Three-dimensional back-lit device

• US 8,024,879 B2
• Filed: 08/07/2009
• Issued: 09/27/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 02/08/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Bernard Pulfer
• Original Assignee: Homdec SA
• Inventors: Pulfer, Bernard
• Primary Examiner(s): Silbermann; Joanne
• Assistant Examiner(s): KIM, SHIN H
• Application Number:
  US12/537,904
• Publication Number:
  US 20100064560A1
• Time in Patent Office: 781 Days
• Field of Search: 405/61, 404/09, 403/11, 403/24, 404/10, 403/10, 406/17, 215/6, 215/10, 215/379
• US Class Current: 40/561
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 13/02 Signs, boards, or panels, illuminated by artificial light sources positioned in front of the insignia
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 13/14 Arrangements of reflectors therein
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 19/12 using special optical effects
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 2013/145 curved reflectors
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 2013/1886 Special effects

Abstract

A display device includes at least one wall with transparent areas and a reflecting object arranged inside the display device and oriented so as to receive an incident external light and to redirect a reflected light onto the transparent areas. The transparent areas are provided in different planes and the reflecting object includes several reflecting surfaces or a non-planar reflecting surface to reflect incident light rays on each of the transparent areas along different reflection axes. The display device can advantageously be integrated into a bottle or a bottle cap.

Claims

1. A bottle, comprising:

a body having an interior space;

a cap configured to be attached to the body and close the interior space;

a watertight housing positioned inside the body or the cap;

a light input surface located in an upper part of the bottle and including a first transparent area through which incident external light penetrates the bottle;

a reflective object arranged inside the watertight housing, receiving the incident external light and emitting reflected light;

a light output surface with at least a second transparent area through which at least some of the reflected light leaves the watertight housing; and

at least one opaque area surrounding the first transparent area or the second transparent area, the at least one opaque area forming with the first or second transparent area a decorative pattern, wherein the reflective object receives the incident external light and redirects reflected light through the second transparent area, to provide a back-lighting of the decorative pattern or project an image of the decorative pattern through the second transparent area.

2. The bottle according to claim 1, in which:

the light output surface is one of plural light output surfaces with respective transparent areas arranged in different planes, and

the reflective object is configured to reflect incident light rays along different reflection axes passing through the light output surfaces.

3. The display device according to claim 1, in which the reflective object comprises one of the following structures:

a pyramidal structure with plural reflective surfaces, a triangular structure with two reflective surfaces arranged back-to-back, or a cone or truncated cone structure with a curved reflective surface.

4. The bottle according to claim 1, in which the reflective object has a fixed base positioned flat in the bottle.

5. The bottle according to claim 1, in which the incident light is received substantially vertically by the reflective object which directs the reflected light through the second transparent area.

6. The bottle according to claim 1, comprising at least one colored filter arranged along a path of the light, upstream or downstream of the reflecting object.

7. The bottle according to claim 1, in which the decorative pattern forms all or part of a logo, a trademark, or any other distinctive sign.

8. A bottle, comprising:

a body having an interior space;

a watertight housing positioned inside the body; and

a reflective object arranged inside the watertight housing, the body including;

a first wall with a first decorative pattern that includes at least one first opaque area and at least one first transparent area,

the reflective object being oriented so as to receive an incident external light and to redirect a reflected light onto the transparent areas of the first wall, to provide a back-lighting of the at least one first transparent area.

9. The bottle according to claim 8, comprising:

a second wall with first decorative pattern that includes at least one second opaque area and at least one second transparent, wherein;

the reflective object comprises plural reflective surfaces or a non-planar reflective surface to reflect incident light rays along different reflection axes, in order to back-light each of the first and second transparent areas.

10. The bottle according to claim 8, in which the reflective object comprises reflective surfaces arranged according to a pyramidal arrangement.

11. The bottle according to claim 8, in which the reflective object comprises a reflective surface in the form of a cone or a truncated cone.

12. The bottle according to claim 8, in which the reflective object comprises two reflective surfaces arranged back-to-back according to a triangular arrangement.

13. The bottle according to claim 8, in which the reflective object has a base positioned flat in the bottle.

14. The bottle according to claim 8, in which the first wall is an external wall of the body.

15. The bottle according to claim 8, in which the incident light is received substantially vertically by the device and the reflective object reflects the reflected light through the at least one first transparent area.

16. The bottle according to claim 8, comprising at least one colored filter arranged along a path of the light, upstream or downstream of the reflecting object.

17. The bottle according to claim 8, in which the at least one first transparent area form all or part of a decorative element, of a logo, of a trademark, or any other distinctive sign.

18. The bottle according to claim 8, in which the first wall is a lid of the body and the body also includes a second wall that is transparent, the reflecting object being oriented to receive the incident light through the at least one transparent area and project the reflected light through the second wall as a reflected image of the decorative pattern.

19. The bottle according to claim 8, in which the first decorative pattern is positioned outside of the watertight housing.