GB2379315A

GB2379315A - Luminous house numbers

Info

Publication number: GB2379315A
Application number: GB0120766A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Nalin Dahyalal Vadgama
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2001-08-25
Filing date: 2001-08-25
Publication date: 2003-03-05
Also published as: GB2379315A8; GB0120766D0

Abstract

A house number or like sign 14, or a digit 10 that forms part of such a sign 14 is luminous, preferably being formed of a luminous material of enhanced luminescence, e.g. an alkaline earth aluminate and/or a rare earth activated aluminate. The digit 10, or sign 14 may be controllably luminous, e.g. to enable the luminosity to be controlled in accordance with ambient light conditions. The digits 10 are on a dark background 26. A system for use in producing a sign, comprises a range of digits to enable a user to select one or more digits from the range for use in making a sign. Control means may be provided to control the luminosity so that it is off during daylight, it is at a high value at an intermediate level of ambient light, e.g. dawn or dusk, and it is at a lower value i.e. dimmer at a lower level of ambient light, e.g. during the night. Part of the control means may be mounted remote from the digit or sign. A solar energy collector may be provided as a power source.

Description

TITLE :"House-Numbering Signs" FIELD OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to house-numbering signs. These are signs comprising one or more digits (which may include a letter) put up at a house to indicate the official number, e. g."17A", of the house in a street. The height of such a digit is typically in the range of from 4 to 20 cm, more typically 5 to 12 cm. In a locality in which blocks on a street are numbered, each block containing a number of residences, a like sign may be used for the block numbers. Like signs may be used for other purposes, e. g. numbering the changing cubicles at an outdoor swimming pool, or flats in a block, or rooms in a hotel. Like signs may be used to identify streets, e. g."15"or "15th"for"15th Street", or"W 15th"for"West 15th Street", or may even contain the full street name.

BACKGROUND Conventional house-numbering signs suffer from the great disadvantage that, usually, they cannot be seen in the dark. This disadvantage is sometimes overcome, to some degree, by the provision of a light source near the house-numbering sign, but this is not usually a very satisfactory solution in practice for people trying to identify a house in the dark from some distance away (e. g. 5 m or more), e. g. ambulance or other emergency services. Likewise, the usual lack of adequate lighting for house-numbering signs is one factor against the provision of a late afternoon, or evening, postal delivery in the winter.

THE INVENTION The present inventor realised that these difficulties could be overcome by providing suitably luminous digits and/or providing a suitably luminous house-numbering sign.

Although conventional luminous materials could give some advantage, the inventor carried out extensive research to improve upon this and found materials that would provide enhanced luminescence in order to obtain substantial advantages. The term"enhanced"as used herein refers to materials which have a brightness and length of persistence of afterglow which are at least ten times those of a conventional zinc sulphide phosphor.

The term"digit"as used herein means (unless the context otherwise requires) a physical representation of a single digit-shape, with or without a background. If there is a background, the statement that the digit is luminous comprehends that the represented digit may be luminous and the background dark, or vice versa (e. g. a silhouette of the represented digit on a luminous background), or possibly they may both be luminous with different colours, whereby the represented digit may be clearly discernible.

The inventor also carried out considerable research into methods of providing digits with powered and/or controllable illumination. Where the digit is controllably luminous, the represented digit and the background may only be distinguishable when the digit is luminous.

According to one aspect of the invention, there is provided a digit adapted for use as, or as part of, a house-numbering or like sign, characterised in that the digit is luminous. Preferably, the digit comprises a luminous material of enhanced

luminescence; more preferably, said material comprises an alkaline earth aluminate and/or a rare earth activated aluminate. Such a material may be activated by a rare earth gas. Examples of such materials are available from ProGlow Mfg Company of POB 397, Mount Pleasant, Pennsylvania 15666-397, USA based upon strontium aluminate chemistry, e. g. their B Series of luminous powder pigments, which can be provided in any suitable vehicle, e. g. printed on to self-adhesive sheet. Other examples of such materials comprise pigments available from Capricorn Chemicals Limited of Twickenham, England in their H Series (H10, H13, H14) and their S4 Series.

According to another aspect of the invention, there is provided a digit adapted for use as, or as part of, a house-numbering or like sign, characterised in that the digit is controllably luminous or comprises means or material to enable it to be controllably luminous.

