Patent Publication Number: US-6711841-B2

Title: Gas discharge tube cover

Description:
This application claims the benefit of prior filed co-pending provisional patent application No. 60/296,667, filed on Jun. 7, 2001. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     This application relates to display devices, and more particularly to a display device having a light source. 
     Many types of display devices are used to capture the attention of the prospective customer. One way of capturing the attention of a person is the use of lighting. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention comprises a display device that provides multiple light effects from the same light source. The display device includes a reflective surface, a tubular light source, and a cover. The tubular light source is preferably interconnected to a support, and the cover is placed over the light source. The light source preferably forms the shape of an object or symbol, and emits light toward the reflective surface. 
     The cover is a partially translucent elongated member having an arc-shaped or circular cross-section. Preferably, the cover is placed over the forward facing portion of the tubular light source. Some light emitted from the light source in a forward direction passes through the cover, and light emitted from the light source in a rearward direction reflects off of the reflective surface. The cover is preferably colored to create a glowing effect as light passes through the cover. The reflective surface is illuminated by white light that is emitted from the rearward facing portion of the tubular light source that is uncovered, transparent, translucent colored, or translucent uncolored. 
     The display device creates both a colored glowing lighting effect and a back-lit lighting effect from the same light source. Separate light sources are used in the prior art to create these two different lighting effects. Using the same light source to create both of these lighting effects reduces the cost of the display device, reduces the amount of energy consumed by the display device, and allows the display device to be constructed more efficiently. 
     These and other features of the present invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art from the detailed description of the invention and the drawings. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is a front plan view of a display device according to the present invention. 
     FIG. 2 is a side plan view of the display device of FIG.  1 . 
     FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view, taken along line  3 — 3  of FIG. 1, illustrating the display device of FIG.  1 . 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     In FIG. 1, a display device  10  is shaped like a bottle. Of course, any other shaped display device  10  may be used. In the preferred embodiment, the display device  10  includes a support  14  that is a relatively rigid member. The support  14  serves as a framework for the display device  10 , and preferably includes a reflective surface  16  and braces  18 . The braces  18  are rigid extensions that provide protection for the components of the display device  10 . The braces  18  are spaced around the perimeter of the support  14  and generally project outward from the support  14 . The display device  10  is preferably disposed resting upon a surface, but the display device  10  could also hang from a wall, ceiling, or other structure. When resting upon a surface, the braces  18  contacting the surface may form a base  26  that supports the display device. The base  26  is generally near the bottom of the display device  10 . 
     The interior portion of the support  14  may have a graphic panel  28  that may be the focal point of the display device  10 . The graphic panel  28  is generally a flat surface, but it could also be contoured. The graphic panel  28  may include pictures, designs, symbols, logos, models, text messages, or other similar graphic images. The shape of the support  14  and reflective surface preferably depends on the image on the graphic panel  28 . In other embodiments, the graphic panel  28  may be eliminated. 
     The display device  10  also includes a tubular light source  30 . In the preferred embodiment, the tubular light source  30  outlines and borders the graphic panel  28  and the support  14 , however other arrangements of the tubular light source  30  in relation to the support  14  could also be used. For example, the tubular light source  30  could be shaped to create letters, numbers, symbols, or other designs. 
     The tubular light source  30  is preferably a gas tube light source, such as a fluorescent light, and can be constructed in various shapes. The tubular light source  30  usually produces white light, but other colored light sources, such as neon or mercury tubes, could also be used. The reflective surface  16  is a surface disposed in an area that is proximate to the tubular light source  30 , and is preferably shaped to correspond to the shape of the light source  30 . As viewed in FIG. 1, the reflective surface  16  is generally the surface approximately behind the tubular light source  30 . 
     As viewed in FIG. 2, the tubular light source  30  is interconnected to the support  14  with multiple tube supports  34 . The tube supports  34  are mounted to the support  14  and project away from the face of the support  14 . The tubular light source  30  is coupled to the end of the tube supports  34  opposite the support  14 . The tube supports  34  are spaced along the tubular light source  30  and hold the light source  30  in place. Also shown in FIG. 2 is a plug  40 . The plug  40  may be plugged into a standard electrical outlet and provides power for the light source  30  through a power supply  42 . 
