Method and apparatus for dresser video images

• US 5,148,283 A
• Filed: 03/30/1990
• Issued: 09/15/1992
• Est. Priority Date: 03/30/1990
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Franklin A. Taddeo
• Original Assignee: Franklin A. Taddeo
• Inventors: Taddeo, Franklin A.
• Primary Examiner(s): COLES, EDWARD L
• Application Number:
  US07/501,860
• Time in Patent Office: 900 Days
• Field of Search: 358/254, 358/255, 312/7.2, D 6/315
• US Class Current: 348/832
• CPC Class Codes: A47F 11/06 Means for bringing about special optical effects
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/64 Constructional details of receivers, e.g. cabinets or dust covers furniture aspects of television cabinets A47B81/06

Abstract

A dresser video is disclosed comprising a chest of drawers with a mirror mounted on a frame upstanding from the chest of drawers. The mirror has a semi-transparent portion that allows partial light transmission and partial light reflection from either side of the mirror. A video transmitter is mounted behind the semi-transparent portion of the mirror and has a seal interposed between the video screen and the mirror. Mounting brackets removeably but securely hold the video transmitter on the frame and so that it transmits toward the back side of the mirror. The video screen is dark when not on and therefore the front side of the mirror will seem to be a normal reflecting mirror that is standard fare for dressers. When the video transmitter is turned on and transmitting the florescence of the front of the cathode ray tube will emit light images that will transmit through the semi-transparent mirror so that they can be seen on the front side of the mirror. The lighting on both sides of the mirror may be controlled so as to produce a satisfactory picture that is visible from the front side of the mirror. Remote control operation of the video transmitter is provided along with timer on and off controls for the video transmitter.

Claims

1. A mirror and video image transmitter in combination and comprising:

a. a dresser comprising a chest of drawers with a frame;

b. a mirror mounted on said frame and having a back side and a front side;

c. said mirror comprised of a semi-transparent portion allowing light to be partially transmitted through said mirror from either side of said mirror;

d. a video image transmitter having means for receiving input video signals and transmitting a video image therefrom;

e. mounting means connected to said frame for mounting said video image transmitter adjacent to and facing the back side of said semi-transparent portion of said mirror, so that said video images may be transmitted through said mirror from said back side of said mirror; and

f. means for controlling the amount of light on both sides of said mirror so that when said transmitter is on, the image transmitted may be seen on the semi-transparent portion of the front side of said mirror, and when the transmitter is off, the semi-transparent portion of the front side of said mirror will appear to be a fully reflective mirror.

2. The invention according to claim 1 in which said means for controlling the amount of light on said first and second sides of said mirror comprises a seal interposed between said video image transmitter and said first side of said mirror so that all light emitted from said transmitter is directed through said mirror.

3. The invention according to claim 1 in which semi-transparent portion of said mirror further comprises means thereon for allowing more light to be transmitted from the back side of the mirror through the front side than will be allowed to be transmitted from the front side through the back side of the mirror.

4. The invention according to claim 1 in which said semi-transparent portion of said mirror further comprises means thereon for reflecting more light from the front side of said mirror than is reflected from the back side of said mirror.

5. The invention according to claim 3 in which said semi-transparent portion of said mirror further comprises means thereon for reflecting more light from the front side of said mirror than is reflected from the back side of said mirror.

6. The invention according to claim 4 in which said semi-transparent portion of said mirror further comprises means thereon for allowing more light to be transmitted from the back side of the mirror through the front side than will be allowed to be transmitted from the front side through the back side of the mirror.

7. The invention according to claim 1 in which said mounting means for said video transmitter holds the screen more than thirty (30) inches above the bottom of the dresser.

8. The invention according to claims 5 and 6 in which said mounting means for said video transmitter holds the screen more than thirty (30) inches above the bottom of the dresser.

9. The method of producing a video image transmission from a dresser which comprises the steps of:

a. providing means for receiving and transmitting video signals from a video transmitter;

b. providing a portion of the mirror on the dresser with a semi-transparent reflective surface so that light is partially reflected by and partially transmitted through said portion of said mirror;

c. mounting said transmitter on the back side of the semi-transparent reflective portion of the mirror so that video images may be transmitted through said portion; and

d. reducing the amount of light on one side of said semi-transparent sheet so that the other side of said semi-transparent sheet appears as a fully reflective mirror when said video transmitter is not transmitting.

10. The method according to claim 9 which further comprises:

providing a seal between the video transmitter and the semi-transparent reflective portion of the mirror so that the intensity of the video image is maximized when the video transmitter is operating and the lack of light on the video screen side of the mirror is maximized when the video transmitter is not operating.

11. The method according to claim 9 which further includes mounting the transmitter so that the video screen is more than thirty (30) inches above the bottom of the dresser.

12. The method according to claim 9 which further comprises allowing more light to be transmitted from the back side of the mirror through the front side than will be allowed to be transmitted from the front side through the back side of the mirror.

13. The method according to claim 9 which further comprises reflecting more light from the front side of said mirror than is reflected from the back side of said mirror.

14. The method according to claim 12 which further comprises reflecting more light from the front side of said mirror than is reflected from the back side of said mirror.

15. The method according to claim 9 which further comprises allowing more light to be transmitted from the back side of the mirror through the front side than will be allowed to be transmitted from the front side through the back side of the mirror.