Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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An object of the present invention is the elimination
of re~lections on ~he front surface o~ an optically transparent
window in front of a display particularly in the application
of diyital display readouts employed on ships, aircxaft where
reflections are ever present from the sun and water.
A further object is ~o elim m ate ambient light
reflections otherwise visible when viewing information displays.
A further object of the present invention is the
provision o a casement mounting encompassing liyht emitting
or non-light emitting ~argets to eliminate ambient light `~
reflection interference.
~ still further ob~ect of the present invention is
the interposing of a shielding means haviny a non-reflective
light absoxbing surface to restrict the viewing angle to
thereby accentua~e the visibility of the target presentations
A still further object of the present invention is
to eliminate the an~iguity of certain signallin~ displays that
sometimes appear to be on, even when they are of, due to-the
xe1ection of high ambient light sources. All experienced
automobile drivers have experienced difficulty in determining
whether a traffic signal is on or off when direct sunlight is
being reflected off the signal.
With the foregoing and other obiects in view the
invention will be more fully described hereinafter and more
particularly pointed out in the appended claims.
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In the drawings in which like parts are denoted by
reference characters throughout the several views:
Figure 1 is a front elevational view of a controlled
reflection readout casement having a light emitting digital
display mounted for viewing therein.
Figure 2 is a vertical section of the casement of
Figure 1 taken on the lines 2-2 in Figure 1.
Figure 3 is a perspective view of a pocket computer
having the controlled reflection readout of the present
invention about its light emitting digital display.
Figure 4 is a vertical section of the light emitting
digital display portion of the computer of Figure 3, taken
at an enlarged scale.
Figure 5 is a perspective view of a digital wrist
watch casement constructed in accordance with the present
invention.
Figure 6 is a side elevational view of the watch
casement of Figure 5 with parts broken away and parts shown
in section.
Figure 7 is a perspective view of a digital clock
constructed in accordance with the present invention.
Figure 8 is a vertical sectional view taken on the
line 8-8 in Figure 7.
Figure 9 is a front perspective view of the light
emitting controlled reflection readout display of the present
invention as applied to instrument rac~ assembly of readouts.
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Figure 10 is a side elevational view of a console
and observer viewing the light emitting information readout
of the present invention.
Figure 11 is a side elevational view of a tra~fic
signal constructed in accordance with the present invention.
Figure 12 is a side elevational view of a motor
starter panel indicating light casement constructed in
accordance with the present invention.
Figure 13 is a perspective view of the casement of
Figure 12.
Figure 14 is a side elevational view of a tel~vision
receiver casement constructed in accordance with the present
invention.
Figure 15 is a perspective view of the casement of
Figure 14.
Figures 16 and 17 are reflection schematics of the
present invention.
Figure 18 is a side elevational view with parts
broken away showing a further modification of a casement,
target and specular transparent surface in accordance with
the present invention.
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Referring now to the drawings, 10 designates a
casement having an angular aepression 11 in its front or
readout face 12. The readout face 12 is at an angle of the
oraer of 25 to 80 relative to the front plane of the front
cover 13 of the casement 10. The upper surface 14 of the
depression ~efines a blocking shield to prohibit reading the
digital display 15 directly on or at an angle of 90 thereto.
A drip lip 14A is proviaed to Xeep rain or water spray from
entering the casement depression and fouling the optically
specular transparent window 16 which is parallel to and in
front of the digital display. The digital display 15 has a
connector 17 and printed circuit board 17 for controlling the
digital presentation -
One of the-preerred-forms-of the invention--f-inds
application aboard sail boats or power boats where the
helmsman steers the boat from the readings presented by the
digital display and it is important to eliminate reflections
from the s~n and water to accentuate the visibility of the
lights in the digital display and render them sharp and vivid.
Ideally the entire front cover 13 has a non-reflective
surface.
Referring now to Figures 3 and 4, 20 designates a
portable calculator having a digital readout 21 viewable
through an optical~y transparent window 22. Forwardly of and
above the window 22 is a shield 23 which cooperates with the
angular positioning of the digital display and its parallel
optically transparent window to render the digital readout
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incapable of bein.g read straight on or with the line of
vision at a right angle to the window 22 to thereby eliminate
reflections of external objects from the surface of winaow
22. The angular positioning of the window 22 and digital
display is the same 25 to 80 as shown in Figure 2.
Referring now to Figures 5 and 6, lOA designates
a watch casement having an angular aepression llA in its
front or reaaout face 12A. The readout face is at an angle
of the order of 25 to 80 relative to the front plane of
the front cover 13A of the casement lOA. The upper surface
14A of the aepression defines a blocking shield to prohibit
reading the light emitting digital display 15A directly or
on an angle of 90 thereto. An optically transparent window
16A is parallel to and in front of the light emitting digital
display 15~. The blocking shield 14A has a non-reflective
surface.
