Optical panel display

A display having a panel-like profile, the display comprising:

• a lighting assembly including
• a chassis with discrete apertures and
• the chassis located between a light source and an inner light diffusing layer;
• a face plate lighted by the lighting assembly;
• the face plate including a second set of apertures;
• and,
• the apertures located between a face plate substrate and the lighting assembly.

A thin profile panel display comprising:

• a face plate and a lighting assembly;
• the face plate including an acrylic substrate with a viewable surface and an opposed non-viewable surface;
• the viewable surface and the non-viewable surface bearing patterns formed during a cell casting process used to form the substrate;
• the gloss of the non-viewable surface exceeding the gloss of the viewable surface;
• indicia formed on the non-viewable surface where only portions of the non-viewable surface bear an opaque coating;
• the lighting assembly including luminous device(s) for illuminating the indicia;
• the face plate engages the lighting assembly to form the thin profile panel display with a thickness not exceeding 0.263 inches;
• and,
• the lighting assembly for illuminating at least portions of the face plate.

A method for constructing a thin profile, dead front display with discrete signal zones, the method comprising the steps of:

• providing a chassis with light impenetrable tunnels;
• affixing a plurality of light sources to a substrate sealing an end of the light tunnels, the light sources illuminating the light tunnels;
• providing a face plate approximately 0.024 inches thick, the face plate including a face plate substrate;
• coarse graining a viewable surface of the face plate substrate to measure 2-3 gloss units;
• fine graining a light receiving surface of the face plate substrate to measure 4-6 gloss units;
• forming indicia on the fine grained surface of the face plate substrate;
• and,
• providing for uniformly illuminated indicia by diffusing light emitted from the light sources as it passes through the face plate.