Information
-
Patent Grant
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6591530
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Patent Number
6,591,530
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Date Filed
Thursday, February 7, 200223 years ago
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Date Issued
Tuesday, July 15, 200321 years ago
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Inventors
-
-
Examiners
Agents
- Birch, Stewart, Kolasch & Birch, LLP
-
CPC
-
US Classifications
Field of Search
US
- 040 452
- 040 448
- 040 714
- 040 427
- 040 442
-
International Classifications
-
Abstract
A dynamic picture set for displaying pictures and decorative characters and patterns with a dynamic visual effect consists of a picture sheet, a transparent body and a back plate located behind the picture sheet, and a frame located in front of the picture sheet. The picture sheet has a rear side adhering to decorative characters or a picture and a first opening formed at a lower section. The back plate has a transparent jutting section to wedge in the first opening. The jutting section has peripheral rims surrounded by a layer of cold light strip and a front or a rear side carved with selected characters or patterns. The transparent body has a plurality of indented refractive patterns formed on a rear or a front side thereof. The frame has a display device located at one corner to display time or art temperature.
Description
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to decorative pictures and particularly picture sets that are capable of generating colored and dynamic lighting patterns.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The common pictures being hung on walls are mostly static types. Even those with three-dimensional effect also are static nature. Their appeal diminishes rapidly when hung for a period of time. This mainly results from lack of lighting effect on the static pictures. Hence they look dull and become not stimulating after a period of time. The static nature makes the pictures plain and not distinctive, and does not have lasting appeal.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In view of the foregoing disadvantages, the primary object of the invention is to provide an improved picture set that has dynamic visual effect to enhance its appeal. The dynamic decorative picture set according to the invention has colored character strings made of a cold light material, such as known electroluminescent (EL) material, which can radiate light when electrified. The decorative picture, character strings or patterns can be lighted in a gradual and running fashion to increase its amusing and appealing effects.
The foregoing, as well as additional objects, features and advantages of the invention will be more readily apparent from the following detailed description, which proceeds with reference to the accompanying drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1
is an exploded view of an embodiment of the invention.
FIG. 2
is a perspective view of an embodiment of the invention.
FIG. 3
is a cross section taken along line
3
—
3
in FIG.
2
.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
Referring to
FIG. 1
for an embodiment of the invention, the picture set according to the invention mainly includes a light penetrating picture sheet
10
which has a decorative picture
11
located on a front side thereof. The decorative picture
11
is printed or coated on a glossy and reflective paper. On the rear side of the picture sheet
10
, there is a line frame
12
made of a cold light material. Line frame
12
is in the form of an adornment plate. In the line frame
12
, there is a character string
14
(such as HAPPY, for example) or a phrase to convey desired purpose. On a lower section of the picture sheet
10
, there is a first rectangular opening
13
. The character string
14
may also be replaced by a pattern.
Behind the picture sheet
10
, there is a transparent body
40
which has indented refractive patterns
41
formed on the rear (or front) side for generating refractive effect when projecting with light thereby to augment light radiating effect of the decorative picture
11
on the picture sheet
10
. The transparent body
40
has a second rectangular opening
42
at a lower section thereof.
There is a rectangular back plate
20
located behind the picture sheet
10
and made of an opaque material with a jutting section
21
formed on the front surface matching the first rectangular opening
13
of the picture sheet
10
and the second rectangular opening
42
of the transparent body
40
. The jutting section
21
is transparent (made of glass or acrylic) and has peripheral rims surrounded by a strip
23
formed from a layer of cold light material or LED apparatus. The rear (or front) side of the jutting section
21
may be carved or embossed with selected characters or patterns (not shown in the drawing).
There is a frame
30
located in front of the picture sheet
10
. The frame
30
has a display device
31
located at one side for indicating date (year, month, day) or temperature, and a switch
32
wiring to the line frame
12
and character string
14
to form a circuit for generating light.
Referring to
FIGS. 1 and 3
, after assembled, the jutting section
21
of the back plate
20
is wedged in the second rectangular opening
42
of the transparent body
40
and the first rectangular opening
13
of the picture sheet
10
. The line frame
12
and character string
14
are sandwiched between the picture sheet
10
and transparent body
40
. The frame
30
is attached to the front side of the picture sheet
10
to become a complete picture set.
Referring to
FIG. 2
, when the switch
32
is activated, the line frame
12
and the character string
14
will be energized to generate light of various colors. Furthermore, the switch
32
may also control lighting variations of the line frame
12
such as progressing in one direction to produce a flicker running light effect. The character string
14
may also radiate light sequentially. With the light radiation of the line frame
12
and the character string
14
illuminating the picture sheet
10
and the decorative picture
11
, different hues and tints of light will be shown on the decorative picture
11
and the line frame
12
and the character string
14
with different levels to add amusing and entertainment effect. When the switch
32
is turned off, the line frame
12
and the character string
14
will stop radiating light and the decorative picture
11
on the picture sheet
10
will be shown as usual to save electric energy. Moreover, the cold light strip
22
or LED apparatus surrounding the jutting section
21
of the back plate
20
can generate more colorful light to create additional visual effect. The display device
31
on the lower side of the frame
30
can function as a time piece to indicate year, month and date. A thermometer may also be included as desired (not shown in the drawings).
Comparing with conventional decorative pictures, the invention offers a number of advantages. First, the line frame
12
and the character string
14
can generate colorful light running effect, and the indented refractive patterns
41
formed on the transparent body
40
behind the picture sheet
10
can generate refractive effect to augment light illumination effect. The switch
32
can be turned off to allow the decorative picture
11
on the picture sheet
10
displaying without consuming electric energy, and can be turned on to allow the line frame
12
and the character string
14
generating progressive and running light effect, thus offers a switch function to save electric energy and trigger dynamic amusing effect whenever desired. Second, the cold light strip
22
or LED apparatus surrounding the jutting section
21
located at the lower section of the picture sheet
10
can high light the surrounding characters and patterns, and create more distinctive visual effect. The frame
30
further has the display device
31
to display year, month and day.
Claims
- 1. A dynamic picture set, comprising:a picture sheet made of a light penetrating thin plate having a glossy and colored decorative picture located at a front side thereof, at least one line frame and a character string adhered to a rear side of the picture sheet, the line frame and the character string being made of a cold light material and wired through a circuit to a switch and a power source, the decorative picture having a first opening formed at a selected location; a transparent body located behind the picture sheet having a plurality of indented refractive patterns selectively formed on a rear or a front side thereof and a second opening formed at a lower section thereof; and a back plate made of an opaque material and located behind the picture sheet having a jutting section matching the first opening of the picture sheet and the second opening of the transparent body, the jutting section being transparent and having peripheral rims surrounded by a strip formed from a layer of cold light material and a side for carving with selected characters or patterns.
- 2. The dynamic picture set of claim 1 further having a frame located in front of the picture sheet, the frame having a display device located on a front side at a selected location thereof for displaying time of year, month, day or a thermometer.
US Referenced Citations (4)