanging within them. The ends of the top rollers are journalled in supports 44 which are indicated purely diagrammatically but permit adjustment of the spacings between the rollers 33 and 34, and between them and the anchor 32. Analogously the lower rollers 41, 42, 43 are journalled in supports 45 which permit independent adjustment of the spacings between them.

For both the arrangement of Figure 6, and that of Figure 7 a suitable lamp or lamps are provided behind the sheets to provide rear illumination.

Figure 8 illustrates the sheets of Figure 1 mounted into a conventional box sign construction, so that sheets 2 and 3 are inside the box 47, and back illumination is by means of fluorescent tubes 49 contained in the rear part of the sign. For this construction the sheet 1, and preferably sheets 2 and 3 also, consist of rigid plastic.

Figure 9 shows a further possible construction. A hollow rectangular frame 50 is made up from box section extrusions. This could be an aluminium extrusion, with screw fittings at mitred corners, or it could be extruded plastic, e.g. extruded P.V.C. with welds at the corners.

The front sheet 1 is fastened to one face of the hollow rectangle, as shown. The rear sheet 2 is fastened to the opposite face. Both of these sheets may be rigid plastic or a flexible plastic gently stretched over the hollow frame. They are held in place by adhesive, double sided adhesive tape, or (if the frame 50 is plastic) one of the known techniques for welding plastics.

Rear illumination is by a spot lamp 4. The light transmitting areas of sheet 2 are made to diffuse, so that no separate diffusing sheet is necessary.

Figure 10 shows use of the same type of mounting when three sheets, 1, 6 and 7 are employed, as in Figure 3. The sheets 1 and 7 are mounted on opposite faces of a hollow frame 52. Within this a second hollow frame 54 carries the sheet 6 on its rear face.

In both Figures 9 and 10 the edges of the exposed sheets 1, 2 and 7 are concealed by a decorative capping 56.

With this form of construction a sheet spacing of an inch (25 mm) could conveniently be achieved using a 25 mm square extended box section to form the hollow frame. A spacing of three inches (75 mm) could be achieved with a 25 mm x 75 mm rectangular box section extrusion.

Figures 11 and 12 diagrammatically illustrate a method of sign construction. The sign has two main parts 101, 102 each of which is formed of plastics material. Each part 101, 102 is vacuum formed into a dished shape so that its central flat rectangular area 104 is surrounded by four angled faces 106 which in turn are surrounded by a peripheral lip 107. The two dished parts 101, 102 are put together with their peripheral lips 107 in contact and are then held together by a frame 108 surrounding these lips and clamping them together.

The central flat area 104 of the part 101 provides a front sheet which is transparent. Like the sheet 1 of Figure 1 it bears an opaque design. The central flat area 104 of the dished part 102 constitutes a rear sheet. Like the rear sheet 2 shown in Figures 1 and 2 it carries a negative of the design on the forward sheet. In Figure 11 the overall thickness has been somewhat exaggerated, and the negative design on part 102 has been omitted.

The frame 108 which holds the two parts 101, 102 together could be lengths of plastic extrusion sprung over the lips 107 and having sufficient resilience to hold these lips pressed together. Another possibility would be for the frame 108 to comprise a closed loop of a flexible plastic extrusion which expands or becomes capable of being resiliently deformed when warm. Such a loop would be warmed and then fitted around the periphery of the lips 107. On cooling it would shrink onto them or stiffen in place so that in either case it would hold the two parts 101, 102 securely together.

Figure 13 is a diagrammatic cross-section which shows a sign having four sheets, for example in a manner analogous to the sign of Figure 3 but made on the same principles as the sign of Figures 11 and 12. This time there are four parts 111, 113, 116 and 117 each of which has a central flat rectangular section surrounded by four bevelled faces 106 leading to peripheral lips 107. The parts are dimensionsed so that they can be assembled together in the manner shown by Figure 13 with the four lips 107 held together by a peripheral frame 108. The central areas of the four parts 111, 113, 116, 117constitute four sheets analogous to the sheets 1, 3, 6 and 7 of Figure 3.

An alternative utilisation of the constuction shown in Figure 13 is as a double sided sign. The parts 111 and 117 form a sign with two sheets, analogous to sheets 1 and 2 of Figure 1. The parts 113 and 116 form another sign with two sheets, facing the opposite way. Preferably then a light source, such as fluorescent tubes is placed between the parts 716 and 117.

