Illuminated sign
OwnerWillard L. Kingstoninventor
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A very thin and rugged illuminated sign has a transparent, light-source plate with cavities in its edges to receive light bulbs. One side of the plate is covered with opaque material and the other with translucent material. Both surfaces are internally reflective, so that light from the bulbs is conserved and distributed substantially uniformly throughout the plate. At least one opaque plate, having a transparent (preferably colored and embossed) character therein, covers the translucent side of the light-source plate; so that light therefrom illuminates the characters. The terminal ends of the light bulbs are oriented outwardly for easy connection in an electric circuit concealed in a frame that surrounds both plates and confines them together. The frame may function as one of the electrical conductors.
Claims6
An illuminated sign comprising:
- a transparent light-source plate having cavities in the edges thereof and having an opaque surface and a translucent surface, both surfaces being internally reflective;
- a plurality of electric lamps, one seated for frictional retention in each of the cavities with its terminals extending outwardly;
- at least one opaque plate fitted over the translucent surface of the light-source plate, each opaque plate having a character therein covered on at least one side with opaque material except for the character;
- a frame surrounding the edges of the plates and comprising an externally insulated channel that confines the transparent and opaque plates between its flanges, and, further including electrically-conductive means fixed inside the channel that may contact lamp terminals, so that the frame will function also as an electrical conductor thereto;
- a second electrical conductor seated in a groove in the edge of the transparent plate and capable of contacting a terminal in each of the lamps;
- and
- means for easy removal of the frame from the plates.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.