Display signs and ornaments for holiday seasons
First Claim
1. An ornament/design or sign, comprising a solid matrix of material providing a body having a predetermined shape, said body having at least one light scattering translucent surface, groove and/, ridge or characteristic formed therein, said surface, grooves, ridges or characteristics providing a design, shape, image, letter or character all formed by forming and preferably etching the surface, grooves, ridges or characteristics into the matrix of the body of the ornament/design or sign, said body having disposed therein an opening having contained therein in use at least one light source, which may be glued or molded in place within the opening, or alternatively loosely fit within the opening, said at least one light source including electrical leads extending to an electrical conductor or alternatively to a printed circuit board for the powering thereof;
- the material being transparent and of any suitable colour for the holiday season such as amber, red, green, blue, clear, purple, yellow, orange or any shades or combinations thereof;
said light source being positioned so as to light the ornament, said light exiting the light source being dispersed by said light scattering translucent at least one etched surface, groove, ridge or characteristic so as to create a dispersion of the light which would remain undispersed had the etched surface, grooves, ridges or characteristics not been provided.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A sign or ornament comprising an etched or otherwise formed translucent light scattering design, lettering, or shape within a matrix contained in the body of a sign or ornament, said sign or ornament having included therewith at least one opening, said opening having contained therewith at least one light source and preferably a light-emitting diode, wherein light emerging from the light source and preferred light-emitting diode incident upon the light scattering translucent design lettering or shape of the sign or the ornament will be enhanced to a much greater extent than any light emanating from the transparent portions of the sign/ornament.
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Citations
55 Claims
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1. An ornament/design or sign, comprising a solid matrix of material providing a body having a predetermined shape, said body having at least one light scattering translucent surface, groove and/, ridge or characteristic formed therein, said surface, grooves, ridges or characteristics providing a design, shape, image, letter or character all formed by forming and preferably etching the surface, grooves, ridges or characteristics into the matrix of the body of the ornament/design or sign, said body having disposed therein an opening having contained therein in use at least one light source, which may be glued or molded in place within the opening, or alternatively loosely fit within the opening, said at least one light source including electrical leads extending to an electrical conductor or alternatively to a printed circuit board for the powering thereof;
- the material being transparent and of any suitable colour for the holiday season such as amber, red, green, blue, clear, purple, yellow, orange or any shades or combinations thereof;
said light source being positioned so as to light the ornament, said light exiting the light source being dispersed by said light scattering translucent at least one etched surface, groove, ridge or characteristic so as to create a dispersion of the light which would remain undispersed had the etched surface, grooves, ridges or characteristics not been provided. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43)
- the material being transparent and of any suitable colour for the holiday season such as amber, red, green, blue, clear, purple, yellow, orange or any shades or combinations thereof;
- 8. A display sign comprising a body of solid material preferably said body being transparent and having sides, ends, and a top and a bottom, said top or bottom having a translucent light scattering surface, ridge and/or groove formed or etched therein which contains the outline of a symbol, figure, a message, or an international symbol, said translucent surface, ridge and/or groove being formed or etched so as to provide light scattering within said body, at least one of said ends or sides including light emitting diodes contained therein or disposed adjacent thereto to emit light in the direction of the translucent surface, grooves and/, ridges or characteristics so as to disperse said light substantially uniformly from the top or bottom of the display panel and provide the observer with the displayed impression or message created by the dispersion of the light from the formed or translucent surface, grooves, ridges or characteristics which would remain undispersed had the translucent surface, grooves, ridges or characteristics not been provided.
- 12. A holiday season ornament comprising a body having provided therein a translucent etched or otherwise formed light scattering surface, ridge or groove, and also containing secondary light scattering elements, said body being of any desired shape and containing at least one opening for at least one light source which is positioned so as to light the body with the light exiting from the light source and being dispersed by said light scattering means, and by said at least one translucent etched or otherwise formed surface, groove, ridge or characteristic so as to create a dispersion of the light from the body which would remain undispersed had the translucent etched surface, groove, ridge and the light scattering means not been provided.
