Sign holder

• US 4,903,423 A
• Filed: 03/14/1988
• Issued: 02/27/1990
• Est. Priority Date: 03/14/1988
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: William F. Hinca
• Original Assignee: William F. Hinca
• Inventors: Hinca, William F.
• Primary Examiner(s): Apley, Richard J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Welsh, J.
• Application Number:
  US07/167,548
• Time in Patent Office: 715 Days
• Field of Search: 40/202-206, 40/443, 40/541, 40/549, 40/553, 40/556, 40/568, 40/570, 40/576, 40/577, 40/585, 40/615, 40/574, 40/575, 362/812
• US Class Current: 40/205
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 13/04 Signs, boards or panels, illuminated from behind the insignia

Abstract

Disclosed herein is a sign holder comprising a housing including a back wall, opposed and spaced side walls extending from the back wall and opposed and spaced top and bottom walls extending from the back wall and from the opposed side walls, a first panel of light transmitting plastic removably supported by the housing and providing a second panel of light transmitting plastic removably supported by the housing in closely adjacent but rearwardly spaced relation to the first panel and in forwardly spaced relation from the rear wall to provide an illumination space, an indicia on the second panel preventing light transmittal there-through, and a light bulb in the housing rearwardly of the second panel for illuminating the space between the second panel and the rear wall, whereby the indicia on the second panel is visually observable by being outlined by illumination.

Claims

1. A sign holder comprising a housing including a main body comprising a back wall, and opposed and spaced side walls extending from said back wall, each of said side walls having therein a forward groove and a rearward groove spaced rearwardly from said forward groove, and said main body also comprising a bottom wall extending from said back wall and from said opposed side walls, and said housing also including a cover releaseably secured to said main body and comprising a back wall, and opposed and spaced side walls extending from said cover back wall, each of said cover side walls having therein a forward groove and a rearward groove spaced rearwardly from said cover forward groove, and said cover also comprising a top wall extending from said cover back wall and from said cover side walls, and said sign holder also comprising a first light transmitting panel supported by said housing in said forward grooves of said main body and of said cover, a second panel removably supported by said housing in said rearward grooves of said main body and of said cover and in closely adjacent but rearwardly spaced relation from said first panel and in forwardly spaced relation from said back walls to provide rearwardly of said second panel an illumination space, an indicia located on said second panel, one of said second panel and said indicia being obtuse to light transmittal and the other of said second panel and said indicia being clear, and a light bulb in said housing rearwardly of said second panel for illuminating the space between said second panel and said back walls, whereby said indicia on said second panel is visually observable by reason of variation in illumination.

2. A sign holder in accordance with claim 1 wherein one of said main body and said cover includes a projection and the other of said main body and said cover includes a recess receiving said projection to locate said cover and said main body in alignment with each other.

3. A sign holder according to claim 1 wherein said cover also comprises an upper front wall having therein a colored light transmitting lens.

4. A sign holder comprising a housing comprising a main body including a back wall, and opposed and spaced side walls extending from said back wall, each of said side walls having therein a forward groove and a rearward groove spaced rearwardly from said forward groove, and said main body also including a bottom wall extending from said back wall and from said opposed side walls, and said housing also comprising a cover releaseably secured to said main body and including a back wall, and opposed and spaced side walls extending from said cover back wall, each of said cover side walls having therein a forward groove and a rearward groove spaced rearwardly from said over forward groove, and said cover also including a top wall extending from said cover back wall and from said cover side walls, and an upper front wall having therein a colored light transmitting lens, and said sign holder also comprising a first panel of clear light transmitting plastic supported by said housing in said forward grooves of said main body and of said cover, a second panel of light transmitting plastic removable supported by said housing in said rearward grooves of said main body and of said cover and in closely adjacent but rearwardly spaced relation from said first panel and in forwardly spaced relation from said back walls to provide rearwardly of said second panel an illumination space, an indicia located on said second panel and being obtuse to light transmittal therethrough, a light bulb in said housing rearwardly of said second panel for illuminating the space between said second panel and said back walls, whereby said indicia on said second panel is visually observable by reason of variation in illumination, and a projection on one of said main body and said cover and a recess in the other of said main body and said cover and receiving said projection to locate said cover and said main body in alignment with each other.