According to another aspect of the invention, there is provided a house-numbering or like sign comprising one or more selected or selectable digits, characterised in that the sign is controllably luminous or comprises means or material to enable it to be controllably luminous.

There may be provided a house-numbering or like sign, characterised in that it comprises one or more digits each according to the invention, as above, on a dark background.

There may be provided a system for use in producing a house-numbering or like sign, characterised in that the system comprises a range of digits each according to the invention, as above, to enable a user to select one or more digits from the range for use in making a house-numbering or like sign.

There may be provided a system for use in producing a house-numbering or like sign, characterised in that the system comprises a range of digits, to enable a user to select one or more digits from the range for use in making a sign according to the invention, as above.

The word"system"can have reference inter alia to a single unit/device (possibly as a kit of parts) to display one number, or a changeable or pre-settable number, for use at a single address, e. g. comprising a single display together with items used with it, e. g. housing, power connections and control means, or to a range of such units each to display a different number, allowing the purchaser to choose a unit and hence the number to be displayed, or to one such unit (or a range of such units) with an independent range of numbers, digits and/or alphanumeric characters allowing the purchaser to choose the number to be displayed.

There may be provided a method of producing a house-numbering or like sign, characterised in that it comprises the step of selecting for the sign one or more digits each from a system according to the invention, as above.

There may be provided a house-numbering or like sign, characterised in that it is the product of a method according to the invention, as above.

In any of the embodiments of the invention, a said digit may be adapted to be seen also in normal daylight. (Alternatively, it is possible that the digit be accompanied by a like non-luminous digit visible in normal daylight.) There may be provided an arrangement comprising a digit, sign or system according to the invention, as above, characterised in that it comprises control means responsive to ambient light to enable the luminosity to be controlled in accordance with ambient light conditions.

Such an arrangement may be characterised in that the control means is adapted to control the luminosity to be substantially zero at a high level of ambient light, to be at a high value at an intermediate level of ambient light (e. g. when the level falls below a predetermined threshold) and to be at a lower value at a lower level of ambient light (e. g. below a second, lower, predetermined level).

Such an arrangement may be characterised in that at least part of the control means is adapted to be mounted remote from the digit and/or sign, as the case may be.

Such an arrangement may be characterised in that the control means comprises electrical wiring and the arrangement comprises a mounting member that is hollow and arranged to carry the wiring therethrough.

There may be provided an arrangement comprising a digit, sign, system or arrangement according to the invention, as above, characterised in that the arrangement comprises a solar energy collector arranged as a power source.

There may be provided an arrangement comprising a digit, sign, system or arrangement according to the invention, as above, characterised in that the arrangement comprises a mask to define a said digit.

There may be provided an arrangement comprising a digit, sign, system or arrangement according to the invention, as above, characterised in that the arrangement comprises switch means to define a said digit. A mask may be used to hide part of a luminous area in order to define a digit. A mask may have a window defining a digit, the window being surrounded by a dark edge to ensure the digit represented is readable when there is substantially zero luminosity.

The invention was conceived as a house numbering device with the new characteristic that it is suitably luminous. It may alternatively be thought of as a luminous sign adapted for use for house numbering or the like, e. g. with the characteristic that it comprises means to mount it to a wall or other substantially vertical surface, and/or with the digits selectable, and/or controllably luminous, and/or separately luminous (which means that they are illuminable independently of one another, or independently of a background which the sign comprises). Another possibility is for the sign can be cemented into a wall, for example.

Preferably, the digits are adapted to be seen also in normal daylight.

Alternatively, a house-numbering sign could, for example, include one or more luminous digits not intended to be seen in normal daylight, together with corresponding digits that are not luminous and are intended to be seen in normal daylight.

According to another aspect of the invention, there is provided a digit adapted for use as, or as part of, a house-numbering or like sign, characterised in that the digit is adapted to be luminous.

