Patent Publication Number: US-9837000-B2

Title: Illuminated sign apparatus

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 62/315,747 filed on Mar. 31, 2016. The entire disclosure of the above application is incorporated by reference. 
    
    
     FIELD 
     The present disclosure relates to illuminated signs. More particularly, to signage having multiple panels. 
     BACKGROUND 
     It is common practice for organizations, such as banks, restaurants, and educational institutions, to have an illuminated sign mounted outside or inside of their facility. Such signs are typically designed to identify and attract consumers and/or clients to the organization. 
     Generally, an illuminated sign apparatus can include one or more light sources for illuminating the front face of the sign, and for also creating a glowing halo around the sign. While the illumination allows a viewer to see the sign from a distance, light from the different illuminated regions may blend causing the sign apparatus to appear dull and unclear, and thus, diminishing the brightness and clarity of the sign apparatus. This and other issues related to the performance and characteristics of a sign apparatus are addressed by the present disclosure. 
     SUMMARY 
     This section provides a general summary of the disclosure, and is not a comprehensive disclosure of its full scope or all of its features. 
     In an aspect of the present disclosure, a sign apparatus is provided and comprises a light source operable to emit light, a front panel having a front portion and a side portion, and a rear panel attached to the front panel and having a back portion, a side portion and a rim portion. The front portion of the front panel is configured to have translucent properties to pass light emitted from the light source. The rim portion of the rear panel is configured to have opaque properties to block light emitted from the light source, and the back portion of the rear panel is configured to have translucent properties to pass light emitted from the light source. The rear panel and the front panel define a cavity, and the light source is housed in the cavity. The side portion of the front panel extends between the cavity and the side portion of the rear panel, and the rim portion of the rear panel is configured to follow a contour of the front panel and extend beyond a periphery of the front panel. In another variation, the rim portion may be located on the front panel instead of the rear panel. In still another variation, both the front panel and the rear panel includes the rim portion. 
     In another aspect of the present disclosure, a sign apparatus is provided and comprises a plurality of light sources operable to emit light, a plurality of front panels, and a rear panel attached to the plurality of front panels and having a plurality of shaped members. Each of the plurality of front panels has a front portion that is configured to have translucent properties and a side portion. Each of the shaped members has a back portion that is configured to have translucent properties, a rim that is configured to have properties opaque, and a side portion. Two adjacent shaped members from among the plurality of shaped members are connected to each other by way of a link member that extends between the rims of the two adjacent shaped members. A given shaped member from among the plurality of shaped members is attached to a respective front panel from among the plurality of front panels and forms a cavity with the respective front panel. The rim of the given shaped member extends from the side portion away from the cavity. The side portion of the respective front panel extends between the cavity and the rim of the given shaped member. At least one light source from among the plurality of light sources is disposed in the cavity. 
     In yet another aspect of the present disclosure, a sign apparatus is provided to include a plurality of light source operable to emit light, a front panel, and a rear panel attached to the front panel. The front panel has a front portion and the side portion which are configured to have translucent properties. The rear panel has a back portion, a side portion, and a rim extending from the side portion. The back portion of the rear panel is configured to have translucent properties and the rim is configured to have opaque properties. The rear panel and the front panel define a cavity, and the light sources are disposed in the cavity. The rim is configured to follow a contour of the front panel and extends beyond a periphery of the front panel. The side portion of the front panel is arranged between the cavity and the side portion of the rear panel. 
     Further areas of applicability will become apparent from the description provided herein. It should be understood that the description and specific examples are intended for purposes of illustration only and are not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure 
    
    
     
       DRAWINGS 
       The drawings described herein are for illustrative purposes only of selected embodiments and not all possible implementations, and are not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure. 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a sign apparatus in a first embodiment of the present disclosure; 
         FIG. 2  is a cross-sectional view of the sign apparatus of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 3  is a cross-sectional view of a sign apparatus in a second embodiment of the present disclosure; 
         FIG. 4  is a cross-sectional view of a sign apparatus in a third embodiment of the present disclosure; and 
         FIGS. 5A and 5B  illustrate a sign apparatus in a fourth embodiment of the present disclosure. 
     
