Patent Application
20160321966
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1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a plate for the display of characters intended for application in vehicle license plates, traffic signs or the like, with the purpose of making the numbers on such plate clearly visible.
The plate is also applicable to other types of signs for the display of the corresponding indicators provided therein. It can be used, for example, in rail transport, air transport, leisure boats, merchant ships, vehicles of two and four wheels, signs on billboards, restaurants, shops, awnings, etc.
2. Description of Related Art Including Information Disclosed Under 37 CFR 1.97 and 37 CFR 1.98
As it is known, vehicle license plates, and even traffic signs, are preferably and mainly made of sheets of metal that, in the case of license plates, are rectangular and have the corresponding numbers and letters of the vehicle registration stamped on it, in a way such that the visible surface of the plate is reflective, while the numbers and letters are visible as they do not have such reflective surface, so that the contour thereof is perfectly defined and therefore visible to the viewer, always taking into account that the color of the numbers and letters is different from the reflective surface of the plates or the like.
This signaling system has the disadvantage that sometimes the numbers and/or letters deteriorate by friction, due to the use of low quality paint or paint without the required characteristics or because of the weather conditions, and thus those numbers and letters become illegible.
Obviously, the deterioration of the numbers and letters on the license plates makes it impossible for traffic wardens and recording cameras to determine the real vehicle registration, with the problems or inconveniences resulting therefrom. It must also be taken into account that the display at night for identification of license plates requires their illumination, and nowadays only the rear plate includes illumination means and in a tangential form.
Similar disadvantages are found in cases where the plates for display have other applications.
The plate for the display of characters of the present invention has been conceived to solve the aforementioned problems based on a simple but effective solution.
More specifically, the plate of the invention presents the particularity that the characters provided therein (numbers, letters, figures . . . ) are blanked, defining punch-holes which delimit the contour thereof. These characters are arranged to be viewed from the front part of the plate.
The plate also comprises a light source located on the rear part thereof, so as to provide illumination that passes through the blanked characters, thus defining the same.
The light source preferably consists of a group of light-emitting diodes (hereinafter, LEDs).
The illumination source is attached to a support provided on the rear part of the plate. Said source, consisting, for instance, of a group of LEDs, is arranged in a way such that is placed facing the blanked characters or at the edges of the support and directed towards the blanked characters.
The support to which the light source is fixed can be attached to the plate either fixedly or detachably. The advantage of a detachable support is that it allows changing the light emitters in case that the same are damaged or fused.
In the case of a fixed support, the same preferably consists of an adhesive silicone layer in which the LEDs or the corresponding light source are embedded and which is attached to the rear face of the plate.
The plate having the corresponding blanked characters can be of metal, methacrylate, acrylic resin, PVC, polycarbonate, etc.
The support of the LEDs which is placed on the rear part of the plate can also be of different materials, preferably translucent or transparent. As an example, the support may be of silicone, methacrylate, polycarbonate or acrylic resin.
If the plate is used in vehicles, the power supply is electrically powered by the vehicle itself
Preferably, in the case of a vehicle license plate, the light emitters which are mounted on the front license plate will emit white light, while those on the rear license plate will provide or emit red light, without this being a limiting or determining factor in its obligation, as the colors may be the necessary ones in each case in accordance with the traffic regulations of each country and each moment.
The present invention is equally applicable to traffic signs, rail transport, air transport, leisure boats, merchant ships, vehicles of two and four wheels, signs such as billboards, restaurants, shops, etc, and the light emitters can be fed in the most convenient way, either through electricity networks, either through the energy supplied by photovoltaic panels, batteries, etc.
To complete the description of the invention and with the purpose of facilitating the comprehension of its characteristics, a set of figures is attached as an integral part of the description of the invention, representing the following in an illustrative rather than limitative manner:
The references in the figures are the following:
As seen in the figures, the plate for the display of characters and/or traffic signs of the present invention, either a vehicle license plate as shown in
As it is evident by means of the proposed system, the characters (2) cannot be erased or damaged since their contours are blanked.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| U201301109 | Dec 2013 | ES | national |
| Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| PCT/ES2014/000072 | 5/8/2014 | WO | 00 |