Figure 14 shows how two of the signs of Figures 11 and 12 can be placed back to back and held suitably spaced apart by a frame 110, shown diagrammatically, which maintains the spacing between the two signs. The frame also supports fluorescent tubes 119 between the signs.

Figures 15 and 16 show a further possible form of construction. In this arrangement a sign is constructed as an inflatable structure. The structure has a hollow inflatable tube 120 around its periphery. This tube is approximately rectangular when inflated. The two sheets, 121, 122 which provide the sign are attached to the peripheral tube 120 and arranged so that when the tube 120 is inflatable the sheets 121, 122 are held in tension and spaced apart. Possibly the space between the two sheets could be inflated slightly causing them to bulge slightly as shown by the phantom lines in Figure 16 but also tensioning them further and increasing their stability.

A sign of this construction could be employed for a very large sign. It might perhaps be hung from the roof of a large hall or might be inflated with a lighter-than-air gas and tethered from below, thus being used as a captive "balloon" which might be employed in the open air.

Signs with this form of inflatable construction could be made sinaller and if so might perhaps be permanently inflated. Figures 17 and 18 show another possibility. Each of these figures is a section analogous to Figure 16. As shown each of these signs has two sheets 121, 122. Each pair of sheets 121, 122 is surrounded by an inflated tube 120. In Figure 17 the bottom runs 125 of the peripheral tubes 120 are fastened together. In Figure 18 they are merged as a single tube. The sheets 121, 122 are inclined at an angle which is suitable for a sign somewhere off the ground and tethered from below because the sheets will then face more or less directly towards people looking up from the ground.

The signs shown in Figure 15 onwards have two spaced sheets to give the three dimensional effect.

The two sheets could be replaced by a single sheet if the three dimensional effect was nof required.

Notably in Figures 15 and 16 a single sheet, printed on both sides, would give a double sided sign. Another possibility would be for both sheets shown to be printed on the other face with a posi tive, opaque, design. This would again give a dou ble sided sign without a three dimensional effect.

Claims (14)

1. A display sign comprising at least two sheets spaced apart in face to face relation one in front of the other, the forward sheet being transparent and bearing at least one design or character which is less transparent or opaque, the rearward sheet bearing a design or character which (i) has an out line of substantially the same shape and size as that on the front sheet, (ii) is aligned with it, and (iii) contrasts in colour, and/or light transmittance, both with its background and with the associated design or character on the forward sheet.

2. A display sign according to claim 1 wherein the said design or character on the rearward sheet is more light transmitting than its background, at least over a marginal region adjacent the outline.

3. A display sign according to claim 1 or claim 2 consisting of two sheets only.

4. A display sign according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the design in the rear ward sheet is light diffusing.

5. A display sign according to claim 1 or claim 2 further comprising a diffusely light transmitting sheet behind the rearward sheet.

6. A display sign according to claim 1 or claim 2 in which there are at least three sheets, the for ward sheet bearing at least two sets each consist ing of at least one design or character, opaque or less transparent on a transparent background with eachof the two (or more) sheets behind bearing a design or character which in relation to one of the said sets, satisfies the conditions (i), (ii), and (iii) set out in claim 1.

7. A display sign according to claim 6 wherein the designs on each sheet behind the forward sheet are light diffusing and/or the design on the rearmost sheet, together with all other light trans mitting areas of the rearmost sheet are light diffus ing.

8. A display sign according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the edges of the sheets are surrounded by a box which also contains means to back-illumihate the sheets.

9. A display sign according to any one of claims 1 to 8 wherein the sheets are each provided by a plastic sheet formed into a dished shape, with a central flat area bearing the design(s) or charac ter(s), and the edges of the dished shapes are held - together, with the flat areas of the dished shapes spaced apart.

10. A display sign according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the sheets are flexible.

11. A display sign according to claim 10 wherein the sheets are connected to a hollow inflatable structure around their peripheries, inflation of the structure serving to spread out the sheets and hold them spaced apart, face to face.

12. A double sided sign comprising two signs according to any one of the preceding claims, placed back to back to face in opposite directions.

13. A display sign substantially as herein described with reference to any of Figures 1 to 10 of the drawings.

14. A display sign substantially as herein described with reference to any of Figures 11 to 18 of the drawings.