According to another aspect of the invention, there is provided an element, characterised in that it is, has been or is adapted to be part of a digit, sign, system or arrangement as mentioned above according to the invention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Reference will now be made by way of example to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figures 1 is a front perspective view and Figures 2 to 5,8, 10,16 to 18,34 and 35 are front elevations of various signs (some of them being only a single digit which

may also constitute a sign) being embodiments of the invention; of these, Figures 1 and 8 show single digits which may be part of a sign; the embodiments of Figures 8 and 10 may be simply a mask embodying the invention; Figure 6 is a schematic cross-section on the line 6-6 of Figure 5; Figure 7 is a view corresponding to Figure 6 of another embodiment of the invention; Figure 9 is a schematic illustration of a system embodying the invention; Figure 11 is a schematic perspective view of another embodiment of the invention; Figure 12 is a schematic cross-section on the line 12-12 of Figure 11 with a digit mask shown separately ; Figure 13 is a front elevation of a strip, roll or sheet of digit masks of an embodiment of the invention; Figures 14 and 15 are front elevations of digit masks showing selectable segmented forms of embodiments of the invention; Figure 19 is an enlarged detail of Figure 18; Figures 20 and 21 are schematic cross-sectional views of mounted embodiments of the invention; Figure 22 is a schematic partially perspective view of the control means of an embodiment of the invention; Figure 23 is a front elevation of linked digits of an embodiment of the invention; Figure 24 is a schematic cross-sectional view of an embodiment of the invention showing the use of a backlit digit;

Figures 25 and 26 are front and back perspective views of dip-switch (or"dil switch") settable embodiments of the invention; Figure 27 is a schematic side cross-section of a latch-bolt-secured housing embodiment of the invention; Figure 28 is an underneath plan view of the head of the latch-bolt shown in Figure 27; Figures 29 and 30 are front elevations of decorative housing embodiments of the invention; Figures 31 to 33 are simplified circuit diagrams of control stages of embodiments of the invention; and Figures 36 and 37 are cross-sections of alternative embodiments along the line 36-36 of Figure 35.

In the various Figures, like references denote the same item or items with like functions.

The drawings show a number of sets of thin, usually equispaced, parallel straight lines, vertical for Figures 31-33, horizontal for the other Figures. These are construction lines and are to be ignored.

Referring to the drawings, a digit 10 (a"I", Figure 1) is provided with screw-fixing holes 12 to adapt it for use as a house-numbering sign 14, or for example three such digits 10 (a"I", a"7", and an"A", Figure 2) may be used together to provide the sign 14. The digits 10 are made of a body 15, e. g. of plastics or cast-iron or aluminium or glass, and have a surface coating 16 that is luminous, the coating 16 being of a material of enhanced luminescence, more particularly comprising an alkaline earth (strontium) aluminate activated by a rare earth gas, as described above.

For this, exposure to normal English winter daylight for a minimum of ten minutes provides a suitable visible afterglow for up to 20 hours.

It is to be noted that ambient light, e. g. sunlight, often affects the luminosity but this is not termed herein"control".

Alternatively, each of digits 10, Figures 3 and 4, is controllably luminous, either controlled in tandem, Figure 3, or controlled together, Figure 4, e. g. in that it comprises means 18 (e. g. a source 18 of light, e. g. comprising one or more LEDs 18 - light-emitting diodes-shown more clearly in Figure 34) or material (e. g. a coating 16, arranged as coating 16, Figure 1, responsive to a magnetic or electric field, e. g. as an LCD-liquid crystal display, e. g. back-lit) to enable it to be controllably luminous, under the control of control means 20.

Instead of each digit 10 being separately luminous and/or of separately controllable luminosity, the house-numbering sign 14, comprising one or more selected or selectable digits 10, Figures 5,6 and 7, is globally controllably luminous in that the sign 14 as a whole comprises means 18, e. g. a diffuse light source 18 spread, as shown in Figure 6, over the whole of the inside area of a light box 22 of the sign 14, or material 16, e. g. in the form of a backing sheet or coating 16 controlled as to luminosity by an electric field, as shown in Figure 7, to enable it to be controllably luminous. In these embodiments, sign 14 comprises a light box 22 and the digits 10 are masks 24, each of which may comprise a transparent support sheet 25 mounting an opaque background portion 26 defining therein one or more transparent digit-form portions 30. The sign 14, Figure 5, comprises the digits 10 on a dark (preferably black) background 26. This background 26 may extend over the whole face of the sign 14 or may simply form a dark border 28, Figure 8, around the digit-shape 30 of

each digit 10. Figure 8 shows only a mask 24 which is a digit 10 adapted to be luminous (as against a digit 10 which is luminous because it comprises luminous material, e. g. of enhanced luminescence) by its dark and transparent portions, 28 and 30 respectively, and is adapted by its form (e. g. size, shape, construction and/or material), or stated intention, for use as, or as part of, a house-numbering or like sign.

