WO2005041157A1

WO2005041157A1 - Portable illuminated advertisement

Info

Publication number: WO2005041157A1
Application number: PCT/FI2004/000572
Authority: WO
Inventors: Olli Calonius; Mika Vehmas
Original assignee: Piitele Team Oy
Priority date: 2003-10-28
Filing date: 2004-10-01
Publication date: 2005-05-06
Also published as: WO2005041157A8; EP1680773A1; FI20031569A0

Abstract

The invention relates to a portable illuminated advertisement, comprising a housing (2) mountable in its position by means of a stand (1) and/or suspension structure, one or more at least partially transparent advertising panels (3) associated with the housing, a low-voltage battery unit (4) enabling a self-powered operation of the illuminated advertisement and an illuminator assembly (5) powered by the battery unit for illuminating information associated with the advertising panel by light guided at least partially from within through the advertising panel. The illuminator assembly (5) comprises one or more high-voltage gas discharge illuminators, such as a cold cathode fluorescent lamp (5a) or the like, the illuminated advertisement having its electrical system provided with actuactors (6) for transforming a voltage produced by the battery unit (4) to a high voltage, such as one or more inverters or the like.

Description

Portable illuminated advertisement

The invention relates to a portable illuminated advertisement, comprising a housing mountable in its position by means of a stand and/or suspension structure, one or more at least partially transparent advertising panels associated with the housing, a low-voltage battery unit enabling a self-powered operation of the illuminated advertisement and an illuminator assembly powered by the battery unit for illuminating information associated with the advertising panel by light guided at least partially from within through the advertising panel .

For example, Finnish utility model No. 5751 discloses a portable and electrically illuminable advertising stand adapted to the above function, which is implemented traditionally in terms of its structure to include a base structure equipped with castors, with two advertising panels of transparent plate set on top of it and leaned against each other. Both advertising panels are provided with frames which are engaged with each other along their top edges and side edges by means of end elements sealing the gables of the advertising stand. Inside the advertising stand is placed a battery and an illuminator operated thereby at a low voltage. In addition, the advertising stand has its housing provided with a light switch and a contact for an extra-batter recharging unit. In this context, the term low voltage refers to a voltage lower than 42 volts.

The above approach makes it naturally possible to construct an advertising stand, which is self-sufficient and self-powered in operation and illuminable from within and which enables shifting displayed information, e.g. by placing a currently desired placard or the like between each two framed transparent plates constituting an advertising panel. However, the discussed solution is technically deficient, especially due to a low-voltage illuminator used therein. The use of this type of advertising stand in illuminated condition is not in reality possible for very long without recharging the battery, which is due to a high energy consumption of conventional low-voltage lamps. Therefore, especially in view of longer periods of service, the advertising stand should be fitted with several batteries. The aim being, however, to design the discussed advertising stand structurally as light as possible because of its intended application, it generally makes practical sense to provide it with just one battery, which respectively enables the use of just one low-voltage lamp. This, in turn, results in a spot-like lighting, which is why the advertising panels require the use of plates of considerable thickness for homogenizing the light. For the above reasons, the discussed solution is not in practice feasible for implementing with sufficiently simple and lightweight constructions an assembly that would be technically satisfactory in terms of its operation, i.e. would sustain illumination for a sufficiently long period of time.

With regard to a portable illuminated advertisement of the present invention, it is an object to provide a decisive improvement over the foregoing problems and thereby to raise substantially the available state of the art. In order to accomplish this objective, a portable illuminated advertisement of the invention is principally characterized in that its illuminator assembly comprises one or more high-voltage gas discharge illuminators, such as a cold cathode fluorescent lamp or the like, the illuminated advertisement having its electrical system provided with actuators for transforming a voltage produced by the battery unit to a high voltage, such as one or more inverters or the like.

The most important advantages gained by an illuminated advertisement of the invention include the simplicity of its construction and electronics applied therein, and particularly the low energy consumption of an illuminator assembly included in its electrical system, which enables sufficiently long self-sustained service periods for the illuminated advertisement. This has been accomplished by providing the illuminated advertisement with one or several high-voltage gas discharge illuminators, such as cold cathode fluorescent lamps or the like, the energy demand of which is substantially lower than that of low-voltage lamps emitting a matching light output. By virtue of the invention, it is further possible to implement the electrical system of an illuminated advertisement in a highly simple fashion, e.g. by using just one 12 V battery and, in further preferred embodiment, e.g. just four cold cathode fluorescent lamps, the operating voltage therefor being further produced by two parallel inverters. With a solution like this, it is possible to achieve a power demand of about 12 W while the power demand in low-voltage lamps with a matching light output is more or less quadruple. Thus, the inventive illuminated advertisement is capable of multiplying its active service time with respect to traditional low-voltage solutions. By virtue of the invention, it is further possible to establish a highly powerful and comprehensively homogeneous lighting, by virtue of which the material thicknesses of advertising panels can be minimized.

