Menu board assembly

• US 20080236005A1
• Filed: 03/26/2007
• Published: 10/02/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 03/26/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Marketing Displays Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Marketing Displays Incorporated
• Inventors: Isayev, Igor, Hillstrom, David U.
• Application Number:
  US11/728,436
• Publication Number:
  US 20080236005A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 40/574
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 13/04 Signs, boards or panels, illuminated from behind the insignia

Abstract

An illuminated display device includes a cabinet containing at least one illumination lamp and at least first and second sides. Each of the sides includes a first door rotatably connected to the cabinet, and a second door rotatably connected to the cabinet and sharing a common rotation axis with the first door. The second door is positioned between the first door and the illumination lamp when both the first and second doors are oriented in a door closed position. A door frame of the second door has opposed frame members each including incrementally spaced slots positioned as opposed pairs of slots. The slots releasably receive divider members, proximate ones of the divider members being adapted to releasably retain a sign insert. The sign insert is illuminated by the lamp and is visible through the first door in the door closed position.

Claims

1. An illuminated display device, comprising:

a housing having at least one illumination lamp positioned in the housing, and at least one display side including;

an outer first door rotatably connected to the housing, the first door having a substantially clear panel; and

an inner second door rotatably connected to the housing and positioned between the first door and the illumination lamp in a door closed position, the second door adapted to temporarily retain a sign back-illuminated by the lamp and visible through the clear panel.

2. The display device of claim 1, further comprising at least a second display side opposing the first display side, the second display side having a second one of the outer first door and a second one of the inner second door.

3. The display device of claim 2, further comprising at least one fan connected to the housing operable to only draw atmospheric air from outside the housing into the housing to create a positive air pressure at least between the first and second doors.

4. The display device of claim 3, further comprising a flow channel between a frame of the first door and a frame of the second door operable to permit the air at the positive air pressure to discharge to atmosphere.

5. The display device of claim 4, further comprising a plurality of incrementally spaced slots created in opposed relationship in opposed members of the second door frame adapted to releasably receive individual ones of a plurality of divider members, proximate ones of the divider members adapted to releasably retain a sign insert, the sign insert illuminated by the lamp and visible through both the first and second doors in the door closed position.

6. The display device of claim 5, wherein the divider members each further comprise a darkened outward facing portion and a translucent interior housing facing portion.

7. The display device of claim 3, further comprising a thermostat operable to control operation of the at least one fan when a predetermined temperature is sensed.

8. The display device of claim 7, wherein the sign insert includes a styrene material.

9. The display device of claim 1, further comprising a hinge operable to connect both the first and second doors to the housing and operable to permit individual rotation of both the first and second doors about a common rotation axis.

10. The display device of claim 2, wherein the housing defines a substantially rectangular shape further including opposed first and second side walls.

11. The display device of claim 2, wherein the housing is rotatable by an angular increment determined by a quantity of the display sides.

12. The display device of claim 1, wherein the housing defines a substantially triangular shape having first, second, and third display sides each including one each of the first and second doors.

13. The display device of claim 1, wherein the second door comprises a translucent panel supported by a frame.

14. A menu board illuminated display device, comprising:

a cabinet containing at least one illumination lamp, and having at least first and second display sides, each of the display sides including;

a first door rotatably connected to the cabinet on one of the first and second display sides; and

a second door rotatably connected to the cabinet and sharing a common axis of rotation with the first door, the second door positioned between the first door and the illumination lamp when both the first and second doors are oriented in a door closed position; and

a door frame of the second door having opposed frame members each including a plurality of incrementally spaced slots positioned as opposed pairs of slots, the opposed pairs of slots adapted to releasably receive individual ones of a plurality of divider members, proximate ones of the divider members adapted to releasably retain a sign insert, the sign insert illuminated by the lamp and visible through the first door in the door closed position.

15. The display device of claim 14, wherein the cabinet is rotatable about an axis in increments of one hundred eighty degrees to orient one of the first and second doors for viewing.

16. The display device of claim 15, wherein the first door includes:

a first door frame; and

a substantially clear panel supported by the first door frame.

17. The display device of claim 16, wherein the second door includes a substantially translucent panel supported by the second door frame, the sign insert mountable on an outward facing side of the translucent panel to be visible through the clear panel of the first door when the lamp is energized.

18. The display device of claim 14, further comprising a magnetic catch assembly operable to releasably retain the second door in the door closed position.

