Illuminated sign assembly

• US 6,009,650 A
• Filed: 09/06/1996
• Issued: 01/04/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 09/08/1995
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Specialty Manufacturing Inc. (Safe Fleet Holdings LLC)
• Original Assignee: Transpec, Inc. (White Mountains Insurance Group Limited)
• Inventors: Lamparter, Ronald C.
• Primary Examiner(s): DAVIS, CASSANDRA HOPE
• Application Number:
  US08/709,482
• Time in Patent Office: 1,215 Days
• Field of Search: 40/572, 40/550, 40/552, 40/573, 40/578, 40/580, 40/582, 40/452, 362/80, 362/83.3, 362/800, 362/249, 362/252, 362/812, 362/109, 362/184, 362/231
• US Class Current: 40/572
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/503 using luminous text or symbol displays in or on the vehicle, e.g. static text
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 13/00 Illuminated signs; Luminous advertising G09F9/00, G09F11/00 take precedence; control of displays in general using static means to present variable information G09G
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 13/04 Signs, boards or panels, illuminated from behind the insignia
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 13/0413 Frames or casing structures therefor
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 13/0454 Slidable panels or parts
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 13/0472 Traffic signs
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 2013/05 indicating exit way or orientation
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 9/33 being semiconductor devices, e.g. diodes
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 362/812 Signs

Abstract

A school bus is equipped with a stop sign mechanism that includes a sealed electrical actuator assembly and bezel that are mounted on the street side of the school bus and an illuminated sign assembly having integral arms that are hinged on the actuator assembly for pivotal movement. Illuminated sign assemblies of two general types are disclosed. In one, light emitting diodes (LEDs) are disposed in hollow letter shaped embossments of a translucent lens to illuminate the word stop. In the other lamp assemblies are disposed above and below the word stop.

Claims

1. In an illuminated sign assembly having a front shell and a rear shell that are fastened together to provide a hollow sign having an internal chamber and spaced hollow hinge arms for pivotally mounting the sign assembly on a support, the improvement comprising:

the hollow sign having a network of internal wiring channels that lead to outlets at remote ends of the respective hinge arms and that provide optional paths for passing internal wiring from the internal chamber to the support through one of said outlets.

2. In an illuminated sign assembly as defined in claim 1 wherein the network of internal wiring channels includes first and second channels leading to the respective outlets and a third channel that communicates with the first and second channels so that wiring in one of said first and second channels can be combined with wiring in the other of said first and second channels and passed out of one of said outlets.

3. In an illuminated sign assembly as defined in claim 2 wherein the internal chamber is a lens cavity formed by overlapping rectangular walls of said first and second shells.

4. In an illuminated sign assembly as defined in claim 2 wherein the internal chamber is adjacent an inlet for one of said first and second wiring channels and wherein the assembly includes a second internal chamber that is adjacent an inlet for the other of said first and second wiring channels.

5. In an illuminated sign assembly as defined in claim 2 wherein the internal chamber is a lamp compartment formed by abutting internal walls of said first and second shells and wherein one of said internal walls has an integral cradle for securing a lamp socket in the lamp compartment and an outlet for an electrical lead of the lamp socket.

6. In an illuminated sign assembly having a front shell and a rear shell that are fastened together to provide a hollow sign having spaced hollow hinge arms for pivotally mounting the sign assembly on a support, the improvement comprising:

a fastening arrangement for the front and rear shells that provides a peripheral seal at abutting edges of the front and rear shells while preserving smooth facial surfaces on the the hollow sign for attachment of a reflective sheet of material, and

the front and rear shells having mating peripheral walls, the fastening arrangement comprising peripheral side fastenersl primarily and limiting use of any facial fasteners to hollow hinge arms, the one of the mating peripheral walls having an outer sealing lip, the other of the mating peripheral walls having an inner sealing lip and the fastening arrangement including one of the shells having a plurality of lugs that extend outwardly of the inner sealing lip so that the lugs are located below the one mating peripheral wall and threaded fasteners that project through the one mating peripheral wall and engage the lugs.

7. In an illuminated sign assembly as defined in claim 6 wherein the lugs are inclined away from the one mating peripheral wall so that the inner sealing lip is biased outwardly into engagement with the outer sealing lip when the threaded fasteners are applied to the lugs.

8. A sign assembly comprising:

a sign housing having front and rear faces with at least one aperture formed in said front face and a recessed support flange extending about said aperture and recessed from said front face;

a bare lens connected by fasteners to said sign housing over said aperture and supported by said recessed support flange so that said front face and an outer face of said lens are substantially coplanar; and

at least one light element disposed in said aperture behind said lens and operatively connected to said sign housing between said front and rear faces illuminating said lens,

said rear face including a second aperture formed therein aligned with said aperture of said front face, and including a second bare lens connected adjacent said second aperture.

9. A sign assembly as set forth in claim 8 wherein said rear face includes a recessed support flange above said aperture for supporting said lens recessed from said rear face.

10. In an illuminated sign assembly having a front shell and a rear shell that are fastened together to provide a hollow sign the improvement comprising:

one of said shells having internal walls that bottom out against an interior surface of the other shell when the front and rear shells are secured to each other to provide a very strong and stable region for displaying indicia,

the one shell having a plurality of slots in a facial portion located within an area inwardly of the internal walls, and

a lens that includes hollow embossments that protrude through the plurality of slots.

11. In an illuminated sign assembly as defined in claim 10 wherein the internal walls are rectangularly shaped and and cooperate with the shells to form a sealed lens cavity for the lens.

12. In an illuminated sign assembly having a front shell and a rear shell that are fastened together to provide a hollow sign the improvement comprising:

each of said shells having deep internal walls that fully overlap and bottom our against an interior surface of the other shell when the front and rear shells are secured to each other to provide a very strong and stable region for displaying indicia;

each of said deep internal walls being rectangularly shaped;

one of said deep internal walls fitting within another of said deep internal walls to form a sealed lens cavity;

each of said shells having a plurality of slots in a facial portion located within an area bounded by said deep internal walls and

each of said shells having an associated lens that includes hollow embossments that protrude through the plurality of slots of the associated shell.

13. In an illuminated sign assembly as defined in claim 12 wherein each said lens has a plurality of holes near the hollow embossments and each of said shells has a plurality of internal studs inserted through the plurality of holes and heat staked to secure said lens to said respective shells.

14. In an illuminated sign assembly as defined in claim 13 wherein said hollow embossments are letter shaped and have interruptions and said shells have straps that are disposed in said interruptions.

15. In an illuminated sign assembly having a front shell and a rear shell that are fastened together to provide a hollow sign the improvement comprising:

each of the shells having internal walls that bottom out against an interior surface of the other shell when the front and rear shells are secured together to provide a very strong and stable region for displaying indicia;

the internal walls cooperating to form a sealed lens cavity;

each of the shells having a plurality of slots in a facial portion located inwardly of the internal walls; and

each of the shells having an associated lens in the sealed lens cavity that includes hollow embossments that protrude through the plurality of slots in the facial portion of the associated shell.