A preferred feature of house-numbering signs 14 is the facility to choose the digits 10 when composing a sign 14. A system 32, Figure 9, for use in producing a house-numbering or like sign 14 comprises a range 34 of individual digits 10, to enable a user to select one or more digits 10 from the range 34 for use in making the sign 14. These digits 10 (and indeed the digits 10 of any of the embodiments described above of the invention) can be selected and purchased individually for the user to compose the sign 14. (In a possible alternative, groups 11 of digits 10, Figure 10, may be available, each group 11 as a single entity or mask 24, e. g. where the two or more digits of such a group 11 form a monogram. ) As seen in Figures 11 and 12, each mask 24 may be rigid and clip into light box 32 by securing means 33, e. g. tongues 35 and grooves 37.

Alternatively, a range 34, Figure 13, of digits 10 may be produced and sold as a strip, roll or sheet 36 of thin, flexible self-adhesive masks 24 (together with a light box 22), e. g. with three of each digit, allowing the user to select those digits 10 required and to discard the remainder. One, several or all of the digits 10 may be provided in the form of selectable segments 13 of digits (7-segment digits if only numerical characters and 14-segment if alphanumeric, see Figures 14 and 15 respectively), whether the digits 10 are transparent for illumination (in which case required sections 13 of a digit 10 are removed) or opaque to be surrounded by

illumination (in which case required sections 13 of a digit 10 are retained and the rest removed). A digit 10, e. g. as Figure 8, may be provided with an opaque layer 25 (to provide the dark part) on a transparent carrier layer 27, and the opaque layer 25 may be ready cut through along one or more cut lines 29 to define the digit-form 30 but leaving it to the user to choose to peel off any selected portions of opaque layer 25, e. g. the digit-form 30 and/or the background 26 (or even the region 28 alone). It may be the digits 10 or the sign 14 that have or has the controllable luminosity. Within a range 34, there may be included several fonts of each digit value.

Thus, there is used a method of producing a house-numbering or like sign 14, which method comprises the step of selecting for the sign 14 one or more digits 10 each from a system 32. The sign 14 is the product of this method.

Another manner of providing choice is for the digit or digits 10 to comprise controllable digital electronic display means, as exemplified by the LCDs and LED displays described below. Such displays lend themselves to flashing light emission, e. g. so that they are emitting light for only 1% (or up to 10%) of the time they are on (though perhaps rapidly enough to give the illusion of continuous illumination), enabling energy to be conserved, and allowing light pulses to be varied in frequency and/or length to vary the apparent intensity of light, e. g. for energy conservation as described below.

A digit 10 may be adapted to be seen also in normal daylight, e. g. by being of silhouette form on a light background or by use of a dark border as mentioned above.

(Alternatively, it is possible that each digit 10 in a sign 14, Figure 16, be accompanied in a double element 19 by a like non-luminous dark digit 17 visible in normal

daylight, or that the sign 14, Figure 17, have one section 21 comprising corresponding non-luminous dark digits 17.) An arrangement 38, Figure 18, comprising any of the above embodiments of one or more controllably luminous digits 10 or a controllably luminous sign 14, comprises control means 40 (e. g. one for the whole sign 14, as shown in full lines, or one for each digit 10 as shown in dashed lines) responsive to ambient light to enable the luminosity to be controlled in accordance with ambient light conditions.

The control means 40 is adapted to control the luminosity. This is exemplified by the circuits of Figures 31 to 33, in which the output controls the display of a digit 10. This may be done in any desired mode. A first mode is simply ON/OFF at twilight (evening and morning, respectively), i. e. substantially at a predetermined ambient light level (preferably with a small hysteresis between"ON"and"OFF"to avoid"hunting", e. g. respective different light levels for "ON" and "OFF", darker level for"ON"and lighter level for "OFF", possibly close but slightly different light levels, or again a single level with a time delay between"ON"and"OFF"). A second mode, e. g. as produced by the Figure 31 circuit, is"daytime OFF, twilight LESS BRIGHT, night time VERY BRIGHT", e. g. simply in a (non-linear) inverse proportion to the light level. A third mode, e. g. as produced by the Figure 32 circuit, is"daytime ON, twilight MEDIUM BRIGHT, as it becomes darker REDUCING LUMINOSITY"until a predetermined point at which the brightness would be just sufficient in complete darkness to be visible at, say, 6 m. In this embodiment, daytime ON occurs when there can be adequate charging if using a solar collector, at which time the question of energy conservation does not arise.

