Modular wire harness arrangements and methods of using same for backside to frontside power and data distribution safety schemes

Abstract

A large format billboard type electronic sign includes at least one structural frame member mounted to a front side of a planar mounting structure that defines a plurality of structural bay members configured for receiving and removably supporting therein a corresponding plurality of weatherized display modules to conceal and protect at least one preformed wiring harness from wind load forces in excess of 100 pounds per square foot and degradation from the effects of ultra-violet sunlight; each individual one of said plurality of structural bay members is provided with a plurality of receptacles to facilitate mechanically and electrically coupling the at least one preformed wiring harness to the plurality of weatherized display modules; and wherein the at least one preformed wiring harness is provided with a plurality of preformed nodes which are dimensioned to be snapped or pressed into position in a wire harness node receptacle forming part of the plurality of receptacles.

Description

RELATED APPLICATIONS[0001]This application is a continuation-in-part patent application of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14 / 044,620 entitled, “Compound Structural Frame and Method of Using Same for Efficient Retrofitting”, by David Franklin Cox, et al. filed on Oct. 2, 2013 and a continuation-in-part patent application of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13 / 844,832, entitled, “In Field Kit for Converting a Non Electronic Billboard into an Electronic Billboard, and Methods of Retrofitting and Using Same”, by David Franklin Cox, et al. filed on Mar. 16, 2013, which application is incorporated herein as though fully set forth.FIELD OF THE INVENTION[0002]This invention relates generally to roadside and building signage, and more particularly to a compound structural frame member having a modular wire harness arrangement and method of using same for backside to frontside power and data distribution safety schemes to facilitate in field conversion of a static billboard into a dynamic e...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0013]According to a second aspect, the present invention is an electronic display or billboard comprising: a plurality of hand mountable structural frames arranged on a set of poster panels or boards of an existing in field non electronic static billboard; the structural frames being laid out on the poster boards as an array of frames, individual ones of the structural frames being configured in a further array of structural bays that help facilitate power and data wire routing; individual ones of the structural bays configured in pairs for accepting corresponding pairs of display panels that facilitate the display of dynamic visible radiant energy; a power and data harness is electrically and mechanically coupled between individual ones of the structural bays and a utility power data controller box receives data display information and universal electrical power and then rectifies the electrical power and controls the data display information for distribution to the individual ones of the display panels, and each individual display panel having a plurality of light emitting diodes to facilitate the conversion of the distributed data display information into visible radiant energy for display by the electronic billboard.

[0069]In yet another embodiment of the tenth aspect of the present invention, the at least one structural frame is provided with a pilot hole feature, the pilot hole feature being disposed in a bottom row of the plurality of structural bay members for providing a visual indication of the front and bottom orientation of the structural frame for frame mounting purposes to the anchored planar mounting structure; and wherein the pilot hole feature further providing another visual indication of an access hole location to facilitate determining a back face mounting location of at least one electrical junction box to effect efficient routing of the at least one preformed wiring harness from a back face area of the mounting structure to the front face area of the least one structural frame.

Problems solved by technology

Retrofitting non-digital billboards have proven to be expensive, time consuming and labor intensive.

Moreover, simply removing an older non-digital billboard and replacing it with a new digital billboard has not proven entirely satisfactory since older installed, non-digital, billboard panels represent substantial capital outlays making it financially difficult, if not impossible, to discard such panels arbitrarily for replacement with digital panels.

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