Patent Publication Number: US-2011047840-A1

Title: Led display apparatus

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to an LED display apparatus. More particularly, this invention relates to an LED display apparatus comprising two or more LED arrays for performing as a light source, a housing to house the LED arrays, transparent panels attached to the housing so that the LEDs can shed light through the side of the transparent panels, and dispersion scratches on the transparent panels for refracting, reflecting and diffusing LED light wherein the dispersion scratch is configured to form a sign, and a plurality of panels treated with fluorescent paint attached to each transparent panel for enhancing the intensity of LED light refracted or reflected. The dispersion scratch is configured to be a letter, sign, symbol or design component for being bright as against the rest of dark plain background of the transparent panel. 
     Light signs have become widespread from “OPEN” sign for businesses to destination sign for buses to warning or informational signs on the streets. Neon signs have gained popularity for such light signs because neon light is bright enough and luminous tube can be manufactured to represent letters or images. However, due to recent advancement of LED technology, LED light can also produce light bright enough to be used as light signs. Furthermore, LEDs have advantages over neon light in their extremely long life and energy saving. 
     Ordinary LED signs are being made by arraying or clustering a number of LEDs to function as a light source. But, this method also requires a lot of LEDs and thus consumes a lot of energy. In addition, design alternatives for signs in this method are limited because each LED has to be a design component. 
     Accordingly, a need for an LED display apparatus using an array of LEDs as light source and a dispersion scratch on the transparent panel as lighting sign has been present for a long time considering the expansive demands for light signs in the everyday life. This invention is directed to solve these problems and satisfy the long-felt need. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention contrives to solve the disadvantages of the prior art. 
     An object of the invention is to provide an LED display apparatus for lighting signs. 
     Another object of the invention is to provide an LED display apparatus for lighting signs, which enables a variety of design alternatives and lighting effects by using dispersion scratch on a transparent panel and fluorescent paint. 
     Still another object of the invention is to provide an LED display apparatus for lighting signs, which comprises several different colors. 
     An aspect of the invention provides an LED display apparatus comprising two or more LED arrays for performing as a light source, a housing to house the LED arrays, transparent panels attached to the housing so that the LEDs can shed light through the side of the transparent panels, and dispersion scratches on the transparent panels for refracting, reflecting and diffusing LED light wherein the dispersion scratch is configured to form a sign, and a plurality of panels treated with fluorescent paint attached to each transparent panel for enhancing the intensity of LED light refracted or reflected. 
     The advantages of the present invention are: (1) the LED display apparatus can provide bright light signs; (2) the LED display apparatus can provide a lot more flexibility for sign design compared to conventional neon signs or LED signs; (4) the LED display apparatus can enable a variety of design alternatives and lighting effects; and (4) the LED display apparatus can enable signs to have several different colors. 
     Although the present invention is briefly summarized, the fuller understanding of the invention can be obtained by the following drawings, detailed description and appended claims. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       These and other features, aspects and advantages of the present invention will become better understood with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein: 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view showing an LED display apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 2  is a sectional view taken along  2 - 2  in  FIG. 1  showing how an LED display apparatus can work as a sign; 
         FIG. 3  is a sample LED circuit diagram showing one embodiment of the present invention; and 
         FIG. 4  is a sectional view taken along  2 - 2  in  FIG. 1  showing an alternative embodiment of the present invention. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION 
       FIGS. 1-3  show an LED display apparatus  10  according to an embodiment of the present invention.  FIG. 3  shows a sample LED circuit for an LED display apparatus  10 .  FIG. 4  shows an LED display apparatus  10  according to another embodiment of the invention. 
       FIG. 1  shows a perspective view showing an LED display apparatus  10  comprising two LED arrays  22  for performing as a light source wherein a plurality of LEDs  22  are arrayed in two rows; a housing  20  to house the two LED arrays  22 ; two transparent panels  30  of which one side is attached to the housing  20  so that the LEDs  22  can shed light through the side of the transparent panels; dispersion scratches  40  on the transparent panels  30  for refracting, reflecting and diffusing LED light wherein the dispersion scratches  40  are configured to form a sign; and two additional panels  70  treated with fluorescent paint  72  for enhancing the intensity of LED light refracted or reflected wherein each additional panel  70  treated with fluorescent paint  72  is attached to each transparent panel  30  on the side having the dispersion scratch  40  and the fluorescent paint  72  glows by reflecting the LED light; wherein the dispersion scratches  40  are configured to be a letter, sign, symbol or design component for being bright as against the rest of dark plain background of the transparent panels  30 . 