The control means 40 is preferably adapted to operate in a fourth mode, i. e. to control the luminosity to be substantially zero at a high level of ambient light, to be at a high value at an intermediate level of ambient light and to be at a lower value at a lower level of ambient light. This can be used to enable the luminosity to be switched off during daylight to conserve energy, to be switched on to a maximum during twilight, and to be switched to an intermediate value at night to conserve energy. This can be used to ensure that the luminosity is sufficient, when needed.

For this mode, control means 40 may simply comprise two stages 44, Figure 31, in tandem, one being set to respond to ambient light falling to a "twilight" threshold level to supply high power for display, and the other being set to respond to ambient light falling to a "night-time" threshold level to supply a lower power for display.

Alternatively, a circuit may readily be devised that uses a single light-sensitive resistor (sometimes called a light-dependent resistor LDR) 45 and is arranged to respond similarly to respective levels of detected ambient light level.

All of these modes of control means 40 may be provided by a microchip 42, Figure 19, e. g. with a light-sensitive-diode or-resistor or-transistor stage 44 arranged to be exposed to ambient light conditions. Such control means 40 may be provided for each digit 10 or may be provided globally for the whole sign 14. Examples of stage 44 are shown in Figures 31 to 33, in which the shaded element 45 is an LDR, and other circuit elements and the circuit arrangement are represented conventionally.

In addition to the above modes, control means 40 may comprise timing means to add to the required control, e. g. as in Figure 33, the flip-flop of which switches the display power on in flashes, rather than leaving it on continuously, in order to

conserve battery life (e. g. if a non-rechargeable battery is used) or battery charge, as the case may be.

Control means 40 may be switchable between two or more of these modes.

The digits 10 (or some of them) in a sign 14 can be powered and/or controlled together (Figure 3) or separately (Figure 4). For example, they can be connected in cascade (series) for power and/or control, e. g. so that a single control means 20,40 (e. g. included in a master digit, e. g. the first one 101 in a cascade 102, Figure 34) controls all of the digits 10, i. e. including slaves 104. Each digit 10 may comprise a digit-form array 30 of LEDs 18 arranged on a printed circuit board (PCB) 51 with a single power inlet 103 for the array. Power can be supplied to each digit 10 separately, or at one or more power inlet junctions 103 between cascaded digits 10 (as shown, each junction 103 comprises a socket on the left-hand edge of a digit 101,103 and a co-operating plug on the right-hand edge, so that power is fed from one digit 10 to the next). In cascade, for example, power is supplied to digit 101, which in turn supplies power to the adjacent slave digit 104 through junctions 103, and this in turn supplies power to the next adjacent slave digit 104. Dummy end-pieces 106 cover the exposed plugs and sockets at the lateral extremities of sign 14.

As a security feature, or otherwise, control means 40, or part thereof, can be adapted to be mounted remote from the digit 10 and/or sign 14, as the case may be. As shown in Figure 20, control means 40 comprise electrical wiring 46 and the arrangement 47 comprises a mounting member 48 (for sign 14 external to the house) that is hollow and arranged to carry the wiring 46 therethrough to an internal microchip or PCB 51, on the inside of a door or doorframe 52 or more remotely located within the house. Member 48 may be a hollow threaded bolt 48 fixed at one

end to a housing 50 of sign 14 and adapted for its other end to pass through e. g. the door or door frame 52 and be secured thereto by a threaded nut 54, so that it can only be undone from inside the house. Member 48 may also carry wiring 56 from a power source 58, e. g. a mains transformer within the house. Another security possibility is, Figure 21, to connect e. g. power wiring 56 on a"tamper loop"to a house security panel and/or the existing usual bell unit so that any unauthorised attempt to loosen or remove the housing 50 will, e. g. by operating a microswitch 53, cause the bell to ring, e. g. continuously.

