U.S. patent number 3,878,631 [Application Number 05/231,476] was granted by the patent office on 1975-04-22 for program holder for a juke box or the like.
This patent grant is currently assigned to The Wurlitzer Company. Invention is credited to James T. Mileham.
United States Patent |
3,878,631 |
Mileham |
April 22, 1975 |
Program holder for a juke box or the like
Abstract
Disclosed is a program holder for visual display of indicia
which are on a display panel of a juke box for indicating the
selection of records therein. The program holder includes support
means forming the periphery of an upper wall of the juke box and
the indicia bearing members are mounted within the support means. A
cover means is positioned on the support means and over the indicia
bearing members to provide a substantially opaque surface to a
viewer who is several feet away. However, when the viewer
approaches the juke box to within two feet or so the cover means
becomes transparent to provide visual display of the indicia
bearing members positioned under the cover. A view control means is
associated with the cover and can be either a laminated film having
a plurality of thin, closely spaced louvers associated therewith or
it can be a darkened glass or plastic cover with a light bulb
beneath the cover which is actuated upon sensing the presence of a
viewer within a predetermined distance of the juke box.
Inventors: |
Mileham; James T. (Tonawanda,
NY) |
Assignee: |
The Wurlitzer Company (Chicago,
IL)
|
Family
ID: |
22869385 |
Appl.
No.: |
05/231,476 |
Filed: |
March 3, 1972 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
40/453; 40/564;
40/615 |
Current CPC
Class: |
G09F
19/14 (20130101); G07F 17/305 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
G09F
19/12 (20060101); G07F 17/30 (20060101); G09F
19/14 (20060101); G07F 17/00 (20060101); G09f
019/14 () |
Field of
Search: |
;40/132R,13R,132D,137,135,28R ;161/6,3.5,409,164,166 ;35/8R
;350/319,263,117 ;272/8D,8P,8M,8N ;52/616 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Primary Examiner: Michell; Robert W.
Assistant Examiner: Pitrelli; John F.
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Olson, Trexler, Wolters, Bushnell
& Fosse, Ltd.
Claims
The invention is claimed as follows:
1. A juke box having a plurality of records therein to provide
musical selections to a user, and a plurality of indicia bearing
members corresponding to said plurality of records so that the
musical selections on the records can be identified by a selection
code, and selector means to effect selection of the desired record
after it has been identified by the indicia bearing members, the
improvement therein comprising cover means positioned over said
indicia bearing members, said cover means being opaque to a viewer
when said viewer is beyond a predetermined distance from the juke
box, and view control means comprising louver means associated with
said cover means and arranged to appear transparent as a result of
advance of said viewer toward the juke box to within a
predetermined distance for visual display of said indicia bearing
members through said cover means.
2. The juke box of claim 1 wherein said view control means includes
film means having a plurality of thin, closely spaced louvers
extending from side to side in a direction transverse to the
direction of advance of said viewer, whereby said predetermined
distance of said viewer from the juke box is determined by the
angle of incident of the line of sight of said viewer upon said
louvers.
3. The juke box of claim 2 wherein said film means is a laminate
structure having upper and lower transparent sheets and said
plurality of thin, closely spaced opaque louvers extending between
said transparent sheets, and a corresponding plurality of
transparent slats between each of said louvers and between said
sheets, said louvers having a cross sectional thickness less than
said transparent slats.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates generally to a program holder for visual
display of indicia bearing members. The program holder forms the
top display panel of a juke box.
Heretofore, the program holder of indicia bearing members on juke
boxes, or the like, have been exposed to view by all persons in the
general area of the juke box. That is, users of the juke box who
are in close to the program holder can easily see the indicia
bearing members to make their desired musical selections. However,
passersby, as well as those some distance away, can also see the
program holder but cannot read the indicia bearing members. The
indicia bearing members may be, to at least some of the people
standing away from the juke box, distractive to the general
esthetic appearance of the juke box. Since only the viewer in close
proximity to the juke box who is making a selection need read the
indicia bearing members, it is not necessary that other persons
standing some distance away be able to also see the indicia bearing
members.
The general range of distance from the juke box for visual display
of the indicia bearing members is in the order of 1 to 3 feet, 2
feet being a typical average distance from which viewers should be
able to see the indicia bearing members. For example, if a person
desires to make coin selections of the juke box, he moves up to the
juke box, and as he comes within 2 feet or so from the top display
panel thereof the indicia bearing members should come into clear
view. However, to persons beyond the range of reading the indicia
bearing members the juke box should have an esthetic substantially
indicia-free appearance.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly, it is an object of this invention to provide means for
a program holder which does not allow indicia bearing members to be
readily viewable by persons at a distance therefrom but which
becomes transparent to persons who approach the program holder to
within a predetermined minimum distance so that such indicia
bearing members then become visible.
Another object of this invention is to provide a program holder
which is efficient and reliable in operation and relatively
inexpensive and easy to manufacture.
