LIGHTING MOUNT FOR INTERIOR-LIGHTED SIGNAGE AND METHOD OF RETROFITTING A LIGHTED SIGN

• US 20120124874A1
• Filed: 11/22/2011
• Published: 05/24/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 11/24/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Principal Lighting Group LLC
• Original Assignee: Signcomp LLC
• Inventors: Breihof, Thomas C.
• Granted Patent: US 9,311,835 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 40/564
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 13/04 Signs, boards or panels, illuminated from behind the insignia
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49716 Converting

Abstract

A lamp support assembly, retrofit kit, and method are provided for lighting a sign from an interior thereof. The assembly can be used as a drop-in replacement for high-voltage gas-discharge tube lamps such as high-output fluorescent lamps, and may be used to retrofit signs originally built for gas-discharge tube lamps with low-voltage, high-efficiency lighting such as LED lighting. The assembly includes an elongate support member for supporting electric lamp units, with end caps at opposite ends of the support member for engaging the original electro-mechanical mounts (or replacement mounts) in the sign. Thus, the lamp support assembly can be supported in the sign in a similar manner as gas-discharge tube lamps, and can be powered by a low-voltage power source, which may replace a higher-voltage power source in the case of a retrofit.

Claims

1. A lamp support assembly for interior lighting of a sign, said lamp support assembly comprising:

an elongate support member for supporting a plurality of electric lamp units, said elongate support member having opposite end portions;

an end cap at each of said opposite end portions of said elongate support member, each of said end caps having an inwardly-facing side and an outwardly-facing side, said inwardly-facing sides configured to engage said opposite end portions of said elongate support member;

a mechanical coupling element at each of said outwardly-facing sides of said end caps, said mechanical coupling element configured to engage a mount configured for supporting and supplying electricity to a gas-discharge lamp; and

wherein said elongate support member and said end caps are releasably supportable by and between a corresponding pair of the mounts when the mounts are supported in spaced arrangement on respective frame portions of the sign.

2. The lamp support assembly of claim 1, wherein said mechanical coupling element does not comprise any electrical conductors.

3. The lamp support assembly of claim 1, wherein said elongate support member comprises an I-beam cross section having a web portion and spaced-apart flange portions on opposite ends of said web portion.

4. The lamp support assembly of claim 3, wherein said web portion of said elongate support member comprises a pair of spaced plates joined together by said flange portions.

5. The lamp support assembly of claim 3, wherein said inwardly-facing sides of said end caps comprise a plurality of projections for engaging said I-beam cross section of said elongate support member at said opposite ends thereof.

6. The lamp support assembly of claim 5, wherein said inwardly-facing sides of said end caps are configured to engage either of (i) a single-web I-beam cross section or (ii) a dual-web I-beam cross section of said elongate support member.

7. The lamp support assembly of claim 3, wherein said elongate support member is configured to support the plurality of electric lamp units at said web portion.

8. The lamp support assembly of claim 7, wherein said elongate support member is configured to support the electric lamp units along opposite sides of said web portion.

9. The lamp support assembly of claim 1, wherein said mechanical coupling elements are configured to engage a fixed-position mount and a spring-loaded mount, each of the mounts being configured for supporting a respective opposite end portion or coupler of a gas-discharge lamp and for supplying electricity to the gas-discharge lamp.

10. The lamp support assembly of claim 1, further in combination with a lighted sign and a plurality of the electric lamp units.

11. The lamp support assembly of claim 10, wherein said electric lamp units comprise LED lamps.

12. The lamp support assembly of claim 1, wherein said elongate support member comprises a metal or a resinous plastic extrusion, and wherein said end caps comprise a non-metal material.

13. A method of retrofitting an internally-lighted sign that is fitted with one or more gas-discharge lamps, said method comprising:

removing the one or more gas-discharge lamps from between one or more respective pairs of gas-discharge lamp couplings positioned along an interior of the sign;

positioning respective end caps at opposite end portions of an elongate support member;

positioning one or more electric lamp units along the elongate support member; and

engaging the end caps with respective ones of the gas-discharge lamp couplings or with replacement couplings to thereby position the end caps, the elongate support member, and the electric lamp units between the gas-discharge lamp couplings or replacement couplings.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising cutting the elongate support member to fit between the one or more respective pairs of the gas-discharge lamp couplings or the replacement couplings.

15. The method of claim 13, further comprising disabling or removing an existing ballast in the internally-lighted sign so that the gas-discharge lamp couplings cannot readily be electrically energized.

16. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

providing a low-voltage power source for energizing the electric lamp units; and

electrically coupling the electric lamp units to the low-voltage power source.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein said positioning one or more electric lamp units along the elongate support member further comprises routing low-voltage electrical wiring associated with the electric lamp units along at least a portion of the elongate support member and electrically connecting the electrical wiring to the low voltage power source.

18. The method of claim 13, further comprising replacing the gas-discharge lamp couplings with purely mechanical replacement couplings prior to said positioning the end caps, elongate support member, and electric lamp units.

19. A retrofit kit for an internally-lit sign, the sign having a framework and at least one display sheet that is at least partially translucent, said kit comprising:

an elongate support member for supporting a plurality of electric lamp units, said elongate support member having opposite end portions; and

a pair of end caps configured to attach to the opposite end portions of the elongate support member, each of the end caps having a mechanical coupling element at an outwardly-facing side thereof, the mechanical coupling element configured to engage a standard mount for supporting a gas-discharge lamp at the framework.

20. The retrofit kit of claim 19, further comprising a pair of purely mechanical mounts for replacing the standard mounts in the sign.

21. The retrofit kit of claim 19, further comprising a plurality of low-voltage lamp units for positioning along the elongate support member.