The invention relates to the field of light display and more particularly to a pouch made of flexible material in which a light display module made from a plurality of light-emitting diodes is inserted.
The invention is intended in particular to allow light display of patterns, for example for advertising purposes, in structures comprising walls made of a flexible material such as, for example, flag or kakemono type signs, blinds, valances, parasols, terrace dividers, tarpaulins, drapes, etc.
Nowadays, it is known to use illuminated signs as a night-time advertising medium. To this end, this type of sign commonly comprises a structure, for example metallic, on which light tubes are fixed. These signs are generally mounted on walls or on poles.
However, this type of device has several disadvantages. First of all, it is necessary to fix it to a solid element such as a wall or a pole, especially when its mass is significant. Then, it can be degraded by the meteorological elements or by individuals who would have direct access to it. Finally, it can represent a visual nuisance when it is not integrated into the landscape, particularly in the urban landscape.
There is therefore a need for a simple, reliable and effective solution for light displays that can at least partly remedy these disadvantages.
To this end, one object of the invention is a pouch of flexible material for light display, said pouch comprising:
Thus, by means of the invention, patterns may be integrated into existing structures made of flexible material such as flags, kakemonos, blinds, parasols, valances, terrace dividers, tarpaulins, drapes, or any object made of suitable flexible material. In particular, the flexible material may be, for example, fabric such as blind, flag or parasol canvas. The pouch may have more than two plies and/or more than two faces.
According to one aspect of the invention, the electronic board comprises a microcontroller or processor configured to implement the instructions for controlling turning the light-emitting diodes on, stored in the memory area, in order to create a predetermined display pattern.
Preferably, turning the LEDs on may allow patterns such as characters, logos, images, or videos to be displayed.
According to one aspect of the invention, the at least one predetermined display pattern is displayed statically.
Preferably, the at least one predetermined display pattern is displayed dynamically in the form of an animation, for example of the flashing or scrolling type, in particular when the at least one pattern consists of several alphanumeric characters that may, for example, scroll from left to right.
Preferably, the pouch has a total thickness of less than 3 cm, in particular in order to be able to integrate harmoniously into a structure such as the aforementioned.
Preferably, the thickness of the electronic board is less than 2 cm in order to make the pouch relatively flat with a thickness of less than 3 cm, the total thickness of the layers of flexible material being then in this case preferably less than 1 cm.
In one embodiment, the pouch comprises at least one opening on at least one of its faces. This opening or these openings may be of various shapes and dimensions, for example rectangular or in the shape of an alphanumeric character or logo.
According to one aspect of the invention, the pouch comprises a transparent or translucent plate, preferably made of Plexiglas, mounted on, in or behind said at least one opening. Such a plate makes it possible to protect the electronic board and/or to improve the diffusion of the light emitted by the light-emitting diodes and/or to reduce the display glare. In addition, a translucent plate makes it possible to mask the electronic board and thus improve the aesthetics of the pouch.
Advantageously, the flexible material is bonded to the plate in order to seal the pouch.
In another embodiment, the pouch is devoid of openings on its faces, which makes it easy to manufacture.
In this case, according to one characteristic of the invention, the portion of flexible material located facing the light-emitting diodes is at least partly translucent or transparent in order to let light through to the outside of the pouch and thus to allow the at least one display pattern produced by the light-emitting diodes to be viewed through the thickness of the flexible material. The pouch may thus be perfectly integrated, or even hidden, into a structure, especially when the LEDs are turned off.
According to one characteristic of the invention, the electronic board comprises a protective varnish, for example made of silicone, in order to seal it, preferably against liquids.
Advantageously, the light display module comprises a protective casing in which the electronic board is mounted in order to protect said electronic board from external elements such as, for example, dust, flames, sunlight and/or liquids, thereby increasing its life span.
Preferably, the memory area of the electronic board is remotely programmable, for example over a wireless communication link of the wifi or Bluetooth® type, in order to modify the display pattern(s) produced by the light-emitting diodes.
Advantageously, the remote programming of the electronic board is performed using a dedicated application, for example installed on a smartphone, which makes it simple and fast.
According to one aspect of the invention, the pouch comprises an electrical energy storage battery in order to make the pouch easily transportable and installable. Such a battery may be mounted also within the internal space of the pouch or may be fixed outside said internal space.
Alternatively or additionally, the pouch is capable of being electrically connected to an electricity grid in order to be supplied with electricity.
