Rapid dispatch emergency signs

• US 7,354,180 B2
• Filed: 07/15/2005
• Issued: 04/08/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 03/15/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: OnScreen Technologies, Inc., RKS Design, Inc.
• Original Assignee: RKS Design, Inc.
• Inventors: Sawhney, Ravl K., Schuffert, Michael S., Steele, Craig R., Hussey, Lance G., Risley, Simon, Botsai, Kurt
• Primary Examiner(s): Payne; Sharon E.
• Application Number:
  US11/182,456
• Publication Number:
  US 20050278998A1
• Time in Patent Office: 998 Days
• Field of Search: 362/388, 362/542, 362/238, 362/240, 362/244, 362/250, 362/413, 362/414, 362/419, 362/431, 362/812, 362/800, 405/50, 405/41, 405/91, 405/92, 406/05, 406/10, 405/71, 248/166, 248/165, 428/7, 428/8, 428/9
• US Class Current: 362/388
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 13/20 with luminescent surfaces or parts luminescent compositions C09K11/00; light sources using luminescence F21K2/00
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 13/22 electroluminescent electroluminescent light sources per se H05B33/00
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 19/22 Advertising or display means on roads, walls or similar surfaces, e.g. illuminated
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 21/04 by land vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 21/042 the advertising matter being fixed on the roof of the vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 9/3026 Video wall, i.e. stackable semiconductor matrix display modules video wall control systems G06F3/1446, G09G2300/026
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 9/33 being semiconductor devices, e.g. diodes

Abstract

An illuminated sign includes a plurality of sections. Each section includes a mesh of conductors having illuminating pixels located at conductor intersections. The mesh is surrounded by a frame connected to the frame of another section. Once frame sections of the display are unfolded, the display can be supported by a structure attached to a car or other vehicle. A support structure for an illuminated display includes a base which is placed on the ground and over which the tire of a vehicle (e.g., a police car) is parked. A column extends from the base, and a display can be attached to the top of that extending column. The support structure can take the form of a collapsible stand having a trunk which is pivotally attached to a base and which contains a telescoping section.

Claims

1. An improvement for an illuminable display, wherein the illuminable display including at least,

a first section, including

a first plurality of light-emitting pixels,

a first mesh of conductors having a first plurality of conductor intersections, each intersection of the first plurality having one of the first plurality of pixels situated thereon, and

a first frame supporting the first mesh and surrounding at least a portion thereof;

and

a second section, including

a second plurality of light-emitting pixels,

a second mesh of conductors having a second plurality of conductor intersections, each intersection of the second plurality having one of the second plurality of pixels situated thereon, and

a second frame supporting the second mesh and surrounding at least a portion thereof, and wherein

the first section is movable with respect to the second section, the first and second sections being configurable to form a single display, and in which the improvement comprising;

a collapsible support stand supporting the single display;

a base secured to the collapsible support stand, in which the base has a cross section defined by a concave center which permits a vehicle wheel to be centered and retained on the base; and

a first interconnection between the first and second sections, the first interconnection permitting relative movement of the first and second sections from a configuration in which the first and second sections are in a substantially coplanar arrangement to a configuration in which the first and second sections are at an angle to one another, wherein the first interconnection permits relative movement of the first and second sections from a configuration in which the sections are in a substantially side-by-side coplanar arrangement to a configuration in which the sections substantially overlap each other.

2. The illuminable display of claim 1, wherein the first interconnection comprises a hinge coupling an edge of the first frame to an edge of the second frame.

