Patent Application
20080005943
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a solar sign, and more particularly, a solar powered illuminated sign having at least one interchangable character.
2. Description of the Prior Art
An innovation for a lighting display system has been provided in the prior art that will be described. Even though this innovation may be suitable for the specific individual purposes to which it addresses, however, it differs from the present invention.
An EXAMPLE, U.S. Pat. No. 4,028,828 issued on Jun. 14, 1977 to Chao, et al. teaches a novel lighting display system for numerous uses consisting of the following members. A mounting board containing two channels across the boards length, each channel carrying one electrical conductor; and plastic numerals, letters, or other characters, which when inserted into the boards channels are securely attached to the board, come in contact with electrical conductors in the channels and become illuminated. The plastic characters are constructed by encasing miniature light bulbs, mounted in a parallel electrical circuit on a printed circuit board, in a plastic material. Various characters can be combined to form an illuminated message, word, or series of numerals.
It is apparent now that the innovation for a lighting display system has been provided in the prior art that is adequate for various purposes. Furthermore, even though this innovation may be suitable for the specific individual purposes to which it addresses, accordingly, it would not be suitable for the purposes of the present invention as heretofore described.
AN OBJECT of the present invention is to provide a solar powered illuminated sign having at least one interchangable character that avoids the disadvantages of the prior art.
ANOTHER OBJECT of the present invention is to provide a solar powered illuminated sign having at least one interchangable character that is simple and inexpensive to manufacture.
STILL ANOTHER OBJECT of the present invention is to provide a solar powered illuminated sign having at least one interchangable character that is simple to use.
BRIEFLY STATED, STILL YET AIOTHER OBJECT of the present invention is to provide a solar powered illuminated sign having at least one interchangable character which comprises a transparent panel mounted centrally across a front wall of a housing. A mechanism is for mounting a character display medium in a removable manner over the transparent panel. A control circuit, a rechargeable battery and a light source are within the housing. The rechargeable battery and the light source are electrically connected to the control circuit. A solar generating unit is mounted onto the front wall of the housing, wherein the solar generating unit is electrically connected to the control circuit. In a first instance during daylight hours, the sun will supply solar energy to the solar generating unit causing the control circuit to allow charging of the rechargeable battery and deactivate the light source. In a second instance during nighttime hours, the control circuit will allow the rechargeable battery to supply DC electric power to the light source to illuminate the transparent panel and the character display medium.
The novel features which are considered characteristic of the present invention are set forth in the appended claims. The invention itself, however, both as to its construction and its method of operation, together with additional objects and advantages thereof, will be best understood from the following description of the specific embodiments when read and understood in connection with the accompanying drawing.
The figures of the drawings are briefly described as follows:
Referring now to the figures, in which like numerals indicate like parts, and particularly to
The first embodiment is a solar powered illuminated sign 20 having at least one interchangable character which comprises a housing 22. A transparent panel 24 is mounted centrally across a front wall 26 of the housing 22. A character display medium 28 is also provided. A mechanism 30 is for mounting the character display medium 28 in a removable manner over the transparent panel 24. A control circuit 32 is within the housing 22. A rechargeable battery 34 is within the housing 22, wherein the rechargeable battery 34 is electrically connected to the control circuit 32. A light source 36 is within the housing 22, wherein the light source 36 is electrically connected to control circuit 32. A solar generating unit 38 is mounted onto the front wall 26 of the housing 22, wherein the solar generating unit 38 is electrically connected to the control circuit 32.
In a first instance during daylight hours, the sun 40 will supply solar energy to the solar generating unit 38, causing the control circuit 32 to allow charging of the rechargeable battery 34 and deactivate the light source 36. In a second instance during nighttime hours, the control circuit 32 will allow the rechargeable battery 34 to supply DC electric power to the light source 36, to illuminate the transparent panel 24 and the character display medium 28.
A white reflector 42 is mounted behind the transparent panel 24, to produce a high lumen output with low voltage DC power supplied by the rechargeable battery 34 to the light source 36. The housing 22 has a centrally recessed area 44 extending across the front wall 26, with the transparent panel 24 mounted within the centrally recessed area 44.
The character display medium 28 further comprises a flat transparent plate 46, having an embossed transparent character 48 on a front surface 50. A black coating 52 is applied to rear surface 54 of the flat transparent plate 46, leaving a clear area of the embossed transparent character 48 above on the front surface 50.
