WO1992001279A1

WO1992001279A1 - Multicoloured display panel having incandescent bulbs

Info

Publication number: WO1992001279A1
Application number: PCT/FR1991/000578
Authority: WO
Inventors: Gilles Boisset; Claude Leveille; Marc Leveille
Original assignee: Gilles Boisset; Claude Leveille; Marc Leveille
Priority date: 1990-07-13
Filing date: 1991-07-15
Publication date: 1992-01-23
Also published as: FR2664726A1; AU8283291A

Abstract

A multicouloured display panel having filament bulbs consists of a plurality of electrically connected filament bulbs and is characterized in that it mainly comprises panels having groups (19) of three light sources (18) in the form of bulbs (9) with filters (4) of the three primary colours and located within a reflector unit (1) having a parabolic reflecting surface, said panel being provided with a pulsed air ventilation device. Said panel can be used as a display or direction sign.

Description

POLYCHROME LIGHT PANEL WITH INCANDESCENT BULBS

The present invention is in the field of light panels, and it relates to a polychrome light panel with filament bulbs.

There are known polychrome light information panels with changeable figures, the light sources of which are generated by elements of different colors, these being filament bulbs, also called incandescent bulbs, or light emitting diodes ( LED) which can be located in the middle of a reflective parabolic or spherical focus.

A disadvantage of filament bulb panels is the fixity of the color; a disadvantage of LED panels lies in the constraint represented by the coloration imposed by the lu¬ mining sources by their manufacture, limiting the color palette and not allowing shades.

One obstacle to overcome with filament bulb panels is that of heat dissipation.

The purpose of the present invention is to provide large poly¬ chromed luminous information panels with changing figures, the colors of which are nuanced and can be chosen or modified by an ordering process analogous to that of video. -color.

An information panel according to the present invention of the kind made up of a plurality of light sources, said light sources being generated by filament bulbs, assembled and electrically connected together so as to form ≥ figures is mainly characterized, on the one hand in that it is composed of a plurality of so-called elementary panels, themselves composed of a plurality of triplets of so-called elementary light sources, with three basic colors red, green and blue, on the other hand in that each elementary light source is mainly composed of a filament bulb, a color filter and a reflector block, and finally in that the panel is equipped with a forced air ventilation device, the ventilation being effected through spaces formed inside each elementary source on the one hand, between each elementary light source and the various constituent elements of the panel on the other hand.

According to a first embodiment, the reflector block is formed of a parallelepiped whose front and rear faces are square, the latter being open over the whole of its front face. The reflector block furthermore has an orifice centered on the face opposite to the open face, so that the bulb being soldered on a printed circuit board, this penetrates inside the reflective block through said orifice. when it was put in place. Advantageously, the interior surface of the reflective block vis-à-vis the open face and located at the rear of the bulb is concave and metallized so that said surface reflects forward the light produced by the ampoule. The support block comprises, at its four rear corners, means for fixing to the printed circuit board.

The color filter is preferably octagonal in shape and of a length greater than the height of the reflector block, the latter being provided with retaining tabs located in the extension of its upper and lower front edges, projecting forward, and comprising a clipping groove. The color filter being placed vertically in front of the front face of the reflector block, it is maintained in a concave shape resulting from the introduction of its lower and upper edges inside said grooves. According to an advantageous embodiment, the diameter of the orifice for the passage of the bulb is much greater than the diameter of the latter. In addition, the different reflector blocks are arranged side by side with a space between each of them and are provided with a plurality of channels along each of their lateral faces connecting the front and rear faces. In addition, the printed circuit board is provided with a plurality of perforations whose distance separating them is less than the dimension of one of the sides of a reflector block. From which it follows that the pulsed air flowing from the rear towards the front of the panel, the ventilation takes place firstly through the perforations of the printed circuit board, and secondly by the channels and between or within the different elementary light sources by the orifices for the passage of the bulb on the one hand and by the spaces provided between the filters and the front edges of the reflector blocks on the other hand . Each elementary panel preferably consists of a plurality of elementary light sources arranged in staggered rows and forming color triplets; advantageously each elementary light source has a different color from that of any one adjoining it. Said elementary panels are provided with an awning situated on their upper edge so that sunlight does not alter the lumi¬ nosity of light sources. According to another embodiment, the upper and lower front edges of each elementary light source are extended over their entire length to on the one hand constitute the filter retaining tabs and on the other hand to form an awning, the clipping grooves of the filter located far from the front edges of the retaining tabs. According to a variant, each triplet of elementary light sources is equipped with a canopy. According to another embodiment, each elementary panel can be equipped with a single filter comprising a plurality of tasks distributed in triplets and tinted with the basic colors. According to a second form of embodiment, this being preferred, the reflector block is a cylinder whose front face is shaped as a parabola of circular plane, said reflector block being capped with a cabochon of square section, so that spaces are provided in angles, said spaces being delimited by the circular section of the reflector block inscribed in the square section of the cap, from which it follows that the reflector block is enveloped by the pulsed air.

