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.

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     There are no applications related to this application. 
     STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT 
     No invention claimed in this application was made under Federally sponsored research or development. 
     THE NAMES OF THE PARTIES TO A JOINT RESEARCH AGREEMENT 
     Not Applicable 
     REFERENCE TO A SEQUENCE LISTING 
     Not Applicable 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention pertains to the art of panels which are partially opaque and partially translucent or transparent for the purpose of decoration or masking. 
     2. Description of Related Art 
     A number of inventions exist which achieve the purpose of masking, often finding uses in the field of semiconductor manufacture. Typical of these are patents to Hiroshi et al (U.S. Pat. No. 4,578,110), and Mercer et al (UK Patent No. 456213). These are typically constructed of opaque and transparent materials affording sharp contrasts while the present invention is constructed of sheet of translucent material. 
     Another set of inventions exist which are flooring systems typically of a mixture of opaque and transparent or translucent panels which produce patterns by the relative placement of the panels. Typical of these are Jacobsson (Patent Application No. 2008000598), and Hamar et al (U.S. Pat. No. 7,918,579). The present invention develops its patterns by varying the thickness of material through which the light must pass. 
     A third class of inventions attempts to create artistic lighting effects by reducing the thickness of a veneer to the point of translucency to reveal the natural patterns in the veneer material, usually wood. Typical of this class are Ovenhausen (U.S. Pat. No. 1,992,882), and Brackman (U.S. Pat. No. 6,547,419). Again, the present invention develops its patterns by varying the thickness of material through which the light must pass. 
     BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The Article with Translucent Ornamentation comprises: a Sheet having a Front surface and Rear surface, a lighting system; and one or more cavities in said Sheet. Each of said cavities extending from said Rear surface toward said Front surface sufficiently close to said Front surface to permit the passage of a portion of the light from the lighting system to pass through said cavity, and said Front surface. The passage of light, from the lighting system, through the cavities, while the light is blocked by the Sheet where no cavities are present, produces a light pattern on said Front surface. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING 
         FIG. 1  is a cutaway perspective view of the Article with Translucent Ornamentation showing sheet and lighting source. 
         FIG. 1A  is a detailed view of the Article with Translucent Ornamentation of  FIG. 1 . showing a light cavity. 
         FIG. 1B  is an alternate detailed view of the Article with Translucent Ornamentation of  FIG. 1  showing a light cavity. 
         FIG. 2  is a cutaway perspective view of the Article with Translucent Ornamentation of  FIG. 1 . showing a light compartment containing a light source. 
         FIG. 2A  is a cutaway detailed view of the Article with Translucent Ornamentation of  FIG. 2  showing light cavities. 
         FIG. 2B  is a cutaway detailed view of the Article with Translucent Ornamentation of  FIG. 2  showing a light cavity. 
         FIG. 3  is a front perspective view of the Article with Translucent Ornamentation, of  FIG. 2 , showing no evidence of the compartments or cavities. 
         FIG. 4  is a rear perspective view of the Article with Translucent Ornamentation, of  FIG. 2 , showing lighting compartments and cavities. 
         FIG. 5  is a cutaway perspective view of the Article with Translucent Ornamentation of  FIG. 2  showing the front or prominent surface. 
         FIG. 6  is a cutaway perspective of the Article with Translucent Ornamentation of  FIG. 2  showing a lighting compartment. 
     
    
    
