GB2360352A

GB2360352A - Decorative illumination and display apparatus

Info

Publication number: GB2360352A
Application number: GB0006282A
Authority: GB
Inventors: William Mehornay
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2000-03-15
Filing date: 2000-03-15
Publication date: 2001-09-19
Also published as: GB0006282D0

Abstract

Illumination and display apparatus 10 comprises illumination means 12 supported by a housing 11. The housing 11 comprises display means 15 which can mount a decorative element to be displayed, such as fabric, wallpaper, photographic material, a painting, a print, leaves or dried flowers. The mounted decorative element is visible to the exterior of the apparatus. Use of the illumination and display apparatus may both illuminate a room and display a decorative element. The display means 15 may releasably encase the decorative element, allowing the decorative element to be removed and replaced.

Description

2360352 ILLUMINATION AND DISPLAY APPARATUS The present invention relates

to illumination and display apparatus, e.g. lamps or lumineres. 5 Lamps not only provide a source of light but also serve a decorative function. Therefore, lamps are designed with specific styles, which currently are not easily changeable, i.e. they have singular designs. As lamps are often a focal point in a room, they can have a significant effect on the mood created or style of that room. Thus, when lamps are bought by customers, they are usually chosen not only on the basis of whether the lamp would provide adequate lighting, but also on the basis of whether the design would suit the style of the particular location. For example, a different lamp design would suit a study, nursery, hallway and living room.

As current lamps have both a singular design and are also chosen to be location specific, changing the appearance of a lamp, either during manufacture or subsequently after purchase, is difficult or impossible. For instance, If a different mood or design is required for the same location, then the lamp would need to be replaced or permanently altered to give the required effect. Furthermore, if the room is redecorated, the lamp may no longer suit the new style of the room.

Accordingly, the invention provides illumination and display apparatus comprising:

illumination means; and a housing supporting the illumination means; wherein:

the housing comprises display means which can mount a decorative element to be displayed, the mounted decorative element being visible from the exterior of the apparatus. 5 With the increased popularity of interior (and exterior) decorating, the invention provides a lamp design which is easily adaptable. The lamp design can present a manufacturer with the option of easily changing the appearance of a finished product, because the decorative element in the structure can be changed easily and thus different styles of lamps can be produced without the need for expensive retooling. Alternatively, the element to be displayed could comprise e.g. replaceable decorative material panels which are changed by the user with the changing seasons, or as tastes change over a longer period of time. The material may also be easily adapted following redecoration of a room or to suit a different location.

In one embodiment, the housing has a plurality of planar sides with display means forming at least a part of one of the planar sides and comprising a planar back sheet for supporting a planar decorative element and a transparent or translucent planar front sheet through which the planar decorative element can be viewed. Any number of planar sides could be chosen to form a housing which is in cross-section square, rectangular, pentagonal or hexagonal.

In another embodiment the housing is cylindrical.

In a preferred embodiment, the housing forms a lamp base, with illumination means comprising a light fitting extending upwardly from a top surface thereof.

In another arrangement the illumination means is positioned within the housing to form an uplighter. 5 In a further embodiment, the housing has fixing means to allow the housing to be fixed to a wall and thereby function as a wall-mounted uplighter.

The decorative element may be any flat material such as fabric, wallpaper, a photograph, a painting, a print, a section of floor covering, or even a natural material such as leaves or dried flowers.

In one embodiment, the transparent or translucent panel can comprise glass, perspex, acetate or any other transparent material known in the art. This transparent material should preferably be suitably resilient.

The apparatus could comprise a decorative element which is a removable painted or gilded panel. The panel is preferably a flat solid panel.

When the illumination means is positioned within the housing, for example in an uplighter or wall light arrangement, the display means can allow light to shine through the decorative element. This embodiment is particularly preferred when the decorative element is a fabric. This effect may be achieved by sandwiching the decorative material between two layers of transparent or translucent material.

Preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying 4 drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a first embodiment of illumination and display apparatus according to the present invention; Figure 2 is an exploded view of a second embodiment of illumination and display apparatus of apparatus according to the present invention; Figure 3 is a horizontal cross section through a housing of a variant of the apparatus of Figure 2; Figure 4 is perspective view of a third embodiment of illumination and display apparatus according to the present invention; Figure 5A is a front view and Figure 5B is a side view of a fourth embodiment of illumination and display apparatus according to the present invention; and Figure 6A is a front view and Figure 6B is a side view of a fifth embodiment of illumination and display apparatus according to the present invention.

