MARKING PLATE DEVICE

Abstract: A marking plate device is intended to receive at optionally selected positions light emitting marking means (6) at optionally selected positions provided with two electrodes to be stuck into a plate (1), said device further comprising at least two electrically conducting layers (3, 5) which are isolated from and parallel to each other, and means (9, 12), preferably an isolating layer, being provided to break the electrical connection between the conducting layer (3) adjacent said marking means and the electrode which is to be conductively engaged with a following conducting layer (5) at the point where this electrode extends through the layer (3) adjacent said diode. Each marking means comprises a light emitting diode (6) which when applied on said plate (1) emits light by conductively engaging each electrode (7, 8; 10, 11) with the corresponding conducting layer.

Description: Marking plate device The present invention is related to a marking plate device intended to receive, at optionally selected positions, light emitting marking means with two electrodes to be stuck Into a plate, said device further comprising at least two electrically conducting layers which are Isolated from and parallel to each other, and means, preferably an isolating layer, being provided to break the electrical connection between the conducting layer adjacent said marking means and the electrode which Is to be conductively engaged with a following conducting layer at the point where this electrode extends through the layer adjacent said diode. When connecting electric conductors consisting of several electric lines to each other Isolating layers of plastics is removed from the ends of said lines, and, then, those ends are clamped or screwed into a coupling box or the like to provide conducting connection between said lines. This method is time consuming, and the coupling box often comprises many parts which decrease the total reliability of the unit. US-PS 697,856 is related to a device comprising a lamp each pole of which being connected to a conducting layer. This complicated device is intended to be used as a light source for lightning purposes and is further not usable today as it is applicable on a heavy current curcuit. The device must have been found unusable, e.g. from a security point of view, not long after the patent was granted in 1902. Hence, it cannot constitute an encitement for the appliance of the device according to the invention. In US-PS 11,970, also granted In 1902, a previously known device Is described, by means of which conducting connections to overlying conducting layers are provided * This device has two pins one of which being provided with isolating material over the area situated on the same level as a conducting layer, by means of which no conducting connection should be obtained. This device Is neither Intended to be used on a marking plate. When marking on maps or the like, needles with heads of different colours are often used to designate different places, e.g. manu¬ facturing or selling places. Maps exist in which such needles have been replaced by coloured lamps which are firmly secured in said maps. On the other hand, It is not previously known to push marking means optionally . ___OΛJPΓ__ , y onto a map or another similar plane disc, thereby providing that the marking means emit light. An object of the present invention is to provide a marking plate device, by means of which it is possible tα obtain a marking emitting light in a quick and efficience way anywhere over said marking plate by pushing said marking means into said plate. This object is achieved by the fact that said marking means each comprises a light emitting diode which when applied on said plate emits light by conductively engaging each electrode with the corresponding conducting layer. Preferred embodiments of the invention have been given the characteristics of the subclaims. By using light emitting diodes, which is to be regarded as completely novel within this field, substantially the same light intensity is obtained over the whole map with the same voltage, since the light emitting diodes are so constructed, that when the striking voltage is achieved, the light emitting diode emits lights with approximately constant Intensity no matter how the voltage is varying. The Invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawing which shows preferred embodiments. Fig. 1 shows in cross-section a first embodiment of a marking plate device according to the invention. Fig, 2 shows in cross-section a second embodiment of a marking plate device according to the Invention. Fig. 5 shows a cross-section along the lines πi-iπ in Fig. 2. In Fig. I a marking plate device 1 according to the invention is shown comprising an upper iayer 2, which e.g. consists of a map, an upper, electrically conducting layer 3, an intermediate situated, isolating layer 4, and a lower, electrically conducting layer 5. A light emitting diode 6 is so placed on said plate 1, that the light emitting body 6 thereof emits light. The light emitting diode 6 has two electrodes 7 and 8, one electrode 7 of which has an isolated part 9, and the other electrode 8 is shorter than the partly Isolated electrode 7 and approximately as long as the isolated part 9. Each conducting layer 3 and 5 has been connected to a pole of an electric source, permitting each electrode, when the light emitting diode 6 is placed upon said plate so that the electrodes 7 and 8 are stuck into the same, to conductively engage with the corresponding layer of said plate so that the light emitting diode 6 Is turned on and emits light. The overlying, electrically conducting layers 3 and 5 consist of e.g. tin foil, close-meshed nets, or other electrically conducting materials. In Figs. 2 and 3 a second embodiment of a marking plate device according to the invention is shown, in which similar parts have been designated with the same reference numerals as in Fig. 1. As can be seen in Fig. 2 the device according to this embodiment comprises two coaxially arranged electrodes 10 and 11, which each conductively engages the corresponding electrically conducting iayer 3 and 5, respectively. Fig * 3 shows that an isolating part or layer 12 is provided between the electrodes 10 and 11. Concerning the function of this embodiment reference iβ made to the function of the embodiment accord¬ ing to Fig * 1. In a further embodiment (not shown) the electrodes of the light emitting diodes consist of plates which at the bottom are provided with an edge or the like and which are arranged side by side with intermediate isolating material. In a further development of the invention it appears that a possible solution is to manufacture a socket with electrodes, said socket being provided with a layer of isolating material on the electrode which is to be conductively engaged with the conducting layer adjacent said socket. This socket is also provided with recesses to receive and anchor the electrode of a light emitting diode. The device according to the Invention Is thus used preferably to mark places on a map so that simultaneously the marking means emits light. This has aβ has been described above been possible to perform in a restricted extent among other things on such maps which have firmly secured lamps but it has not been possible before to optionally place a great number of light emitting marking means on a map. It is obvious that the breaking off of the electrical connection between an electrode and said adjacent layer is not restricted to be accomplished by providing the electrode with an isolating layer. This can be accomplished in other ways, e.g. by means of separating fingers. The invention can be modified further within the scope of the accompanying claim.

Claims: CLAIM A marking plate device intended to receive at optionally selected positions, light emitting marking means (-.), provided with two electrodes to be stuck Into a plate (1), said device further .comprising at ieast two electrically conducting layers (3, 5) which are isolated from and parallel to each other, and means (9, 12), preferably an isolating layer, being provided to break the electrical connection between the conducting layer (3) adjacent said marking means and the electrode which is to be conductively engaged with a following conducting layer (5) at the point where this electrode extends through the layer (3) adjacent said diode, characterized In that said marking means each comprises a light emitting diode (6) which when applied on said plate (1) emits light by conductively engaging each electrode (7, 9. 10, 11) with the corresponding conducting layer.

Inventors: CRONSTROEM MIKAEL, SAELLBERG MIKAEL, CRONSTROEM, MIKAEL, SAELLBERG, MIKAEL
Applicants: CRONSTROEM MIKAEL, FREDBORG ARVID, FREDBORG LARS, SAELLBERG MIKAEL, CRONSTROEM, MIKAEL, FREDBORG, ARVID, FREDBORG, LARS, SAELLBERG, MIKAEL
Application year: 1984
Main classification: H01R9
IPC codes: G09F13, H01R12, H05K3