    
    
     Corresponding reference numerals indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views of the drawings. 
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     The present disclosure will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.  FIG. 1  illustrates a sign apparatus  100  mounted on a wall  101 , and made of characters and/or symbols for conveying information. The sign apparatus  100  of the present disclosure may be designed to convey various information and is not limited to the logo depicted in the figures. 
     The sign apparatus  100  includes a front panel  102  and a rear panel  104 , which are collectively referred to as panels  102  and  104 . The front panel  102  is a front face of the sign apparatus  100 , and the rear panel  104  is positioned behind the front panel  102 . The panels  102  and  104  may be made of plastic and formed using, for example, thermoforming in which a plastic sheet is heated to a pliable forming temperature and formed to a specific shape in a mold. The plastic sheet may be configured in various suitable colors and transparency. For example, a clear plastic sheet may be formed with a color film disposed thereon to create a colored plastic panel. Alternatively, a colored plastic sheet may be used to create the panel. Other suitable plastic forming processes may also be used to construct the panels  102  and  104 . 
     With reference to  FIG. 2 , a cross-sectional view of the sign apparatus  100  is provided. In the example embodiment, the front panel  102  and the rear panel  104  define a cavity  108  in which one or more light sources  110  are disposed. The light sources  110  may be light emitting diodes (LEDs) that are arranged within the cavity  108  and operable to emit light. 
     In the example embodiment, the sign apparatus  100  is mounted to the wall  101  by way of one or more fasteners  112 . The sign apparatus  100  may be positioned away from the wall  101  such that a gap  114  is provided between the rear panel  104  and the wall  101 . 
     The sign apparatus  100  may include an electrical box  116  that is electrically coupled to a power supply  142 , such as an electrical outlet. The electrical box  116  may include a switch (not shown) and other electrical components for supplying power to the light sources  110  in the sign apparatus  100 . That is, the electrical box  116  may be configured in various suitable ways for supplying power to the light source  110 . For example, the electrical box  116  may include a main switch that is manually operable by a user for turning the light sources  110  ON/OFF. Alternatively, in lieu of or in addition to the switch, the electrical box  116  may include a processor that is programed to turn the light sources  110  ON/OFF at preset times. 
     The front panel  102  includes a front portion  120  and a side portion  122  that extends away from the front portion  120 . The front portion  120  is translucent for transmitting and/or diffusing light emitted by the light sources  110 . The side portion  122  may be configured in a similar manner as the front portion  120 , and therefore, may also be translucent and of the same color as the front portion  120 . Alternatively, the side portion  122  may be configured differently, such as being a different color and/or being opaque to reflect and/or absorb the light emitted. The side portion  122  may also be referred to as a front side portion  122 . 
     The rear panel  104  includes a back portion  124 , a side portion  126 , and a rim  128 . The side portion  126  may include a step  130  that is adjacent to the rim  128 . The side portion  126  and the rim  128  may be opaque to absorb and/or reflect light from the light source. The side portion  126  may also be referred to as a rear side portion  126 . 
     The back portion  124  may be translucent for transmitting and/or diffusing light emitted by the light sources  110  and may be, for example, clear or have a color film that has light transmitting properties. The light sources  110  may be positioned and attached along the back portion  124  of the rear panel  104 , and the fastener  112  may extend through the back portion  124  to attach the sign apparatus  100  to the wall  101 . 
     In the example embodiment, with the front panel  102  attached to the rear panel  104 , the front side portion  122  is between the cavity  108  and the rear side portion  126 . More particularly, sections of the front side portion  122  and the rear side portion  126  extend parallel with each other between the rim  128  and the step  130 , and the end of the front side portion  122  may abut with the step  130 . The rim  128  extends from the rear side portion  126  toward a direction opposite of the cavity  108 . The rim  128  is configured to follow the contour of the front panel  102  and extend beyond a periphery of the front panel  102 , thus forming a border around the front panel  102 . 
