Back-lighted display arrangement

• US 4,006,546 A
• Filed: 05/19/1976
• Issued: 02/08/1977
• Est. Priority Date: 05/19/1976
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: GTE Sylvania Incorporated (Ams-Osram AG)
• Original Assignee: GTE Sylvania Incorporated (Ams-Osram AG)
• Inventors: Anderson, Richard W., Bodenrader, Frederick F.
• Primary Examiner(s): Mancene, Louis G.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Contreras, Wenceslao J.
• Application Number:
  US05/688,058
• Time in Patent Office: 265 Days
• Field of Search: 40/132 R, 40/132 D, 40/132 E, 40/130 E
• US Class Current: 40/573
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 13/08 using both translucent and non-translucent layers

Abstract

A back-lighted display arrangement including a soft, compressible opaque light baffle sandwiched between a lamp assembly and a display panel. The light baffle has a grid-like configuration defining a plurality of compartments each of which is arranged to receive a different one of a plurality of lamps supported by the lamp assembly and to direct light emitted by the lamp onto a different one of a plurality of display areas of the display panel. The light baffle establishes a positive light-tight seal between the baffle and the lamp assembly and display panel for preventing light in one compartment from escaping into an adjacent compartment.

Claims

1. A back-lighted display arrangement, comprising:

a light source support member supporting a plurality of light source means thereon;

display means including a plurality of display areas each of which is associated with a different one of the plurality of light source means and is arranged to be back-lighted by light emitted by the associated light source means; and

a light baffle of a compressible material compressively sandwiched between the light source support member and the display means for establishing a light seal between the baffle and the light source support member and display means, said compressed light baffle having portions defining a plurality of compartments each arranged to receive a different one of the plurality of light source means whereby light emitted by the light source means is directed onto the display area associated with the light source means.

2. A back-lighted display arrangement in accordance with claim 1 wherein:

the light baffle is of a soft, compressible material.

3. A back-lighted display arrangement in accordance with claim 1 wherein:

the light baffle is of a flexible, resilient, light-weight, electrically non-conductive material.

4. A back-lighted display arrangement in accordance with claim 3 wherein:

the light baffle is of a polyurethane cellular foam material.

5. A back-lighted display arrangement in accordance with claim 1 wherein:

the light source means are arranged on the light source assembly in a row and column format;

the compartments of the light baffle are in a row and column format; and

the display areas of the display means are arranged in a row and column format.