AN ILLUMINATED CANOPY RIDGE

Abstract: Illuminated canopy or roof ridge for petrol stations and the like, comprising a trough with electrical fluorescent tubes (5) partially covered by a bent structure (6), with reflecting screens (8) in oblique position in the rear, and a front side (2) of transparant weather-proof polyacrylate plastic covered with translucent coloured adhesive plastic lines or signs.

Description: Illuminated Canopy Ridge. The present invention relates to an illuminated canopy or shelter ridge mainly to be used for the forecourt of petrol stations, but also suitable as art eve lath for indication purposes and for advertisement illumination for commercial or official uses. Light beacons and illuminated troughs in the form of eave lathes, entirely made of inorganic or organic glass in supporting profiles are already known and such means are illuminated in a conventional way by a series of bulb lamps or by discharge tubes. Illuminated sign bodies shaped as a trough with tubular lamps are known from U.S. Patent 1.740.736. Ttie disadvantage of such illuminated ridges or eave lathes according to tulle sLate of tlle art is thjt too much light is emitted, such that title traffic is impeded by dazzling and reflections. If however the light-intensity would be decreased, the illumination and the implicit announcement will not meet the attention any more or will be seen too late in consequence of the inevitably high location. For these reasons the traffic authorities have issued regulations with which these installations should comply relating to the light intensity, with respect to the warrant of a safe road traffic and nevertheless to fulfil the purpose. Experiments have been carried out to investigate in which manner the canopy roof ridges of petrol stations and the like along highways could be illuminated efficiently and yet without hazards for the traffic, and eventually a construction has been invented which complies with all obligatory requirements. It has appeared in the course of the development that the conventional and usual canopy ridge illumination systems do not bring about an even illumination, that the colours and headings became unequal and ugly by the influence of sun rays, the electrical illumination, heat, rain and winds, and that the customary way of mounting fluorescent discharge tube lamps always gave rise to interferences and troubles as a result of the exposure to wind and weather, causing the dropping of parts of the illumination and glittering or flashing of the system in a very disturbing way, and that the energy consumption i usually too high. The said disadvantages could be overcome by a construction of the canopy ridge and illumination system according to the present invention. For an appropriate luminosity of the canopy ridge it is advantageous that energy consumption of the tubes will be selected depending of tll colour desired, and since the energy consumed is depending of the tube length, series of tubes of limited length are used in the system. While in conventional systems 200 Watts per meter are used, the present system uses 40 Watts per meter. The canopy ridge with illumination comprising supports with cilindrical fluorescent tube lamps according to the present invention is characterized in that a trough which is rectangular in cross-section, as a light-beacon, contains a series of electrical fluorescent tubes which are protected only over their light-emitting part by U-shaped covers clamped into the support of each tube, said covers being of equally translucent, plastics material and being closed at their contact endings where the tubes are mounted in the supports, while in said trough in the rear of the series of fluorescent tubes flat white reflecting screens are mounted in an oblique position under an angle of about 450 Thetranslucent plastics material is preferably polycarbonate ("Makrolon") which is sufficiently resistant against temperature changes and influences of radiation. The front side of the trough is preferably closed by shields of weather-proof polymethylmetacrylate ("Plexiglas't or "Perspex"). The front side of the illuminated trough can be provided with coloured indications or with colour planes of translucent adhesive film with an adhesive layer, which results in a very strong attachment (such as "Scotchlite") with a matt surface. Such indications, or marks can adhere to acrylate glass better than to paint surfaces, and no stripping off of the letter-indications has been observed. The light intensity of coloured light is depending of the colour or wavelength. Yellow light for the present application yields up to 350 Lux, but red light only to 35 Lux. The reflecting screen preferably consists of several flat parts ol' smooth rectangular white material, such as white coated metal or impact-resistant plastic. In accordance with the light intensities and luminosity the screens 0 shall be placed in an oblique position of about 45 such that normally there will be a higher intensity at the lower side, but by positioning the screens adjacently with an angle of 450 it is also possible to obtain the higher light intensity at higher, lower or central parts of the canopy ridge, if so desired. It is of importance that the contact ends of the tubes which do not emit light are not covered by the said U-shaped cover, which is protecting the light-emitting parts of the tubes. In this manner an equal translucency over the entire length of the series of fluorescent tubes will be obtained in fact. The coristruction according to the invention is further explained on the basis of the enclosed schematic drawings. Of these drawings, figures 1-3 show vertical cross sections of canopy ridges according to the invention. Figure 4 shows a horizontal cross section of the same construction Figure 5 shows a vertical cross section of the light source in the form as used according to the invention. Figure 6 shows a horizontal section of the light source only. The indicating numbers are identical in the drawings and represent tEle following: (1) is the support profile of the trough, (2) is the illuminated front plane, (3) is the bottom plane, (4) are the supports with fluorescent tube lamps (5), while (6) are the U-shaped covers which are separated at the spot (7), and (8) are the reflecting screens in the rear of the tubes, mounted in an oblique position under an angle of about o The trough may comprise either one or two levels of screen flats (8), either at the upper side or at the lower side or at both sides. Long term tests have shown that this canopy ridge illumination will not be dazzling and will remain visible at a fair distance, such that it is noticed in time by the fast traffic, and furthermore that the illumination remains evenly and is not prone to disturbances. As alternative embodiments, the fluorescent tube lamps (5) may be coloured as required, and the translucent U-shaped covers (6) may be translucently coloured as well, while the reflecting screens (8) may be made of plain coloured material in order to intensify the coloured light if so desired. For special effects several fluorescent tube lamps (5) may be arranged parallel to each other in one trough while each of said tube lamps is backed with a reflecting screen part (8). For example, blue light may be used to "whiten" parts of an illuminated sign. In the same way certain selected areas of the U-shaped translucent covers (6) may constitute filters responsive to light of preselected wave lengths. One of the most spectacular advantages of the system is the saving of costs because only about 1/5 of the electrical energy of conventional fluorescent tube illuminations is consumed. The construction according to the invention is particularly appropriate for petrol stations but can also be a practical solution for shops, such as souvenir and stationary shops, bus stations, railway and air traffic offices, etcetera. (Claims).

