Patent Publication Number: US-2007103922-A1

Title: Illuminated vehicle identification sign

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION  
      This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 60/735,209, filed Nov. 10, 2005. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
      1. Field of the Invention  
      The present invention relates to vehicle identification signs, and more particularly, to custom, illuminated vehicle identification signs.  
      2. Description of the Related Art  
      Electroluminescent (EL) signage has been around for years and is widely popular because of the relatively long life and brilliance of the electroluminescent light source of the signage. EL vehicle signage is gaining in popularity due to the light weight and low power consumption of the signs.  
      To date, the vehicle signs, however, have only been of a one-dimensional appearance, not having the brilliant and contrast-laden text and numerals desirable in for example, police cars and fire engines. It is particularly important that unmarked police and fire vehicles have some identification markings/and or text that is discretely low profile, only to be highly visible when desired by the public safety personal operating the vehicle. Incandescent and discharge lamps having enclosing envelopes are for the most part spherical or tubular, generally having large diameters.  
      Additionally, non-EL lamps use intense light sources that must have lenses, reflectors, and the like to focus the generated light for the purpose of creating an illuminated sign. Therefore the incandescent and discharge lamps are not desirable for the aforementioned application.  
      World Patent No. WO 93/04568, issued to Knoll et al. on Mar. 4, 1993 uses an EL optronic device for heads up display of information on a windshield. Yet, the Knoll invention does not appear to disclose a complex overlay of materials on top of the EL source to produce vibrant and easily seen vehicle identification signs. Similarly, French Patent No. FR 2738783, issued to Sayer Olivier, on Mar. 21, 1997 discloses electroluminescent diodes fitted inside of a windshield but does not appear to disclose a complex overlay of materials on top of the light source to produce vibrant and easily seen vehicle identification signs.  
      Until the present invention, there has been no sophisticated pattern and overlay system to fully capitalize on the advantages of EL lighting as a source for vehicle identification signage.  
      Hence, there remains a need for an illuminated vehicle identification sign with illumination characteristics of high contrast, high resolution and high visibility when powered up, and discrete visibility when not powered up.  
      Thus, an illuminated vehicle identification sign solving the aforementioned problems is desired.  
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
      The illuminated vehicle identification sign is an apparatus having an EL panel powered up by a dc to ac inverter. Adhered to the EL panel is a white translucent vinyl first overlay. A black opaque high performance vinyl second overlay is adhered to the white translucent vinyl.  
      The black opaque second overlay has a plurality of patterned cutouts and patterned fills. A plurality of blue translucent vinyl patterns depicting text is adhered to the white translucent vinyl and is adapted to fitting inside of the plurality of patterned cutouts and outside of the plurality of patterned fills.  
      Each of the translucent vinyl patterns adapted to fitting outside of the patterned fills has a gap between the translucent vinyl pattern and the black opaque pattern fill. Each of the translucent vinyl patterns adapted to fitting inside of the patterned cutouts has a gap between the translucent vinyl pattern and the patterned cutout.  
      These and other features of the present invention will become readily apparent upon further review of the following specification and drawings.  
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       FIG. 1  is an environmental, perspective view of an illuminated vehicle identification sign according to the present invention.  
       FIG. 2A  is an exploded, perspective view of a first embodiment an illuminated vehicle identification sign of the present invention.  
       FIG. 2B  is a front view of the sign of  FIG. 2A .  
       FIG. 3A  is an exploded, perspective view of a second embodiment an illuminated vehicle identification sign of the present invention.  
       FIG. 3B  is a front view of the sign of  FIG. 3A .  
       FIG. 4A  is an exploded, perspective view of a third embodiment an illuminated vehicle identification sign of the present invention.  
       FIG. 4B  is a front view of the sign of  FIG. 4A .  
       FIG. 5  is a diagrammatic view of the power source and connection to the EL panel an illuminated vehicle identification sign of the present invention.  
      Similar reference characters denote corresponding features consistently throughout the attached drawings.  
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
      As shown in  FIG. 1 , the present invention is an illuminated vehicle identification sign  105 , preferably adapted for displaying vehicle ID through a tinted window TW of a police vehicle  110 .  
      As shown in  FIG. 5 , the present invention comprises a rectangular shaped electroluminescent, (EL), panel  200  powered up by a DC to AC inverter  500 , connected to EL panel  200  via a wire or cable  510 . Although in the embodiment shown the EL panel  200  is rectangular, as contemplated by the present invention, the EL panel  200  can have any shape. The EL panel produces a non-glare light which does not “halo” in bad weather. Preferably the EL panel  200 , as shown in  FIG. 2A , is comprised of a capacitor structure having a plurality of electrodes with phosphor sandwiched between the electrodes, i.e., a light emitting capacitor, (LEC). Rectangular shaped EL panel  200  has preferable dimensions of, but not limited to, twenty-four inches by four inches, and may have a thin profile, e.g., only 9/10 mm thick. Preferably, the DC to AC inverter  500  is capable of inverting an approximate 12-volt DC input to an approximate 170-volt RMS AC output having an approximate frequency of 1,200 Hz. Maximum DC input current is approximately 1,200 mA. Inverter  500  may also have an On/Off flash capability of two seconds on time versus one second off time. The inverter  500  may also have a light dimmer control to provide an adjustment of a light intensity of EL panel  200 . Advantageously, when the EL panel  200  is powered off, the vehicle sign  105  can still appear as a traditional decal during daylight hours.  
