GB2547093A

GB2547093A - A frame for 3D objects having an artificial light source set within the frame, and a woven background material

Info

Publication number: GB2547093A
Application number: GB1622181.4A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Patrick Nash Robert; Spalding Tom
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2016-01-19
Filing date: 2016-12-23
Publication date: 2017-08-09
Also published as: GB201622181D0; GB201600955D0

Abstract

An exhibition frame 1 having a lighting system enabling illumination of the sides and front of a three-dimensional object 2 mounted in the picture frame, with a woven background fabric 13. The lighting system is situated in a ring subassembly 3 which holds the lighting element or elements 9, a cable 10, and batteries or other electrical elements within the cavity. The lighting elements are preferably LEDs. The frame holds a transparent sheet 6, a rigid valance 8 to conceal the lighting system, and a backboard 7. The transparent sheet is preferable standard float glass. The backboard may be a hardboard, or more preferably an aluminium composite panel. The woven background material is preferably a fabric in a twill weave, although other weaves may be used. The woven fabric allows for a visual contrast between the 3D object and the background. The warp and weft of the fabric should be substantially orthogonal to each other, with either the warp or weft substantially collinear with the primary axis of the light source illuminating from the frame.

Description

A frame for 3D objects having an artificial light source set within the frame, and a woven background material

The present invention relates to a novel way of illuminating a three-dimensional object or objects 2 which have been displayed for artistic or informational purposes within a polygonal exhibition frame 1, figure 1.

It has been found necessary for many years to protect works of art, information displays, etc. from the environment by using rigid frames, often by fitting a transparent screen in front of them and a mounting plane behind them to support them and to mount these items vertically upon poles or walls. Likewise three-dimensional objects are often placed horizontally in display cabinets or cases to allow them to be seen. There is also a requirement to artistically display three dimensional (3D) objects against a wall and to this end a 3D object can be placed in a case specially constructed fastened to a wall by anyone skilled in the art to do so. There is also a commercial requirement in the domestic, marine and office furnishing markets for novel, eye-catching and decorative methods for framing and displaying three-dimensional objects for the enjoyment of viewers.

However the presence of the frame or case in the examples above can detract from the appearance of the object within, either by partially obscuring the object from viewers who are not looking straight at the case, or the structure of the case can cast shadows upon the object resulting in some details of the object being obscured by shadows. In these cases other inventors have applied various lighting technologies within the frame. Previous inventions have sought to simulate an even spread of light by using diffusers between the light source and the illuminated object. Another strategy commonly found is to attempt to illuminate the edge of a transparent sheet of material with the aim of spreading the effects of the illumination as far across the framed area as possible with the object of illuminating a 2D object from the rear.

As suggested by the foregoing, the present state of the art for mounting illumination within a frame is well established. In 1948, Thurston applied for a patent for a ‘Picture Frame Containing Bed Light and Indirect Light Units’ (US2529713). This product was in the form of a frame, but the lighting therein was not primarily intended to illuminate any object within the frame, rather, to provide ambient light to a room. Patents such as ‘Picture Lighting Master/museum Frame Providing Near Isotropic Illumination’, by Silder in 2008 (US2008068829) or ‘Picture Frame used in Galleries and Museums has a Light Source...’, of 2006 by Wells (DE102005044869) also set out inventions which incorporate illumination within or upon a picture frame, but are concerned with the displaying of two dimensional objects and of mimicking the even spread of light in a professional art gallery. There are many more recent examples from East Asia of lighting installed within frames which rely on various light sources, either mounted within or passing through the viewable image or the frame, to produce a novel effect for decorative purposes. Examples include: ‘Picture Frame having Illumination Mechanism Incorporated Therein’ by Okamura, 1987 (JPS62217906), ‘LED (Light Emitting Diode) Cloth Frame Picture and Production Process Thereof, Chen, 2014 (CN104044394) and ‘Picture Frame with Light Source’, Jianjao, 2011 (CN201727206). In all cases, these inventions confine themselves to the framing of two-dimensional objects such as photographs, menu cards, drawings or paintings. In some cases the two-dimensional object is illuminated from the rear, and this idea has also yielded a number of other patents. A good example is ‘Picture Frame with Illumination’ by Neal and Bibby, from 2003 (GB20030018951). In this and similar patents, a thin (2-7mm) opaque sheet of thermoplastic, which has been treated, printed or laminated alongside another material is lit from the edges with the aim of producing an even light across the surface of the sheet facing the viewer, but behind the 2D object to be displayed. The exploitation of this effect, or the use of a light source or sources as a display in itself, are not aims of the present invention. (The Neal and

Bibby patent refers to an ‘annular mount’ which is in fact an adaptor to allow their invention to be retrofitted within a pre-existing frame.)