Referring now to Figures 7 and 8, 10B designates
a clock casement having an angular depression llB in its
front readout face 12B at an angle relative to the front plane
of the front cover 13B of the casement 10B. The upper surface
14B of the depression defines a blocking shield to prohibit
looking into the specular glass surface 16 or reading the light
emitting digital display 15B directly on or at an angle of
90 thereto. The digital display 15B has a connector 17B and
printed circuit board 18B for controlling the digital
presentation and is positioned at an angle of the order of 25
to 80 relative to the front plane 13B of the casement.
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Referring now to Figure 9, 25 designates a rack
of instruments 26 having casements lQC having an angular
aepression llC in their front or readout faceg 12C. The
readout ~ace is at an angle of the oraer of 25 to 80
relative to the front plane of the front cover 13C of the
casement lOC. The upper surface 14C of the depression defines
a blocking shield to prohibit reading the light emitting
digital or alphanumeric target 15c directly or on an angle
of 90 thereto. An optically transparent window 16C is
parallel to and in front of the light emitting dispiay or
target 15C. The blocking shield 14C has a non-reflective
surface.
Referring now to Figure 10, lOD designates a console
casement having an angular depression llD in the front of
the console 12D. The readout face 12D is at an angle o the
order of 25 to 8Q relative to the front plane of the front
cover 13D of the console lOD. .The upper surface 14D of the
depression defines a blocking shield to prohibit readïng the
light emitting information display 15D directly or on an
angle of 90 thereto. An optically specular transparent window
16D is parallel to and in front of the light emitting display
15D. The blocking shield 14D has a non-reflective surface.
The light emitting aisplay may be of the gaseous
discharge tube type or the light emitting diode type.
Referring now to the specie of the invention shown
in Figure 11, a traffic light signal casement lOE is shown
having front viewing openings llE providing for viewing a
window or specular transparent surface 22E positionea at an
angle of the order of 25 to 80, specifically in this
embodiment 40 relative to the front plane of the casement
lOE along a line of sight designatea LOS. ~ light or lamp
lSE is behind the window. Ambient light reflections are
directed from the winaow 22E onto the surface 14E and are not
reflected back into the eyes of the viewer because the surface
14E has a non-reflective surface and the angle of the specular
sur~ace 33E is such that ambient light aoes not return along
the LOS.
Referring now to Figures ~2 and 13, an operating
panel 25F having a casement lOF having an opening and angular
depression llF leading to an angularly ~isposed window or
specular surface 22F, behind which is an indicating lamp 15F~
The window 22F is at an angle of the order of 25 to 80
relative to the vertical plane of the front opening and as
shown in Figure 12 is 45.
Referring now to the species shown in Figures 14,
15, a television receiver cabinet or casement lOG is shown
having an angular depression llG in which is disposed a
cathode ray tube 15F, the front surface of which is inclined
at an angle of the order of 25 to 80 , the embodiment of
Figure 14 being 45 from the front vertical plane of the
casement lOG. The surface 22G absorbs the reflected ambient
light rays from the specular glass surface 22E of the cathoae
ray tube. The angular disposal prevents ambient light from
being reflected back along the line of sight (LOS) into the
eyes of the viewer.
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Referring now to Figures 16 and 17, a target 15H
or light emitting display is positionea behind a window 16H
which is a transparent specular member which may be either
parallel to the display 15H as shown for example in Figures
2 and 3 or may be inclined at an angle of the order of 25
to 80~ from the plane of the ~isplay for instance as shown
in Figure 18. An interposer ~2H prohibits the window 16H
from being viewed at 90 to its surface within a vertical view
sector, since at that angle specular reflection of ambient
light back to the viewer would be possible
The important feature is that the specular window
glass surface 16H is interposed at such an angle in the line
of sight from the viewing sector to the display target 15~
that specular reflection of ambient light is directed away from
the line of sight and thus does not interfere with the viewer's
sig~ting of the display target 15H, which could be an instrument
dial or needle inside a casing with a viewing window glass 16H
on the surface thereof, for example.
As shown in Figure 16, the specular transparent
window 16H need not be parallel to the target display 15H,
and the target viewing sector is limited to lie between the
front top of the interposer 22H and the bottom edge of window
16H while subtending the target display 15H. The reflected
ambient light rays are preferably absorbed by an optically
black surface 22G on the underside of the interposer 22~.
The embodiment of the invention shown in Figure 18
shows a square or rectangular casement lOJ having an interposer
~08~53LC)
22J to prohibit the specular surface 16H from being viewed
at 90 to its surface. Thus the specular transparent surface
16J reflects the ambient light rays away from the line of
sight into the interposer 22J to keep ambient rays from being
reflected back into the eyes of the viewer, so that there is
no interference or dilution of the view of target display 15J.
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