Advantageously, the pouch comprises a solar panel to recharge the battery if necessary and/or to operate the electronic board. This panel may advantageously be mounted in the internal space of the pouch, in line with an opening formed in one of the faces of the pouch, or it may be mounted in a dedicated pouch, or it may be mounted outside the pouch and connected to the battery by an electric cable.
Advantageously, the pouch may comprise any type of device such as, for example, a scent diffuser, used for example in bakeries to diffuse pastry scents, or a sound transmitter equipped with a speaker in order to play audio programs (music, announcements, etc.).
Advantageously, the pouch comprises on the outside of at least one of its faces complementary prints of the display pattern(s) produced by turning the light-emitting diodes on in order to create a visual interaction between turning the light-emitting diodes on and said face of the pouch.
The invention also relates to a structure comprising a pouch as previously disclosed. The structure may comprise or consist of a support, such as for example a frame, a partition, a wall, a pole, a post, a cable, a rope, on which the pouch is mounted (flag, kakemono) or on which an element at least partly made of flexible material comprising the pouch (blind, parasol, terrace divider, drape, tarpaulin) is mounted.
The invention also relates to a method for manufacturing a pouch made of flexible material for light display as previously set forth, said method comprising a step of inserting the electronic board (or the protective casing comprising the electronic board) into the internal space formed between the two plies of flexible material and a step of closing the pouch. The manufacture of the pouch according to the invention is thus fast and easy because, the diodes being mounted on the electronic board, the insertion of the electronic board (or of the casing) makes it possible to place all the electronics of the device in the internal space in a single movement.
The invention also relates to a method for displaying from a pouch as previously set forth, said method comprising a step of driving the light-emitting diodes from instructions, for example implemented by the microcontroller, in order to turn the light-emitting diodes on and/or off according to a predetermined pattern, preferably dynamically to obtain a display for viewing an animation, for example by scrolling or flashing.
The invention also relates to a computer program product characterized in that it comprises a set of program code instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, configure the one or more processors to implement a display method as set forth above.
Other features and advantages of the invention will become apparent upon reading the following description. This description is purely illustrative and should be read in conjunction with the attached drawings in which:
The pouch according to the invention is suitable to be integrated into an existing structure or to be mounted on a support such as a wall or a pole. In particular, the pouch may be integrated into or even constitute a flag or a kakemono or be inserted into a blind canvas, for example a roller blind, into a blind valance, a parasol canvas, a parasol valance, a terrace divider, a tarpaulin, or any structure with a suitable flexible material.
An example of a pouch 1 of flexible material according to the invention is represented in [
Still with reference to [
It will be noted that the electronic board could comprise more than one electronic board 21, for example two electronic boards 21 comprising light-emitting diodes 210 on one of their faces and placed back to back in the internal space E so as to illuminate the two faces F1, F2 of the pouch 1.
For example, turning the light-emitting diodes on 210 may allow patterns such as characters, logos, images or videos to be displayed. In particular, the patterns may be displayed statically or dynamically, for example by flashing or scrolling, as illustrated in [
Preferably, the electronic board 21 comprises a protective varnish. More preferably, the electronic board 21 is housed in a protective casing 22, itself placed in the internal space E of the pouch in order to seal the electronic card 21, protecting it in particular from rainwater and flames.
Preferably, the thickness of the electronic board 21 or, when the electronic board 21 is mounted in a protective casing 22 as illustrated in [
The electronic board 21 may be programmed by replacing the memory area 220 or by modifying the instructions stored in the memory area 220, for example via a communication cable or via a wireless interface, in particular of wifi or Bluetooth® type. For example, the memory area 220 may be programmed remotely using a dedicated application installed on a smartphone.
Additionally, as in the example of [
Additionally, the pouch 1 may comprise a solar panel (not represented) in order to recharge said battery 30 or to directly power the electronic board 21. This panel may be mounted in the internal space E of the pouch 1, in line with an opening formed in one of the faces F1, F2 of the pouch 1, or it may be mounted outside the pouch 1 and connected to the battery 30 or to the electronic board 21 by an electric cable.
Alternatively or additionally, the electronic board 21 may be directly connected to a home electricity grid via an electrical cable (not represented).