The present invention differs from these approaches in three important ways. Firstly it not intended to create an even art-gallery style lighting but instead, it deliberately creates an uneven and dramatic lighting effects which emphasise the depth, form and texture of the 3D object. Secondly the invention includes a woven material mounted behind the lighting and the 3D object which has the effect of enhancing the dramatic lighting effect. Thirdly the invention is only for the display of 3D objects whereas the application of the prior art is for the display of 2D objects.

The invention will now be described solely by way of example and with reference to the following drawings in which:

Figures 1 and 3 illustrate partial sectional views of a frame embodying the current invention

Figure 2 is a pictorial view of an embodiment of the ring subassembly along with the location of the light and power sources

Figure 4 illustrates a preferred relationship between the woven background material, the 3D object and the light source or sources

Figure 5 is a simplified illustration of the primary optical effect sought by this invention

Figure 6 is explains of a further optical effect of this invention

Figure 7 is an alternative embodiment of the invention illustrating another optical effect attainable when an alternative type of woven background is utilised

According to the present invention a white or coloured light source or sources, such as a one or more light emitting diode 9, is mounted to a ring subassembly 3 consisting of three or more profiled lengths of a rigid material, such as wood or wood-based material, aluminium or plastic extrusions 4 connected at each comer as shown in figure 2. This ring subassembly also carries an electrical flex 10 supplying power to the light sources, a battery or batteries and/or a connector 11 to an external direct current power supply 12.

In the preferred embodiment of the invention, the ring subassembly 3 takes the form of a polygonal annular ring and is mounted behind a transparent sheet 6 and snuggly within a second frame 1 which is visible to the viewer, figure 1. A rigid backboard 7 is set at an angle a less than or equal to ninety degrees to the profiles 4 making up the ring subassembly and is mechanically fastened to it using one or more mechanical fixings, such as ‘framing points’, ‘framing inserts’ or nails 5. The 3D object or objects 2 to be displayed are fixed to the woven background 13 and the backboard, and appears to the viewer to be completely encircled by the woven material, figures 1,3,4,5 & 7. A rigid skirt or ‘valance’ 8 is held in place by the polygonal ring subassembly 3 and projects beyond the illumination 9, thus concealing it.

The source, or sources, of light are so arranged so as to cast substantially perpendicular light upon the edges of the primarily three dimensional object or objects 2. The light initially strikes those surfaces of the object facing the mounting plane of the light source or light sources, figure 3.

In accordance with another aspect of the present invention some of the light that is provided from the light source or sources will be reflected from the internal surface of the transparent material 6 mounted on the viewer’s side of the frame, spreading the incident light towards the centre of the 3D object with otherwise would be in shade, figure 3. It has been found by the inventors that standard float glass achieves a more effective illumination of the details of three-dimensional objects within the invention than ‘museum’ quality nonreflective glass as in the latter less light reaches any internal recesses in the object, due to it being refracted through the glass and into the environment.

The backboard 7 may be made of hardboard (or high-density fibreboard) but may be made of an aluminium composite panel (ACP) or aluminium composite material (ACM) such as 3mm thick ‘Dibond’ made by 3 A Composites, a division of Schweiter Technologies, or equivalent. In cases where the backboard exceeds approximately lm in surface area this material has been found by the inventors greater to greatly improve the rigidity of the finished product.

In accordance with a further aspect of the present invention the backboard may be covered in a fabric of natural or manmade fibres 13 arranged in an open or closed woven pattern. In the preferred embodiment of the invention, a ‘twill’ weave is selected, but the invention works for other types of weave, such as plain, basket, herringbone, unidirectional, ‘Atlas’ etc. The visual contrast between the 3D object and the woven background 13 is much greater than between a 3D object and un-woven background, allowing significantly greater visibility of the object under ambient artificial light or daylight conditions.

The effect can be explained thus: more of the light which falls approximately perpendicularly across the axes of the fibres of the textile is reflected out towards the viewer, than light which falls along the axes of the fibres. This makes the fibres in the second case seem darker than those in the former, as illustrated in figure 4. In this case, the visible sections of the warp appear to be dark, whilst the visible sections of weft appear to be lighter as the latter fibres run from side to side across the rays of light. These stripes of dark and light appear to the eye as a disruptive optical effect, figure 5. The dazzling effect created by the closely-set alternate dark and light stripes is analogous, but not identical to, the well-known chromostereopsic and ‘cafe wall’ illusions. (Clearly in the case of a rectilinear frame, on the adjacent sides the warp may appear brighter than the weft locally, due to the fact that the light will be cast approximately along the weft and perpendicular to the warp. Nonetheless, the effect will still be visible.)