In Figure 1 there can be seen a first embodiment which comprises a housing 11 and illumination means in the form of an electric lamp fitting 12 extending upwardly from a top surface 13 of the housing 11.

The housing 11 comprises four substantially flat sides 14 and forms a substantially rectangular box. In this embodiment each side is defined by a flat transparent panel 15 which overlays and encases a panel of fabric which in turn overlays and is fixed to a backing panel. Each set of transparent front panel, backing panel and sandwiched fabric panel is joined to two adjacent sets of panels by means of corner supports 16 which are made of a suitable material, such as wood, plastic, or metal such as aluminium or brass etc.

Surface decoration may also be applied to the corner supports 16. The top edges of the sides 14 are covered with wooden mouldings 17 (e.g. picture frame mouldings). The bottom edges are attached to a f lat base 21 which could be formed from wooden mouldings (such as those used for picture frames).

The Figure 1 embodiment is designed such that the encased fabric panels cannot be altered after manufacture by the purchasers of the apparatus.

However, the simple design is easy and cost-efficient to manufacture and very easy to modify. All that is required for the manufacturer to alter the end product is a change of the encased textile material. Textile materials can be purchased easily and readily and are manufactured in a huge variety of patterns and colours.

Figure 2 shows an exploded view of a second embodiment. The housing 20 comprises a flat base 21, a top panel 22 and four sides 23. In this embodiment, each of the sides 23 has an outer panel 24 of glass or other transparent material and an inner panel 25 of solid material such as wood, MDF or transparent material (e.g. perspex). Decorative material (not shown) is sandwiched between the inner 25 and outer 24 panels and may advantageously be attached to either panel. In the most preferred arrangement, the decorative layer is attached to the inner panel 25 (e.g. by stapling or by gluing or by taping).

In some embodiments, each side 23 may comprise a single panel.A panel forming a side 23 may also comprise a fabric covered board. For example, decorated fabric may be stretched over a piece of thin board.

A panel or panels forming each side 23 is/are slid into position in grooves 28 formed in corner supports 29, these grooves 28 being sized to receive the panel (s). When each side is formed from inner 25 and outer 24 panels, one of the panels 24, 25 in each side 23 may be permanently fixed, i.e. not slidable.

The other panel will be slidable to permit changing the decorative material (not shown) sandwiched between the inner and outer panels 24, 25. In the arrangement shown in Figure 2 the outer transparent panel 24 may be permanently fixed to the corner supports 29 whilst the inner panel 25 and decorative material (not shown) are slidable with respect to the corner supports 29 to allow for removal and replacement of the decorative material. The corner supports 29 are joined at the top and bottom by framework batons 26.

The top panel 22 of the housing has a hole 27 formed therein for attachment of a light fitting (not shown). The top panel 22 will be permanently affixed to the underlying supporting framework of batons 26, but not covering the shelving grooves 28.

A removable wooden frame 30 finishes the top of the housing and covers the grooves and the removable panels thus holding them in place. The frame 30 in its entirety or a portion of it may be removable to allow for removal and replacement of the decorative material supported by the side panels. In the Figure 2 the frame 30 is shown as removable in its entirety. it has four corner apertures 32 through which four 7 - threaded rods 33 extend on assembly, the threaded rods 33 extending from the four corner supports 29. Wing nuts 34 can be manually tightened on the threaded rods 33 to secure the frame 30 in position. 5 The base portion 21 is permanently fixed to the bottom surface of the corner supports 29 and bottom edge framework batons 26, and has a hole 31 formed therein for use in assembly of the lamp.

Figure 3 shows a variant of the housing of Figure 2. Decorative fabric material 40 is held on an inner panel 41 by corner pieces 42. However, the corner pieces 42 do not have any grooves but merely hold the decorative fabric material 40 in place by simple abutment. Again, a transparent outer panel(not shown) may be used to both protect the decorative fabric material 40 from damage and also to ensure that the decorative fabric material 40 conforms to the required shape of the underlying inner panel 41.

