US3457457A - Illuminating control means - Google Patents

Description

July 22, 1969 J. G. FONTAINE ILLUMINATING CONTROL MEANS Filed Oct. 19, 1966 I N V EN '1 ()R. JOHN G. FONTAINE ATTORNEY United States Patent I US. Cl. 315209 3 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE Apparatus for intermittently illuminating panels of a display unit and for intermittently energizing a drive for shifting panels thereof. The apparatus includes an inverter circuit energizing a gas-filled illuminator tube to illuminate the panels, a first cam-operated switch for intermittently energizing a drive motor to shift the panels, and a second cam-operated switch to intermittently energize the illuminator tube in synchronism with the operation of the drive motor so that the illuminator tube is energized only when the drive motor is de-energized.

Summary of the invention This invention relates to an arrangement especially adapted for employment in a changeable exhibitor or display unit and more particularly of the type disclosed in my co-pending application for patent Ser. No. 470,359, filed July 8, 1965, now Patent No. 3,336,675.

The idea of this invention is to provide an improved lighting system for the device of my co-pending application above noted, the improvements being:

(A) Turns on and off instantly between changes.

(B) It will handle a great variation of DC voltage without malfunction.

(C) It will provide a light for many years without losing its brilliancy.

(D) It will withstand vibration consistently for years because it contains no filaments and the apparatus of this invention is specifically designed for moving vehicles.

In said application above identified, there is disclosed endless conveyor belts which support transluscent, flexible display panels which are conducted by the belts in timed sequence to a sight opening that is formed in the cover of a casing in which the apparatus is contained.

With these and other objects to be hereinafter set forth in view, I have devised the arrangement of parts to be described and more particularly set forth in the claims appended hereto.

In the accompanying drawings, wherein is illustrated a circuit embodied in the invention and wherein a diagram illustrating how the lighting means can be combined with an arrangement of timing switches, motor and other components.

In the embodiment of the invention shown in the drawings, the circuit herein disclosed includes a push button switch 34 and a toggle switch which, when in closed position, permits current to flow from a source 30 of DC. current, which might be a battery, to a micro-switch shown at 11. A driving cam is shown at 12, the same being rotated through driving means from a motor shown at 13, the motor being electrically connected to the power source 30 through the leads 35 and 36, the push button switch 34 being incorporated in the lead 36 as shown. The motor 13 is operative to intermittently drive the conveyor belts that carry the display panels.

When the driving cam 12 is in the position shown, the contact element 14 of the micro-switch 11 establishes connection with point 15 of the switch thereby causing the transistor shown at 16 or the transistor shown at 17 to begin conducting and blocking the opposing transistor.

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The conducting transistor remains in a conducting state until the frequency determining characteristics of the circuit act to switch off one of the transistors and switch on the other transistor.

When the inverter, composed of the transistors and associated components, is switching at the designed frequency, alternating pulses of current are switched through the primary winding of the transformer 18. This alternating switching of current in the primary winding 4, 5 of the transformer 18 induces an alternating current and voltage in the secondary winding 19 of the transformer 18.

This stepped up voltage and current is applied to the load elements fixed resistor 20, load ballast resistor 21 and the gaseous illuminator 22. The stepped up voltage must be of a value to cause the ionization of the gases in the illuminator 22. The load ballast resistor 21 is connected in series with the gaseous illuminator 22 and provides any additional load resistance required to properly match the total load to the secondary winding 19 of the transformer 18. The fixed resistor 20 acts as a protective load to the inverter system should the gaseous illuminator 22 or the load ballast resistor 21 become open circuited, and the output may be shorted at any time without damage to the components. The inverter and load elements are described and claimed in my Patent 3,395,- 315.

A timer motor is shown at 23, the same driving a timing cam 24 and against which a roller 25 on the finger 26 of a micro switch 27 rides. The cam 24 is notched at 28 and when roller 25 drops into the notch 28, contact members 29 and 29a of the switch 27 are closed and this energizes the drive motor 13 sufficiently to cause the raised point 31 of the cam 12 to pass the roller 32 of the micro switch 11, thus separating the contact member 14 from the point 15 and de-energizing the inverter circuit.

By means of the apparatus described, a timing arrangement is provided by which the illumination of the panels in properly timed relation to their positioning at a viewing point is presented. A buffer capacitor 12 is disposed between the conductors to the transistors 16 and 17.

Windings 18a of the transformer 18 are feedback Windings.

Having thus described embodiments of the invention, it is obvious that the same is not to be restricted thereto, but is broad enough to cover all structures coming within the scope of the annexed claims.

What I claim is:

1. Apparatus for intermittently illuminating panels of a display unit and for intermittently energizing a drive for shifting panels thereof, said apparatus including in combination, a source of DC. current, a transformer having primary winding means, secondary winding means and feedback winding means, a pair of transistors each having an output portion connected to said primary winding means and a control portion connected to said feedback winding means, supply means connecting said source to said transistors to provide operating voltage for alternate conduction of said transistors to produce alternating voltage in said primary and secondary winding means of said transformer, a gas-filled illuminator tube connected to said secondary winding means for energization by said alternating voltage to illuminate the panels, an electric drive motor connected to said source for driving the panels to shift the same, first switching means connected between said drive motor and said source to control energization of said drive motor, first cam means for operating said first switching means, an electric control motor connected to said source and coupled to said first cam means to drive said cam means and thereby operate said first switching means intermittently so that the drive motor is operated intermittently, second switching means to control energization of said illuminator tube, and second cam means driven by said drive motor to operate said second cam means and thereby intermittently operate said second switching means in synchronism with said first switching means so that said illuminator tube is energized only when said drive motor is deenergized.

2. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1 in which said first and second cam means are rotary cams.

3. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1 including a manually operated switch in said supply means for controlling the activation of said motors and said transistors.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,146,406 8/1964 Wilting.

5 FOREIGN PATENTS 847,417 9/1960 Great Britain. 1,204,782 8/1959 France.

JOHN W. HUCKERT, Primary Examiner 10 R. F. POLISSACK, Assistant Examiner US. Cl. X.R.

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