Customizable sign having translucent border around retroreflective message

• US 5,452,532 A
• Filed: 09/24/1993
• Issued: 09/26/1995
• Est. Priority Date: 10/21/1992
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Dan Nishio
• Original Assignee: Dan Nishio
• Inventors: Nishio, Dan
• Primary Examiner(s): GREEN, BRIAN
• Application Number:
  US08/126,524
• Time in Patent Office: 732 Days
• Field of Search: 40/582, 40/583, 40/612, 40/615, 359/528, 359/529, 359/530
• US Class Current: 40/583
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 13/0472 Traffic signs
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 13/16 Signs formed of or incorporating reflecting elements or surfaces, e.g. warning signs having triangular or other geometrical shape

Abstract

A road sign for clearly presenting a customizable message to a driver under direct and back lighting conditions, comprising a background board with an array of mounting holes. Message elements and background elements are placed into the appropriate holes to form a mosaic message. Each mosaic message has a retroreflective portion surrounded by a translucent border. When the sign is illuminated by direct lighting, such as a driver'"'"'s own headlights, the retroreflective portion will reflect much of the light so that the message will be clearly visible to the driver. When the sign is illuminated by strong back lighting, such as a low sun or oncoming headlights, the translucent border will glow brightly so that the message will be clearly seen by the driver as an outline of the message. The message elements can be rearranged to form a variety of different possible messages and graphical designs.

Claims

1. A customizable sign, comprising:

a background board having front and back sides,

a plurality of mounting holes arranged on said background board,

a plurality of translucent message elements removably mountable in selected mounting holes for changeably forming a mosaic message, and

a partially translucent reflective planar sheet attached to each of said message elements,

whereby when light is directed at said message elements, said light is substantially reflected by the partially translucent reflective sheets.

2. A customizable sign, comprising:

a background board having front and back sides,

a plurality of mounting holes arranged on said background board,

a plurality of translucent message elements removably mountable in selected mounting holes for changeably forming a mosaic message, each of said message elements includes a plurality of optical apertures, and

a reflective sheet attached to each of said message elements,

whereby when light is directed at said message elements, said light is substantially reflected by the reflective sheets.

3. A customizable sign, comprising:

a background board,

a plurality of mounting holes arranged on said background board, and

a plurality of message elements removably mountable in selected mounting holes for changeably forming a mosaic message, each of said message elements having a reflective portion with a plurality of optical apertures arranged thereon, the reflective portions being provided in a plurality of different graphical forms each partially surrounded by a translucent border, said message elements are arrangeable on said background board for changeably forming a mosaic message, said message elements are arrangeable so that the translucent borders around said graphical forms cooperate to form a generally continuous translucent outline around said mosaic message.