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17. A method of manufacturing ornaments/designs or signs from a matrix of clear material such as acrylic, methylmethacrylate, Lexan®
- or the like, said method comprising;
(1) identifying a suitable material which may be formed or etched with at least one translucent surface, groove,, ridge or characteristic;
(2) forming the ornament/design or sign from said material, in one embodiment cutting the ornament/design or sign from a sheet of predetermined thickness and in another embodiment molding said ornament/design or sign in a preferred predetermined shape such as a rectangular or a bell shape, a Santa Claus shape, a cross shape, the shape of a bulb, the shape of a Christmas tree, the shape of fruit, the shape of leaves, the shape of stars, the shape of circles, or the like;
(3) forming at least one translucent preferably etched light scattering surface, groove, ridge or characteristic within the perimeter of the ornament/design/sign so as to defuse, refract, and otherwise disperse any incident light falling on or near said etched surface, groove, ridge or characteristic;
in one embodiment etching the material adjacent the perimeter of the shape of the ornament proximate at least one location and preferably at a second location, or for example in the case of a leaf providing the veining outline of a leaf in etched form, or as in the case of Santa Claus providing the facial characteristics with etching or alternatively with fruit providing the etching at the most optimal locations which best simulates the fruit;
(4) preferably forming at least one opening in the sign/ornament/design and, preferably inserting a light source within the opening;
(5) providing conductors to engage the light source for providing power to the sign/ornament/design;
wherein the light incident upon the translucent light scattering preferably etched surfaces, grooves, ridges or characteristics within the sign, design or ornament will scatter, disperse, refract or reflect enhancing the effective lighting and eye appeal of the sign/design/ornament to a much greater extent than any substantially clear sign design or ornament. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20)
- or the like, said method comprising;
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21. An ornament comprising a matrix of clear transparent material such as methylmethacrylate, Lexan®
- , acrylic or the like, said ornament when suitably oriented having a top and bottom and being of a predetermined shape, said top and bottom of said ornament and at least said top being formed into the desired shape of the ornament such as a Christmas tree, a circle, a piece of fruit, a Santa Claus, or the like and having a predetermined perimeter, said predetermined perimeter being disposed proximate an outer edge of said top and said bottom having therebetween disposed at least one side, said ornament and preferably said at least one side, having disposed therein at least one opening, said at least one opening for having installed therein a light source such as a light-emitting diode or the like, said ornament having an etched or otherwise formed light scattering surface, alphanumeric character(s), design(s), or pleasing shape(s) therein, wherein said etching further comprises at least one compatibly shaped etched design formed by providing in one embodiment at least one light scattering groove, ridge or characteristic portion, or at least one light scattering etched surface, extending in predetermined directions to provide said etched design, wherein the material adjacent the at least one surface, groove or channel or the like is substantially translucent or non-transparent so as to substantially disperse any incident light thereon from the light source in use, the light striking said at least one etched surface, groove, design or the like causing light to disperse and/or scatter from said design to a much greater extent than light passing through a matrix of transparent material, said dispersion or scattering of the light thereby creating a pleasing and more effective ornament.
- View Dependent Claims (22, 23, 24, 25, 26)
- 27. A ornament for the holiday seasons comprising a matrix of clear transparent, wherein said ornament has at least one light scattering translucent light scattering surface, ridge, or channel formed or preferably etched therein or about the perimeter thereof, said ornament including at least one opening containing a lighting source in use (preferably at lease one LED), wherein when lit said lighting source will direct incident light within the ornament upon the light scattering translucent surface, channel, ridge or characteristic so as to create a more uniform dispersion of light from the ornament as opposed to a point source of light.
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29. A sign comprising a single sheet of transparent material, said sign having formed and preferably etched therein at lease one light scattering design, symbol and/or a message in any language which may be readily identifiable to an observer, said sign including a transparent matrix of methylmethacrylate, acrylic, resin, Lexan®
- or the like, or any suitable transparent material of any desired colour or combination of colours which can be etched or alternatively which can have suitable translucent lettering, or design(s), or the like formed therein by, for example, by vacuum forming or alternative molding techniques, said design(s) or message being preferably formed proximate the top of said sign, said edges of said sign having disposed therewith proximate at least one edge thereof openings for at least one light source preferably disposed in or fixed therein and, in one embodiment said openings having contained therein light sources such as light-emitting diodes when the sign is formed, and which are powered by a source of electrical supply through a conductor, wherein when the light sources and the preferred light-emitting diodes are powered, incident light strikes said light scattering translucent surface or etching of said message and/or design and highlights the lettering or design to a much greater extent than light emitting from the transparent sections of the display sign.
- View Dependent Claims (30)
- 31. A sign or ornament comprising an etched or otherwise formed translucent light scattering design, lettering, or shape within a matrix contained in the body of a sign or ornament, said sign or ornament having included therewith at least one opening, said opening having contained therewith at least one light source and preferably a light-emitting diode, wherein light emerging from the light source and preferred light-emitting diode incident upon the light scattering translucent design lettering or shape of the sign or the ornament will be enhanced to a much greater extent than any light emanating from the transparent portions of the sign/ornament.
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44. A method of manufacturing ornaments/designs or signs from a matrix of clear material such as acrylic, methylmethacrylate, Lexan®
- or the like, said method comprising;
(1) identifying a suitable material which may be molded, and when molded having at least one translucent light scattering surface, groove, ridge or characteristic;
(2) placing at least one light source in a mold for an ornament/design or sign, said mold structured to provide the final shape of the desired product and locating said light source at positions wherein a light source is desired for the desired product;
(3) introducing said suitable material into said mold to form the ornament/design or sign;
wherein said at least one light source is encapsulated in the suitable material when the desired product is molded at the desired positions wherein a light source is desired;
(4) coincidently molding or subsequently forming at least one translucent preferably etched light scattering surface, groove, ridge or characteristic within the perimeter of the ornament/design/sign so as to defuse, refract, and otherwise disperse any incident light falling on or near said translucent and preferred etched surface, groove, ridge or characteristic;
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(5) preferably providing conductors to engage the at least one light source for providing power to the sign/ornament/design;
wherein the light incident upon the translucent preferably etched light scattering surfaces, grooves, ridges or characteristics within the sign, design or ornament will scatter, disperse, refract or reflect enhancing the effective lighting and eye appeal of the sign/design/ornament to a much greater extent than any substantially clear ornament;
wherein the at least one light source is molded, encapsulated and fixed within the desired product. - View Dependent Claims (45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55)
- or the like, said method comprising;
Specification