Abstract:
A frame panel for a three-dimensional sign board, a three-dimensional sign board including the panel, and a manufacturing method therefor. The frame panel includes a band-shaped frame panel which is cut into a predetermined length and wound in the form of a coil so that the frame panel can be bent and shaped into a desired pattern such as a character; and hitch units on which an upper panel is fixated, which are formed along the longitudinal direction of the frame panel and which are spaced apart from each other on two ends of one side of the frame panel. The hitch units are made of a soft synthetic resin material, which is the same material as used for the upper panel.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application is a national stage application of PCT Application No. PCT/KR2014/004357, filed on May 15, 2014. The PCT application claimed priority of Korean Patent Application No. 10-2013-0108906, filed on Sep. 11, 2013. Benefits of priority of the above-referenced applications are hereby claimed, and the disclosures of the above-referenced applications are incorporated in its entirety herein. 
     BACKGROUND 
     Field of the Disclosure 
     The present disclosure relates to frame panels, and more particularly, to frame panels for a three-dimensional sign board. 
     Background 
     Three-dimensional signage displays are installed to inform the consumers of the name and nature of the businesses. Thus, the signage displays enable the consumers to easily recognize and understand the nature of the businesses. The signage displays include illumination means to easily identify the businesses during the day as well as night time. 
     A conventional three-dimensional signage display  100  is described with reference to  FIG. 1A . The conventional three-dimensional signage display  100  includes a side frame  120  with a tubular opening, an upper panel  130  which rests on top of the side frames, an upper cover  135  for covering the side frame  120  and the upper panel  130 , and a base module  140  which includes an illumination portion  160 . 
     As shown in  FIG. 1B , the side frame  120  includes a tab  125  for fixing the upper panel  130  and the base module  140 . The tab  125  is formed either by bending it integrally with the side frame  120  or by using the injection molding or extrusion method. 
     Afterwards, a bonding method including welding method, “Taka” method, or silicon resin adhesion method can be used to fix the upper panel  130  to the side frame  120 . 
     The above method has the advantage of providing a clean interior to lock out any outside impurities from seeping in. However, since the welding or adhesion must be done within the corner of the crammed space of the interior of the side frame, it would require a person skilled in the welding/adhesion operation to perform the work. Thus, the difficult working environment causes defects and lead to increase in labor cost and decrease in productivity. 
     Although the “Taka” method may provide a relatively easier process, mechanically attaching through the upper panel and the tab may crack or break the hard acrylic surface of the upper panel. 
     In the case of the bonding method, since the metallic material of the side frame and the polymer material of the upper panel are incompatible in terms of physical properties, it may cause poor adhesion problem as well as decrease in the product reliability. 
     Further, since all methods may involve outdoor three-dimensional signage displays which are exposed to repeated fluctuations of high and low temperatures, mutually fixed tab (e.g., metallic) and the upper panel (e.g., polymer) with different thermal expansion coefficients may twist or break apart from each other. 
     The problems described above not only caused deterioration of the three-dimensional signage display itself, but the problems also caused water or other foreign objects to seep in between the gaps caused damages to and malfunctioning of the illumination portion. 
     Further, in the conventional three-dimensional signage display, since the corner where the upper panel is attached to the tab is integrally formed with the side frame with metallic material, the light radiating from the illumination portion is obscured by the tab. Accordingly, this may cause the periphery of the three-dimensional signage display to block the light and appear dark. 
     The conventional side frame, on the other hand, was molded with a desired pattern before being coated with a desired color. 
     However, coating the narrow interior of the side frame to seal the outside of the side frame separately took a long time and reduced productivity. 
     SUMMARY 
     The present disclosure provides for controlling variation of shape and transparency of an aperture module. 
     In one implementation, a three-dimensional signage display is disclosed. The display includes: a frame panel having a predetermined width, the frame panel configured to be bent and shaped into a side frame with a desired pattern; an upper panel configured to cover a first opening of the side frame; and at least one tab formed along a longitudinal direction of the frame panel, wherein the at least one tab is formed with same material as the upper panel. 
     Other features and advantages of the present disclosure should be apparent from the present description which illustrates, by way of example, aspects of the disclosure. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The details of the present disclosure, both as to its structure and operation, may be gleaned in part by study of the appended further drawings, in which like reference numerals refer to like parts, and in which: 
         FIG. 1A  is an exploded perspective view of a conventional three-dimensional signage display; 
         FIG. 1B  is an assembled section view of a conventional three-dimensional signage display; 
         FIG. 2A  is a perspective view of an outer surface of a three-dimensional sign frame panel in accordance with one embodiment of the present disclosure; 
         FIG. 2B  is a perspective view of an inner surface of a three-dimensional sign frame panel in accordance with one embodiment of the present disclosure; 
         FIG. 3  is a perspective view of a three-dimensional sign frame panel wound in a coil form in accordance with one embodiment of the present disclosure; 
         FIG. 4  is a cross-sectional view of an assembled three-dimensional sign in accordance with one embodiment of the present disclosure; and 
         FIG. 5  is a flow diagram illustrating a process for assembling the three-dimensional sign in accordance with one embodiment of the present disclosure. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     In view of the issues described above regarding conventional three-dimensional signage displays, there is a need for finding material that would allow the parts of the display to combine without the problems described above. 
