Display unit

• US 5,027,258 A
• Filed: 05/04/1990
• Issued: 06/25/1991
• Est. Priority Date: 06/19/1989
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Inotech GmbH Gesellschaft Fur Innovative Technik
• Original Assignee: Inotec GmbH Gesellschaft Fur Innovative Technik
• Inventors: Schoniger, Karl-Heinz, Scheid, Winfried
• Primary Examiner(s): Husar, Stephen F.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Neils, Peggy A.
• Application Number:
  US07/518,989
• Time in Patent Office: 417 Days
• Field of Search: 362/31, 362/84, 362/330, 362/800, 362/812, 362/32, 40/204, 40/205, 40/546, 40/547
• US Class Current: 362/629
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0021 for housing at least a part of the light source, e.g. by forming holes or recesses
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0023 provided by one optical element, or plurality thereof, placed between the light guide and the light source, or around the light source
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0031 Reflecting element, sheet or layer
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/005 provided by one optical element, or plurality thereof, placed on the light output side of the light guide
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0068 Arrangements of plural sources, e.g. multi-colour light sources
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0073 Light emitting diode [LED]
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 13/0472 Traffic signs
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 13/20 with luminescent surfaces or parts luminescent compositions C09K11/00; light sources using luminescence F21K2/00
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 362/80 Light emitting diode
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 362/812 Signs

Abstract

An illuminated display unit such as a board with a house number thereon or an advertising billboard, has a light guide panel. At least one electrical illuminating element is arranged in the vicinity of at least one lateral limiting edge thereof. The light guide panel serves for illuminating logo symbols, which are preferably in the form of film or of vapor coated layers, on the light guide panel. At least one of the lateral limiting edges of the light guide panel is provided with a light guide batten whose thickness is in excess of the thickness of the light guide panel and at least one of the illuminating elements is mounted in the batten. The transition between the light guide batten and the light guide panel is designed so as to have a high optical conductivity or transmittivity. The external surfaces of the light guide batten are provided at least partly with an inwardly reflecting layer. This makes it possible for the light of the illuminating elements, which are more especially in the form of LED'"'"'s with a large diameter, to be fully introduced in substantially thinner light guide panels in order to reduce costs and weight.

Claims

1. A display unit comprising:

a light guide panel having a front surface, a rear surface and edge surfaces;

a display symbol arranged to be illuminated by said panel;

a light guide batten arranged on one lateral limiting edge of said light guide panel and having a thickness in excess of a thickness of said light guide panel, said light guide batten having a groove accommodating a marginal zone of said light guide panel, to define a transition zone between said light guide batten and said light guide panel providing optical conductivity for passing light from inside said light guide batten via said side edge surface, said front surface and said rear surface of said light guide panel into said light guide panel; and

at least one illuminating element mounted in said light guide batten.

2. A display unit in accordance with claim 1, further comprising:

an inwardly reflecting layer, coating an external surface of said light guide batten.

4. The display unit as claimed in claim 1, wherein said light guide batten is adhesively bonded to said light guide panel.

5. The display unit as claimed in claim 1, wherein said light guide batten is welded to said light guide panel.

6. The display unit as claimed in claim 1, wherein said light guide panel is retained in said groove by way of an interference fit.

7. The display unit as claimed in claim 6, wherein mutually abutting surfaces defining said interference fit are provided with a material selected from one of a group consisting of:

a paste and a liquid, such material having good optical conducting properties.

8. The display unit as claimed in claim 1, wherein said light guide batten is provided with two of said grooves accommodating marginal zones of two light guide panels.

9. The display unit as claimed in claim 8, further comprising a contrast panel, and a further groove being provided in said light guide batten between said light guide panel grooves to accommodate an edge zone of said contrast panel.

10. The display unit as claimed in claim 1, comprising two light guide panels which are arranged somewhat plane-parallel to each other, a holding frame provided for such panels in the vicinity of one or two of said adjacently placed light guide battens so as to at least partly fit around said battens, and two cover panels which respectively cover said light guide panels to the outside, said cover panels being arranged somewhat plane-parallel to said guide panels and being made of transparent material.

11. The display unit as claimed in claim 10, wherein said holding frame comprises a wiring channel for power supply means for said illuminating element.

12. The display unit as claimed in claim 1, comprising two light guide panels which are arranged somewhat plane-parallel to each other, a holding frame arranged outside one of said light guide battens, said frame having grooves accommodating edge zones of said light guide panels, and a contrast panel arranged between said light guide panels.

13. The display unit as claimed in claim 12, wherein said holding frame has two further grooves, respectively placed outside the other grooves, accommodating edge zones of two cover panels.

14. The display unit as claimed in claim 13, wherein said holding frames consist of resin and have an external recess to receive a metallic reinforcing strip.

15. The display unit as claimed in claim 1, wherein said illuminating element is in a form of an LED.

16. The display unit as claimed in claim 15, comprising a plurality of such illuminating elements adapted to produce light in different colors.

17. The display unit as claimed in claim 14, wherein a plurality of light guide battens are associated with different zones of said light guide panel, said plurality of light guide battens having respectively a plurality of illuminating elements with different colors.

18. The display unit as claimed in claim 1, wherein all edge zones of said light guide panel not provided with said light batten are coated with a reflecting layer.

19. The display unit as claimed in claim 1, wherein said at least one symbol to be illuminated is bonded to, or produced by vapor coating on a surface of said light guide panel which is a rear surface in relation to a viewing position.

20. The display unit as claimed in claim 1, comprising fluorescent particles in at least one of the following:

said light guide panel and said light guide batten.

3. A display unit comprising:

an illuminating element;

a light guide panel having a front surface, a rear surface and edge surfaces;

a display symbol mounted on said light guide panel and arranged to be illuminated by said light guide panel; and

a light guide batten made of light conducting material and defining a cavity enclosing said illuminating element, said light guide batten also being in optical contact with a portion of one of said rear and front surfaces of said light guide panel for passing light from said illuminating element through said light guide batten and into said light guide panel via one of said rear and front surfaces.