US4673609A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Unidirectional panel
Assignee: Contra Vision Ltd
•
Filing: 1985-07-29
•
Granted: 1987-06-16
•
Expires: 2005-07-29
Abstract
Abstract A panel which comprises a substrate of transparent or translucent material having applied to one or both sides a design superimposed on, or forming part of, an opaque pattern so that the design on one side of the panel cannot be seen from the other side.
Inventors
- 👤 George R. Hill
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-27 13:07
CPC Classifications
G; G09; G09F; G09F7/00; B; B32; B32B; B32B17/00; B32B17/06; B32B17/10; B32B17/10005; B32B17/10165; B32B17/10247; B44; B44C; B44C1/00; B44C1/10; B44C1/105; B44C1/16; B44C1/165; B44C1/17; B44C3/00; B44C3/005; B44C3/02; B44C5/00; B44C5/04; B44C5/0446; B44F; B44F1/00; B44F1/06; B44F1/08; B44F1/10; G09F13/00; E; E06; E06B; E06B9/00; E06B9/24; Y; Y10; Y10T; Y10T428/00; Y10T428/24; Y10T428/24058; Y10T428/24273; Y10T428/24281; Y10T428/24289; Y10T428/24298; Y10T428/24306; Y10T428/24314; Y10T428/24322; Y10T428/24331; Y10T428/24479; Y10T428/24595; Y10T428/24603; Y10T428/24628; Y10T428/24736; Y10T428/24752; Y10T428/24769; Y10T428/24802; Y10T428/24851; Y10T428/24868; Y10T428/24876; Y10T428/24893; Y10T428/24909
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 30
Claim 1
Independent Claim
81 words
A panel comprising: a sheet of light permeable material; and a design formed on said sheet, said design visible from one side of the panel and not visible from the other side of the panel, said design being superimposed on or forming a part of a silhouette pattern and wherein said design is decreasingly perceptible from the side of the panel from which said design is normally visible as the level of illumination through the panel from the other side increases.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
81 words
A panel comprising: a sheet of light permeable material; and a design formed on said sheet, said design visible from one side of the panel and not visible from the other side of the panel, said design being superimposed on or forming a part of a silhouette pattern and wherein said design is decreasingly perceptible from the side of the panel from which said design is normally visible as the level of illumination through the panel from the other side increases.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
47 words
A panel as claimed in claim 1 further comprising: a second design visible from said other side of the panel and not visible from said one side of the panel, said design and said second design being superimposed on or forming a part of said silhouette pattern.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
76 words
A panel as claimed in claim 1 wherein clarity of vision is provided from the one side to the other side of the panel through the area covered by said silhouette pattern without said design and not through the area covered by said silhouette pattern with said design; and wherein clarity of vision is provided through the panel from the other side to the one side, the non-patterned areas permitting any desired amount of light transmission.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
47 words
A panel as claimed in claim 1, wherein visibility from one side to the other side is totally obstructed over the area covered by said silhouette pattern and said design; and clarity of vision is provided through the panel from the other side to the one side.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
66 words
A panel as claimed in claim 1, wherein clarity of vision is provided from the one side to the other side of the panel through the area covered by the silhouette pattern and not through the area covered by the design; and visibility from the other side to the one side is totally or partially obstructed, the non-patterned areas permitting any amount of desired light transmission.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
40 words
A panel as claimed in claim 1, wherein clarity of vision through the panel from either side is totally or partially obstructed over the area covered by the silhouette pattern, the non-patterned areas permitting any amount desired of light transmission.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
76 words
A panel as claimed in claim 2, wherein clarity of vision is provided from the one side to the other side of the panel through the area covered by the silhouette pattern and not through the area covered by said design; and clarity of vision is provided from the other side to the one side of the panel through the area covered by the silhouette pattern and not through the area covered by said second design.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
33 words
A panel as claimed in claim 2, wherein clarity of vision through the panel from either side of the panel is totally or partially obstructed over the area covered by the silhouette pattern.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
67 words
A panel as claimed in claim 2, wherein visibility through the panel from one side to the other side is totally or partially obstructed over the area covered by the silhouette pattern; and clarity of vision is provided from the other side to the one side of the panel over the area covered by the silhouette pattern but not through the area covered by the second design.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
34 words
A panel as claimed in claim 2, wherein means is provided for reflecting the design on the other side so that said design and said second design can be seen from the one side.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
14 words
A panel as claimed in claim 1, wherein the light permeable material is colorless.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
72 words
A panel as claimed in claim 1, wherein said design and/or said silhouette pattern is substantially imperceptible from the side of the panel from which said design and/or said silhouette pattern is normally visible when the level of illumination transmitted through the panel from the other side of the panel substantially exceeds the light reflected from the side of the panel from which said design and/or said silhouette pattern is normally visible.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
33 words