According to said second embodiment, the cabochon is advantageously made of colored translucent material, the front face of the latter having the structure of a bi-concave lens.

The means of connection and positioning of the cap relative to the reflector block are advantageously obtained by means of a part of axial ribs formed inside each of the angles of the cap, said ribs comprising a perpenicular projection at their end at contact with the bottom of the cap giving them an L-shaped conformation, and on the other hand a cutting edge formed on the periphery of the reflector block in the vicinity of its central part, so that said ribs bear closely on said edge, which print them when the cabochon is put in place, the penetration thereof being limited by the projections forming stops.

The present invention will be better understood and details will be apparent from the description which will be made of a preferred form of embodiment, in relation to the figures of the appended plates, in which:

Fig. 1 is an elevation in perspective of an elementary light source - r,

Fig. 2 is a sectional view of an elementary light source,

Fig.3 is a partial sectional view of an elementary panel,

Fig. 4 is a partial front view of an elementary panel,

Fig.5 is a sectional view of a corner of an elementary panel, Fig.6 is a front view of a corner of an elementary panel,

Fig.7 is a front view of a corner of the panel.

FIG. 8 is a partial exploded perspective view according to another form of realization of a panel according to the invention,

Fig. 9 is a perspective representation of the same assembled panel,

Fig.10 is a sectional representation of a light source according to the form of réali¬ tion shown in the previous figure.

In fig.l, a reflector block 1 is formed of a parallelepiped 2 whose front face 13 is open, and has a passage orifice 3 centered on its rear face. A color filter 4 of rectangular shape and the four corners of which have been removed is held in a concave shape by holding tabs 5 and 5 ′ situated in partial extension of the lower 6 and upper 6 ′ edges of the front face of the reflector block 1, the said retaining tabs 6 and 6 'being provided with clipping grooves 7 and 7', into which the upper 8 'and lower 8 edges of the color filter are introduced 4. Channels 3' of air passages are made along each side face of the reflector block 1. In fig.2, a bulb 9 soldered to a printed circuit board 10, is introduced inside the passage orifice 3 of the reflector block 1 when the latter is fixed to said plate by fixing lugs 11, 11 "located at its four rear corners. The interior surface of the reflector block 1 , located vis-à-vis on the open front face 13, is concave in order to reflect the light generated by the bulb 9. The printed circuit board 10 is provided with perforations 14 and 14 'so that the air drawn from the rear circulates through 15 and 15 'of said plate 10 firstly, then secondly, on the one hand through the channels 3' and between the different reflector blocks 1 or elsewhere inside these through 16 and 16 'of the space formed between the bulb 9 and the internal surface of the passage orifice 3, and in a third step escapes 17 and 17' by the spaces provided between the filter and the front edges 6 and 6 'of the reflector block.

In fig. 3 and 4, elementary light sources 18, 18 ', 18 "and 18"' mainly consisting of the bulb 9, a reflector block 1 and a color filter 4 are assembled and connected electrically. ¬ only on the printed circuit board 10. The elementary light sources 18, 18 ', 18 "and 18"' are arranged in staggered rows and form triplets 19 and 19 'of elementary color, each elementary light source having a color different from that of any one attached to it.

In FIGS. 5 and 6, the elementary panel 21 made up of a plurality of elementary light sources is provided with a canopy 20.

In fig.7, the information panel is 'composed of a plurality of elementary panels 21, 21' and 21 ".

In FIGS. 8 and 9, the bulbs 9 are attached to the printed circuit board 10.

An intermediate plate 22 is put in place for provide a space 24 at the base of the bulbs 9 for the arrival of the drawn air. The reflector block 1 is a cylinder, the front face 13 of which is shaped as a parabola with a circular plane; This is topped with a cabochon 26 of square section made of colored translucent material, the front face 28 of which has the structure of a bi-concave lens. Ribs 30 shaped as L are formed on each of the corners of the cap 26. A cutting edge 32 is formed on the periphery of the reflector block 1 in the vicinity of its central part. When the cabochon 26 is put in place, the ribs 30 come into close contact with the cutting edge 32 which prints them, preventing the unexpected removal of the cabochon 26, the depression of the cabochon 26 being limited by the L-shaped conformation of the ribs 30, the projection 34 formed by the L being in abutment against the cutting edge 32.

