Dynamic picture set

Information

  • Patent Grant
  • 6591530
  • Patent Number
    6,591,530
  • Date Filed
    Thursday, February 7, 2002
    23 years ago
  • Date Issued
    Tuesday, July 15, 2003
    21 years ago
  • Inventors
  • Examiners
    • Hoge; Gary
    Agents
    • Birch, Stewart, Kolasch & Birch, LLP
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)
Number Name Date Kind
2522812 Bonnet Sep 1950 A
5657563 Lane Aug 1997 A
5819454 Rosenitsch Oct 1998 A
6430858 Andre Aug 2002 B1