3. The illuminable display of claim 1, further comprising:

a third section, including

a third plurality of light-emitting pixels,

third mesh of conductors having a third plurality of conductor intersections, each intersection of the third plurality having one of the third plurality of pixels situated thereon, and

a third frame supporting the third mesh and surrounding at least a portion thereof; and

a fourth section, including

a fourth plurality of light-emitting pixels,

a fourth mesh of conductors having a fourth plurality of conductor intersections, each intersection of the fourth plurality having one of the fourth plurality of pixels situated thereon, and

a fourth frame supporting the fourth mesh and surrounding at least a portion thereof;

a second interconnection between the third and fourth sections, the second interconnection permitting relative movement of the third and fourth sections from a configuration in which the third and fourth sections are in a substantially side-by-side coplanar arrangement to a configuration in which the third and fourth sections substantially overlap each other; and

a third interconnection between the first and third sections, the third interconnection permitting relative movement of the first and third sections from a configuration in which the first and third sections are in a substantially side-by-side coplanar arrangement to a configuration in which the first and third sections substantially overlap each other.

4. The illuminable display of claim 3, wherein

the first interconnection comprises a hinge coupling an edge of the first frame to an edge of the second frame,

the second interconnection comprises a hinge coupling an edge of the third frame to an edge of the fourth frame, and

the third interconnection comprises a hinge coupling an edge of the first frame to an edge of the third frame.

5. The illuminable display of claim 1, wherein

the first mesh of conductors comprises a 2×

2 mesh, the 2×

2 mesh including a first set of conductor pairs oriented in a first direction and a second set of conductor pairs oriented in a second direction difference than the first direction,

each intersection of the first plurality comprises an intersection of a conductor pair from the first set with a conductor pair from the second set, and

each pixel of the first plurality comprises a circuit board having a plurality of light-emitting elements thereon.

6. The illuminable display of claim 5, wherein each of the light emitting pixels of the first plurality comprises a plurality of light emitting diodes (LEDs).

7. The illuminable display of claim 1, wherein the first section and the second section rotate about a common axis being substantially in line with a side of the first frame and with a side of the second frame.

8. The illuminable display of claim 7, wherein the first and second frame sides are substantially in line with separate portions of the common axis.

9. The illuminable display of claim 7, further comprising:

a third section, including

a third plurality of light-emitting pixels,

a third mesh of conductors having a third plurality of conductor intersections, each intersection of the third plurality having one of the third plurality of pixels situated thereon, and

a third frame supporting the third mesh and surrounding at least a portion thereof; and

a fourth section, including

a fourth plurality of light-emitting pixels,

a fourth mesh of conductors having a fourth plurality of conductor intersections, each intersection of the fourth plurality having one of the fourth plurality of pixels situated thereon, and

a fourth frame supporting the fourth mesh and surrounding at least a portion thereof; and

a second interconnection between the third and fourth sections, the second interconnection permitting relative movement of the third and fourth sections from a configuration in which the third and fourth sections are in a substantially coplanar arrangement to a configuration in which the third and fourth sections are at an angle to one another, and wherein

the third section and the fourth section rotate about a common axis, the common axis being substantially in line with a side of the third frame and with a side of the fourth frame,

the first and second frame sides are substantially in line with a first portion of the common axis,

the third and fourth frame sides are substantially in line with a second portion of the common axis, and

the first common axis portion is different from the second common axis portion.

10. The illuminable display of claim 9, wherein the first, second, third and fourth sections are alternately configurable as:

a single display lying in one plane,

a pair of displays in which the first and second sections lie in a first plane and the third and fourth sections lie in a second plane different from the first plane, or

four displays in which the first and second sections face in generally opposite directions from one another and in which the third and fourth sections also face in generally opposite directions from one another.

11. The illuminable display of claim 7, wherein each section comprises a routed printed circuit board.

12. The illuminable display of claim 7, wherein at least one section further comprises contrast flaps located between pixels.

13. The illuminable display of claim 7, wherein each pixel of the first plurality further comprises:

a base portion, and

a front fairing attached to the base portion.

14. The illuminable display of claim 13, wherein each pixel of the first plurality further comprises:

a rear fairing coupled to the base by a fastener passing through the rear fairing and through a portion of a printed circuit positioned between the base and the rear fairing.

