Multi-color illuminating system
First Claim
1. An elongated light-producing arrangement comprising:
- a light source for emitting light;
an elongated tube having a hollow interior, said tube having a light-transmissible portion extending along the length of said tube and extending only partially around the circumference of said tube, said tube also having a reflective surface for propagating light within and along the axis of the tube, said light source being arranged outside of said tube so as to expose said interior to the light emitted from said light source for reflection by said surface;
a diffusing medium arranged in said tube extending longitudinally and only partially around the circumference of said tube, substantially diametrically opposite said light-transmissible portion, to diffuse light striking said diffusing medium both directly and by reflection from said reflective surface, said light-transmissible portion, said diffusing medium and said reflective surface in the aggregate extending over substantially the entire surface of said tube, whereby light in said tube impinging on said diffusing medium causes light from the diffusing medium to pass outwardly through said light-transmissible portion.
4 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
An arrangement and method for providing an elongated light source, such as for illuminating a sign or the like or for other display, which includes emitting light from an exterior light source into an inner tube having a portion lined with a high reflectance film of prismatic lenses, the tube having a light-transmitting opening along its length, with a diffusing medium substantially diametrically opposite such opening, and optionally a reflector at one end of the inner tube. The inner tube is concentrically surrounded by an outer tube having light-transmissive portions of different colors. The outer tube is rotatable relative to the inner tube. The emitted light propagates in the inner tube by reflecting from the high reflectance lining and the reflector to impinge on the diffusing medium and thereby transmit light outwardly through the light-transmissive opening and thereafter through a selected one of the colored portions so as to project colored light against a sign or like object. The arrangement and method may be used as a color display, for both ambient-light and internal illumination, by interspersing the light-transmissive portions with opaque portions of substantially the same color. Several units may be placed end to end to provide a color-code display.
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Citations
39 Claims
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1. An elongated light-producing arrangement comprising:
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a light source for emitting light; an elongated tube having a hollow interior, said tube having a light-transmissible portion extending along the length of said tube and extending only partially around the circumference of said tube, said tube also having a reflective surface for propagating light within and along the axis of the tube, said light source being arranged outside of said tube so as to expose said interior to the light emitted from said light source for reflection by said surface; a diffusing medium arranged in said tube extending longitudinally and only partially around the circumference of said tube, substantially diametrically opposite said light-transmissible portion, to diffuse light striking said diffusing medium both directly and by reflection from said reflective surface, said light-transmissible portion, said diffusing medium and said reflective surface in the aggregate extending over substantially the entire surface of said tube, whereby light in said tube impinging on said diffusing medium causes light from the diffusing medium to pass outwardly through said light-transmissible portion. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5)
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6. An elongated light-producing arrangement comprising:
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a light source for emitting light; an elongated tube having an interior, said tube having a light-transmissible portion extending along the length of said tube, said tube also having a reflective surface for propagating light along the axis of the tube, said light source being arranged outside of said tube so as to expose said interior to the light emitted from said light source for reflection by said reflective surface; a diffusing medium arranged in said tube substantially diametrically opposite said light-transmissible portion to diffuse light striking said diffusing medium both directly and by reflection from said reflective surface, whereby light from the diffusing medium passes through said light-transmissible portion; said light source projecting light at an angle to said tube, and a reflector arranged between said light source and said elongated tube, said reflector being arranged to reflect the light from said light source into said tube.
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7. An elongated light-producing arrangement comprising:
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a light source for emitting light; an elongated tube having a hollow interior, said tube having a light-transmissible portion extending along the length of said tube, said tube also having a reflective surface for propagating light along the axis of the tube, said light source being arranged so as to expose said interior to the light emitted from said light source for reflection by said reflective surface; a diffusing medium arranged in said tube substantially diametrically opposite said light-transmissible portion to diffuse light striking said diffusing medium both directly and by reflection from said surface, whereby light from the diffusing medium passes through said light-transmissible portion; an outer tube having a plurality of light-transmissible colored portions of different colors, said outer tube concentrically surrounding said elongated tube; and means for rotating one of said outer tube and said elongated tube relative to the other into a predetermined relative position so that only one of said colored portions is exposed to the light which is transmitted through said light-transmissible portion for effecting selective color illumination. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9, 10, 11)
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12. An elongated light-producing arrangement comprising:
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a light source for emitting light; an elongated tube having an interior, said tube having a light-transmissible portion extending along the length of said tube, said tube also having a reflective surface for propagating light along the axis of the tube, said light source being arranged so as to expose said interior to the light emitted from said light source for reflection by said reflective surface; a diffusing medium arranged in said tube substantially diametrically opposite said light-transmissible portion to diffuse light striking said diffusing medium both directly and by reflection from said reflective surface, whereby light from the diffusing medium passes through said light-transmissible portion; said light-transmissible portion being formed as a longitudinal slit in said elongated tube; a lens arrangement having non-parallel surfaces extending longitudinally along said slit for refracting and distributing light over a predetermined region wider than said slit. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15)
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16. An elongated light-producing arrangement comprising:
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a light source for emitting light; an elongated tube having an interior, said tube having a light-transmissible portion extending along the length of said tube, said tube also having a reflective surface for propagating light along the axis of the tube, said light source being arranged so as to expose said interior to the light emitted from said light source for reflection by said reflective surface; a diffusing medium arranged in said tube substantially diametrically opposite said light-transmissible portion to diffuse light striking said diffusing medium both directly and by reflection from said reflective surface, whereby light from the diffusing medium passes through said light-transmissible portion; and a light reflector extending outwardly from each longitudinal edge of said light-transmissible tube portion, said light reflectors also extending longitudinally along said tube whereby the apparent transverse width of said light arrangement is increased.