A first embodiment of the pouch 1 according to the invention is represented in [
A transparent or translucent plate (not visible in [
A second embodiment of the pouch 1 according to the invention is represented in [
For explanatory purposes, the flexible material 10 is shown in light gray and the light emitting diodes 210 when turned on are shown in white in
Advantageously, in both the first and second embodiments, the pouch 1 may comprise on the outside of at least one of its faces F1, F2, complementary prints of the predetermined display pattern(s) produced by turning the light-emitting diodes on 210. For example, as illustrated in [
Flag
A first embodiment of the pouch 1 according to the invention is represented in [
Kakemono
A second embodiment of the pouch 1 according to the invention is represented in [
Blind
A third embodiment of the pouch 1 according to the invention is represented in [
Blind Valance
A fourth embodiment of the pouch according to the invention is represented in [
Parasol
A fifth embodiment of the pouch 1 according to the invention is represented in [
Parasol Valance
A sixth embodiment of the pouch 1 according to the invention is represented in [
Terrace Divider
A seventh embodiment of the pouch 1 according to the invention is represented in [
Roller Blind
An eighth embodiment of the pouch 1 according to the invention is represented in [
The pouch 1 according to the invention thus advantageously makes it possible to provide a display device, in particular an advertising display device, from flexible material that can be integrated into many known structures.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
---|---|---|---|
1913496 | Nov 2019 | FR | national |
Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind |
---|---|---|---|
PCT/EP2020/083721 | 11/27/2020 | WO |
Publishing Document | Publishing Date | Country | Kind |
---|---|---|---|
WO2021/105420 | 6/3/2021 | WO | A |
Number | Name | Date | Kind |
---|---|---|---|
4602191 | Davila | Jul 1986 | A |
5444456 | Ohta | Aug 1995 | A |
9611989 | Isaacson | Apr 2017 | B1 |
9945539 | Su | Apr 2018 | B1 |
20050088312 | Fulwiler | Apr 2005 | A1 |
20050122716 | Castelli | Jun 2005 | A1 |
20080104870 | Alden | May 2008 | A1 |
20080285274 | Jung | Nov 2008 | A1 |
20100226117 | Krans | Sep 2010 | A1 |
20120062816 | Tsubaki | Mar 2012 | A1 |
20120305770 | Minera | Dec 2012 | A1 |
20130169886 | Kuromizu | Jul 2013 | A1 |
20130250559 | Hawkins | Sep 2013 | A1 |
20140310998 | Shoveller | Oct 2014 | A1 |
20140340902 | Nelson | Nov 2014 | A1 |
20150253484 | Arki et al. | Sep 2015 | A1 |
20150325157 | Jumblatt et al. | Nov 2015 | A1 |
20160148558 | Ernst | May 2016 | A1 |
20160293071 | Shoveller | Oct 2016 | A1 |
20170105465 | Kuddo | Apr 2017 | A1 |
20170178550 | Miller | Jun 2017 | A1 |
20170249878 | Frey | Aug 2017 | A1 |
20180082615 | Cheung | Mar 2018 | A1 |
20180212116 | Bastiani | Jul 2018 | A1 |
20190082805 | Tong | Mar 2019 | A1 |
20200200338 | Li | Jun 2020 | A1 |
20200335660 | Kang et al. | Oct 2020 | A1 |
20210164639 | Choi | Jun 2021 | A1 |
20210372601 | Palzkill | Dec 2021 | A1 |
20220157206 | Kay | May 2022 | A1 |
20220279874 | Bergman | Sep 2022 | A1 |
Number | Date | Country |
---|---|---|
2835574 | Feb 2015 | EP |
1227619 | Apr 2019 | ES |
WO 2014094081 | Jun 2014 | WO |
WO 2014119148 | Aug 2014 | WO |
WO 2018130429 | Jul 2018 | WO |
Entry |
---|
International Search Report and Written Opinion on corresponding PCT application (PCT/EP2020/083721) from International Searching Authority (EPO) dated Feb. 23, 2021. |
Search Report from French Intellectual Property Office on related FR application (FR1857403) dated Feb. 20, 2019. |
International Search Report and Written Opinion on related PCT application (PCT/EP2019/070259) from International Searching Authority (EPO) dated Sep. 11, 2019. |
Non-Final Office Action on related (U.S. Appl. No. 17/266,083) dated Sep. 29, 2021. |
Number | Date | Country | |
---|---|---|---|
20220415218 A1 | Dec 2022 | US |