GB2381116A

GB2381116A - Display system

Info

Publication number: GB2381116A
Application number: GB0124881A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Richard James Ernie Gardner
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2001-10-17
Filing date: 2001-10-17
Publication date: 2003-04-23
Anticipated expiration: 2021-10-17
Also published as: WO2003034377A2; GB2381116B; GB0124881D0; WO2003034377A3

Abstract

A display system comprises a translucent substrate 13 having a translucent image of a first image A to be displayed provided on or behind the rear surface thereof and a layer of apertured sheet material 14 preferably in the form of a mesh or grid 14 disposed in front of the substrate 13 and provided with a second image B to be displayed on the front surface thereof. A light 12 preferably disposed behind the substrate 13 can be illuminated, so that the level of light behind the substrate 13 is greater than that in front of the apertured sheet 14. Under such circumstances, the first image A becomes visible through the apertures in the preferably opaque sheet 14 without any interference by the second image B, which becomes invisible. When the light 12 is extinguished, the level of light in front of the apertured sheet 14 is greater than that behind the substrate 13 and the second image B formed on the sheet 14 becomes visible without any interference by the first image A, which becomes invisible. The display system is thus simple and inexpensive in construction and requires no moving parts.

Description

Imaqe Display System This invention relates to an image display system.

Advertising hoardings are known which comprise a two dimensional image which is printed onto paper and adhered to the hoarding. Lights may be provided for illuminating the image at night. Another known type of hoarding comprises a backlit transparency carrying a two dimensional image.

Whilst it is expensive to advertise on hoardings, the revenue obtainable by advertising companies from each hoarding is limited. In order to reduce the cost of the hoarding to the advertiser and to increase revenue for the advertising company, it has been proposed to provide various forms of display systems which mechanically change the display image at regular intervals. In this manner, several advertisements are sequentially displayed on the hoarding and thus although the cost to each advertiser is less, the advertising company can obtain an increased revenue.

Another advantage of display systems which sequentially display advertisements in that they are more eye-catching than conventional static advertisements.

Hitherto display systems which sequentially display different images have been complicated and expensive in construction.

Accordingly, I have now devised a display image which alleviates the above-mentioned problem.

In accordance with this invention there is provided a display system comprising a translucent substrate having a translucent image of a first image to be displayed provided on or behind the rear surface thereof and a layer of apertured sheet material disposed in front of said substrate and provided with a second image to be displayed on the front surface thereof, the system being arranged to display said first image when the light intensity behind said substrate in greater than the light intensity in front of said apertured sheet material and to display said second image when the

relative light intensities are reversed.

I have found that when the level of light behind the substrate is greater than that in front of the apertured sheet, the first image is surprisingly visible through the apertures in the sheet without any interference by the second image, which surprisingly becomes invisible. However, when the level of light in front of the apertured sheet is greater than that behind the substrate, the second image formed on the front of the sheet is visible without any interference by the first image, which surprisingly becomes invisible.

A display system in accordance with this invention is simple and inexpensive in construction and requires no moving parts. The system can display either the first image or the second image depending on the relative light intensities.

Preferably said substrate is white so that its colour does not affect the colour of the light transmitted through the first image and so that it presents a white background for the second image.

Preferably the first image is printed or otherwise provided on the rear surface of the substrate as a mirror image of the image to be displayed.

Preferably the apertured sheet material is opaque, so light transmitted through the substrate does not illuminate the second image through the material of the apertured sheet. The rear surface of the sheet material may be coated with a black material in order to improve its opacity, e. g. by printing.

Preferably the sheet material comprises a flexible grid or mesh which can be printed onto in a conventional manner.

The rear surface of the sheet material may abut the front surface of the substrate and indeed, the sheet material may in fact be bonded to the front of the substrate.

Preferably, means are provided for back lighting the substrate, in order to display the first image. At night, the substrate may be back lit to display the first image and

during day the back light can be extinguished in order to display the second image.

Preferably light sensing means are provided for energising said back lighting means when the light intensity in front of said apertured sheet material falls below a predetermined limit.

An embodiment of this invention will now be described by way of an example only and with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 is in a perspective view of an embodiment of display system in accordance with this invention ; Figure 2 is a sectional view along the line II-II of Figure 1; Figure 3 is a front view of the system of Figure 1, when displaying a first image; and Figure 4 is a front view of the system of Figure 1, when displaying a second image.

