Arrangement for Applying Written or Drawn Information Onto Image Carriers for Overhead Projection

The overhead projector is a didactical appliance which has found widespread application during the last decades. As opposed to a normal slide projector, the light in the overhead projector runs vertically and is not diverted into the horizontal until it is near the projection objective. The plane of the slide is, therefore, horizontal and is easily accessible. The image reversal by the deviating mirror results in the fact that a slide, which gives a true-to-side image on the projecting wall, is also true-to-side as seen from above. Since additionally, a very large slide format compared to normal slide projection is chosen (mostly between 25.times.25 cm and 30.times.30 cm), it is easy to draw or write on the slide during projection (hence the name "working projector" which is sometimes given to this unit). The size of the slide allows an optical construction which uses the light output of the projection lamp so well that the projected image is sufficiently bright with lamps of 250 to 500 watts so that complete darkening of the room is no longer necessary. The listeners can thereby make notes during the lecture. A further advantage of the overhead projector is the fact that the person working with the unit looks in the direction of the listeners (which is not normally the case when writing on a black-board or when projecting normal slides). He can, therefore, watch the faces of the listeners and adapt the lecture to their reactions.

Usually, clear plastic films (mostly made of cellulose acetate) are used as image carriers for the slides which are written or drawn upon during the lecture. They are written on with black or colored felt-tipped pens or similar writing and drawing markers. This procedure has several disadvantages:

the writing or drawing marker is filled with a black or colored solution. When marking with them it can therefore easily happen that hands, clothing as well as the slides are smeared with this.

the legibility of a black or colored marking on the white background of the projected image is not especially good. Negative writing i.e. light marking on a dark background is more easily legible. The discernableness is even better if a color contrast is given in addition to the lightness contrast i.e. the light and dark parts of the image are not in the same color shade. Statistical tests have shown that the best legibility is achieved with light yellow marking on a dark blue background.

It is the object of the present invention to eliminate the disadvantages mentioned of the previously used image carriers and writing and drawings markers. According to the present invention this is achieved in that the film is dyed with a colored chemical compound, whereby this compound so reacts with a further colorless compound contained in the writing or drawing marker that a compound of a different color is formed. Among the enormous number of chemical reactions which satisfy the above mentioned conditions, all those by which the colorless compound comprised in the marker could be dangerous for hands or clothes are ruled out for practical application. A group of reactions which are especially suitable in the present invention is the reaction of indicator dyes with acids or bases provided that the color change occurs in such a pH-range that corroding acids or alkalis do not have to be used. The reversible nature of these reactions additionally allows the marking to be deleted with a solution of a respective pH-value.

It has now been found that indicator dyes of the sulphonphthalein series having the formula: ##STR1## wherein R.sup.1 is hydrogen or methyl, R.sup.2 is hydrogen, methyl, bis-(carboxymethyl)-aminomethyl, chlorine or bromine and R.sup.3 is hydrogen, methyl, isopropyl, bis-(carboxymethyl)aminomethyl, chlorine or bromine, satisfy the required conditions. Their color in an alkaline medium is blue-green to blue-violet and yellow in an acid medium. The color change takes place in the pH-range of between 3.0 and 9.6 so that neither strong acids nor strong alkalis have to be used when employing these indicator dyes. Examples of such indicator dyes are listed in the following table.

Since the dyed film can easily come into contact with perspiration when writing, those of the dyes described whose color change occurs in a relatively low pH-range, e.g. between pH 3 and 5, are especially suitable since in the case of these dyes, the acidity of perspiration is not sufficient to cause the color change. In order to achieve an optically agreeable blue color shade, a mixture of the mentioned or of similar dyes can be used.

100 g photogelatine are soaked in 1 liter of water. By heating up to about 50.degree. C. the gelatine is dissolved. 10 g bromcresol green and 5 g anhydrous soda are added to this solution. A thin layer of the solution is poured using a coating machine, onto a film of cellulose triacetate (as is used in the production of photographic films), is allowed to solidify the dried. The intensively blue colored film is marked on the overhead projector on the coated side with a felt-tipped pen, which is saturated with the following solution:

citric acid--10 g

glycerol--5 ml

water--1 liter

When marking with this solution, a color change to intensive yellow occurs.

Shortly before coating, 100 ml per liter solution of 40% formalin solution are added to the gelatine dye solution as in example 1, which contains bromthymol blue instead of bromcresol green. 50 ml of this solution are poured onto a level glass plate of the size 30.times.30 cm. After solidifying and drying, this plate can be marked on an overhead projector with a felt-tipped pen which is saturated with the following solution:

acetic acid 80%--10 ml

glycerol--5 ml

water--1 liter

When the plate is no longer required, it can be washed off with a mixture of 5 g anhydrous soda in 1 liter denatured ethanol. The original blue color is restored and the plate can be used again once it is dry.

A solution of cellulose xanthate, as is used in the production of cellulose films, is mixed with a mixture of 1 g bromcresol green and 1 g bromphenol blue per kg solution. This solution is poured to form films in the usual manner. These are cut into rolls of 30 cm width, and can be clamped into overhead projectors which have a holder for film rolls. When marking with a felt-tipped pen as described in example 1, a color change to yellow occurs. Since the aqueous solution completely penetrates the film, as opposed to example 1, it does not matter which side of the film is marked.