Other objects, features and advantages of this invention will be
more fully realized and understood from the following detailed
description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying
drawings wherein like reference numerals throughout the various
views of the drawings are intended to designate similar elements or
components.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a perspective frontal view of a juke box utilizing a
program holder constructed in accordance with this invention;
FIG. 2 is an angled perspective view of a program holder of this
invention showing a relatively opaque cover surface over indicia
bearing members when viewed from a predetermined distance
therefrom;
FIG. 3 is a top perspective view of the program holder of FIG. 2
but wherein the cover surface thereof is substantially transparent
to allow visual perception of indicia bearing members thereunder
when viewed from at a closer distance;
FIG. 4 is an enlarged sectional view of a laminate film which has
louvers and can be used to control the viewability of the indicia
bearing members under the program holder of this invention;
FIG. 5 is an alternate form of this invention for controlling the
viewability of the indicia bearing members within the program
holder of a juke box;
FIG. 6 is still another alternate form of this invention;
FIG. 7 is an alternate form of juke box wherein light control
panels are used to illuminate the front surface of the unit;
FIG. 8 illustrates an alternate form of a light control panel in
accordance with this invention; and
FIG. 9 is still another alternate form of a light control panel in
accordance with this invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE ILLUSTRATED EMBODIMENTS
Referring now to FIG. 1 a juke box is designated generally by
reference numeral 10 and includes a vertical display panel 12 and a
horizontal or substantially horizontal display panel 14. The
vertical display panel 12 may include such things as visual readout
of information as what record is now being played or the like. On
the other hand, the horizontal display panel may include indicia
bearing members for indicating the names and types of selections
that can be made. A plurality of alphabetically arranged
pushbuttons 16 are provided with a lesser number of pushbuttons 18
of numerical arrangement. By selecting a coded sequence of
pushbuttons, either first letter and then number or first number
and then letter the proper code information is fed into the juke
box 10 for making the musical selections.
In accordance with this invention a program holder designated
generally by reference numeral 20 is conveniently located in the
horizontal display panel 14 and in front of the pushbuttons 16 and
18 so that the entire program can be viewed by a user standing in
front of the juke box who can then insert his coin or coins to make
a pushbutton selection. The program holder 20 has a cover member 22
associated therewith and the cover member is over the plurality of
indicia bearing members.
In accordance with this invention light control means are provided
to cause the cover member 22 to be substantially opaque to a viewer
who is standing 3 or more feet away from the juke box. However,
when the viewer moves closer to the juke box the cover member
becomes transparent and the viewer can visually scan the indicia
bearing members and make a selection. This is best illustrated in
FIGS. 2 and 3. For example, in FIG. 2 the cover member 22 is
illustrated as being substantially opaque, it including either a
laminated film to control light or a darkened glass or plastic top
which has a light bulb underneath. As the viewer moves closer to
the juke box to within approximately 2 feet more or less, the cover
member 22 becomes transparent, as illustrated in FIG. 3, to allow
visual display of the indicia bearing members 24 underneath the
cover.
The program holder 20 includes a support frame 26 which has
suitable rack means, not shown, to allow ease of changeability of
the indicia bearing members. Therefore, when records in the juke
box are changed so also can the designation in the program holder
be changed. The support frame 26 may include a coin receiving means
28 which includes a coin slot and a coin return button together
with a schedule of prices. Thus, the support frame 26 and the
horizontal display panel include all the information and equipment
necessary for a viewer to scan the entire program holder 20 to make
his selection and then insert a coin or coins into the coin slot
followed by depressing the appropriate buttons 16 and 18 to effect
the selection.
One means for carrying out the novel concepts of this invention is
illustrated in FIG. 4 which shows the cover 22 as being either a
clear glass or plexiglass member 30 under which is secured a
laminate film 32 for controlling the passage of light therethrough.
However, it will be understood that the cover 22 may be comprised
entirely of a plexiglass structure similar to that of the laminate
film and thus eliminate the two piece construction as illustrated
here. The glass 30 on the other hand may be of the darkened or
substantially opaque type which allows viewing therethrough only
when an auxiliary light is placed at the opposite side of the
darkened glass.
The laminate film 32 includes a pair of upper and lower transparent
layers 34 and 36 with a plurality of thin vertical louvers 38
extending therebetween. The louvers 38 are in the order of 0.0003
inches in width and extend along the cover 22 from side to side of
the juke box 10. Between each of the darkened louvers 38 is a
substantially wider transparent segment 40 which has a thickness in
the order of 0.010 inches. Therefore, the transparent area of the
film 32 is substantially greater than the opaque area provided by
the vertical portions of the louvers when looking directly through
the film. For example, a viewer looking through the support glass
30 and the film 32 along a viewing angle 42 will observe an opaque
surface of the film since he will see nothing but the side portions
of each of the thin darkened louvers. As the viewing angle moves
closer and closer to the perpendicular, this being shown by
perpendicular viewing angle 44, the viewer can see directly through
the film 32 and thus see the indicia bearing members under the
cover to make the desired selection.