It follows from the conformation of the reflector block 1 and of the cap 26 that the air drawn from the rear circulates through (arrows 16 and 16 ') the space formed between the bulb 9 and the internal surface of the orifice of passage 3 to enter the reflector block 1, then escapes (arrows 17 and 17 ') through the spaces defined by the circular section of the reflector block 1 inscribed in the square section of the cap 26.

Although a preferred embodiment has been described and shown, it should be understood that the scope of the present invention is not limited to this form but that it extends to any device comprising the characteristics set out above. .

Claims

1.- Information panel of the kind of those made up of a plurality of light sources, the said light sources being generated by filament bulbs, assembled and electrically connected together to form figures, characterized: in that it is composed of a plurality of so-called elementary panels (21,21 ', 21 ") themselves composed of a plurality of triplets (19,19") of light sources (18,18', 18 ", 18" ') say elementary, with the three fundamental colors red, green and blue, and in that each elementary light source (18) is mainly composed of a filament bulb (9), a color filter (4) and a reflector block (1), and in that the panel is equipped with a forced air ventilation device, the ventilation being effected through spaces (16,16 'and 17,17') arranged inside each elementary source (18) on the one hand between each light source, and between the different elements components of the panel on the other hand.

2.- Panel according to claim 1, characterized: in that the reflector block (1) is formed of a parallelepiped (2) whose front and rear faces are square, and in that the parallelepiped is open over the whole of its front face (13), and in that the reflector block (1) comprises an orifice (3) centered on the face opposite to the open face (13), in that the inner surface

(12) of the reflector block (1) opposite on the face

(13) open and located at the rear of the bulb (9) is concave and metallized, in that the reflective block

(1) comprises in its four rear corners, lugs (11 and 11 ') for fixing to the printed circuit board (10).

3.- Panel according to claim 1, characterized: in that the color filter (4) is of octagonal shape and of a length greater than the height of the reflective block (1), and in that the reflective block (1 ) being provided with retaining tabs (5 and 5 ') situated in the partial extension of its upper front (6') and lower (6) edges, projecting forward, and comprising a groove (7 and 7 ') of clipping, the color filter (4) is placed vertically in front of the front face (13) of the reflector block.

4.- Panel according to claim 1, characterized: in that the diameter of the passage ori¬ (3) of the bulb (9) is much greater than the diameter thereof, and in that the different reflector blocks (1) are arranged side by side with a space between each of them, and are provided with channels (3 ') along each of their side faces, in that the printed circuit board (10) is provided of a plurality of perforations (14 and ^' 14') the distance between them is less than the dimension of one of the sides of a reflector block (1), and in that the drawn air circulates from the rear towards the front of the panel.

5. A panel according to claim 1, characterized: in that each elementary panel (21) consists of a plurality of elementary light sources (18,18 ', 18 "and 18"') arranged in staggered rows and forming color triplets (19,19 '), each elementary light source having a color different from that of any one adjoining it, and in that each elementary panel (21) is provided with a canopy ( 20) located on its upper edge, from which it follows that the surrounding light does not alter the light generated by the elementary light sources;

6. A panel according to claim 1, characterized: in that each elementary panel can be equipped with a single color filter.

7.- Panel according to claim 1, characterized: in that the reflective block (1) is a cylinder whose front face (13) is conformed to a parabola of circular plane, and in that the reflective block (1) is capped with a cabochon (26) of parallelepipedic section, so that spaces are provided in the corners, said spaces being delimited by the circular section of the reflective block (D inscribed in the parallelepipedic section of the cabochon (26) ;

8. A panel according to claim 7, characterized: in that the cap (26) is made of colored translucent material, and in that the front face (28) of the cap (26) has the structure of a bi-concave lens;

9.- Panel according to claim 7, characterized: in that the means of connection and positioning of the cap (26) relative to the reflector block (1) are obtained by means of a part of axial ribs (30) formed on each of the angles of the cap (26), said ribs (30) comprising a projection (34) perpendicular at their end in contact with the bottom of the cap (26) giving them an L-shaped conformation, and on the other hand of a stop (32) cutting formed on the periphery of the reflector block (1) in the vicinity of its central part, so that said ribs (30) bear tightly on said stop (32) which imprints them during the positioning of the cap (26), the penetration thereof being limited by the projections (34) forming stops.