     In one embodiment, using the tabs formed with polymer material, which is the same material as used for the upper panel, can significantly improve the adhesive strength and air tightness when attaching the tabs and the upper panel to each other. This will also prevent distortion or separation of the tabs due to different coefficients of thermal expansion. Further, the process of building the signage using the frame panel in accordance with the present disclosure further improves the problems described above. 
     In another embodiment, the tabs are made with material that prevents light from escaping through the periphery of the upper panel to address the light occlusion issue 
     In yet another embodiment, since the entire panel is coated or painted in advance before the side frame is formed into a desired pattern, the coating can be facilitated, thereby improving workability, and working hours can be reduced because it is not necessary to perform individual coatings after the panel is bent to form the side frame. 
     In a further embodiment, the sign frame panel is provided in a strip-type panel having a predetermined width and is cut to a certain length. The sign frame panel is wound into a coil shape, which can be molded into a curved pattern of characters. The opposite ends of the sign frame panel are spaced apart from each other at a predetermined distance and the sign frame panel is formed along the longitudinal direction of the sign frame panel. The tabs are fixed and attached to the upper panel with the polymer material to prevent separation or warping of the upper panel due to the thermal expansion or contraction. 
     The above-described frame panel is painted with a selected color on both sides prior to attaching the tabs. The tabs can be provided with transparent material. 
     In another embodiment, the frame panel is cut to a predetermined length and bent to a pattern including characters and figures. The upper panel is fixed to the front opening of the side frame and has a shape corresponding to the curved pattern. The upper panel is formed with a transparent polymer material. The signage display can also include a base panel that has a shape corresponding to the curved pattern and is fixed to the rear opening of the side frame. The base panel may be formed with a dark material (as opposed to the transparent material of the upper panel) to prevent the light from escaping through the back and cause unwanted blurring or halo effect to the pattern. The lighting unit is provided on the base panel to radiate light towards the upper panel. The signage display also includes tabs which extend along the inner periphery of the openings of the side frame and fix the upper panel and the base panel. The signage display also includes attaching means for fixing the outer periphery of the upper panel and the base panel to the tabs. 
     The upper panel comprises one of polycarbonate or acrylic. The tab may be comprised of a polyvinyl chloride (PVC) material. 
     The attaching means may comprise one of adhesive tape, silicone, or epoxy. 
     In one embodiment, the present disclosure describes a frame panel  10  (see  FIG. 2A ) for the three-dimensional signage display  1  (see  FIG. 4 ) and a method (see  FIG. 5 ) for producing the three-dimensional signage display. 
       FIGS. 2A, 2B, and 3  show the frame panel  10  for a three-dimensional signage display having a predetermined width in accordance with one embodiment of the present disclosure. In  FIG. 2B , a tab  15  made of the polymer material is attached at each end of the frame panel  10  at a mutually predetermined distance in the formation along the length of the frame panel  10 .  FIG. 2A  shows the frame panel  10  as a strip-shaped panel  11 .  FIG. 3  shows the frame panel  10  as a wound coil form  12 . 
     In one embodiment, the frame panel  11  is folded into a curved pattern to form the side frame  20  of the three-dimensional signage display  1  (see  FIG. 4 ). Thus, the width of the frame panel  11  can be varied in accordance with the thickness of the three-dimensional signage display to be produced. 
     In another embodiment, the frame panel  11  may be made of a variety of materials. In general, the frame panel  11  is made of metallic material. 
     In another embodiment, since the frame panel  11  is painted with a preset color before coupling the tabs  15 , the outer surface of the frame panel  11  in  FIG. 2A  is painted in various colors according to the selection. The inner surface shown in  FIG. 2B  is generally painted in white. If the inner surface of the frame panel shown in  FIG. 2( b )  is not painted, the corrosion resistance can be decreased and the lighting unit  60  (see  FIG. 4 ) can fail. 
     In one embodiment, the frame panel of the three-dimensional signage display is uniformly painted while the frame panel is in a panel state before the side frame is formed into a desired pattern. This provides an advantage of shortening the work time and removing the need to paint the side frame after bending. 
     In one embodiment, the tabs  15  are formed on either or both end portions in the longitudinal direction of the frame panel  10  as shown in  FIG. 2B . 
     In one embodiment, the tab  25  of  FIG. 4  is formed with a variety of materials, but it is preferably formed with polymer material corresponding to material of the upper panel  30  to which the tab  25  would later be attached. 