     The front panel  102  and the rear panel  104  are attached by way of one or more fasteners  132  that are located between the step  130  and the rim  128  and extend through the rear side portion  126  and the front side portion  122 . The fasteners  132  may be behind the rim  128  and thus, not visible to a viewer when the sign apparatus  100  is viewed in a direction toward the front panel  102 . The interface between the front panel  102  and the rear panel  104  may be weatherproofed by a seal to prevent water and/or other debris from entering the cavity  108 . For example, a neoprene seal may be provided between the step  130  and the front side portion  122  of the front panel  102 . 
     With the light sources  110  emitting light, the front panel  102  and the wall  101  are illuminated and a contrasting unilluminated region is disposed therebetween. Specifically, light incident on the translucent portions of the front panel  102  generates a glow or, in other words, illuminates the front panel  102 . Likewise, light incident on the back portion  124  of the rear panel  104  illuminates the wall  101  to form a halo or, in other words, a glow around the sign apparatus  100 . In the example embodiment, the contrasting unilluminated region is formed by the rear side portion  126  and the rim  128  which are opaque and thus, reflect or absorb light. In addition, the rim  128  extends beyond the front panel  102  blocking light from the front panel  102  from interfering with the light of the halo and thus, forming a distinct outline around the front panel  102  when the sign apparatus is viewed in a direction toward the front panel  102 . By way of example, if the illumination of the front panel is of similar or a different color than the halo, the characters of the sign apparatus  100  may appear dull because the illumination from the front panel  102  and the halo may blend with each other. With the rim  128  of the present disclosure, the sign may appear sharper and well defined because the rim  128  outlines the characters of the sign, and acts as a barrier to partially block the illumination from the front panel  102  and from the halo. 
     In the first embodiment, the rear panel  104  has the rim  128  and the step  130  for receiving the front panel  102 . Alternatively, with reference to  FIG. 3 , in a second embodiment a sign apparatus  150  may include a front panel  152  that is configured like the rear panel  104  of the first embodiment and a rear panel  154  that is configured like the front panel  102 . More particularly, in addition to the front portion  120 , the front panel  152  includes a side portion  156  having a step  158  and a rim  160  extending from the side portion  156 . With regard to the rear panel  154 , in addition to the back portion  124 , the rear panel  154  includes a side portion  162 , but does not include a rim. 
     In the example embodiment, the rim  160  is provided with the front panel  152  to form the contrasting region between the illuminated front panel  152  and the halo. Accordingly, the front portion  120  is translucent and the rim  160  is opaque. The side portion  156  of the front panel  152  may be translucent, opaque or both such that some sections of the side portion  156  are translucent and other sections are opaque. 
     The sign apparatuses of the first and second embodiments have one rim provided on one of the panels. With reference to  FIG. 4 , in a third embodiment, a sign apparatus  200  may include rims on both of the panels. As shown in  FIG. 3 , the sign apparatus  200  includes a front panel  202  and a rear panel  204 . The front panel  202  includes a front portion  206 , a side portion  208 , and a rim  210 . The rear panel  204  includes a back portion  212 , a side portion  214 , and a rim  216 . The rim  210  extends parallel with the rim  216 , and the fastener  132  is attached to the rims  210  and  216  to fasten the front panel  202  and the rear panel  204  to each other. 
     For the front panel  202 , the front portion  206  and the side portion  208  are translucent, and the rim  210  is opaque. For the rear panel  204 , the back portion  212  is translucent, and the side portion  214  and the rim  216  are opaque. Light emitted from the light sources  110  passes through the front portion  206  and the side portion  208  of the front panel  202 , and from the back portion  212  of the rear panel  204 . The rim  210  of the front panel  202  and the side portion  214  and the rim  216  of the rear panel  204  form the contrasting region between the illuminated front panel and the halo illuminated by the light passing through the back portion  212 . Accordingly, a well-defined outline is formed around the front panel  202 . 
