Channel letter

A channel letter comprising

• an enclosure having walls defining the figuration of said letter and having an open front,
• said walls having an inner surface, a rearward end and a forward end,
• said walls, as seen in cross section, extending linearly without interruption by the provision of a shoulder, from said rearward end to said forward end
• a planar transparent lens having a forward surface, a rearward surface and an outer edge in said shape of said letter and sized to fit within said walls of said enclosure,
• a sealing means attached only to said and located between said outer edge of said lens and said walls of said enclosure,
• a plurality of first retainer means contacting said forward surface for retaining said lens within said enclosure,
• a plurality of second retainer means for contacting said rearward surface for retaining said lens from moving rearward within said enclosure, and
• a light source within said enclosure.

A channel letter comprising

• an enclosure having a plurality of opposing walls defining the shape of a letter,
• said walls having forward ends,
• opposing walls of said enclosure separated by a first distance,
• a light element within said enclosure,
• a transparent lens having an inner surface and opposing outer edges defining the shape of said letter,
• said opposing outer edges of said lens separated by a second distance greater than said first distance whereby said outer edges overhang said walls of said enclosure,
• retainer means for retaining said lens across said outer ends of said walls, and
• a strip of flexible material on said inner surface of said lens, said strip of flexible material extending parallel to at least one of said edges of said lens and offset from said edge a distance whereby said strip of flexible material extends between said opposing walls and abutting one of said opposing walls to form a seal between said one of said walls and said lens.