Internal illumination based sign device

Abstract

An illuminating unit ( 28 ) is presented for use in an internally illuminated sign device ( 1 ) for displaying a pattern indicative of certain fixed information within an indicia area. The illuminating unit ( 28 ) comprises a light boundary structure ( 33 ) for a light source ( 38 ) to be mounted thereon. The light boundary structure ( 33 ) has an indicia area carrying side ( 16 ) having said pattern indicative of the information to be displayed, and has an inner surface made of at least one highly reflective material to thereby increase the amount of light propagating from the light source ( 38 ) to said indicia area.

1 . An illuminating unit for use in an internally illuminated sign device for displaying one or two patterns, each in the form of an arrangement of spaced-apart translucent regions indicative of certain fixed information, within one or two indicia areas, respectively, the illuminating unit comprising a light boundary structure which has one or two indicia area carrying sides having said one or two patterns, regions of an inner surface of the indicia area carrying panel and an inner surface of the said light boundary structure outside the indicia area carrying panel being reflective, said light boundary structure carrying a light source including at least one LED mounted aside said one or two indicia area carrying panels and oriented with respect to said one or two indicia areas so as to illuminate said one or two indicia areas by light reflected from the inner surface, the device being thereby configured to increase the amount of light propagating from the light source to said one or two indicia areas.  
     
     
         2 . The illuminating unit according to  claim 1 , wherein said light boundary structure has the single indicia area carrying panel, the light boundary structure being formed of two attachable parts including, respectively, a rear frame box-like structure and the upper indicia area carrying panel structure removably mountable onto the rear frame box-like structure, to enable replacing the indicia area carrying panel to display various information.  
     
     
         3 . The illuminating unit according to  claim 2 , wherein said upper indicia area carrying panel structure is a multi-layer structure formed by at least two layers patterned in accordance with the information to be displayed, the upper external layer having the spaced-apart translucent regions and the lower inner layer having translucent regions surrounded by the reflective regions, to enable visibility of the indicia area via internally reflected light.  
     
     
         4 . The illuminating unit according to  claim 1 , wherein said light boundary structure has two indicia area carrying panels, the light boundary structure being formed of three attachable parts including, respectively, a frame structure, the upper indicia area carrying panel structure removably mountable onto the frame structure, and the lower indicia area carrying panel removably mountable onto the frame structure, to thereby enabling replacement of the indicia area carrying panel to display various information.  
     
     
         5 . The illuminating unit according to  claim 4 , wherein each of the upper indicia area carrying panel structure and the lower indicia area carrying panel structure is a multi-layer structure formed by at least two layers patterned in accordance with the information to be displayed, the upper external layer having the spaced-apart translucent regions and the lower inner layer having translucent regions surrounded by the reflective regions, to enable visibility of the indicia area via internally reflected light.  
     
     
         6 . The illuminating unit according to  claim 1 , wherein the reflective material within the regions of the inner surface of the indicia carrying side is diffusive.  
     
     
         7 . The illuminating unit according to  claim 1 , wherein the reflective material of is the inner surface of the light boundary structure outside said indicia carrying side is specular reflective.  
     
     
         8 . The illuminating unit according to  claim 2 , wherein the reflective material of the inner surface of the light boundary structure outside said indicia carrying side is specular reflective.  
     
     
         9 . The illuminating unit according to  claim 1 , wherein said light boundary structure is a six-sided box formed by front and rear sides at least one them comprising the indicia area carrying panel, and side walls.  
     
     
         10 . The illuminating unit according to  claim 9 , wherein at least one of the side walls has a curved surface.  
     
     
         11 . The illuminating unit according to  claim 10 , wherein said curved surface is formed by at least two facets.  
     
     
         12 . An internally illuminated sign device for displaying fixed information, comprising the illuminating unit of  claim 1 .  
     
     
         13 . The device according to  claim 12 , comprising a power supply source connectable to the light source, the power supply source comprising a battery assembly, and a switching circuit for controlling the operation of the battery assembly.  
     
     
         14 . The device according to  claim 13 , wherein said switching circuit has one of the following configurations: (a) comprises a connector shiftable between its operative and inoperative positions, such that when in the operative position the connector actuates the battery assembly, and when in the inoperative position prevents the battery assembly from being actuated, thereby enabling to keep that battery assembly disconnected when the device is not in use; (b) comprises a recharge circuit operable to recharge the battery assembly; (c) comprises a solar cell circuit, and is operable to selectively disconnect the battery assembly from the light source; (d) a current adjusting circuit operable to provide a constant electric current through the light source.  
     
     
         15 . The device according to  claim 13 , wherein said switching circuit comprises a recharge circuit operable to recharge the battery assembly, and a voltage limiting circuit operable to limit voltage created by the recharge circuit to thereby provide a desired input voltage to the battery assembly.  
     
     
         16 . A power supply source for use with an internally illuminated sign device to supply power to a light source, the power supply source comprising a battery assembly and a switching circuit for controlling the operation of the battery assembly to provide at least one of the following effects: selective connection and disconnection of the battery assembly to and from the light source; recharge of the battery assembly by means of a solar cell circuit; supply of a constant electric current to the light source.  
     
     
         17 . The power supply source according to  claim 16 , wherein said selective disconnection of the battery assembly utilizes photo-switch element.  
     
     
         18 . The power supply source according to  claim 16 , wherein said switching circuit comprises a voltage limiting circuit operable to limit voltage created by the recharge circuit to thereby provide a desired input voltage to the battery assembly.