Abstrict An "EXIT" sign utilizes a flat fluorescent lamp for illuminating
the word "EXIT" through a stencil. The sign also includes
a phosphorescent material which cooperates with the stencil to display
the word "EXIT" when power to the lamp is cut.
Claims What is claimed is:
1. An emergency exit sign comprising:
a stencil with the term "EXIT" formed by openings therethrough;
a single, flat electro-luminescent lamp disposed behind the stencil
to provide illumination through the stencil; the electro-luminescent
lamp being opaque with respect to one side and being of unitary
construction; the lamp comprising a lamination including a steel
substrate, a layer of phosphors on the steel substrate and a layer
of glass over the phosphors to seal the phosphors between the layer
of glass and substrate, the lamination further including an electrode
spaced from the substrate and connected to a first lead and a second
lead connected to the substrate wherein the lamp glows when AC line
current is applied to the leads, and
a layer of translucent phosphorescent material juxtaposed with
the lamp and aligned with the opening through the stencil, the phosphorescent
material being energized by the lamp and continuing to glow when
power to the lamp is cut;
whereby, a flat, inexpensive exit sign is provided which has improved
longetivity while consuming minimal electrical power.
2. The emergency exit sign of claim 1 wherein the phosphorescent
material is in a translucent sheet disposed between the stencil
and lamp.
3. The emergency exist sign of claim 1 wherein the phosphorescent
material is disposed with the phosphors used in the lamp.
Description BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Almost all public buildings are required to have signs identifying
emergency exits. These signs are generally rectangles and are perhaps
12 inches long and eight inches high. The dimensions may vary depending
on the code or standard governing the size of the signs.
Most of these signs are illuminated by incandescent lamps. In order
to illuminate the entire sign, two 20-watt lamps are usually required.
Most fire codes require that the signs be lit continuously while
the building is occupied. Since many public buildings have numerous
exits, a single building may have lieterally hundreds of signs consuming
thousands of kilowatts of electricity per year. In addition, the
signs generate heat which must be removed during the air conditioning
season. Since the signs are located near ceilings, the heat input
during the heating season is minimized because the heat input therefrom
is conducted and convected along the floors to the exterior walls
of the building. Moreover, at least one of the emergency exit lightbulbs
can be expected to burn out during the course of the year. When
a building has hundreds of emergency exit signs, the cost of replacing
these bulbs can be quite high. When one consdiers the cost of the
bulbs themselves, they are expensive (as is the cost of the labor
required to replace the bulb). One inventor who has studied this
problem, Emanuel L. Logan, Jr., estimates that each emergency exit
sign costs between $70 and $ 120 per year to operate and maintain.
In view of these considerations, a new type of emergency exit sign
which is inexpensive to operate and maintain is needed.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In view of the aforementioned considerations, it is a feature of
the instant invention to provide a new and improved emergency exit
sign which is inexpensive to purchase, operate and maintain and
which has a relatively long life.
In view of this feature, the instant invention contemplates an
emergency exit sign which includes a flat electro-illuminescent
panel and a stencil defining the word "EXIT" disposed
over the panel. The exit sign further includes a phosphorescent
material which is energized in part by the flat lamp and remains
lit even when the flat lamp is extinguished, whereby the sign is
visible when power to the flat lamp is cut.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a front view of an emergency exit sign in accordance
with the principles of the instant invention with the word "EXIT
displayed."
FIG. 2 is an exploded view showing the lamination which forms the
exit sign of FIG. 1.
FIG. 3 is a planar view of an EL lamp used with the exit sign of
FIGS. 1 and 2.
FIG. 4 is a section taken along Line 4-4 of FIG. 3.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
Referring now to the drawings, FIG. 1 shows an exit sign, designated
generally by the numeral 10 wherein the exit sign is approximately
eight inches high and 12 inches in length. The word "EXIT"
is defined by a stencil 11 that has cutouts 12 therein forming the
word "EXIT". The word "EXIT" is illuminated
by a flat lamp, designed by the numeral 13 (See FIGS. 2 3 and 4)
which shines through the openings 12 in the stencil 11.
The flat lamp 13 keeps the exit sign 10 lit as long as there is
power to the lamp. When power to the lamp 13 is cut, the exit sign
in accordance with the instant invention remains visible because
the word "EXIT" is still defined by phosphorescent material.
In accordance with one embodiment of the invention, the stencil
11 may be coated with a phosphorescent material which glows in the
dark due to light energy absorbed in the phosphorescent material
when the lamp was lit.
In accordance with another embodiment of the invention, the exit
sign 10 remains visible in the dark because the phosphorescent material
is dispersed in the phosphers which are used in the lamp 13.
In accordance with the embodiment of the invention shown in FIG.
2 the word "EXIT" remains visible even though power to
the lamp 13 is interrupted because a vinyl sheet 14 encapsulating
or impregnated with phosphorescent material 14 is sandwiched between
the stencil 12 and flat lamp 13. In the embodiment of FIG. 2 the
phosphorescent material may be a one which is energized by both
light in the room and by the lamp 13 disposed behind the sheet 14.
Even though the sheet 14 is not transparent but is merely translucent,
it has been found that light in the flat lamp 13 is transmitted
through the phosphorescent material in the sheet 14 and word "EXIT"
remains as visible as it is when the insert is not present.
A preferred flat lamp in shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 wherein a steel
substrate 20 has a layer of phosphors 21 thereon sealed by a layer
of glass 22. The steel plate 20 forms a first electrode and is attached
to a lead 23. A second electrode 25 is formed by a ribbon metal
which is laid on top of the phosphors 21 in space relation to the
metal plate 20. The conductor 25 is connected to a lead 26. The
leads 26 and 23 are connected to regular AC line current. When current
is applied, the lamp 13 glows. This type of lamp is manufactured
by the Potter Electronics Company of Charlotte, N.C. and was developed
and invented by a David Emitt.
Another type of lamp that may be utilized uses a flexible substrate
of plastic material which has a layer of foil on it. The entire
lamp is encapsulated in a clear plastic resin. The flexible lamp
tends to the more expensive and may not have a life as long as the
aforedescribed rigid lamp shown in FIGS. 3 and 4.
A lamp configured in accordance with the aforedescribed disclosure
is expected to have a life of five to seven years and consumes perhaps
one-hundredth of the electrical power consumed by emergency exit
signs which are now in use. In accordance with the calculations
of Emanuel L. Logan, Jr., such a sign will cost approxiamtely 70
cents per year to maintain and operate instead of $70-$120. Moreover,
such sign will not burn out for a number of years, perhaps five
years. In addition, the sign in accordance with the instant invention
is inexpensive to manufacture, and install, and is therefore competitive
in price with signs currently on the market. |