      As shown in  FIG. 2A , adhered to the EL panel  200  is a white translucent vinyl first overlay  205 , preferably having an adhesive manufactured on a back side to facilitate adhesion. A black opaque high performance vinyl second overlay  210  is adhered to the white translucent vinyl  205 . The black opaque second overlay preferably has an adhesive manufactured on a back side to facilitate the adhesion. The black opaque second overlay  210  has a plurality of patterned cutouts  214  and patterned fills  212 .  
      A plurality of blue translucent vinyl patterns  215  depicting text is adhered to the white translucent vinyl  205  and is adapted to fitting inside of the plurality of patterned cutouts  214  and outside of the plurality of patterned fills  212 . The plurality of blue translucent vinyl patterns  215  preferably has adhesive manufactured on its back to facilitate adhesion.  
      Each of the translucent vinyl patterns  215  adapted to fitting outside of the patterned fills  212  has a gap  217 , i.e., space or contour between the pattern  215  and the fill  212 . Each of the translucent vinyl patterns  215  adapted to fitting inside of the patterned cutouts  214  has a gap  217 , i.e., space or contour between the translucent vinyl pattern  215  and the patterned cutout  214 .  
      As shown in  FIG. 2B , when powered on, the overlays  205 ,  210  in combination with the blue translucent patterns  215  result in a brilliant, high visibility illuminated vehicle identification sign  220  having a white border created by the gap, and a black fill color from the black overlay  210 .  
      A manner of making the aforementioned sign  220  comprises cutting out the white translucent vinyl overlay  205  in the form of a rectangle and applying wet, centered on the EL panel  200 . Excess water is squeegeed out. Next, the patterned cutouts  214  and patterned fills  212  are cut out in black vinyl to form the black vinyl overlay  210 . The patterned cutouts  214  and patterned fills  212  of the overlay  210  are applied wet and centered on the white translucent vinyl overlay  205 . Excess water is squeegeed out. Subsequently, the plurality of blue translucent vinyl patterns  215  are cut out to depict text or logo, and applied wet and centered about the black vinyl patterned cutouts  214  and the black vinyl patterned fills  212  while maintaining a space, i.e., contour of preferably 0.25 inches inside of the patterned cutouts  214 , and maintaining a space, i.e., contour of preferably 0.25 inches outside of the patterned fills  212  so that the gap  217  exposes a white outline, i.e., white border between the text or logo and the patterned cutouts  214  and the patterned fills  212 . Again, excess water is then squeegeed out. Excess vinyl is then trimmed to edges of the EL panel  200 .  
      As shown in  FIG. 3A , a second embodiment of the illuminated vehicle identification sign  105  comprises the aforementioned rectangular shaped EL panel  200  having a non-white printed translucent vinyl first overlay  305  adhered to the EL panel  200 .  
      The aforementioned black opaque high performance vinyl second overlay  210  having patterned cutouts  214  and patterned fills  212  is adhered to the first overlay  305 . As shown in  FIG. 3B , a DC to AC inverter power source is connected to the EL panel  200 . When powered up, the illuminated panel  200  in combination with overlays  305  and  210  create a lit text message  310  having the color gradation characteristics of the printed translucent vinyl overlay  305  together with a black fill color from the black overlay  210 .  
      A manner of making the aforementioned sign  310  comprises cutting out the non-white printed translucent vinyl overlay  305  in the form of a rectangle and applying wet, centered on the EL panel  200 . Excess water is squeegeed out. Next, the patterned cutouts  214  and patterned fills  212  depicting text are cut out in black vinyl to form the black vinyl overlay  210 . The patterned cutouts  214  and patterned fills  212  of the overlay  210  are applied wet and centered on the non-white printed translucent vinyl overlay  305 . Excess water is squeegeed out. Excess vinyl is then trimmed to edges of the EL panel  200 .  
       FIG. 4A  shows that a third embodiment of the illuminated vehicle identification sign  105  comprises the aforementioned rectangular shaped EL panel  200  with a colored, preferably blue, translucent vinyl first overlay  405  adhered to the EL panel  200 .  
      The aforementioned black opaque high performance vinyl second overlay  210  having patterned cutouts  214  and patterned fills  212  is adhered to the first overlay  405 . The DC to AC inverter power source  500  is connected to the EL panel  200 . As shown in  FIG. 4B , when powered up, the illuminated panel  200  in combination with overlays  405  and  210  create a lit text message  410  having the color of the overlay  405  together with a black fill color from the black overlay  210 .  
      A manner of making the aforementioned sign  410  comprises cutting out the non-white, preferably blue, translucent vinyl overlay  405  in the form of a rectangle and applying wet, centered on the EL panel  200 . Excess water is squeegeed out. Next, the patterned cutouts  214  and patterned fills  212  depicting text are cut out in black vinyl to form the black vinyl overlay  210 . The patterned cutouts  214  and patterned fills  212  of the overlay  210  are applied wet and centered on the non-white, preferably blue, translucent vinyl overlay  405 . Excess water is squeegeed out. Excess vinyl is then trimmed to edges of the EL panel  200 .  
      It is to be understood that the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, but encompasses any and all embodiments within the scope of the following claims.