Display units

• US 4,796,170 A
• Filed: 02/25/1987
• Issued: 01/03/1989
• Est. Priority Date: 04/14/1986
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Alan M. Filmer, Kenneth M. Pedersen
• Original Assignee: Alan M. Filmer, Kenneth M. Pedersen
• Inventors: Pedersen, Kenneth M., Filmer, Alan M.
• Primary Examiner(s): BENNETT, HENRY A
• Application Number:
  US07/018,413
• Time in Patent Office: 678 Days
• Field of Search: 362/97, 362/224, 362/305, 362/329, 362/330, 362/337, 362/308, 362/223, 40/615, 40/564, 40/582, 40/367
• US Class Current: 362/308
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 13/10 using transparencies

Abstract

A display unit has a light source, an indicia bearing diffusion sheet or transparent having masked, transparent and translucent areas and a series of refractive layers are placed over the diffusion sheet. On the light being lit, and the light rays passed outwardly through the transparent or translucent areas and through the refractive layers, the indicia are each surrounded with a penumbra of light which gives a three dimensional effect to the display of the indicia.

Claims

1. A display unit comprising a light box containing a source of illumination, one surface of said light box comprising a sheet of material which in use will transmit light from the interior of the light box outwardly, indicia bearing means including masked areas and areas selected from translucent and transparent areas mounted within the light box between the source of illumination and said sheet, and a plurality of layers of refracting light transmitting material with parallel sides interposed between said sheet of material and said indicia bearing means, the construction and arrangement being such that on the light source being illuminated said indicia will be displayed through said layers of refracting material and said sheet of material in a manner such that the indicia are displayed with a surrounding penumbra of light which gives a three dimensional effect to the display of said indicia.

2. A display unit as claimed in claim 1 wherein said sheet of material reflects light directed towards the sheet of material from exterior of the light box.

3. A display unit as claimed in claim 1 wherein said indicia bearing means includes a mirror over a light transmission varying means selected from a diffusion sheet and a photographic transparency said mirror having gapped areas not silvered so that said varying means will be viewed through the gapped areas in the mirror.

4. A display unit as claimed in claim 1 wherein said refracting layers comprise a pluraltiy of individual sheets of transparent material positioned with faces of individual sheets contacted against the next sheet.

5. A display unit as claimed in claim 1 wherein said sheet of material and said plurality of layers of refracting material are held in a channel in a surrounding frame, said frame being removably held in said light box by fasteners.