In the case of a ‘twill’ background textile, a series of diagonal stripes will be seen, as can be seen in the simplified illustration in figure 5. In the case of a plain or basket weave, a ‘chequerboard’ pattern of lighter and darker squares will be visible, as shown in figure 7.

In addition, due to the three-dimensional nature of all woven textiles, the warps and wefts are not flat where they overlap each other, but curved as they are distorted over and under each other, figure 6. This adds a further element to the optical effect, as when the viewer slightly moves their head or eyes from side to side they will see different reflections of light coming from the textile which create a ‘shimmering’ optical illusion upon the viewer. This has the effect of tricking the eye as; whilst the 3D exhibit appears stationary, the lighter coloured areas of the background (the weft in figure 6) appear to be moving. The brain resolves this optical paradox by suggesting that the 3D object is situated on a different plane to the background 13 and has ‘floated free’. The particular dimensions and proportions of these and other elements in the invention have been ascertained by the inventors (see figures 1,4 and 7).

Claims

1. A frame having an artificial light source or sources set within it which specifically illuminate the sides and front of a 3D object or objects within it in a non-diffuse manner and incorporating a woven background material around the perimeter of and behind the 3D object to enhance the object’s setting for artistic or informational purposes.

2. A frame according to claim 1 incorporating a ring subassembly 3 which provides these further advantages; firstly, it acts as a test rig to verify the satisfactory operation of the illuminating elements 9 prior to mounting within the frame 1, secondly, when installed in its final position, it creates a cavity to accommodate the electrical flex 10 and the connector to a direct current supply 11, thirdly, it creates a supporting element for the frame 1 stiffening it once installed within it, increasing the overall strength of the invention, as compared to one lacking such a ring subassembly, fourthly, the ring subassembly provides a means to create a precisely controllable depth within the frame capable of accommodating a particular three-dimensional object or objects, fifthly, it provides a reliable method for holding the valance 8 in place by clamping it against the inside surface of the transparent material 6, lastly if required, the ring sub-assembly can be supplied separately to the rest of the product allowing a later incorporation of the lighting system to a pre-existing, un-illuminated frame.

3. A frame according to claim 1 where the warp and weft of the woven fabric are substantially orthogonal to each other and with either the warp or weft substantially collinear with the primary axis of the light source or sources 9 in order for the eye to best experience an optical illusion whereby the 3D object appears to float free of the background.

4. A frame according to claim 1, in which there are multiple sources of illumination and the spacing between adjacent sets of warps or wefts within the woven fabric 13 is between 1 and 20% of the spacing between light sources 9 to achieve the most satisfactory illusion of the 3D object 2 appearing to float free.

5. A frame according to claims 1, 2, 3 and 4 whereby particular dimensional properties of light source, glass, distance from the light source or sources to the object or objects, as well as the size of the projecting valance 8 will give the required effects and it has been found by the inventors that a good effect can be achieved with the following parameters, in relation to figures 1, 4 and 7: a. Angle a, between background and ring subassembly: 70° to 90° b. Angle β, between the primary axis of the light source and the warp or weft 80° to 100° c. Dimension A, Depth of Frame, from valance rebate to backboard: 20 to 25mm d. Dimension B, Length of Overhanging Valance 8: 60 to 75mm e. Dimension C, Distance between light source or sources to object or objects: 150mm f. Dimension D, pitch between adjacent light sources, e.g. LEDs: 20 to 25mm g. Dimension E, width of warp & weft of woven material: 2 to 3mm h. Standard glass to British Standard BS EN 572 Part 2, 2012, Float Glass

6. A frame constructed and arranged substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as illustrated by the accompanying drawings.

7. A frame according to claim 1, wherein the backboard 7 is manufactured from an aluminium composite panel (ACP) creating a safe location for the internal electronics to be earthed locally, prior to eventual connexion with an electrical earth.

8. A frame according to claim 7, where the aluminium composite panel acts as an Electro-Magnetic or Radio-Frequency Interference shield to the electronic components within the frame assembly preventing electrical disruption of the viewer’s enjoyment of the invention.