EP2267679A1

EP2267679A1 - Luminous traffic signal

Info

Publication number: EP2267679A1
Application number: EP10382051A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Iñigo Caride Iturbe
Original assignee: Elumin8 (Hong Kong) Ltd
Current assignee: Elumin8 (Hong Kong) Ltd
Priority date: 2009-06-22
Filing date: 2010-03-04
Publication date: 2010-12-29
Also published as: ES1070521U; ES1070521Y

Abstract

The traffic signal comprises a frame where light emitting diodes (LEDs) are arranged and which can be coupled onto around the perimeter of an acrylic sheet such that said frame is fixed to said acrylic sheet. The acrylic sheet has a plurality of grooves, such that the light emitted by the LEDs falls sideways on the acrylic sheet where it is reflected/refracted when it goes through the grooves, uniformly lighting said image sheet. This produces an illuminated traffic signal that allows uniform lighting of the signal, ensuring visibility of the signal in conditions of bad weather.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The invention lies within the field of traffic signals comprising lighting devices so that the information or design contained in the signal is visible by the driver at times of low visibility.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Traffic signals on roads or motorways are key components for communication and organisation, since they provide necessary information to the users who circulate on a road or highway.
They traditionally consisted of panels painted with a retroreflective sheet with different levels of retroreflectiveness, which reflected the light of the vehicles, thus making the signals visible in the dark.
Improvements have been subsequently introduced, such as the external lighting of the signals improving their visibility or placing LED or fibre-optic spots on them, but a completely uniform inner lighting has not yet been devised.
The invention has as an object an illuminated signal that allows flat and uniform internal lighting of the traffic signal or information panel, therefore achieving improved effectiveness of the signalling at times of low visibility in order to attract the attention of the drivers.
Moreover, the signal object of the invention is designed so that it can be installed by replacing or adapting current traffic signals.

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The traffic signal object of the invention comprises:

a supporting plate intended for being fixed to a post configured in order to hold the traffic signal.
Fixing means to fix the supporting plate to the post.
A power source configured to provide power to a plurality of LEDs.
An image sheet comprising a pictorial symbol of the signal.

The signal also comprises a frame that is arranged between a first reflective sheet, which can be coupled to the supporting plate, and a second retroreflective sheet that can be coupled to the image sheet. The LEDs are arranged in said frame, which can be coupled around the perimeter of an acrylic sheet, so that said frame is fixed to said acrylic sheet. The acrylic sheet has a plurality of grooves, such that the light emitted by the LEDs falls sideways on the acrylic sheet where it is reflected/refracted when it goes through the grooves, uniformly lighting said image sheet.
The light is emitted from the LEDs located on the periphery of the acrylic sheet that are protected and closed by the frame. The light is guided by the grooves and is also refracted.
The grooves of the acrylic sheet can be a continuous groove in the shape of a spiral starting from the centre of said sheet and having a V-shaped cross-section. The grooves allow the light to pass through and also break the spectrum such that each point of the V-shaped groove that the light passes through becomes an emission point, reflecting and refracting the light in all directions, achieving a uniform lighting effect on the entire surface, starting from a perimetral light source.
In the event of square signals, the grooves in the acrylic sheet could be a grid formed by a plurality of grooves with a V-shaped cross-section that cross perpendicularly.
The grooves of the acrylic sheet can be cone-shaped holes that are uniformly distributed across the surface of the acrylic sheet.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

To complete the description being made and for the purpose of aiding to better understand the features of the invention according to a preferred embodiment thereof, a set of drawings is attached as an integral part of said description in which the following is shown with an illustrative and non-limiting character:

Figure 1.- Shows an exploded view of the components forming the signal object of the invention, which is a circle.
Figure 2.- Shows a view of the acrylic sheet of the circular signal.
Figure 3.- Shows an exploded perspective of the components forming a square signal, with a detail of the grid-like grooves on the acrylic sheet.
Figure 4.- Shows a plan view of the components making up the signal object of the invention.

PREFERRED EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION

Figure 1 shows the different components forming a circular traffic signal (1) object of the invention, which are:

a supporting plate (2) that is fixed to a post (3),
fixing means (4) to fix the supporting plate (2) to said post (3),
a power source (5), not shown in the figures, configured to provide power for a plurality of LEDs (10) and
an image sheet (5) comprising a pictorial symbol of the signal (1),

As can be seen in such Figure 1, the signal (1) also comprises a frame (7) that is configured to house said LEDs and which can be coupled to an acrylic sheet (8). Said frame (7) is arranged between a first reflective sheet (11) that can be coupled to the supporting plate (2) and a second retroreflective sheet (11') that is coupled to the image sheet (5).
The acrylic sheet (8) has a plurality of grooves (9), such that the light emitted by the LEDs (10) falls sideways on the acrylic sheet (8) where it is reflected/refracted when it goes through the grooves (9), uniformly lighting said image sheet (5).
Once all the components making up the signal (1) are assembled they can remain fixed to one another by means of a protective frame (6) that can be made of metal.
This arrangement of the components making up the signal achieves lighting the signal from the inside, providing the signal with its own light, this inner light being emitted by the signal itself, being completely uniform and cold.
As shown in Figure 2, the grooves (9) of the acrylic sheet (8) can be continuous grooves in the shape of a spiral starting from the centre of said sheet (8) and having a V-shaped cross-section.

Claims

An illuminated traffic signal (1) comprising:
- a supporting plate (2) intended to be fixed to a post (3),

- fixing means (4) to fix the supporting plate (2) to the post (3),

- a power source (6) configured to provide power for a plurality of LEDs (10)

- an image sheet (5) comprising a pictorial symbol of the signal (1),
characterised in that it comprises a frame (7) arranged between a first reflective sheet (11) that can be coupled to the support plate (2) and a second retroreflective sheet (11') that can be coupled to said image sheet (5), the frame (7) being configured to house the LEDs (10) and which can be coupled around the perimeter of an acrylic sheet (8) such that said frame (7) is fixed to said acrylic sheet (8), said sheet (8) having a plurality of grooves (9), such that the light emitted by the LEDs (10) falls sideways on the acrylic sheet (8) where it is reflected/refracted when it goes through the grooves (9), uniformly lighting said image sheet (5).
An illuminated traffic signal according to claim 1, characterised in that the grooves (9) of the acrylic sheet (8) may be a continuous groove in the shape of a spiral that starts at the centre of said sheet (8) and has a V-shaped cross-section.
An illuminated traffic signal according to claim 1, characterised in that the grooves (9) of the acrylic sheet (8) can be a grid formed by a plurality of V-shaped grooves that cross each other perpendicularly.
An illuminated traffic signal according to claim 1, characterised in that the grooves (9) of the acrylic sheet (8) can be cone-shaped holes that are uniformly distributed across the surface of the acrylic sheet (8).