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17. An elongated light-producing arrangement comprising:
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a light source for emitting light; an elongated tube having an interior, said tube having a light-transmissible portion extending along the length of said tube, said tube also having a reflective surface for propagating light along the axis of the tube, said light source being arranged so as to expose said interior to the light emitted from said light source for reflection by said reflective surface; a diffusing medium arranged in said tube substantially diametrically opposite said light-transmissible portion to diffuse light striking said diffusing medium both directly and by reflection from said reflective surface, whereby light from the diffusing medium passes through said light-transmissible portion; said diffusing medium being formed to scatter the light through the light-transmissible portion with substantially uniform intensity along said elongated tube; and said diffusing medium having a varying width, which width increases outward away from said light source so as to assist in uniformly illuminating along the length of said elongated tube.
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18. An elongated light-producing arrangement comprising:
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a light source for emitting light; an elongated tube having an interior, said tube having a light-transmissible portion extending along the length of said tube, said tube also having a reflective surface for propagating light along the axis of the tube, said light source being arranged so as to expose said interior to the light emitted from said light source for reflection by said reflective surface; a diffusing medium arranged in said tube substantially diametrically opposite said light-transmissible portion to diffuse light striking said diffusing medium both directly and by reflection from said reflective surface, whereby light from the diffusing medium passes through said light-transmissible portion; and said diffusing medium having a curved surface projecting inwardly of said tube, said curved surface having varying arcuate width along the length of said medium.
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19. A method for illuminating a sign or the like, comprising the steps of:
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emitting light from a light source; exposing to the emitted light the interior of an elongated first tube having a reflective surface; propagating the light within the interior of the tube by reflecting the light from said reflective surface of the tube; providing a diffusing medium in a portion of the tube along the length of the tube to diffuse and scatter light impinging therein; directing the diffused and scattered light transversely outwardly of said tube; concentrically surrounding said first tube with an outer second tube having a plurality of light-transmissible portions of different colors; and selectively exposing only one of said light-transmissible color portions to the diffused light. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21)
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22. A color display for both daytime and night-time use comprising:
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a light source, a filter in front of said source for transmitting light therethrough of a predetermined color, said filter having light-transmissible areas interspersed with opaque areas, said opaque areas being of substantially the same color as said light-transmissible areas, whereby when observed at night said display presents light of said color from said filter and when observed by day said display appears to have substantially the same color by viewing said opaque areas in ambient light, said filter being in the form of a cylinder, and said light-transmissible and opaque areas being in alternating bands extending circumferentially about said cylinder.
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23. A display element for displaying a predetermined color comprising
light-transmissible areas interspersed with opaque areas, said light-transmissible areas being adapted to transmit light of said predetermined color, and said opaque areas having a visually perceptible color in ambient light which is substantially the same as said predetermined color, said display element being in the form of a cylinder, said light-transmissible and opaque areas being in alternating bands extending around said cylinder, whereby said element may display said predetermined color whether viewed in ambient light as in daytime or illuminated from the rear thereof by an artificial light source.
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26. In an elongated illuminating arrangement,
an elongated tube having a hollow interior and having the property of propagating light axially therewithin, said tube having a light-transmissible wall portion extending along the length of said tube and extending only partially around the circumference of said tube, said tube also having an inner reflective surface for propagating light within and along the axis of the tube by reflection by said surface when light is supplied to said interior, a diffusing medium arranged in said tube extending longitudinally and only partially around the inner periphery of said tube, substantially diametrically opposite said light-transmissible portion and adapted to diffuse light striking said diffusing medium both directly and by reflection from said reflective surface, said light-transmissible wall portion, said diffusing medium and said reflective surface in the aggregate extending longitudinally of said tube and over substantially the entire inner periphery of said tube, whereby light in said tube impinging on said diffusing medium causes light from the diffusing medium to pass outwardly through said light-transmissible portion.
- 30. The arrangement as defined in claim 30, wherein said tube has a surface facing said transparent sheet which is formed to return light transmitted through said sheet back into said interior of said tube.
Specification