     The sign apparatus of the present disclosure may be used to form a single letter or character. For example, in  FIG. 1 , each letter (i.e., “O” “P” “E” “N”) may be considered a separate sign apparatus  100  to form the word “OPEN”. Alternatively, in a fourth example embodiment of the present disclosure, a single sign apparatus may be configured to convey multiple characters and/or shapes. As an example, with reference to  FIGS. 5A and 5B , a sign apparatus  300  includes sections  302 A and  302 B that are joined together by one or more bridge sections or link members  304 . The sections  302 A and  302 B may be collectively referred to as sections  302 . 
     In the example embodiment, the section  302 A is configured as the letter “E” and the section  302 B is configured as the letter “L”. While the sign apparatus  300  includes two sections, the sign apparatus  300  may include additional sections that are joined via the bridge sections  304 . In addition, the different sections of the sign apparatus  300  may be formed in various combinations of characters and/or symbols, and should not be limited to the example provided herein (i.e., not limited to “EL”). 
     In the example embodiment, the sign apparatus  300  includes a front panel  306 A for section  302 A, a front panel  306 B for section  302 B, a rear panel  308 , and the light source  110  positioned between the front panels  306 A and  306 B and the rear panel  308 . The front panels  306 A and  306 B may be collectively referred to as front panels  306 . Similar to the first embodiment, each of the front panels  306  includes a front portion  320  that is translucent and a side portion  322  that may be translucent and/or opaque. 
     The rear panel  308  includes one or more shaped members that are attached via the bridge sections  304  and coincide with the front panels  306  of the sign apparatus  300 . For example, in the example embodiment, the rear panel  308  includes shaped members or sections  308 A and  308 B for sections  302 A and  302 B, respectively, and the bridge sections  304 . The shaped members  308 A and  308 B may be collectively referred to as shaped members  308 . Each of the shaped members  308  includes a back portion  324 , a side portion  326 , and a rim  328 . Like the first embodiment, the back portion  324  is translucent for transmitting light from the light source  110 , and the side portion  326  and the rim  328  are opaque to prevent light from passing through. 
     In the example embodiment, the shaped members  308  are connected to each other via the bridge sections  304 . That is, two adjacent shaped members  308  are aligned and attached to each other via the bridge sections  304  that extends between the rims  328  of the shaped member  308 . The bridge sections  304  may be translucent or opaque depending on the requirements of the sign apparatus. 
     In the example embodiment, the rear panel  308  defines a gap or hole  340  between the rims  328  of the shaped members  308  in regions not having the bridge section  304 . Alternatively, the sign apparatus  300  may be configured to have a continuous bridge section that joins the rims  328  of the sections  302 A and  302 B, such that there is no gap  340 . 
     In addition to the benefits of the sign apparatus of the first embodiment, the sign apparatus  300  of the third embodiment can provide two or more characters/symbols that are joined together and formed out of one rear panel  308 . Thus, decreasing the complexity and cost of the sign apparatus. In addition, the bridge section of the sign apparatus  300  aligns the characters/symbols with more accuracy than when each character/symbols is a separate sign apparatus that are manually aligned when mounted to, for example, a wall. Thus, there is little to no variation in the alignment of the characters of the sign apparatus  300 . 
     The foregoing description of the embodiments has been provided for purposes of illustration and description. It is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the disclosure. Individual elements or features of a particular embodiment are generally not limited to that particular embodiment, but, where applicable, are interchangeable and can be used in a selected embodiment, even if not specifically shown or described. The same may also be varied in many ways. Such variations are not to be regarded as a departure from the disclosure, and all such modifications are intended to be included within the scope of the disclosure. 
     Example embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will be thorough, and will fully convey the scope to those who are skilled in the art. Numerous specific details are set forth, such as examples of specific components, devices, and methods, to provide a thorough understanding of embodiments of the present disclosure. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that specific details need not be employed, that example embodiments may be embodied in many different forms, and that neither should be construed to limit the scope of the disclosure. In some example embodiments, well-known processes, well-known device structures, and well-known technologies are not described in detail.