In Figure 4, a cylindrical housing 50 is shown The housing 50 may be attached to a wall or be freestanding. A light fitting 51 is located within the cylindrical housing 50. Decorative fabric material 52 is sandwiched between two concentric inner 53 and outer 54 layers of the housing. Alternatively, fabric could be fitted around a single cylindrical layer (e.g. 53). The inner 53 and outer 54 layers are advantageously both transparent to allow light to pass through the fabric enclosed between the inner layer 53 and the outer layer 54. The inner layer 53 is removably mounted within the outer layer 54 to permit change of the fabric layer 52.

A further embodiment of the present invention is shown in Figure 5. A housing 60 is made of two picture frames 61 and 62, with an intermediate housing section 63 joining the two picture frames 61, 62. Any conventional picture frames may be used, including those comprising a layer of glass/plastic attached to a stiff board and/or those comprising a plastic U shaped moulding in which the photo slides in-between two closely spaced arms of the U-shaped frame. The frames 61 and 62 are used to house the removable decorative elements, e.g. photographs or prints or any other decorative element. A light fitting 64 is shown to be exterior of the picture frames 61 and 62.

The light fitting 64 can also, of course, be located between the two picture frames either instead of or as well as above.

Figure 6 shows a further embodiment of illumination and display apparatus which functions as a wall lamp 70 in which a light fitting 71 is enclosed in a housing 72. Mounting means (e.g. screws 73) would be used to fix the housing to a wall 74. Light shines both upwardly and through the housing 72, if a translucent material is used for the housing. Light would be directed upwards if an opaque material is used for the housing. Although the front panel 75 of the housing is shown as flat, it could be curved or otherwise shaped. The front panel 75 is formed as a frame 76 having a transparent front cover 77 overlaying a fabric or other decorative insert encased between the overlaying front cover 77 and an underlying back panel 78. The transparent front cover 77 is fixed to the frame 76 and the frame 76 is hingedly attached to the back panel 78 by hinges 79. A catch (not shown) will be provided to secure the front cover 77 and frame 76 in position. The hinged arrangement allows the insertion and removal of a decorative element.

It will be appreciated that a variety of display arrangements can be used to releasably hold the decorative material in a housing without departing from the scope of the invention. In addition, the decorative material can be a multitude of materials e.g. a photograph, a sketch, matching wallpaper, material from a sofa suite in the room etc or any flat decorative surface.

Claims

Claims:

1. Illumination and display apparatus comprising:

illumination means; and a housing supporting the illumination means; wherein the housing comprises display means which can mount a decorative element to be displayed, the mounted decorative element being visible to the exterior of the apparatus.

2. Illumination and display apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the display means releasably encases the decorative element allowing the decorative element to be easily removed, changed and replaced.

3. Illumination and display apparatus as claimed in claim 2, wherein the display means comprises a frame in which the decorative element can be releasably secured.

4. Illumination and display apparatus as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein the display means has a transparent or translucent panel through which the encased decorative element can be viewed from the exterior of the apparatus.

5. Illumination and display apparatus as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the illumination means comprises a light fitting located within the housing.

6. Illumination and display apparatus as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the light f itting portion is mounted externally on a top surface of the housing.

7. Illumination and display apparatus as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the decorative element comprises an element selected from a group comprising one or more of the following: fabric, wallpaper, photographic material, painting, a print, a section of floor covering or a natural material such as leaves or dried flowers.

8. Illumination and display apparatus as claimed in any of the preceding claims, wherein the display means comprises a backing panel on which the decorative element is mounted.

9. Illumination and display apparatus as claimed in claim 8, wherein the display means comprises a top panel of a translucent or transparent material which overlays the backing panel, and the decorative element can be sandwiched between the top panel and the backing panel.

10. Illumination and display apparatus as claimed in claim 9, wherein the decorative element is a painted or gilded panel which is inserted between the top panel and the backing panel.

11. Illumination and display apparatus as claimed in claim 10 wherein the painted or gilded panel is a solid flat panel.

12. Illumination and display apparatus as claimed in any one of claims 9 to 11 wherein the top panel is formed from a material selected from a group - 12 comprising glass, perspex or acetate.

13. A method of use of illumination and display apparatus as claimed in any of the preceding claims in which the apparatus is used to both illuminate a room and to display a decorative element.

14. A method as claimed in claim 13 in which the apparatus is used to display a piece of fabric and the fabric displayed is changed periodically by removing from the apparatus a displayed piece of fabric and then replacing the displayed fabric with a different piece of fabric of a different design.

15. Illumination and display apparatus substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as shown in the accompanying drawings.

:AWP/Ctf/66350