Flexible releasably-mounted display device

• US 7,596,899 B1
• Filed: 09/27/2004
• Issued: 10/06/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 09/27/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Daryl A. Michael, Jennifer L. Michael
• Original Assignee: Welshmark Industries Inc.
• Inventors: Michael, Jennifer L., Michael, Daryl A.
• Primary Examiner(s): DAVIS, CASSANDRA HOPE
• Application Number:
  US10/950,846
• Time in Patent Office: 1,835 Days
• Field of Search: 405/94, 405/44, 405/43, 406/18, 428 7- 11, 362800-805, 362/249.04, 362/503, 362/145, 362/249.08, 362/278, 362/288, 362/320, 362190-191, 362396-398
• US Class Current: 40/594
• 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 19/22 Advertising or display means on roads, walls or similar surfaces, e.g. illuminated
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 9/301 flexible foldable or roll-able electronic displays, e.g. thin LCD, OLED

Abstract

A display device (11) having various discrete components (13-17) integrated upon a flexible substrate (12). One side of the flexible substrate (12) is used to mount the discrete components (13-17), while the remaining side of the flexible substrate (12) comprises a releasably-adherent surface (12a) that allows the display device (11) to be releasably mounted to an external receiving surface (10). The discrete components (13-17) have electrical, mechanical, graphical, and/or combinational properties that cooperate to provide a visual display. The visual display can be made viewable when looking toward the exterior side (10a) and/or interior side (10b) of the receiving surface (10). The display device (11) is ideally suited for business signs, residential signs, novelty signs, vehicle signs, advertisements, holiday decorations, and numerous other applications.

Claims

1. A flexible releasably-mounted display device for mounting to an external receiving surface, said display device comprising:

a) a flexible substrate having an interior-facing surface and an exterior-facing surface;

b) one or more discrete components adherably mounted to said interior-facing surface of said flexible substrate, said one or more discrete components comprising properties that cooperate to generate at least one viewable image;

c) releasable adhering means having static-cling properties and being disposed on said exterior-facing surface of said flexible substrate so that said flexible substrate can be releasably mounted to said external receiving surface; and

d) at least one of said one or more discrete components comprises illuminating properties,

whereby, said display device is releasably mounted to said external receiving surface by static cling so that said at least one viewable image is made viewable when looking toward at least one side of said external receiving surface.

2. The display device of claim 1 wherein at least a portion of said flexible substrate is not transparent.

3. The display device of claim 1 wherein at least a portion of said flexible substrate is a printable material.

4. The display device of claim 1 wherein at least one of said one or more discrete components is substantially three dimensional.

5. The display device of claim 1 wherein said at least one viewable image is oriented so as to be viewable when looking through said external receiving surface, wherein at least a portion of said external receiving surface is transparent.

6. The display device of claim 1 wherein said at least one viewable image is oriented so as to be viewable when looking toward the same side of said external receiving surface to which said display device is mounted.

7. The display device of claim 1 wherein said at least one viewable image is unidirectionally viewable.

8. The display device of claim 1 wherein said at least one viewable image is bi-directionally viewable.

9. A flexible releasably-mounted display device for mounting to an external receiving surface, said display device comprising:

a) a flexible substrate having an interior-facing surface and an exterior-facing surface, said exterior-facing surface comprising releasable adhering means so that said flexible substrate can be releasably mounted to said external receiving surface, said releasable adhering means comprises a releasable static cling; and

b) one or more discrete components adherably mounted to said interior-facing surface of said flexible substrate, said one or more discrete components comprising image-generating means to produce at least one illuminated viewable image;

whereby said display device is releasably mounted to said external receiving surface by static cling so that said at least one viewable image is made viewable when looking toward at least one side of said receiving surface.

10. The display device of claim 9 wherein at least one of said one or more discrete components is substantially three dimensional.

11. The display device of claim 9 wherein at least one of said one or more discrete components comprises electrical properties.

12. The display device of claim 9 wherein at least one of said one or more discrete components depict motion.

13. An illuminated display device comprising

a flexible sheet of static-cling film having a contacting face and an opposing face,

the flexible sheet comprising a non-opaque portion with an illuminating component disposed on the flexible sheet,

a power unit coupled to the illuminating component,

the contacting face releasably adhering to an external receiving surface by static cling, and

the power unit energizing the illuminating unit.

14. The display device of claim 13 wherein the power unit selectively energizes the illuminating unit.

15. The display device of claim 13 wherein the at least one illuminating component is fixed to the flexible sheet.

16. The display device of claim 13 wherein the illuminating component is mounted to the flexible sheet by heatstaking.

17. The display device of claim 13 wherein

a second illuminating component is disposed on the flexible sheet;

the power unit coupled to the second illuminating component; and

the second illuminating component energized independently of the at least one illuminating component.

18. The display device of claim 13 wherein the at least one illuminating component includes at last two regions, at least one of the at last two regions illuminated separately from an other of the at last two regions.

19. The display device of claim 13 wherein

a second illuminating component is disposed on the flexible sheet,

the second illuminating component optically isolated from the at least one illuminating component;

the at last one illuminating component displaying a first image, and

the second illuminating component displaying a second image.

20. An illuminated display device, comprising:

a flexible static cling sheet for mounting the device to a window by static cling;

a light source mounted to the sheet; and

a power source operatively connected to the light source to provide electrical power to illuminate at least a portion of the sheet.

21. The illuminated display device of claim 20 wherein the sheet has an outer surface for engaging the window and an inner surface to which the light source is mounted.

22. The illuminated display device of claim 20 wherein the sheet is clear.