In one preferred embodiment of an illuminated advertisement, it is further provided with a stand structure, which is linked for example to the housing in a pivotable and/or foldable manner to minimize e.g. a space demand for the illuminated advertisement, e.g. in shipping. It is also possible to provide the illuminated advertisement e.g. with castors foldable out of the floor of its housing or the stand structure for making the illuminated advertisement more maneuverable. Providing the illuminated advertisement, in a further preferred embodiment, with a so-called undervoltage protection makes it further possible to ensure that the voltage of a battery unit cannot drop to an excessively low level, which could preclude a recharging operation of the battery unit. The necessity of recharging the battery unit is then readily perceivable as the lighting of an illuminated advertisement goes out. In yet another preferred embodiment, it is possible to exploit in the context of an illuminated advertisement also a remote-controlled electrical connection or a stepless lighting regulation therefor, etc.

Preferred embodiments for an illuminated advertisement of the invention are disclosed in relevant dependent claims.

The invention will be described in the following specification in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which

fig. 1 shows one preferred portable illuminated advertisement of the invention in a perspective view, without its forward-facing advertising panel , and fig. 2a-2c show the illuminated advertisement of fig. 1 in a frontal view, a perspective view, and an overhead view, respectively.

The invention relates to a portable illuminated advertisement, comprising a housing 2 mountable in its position by means of a stand 1 and/or suspension structure, one or more at least partially transparent advertising panels 3 associated with the housing, a low-voltage battery unit 4 enabling a self-powered operation of the illuminated advertisement and an illuminator assembly 5 powered by the battery unit for illuminating information associated with the advertising panel by light guided at least partially from within through the advertising panel. The illuminator assembly 5 comprises one or more high-voltage gas discharge illuminators, such as a cold cathode fluorescent lamp 5a or the like, the illuminated advertisement having its electrical system provided with actuators 6 for transforming a voltage produced by the battery unit 4 to a high voltage, such as one or more inverters or the like. As shown in the drawings, the illuminated advertisement is further preferably provided with a recharging socket LP enabling external recharging, and with an external operating switch KK.

In particular reference to the preferred embodiment depicted in the drawings, the illuminated advertisement has its housing consisting of bottom 2a and top 2b elements substantially parallel to each other and of substantially upright end elements 2c on the opposite sides, which are provided with an attachment system K for engaging the advertising panels 3 of the illuminated advertisement. According to the principle shown in fig. 1, the attachment system K is preferably constituted by engagement slots Kl associated with the end panels 2c or by corresponding guide surfaces for securing each advertising panel 3 of the illuminated advertisement between the end panels 2c by sliding the same in a longitudinal direction s of the illuminated advertisement into said slots Kl . Each advertising panel is assembled e.g. of two superimposed transparent plastic sheets, between which is placed a currently desired advertisement or the like. The external plastic sheet is generally clear and the internal plastic sheet is in turn generally toned white (e.g. so-called satin-finished plexiglass) .

In a further preferred embodiment, the top 2b and/or bottom element 2a included in the housing is adapted to be at least partially lockable by means of a locking element, such as a latch or the like. Thus, in a still preferred embodiment, the discussed locked element is adapted to be secured in its position e.g. in a hinged manner for enabling thereby e.g. all necessary service and maintenance procedures for the illuminated advertisement.

Especially in the preferred embodiment depicted in the drawings, the advertising panels 3 present on the opposite sides of the illuminated advertisement are adapted to have a curvature in opposite directions to thereby avoid reflections caused by flat surfaces.

In a preferred embodiment, the illuminator assembly 5 comprises one or more substantially elongated CCFL- (Cold Cathode Fluorescent Lamp) lamps 5a, having an operating voltage within the range of e.g. 200-1000 V and an operating current of 5 rtiA, the inverter 6 having an input voltage of 12 V. CCFL-lamps operating at such service rates are currently marketed e.g. at the address: ww . sharkoo . co . As shown particularly in fig. 1, the illuminator assembly 5 comprises preferably two pairs of CCFL-lamps 5a, having their operating voltage provided e.g. by two parallel dual-inverters 6; 6a.

In a still further preferred embodiment, the illuminated advertisement has its electrical system provided with an undervoltage protection 7 for breaking a power supply to the illuminator assembly 5; 5a as the voltage of the battery unit 4 falls below a threshold voltage set therefor. This serves to preclude an excessive discharging of the battery unit, which in the worst case scenario may prevent its recharging.