Another arrangement 38, Figure 22, comprises a rechargeable battery 60 (e. g. as shown, mounted to a PCB 51) to provide power for the luminosity and a solar energy collector 62 arranged to charge the battery 60, e. g. via a voltage regulator 63. A unit 64 comprising battery 60 and collector 62 and possibly display circuit control means 40 may be provided for each digit 10 (so that each digit may be self-contained and, if also comprising a control means 40, self-operable) or a single unit 64 may be provided globally for the sign 14. The global unit 64, or just the solar collector 62, and/or a light-sensitive element 44 of control means 40, and/or digit 10 may be provided together or in some other part of the house, remote from sign 14, exposed to the ambient light; this is indicated schematically in Figure 22 by the wander leads from PCB 51 to these elements 10,44, 62, showing that these elements may or may not be part of unit 64.

As mentioned above, a mask 24 may be used to define a said digit 10. Mask 24 may be thin, flexible and self-adhesive, e. g. to be mounted on a window of glass or other transparent or translucent material e. g. of plastics. Alternatively, a mask 24, for each digit 10, may be a rigid structure 24 that slots into a housing 50 of a sign 14,

Figure 12. Again, rigid masks 24 (and indeed any of the above-described digits 10) may simply link together by means of hidden, tamper-proof or wholly unremovable pins 61 (in the manner of conventional hinges) to provide a sign 14, Figure 23, without any housing 50. As mentioned above, a mask 24, Figures 6 and 7, may have a window 30 defining a digit 10, the window 30 being surrounded by a dark background 26 or dark edge (border 28) to ensure the digit represented is readable when there is no luminosity. In a modification, the dark and light are interchanged, so that mask 24 may be used to hide part of a luminous area (e. g. as a silhouette 30) in order to define a digit 10. Similarly, Figure 24, the display digit 10 is provided as a silhouette 66 in a filter 67 (acting as a mask 24) in front of a backlighting module panel 68, e. g. of an LCD, e. g. laid out as in Figure 14 or 15. The panel 68 may be chosen from a range of coloured LCD backlight panels, or reflective or transflective panels. In a said range 34, there may be available for selection a variety of backlight panels 68 of different colours (or special effects, e. g. changing colour during display).

Likewise, in any of the ranges 34 there may be available a selection among a variety of any other features mentioned herein.

Another arrangement 38, Figures 25 and 26, comprises switch means 70, e. g. dip switches (or"dil switches") 70, to define a said digit 10, which is particularly applicable to LCDs and LED displays.

Another possible security feature is to provide a sealed housing 50, Figures 27 and 28, of a sign 14 with a latch bolt 72 rotatable by means only of a specially shaped key to fit slot 73, and preferably arranged to operate (close) switch means 74 to activate the sign 14, and/or preferably arranged, e. g. by connecting power wiring 158 into a"tamper loop", so as, upon unauthorised unlatching of bolt 72 (as with

attempted theft of sign 14), to operate an alarm, or to destroy sign 14, or at least immobilise it, e. g. to require factory re-setting. The latter feature can be included as a function of control means 40, e. g. of microchip 42, if a power source 58 is still connected and live when bolt 72 is unlatched. The housing 50, with bolt 72 partially withdrawn, is slotted over the upper and lower projections of bracket 77. Bolt 72 is then screwed upwards to engage the lower arm of switch means 74 (rigid with bracket 77) and (by means of a nut 79 captive to housing 50) then force housing 50 downwards until the upper arm of switch means 74 (rigid with housing 50) engages the lower arm thereof. This holds housing 50 captive to bracket 77 and also switches on switch means 74.

The housing 50 can have a decorative background or surround 74, Figure 29, e. g. of ceramic, plaster of Paris, or glass-fibre casting, and/or a surround 74, Figure 30, with a luminous decoration or legend 75, e. g. including a house name or family name, e. g. a luminous panel that may be over-written with black ink or paint for silhouette digit/letter characters or design. (Indeed, the sign 14 may simply be such a panel, e. g. comprising as luminous source/background a coating of one of the aforesaid compositions of enhanced luminescence. ) Thus, a shop may offer for sale a system 32 comprising a variety of housings 50 having different decorative features, and perhaps made of completely different materials, and in completely different qualities and price ranges, and also offer ranges 34 of digits 10 in several different styles/fonts. A possible feature of such a range 34 could be the provision of blanks and half-blanks with a suitable surface to be decorated by the purchaser, e. g. for use in a housing 50 with more spaces for digits 10 than the purchaser requires.

