Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
Ref.:85-31. Can.Pat.Appl. 485 883.
Illuminated Canopy Ridge.
The present invention relates to an illuminated canopy ridge mainly to
be used for the forecourt of petrol stations, and suitable as an eave-
lath, forming a mark of recognition by its illumination.
Light beacons and illuminated troughs, partly or entirely made of
inorganic or organic glass, in supporting profiles are already known;
such means are illuminated in a conventional way by a series of bulb
lamps or by discharge tubes.
British Patent 1 269 638 discloses an illuminated display sign comprising
a trough containing a fluorescent light tube mounted in a support.
The known lamp is protected by a flat strip of translucent material,
which acts as a light diffusing element.
Flat side wall parts are located to the rear of the lamp as integral
parts, giving reflection of the light.
The known trough is closed by a flat panel of a translucent acrylic material
and a second front panel hinged or detachably secured to form a display
surface.
There was a need for a distingulshable mark of recognition for the large
ridges of the roo~s of petrol stations.
For these reasons the traffic authorities have issued regulations with
which these installations should comply relating to the light intensity,
with respect to the warrant of a safe road traf~ic and nevertheless to
fulfil the purpose.
Experiments have been carried out to investigate in which manner the canopy
roof ridges of petrol stations and the like along highways could be
illuminated efficiently and yet without ha~ards for the traffic, and
eventually a construction has been invented which complies with all
obligatory requirements.
It has appeared in the course of the development that the conventional
and usual canopy ridge illumination systéms do not bring about an even
illumination, that the colours and~headings became unequal and ugly
by the influence of sun rays, the electrical illumination, heat, rain
and winds, and that the customary way of mounting fluorescent discharge
tube lamps always gave rise to interferences and troubles as a result
of the exposure to wind and weather, causing the dropping
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of parts of the illumination and glittering or flash-
ing of the system in a very disturbing way, and that
the energy consumption is usually too high.
These disadvantages could be overcome by a
construction of the canopy ridge and illumination
system according to the present invention.
For an appropriate luminosity of the canopy
ridge it is advantageous that energy consumption of
the tubes is selected depending on the colour desired,
and since the energy consumed is dependent on the tube
length, it is preferable that series of tubes of limited
length are used in the system.
While in conventional systems 200 Watts per
metre are used, the present system uses 40 Watts per
metre.
The invention provides an illuminated canopy
ridge adapted for use as an eave-lath. The canopy
ridge comprises a housing of rectangular cross-section
which contains a plurality of cylindrical fluorescent
tube lamps mounted co-axially, each in a support. Each
lamp is protected only over its light-emitting parts by
a U-shaped cover which is clamped into the support.
Each cover is of translucent material and is closed at
its end adjacent the contact ends of the tube it covers.
- 25 The canopy also includes at least one flat reflecting
screen mounted in the housing at an angle to~the back
wall of the housing. The housing is closed by a front
p;anel of a transparent plastics material which is
adapted to form a surface providing a mark of recong-
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The reflecting screen is preferably mounted
at an angle of 45 to the horizontal.
The translucent material is preferably poly-
carbonate ("Makrolon", registered trade mark of sayer),
which is sufficiently resistant against temperature
changes and influences of radiation.
The front panel of the housing is preferably
a flat shield of weather-proof polymethyl metacrylate
("Plexiglas", registered trade mark of Rohm & Haas,
or "Perspex", registered trade mark of I.C.I.).
The front side of the illuminated panel can
be provided with coloured planes of translucent adhe-
sive film which provides a mark of recognition, having
a matt surface.
Such indications, or mar]cs can adhere to
acrylate glass better than to paint surfaces, and no
stripping off o:E the letter-indications has been
observed.
The light intensity of coloured light is
dependent on the colour or wavelength of the light.
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Yellow light f`or the present application yields up to 350 Lux,
but red light only to 35 Lux.
The r~rlecting screen prererably consists of several flat parts
ol` smooth rectan~ular white material, such as white coated metal
or impact-resistant plastic.
In accordance with the li~ht intensities and luminosity the screens
s~ ll be placed in ~n oblique positiorl of about 45 such that
normally there will be a higher intensity at the lower side, but by
positioning the screens adjacently with an angle of 45 it is also
possible to obtain the higher light intensity at higher, lower or
c~ntral parts of the c~nopy ridge, ir ~0 desired.
It is Or importance that the contact ends of the tubes which do not
emit liKht are not cov~red by the said U-shaped cover, which is
protecting the light-emitting parts of the tubes.
1~ Ln this manner an equal translucency over the entire length of the
~eries Or fluorescent tubes will be obtained in fact.
The construction accordirlg to the invention is further explained on
the basis of the cnclo:ed schematic drawings.
or these drawings, figures 1-3 show vertical cross sections of
.'~ canopy rid~es according to the invention.
Fi~ure 4 shows a horizontal cross section o~ the same construction.
I;`i~ur~ 5 StlOWS ;l vertical cross ~ection of th~ ht source in the
rorm as used according to the invention.
F'i~ure 6 shows a horiæontal section of the llght source only.
;`h l`he indicatilll~ numbers are iderltic~l in the drawings and r~present
the I`ollowin~:
ll~ is the support profile of the trough, (2) i9 the illuminated
rront plane, (3) is the bottom plane, (4) are the supports with
fluore9cent tube lamps (5), while (6) are the U-shaped covers
3() which are separated at the spot (7), and (8) are the reflecting
screens in the rear of the tubes, mounted in an oblique position
under an angle of about 45 .
The trough may comprise either one or two levels of screen flats (8),
either at the upper side or at the lower side or at both sides.
3~ Long term tests have shown that this canopy ridge illumination
will not be da~zling and wiIl remain visible at a fair distance,
such that it is noticed in time by the fast traffic, and further-
more that the illumination remains evenly and is not prone to
A dlsturbancesI.
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As alternative embodiments, the fluorescent tube lamps (5) may be
coloured as required, and the translucent U-shaped covers (6) may
be translucently coloured as well, while the reflecting screens (8)
may be made of plain coloured material in order to intensify the
coloured light if so desired.
For special effects several fluorescent tube lamps (5) may be
arranged parallel to each other in one trough while each of said
tube lamps is backed with a reflecting screen part (8).
For example, blue light may be used to "whiten" parts of an illumi-
nated sign.
In the same way certain selected areas of the U-shaped translucent
covers (6) may constitute filters responsive to liKht of preselected
wave lengths.
One of the most spectacular advantages of the system is the saving
of costs because only about 1/5 of the electrical energy of conven-
tional fluorescent tube illuminations is consumed.
The construction according to the invention is particularly appro-
priate for petrol tations but can also be a practical solution for
shops, such as souvenir and stationary shops, bus stations, railway
and air traffic offices, etcetera.
(Claims).
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