In a preferred embodiment, the illuminated advertisement has its electrical system provided also with a control assembly 8 functioning in a remote controlled and wireless mode for an on/off-operation of power supply to the illuminator assembly 5; 5a, a regulation of its light output ratio and/or for the like purpose.

In yet another preferred embodiment, the illuminated advertisement is provided with a stand structure mountable and/or maneuverable from its service position to its standby position and/or with a castor assembly, said solutions being particularly useful in terms of handling the illuminated advertisement (such embodiments are not specifically shown in the drawings, though) .

It is obvious that the invention is not limited to the embodiments illustrated or described above, but it is subject to most diversified variations within the scope of the basic inventive concept as required by given service demands and applications. First of all, the inventive illuminated advertisement is possible to implement with constructions that are traditional as such or different from the foregoing, e.g. with a box structure which is oval, rectangular or square in cross-section. On the other hand, the inventive illuminated advertisement is also possible to implement with a cylindrical solution, whose illuminated advertising panel of a circular cross-section, depending on its diameter, is capable of having applied thereto advertisements, ranging from one advertisement all the way to a plurality of sequential or overlying advertisements. The inventive illuminated advertisement is also feasible e.g. with advertising panels having their opposite faces in shapes substantially different from each other, such as semi-cylindrical constructions. Furthermore, it is naturally possible to have the inventive illuminated advertisement fitted with electronics more abundant than what has been described, e.g. to be occasionally switched off for short periods or else to be flashing from time to time. It is further naturally possible to have the illuminated advertisement associated with electronics producing sound and/or visual effects.

Claims

1. A portable illuminated advertisement , comprising a housing (2) mountable in its position by means of a stand

(1) and/or suspension structure, one or more at least partially transparent advertising panels (3) associated with the housing, a low-voltage battery unit (4) enabling a self-powered operation of the illuminated advertisement and an illuminator assembly (5) powered by the battery unit for illuminating information associated with the advertising panel by light guided at least partially from within through the advertising panel, characterized in that the illuminator assembly (5) comprises one or more high-voltage gas discharge illuminators, such as a cold cathode fluorescent lamp (5a) or the like, the illuminated advertisement having its electrical system provided with actuators (6) for transforming a voltage produced by the battery unit (4) to a high voltage, such as one or more inverters or the like.

2. An illuminated advertisement as set forth in claim 1, characterized in that its housing consists of bottom (2a) and top (2b) elements substantially parallel to each other and of substantially upright end elements (2c) on the opposite sides, which are provided with an attachment system (K) for engaging the advertising panels (3) of the illuminated advertisement.

3. An illuminated advertisement as set forth in claim 2, characterized in that the attachment system (K) is constituted by engagement slots (Kl) associated with the end panels (2c) or by corresponding guide surfaces for securing each advertising panel- (3) of the illuminated advertisement between the end panels (2c) by sliding the same in a longitudinal direction (s) of the illuminated advertisement into said slots (Kl) .

4. An illuminated advertisement as set forth in claim 2 or 3 , characterized in that the bottom and/or top element (2a and/or 2b) included in the housing is adapted to be at least partially lockable by means of a locking element, such as a latch or the like.

5. An illuminated advertisement as set forth in any of the preceding claims 1-4, characterized in that the advertising panels (3) present on its opposite sides are adapted to have a curvature in opposite directions.

6. An illuminated advertisement as set forth in any of the preceding claims 1-5, characterized in that the illuminator assembly (5) comprises one or more substantially elongated CCFL- (Cold Cathode Fluorescent Lamp) lamps (5a), having an operating voltage within the range of 200-1000 V and an operating current of 5 iriA, the inverter (6) having an input voltage of 12 V.

7. An illuminated advertisement as set forth in claim 6, characterized in that the illuminator system (5) comprises two pairs of CCFL-lamps (5a), having their operating voltage provided by two parallel dual-inverters (6; 6a) .

8. An illuminated advertisement as set forth in any of the preceding claims 1-7, characterized in that the illuminated advertisement has its electrical system provided with an undervoltage protection (7) for breaking a power supply to the illuminator assembly (5; 5a) as the voltage of the battery unit (4) falls below a threshold voltage set therefor.

9. An illuminated advertisement as set forth in any of the preceding claims 1-8, characterized in that the illuminated advertisement has its electrical system provided with a control assembly (8) functioning in a remote controlled and wireless mode for an on/off-operation of power supply to the illuminator assembly (5; 5a), a regulation of its light output ratio and/or for the like purpose.

10. An illuminated advertisement as set forth in any of the preceding claims 1-9, characterized in that it is provided with a stand structure mountable and/or maneuverable from its service position to its standby position and/or with a castor assembly.