Illuminated house number sign

• US 4,009,535 A
• Filed: 10/01/1975
• Issued: 03/01/1977
• Est. Priority Date: 10/01/1975
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Cantrell Industries, Inc.
• Original Assignee: William Stock
• Inventors: Stock, William
• Primary Examiner(s): McNeill, G.E.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Wolff, John H.
• Application Number:
  US05/618,316
• Time in Patent Office: 517 Days
• Field of Search: 40/130 K, 40/130 R, 40/132 R, 240/25, 240/6.4 R, 240/41.1, 60/641, 250/206, 250/214, 136/89, 136/89.05
• US Class Current: 40/546
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0036 2-D arrangement of prisms, protrusions, indentations or roughened surfaces
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/006 to produce indicia, symbols, texts or the like
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 13/06 using individual cut-out symbols or cut-out silhouettes, e.g. perforated signs
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 116/36 Illuminated dial and pointer
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 136/291 Applications

Abstract

A self contained house number sign which charges an internal battery from photo-voltaic cells during daylight. The battery is connected to a lamp via a phototransistor for energizing the lamp at night. The lamp edge lights a plastic template having cutout house number indicia.

Claims

1. A self contained illuminated house number sign which stores solar energy in daylight and utilizes the stored energy for night illumination comprising photovoltaic cell means, battery means, photoconductive cell means for coupling said photovoltaic cell means to said battery means only during daylight, lamp means, light sensing means for coupling said battery means to said lamp means at night, sign means positioned to be illuminated by said lamp means, and wherein said light sensing means is a photo transistor.

2. The sign of claim 1 wherein said sign means is a transluscent plastic template which is positioned to be edgelit by said lamp means.