Digit 10, Figure 35, comprises a transparent or translucent tube 76, of plastics or glass (in the latter case, preferably of toughened glass), sealed at its ends and containing in its bore 78 a said material of enhanced luminescence, glass being used in a case in which the material might attack a plastics container. As seen from Figures 36 and 37 respectively, the tube may have a rectangular or round cross-section, preferably formed with a flat 80 having a self-adhesive backing 82 by which it may be attached to a wall, door, intermediate support board, or other support.

As will be apparent from the above, the four main types of digit 10 are (1)

self-luminous due to use of a luminous material, e. g. due to a coating of strontium aluminate, (2) a backlit LCD, (3) an LED display (either of"segment LED"form, or with multiple LEDs as in Figure 35) and (4) a passive digit 10 (e. g. a mask 24) which is a filter for a light box.

In the embodiments described herein, the masks, digits, light boxes, strips (of masking digits), PCBs, LEDs, LCDs, housings, bolts, solar collectors, control means, are examples of elements that are, have been, or are adapted to be, part of a digit, sign, system or arrangement according to the invention.

It will be apparent to one skilled in the art, that features of the different embodiments disclosed herein may be omitted, selected, combined or exchanged and the invention is considered to extend to any new and inventive combination thus formed.

Claims

1. A digit adapted for use as, or as part of, a house-numbering or like sign, characterised in that the digit is luminous.

2. A digit as claimed in claim 1, characterised in that the digit comprises a luminous material of enhanced luminescence.

3. A digit as claimed in claim 2, characterised in that said material comprises an alkaline earth aluminate and/or a rare earth activated aluminate.

4. A digit adapted for use as, or as part of, a house-numbering or like sign, characterised in that the digit is controllably luminous or comprises means or material to enable it to be controllably luminous.

5. A house-numbering or like sign comprising one or more selected or selectable digits, characterised in that the sign is controllably luminous or comprises means or material to enable it to be controllably luminous.

6. A house-numbering or like sign, characterised in that it comprises one or more digits each as claimed in anyone of claims 1 to 4, on a dark background.

7. A system for use in producing a house-numbering or like sign, characterised in that the system comprises a range of digits each as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 4, to enable a user to select one or more digits from the range for use in making a house-numbering or like sign.

8. A system for use in producing a house-numbering or like sign, characterised in that the system comprises a range of digits, to enable a user to select one or more digits from the range for use in making a sign as claimed in claim 5 or 6.

9. A method of producing a house-numbering or like sign, characterised in that it comprises the step of selecting for the sign one or more digits each from a system as claimed in claim 7 or 8.

10. A house-numbering or like sign, characterised in that it is the product of a method as claimed in claim 9.

11. A digit, sign or system as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 8 or 10, characterised in that a said digit is adapted to be seen also in normal daylight.

12. An arrangement comprising a digit, sign or system as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 8,10 or 11, characterised in that it comprises control means responsive to ambient light to enable the luminosity to be controlled in accordance with ambient light conditions.

13. An arrangement as claimed in claim 12, characterised in that the control means is adapted to control the luminosity to be substantially zero at a high level of ambient light, to be at a high value at an intermediate level of ambient light and to be at a lower value at a lower level of ambient light.

13. An arrangement as claimed in claim 12, characterised in that at least part of the control means is adapted to be mounted remote from the digit and/or sign, as the case may be.

14. An arrangement as claimed in claim 13, characterised in that the control means comprises electrical wiring and the arrangement comprises a mounting member that is hollow and arranged to carry the wiring therethrough.

15. An arrangement comprising a digit, sign, system or arrangement as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 8, or 10 to 14, characterised in that the arrangement comprises a solar energy collector arranged as a power source.

16. An arrangement comprising a digit, sign, system or arrangement as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 8, or 10 to 15, characterised in that the arrangement comprises a mask to define a said digit.

17. An arrangement comprising a digit, sign, system or arrangement as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 8, or 10 to 15, characterised in that the arrangement comprises switch means to define a said digit.

18. A digit, sign, system or arrangement substantially according to any example hereinbefore described.

19. A digit, sign, system or arrangement substantially according to any example hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

20. A digit adapted for use as, or as part of, a house-numbering or like sign, characterised in that the digit is adapted to be luminous.

21. An element, characterised in that it is, has been or is adapted to be part of a digit, sign, system or arrangement as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 20.