Thin Backlighting Options - EL? LCD?

[Adrian]

I would like to have text advertising on an automobile, and have the
visibility of the advertising controlled electronically (i.e. you can turn
it on and off). When off, it is to be as invisible as possible. Cost
effectiveness is also a key factor.

Ideas thus far:

- Electroluminescent Sheeting, cut to the desired shapes or backlighting
some vinyl
- LCD Sheets (do they even exist??)

Any ideas?

As always, many thanks in advance!!

 

[Clarence]

I would like to have text advertising on an automobile, and have the
visibility of the advertising controlled electronically (i.e. you can turn
it on and off). When off, it is to be as invisible as possible. Cost
effectiveness is also a key factor.

Ideas thus far:

- Electroluminescent Sheeting, cut to the desired shapes or backlighting
some vinyl
- LCD Sheets (do they even exist??)

Any ideas?

As always, many thanks in advance!!

Electroluminescent Sheeting is not likely to be very invisible if you expect to
see it when it is on. You can only get about .034 W per CM^2 so it doesn't
show up in sun light well.

The colors are usually pale green (With out a filter) and the sheet, when off
is off white.

There are people who make the Car signs. The ones I have seen were about 14 x
20 inches.

IN theater lighting I have seen Electroluminescent Sheeting up to 30 by 60
inches. But the power requirement is substantial.

 

[Nemo]

I would like to have text advertising on an automobile, and have the
visibility of the advertising controlled electronically (i.e. you can turn
it on and off). When off, it is to be as invisible as possible. Cost
effectiveness is also a key factor.

Ah, cost effectiveness is liekly to be a problem, as this sounds like a
custom job...

Ideas thus far:

- Electroluminescent Sheeting, cut to the desired shapes or backlighting
some vinyl
- LCD Sheets (do they even exist??)

Any ideas?

OLEDs and PLEDs are black when not active, which may be easier to blend
in with a car's paint. However, they will struggle to compete with
sunlight and are not generally available yet, though custom
implementations are beginning to appear in mobile phones.

Perhaps the most cost effective solution would be arrays of LED's. These
can be pretty bright these days, cost effective, and quite visible in
sunlight as you will have seen on motorway signs.

The back-end driving of these will likely be a fairly complex customised
solution though. It'll need a microcontroller, power supplies etc...

See "LED Business Sign" thread in this newsgroup for more on this.