     The display device  10  is generally intended to be viewed by a person from the perspective illustrated in FIG.  1 . In FIG. 2, the portion of the tubular light source  30  that faces toward the reflective surface  16  is the rearward portion  44 . The portion of the tubular light source  30  that faces away from the reflective surface  16  and toward the viewer is the forward portion  48 . The rearward portion  44  generally faces in a rearward direction, and the forward portion  48  generally faces in a forward direction. As illustrated in FIG. 2, the rearward direction is from left to right, and the forward direction is from right to left. 
     A cover  52  is placed over the tubular light source  30 . The cover  52  is an elongated member, and is preferably made from a flexible colored plastic extrusion, such as polyvinyl chloride. The cover  52  has an arc-shaped or circular cross-section. In the preferred embodiment, the extrusion is a tubular member that may be made in various colors. The extrusion is slit along its length to create the cover  52 , and the cover  52  is then placed over the tubular light source  30 . Wire ties  56  may be used to couple the cover  52  to the light source  30 . Preferably, the cover  52  directly contacts the tubular light source  30 , but the cover  52  could also be separated or set apart from the light source  30 . Additionally, the cover  52  could be co-extruded with a forward-facing section and a rearward-facing section. The forward-facing section is preferably translucent and colored, and the rearward-facing section is at least one of transparent, translucent and colored, or translucent and uncolored. In the co-extruded embodiment, the forward-facing section is placed over the forward portion  48 , and the rearward-facing section is placed over the rearward portion  44 . 
     In the preferred embodiment, as illustrated in FIG. 3, the cover  52  is generally placed on the forward portion  48  of the tubular light source  30 , and allows the tubular light source  30  to create both a glowing lighting effect and a back-lit lighting effect. As illustrated in FIG. 3, the rearward direction is from bottom to top in the figure, and the forward direction is from top to bottom in the figure. Light emitted from the light source  30  in a generally forward direction passes through the cover  52  before reaching the viewer. The light passing through the cover  52  gives the appearance of a colored light and creates the glowing lighting effect. The glowing lighting effect provides the appearance that the tubular light source  30  is glowing in the color of the cover  52 . 
     Light emitted from the tubular light source  30  in a rearward direction either does not pass through the cover  52 , or passes through the rearward-facing section of the cover  52 . In either case, light emitted in a rearward direction remains white light, or is the color of the rearward-facing section of the cover  52 . The white light from the rearward portion  44  of the light source  30  preferably illuminates the graphic panel  28 . The graphic panel  28  and reflective surface  16  are preferably diffusively reflective and reflect the white light. The reflected white light from the graphic panel  28  and reflective surface  16  creates the back-lit lighting effect for the viewer. The back-lit lighting effect is created when a surface is indirectly illuminated and the source of the light is not directly seen by the viewer. 
     The tubular light source  30  is generally spaced from the reflective surface  16  and graphic panel  28  with tube supports  34 . Slightly separating the light source  30  from the graphic panel  28  enhances the back-lit effect of the display device  10  and provides additional space for the white light to dissipate and reflect off of the graphic panel  28 . The tubular light source  30  may be placed directly against the reflective surface  16  or graphic panel  28 , but the back-lit lighting effect may not be as conspicuous if the light source  30  is too close to the reflective surface  16  or graphic panel  28 . The optimum distance between the light source  30  and the reflective surface  16  for the back-lit lighting effect will depend on the size and design of the display device  10 . 
     The display device  10  with the tubular lighting source  30  and cover  52  produces the both the glowing lighting effect and the back-lit lighting effect from the same light source  30 . Previously, separate light sources have been used to create these two different lighting effects. The present invention has the advantage of providing both of these desirable lighting effects from the same light source  30 . Using the same light source  30  reduces the cost of manufacturing the display device  10 , reduces the cost of operating the display device  10 , and allows the display device  10  to be constructed more efficiently. 
     While several embodiments of the invention have been shown and described, alternate embodiments will be apparent to those skilled in the art and are within the intended scope of the present invention.