Referring to Figure 1 of the drawings, there is shown a display system comprising a housing 10 having a large rectangular opening 11 in its front, through which the images to be displayed can be viewed.

Referring to Figure 2 of the drawings, a plurality of elongate lighting tubes 12 are mounted at the rear of the housing against the back wall thereof. A flat substrate 13 of white paper or plastics material extends across the housing 10 in a plane which extends parallel to the plane of the opening 11. A mirror image of a first image A to be displayed is printed on the rear of the substrate 13 in the conventional manner.

An apertured sheet 14 of plastics mesh extends across the housing 10 in front of the substrate 13 and in a plane which extends parallel thereto. The front surface of the apertured sheet 14 is printed with a second image B to be displayed. The rear surface of the sheet 14 is printed with a layer of black material 15, in order to improve the opacity

of the sheet. However, this is not necessary if the material from which the sheet is formed is sufficiently opaque. The apertures 16 in the sheet 14 preferably occupy approximately 50% of the surface area of the sheet 14.

Referring to Figure 3 of the drawings, in use when the lamps 12 are illuminated and the ambient lighting level is relatively low, light from the lamps 12 is transmitted through the substrate 13 carrying the image A. The coloured areas of the image A filter the light so that the image A becomes visible through the substrate 13.

The light then passes through the apertures 16 in the

sheet 14, so that the image A can be seen through the opening 11.

The image B on the apertured sheet 14 cannot be seen be virtue of the fact that the light transmitted through the apertures from behind the image A is brighter than the ambient lighting in front of the system. Furthermore, this factor also helps to make the apertured sheet 14 itself invisible, especially when the display is viewed from a distance.

Referring to Figure 4 of the drawings, in use when the lamps 12 are extinguished and the ambient lighting level is relatively high, no light is transmitted through the substrate 13. The image B printed on the front of the apertured sheet 14 then becomes visible by virtue of the fact that the ambient lighting in front of the system in brighter than that being transmitted through the apertured sheet 14. The front of the substrate 13 is white and thus any reflected light passing through the apertures 16 appears to be white and does not affect the image B. Indeed, when the image B is viewed from a distance, it is not readily apparent that the image B is printed on an apertured sheet.

A display system in accordance with this invention is thus simple in construction and yet is able to display two images A, B.

In the embodiment shown, the images A, B can be changed

independently of each other. However, in an alternative embodiment, the substrate 13 and apertured sheet 14 may be fastened together, so as to make it easier to change both images together.

In a further embodiment, control means may be provided for controlling the lamps 12 according to the lighting levels in front of the second image B. It is also envisaged that means could be provided for illuminating the front of the second image B, in order to make the image B visible. Control means could also be provided for gradually changing the relative lighting levels, so that the images A, B gradually merge.

Claims

Claims 1. A display system comprising a translucent substrate having a translucent image of a first image to be displayed provided on or behind the rear surface thereof and a layer of apertured sheet material disposed in front of said substrate and provided with a second image to be displayed on the front surface thereof, the system being arranged to display said first image when the light intensity behind said substrate in greater than the light intensity in front of said apertured sheet material and to display said second image when the relative light intensities are reversed.

2. A display system as claimed in claim 1, in which said substrate is white.

3. A display system as claimed in claims 1 or 2, in which the first image is printed or otherwise provided on the rear surface of the substrate as a mirror image of the image to be displayed.

4. A display system as claimed in any preceding claim, in which the apertured sheet material is opaque, so light transmitted through the substrate does not illuminate the second image through the material of the apertured sheet.

S. A display system as claimed in claim 4, in which rear surface of the apertured sheet material may be coated with a black material in order to improve its opacity 6. A display system as claimed in any preceding claim, in which the sheet material comprises a flexible grid or mesh.

7. A display system as claimed in any preceding claim, in which rear surface of the sheet material abuts the front

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surface of the substrate.

8. A display system as claimed in any preceding claim, in which the sheet material is bonded to the front of the substrate.

9. A display system as claimed in any preceding claim, in which means are provided for back lighting the substrate, in order to display the first image.

10. A display system as claimed in claim 9, in which light sensing means are provided for energising said back lighting means when the light intensity in front of said apertured sheet material falls below a predetermined limit.

11. A display system substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings.