WO2009109034A1

WO2009109034A1 - Backlighting system for display

Info

Publication number: WO2009109034A1
Application number: PCT/CA2009/000177
Authority: WO
Inventors: Robert Landry
Original assignee: Rololight Corporation
Priority date: 2008-03-06
Filing date: 2009-02-16
Publication date: 2009-09-11

Abstract

The device allows backlighting a translucent frontal display mounted on a front side of an expanded pop-up frame comprised of a plurality of arrayed rectangular cells, each having diagonally-extending frame components generally defining an X shape. The frontal display is backlighted with at least one set of two parallel elongated light sources located behind the X shape of at least one of the rectangular cells. Both elongated light sources are in one of a horizontal and a vertical orientation, the elongated light sources each being equally offset from a center-line of the X shape on respective sides, and are equally offset from the center of the X. In use, portions of the frontal display shadowed from any one of the two elongated light by the X-shape are illuminated by the other of the two elongated light sources.

Description

BACKLIGHTING SYSTEM FOR DISPLAY PRIORITY CLAIM

[0001] This application claims priority of United States provisional application no. 61/034,278, filed March 6, 2008, the contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference.

FIELD

[0002] The improvements generally relate to the field lighting of marketing displays, such as trade show booths and the like.

BACKGROUND [0003] Nowadays, the pace of marketing work and its growing mobility force us to find solutions that save time, money, and space. Companies are constantly looking for new innovative products to allow them to distinguish themselves from their competitors. Among marketing tools available to the exhibitors, display modules or stands represent a key element in presenting products to the public in exhibitions such as trade shows, colloquiums and the like. The burden associated with moving the display from one exhibition to another often poses practical limits the exhibitors in the choice of their advertising medium. Therefore, they are interested in lightweight tools which can be collapsed into a low volume transport configuration. Moreover, the time required to install an advertising medium is frequently a critical variable for the choice of a marketing tool.

[0004] Pop-up display stands, for instance, are widely used, given that they tend to ally display appearance and ease of transportation. Pop-up display stands typically include a frame consisting of a deployable framework of rods which can relatively easily be deployed and locked in the deployed configuration to provide a sturdy support onto a front side of which one of more display panels, each typically consisting of a printed plastic sheet, displaying marketing material can be attached. The framework, typically consists of a grid of horizontally, vertically and diagonally extending rod components forming an array of cubicles. The Nomadic Display™ pop-ups (www.nomadicdisplay.com) are examples of currently available pop-up displays. The frame is carried to the exhibition hall in its collapsed form and is then erected to form the rigid three-dimensional structural framework of the display stand. The display panels are mounted to the front face of the frame and can be rolled into tubes for transportation.

[0005] To provide an increased visibility of the marketing material on the display panels, it is highly motivating to provide an appropriate form of lighting. Known lighting methods include frontlighting, i.e. providing a suitable number of lamps, typically above the display, which shed light on the front face of the display panel, and backlighting, in which translucent display panels are illuminated from behind.

[0006] Backlighting truly provides an original and highly sought display due to the impression it gives to attendees. However, backlighting a pop-up frame is challenging because the individual components of the framework, and especially the diagonal frame components, were known to create shadows which severely impaired the appealing impression when the backlighting was provided behind the frame.

[0007] Henceforth, known pop-up display backlighting systems and methods typically involved providing the light sources in the limited space available between the display panel and the frame components. Further, for the light to be properly used, a reflective panel was required between the light sources and the frame components. The mere number of parts and the complexity of assembly required for backlighting has severely impeded its widespread use.

[0008] The continued use of backlighting given the many limitations of previously known pop-up display backlighting systems and methods, even though limited, illustrates how much backlighting was appreciated compared to frontlighting to give marketing material a distinguishing look in exhibitions. Henceforth, solutions to provide a more practical form of backlighting for pop-up displays were widely sought. SUMMARY

[0009] In accordance with one aspect, it was found that lighting from behind an X shape of the frame with two elongated light sources oriented vertically or horizontally and both equally offset from the center of the X-shape can allow to practically eliminate the appearance shadows on the display. Henceforth, the backlighting can be provided on a support sheet which can be mounted on the rear side of the frame, on which a plurality of fluorescent tubes are provided at specific positions to be readily positioned relative the frame directly upon mounting of the support sheet. When disassembling the display after the exhibition, the fluorescent tubes are all removed at once by removing the support sheet from the frame, and with an appropriate choice of support sheet, the backlighting device can be folded and rolled-up to adopt a low-volume configuration for transport and storage.

[0010] In accordance with one aspect, there is provided a backlighting device for backlighting a translucent frontal display panel mounted on a front side of an expanded frame having at least one rectangular cell having diagonally-extending frame components in an X shape when in an expanded configuration, the backlighting device comprising : a support sheet mountable onto a rear side of the frame and having a light-reflective surface on a front face thereof, for facing the frontal display; and at least one set of two elongated light sources both made integral to the support sheet on the front face thereof, parallel to one another and oriented in one of a vertical and a horizontal orientation, and both being equally offset from a center of the X-shape when the support sheet is mounted to the frame in a manner that every portion of the frontal display panel which is shadowed from any one of the two elongated light sources by the diagonally-extending frame components is illuminated by the other one of the two elongated light sources during use.

[0011] In accordance with another aspect, there is provided a backlighting display system comprising; a display frame having an expanded configuration, the display frame in the expanded configuration having a front face and a rear face, spaced apart from the front face, and having a frame spacing therebetween, and a plurality of cubicles defined therein, each cubicle having a vertically extending center line and diagonally extending frame components having a section extending on each side of the vertically extending center line; a backlighting panel securable to the rear face of the display frame when in the expanded configuration, the backlighting panel having a light reflective face orientable towards the front face of the display frame when secured thereto; and at least two light connectors in at least one of the cubicles and secured to the light reflective face of the backlighting panel and each being aligned on a respective side of the vertically extending center line of the at least one of the cubicles.

[0012] In accordance with another aspect, there is provided a method of backlighting a translucent frontal display mounted on a front side of an expanded pop-up frame having at least one rectangular cell having diagonally-extending frame components generally defining an X shape, the method comprising illuminating the frontal display with at least one set of two parallel elongated light sources located behind the X shape of one of the at least one rectangular cell cells, both elongated light sources being in one of a horizontal and a vertical orientation, the elongated light sources each being equally offset from a center-line of the X shape on respective sides, and being equally offset from the center of the X in a manner that portions of the frontal display shadowed from any one of the two elongated light by the X- shape are illuminated by the other of the two elongated light sources.

[0013] In accordance with another aspect, there is provided a backlighting display system comprising; a display frame having an expanded configuration, the display frame in the expanded configuration defining a front face and a rear face, spaced apart from the front face, and defining a frame spacing therebetween with frame components diagonally extending in the frame spacing; a backlighting panel securable to the rear face of the display frame in the expanded configuration thereof, the backlighting panel having a light reflective face orientable towards the front face of the display frame when secured thereto; and at least one light connector securable to one of the display frame, proximate to the rear face thereof, and the backlighting panel.

[0014] In accordance with another aspect, there is provided a method for backlighting a display panel mounted to a front face of a display frame having diagonally extending frame components, the method comprising: mounting a backlighting panel having a light reflective face to a rear face of the display frame, opposed to the front face, with the reflective face oriented towards the display panel; mounting a lighting system to at least one of the display frame proximate to the rear face and the backlighting panel in between the backlighting panel and the diagonally extending frame components; and connecting the lightening system to a power supply for illuminating the display panel.

[0015] It will be understood that the expression elongated light sources is used for simplicity herein, and that the expression elongated light sources is intended to encompass a device having connectors adapted to receive an elongated source of light such as a fluorescent tube even if the fluorescent tube is to be bought separately, optionally from another company, by the consumer, as it is commonplace in the art.

DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

[0016] Fig. 1 is a perspective view showing a pop-up display partially assembled;

[0017] Fig. 2 shows a section of the pop-up display of Fig.1;

[0018] Fig. 3 is a front elevation view showing an example of a backlighting device for the pop-up display of Fig.1;

[0019] Fig. 4 shows the backlighting device of Fig. 3 being folded; and

[0020] Fig. 5 shows the backlighting device of Fig. 3 being rolled subsequently to folding.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION [0021] Fig. 1 shows a pop-up display 10 which uses backlighting. The pop-up display 10 generally includes a frame 12 including a plurality of frame components. In Fig. 1, the frame 12 is shown in an expanded state, but it will be understood that the frame 12 can be collapsed into a storage configuration or state. It will be noted here that various frames similar to the one illustrated in Fig. 1 are available in the art. An example of which being the Nomadic display frame. The frame 12 has a front side 14 and a rear side 16, a translucent frontal display 18 is mounted on the front side 14 of the frame 12. Backlighting devices 20 are mounted on the back side 16 of the frame 12, for illuminating the translucent frontal display 18. A particular feature of the backlighting devices 20 used in the embodiment shown in Fig. 1 is that the particular configuration of the light sources allows to minimize the appearance of frame connector shadows on the translucent frontal display 18, as will be detailed further below.

[0022] The frame 12 can be seen as comprising a plurality of square cells or cubicals 22. It will be understood here that the expression square as used herein is to be interpreted broadly as referring to the general square appearance of the different cells, although the cells can have dissimilar width and height. In the expanded frame 12 shown in Fig. 1, for example, the square cells 22 have about 29" in width, and about 27" in height. This slight dissimilarity in width and height does not significantly affect the working of the backlighting device 20, and these dimensions can be referred to as about 30" square in the context of this specification. In this example, the rectangular cells 22 are arranged in a plurality of columns 24a, 24b, 24c, 24d, each having three adjacent rectangular cells 22. One distinct backlighting device 20 is used for each one of the columns 24a, 24b, 24c, 24d of adjacent cells in this example. Il will be noted that in alternate embodiments, a distinct backlighting device can be used for each rectangular cell, for example, or to cover a different configuration of adjacent cells.

[0023] Turning now to Fig. 2, it will now be explained that the configuration and relative position of the light sources 26, 28 relative to diagonally extending frame connectors 30, 32, 34, 36 in each cell 22 allows minimizing, and practically eliminating, the appearance of shadows of the frame connectors 30, 32, 34, 36 on the translucent frontal display 18. More specifically, each cell 22 of the frame 12 has diagonally extended frame connectors 30, 32, 34, 36 arranged in an X shape. It was found that by using two elongated light sources 26, 28 equally offset from a center 38 of the X shape, and both oriented parallel to one another in one of a horizontal or vertical orientation, allowed to practically eliminate the appearance of shadows resulting from the presence of the diagonally extended frame connectors 30, 32, 34, 36 on the translucent frontal display 18 (Fig. 1). In this example, the vertical orientation is preferred to horizontal because of the specific configuration of the frame 12, because the horizontal orientation could lead to the appearance of shadows in adjacent cells, which would not necessarily be the case if used with an alternate frame.

[0024] In use, every portion of the frontal display 18 which is shadowed from any one of the two elongated light sources 26, 28 by the diagonally extending frame components 30, 32, 34, 36 is illuminated by the other one of the two elongated light sources 26, 28. In the illustrated embodiment the elongated light sources 26, 28 are both offset from the center 38 of the X shape by 8". This particular offset distance with the size of the cell 22 as discussed above, allowed backlighting the frontal display in a manner that no shadows were visible on the frontal display 18. Moving the elongated light sources significantly closer to or farther away from the center 38 eventually led to the appearance of shadows on the frontal display 18. Henceforth, it can be said that for a square cell of about 30" square, an offset distance of between 5 inches and 12 inches was tolerable, an offset distance of between 6 inches and 10 inches was better, with an preferred value at about 8 inches. In cells of different sizes and frames having different configurations, providing the elongated light sources about equally interspaced between the center 38 of the X shape and a corresponding edge of the cell, such as in the illustrated embodiment, generally yielded satisfactory results. A slight dissimilarity in the offset distance of the two elongated light sources in the order of 1-2 inches was tolerable.

[0025] In this example, fluorescent tubes 26a, 28a are used as a practical form of elongated light sources 26, 28. Ordinary fluorescent tubes or cold cathode fluorescent tubes (CCFL) can be used, for instance. In alternate embodiments, many suitable and available alternate forms of elongated light sources can also be used.

[0026] Turning now to Fig. 3, the example of backlighting device 20 used in Fig. 1 will be detailed furthermore. In this embodiment, the backlighting device 20 has three sets 40a, 40b, 40c of light sources 26, 28, positioned on corresponding adjacent portions 42a, 42b, 42c of the backlighting device 20, each of which corresponds to a particular cubical or cell 22 in a column of the frame 12 (Fig. 1). The elongated light sources 26, 28, or more particularly electrical connectors 44, 46, 48, 50 thereof, are mounted to a support sheet 52. It shall be noted here that to obtain a satisfactory efficiency in illumination, the face 54 of the support sheet 52 onto which the elongated light sources 26, 28 are mounted should be light-reflective. The backlighting device 20 can be said to have a center line 55, which corresponds to an axis intersecting the centers 38 of the X-shapes in a column of the frame 12, and from which the elongated light sources 26, 28 are equally offset on opposite sides.

[0027] In this example, hook attachments 56, 58 are provided at the upper corners of the support sheet 52, to suspendingly attach the support sheet 52 to the rear side 16 of a given column of the frame 12. However, any suitable attachment can be used in alternate embodiments. In this embodiment, magnets 60 are used along the edges 62, 64 of the support sheet 52 and serve to maintain the backlighting device 20 magnetically connected to the frame 12, while allowing easy removal thereof. In this example, the light sources 26, 28 of each set 40 a, 40b, 40c, are electrically connected to one another and to an electric box 66 located at the bottom thereof. A single wire and connector 68 allows connecting all the light sources of the backlighting device 20 to a single power supply. In this example, the wires interconnecting the light sources to one another are covered by flexible fabric 68, 70 which is sewn onto the support sheet 52. In this example, the support sheet 52 is flexible and has two fold lines 72, 74 located between adjacent sets 40a, 40b, 40c of light sources 26, 28.

[0028] One practicality of the embodiment described above and illustrated is that it can be disassembled, and collapsed into a compact form for transportation or storage in a fairly simple manner, and by requiring a small amount of manual disassembling steps and resulting in a small amount of parts, which is highly appreciated by marketing personnel. For instance, removing the backlighting device 20 as a whole from the frame is much more simple than removing and storing a plurality of disparate components. This practicality is not only effective when disassembling the backlighting device 20 to the frame 12, but is also present when mounting the pop-up display.

[0029] Furthermore, all the components assembled into the backlighting device 20 can easily be placed into a compact configuration. One example of a collapsing method is shown in Figs. 4 and 5. As shown in Fig. 4, once removed from the frame 12, the backlighting device 20 can be folded 76, 78 along the fold lines 74, 72, and then subsequently rolled 80 transversally as shown in Fig. 5. Alternately, other collapsing methods can be used, either with the illustrated embodiment or in alternate embodiments.

[0030] It will be understood that the embodiment described herein and illustrated is given for exemplary purposes. Variants and alternate embodiments which fall within the scope of the invention can be readily devised by persons skilled in the art from reading the specification. To give an additional example to those provided above, in alternate embodiments, the support sheet can be made of plastic and be Tollable but non-foldable, instead of being made of a fabric as described above. Therefore, the scope is indicated not by the illustrated embodiment but by the appended claims.

Claims

WHAT IS CLAIMED IS:

1. A backlighting device for backlighting a translucent frontal display panel mounted on a front side of an expanded frame having at least one rectangular cell having diagonally- extending frame components in an X shape when in an expanded configuration, the backlighting device comprising :

a support sheet mountable onto a rear side of the frame and having a light- reflective surface on a front face thereof, for facing the frontal display; and at least one set of two elongated light sources both made integral to the support sheet on the front face thereof, parallel to one another and oriented in one of a vertical and a horizontal orientation, and both being equally offset from a center of the X-shape when the support sheet is mounted to the frame in a manner that every portion of the frontal display panel which is shadowed from any one of the two elongated light sources by the diagonally-extending frame components is illuminated by the other one of the two elongated light sources during use.

