GB2278205A

GB2278205A - Producing and displaying a loop of photographic transparencies

Info

Publication number: GB2278205A
Application number: GB9309873A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Michael Richard Venables
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1993-05-13
Filing date: 1993-05-13
Publication date: 1994-11-23
Anticipated expiration: 2013-05-13
Also published as: GB9309873D0; GB2278205B

Abstract

Display apparatus comprises a casing 1 having a transparent viewing panel 2. Within the casing are a light box 3 having a light transmitting wall 4 and bobbin shaped rollers 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12 for guiding a closed loop of transparent image bearing material 14 past the light transmitting wall 4 of the light box 3 so that images on the loop 14 can be viewed through the transparent viewing panel 2 of the casing 1. The loop 14 may carry several overlapping images, wherein the trailing edge of each image is blended or diffused into the leading edge of the next following image to blend the images into each other and provide an aesthetically pleasing effect. A closed loop of material bearing photographic transparencies is produced by exposure through a rectangular mask at least some edges of which have diffuser means. <IMAGE>

Description

DISPLAY APPARATUS This invention relates to display apparatus and, more especially to display apparatus employing a light box for displaying information on a photographic transparency.

Static light box displays in which a single photographic transparency is mounted in a light box so that the light shines through the transparency to display pictorial or other information contained on the transparency to a viewer have been known for many years.

This invention provides a display apparatus comprising a loop of photographic transparency material bearing a plurality of images to be displayed and a light box associated with drive means for driving the loop of material past the light source such that the images are sequentially and continuously displayed to a viewer.

According to one aspect of the invention the apparatus comprises a light box having at least one light transmitting surface means comprising a plurality of rollers, for guiding a loop of photographic transparency bearing material past the light transmitting surface of the light box and drive means for driving at least one of said rollers for advancing said photographic transparency bearing material past the light transmitting surface(s) of the light box whereby a viewer can view in sequence the photographic images on said photographic transparency material.

The guide and drive rollers for the loop of material are preferably bobbin shaped in order to prevent undesired transverse movement of the loop and have a surface that does not abrade the image bearing area of the loop.

The driving means for the loop may simply comprise a foam surfaced roller since very little frictional engagement is required to advance the loop.

The invention also provides a method of producing a loop of material bearing photographic transparencies which comprises sequentially advancing a strip of transparent photographic image receiving material past a site at which the material is exposed to a first photographic image through a rectangular mask that at least on the edges of the mask perpendicular to the direction of the strip has diffuser means, advancing said first image by a distance such that the trail and diffused edge of the image remains inside the masked area, replacing said first image by a second image to be reproduced on the strip such that the edge within the ambit of the diffuser overlaps the diffused edge of said first image and exposing said image receiving material to said second image, continuing said image replacing, overlapping and exposing process until a desired number of images have been reproduced on the strip, and connecting the free ends of said strip to form said loop.

The free ends of said strip may be connected together by any desirable means, as by chemical welding or cementing or by adhesive tape and the end images on said strip may be connected in a butting relation or with image or non-image bearing material there between.

The invention also provides a method of displaying information which comprises passing a loop of light transparent material bearing a plurality of images continuously past the light transmitting surface of a light box.

Preferably the plurality of images on the loop are arranged such that the trailing edge of each image is blended or diffused into the leading edge of the next following image, optionally apart from the adjacent edges of the first and last images on the strip.

The invention will now be described in greater detail by way of example with reference to the drawings of which Fig.l shows diagramatically one form of apparatus according to the invention and Fig.2 shows diagramatically a loop of image bearing transparency material according to the invention.

As shown in Fig.l of the drawing one form of apparatus according to the invention comprises a casing (1) having a transparent viewing panel (2). Within the casing are a light box (3) having a light transmitting wall (4) and a plurality of bobbin shaped rollers (5), (6), (7), (8), (9), (10), (11), (12), for guiding a loop (14) of transparent image bearing material (14) past the light transmitting wall of the light box (3) so that images on the loop (14) can be viewed through the transparent viewing panel (2) of the casing (1). Of the eight rollers (5)-(12), rollers (5)-(10) are idler rollers that are mounted to be freely rotatable and to impose as little drag as possible on the loop of film.

Roller (11) is a driven roller and is driven from a motor (15) via a drive belt (16). Roller (12) is a tensioning roller.

Fig 2. shows a loop of photographic transparency bearing material for use in the apparatus. The loop (14) carries a plurality of overlapping images, only three of which (17), (18), (19) are shown. The image in the overlapping portions (20), (21) are diffused such that in the overlapping portion the images blend into each other rather than exhibit a sharp join. This provides an aesthetically pleasing effect, especially with judicious selection of the nature of the image andjor the colours of the overlapping portions.

The images borne by the loop (14) of material, may extend over the whole width of the material or, as shown in Fig.2 the loop may have a non-image bearing top and bottom edge (22), (23).

The ends of the strip of material forming the loop are connected together at (24) by any desired means, for example, adhesive tape. The images on the strip may extend right to the ends of the strip such that on splicing of the strip to form the loop (14) diffused portions of the first and last images are overlapped or, as shown in Fig.2, the first and last images may terminate away from the ends of the strip so that joined ends (24) do not bear images of the same type as the rest of the strip. In such a case the join (24) may be concealed or disguised by using, to join the ends of the strip, adhesive tape bearing information conveying indicia.

Claims

CLAIMS:

1. A display apparatus comprising a loop of photographic transparency material bearing a plurality of images to be displayed and a light box associated with drive means for driving the loop of material past the light source such that the images are sequentially and continuously displayed to a viewer.

2. Apparatus according to Claim 1, wherein the light box has at least one light transmitting surface, means comprising a plurality of rollers for guiding a loop of photographic transparency bearing material past the light transmitting surface(s) of the light box and drive means for driving at least one of said rollers for advancing said photographic transparency bearing material past the light transmitting surface(s) of the light box whereby a viewer can view in sequence the photographic images on said photographic transparency material.

3. Apparatus according to Claim 2, wherein the guide and drive rollers for the loop of material are bobbin shaped and have a surface that does not abrade the image bearing area of the loop.

4. Apparatus according to Claim 2 or Claim 3, wherein the driving means for the loop is a foam surfaced roller.

5. A method of displaying information which comprises passing a loop of light transparent material bearing a plurality of images through a light box such that the images are sequentially and continuously illuminated by light passing through the light transmitting surface of the light box so that they can be viewed.

6. A method according to Claim 5, wherein the loop of light transparent material is formed by joining the ends of an image bearing strip of photographic transparency material and, apart from the leading edge of the first image on the strip and the trailing edge of the last image on the strip, the trailing edge of each image is blended or diffused into the leading edge of the next following image.

7. A method of producing a loop of material bearing photographic transparencies which comprises sequentially advancing a strip of transparent photographic image receiving material past a site at which the material is exposed to a first photographic image through a rectangular mask, at least the edges of the mask perpendicular to the direction of the strip has diffuser means, advancing said first image by a distance such that the trailing diffused edge of the image remains inside the masked area, replacing said first image by a second image to be reproduced on the strip such that the edge within the ambit of the diffuser means overlaps the diffused edge of said first image and exposing said image receiving material to said second image, continuing said image replacing, overlapping and exposing process until a desired number of images have been reproduced on the strip and connecting the free ends of said strip to form said loop.

8. A method according to Claim 7, wherein the free ends of said strip are connected together by transparent adhesive tape bearing information to be transmitted.