Referring now to FIG. 5, an alternate form of this invention is
here illustrated. The juke box 10 has a darkened glass cover 22a
carried by the support 26 and a light bulb 50 is positioned under
the cover 22a and energized by a battery 52 when a switch 54 is
closed. The switch 54 is preferably of the type formed by a floor
pad in front of the juke box and upon which a viewer will stand
when he approaches. The light 50 may be a series of elongated light
bulbs about the periphery of the support 26 and positioned between
the top cover 22a and the indicia bearing members 24. The distance
at which the viewer will be allowed to see the indicia bearing
members will depend upon the distance the switch 54 is placed in
front of the juke box 10.
Another means of causing the cover 22 to change from opaque to
transparent is to provide an antenna or capacity operated control
circuit which will actuate a relay when the viewer approaches the
juke box. The antenna may be located in the front panel of the juke
box as indicated by reference numeral 56 and the antenna may be
part of a capacity operated relay circuit as shown in FIG. 6. Here
a tuned circuit 58 is connected to the antenna 56 and also
connected to a transistor 60 which has the base electrode thereof
connected to an adjustable resistor 62. The sensitivity of the
circuit is set by the adjustment of potentiometer 62 so that the
distance at which a viewer will activate or de-activate the circuit
can be controlled. The output of transistor 60 is applied to the
base electrode of a second transistor 64 which, in turn, applies
energizing current to a relay coil 66.
The tuned circuit 58 and transistor 60 form an oscillator circuit
with a feedback path through a pair of series connected resistors
61 and 63. When no person approaches the juke box 10 the oscillator
circuit operates and applies operating bias to the base electrode
of transistor 64, this operating bias being developed across a
resistor capacitor network 65. The transistor 64 is conductive and
the relay holding coil 66 is energized to maintain contacts 68 and
69 open. However, when a person approaches the juke box 10 an
antenna 56 causes detuning of the tune circuit 58 to render the
oscillator circuit formed thereby inoperative. This will remove
operating bias from transistors 64 and thus deenergize the relay
holding coil 66 to cause contacts 68 and 69 to come together and
energize the light 50 from the battery source 52.
Referring now to FIG. 7 an alternate form of display panel for a
juke box is illustrated. Here the juke box is designated generally
by reference numeral 70 and utilizes a light control display panel
71 on the frontal wall thereof. The light control panel 71 is
tilted forward and downward so that light rays passing therethrough
will impinge upon a lower grill portion 72. The grill portion 72
may extend from the light control panel 71 completely to the floor
or it may be a partial grill portion, as shown, in which case a
second light control panel 73 may be utilized and tilted in
substantially the same manner as the light control panel 71, it
being understood that any other position can be incorporated. The
light control panel 73 directs light therethrough upon the lower
grill portion 74 of the frontal wall of the juke box. A pair of
light bulbs 76 and 77 are positioned behind the light control
panels 71 and 73, respectively, and the light therefrom is directed
downwardly onto the grill portion 72 and 74. Therefore, persons
passing in front of the juke box 70 will not have light rays
directed toward them, this being in the direction indicated by the
arrowed line 78.
The light control panels utilized in the several embodiments of
this invention can take several forms, they being either like the
light control panel 32 shown in FIG. 4 or like one of the alternate
forms shown in FIGS. 8 and 9. In FIG. 8 the light control panel has
a transparent support member 80, it being a clear glass or plastic
material. Upon both surfaces of the transparent support 80 are
formed diametrically opposed darkened bands 81 and 82 having a
predetermined width and spacing therebetween. The darkened bands 81
and 82 may be formed either by a silkscreen process or by placing
thin ribbons of pressure sensitive tape onto the surfaces of the
support plate 80.
Light rays passing along the sight line 84 will impinge upon one or
the other of the darkened bands 81 or 82 and thereby not pass
through the transparent support plate 80. Only those light rays
which pass between the darkened bands 81 and 82 will be visible
from the other side of the light control panel. For example, light
rays passing along the sight line 86 pass close to, but do not
impinge upon, the darkened bands. However, more perpendicular light
rays as indicated by the sight line 87 pass unobstructed through
the transparent support panel. The light control panel of FIG. 8
allows light rays only to pass when they are within a given angle
of incidence about the perpendicular of the support plate 80.
An alternate form of light control panel is illustrated in FIG. 9.
Here a transparent support plate 90 has darkened ribbon portions 91
and 92 on opposite sides thereof. The darkened ribbons 91 and 92
are staggered so that only angularly disposed light rays passing
along the sight line 93, or substantially along such angle, will
pass through the transparent support plate 90. This allows light
rays within a given dimension, as indicated by reference numeral
94, to pass through top darkened bands 91, through the support
plate 90 and then through angularly disposed bottom bands 92. Light
rays impinging perpendicularly upon the light control panel of FIG.
9, as shown by the sight line 96, will not pass through the support
plate.
The light control panels of FIGS. 4, 8 and 9 can be used in any
combination of configurations on the top or front panels of a juke
box or other vending machine either to control the visibility of
certain portions through the top or front walls thereof or to
direct light upon certain selected surfaces.
While several means have been illustrated for carrying out the
novel concepts of this invention it will be understood that
variations and modifications may be effected without departing from
the spirit and scope of the novel concepts as set forth herein and
as defined by the following claims.
* * * * *