2. The backlighting device of claim 1 wherein the support sheet covers two or more aligned and adjacent ones of the cells of the frame, and wherein one of said at least one set of two elongated light sources is provided on the support sheet for each one of the X-shapes corresponding to the two or more aligned and adjacent ones of the cells.

3. The backlighting device of claim 2 wherein the two elongated light sources are oriented in an orientation of alignment of adjacent ones of the cells.

4. The backlighting device of claim 3 wherein the support sheet is flexible and the backlighting device can be folded along fold lines located between adjacent ones of the sets of light sources and subsequently transversally rolled.

5. The backlighting device of claim 1 wherein the elongated light sources are collectively connectable to a power source with a single connector.

6. The backlighting device of claim 1 wherein the two elongated light sources are vertically oriented.

7. The backlighting device of claim 1 wherein the support sheet with the at least one set of two elongated light sources can be rolled once dismounted from the frame for transportation and storage.

8. The backlighting device of claim 1 wherein the elongated light sources are fluorescent tubes.

9. The backlighting device of claim 1 wherein the support sheet has attachments for suspending to the frame.

10. The backlighting device of claim 1 wherein the support sheet has magnets on edges thereof for mounting to the frame.

11. The backlighting device of claim 1 wherein the elongated light sources are each equally interspaced from both the center of the X-shape and a corresponding edge of a corresponding cell.

12. The backlighting device of claim 1 wherein the each of the generally square cells have about 30 inches in width and height, about 10 inches depth, and wherein the elongated light sources are offset from the center of the X-shape by about 8 inches.

13. A backlighting display system comprising;

a display frame having an expanded configuration, the display frame in the expanded configuration having a front face and a rear face, spaced apart from the front face, and having a frame spacing therebetween, and a plurality of cubicles defined therein, each cubicle having a vertically extending center line and diagonally extending frame components having a section extending on each side of the vertically extending center line; a backlighting panel securable to the rear face of the display frame when in the expanded configuration, the backlighting panel having a light reflective face orientable towards the front face of the display frame when secured thereto; and

at least two light connectors in at least one of the cubicles and secured to the light reflective face of the backlighting panel and each being aligned on a respective side of the vertically extending center line of the at least one of the cubicles.

14. A backlighting display system as claimed in claim 13, further comprising light sources engageable with each light connectors.

15. A backlighting display system as claimed in claim 14, wherein the light sources are at least one of an elongated light source, a light tube, and a fluorescent tube.

16. A backlighting display system as claimed in claim 15, wherein the light sources are substantially vertically extending when mounted to the backlighting display system.

17. A backlighting display system as claimed in claim 13, further comprising a display panel securable to the front face of the display frame in the expanded configuration thereof.

18. A backlighting display system as claimed in claim 17, wherein the display panel is translucent.

19. A backlighting display system as claimed in claim 13, wherein the light reflective face is white.

20. The backlighting device of claim 1 wherein the elongated light sources are each equally interspaced from both the center of the X-shape and a corresponding edge of a corresponding cell.

21. A method of backlighting a translucent frontal display mounted on a front side of an expanded pop-up frame having at least one rectangular cell having diagonally-extending frame components generally defining an X shape, the method comprising illuminating the frontal display with at least one set of two parallel elongated light sources located behind the X shape of one of the at least one rectangular cell cells, both elongated light sources being in one of a horizontal and a vertical orientation, the elongated light sources each being equally offset from a center- line of the X shape on respective sides, and being equally offset from the center of the X in a manner that portions of the frontal display shadowed from any one of the two elongated light by the X-shape are illuminated by the other of the two elongated light sources.

22. The method of claim 21 wherein the step of illuminating includes illuminating from two or more sets of said at least one set of two parallel elongated light sources, each one of the two or more sets corresponding to one of the at least one rectangular cell.

23. The method of claim 21 wherein the elongated light sources are oriented vertically.