VISUAL DISPLAY METHOD AND APPARATUS

• US 3,772,507 A
• Filed: 08/04/1971
• Issued: 11/13/1973
• Est. Priority Date: 08/04/1971
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Brian Leslie Hills
• Original Assignee: Brian Leslie Hills
• Inventors: Hills, Brian Leslie
• Primary Examiner(s): Woodiel, Donald O.
• Application Number:
  US05/168,992
• Time in Patent Office: 832 Days
• Field of Search: 240/2R,2AD,2AT 40/13A,13B
• US Class Current: 362/125
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 19/16 involving the use of mirrors
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 362/812 Signs

Abstract

Apparatus comprising a partially reflective mirror, a light source and a background for displaying articles against the background wherein the light source illuminates the article from the front and another light source illuminates the background, the article being viewed directly and the background being viewed as a reflection from the partially reflective mirror.

Claims

1. Visual display apparatus comprising a partially light reflective, partially light transmissive surface, a background, means defining an observation window and including means for supporting an object in the window, and a light source, the observation window and the partially reflective surface being angularly disposed relative to one another and the source of light being disposed relative to the observation window to directly illuminate an object supported in the observation window before impinging on the partially reflective surface, and means to illuminate the background, the background being disposed on the same side of said partially reflective surface as said window and being disposed at angles to said surface and to said window such that light from the background impinges upon the partially reflective surface and is reflected through the observation window.

2. Visual display apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein the background, observation window and the surface are disposed relative to one another so that each respectively lies upon a side of a triangle and the light source is disposed outside said triangle.

3. Visual display apparatus as claimed in claim 2 wherein said means for illuminating said background comprises a second light source positioned to direct light onto said background through said surface.

4. Visual display apparatus as claimed in claim 3 including a light box having four walls arranged in generally rectangular configuration when viewed in plan, wherein said background is defined by one of said walls, a second one of said walls, adjacent said background, being transparent and constituting said observation window and being provided with means for holding said object, said surface extending diagonally across said light box and from edges of said background and said second wall remote from an edge of said light box defining the junction between these.

5. Visual display apparatus as claimed in claim 4 wherein mirror means is provided to direct light from said second light source through said surface.

6. Visual display apparatus as claimed in claim 4 wherein said surface is approximately 90 percent transmissive and 10 percent reflective.

7. Visual display apparatus as claimed in claim 2 wherein said means for illuminating said background comprises a second light source disposed outside said triangle to direct light onto said background, and without first passing through said surface.

8. Visual display apparatus as claimed in claim 7 including a light box and having four walls arranged in generally rectangular configuration when viewed in plan, wherein said background is defined by one of said walls a second one of said walls, adjacent said background, being tranSparent and constituting said observation window and being provided with means for holding said object, said surface extending diagonally across said light box and from edges of said background and said second wall remote from an edge of said light box defining the junction between these.

9. A method of visually displaying to an observer a foreground object against background light, the method comprising the steps of positioning a partially light reflective, partially light transmissive surface in a position to be viewed by the observer and at an angle to a background such that light from the background is reflected from said surface toward the observer, placing said object in the path of said light which is reflected from said surface, positioning a light source to directly illuminate said object on the opposite side thereof to the side lit by said light reflected from said surface, but not to light said background either directly or by light transmission through said surface.

10. A method as in claim 9 including illuminating said background.