     FIRST ALTERNATE EMBODIMENT 
       FIG. 7  is a cutaway perspective view of an alternate embodiment of the Article with Translucent Ornamentation. 
       FIG. 7A  is a cutaway detailed view of the Article with Translucent Ornamentation of  FIG. 7  showing an insert. 
       FIG. 7B  is a perspective view of an insert in accordance with certain embodiments of the Article with Translucent Ornamentation. 
       FIG. 8  is a cutaway rear view of the Article with Translucent Ornamentation of  FIG. 7 . 
       FIG. 9  is a front view of the Article with Translucent Ornamentation of  FIG. 7  showing no evidence of lighting compartments and cavities. 
       FIG. 10  is a rear view of the Article with Translucent Ornamentation of  FIG. 7  showing lighting compartments and cavities. 
     Second Alternate Embodiment 
       FIG. 11  is a front view of an alternate embodiment of the Article with Translucent Ornamentation showing no evidence of the lighting compartments or cavities. 
       FIG. 11A  is a rear view of an alternate embodiment of the Article with Translucent Ornamentation of  FIG. 11  showing lighting compartments and cavities. 
       FIG. 12  is a cutaway perspective view of an alternate embodiment of the Article with Translucent Ornamentation from  FIG. 11 . 
       FIG. 12A  is a detailed view of an alternate embodiment of the Article with Translucent Ornamentation of  FIG. 12  showing a lighting compartment with light cavity. 
       FIG. 13  is a cutaway perspective view of the Article with Translucent Ornamentation of  FIG. 11  demonstrating non planar surfaces. 
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     The Article with Translucent Ornamentation  1  comprises: a Sheet  2  having a Front surface  3  and Rear surface  4 , a lighting system  5 ; and one or more cavities  6  in said Sheet  2 . Each of said cavities  6  extending from said Rear surface  4  toward said Front surface  3  sufficiently close to said Front surface  3  to permit the passage of a portion of the light from the lighting system  5  to pass through said cavity  6 , and said Front surface  3 . The passage of light, from the lighting system  5 , through the cavities  6 , while the light is blocked by the Sheet  2  where no cavities  6  are present, produces a light pattern on said Front surface  3 . 
     The Sheet  2  may be constructed of any material which is translucent and which can be cast, machined or otherwise shaped. Such material must be able to transmit substantially more light when thin and less light when thick. The Sheet  2  includes a front surface  3  and a Rear surface  4 . In one embodiment the Front surface  3  remains relatively smooth and unbroken while the Rear surface  4  includes any number of cavities  6  which penetrate the Rear surface  4 . The Sheet  2  may be of any form or size so long as, when illuminated, with the lighting system  5 , and provided with a number of cavities  6 , a pattern of light and dark is provided on the Front surface  3 . In one embodiment the Sheet  2  is a relatively thin rectangular shape. In another the Sheet  2  may be cylindrical in shape. In yet another embodiment the Sheet  2  may be spherical. It will be readily appreciated the Sheet  2  may be of any shape so long as the Rear surface  4  of the Sheet  2  can be cast or machined to include a number of cavities  6 . 
     The lighting system  5  is any lighting system  5  which produces sufficiently bright light so that light will pass through the thin areas  7  of the Sheet  2 , yet not so bright that the light would pass through the thickest areas  8  of the Sheet  2 . In one embodiment of the invention the transmissivity of the Sheet  2  material is uniformly proportional the thickness of the Sheet  2  so that shading of the resulting image may be achieved. The lighting system  5  may also include one or more reflectors. 
     The Cavities  6  are holes in the Sheet  2  which do not penetrate completely through the Sheet  2 , but are deep enough to permit light from the lighting system  5  to pass through. 
     The Sheet  2  may be surrounded on any sides, except the Front surface  3 , by an enclosure  9 . The lighting system  5  may be enclosed within the enclosure  9 . 
     The Article with Translucent Ornamentation  1  may further comprise a removable compartment adjacent to said Rear surface  4  for enclosing a lighting system  5 . 
     The Article with Translucent Ornamentation  1  may be made by: forming a Sheet  2  of material to a desired size and shape with the Sheet  2  having a front and rear, forming one or more cavities  6  in said Sheet  2  of material, said cavities  6  being of sufficient depth to make the Sheet  2  of material translucent through one or more of said cavities  6 , and providing a lighting system  5  to illuminate the Sheet  2  from the rear to cause the translucent portions of the cavities  6  to be illuminated on the front of the Sheet  2 . 
     An alternative embodiment of the Article with Translucent Ornamentation  1  comprises a translucent Sheet  2 , a lighting system  5 ; and an insert  10  having a front  11  and Rear surface  12 . The Front surface  11  of the insert  10  is placed closer to the translucent Sheet  2  than the Rear surface  12  of the insert  10 . The cavities  6  extend from the rear surface of the insert  10  through the Front surface  3  of the insert  10 . The insert  10  is placed between the translucent Sheet  2  and the lighting system  5  with the cavities  6  forming a backlit pattern on said translucent Sheet  2 . The insert  10  may be constructed of translucent material, opaque material, or any other material which provides reduced transmission of light. 
     Alternatively the cavities  6  are of varying depth to produce variations in the intensity of illumination of said backlit pattern. It will be appreciated that the rear surface  12  of the insert  10  may be curved, the insert  10  itself may be curved, the front surface of the insert  11 , or the translucent Sheet  2  may be curved, any combination of the translucent Sheet  2 , insert  10 , front surface of the insert  11 , and the rear surface  12  of the insert  10 , may be curved. It will also be appreciated that the curvatures of the translucent Sheet  2 , insert  10 , front surface  11  of the insert, and rear surface  12  of the insert may bear any relationship desired, or no relationship.