Article with translucent ornamentation

• US 9,390,638 B2
• Filed: 06/06/2013
• Issued: 07/12/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 06/06/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Joseph Broadbent
• Original Assignee: Joseph Broadbent
• Inventors: Broadbent, Joseph
• Primary Examiner(s): Green, Tracie Y
• Application Number:
  US13/911,811
• Publication Number:
  US 20140362585A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,132 Days
• Field of Search: 362/615
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 33/0032 Paintings, pictures or photographs; Frames therefor
• CPC Class Codes: F21Y 2115/10 Light-emitting diodes [LED]
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 13/08 using both translucent and non-translucent layers
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49826 Assembling or joining

Abstract

The Article with Translucent Ornamentation comprises: a Sheet having a Front surface and Rear surface. Voids, referred to as cavities, in the sheet provide for passage of light, from lighting system, through the cavities, to the front surface. The Voids control the intensity of the light impinging on the front surface and thereby create light patterns on the front surface.

Claims

1. An Article with Translucent Ornamentation, comprising:

a) a sheet having a front and rear surface;

b) a lighting source placed rearward of said rear surface; and

c) one or more cavities in said sheet, each said cavity extending from said rear surface toward said front surface sufficiently close to said front surfaced to permit the passage of a portion of the light from said light source passing through said cavity to pass through said front surface, said cavities forming as light pattern on said surface.

2. The Article with Translucent Ornamentation of claim 1 wherein said sheet is planar in shape.

3. The Article with Translucent Ornamentation of claim 1, further comprising:

d) a compartment adjacent to said rear surface for enclosing a lighting source.

4. The Article with Translucent Ornamentation of claim 1 wherein the lighting source further comprises a reflector.

5. The Article with Translucent Ornamentation of claim 1, further comprising:

e) a removable compartment adjacent to said rear surface for enclosing lighting source.

6. The Article with Translucent Ornamentation of claim 1 wherein either the front surface, the rear surface, or both the front surface and the rear surface are curved.

7. A method of making an article of translucent ornamentation, comprising the steps of:

a) Forming a sheet of material to a desired size said sheet having a front and a rear,

b) Forming one or more cavities in said sheet of material, said cavities being of sufficient depth to make the sheet of material translucent through one or more of said cavities, and

c) Providing a light source placed rearward of said rear surface to illuminate the sheet from the rear to cause the translucent portions of the cavities to be illuminated on the front of the sheet.

8. An Article with Translucent Ornamentation, comprising:

a) a translucent sheet having a front surface and a rear surface;

b) a lighting source placed rearward of said rear surface; and

c) an opaque insert having a front surface, a rear surface, and one or more cavities, said opaque insert placed between said translucent sheet and said lighting source with said front surface of said opaque insert being placed closer to said rear surface of said translucent sheet than said rear surface of said translucent sheet, said cavities of said opaque insert extending from said rear surface toward said front t surface of said opaque insert sheet, said cavities of said opaque insert forming a backlit pattern on said front surface of said translucent sheet.

9. The article with translucent ornamentation of claim 8 wherein the cavities are of varying depth to produce variations is intensity of illumination of said backlit pattern.

10. The article with translucent ornamentation of claim 8 wherein said rear surface of said opaque insert is curved.

11. The article with translucent ornamentation of claim 8 wherein said translucent sheet is curved.

12. The Article with Translucent Ornamentation of claim 8 wherein said rear either the front surface of said opaque insert, the rear surface of said opaque insert, or both the front surface of said opaque insert and the rear surface of said opaque insert are curved.