15. The illuminable display of claim 13, further comprising a plurality of light emitting diodes surface mounted to the base and having separately mounted lenses.

16. The illuminable display of claim 1, wherein the first mesh and the second mesh each comprise a plurality of openings reducing wind loading upon the display.

17. The illuminable display of claim 1, further comprising:

at least one leg attachable to the illuminable display; and

a tying member configured to secure the illuminable display and attached at least one leg to a vehicle.

18. The illuminable display of claim 1, further comprising a support stand removably attached to the illuminable display, the support stand configured for stabilization by attachment to a motor vehicle.

19. The illuminable display of claim 1, further comprising a support stand removably attached to the illuminable display, and wherein

the support stand includes a column and a base, and

the support stand and attached illuminable display are stabilized by positioning of the base on the ground and placement of a weighted object upon on the base.

20. The illuminable display of claim 19, wherein

the support stand includes a plurality of fins, and

the base comprises one of the fins attached to the support stand by a hinge.

21. A collapsible support stand having stowed and deployed configurations, comprising:

a base having a weight-receiving region;

a first extension member pivotally attached to the base; and

a second extension member, wherein

the first extension member is generally parallel to the base in the stowed configuration and generally perpendicular to the base in the deployed configuration,

the second extension member is generally parallel to the base in the stowed configuration and generally perpendicular to the base in the deployed configuration,

the second and first extension members are joined in the deployed configuration to form a substantially rigid linear column having a deployed column length,

the first and second extension members are arranged in the stowed configuration so as to be containable within a space having a maximum length equal to a collapsed column length, the collapsed column length being less than the deployed column length,

the second extension member is adapted to retain a portable sign mountable on the support stand,

the weight-receiving region is exposed in the deployed configuration so as to receive an external object to stabilize the stand, and

the support stand in the stowed configuration is containable within a space having an overall stowed length, an overall stowed height and an overall stowed width, the overall stowed length being at least as great as the collapsed column length, the overall stowed length being substantially greater than the overall stowed height or the overall stowed width.

22. The collapsible support stand of claim 21, wherein:

the second extension member is nested within the first extension member,

the portion of the second extension member nested within the first extension member in the stowed configuration is greater than the portion of the second extension member nested within the first extension member in the deployed configuration.

23. The collapsible support stand of claim 22, wherein second extension member is biased out of the first extension member.

24. The collapsible support stand of claim 23, further comprising a gas spring biasing the second extension out of the first extension member.

25. The collapsible support stand of claim 21, further comprising a third extension member, and wherein:

the second extension member is nested within the third extension member,

the third extension member is nested within the first extension member,

the portion of the second extension member nested within the third extension member in the stowed configuration is greater than the portion of the second extension member nested within the third extension member in the deployed configuration, and

the portion of the third extension member nested within the first extension member in the stowed configuration is greater than the portion of the third extension member nested within the first extension member in the deployed configuration.

26. The collapsible support stand of claim 21, further comprising a latch to retain the first extension member in the deployed configuration.

27. The collapsible support stand of claim 21, further comprising a latch to retain the first extension member in the stowed configuration.

28. The collapsible support stand of claim 21, further comprising:

a first latch to retain the first extension member in the deployed configuration; and

a second latch to retain the first extension member in the stowed configuration.

29. The collapsible support stand of claim 21, further comprising:

a collar siding along at least a portion of the length of the first extension member;

at least one supplemental support leg pivotally attached to the collar and configured for angular extension away from the first extension member as the collar is moved toward the pivotal attachment of the first extension member to the base; and

a latch engaging the collar to retain the first extension member in the deployed configuration.

30. The collapsible support stand of claim 29, further comprising a first handle formed in the collar.

31. The collapsible support stand of claim 30, further comprising a second handle formed in the latch.

32. The collapsible support stand of claim 21, wherein the base further comprises a concave depression formed therein.

33. The collapsible support stand of claim 21, further comprising:

at least one clamp to secure the extension elements in the deployed configuration.