The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Feb. 05, 1991
Filed:
Oct. 27, 1989
Franklin H Cocks, Durham, NC (US);
Peter W Farner, Kalamazoo, MI (US);
Other;
Abstract
This invention provides an illumination device capable of producing large animated displays using glowing neon or other noble gases without the need for a source of high voltage as is required in normal neon signs. By means of large numbers of electrode pairs, gas discharge across the gas passage rather than along the gas passage enables low voltages to excite the flowing gas discharge while still giving the appearance of the continuous discharge seen in normal neon signs. The use of mixtures of luminescent phosphors of different luminescent decay times allows the hue of the illumination device to be electrically controlled by means of the frequency with which the discharge is excited. The controlled, sequential activation of any given electrode pair further allows the illumination device to give the appearance of animation, and the use of front and rear mirrors enables an infinite series of multiple, animated, illuminated images to be displayed. The simultaneous use of controlled illumination sequence and illumination frequency allows the display to achieve the appearance of sequential, smoothly continuous waves of different color hues sweeping across an animated display.