Optical screen apparatus having alternate opaque and clear layers and method of making such apparatus

Abstract

An optical screen panel and a method of making an optical screen panel is disclosed. The panel includes layers or rows of alternating, or interleaved, light transmitting and light blocking or opaque elements, and is extruded. The layers or rows are in the form of relatively small ribbon elements which are generally parallel to the direction of viewing, and thus generally perpendicular to the front plane of the panel itself, which is the viewing surface of the panel. Several embodiments are shown, including panels with light directing elements and light scattering elements. The light directing and scattering elements may be embossed in the extruding process or they may be extruded as separate layers and secured to the layered panel post extruding. Angled and curved layers are among the several embodiments. Ultra violet protection may also be provided to the optical screen layered panel. When no light source is “on,” and thus no light is being transmitted, the optical screen panel appears opaque. The alternating layers enhance the resolution of a picture or message displayed on the optical screen panel.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.