       FIG. 2  shows a sectional view of the LED display apparatus  10  showing how a LED display apparatus  10  can work as a sign. The dispersion scratches  40  refract, disperse, scatter, or reflect LED lights from the LEDs  22  in the housing  20  whereas LED lights go down on the plain surface without scratches of the transparent panel  30 . Mostly refracted light, in addition to reflected or scattered light, concentrates and becomes visible to viewers. Fluorescent paint  72  located right behind the scratch enhances the intensity of LED lights refracted or reflected by the scratches. Therefore, the part of the transparent panel  30  having dispersion scratches  40  becomes brighter as against the rest of dark plain background of the transparent panel  30 . The dispersion scratches  40  may be configured or designed to form letters, sign, symbol or design. In  FIG. 1 , dispersion scratches  40  for “OPEN” were made on the front transparent panel  30  whereas dispersion scratches  40  for the surrounding line were made on the rear transparent panel  30 . 
     Two LED arrays  22  may have different colors, for example; one array of LEDs has  50  red LEDs and the other  48  blue LEDs so that “OPEN” and surrounding line look red and blue, respectively. Fluorescent paints  72  may also have different color to enhance the color effect of the LED sign. In addition, for better sign effect, the LED light may comprise the function of flashing, blinking, dimming, etc. If this light effect is combined with sign design by scratches on the transparent panels, simple moving animation effect is possible as well. 
     In the preferred embodiment of the present invention, the transparent panels  30  are plastic acrylic and each LED array  22  has about 30 LEDs at intervals of about 0.25 inch. The features of the transparent panels  30  may include being transparent, ultraviolet and impact resistant, cool to the touch, excellent light transmission, high temperature resistance, recyclable, light guide, edge lighting, color effect, and/or switch in combination with light. High bright LEDs may be used, having 455-470 wavelength and 300-700 luminous intensity with the power of 22 watts. The type of dispersion scratches  40  is vertical depth drill scratch. 
     The two LED arrays  22  may have different light colors and the two transparent panels  30  may comprise acrylic. In addition, the acrylic may have the function of edge lighting by the LED light. The dispersion scratches  40  may be made vertically by means of drill. 
     The two additional panels  70  treated with fluorescent paint  72  may comprise fluorescent paint which is treated on the panels at the substantially same places as the dispersion scratches  40  are made so that the sign by the dispersion scratches  40  lights more intensely by the fluorescent paint  72 . Additionally, the two additional panels  70  treated with fluorescent paint  72  may comprise fluorescent paint of more than one color for various sign design effects. 
       FIG. 3  is a sample LED circuit diagram for the present invention. The circuit for the plurality of LEDs may comprise a capacitor  26  and rectifying diode  24  for stable current. The power source  28  may be alternating current (AC) with or without an adaptor or direct current (DC). 
     The LED circuit may comprise additional component for special light effects such as dimming or flashing. The circuit for the plurality of LEDs  22  may have an IC control chip for a special effect. For example, the IC control chip may have an integrated multivibrator circuit for making the plurality of LEDs  22  flash. Alternatively, the circuit for the plurality of LEDs  22  may have a photoresistor. The plurality of LEDs may be bi-color LEDs. The plurality of LEDs  22  may have the function of dimming either by pulse-width modulation or lowering the forward current. The inside of housing  20  may comprise mirror for maximizing the downward light. Light scattering panel may be attached to the upper side of the transparent panels  30  for evenly scattering the light from LEDs. 
       FIG. 4  shows a sectional view showing an alternative embodiment of the present invention with one or more additional transparent panel(s)  30  and panel(s)  70  treated with fluorescent paint  72 . The alternative embodiment of the LED display apparatus comprises a plurality of LED arrays  22  for performing as a light source; a housing  20  to house the plurality of LED arrays  22 ; a plurality of transparent panels  30  of which one side is attached to the housing so that the LED light can shed light through the side of the transparent panels  30  and the number of transparent panels  30  is the same as the number of LED arrays  22 ; dispersion scratches  40  on the transparent panels  30  for refracting, reflecting and diffusing LED light wherein the dispersion scratches are configured to form a sign; and a plurality of panels  70  treated with fluorescent paint  72  for enhancing the intensity of LED light refracted or reflected wherein each panel  70  treated with fluorescent paint  72  is attached to each transparent panel  30  on the side having the dispersion scratch  40  and the fluorescent paint  72  glows by reflecting the LED light; wherein the dispersion scratches  40  are configured to be a letter, sign, symbol or design component for being bright as against the rest of dark plain background of the transparent panels  30 . This alternative embodiment of the present invention may have the same additional features as the first embodiment of the present invention. For example, the LED arrays  22  may have different light colors and the transparent panels  30  may comprise acrylic. The dispersion scratches  40  may be made vertically by means of drill. In addition, the plurality of panels  70  treated with fluorescent paint  72  may comprise fluorescent paint  72  which is treated on the panels at the substantially same places as the dispersion scratches  40  are made so that the sign by the dispersion scratch lights more intensely by the fluorescent paint. 
     While the invention has been shown and described with reference to different embodiments thereof, it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that variations in form, detail, compositions and operation may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the accompanying claims.