Patent ID: 9349309
Filing Date: 2016-05-24
CPC Classification: G09F

Claim Text:
1. An apparatus to communicate a message to a vehicle exterior, comprising a) a sheet metal box having upright panel sides, b) cut-outs in one of said sides configured to communicate a message, said cut-outs having edges defined by and in said box one side, c) colored translucent plastic material defining a plastic panel closely covering and protruding into and through and beyond said cut-outs, and retained proximate said edges, said panel being rectangular and forming a box which nests inside said sheet metal box, d) light means for substantially uniformly illuminating said plastic material, within the box, e) means to connect said sheet metal box to the vehicle whereby said cut-outs face rearwardly of the vehicle, f) said panel box comprising a substantially rectangular frame having walls extending perpendicular to a front surface of the panel box, a first two of said walls extending lengthwise in parallel in a primary direction, and a second two of said walls extending lengthwise in parallel in a secondary direction, and wherein said primary and secondary directions extend relative perpendicularly, said first two walls directing light in said secondary direction into the interior of the frame bounded by said walls, and said second two walls directing light in said primary direction into the interior bounded by the frame, said plastic walls tightly nesting within said sheet metal box, g) said light means including elongated narrow light elements lengthwise adhered to elongated surfaces of certain of said plastic walls that face toward said interior of the frame, h) said light elements having multiple angled surfaces bounding an interior lighting zone to illuminate a box interior zone from multiple directions proximate box sides, i) said cut-outs spaced apart in at least one row in linear sequence in one of said primary and secondary directions, and terminating at endwise locations proximate two of said light elements, respectively.