19. A menu board display device, comprising:

a first door having a substantially clear panel;

a hinge connected to the first door;

a second door rotatably connected by the hinge to the first door, the second door positioned substantially parallel to the first door in a door closed position; and

at least one sign insert releasably supported by the second door and visible through the clear panel in the door closed position.

20. The display device of claim 19, further comprising:

a second door panel connected to the second door; and

a door frame of the second door having opposed frame members each including a plurality of incrementally spaced slots positioned as opposed pairs of slots, each pair of slots adapted to releasably receive a divider member adapted to releasably retain one of the at least one sign inserts in abutment against the second door panel.

21. The display device of claim 19, further comprising a hinge pin of the hinge defining a common axis of rotation of the first and second doors.

22. A menu board illuminated display device, comprising:

a cabinet containing at least one illumination lamp, and having at least first and second sides, each of the sides including;

a hinge connected to the cabinet;

a first door rotatably connected to the cabinet using the hinge; and

a second door rotatably connected by the hinge to the cabinet and sharing a common axis of rotation with the first door, the second door positioned between the first door and the illumination lamp when both the first and second doors are oriented in a door closed position.

23. The display device of claim 22, further comprising a door frame of the second door having opposed frame members each including a plurality of incrementally spaced slots positioned as opposed pairs of slots.

24. The display device of claim 23, wherein the opposed pairs of slots are adapted to releasably receive individual ones of a plurality of divider members, proximate ones of the divider members adapted to releasably retain a sign insert, the sign insert illuminated by the lamp and visible through the first door in the door closed position.

25. The display device of claim 24, further comprising a side wall of the cabinet having a panel defining a pocket adapted to receive and store at least one of the divider members.

26. The display device of claim 24, wherein each of the divider members comprises:

a first flange adapted to be non-light transmissive;

an opposed second flange being wider that the first flange and substantially translucent; and

a web transversely positioned between the first and second flanges operable to create a cavity between the first and second flanges adapted to receive a portion of the sign insert.

27. The display device of claim 26, wherein the second flange is positioned facing toward the illumination lamp such that light from the illumination lamp is diffused through the second flange.

28. An illuminated display device, comprising:

a cabinet having at least one illumination lamp positioned in the cabinet, and at least one display face including;

an outer first door rotatably connected to the cabinet; and

an inner second door rotatably connected to the cabinet and positioned between the first door and the illumination lamp in a door closed position, the second door adapted to temporarily retain a sign back-illuminated by the lamp; and

at least one fan connected to the cabinet operable to draw atmospheric air into the cabinet to create a positive air pressure at least between the first and second doors.

29. The display device of claim 28, further comprising a substantially clear panel retained by a frame of the first door, the sign being visible through the clear panel with both first and second doors in the door closed position.

30. The display device of claim 28, further comprising a hinge operable to rotatably support both the first and second doors on a common axis of rotation.

31. The display device of claim 29, wherein the second door includes a translucent panel supported by a second door frame, the sign mountable on an outward facing side of the translucent panel to be visible through the clear panel of the first door when the lamp is energized.

32. A method for displaying sign inserts with an illuminated display device, the device including a cabinet having at least one display side including a first door having a substantially clear panel, the first door rotatably connected to the cabinet, and a second door rotatably connected to the cabinet and positioned between the first door and an interior space of the cabinet, the method comprising:

releasably connecting at least one divider member to the second door;

supporting a sign insert by the at least one divider; and

positioning at least one illumination lamp in the interior space of the cabinet such that illumination of the lamp back-illuminates the sign insert for visibility through the clear panel of the first door.

33. The method of claim 32, further comprising operating a fan connected to the cabinet to induce ambient temperature air to flow from outside the cabinet through the cabinet to reduce an interior temperature of the cabinet.

34. The method of claim 33, further comprising creating a gap between the first door and the second door with both the first and second doors in a door closed position, the gap operable as an exit flow path for the air from the cabinet.

35. The method of claim 34, further comprising predetermining a dimension of the gap to maintain a positive air pressure within the cabinet during operation of the fan.

36. The method of claim 32, further comprising mounting both the first and second doors on a common rotational axis defined by a hinge.

37. The method of claim 36, further comprising releasably engaging the first and second doors individually to the cabinet to permit opening the first door with the second door remaining in a closed position for access to the sign insert and to permit opening both the first and second doors for access to the lamp.

38. The method of claim 32, further comprising inserting a substantially translucent panel in the second door operable to partially diffuse light from the lamp.