     Therefore, in one embodiment, the tab  25  and the upper panel  30  being both made of the same polymer material can significantly improve the adhesive strength and air tightness. This will also prevent distortion or separation due to different coefficients of thermal expansion. This also increases the durability of the three-dimensional signage display and prevents accidents due to water damage or introduction of foreign materials. 
     In one embodiment, the tab  25  is formed with a soft polymer for the attachment of the tab  25  to the side frame  20  and to provide ease of the subsequent bending. However, the tab  25  can be formed with either the soft or hard polymer materials. 
     Further, the tab  25  is made of transparent material so that the corner portion of the three-dimensional signage display  1  where the tab  25  is located does not block the light. This further improves the visibility of the signage display. 
     The frame panel  10  shown in  FIG. 3  can be cut to a predetermined length to form a pattern wherein the frame panel  10  is provided in a wound coil configuration. 
       FIG. 4  shows a three-dimensional signage display  1  according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. In  FIG. 4 , the three-dimensional signage display  1  includes a side frame  20 , an upper panel  30 , a base panel  40 , a lighting unit  60 , and attaching means  50  (shown in an insert). 
     The side frame  20  is cut to a length set to the frame panel to form a curved pattern including characters and figures. In the present disclosure, the side frame  20  as shown in  FIG. 4  refers to the state in which the frame panel is cut to a desired length and bent to a curved pattern. Thus, the side frame  20  is a state before the tab  25  is attached, but is coated with the paint (i.e., the state of the frame panel). Therefore, no additional painting is necessary. 
     In contrast to the side frame  20 , the frame panel  11  does not need to have the tab  25  attached to it using methods such as bending or injection. 
     The pattern may be provided in the form of various types of letters, numbers, or the like in a three-dimensional shape. For example, a character similar to character ‘A’ shown in  FIG. 1  can be formed, and in that case, the side frame  20  is in a tubular shape with an opening at both ends. 
     The tabs  25  may project out to form the outer circumference of the upper panel  30  and the base panel  40 . The tabs  25  are fixed along the inner periphery of the opening ends of the side frame  20 . 
     In one embodiment, the tab  25  is formed with a variety of materials, but it is preferably formed with polymer material corresponding to material of the upper panel  30  to which the tab  25  would later be attached. 
     Therefore, in one embodiment, the tab  25  and the upper panel  30  being both made of the same polymer material can significantly improve the adhesive strength and air tightness. This will also prevent distortion or separation due to different coefficients of thermal expansion. This also increases the durability of the three-dimensional signage display and prevents accidents due to water damage or introduction of foreign materials. 
     In one embodiment, the upper panel  30  is formed with either polycarbonate or acrylic material. The tab  25  can be formed with polyvinyl chloride (PVC) material. 
     Further, the tab  25  is made of transparent material so that the corner portion of the three-dimensional signage display  1  where the tab  25  is located does not block the light. This further improves the visibility of the signage display. 
     The upper panel  30  has a shape corresponding to the pattern and is formed with a transparent polymer material. The upper panel  30  is attached to the opening of the side frame  20  that is facing the front with respect to the viewer. 
     The base panel  40  has a shape corresponding to the pattern, and is attached to the other opening of side frame  20 . The base panel  40  may be formed with the same or different material as the upper panel  30 . 
     The illuminating unit  60  is configured on the base panel  40  and emits the light toward the upper panel  30 . 
     The illuminating unit  60  may be configured with various types of light sources including, for example, a light-emitting diode (LED). 
     The attachment means  50  fixes the outer perimeter of the upper panel  30  and the base panel  40  to the tabs  25 . 
     The attachment means  50  may include various types of material including, for example, adhesive tapes and silicon or epoxy. 
     The attachment means  50  is preferably made of transparent material so that the light blocked by the periphery of the upper panel  30  is minimized. 
       FIG. 5  is a flow diagram illustrating a process  500  for assembling the three-dimensional sign in accordance with one embodiment of the present disclosure. The process  500  includes forming a strip-type frame panel, at block S 11 . Both surfaces of the frame panel is then painted, at block S 12 . The tabs are formed on the frame panel, at block S 13 . At block S 14 , the frame panel is bent into a curved pattern to form a side frame. The upper and base panels are then prepared, at block S 15 . The light unit is place on the base panel, at block S 16 , and the upper and base panels are fixed on the tabs, at block S 17 . 
     The above descriptions of the disclosed embodiments are provided to enable any person skilled in the art to make or use the disclosure. Various modifications to these embodiments will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art, and the generic principles described herein can be applied to other embodiments without departing from the spirit or scope of the disclosure. Thus, it will be understood that the description and drawings presented herein represent embodiments of the disclosure and are therefore representative of the subject matter which is broadly contemplated by the present disclosure. It will be further understood that the scope of the present disclosure fully encompasses other embodiments that may become obvious to those skilled in the art and that the scope of the present disclosure is accordingly limited by nothing other than the appended claims.