The mounting mechanism 30 comprises a pair of tracks 56, 58. The first track 56 is affixed to and extends inwardly over top of the centrally recessed area 44 of the housing 22. The second track 58 is affixed to and extends inwardly over bottom of said centrally recessed area 44 of the housing 22. The flat transparent plate 46 of the character display medium 28 can be inserted into and removed from the tracks 56, 58 in the centrally recessed area 44 of the housing 22.
The light source 36 comprises at least one LED (Light Emitting Diode) 60, in which the at least one LED 60 abuts one side edge of the transparent panel 24. The solar generating unit 38 comprises a plurality of solar cells 62.
The sign 20 as shown in
The sign 20 as shown in
The sign 20 as shown in
In a first instance during daylight hours, the sun 40 will supply solar energy to the first and second solar generating units 38, 38A, causing the control circuit 32 to allow charging of the rechargeable battery 34 and deactivate the first and second light sources 36, 36A. In a second instance during nighttime hours, the control circuit 32 will allow the rechargeable battery 34 to supply DC electric power to the first and second light sources 36, 36A, to illuminate the first and second transparent panels 24, 24A and the first and second display medium 28.
A second white reflector 42A is mounted behind the second transparent panel 24A, to produce a high lumen output with low voltage DC power supplied by the rechargeable battery 24 to the second light source 36A. The housing 22A has a second centrally recessed area 44A extending across the rear wall 26A with the second transparent panel 24A mounted within the second centrally recessed area 44A. The second character display medium 28A, the second mounting mechanism 30A, the second light source 36A and the second solar generating unit 36A are identical to their respective elements shown in the sign 20.
A component 41B is for electrically connecting the light source 36B within the first segment 23B of the housing 22B to the control circuit 32B within the second segment 25B of the housing 22B. In a first instance during daylight hours, the sun 42 will supply solar energy to the solar generating unit 38B, causing the control circuit 32B to allow charging of the rechargeable battery 34B and deactivate the light source 36B. In a second instance during nighttime hours, the control circuit 32B will allow the rechargeable battery 34B to supply DC electric power to the light source 36B to illuminate the transparent panel 24B and the at least one character display medium 28B.
A white reflector 42B is mounted behind the transparent panel 24B to produce a high lumen output with low voltage DC power supplied by the rechargeable battery 34B to the light source 36B. The first segment 23B of the housing 22B has a centrally recessed area 44B extending across the front wall 26B with the transparent panel 24B mounted within the centrally recessed area 44B. The at least one character display medium 28B, the mounting mechanism 30B, the light source 36B and the solar generating unit 38 are identical to the respective elements shown in the sign 20.
The electrically connecting component 41B can comprise a first socket 66B in the first segment 23B of the housing 22B, wherein the first socket 66B is electrically connected to the light source 36B. A second socket 68B is in the second segment 25B of the housing 22B, wherein the second socket 68B is electrically connected to the control circuit 32B. An elongated cable 70B and a pair of plugs 72B, 74B are provided. Each plug 72B, 74B is connected to opposite end of the cable 70B, so that so that the first plug 72B can engage with the first socket 66B in the first segment 23B of the housing 22B, while the second plug 74B can engage with the second socket 68B in the second segment 25B of the housing 22B, thereby keeping the first segment 23B of the housing 22B remote from the second segment 25B of the housing 22B.
The electrically connecting component 41B can also comprise a pair of sockets 76B, 78B in the first segment 23B of the housing 22B, wherein the pair of sockets 76B, 78B are electrically connected to the light source 36B. A pair of plugs 80B, 82B are on the second segment 25B of the housing 22B, wherein the pair of plugs 80B, 82B are electrically connected to the control circuit 32B. The pair of plugs 80B, 82B can engage with the pair of sockets 76B, 78B, thereby keeping the first segment 23B of the housing 22B and the second segment 25B of the housing 22B together.
It will be understood that each of the elements described above, or two or more together, may also find a useful application in other types of constructions differing from the types described above.
While the invention has been illustrated and described as embodiments of a solar powered illuminated sign having at least one interchangable character, accordingly it is not limited to the details shown, since it will be understood that various omissions, modifications, substitutions and changes in the forms and details of the device illustrated and its operation can be made by those skilled in the art without departing in any way from the spirit of the present invention.
Without further analysis, the foregoing will so fully reveal the gist of the present invention that others can, by applying current knowledge, readily adapt it for various applications without omitting features that, from the standpoint of prior art, fairly constitute characteristics of the generic or specific aspects of this invention.
