Illuminated advertising display device with changing visual effects

• US 4,246,713 A
• Filed: 06/08/1979
• Issued: 01/27/1981
• Est. Priority Date: 06/08/1979
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Thomas A Schutz Company Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Thomas A Schutz Company Incorporated
• Inventors: Eckert, Ronald P.
• Primary Examiner(s): Pitrelli, John F.
• Assistant Examiner(s): SKILLINGTON, GARY L
• Application Number:
  US06/046,802
• Time in Patent Office: 599 Days
• Field of Search: 40/436, 40/437, 40/452, 40/447, 40/476, 40/490, 40/491, 40/492, 40/219, 40/509, 40/511, 40/513, 40/579, 40/580, 40/582, 40/583
• US Class Current: 40/437
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 13/06 using individual cut-out symbols or cut-out silhouettes, e.g. perforated signs
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 13/12 using a transparent mirror or other light reflecting surface transparent to transmitted light whereby a sign, symbol, picture or other is visible only when illuminated

Abstract

An illuminated advertising display device produces changing visual effects by placing a panel having a pattern of holes at the front of a light box with some of the holes defining alpha-numeric characters, and reciprocating behind the panel a shutter which has a pattern of transparent spots each of which registers with a hole in the panel at some point in the reciprocation of the shutter, with some of the spots registered simultaneously with all the holes that define the alpha-numeric characters. The panel has a forwardly facing reflective surface, and spaced forwardly of the panel is a light transmitting reflective sheet. If desired, the transparent spots may be tinted in several different colors.

Claims

1. An illuminated advertising display device comprising, in combination:

a housing which is open at the front;

a light source in the rear of said housing;

a panel which has a reflective surface facing the front of the housing, said panel having a pattern of tiny holes;

supporting means in said housing maintaining said panel in a fixed position;

parallel guideways operatively associated with said supporting means and extending upwardly from the lower part of the housing immediately behind the panel, said guideways having rear flanges in a plane parallel to said panel;

an opaque shutter which is mounted for reciprocating movement in said guideways and held against the panel by said rear flanges, said shutter having a pattern of transparent spots which are so arranged that each such spot registers with a hole in the panel at some point in the movement of the shutter, said spots being elongated in the direction of reciprocation of the shutter;

means for reciprocating said shutter to sequentially register different ones of said spots with said holes for periods of time that depend upon the rate of reciprocation of the shutter and the difference between the lengths of the transparent spots and the dimensions of the holes in the direction of elongation of said spots;

and a light transmitting reflective sheet fixed in the housing forward of the panel and in parallel, spaced relationship to said panel.

2. The combination of claim 1 in which some of the holes in the panel are arranged to define alpha-numeric characters, some of the spots on the shutter are positioned to register simultaneously with all the holes which define alpha-numeric characters, and some of the holes in the panel provide a random pattern of holes only some of which are in register with a spot on the shutter at any time, whereby the holes in said random pattern provide a visual effect of twinkling points of light as the shutter reciprocates.

3. The combination of claim 1 in which the means for moving the shutter comprises cam means in the bottom of the housing upon which the lower margin of the shutter is supported, and a motor to rotate said cam means.

4. The combination of claim 3 in which the guideways are inclined laterally a few degrees from the vertical so that one guideway partially supports the shutter, and the cam means comprises a single cam adjacent the other guideway providing the rest of the support for the shutter.

5. The combination of claim 1 in which the light transmitting reflective sheet has a metallic appearance.

6. The combination of claim 1 in which the transparent spots are tinted various colors.

7. An illuminated advertising display device comprising, in combination:

a housing which is open at the front;

a light source in the rear of said housing;

a panel adjacent the front of the housing, said panel having a pattern of holes;

an opaque shutter between the light source and said panel, said shutter being mounted for movement in a plane parallel to the panel and having a pattern of transparent spots which are so arranged that each such spot registers with a hole in the panel at some point in the movement of the shutter;

parallel guideways between which the shutter is mounted for reciprocating movement toward and away from the bottom of the housing, said guideways being inclined laterally a few degrees from the vertical so that one of said guideways provides part of the support for the shutter;

a single cam in the bottom of the housing adjacent the other of said guideways upon which the lower margin of the shutter rests, said single cam providing the remainder of the support for the shutter;

and a motor to rotate said cam means.

8. An illuminated advertising display device comprising, in combination:

a housing which is open at the front;

a light source in the rear of said housing;

a panel fixedly mounted in the housing and having a reflective surface facing the front of the housing, said panel having a pattern of tiny holes, some of said holes being arranged to define alpha-numeric characters and some of said holes providing a random pattern of holes;

parallel guideways mounted in the housing immediately behind the panel, said guideways extending upwardly from the lower part of the housing;

an opaque shutter which is mounted for reciprocating movement in said guideways in contact with the rear face of the panel, said shutter having a pattern of transparent spots which are elongated in the direction of reciprocation of the shutter, said spots being so arranged that each such spot registers with a hole in the panel at some point in the movement of the shutter, some of said spots being positioned to register simultaneously with all the holes which define alpha-numeric characters, and only a few of said spots being in register at any time with holes in said random pattern, whereby the holes in said random pattern provide a visual effect of twinkling points of light as the shutter reciprocates;

means for reciprocating said shutter to sequentially register different ones of said spots with said holes for periods of time that depend upon the rate of reciprocation of the shutter and the difference between the lengths of the transparent spots and the dimensions of the holes in the direction of elongation of said spots;

and a light transmitting relfective sheet fixed in the housing forward of the panel and in parallel, spaced relationship to said panel.

9. The combination of claim 8 in which the transparent spots are tinted various colors.