A panel as claimed in claim 1, wherein the design is arranged such that an observer can selectively see the design or see through the panel in the area covered by the design.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
17 words
A panel as claimed in claim 1, wherein the silhouette pattern comprises a plurality of opaque areas.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
17 words
A panel as claimed in claim 1, wherein the design is only applied to the silhouette pattern.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
17 words
A panel as claimed in claim 1, wherein the silhouette pattern is directly applied to the panel.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
22 words
A panel as claimed in claim 1, wherein a design is located in a layer intermediate the silhouette pattern and the panel.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
25 words
A panel as claimed in claim 1, wherein at least part of said silhouette pattern is a different color on at least one side thereof.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
173 words
A glazing assembly comprising: a first panel of light permeable material; a second panel of light permeable material; at least one design formed on said first panel, said design visible from one side of said first panel and not visible from the other side of said first panel, said design being superimposed on or forming a part of a silhouette pattern and wherein said design is decreasingly perceptible from the one side of the first panel as the level of illumination through the panel from the other side of the first panel increases; and at least one second design formed on said second panel, said second design visible from one side of said second panel and not visible from the other side of said second panel, said second design being superimposed on or forming a part of said silhouette pattern and wherein said second design is decreasingly perceptible from the one side of the second panel as the level of illumination through the panel from the other side of the second panel increases.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
173 words
A glazing assembly comprising: a first panel of light permeable material; a second panel of light permeable material; at least one design formed on said first panel, said design visible from one side of said first panel and not visible from the other side of said first panel, said design being superimposed on or forming a part of a silhouette pattern and wherein said design is decreasingly perceptible from the one side of the first panel as the level of illumination through the panel from the other side of the first panel increases; and at least one second design formed on said second panel, said second design visible from one side of said second panel and not visible from the other side of said second panel, said second design being superimposed on or forming a part of said silhouette pattern and wherein said second design is decreasingly perceptible from the one side of the second panel as the level of illumination through the panel from the other side of the second panel increases.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
18 words
An assembly as claimed in claim 19, wherein said first panel and said second panel are relatively movable.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
89 words
A method of making a panel as claimed in claim 1 which has at least one sheet and a design formed on said sheet which is visible from one side of the panel and not from the other, including the steps of: printing a silhouette pattern of discreet print elements on the panel; and printing a design of discreet print elements on the panel, the location of the discreet elements of said design corresponding to the location of at least some of the discreet elements of said silhouette pattern.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
65 words
A method of making a panel as claimed in claim 21 wherein said step of printing a silhouette pattern and the step of printing a design includes: adhering a first layer to the panel having cut-out portions in predetermined positions; and adhering a second layer over said first layer, said second layer being removable from the exposed panel portions but not from said first layer.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
32 words
A method of making a panel as claimed in claim 21 wherein the steps of printing a silhouette pattern and printing a design comprise: depositing the silhouette pattern and design by transfer.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
34 words
A method of making a panel as claimed in claim 21, wherein said step of printing said silhouette pattern includes applying a stencil to the panel; and coating a marking material on the panel.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
46 words
A method of making a panel as claimed in claim 1 21, wherein said steps of printing said silhouette pattern and said design include applying a marking material to the panel; and removing portions of said marking material to leave the desired design and silhouette pattern.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim
17 words
A method as claimed in claim 25, wherein part of said marking material is removed by etching.
Claim 29
Dependent Claim
39 words
A method as claimed in claim 25, wherein part of said marking material is removed by applying a sheet over the said part of the marking material, said sheet adhering to said marking material; and removing the applied sheet.
Claim 30
Dependent Claim
38 words
A method as claimed in claim 21 wherein the steps of printing the silhouette pattern and the design include applying a cut sheet to the panel, said design and said silhouette pattern being formed in said cut sheet.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
US1199882A
Cited
US1938085A
Cited
US2009167A
Cited
US2107141A
Cited
US2327918A
Cited
US3085474A
Cited
US3560093A
Cited
US3652370A
Cited
US3694945A
Cited
US3953625A
Cited
US3961434A
Cited
US4102101A
Cited
US4167839A
Cited
US4321778A
Cited
US4447995A
Cited
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1990-06-15 | 1990-12-15 | 1991-06-16 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1994-06-15 | 1994-12-15 | 1995-06-16 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1998-06-15 | 1998-12-15 | 1999-06-16 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |