Apparatus and method of indirectly illuminating a sign

Claim 3

A method as defined in claim 1, wherein the housing defines a rectangular enclosure, and comprising the steps of mounting the substrate on only one side of the rectangular enclosure, transmitting light from the solid-state lamps on said substrate along an unobstructed path into the cavity, reflecting the light within the cavity off the at least one first and second reflective surfaces, and in turn illuminating the cavity to thereby illuminate the display.

Claim 4

A method as defined in claim 1, comprising the step of mounting a substrate in the form of a printed circuit board having a plurality of light emitting diodes thereon to the wall of the housing and generally perpendicular to the display, and transmitting the light from the light-emitting diodes along an unobstructed path into the cavity, reflecting the light off the at least one first and second reflective surfaces and in turn illuminating the cavity and display.

Claim 5

A method as defined in claim 1, comprising the step of providing the at least one first reflective surface and the at least one second reflective surface each on a respective side of the housing forming the cavity.

Claim 8

A method as defined in claim 5, comprising the step of providing the at least one first reflective surface on a wall of the housing forming the cavity and facing the display, and the at least one second reflective surface on a wall of the housing forming the cavity and facing the light emitting diodes.

Claim 9

A method as defined in claim 5, further comprising the step of providing at least one third reflective surface on an interior side of the display facing the at least one first non-curvilinear reflective surface, and further reflecting the light within the cavity off the at least one third reflective surface to thereby illuminate the cavity and display.

Claim 10

An illuminated sign assembly, comprising: a housing including a plurality of sides, and a display located on a side of the housing, the display including indicia defined by at least one translucent portion to permit the passage of light therethrough for viewing the indicia; a circuit board mounted on a side of the housing adjoining the side of the display, the circuit board being oriented approximately perpendicular to the display; a plurality of light emitting diodes mounted on the circuit board emitting light therefrom within the housing; at least one first approximately planar reflective surface within the housing spaced apart from and facing the display; at least one second approximately planar reflective surface within the housing spaced apart from and facing the plurality of light emitting diodes, wherein the at least one first and at least one second approximately planar reflective surfaces and the display form a cavity defining an unobstructed path receiving light transmitted by the diodes, and the light within the cavity is reflected off the approximately planar reflective surfaces illuminating the cavity and in turn illuminating the display.

Claim 11

An illuminated sign assembly, comprising: a housing including a plurality of sides, and a display located on a side of the housing, the display including indicia defined by at least one translucent portion to permit the passage of light therethrough for viewing the indicia; a circuit board mounted on a side of the housing adjoining the side of the display, the circuit board being oriented approximately perpendicular to the display; a plurality of light emitting diodes mounted on the circuit board emitting light therefrom within the housing; at least one first approximately planar reflective surface within the housing spaced apart from and facing the display; at least one second approximately planar reflective surface within the housing spaced apart from and facing the plurality of light emitting diodes, wherein the at least one first and at least one second approximately planar reflective surfaces and the display form a cavity defining an unobstructed path receiving light transmitted by the diodes, and the light within the cavity is reflected off the approximately planar reflective surfaces illuminating the cavity and in turn illuminating the display.

Claim 12

An illuminated sign assembly as defined in claim 8, wherein the at least one first approximately planar reflective surface and the at least one second approximately planar reflective surface are each formed by a reflector member mounted within the housing.

Claim 13

An illuminated sign assembly as defined in claim 9, wherein the reflector member defines a first approximately planar portion forming the first reflective surface, and a second approximately planar portion oriented at an angle of less than 180° relative to the first portion and forming the second reflective surface.

Claim 14

An illuminated sign assembly as defined in claim 8, wherein the at least one first approximately planar reflective surface is formed by a wall defining a first side of the housing, and the at least one second approximately planar reflective surface is formed by a wall defining a second side of the housing.

Claim 15

An illuminated sign assembly, comprising: a housing including a plurality of sides, and a display located on a side of the housing, the display including indicia defined by at least one translucent portion to permit the passage of light therethrough for viewing the indicia; a plurality of light emitting diodes; means for mounting the plurality of light emitting diodes on a side of the housing adjoining the side of the display, the means for mounting being oriented approximately perpendicular to the display; and means defining a cavity forming an unobstructed path for receiving the light emitted from the plurality of diodes, and for reflecting the light from the diodes into the cavity to thereby illuminate the cavity and the display, said means including at least one first non-curvilinear reflective surface within the housing spaced apart from and facing the display, and at least one second non-curvilinear reflective surface within the housing spaced apart from and facing the light emitting diodes, wherein the at least one first and at least one second non-curvilinear reflective surfaces and the display form the cavity defining the unobstructed path receiving light transmitted by the diodes, and the light within the cavity is reflected off the non-curvilinear reflective surfaces illuminating the cavity and in turn illuminating the display.

Claim 16

An illuminated sign assembly, comprising: a housing including a plurality of sides, and a display located on a side of the housing, the display including indicia defined by at least one translucent portion to permit the passage of light therethrough for viewing the indicia; a plurality of light emitting diodes; means for mounting the plurality of light emitting diodes on a side of the housing adjoining the side of the display, the means for mounting being oriented approximately perpendicular to the display; and means defining a cavity forming an unobstructed path for receiving the light emitted from the plurality of diodes, and for reflecting the light from the diodes into the cavity to thereby illuminate the cavity and the display, said means including at least one first non-curvilinear reflective surface within the housing spaced apart from and facing the display, and at least one second non-curvilinear reflective surface within the housing spaced apart from and facing the light emitting diodes, wherein the at least one first and at least one second non-curvilinear reflective surfaces and the display form the cavity defining the unobstructed path receiving light transmitted by the diodes, and the light within the cavity is reflected off the non-curvilinear reflective surfaces illuminating the cavity and in turn illuminating the display.

Claim 17

An illuminated sign assembly as defined in claim 12, wherein the means for mounting includes a circuit board.

Claim 18

An illuminated sign assembly as defined in claim 12, wherein the at least one first non-curvilinear reflective surface is formed by a first side of the housing, and the at least one second non-curvilinear reflective surface is formed by a second side of the housing.

Claim 19

An illuminated sign assembly as defined in claim 12, wherein the at least one first non-curvilinear reflective surface and the at least one second non-curvilinear reflective surface are each formed by a reflector member mounted within the housing.

Claim 20

An illuminated sign assembly as defined in claim 8, wherein the at least one first approximately planar reflective surface is formed by a panel facing the display, and extends across approximately an entire side of the panel facing the display.

Claim 21

An illuminated sign assembly as defined in claim 8, wherein the at least one second approximately planar reflective surface is formed by a panel facing the plurality of light emitting diodes, and extends across approximately an entire side of the panel facing the diodes.

Claim 22

An illuminated sign assembly as defined in claim 8, wherein the at least one second approximately planar reflective surface extends substantially entirely between the at least one first approximately planar reflective surface and the display.