The present invention pertains to the art of exit signs and, more particularly, to a compact exit sign which can be readily converted between single sided and double sided exit signs.
Exit signs are commonly found in essentially all commercial buildings. In general, the purpose of an exit sign is to direct a person's attention to the location of a suitable building exit. To achieve this function, it is known to provide exit signs along corridors in order to lead one to an exit, as well as directly adjacent the exit itself. Typically, such exit signs are mounted on surrounding walls or suspended from a ceiling. In any case, exit signs mark the way for people leaving a building.
In the event of an emergency, such as a building fire, exit signs can play a crucial role in enabling people to safely leave the building in a timely manner. Typically, an audible fire alarm is sounded as an initial indicator of the presence for possibility of a fire. In addition, strobe lights are also often used as visual indicators in such emergency situations, especially in large scale commercial buildings such as hotels, hospitals, convention centers, large office buildings and the like. Furthermore, it is known in the art to provide auxiliary lighting on the housing of an exit sign in order to illuminate the area leading to and around the exit.
In accordance with the prior art, an exist sign can either be one-sided or single faced so as to provide an illuminated “EXIT” on one major face while an opposing face is constituted by a smooth, solid wall or two-sided or double faced wherein each of the opposing faces provides an illuminated “EXIT” indication. Such exit signs can be mounted in a number of ways, mainly: flat against a wall in the case of a one-sided exit sign; mounted perpendicular to a vertical building wall from a side of the sign, which mounting can be employed for either one or two-sided signs; or hanging from a ceiling with either one or two sides presenting the exit indicia.
Regardless of the specific type of exit sign, the sign will generally have, as represented by the known exit sign 5 configuration shown in
In accordance with the present invention, an exit sign includes a main body having an open frontal portion, an annular side wall portion and a rear panel portion, with the rear panel portion including a central opening extending across greater than half of the rear panel. The exit sign also includes a front plate having a face portion, provided with exit indicia, and a peripheral side wall portion mating with the annular side wall portion of the main body in interconnecting the front plate to the main body.
The exit sign can be utilized with either a first, solid and non-transparent insert secured to the main body across the central opening of the rear panel or a second, exit indicia containing insert secured to the main body across the central opening of the rear panel. A lighting system is housed within the main body for illuminating the exit indicia in the insert and/or the front plate.
With this construction, the exit sign only employs two components which add to the overall thickness of the unit. Therefore, the exit sign is quite compact, having a maximum thickness of no greater than one (1) inch, preferably about ¾ inches, thereby enabling the exit sign to be advantageously mounted extremely flat to a wall. In addition, depending upon the insert selected for use, the exit sign can be easily converted between single and double face exit signs.
Additional objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become more readily apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art from the following description of a preferred embodiment, particularly when taken in conjunction with the drawings wherein like reference numerals reference corresponding structure in the several views.
With initial reference to
Between annular side wall portion 76 and upstanding interior walls 162-164 is defined at least one elongated cavity 174. Below upstanding side walls 163 and 164 are arranged channel members 179 and 180 which support a light board or bar 183 including a series of spaced LEDs, one of which is labeled at 186. Preferably, LEDs 186 can be powered by either a battery 190 which is connected to light board 183 through a plug 191 or a control unit 195 connected to light board 183 through a plug 196. Stemming from control unit 195 is also wiring 200 which is routed through elongated cavity 174, preferably with the aid of various wire retainer/routing guides 202-204. As exit sign 50 is not shown to be electrically connected, terminal ends of wiring 200 are shown to be bunched in the upper right corner of elongated cavity 174. Upon making an electrical connection, wiring 200 can be further routed outside of exit sign 50 by removal of one of cover pieces 80, 157 or 158. Alternatively, if exit sign 50 is to be mounted flat against a wall, wires 200 can be further routed through a passage 203 formed in upstanding top wall 162 towards a central region of exit sign 50 as will be discussed further below. A bottom button 205 is provided for testing purposes.
As also shown in this figure, upstanding side walls 163 and 164 establish trough portions (not separately labeled) which match apex portions 96 and 97 in shape. Insert 88 is provided with upstanding outermost side walls 222 and 223, as well as an upstanding outermost top wall 224. Centrally located on insert 88 is mounting plate structure generally indicated at 227, with mounting plate structure 227 being shown as including rib reinforced concentric rings 229-232 having various associated punch-out regions, such as those indicated at 234-236. Along a lower edge (not separately labeled) of insert 88, various spaced tabs 239-241 are provided. In addition, provided substantially along a central vertical axis of insert 88 is a wire clip 244.
With this construction, insert 88 can be selectively snap-connected to main body 53 by initially engaging tabs 239-241 with rear panel portion 82 and then pivoting insert 88 fully into central opening 85, whereupon various clips, such as represented by clip 247, snap into engagement with at least upstanding side walls 163 and 164. At the same time, upstanding outermost side and top walls 222-224 of insert 88 extend generally parallel to and directly juxtapose, so as to tightly conform, to upstanding top and side walls 162-164 of main body 53 to provide significant overall structural integrity through a very secure fit. This is considered to be most important when exit sign 50 is to be mounted flat to a wall having a junction box (not shown) including mounting supports which will align with one or more sets of punch out regions 234-236. In addition, centermost wall section 250 of insert 88 can be punched out, enabling wiring 200 to be readily routed under wire clip 244 and into the junction box for hard wiring exit sign 50. It should be noted that wire clip 244 is strategically located relative to exit indicia 61 such that wires 200 will not be directly behind the letters of exit indicia 61, thereby avoiding the creation of any shadow upon the exit indicia 61 upon illumination of LEDs 186. In other words, with the lighting system being completely located radially outward of the central region of main body 53, this region is substantially void of any components of the lighting system which could potentially cast a shadow on exit indicia 61, thereby assuring a bright and uniform lighting arrangement.
In addition to providing a compact arrangement, exit sign 50 of the present invention is advantageously configured to be selectively convertible between a single face exit sign employing insert 88 as described above and a double face exit sign employing a second, replacement insert 288 as depicted in
For the sake of completeness,
Although described with reference to preferred embodiments, it should be readily understood that various changes and/or modifications could be made to the invention without departing from the spirit thereof. It must also be noted that relative terms such as top, bottom, left and right are included for ease of understanding, and are not to be considered as limiting with regards to the above-described invention.
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