Claims: Claims: 1. A canopy ridge with illumination, comprising supports with cilindri cal fluorescent tube lamps, characterized in that a trough, which is rectangular in cross-section as a light-beacon contains a series of electrical fluorescent tubes which are protected only over the light-emitting part by U-shaped covers which are clamped into the support or each tubelsaid covers being of equally translucent plastics material, and being closed at their contact endings,where the tubes are mounted in the supports, while in said trough in the rear of the series of fluorescent tubes flat white reflecting screens are mounted in an oblique position under an angle of about 450 2. A canopy according to claim 1, characterized in that the translucent plastics material is polycarbonate and that the white reflecting screen is selected from the group of white coated metal or impact resistant plastic. 3. A canopy witty illumlllation cllaracterized in that the front side of the illuminated trough is made of a material selected from the group of weather-proof transparant polyacrylate plastics. 4. A canopy with illumination characterized in that the front side of the illuminated trough is provided with coloured indications or with colour planes of translucent adhesive film with a matt surface. 5. A shelter roof serving as a canopy comprising a ridge with illumination, consisting of a trough with cilindrical fluorescent discharge tubes, characterized by a support profile (1), an illuminated front plane (2), a bottom plane (3), supports (4) with discharge tubes (5), provided with U-shaped covers (6) separated at spots (7) between the ends of the tubes, and flat reflecting screens (8) mounted in an oblique position under an angle of about 450 6. A canopy substantially as described and exemplified in the enclosed drawings. (Figures).

Inventors: BOEF JOHANNES A G DE, DE BOEF, JOHANNES ANTONIE GERARDUS
Applicants: ROMEIJN P ELECTRO TECH BV
Application year: 1985
Main classification: G09F13
IPC codes: G09F13, F21S4