FR2514919A1 - Reading desk for blind and sighted - holds coloured parts in relief with transparent cover - Google Patents

Abstract

The reading desk is for the blind, badly sighted, or sighted people. A printed sheet, for sighted people, is fixed on a rigid panel on which are geometrical shapes of contrasting colour, relative to the sheet. On these, similar transparent parts may be placed. The assembly is covered by a transparent film, with relieves corresponding to the parts below, having Braille characters. The film is thermoformed and has a hollow on its edges for a sealing joint. A semi cylindrical part (8) is placed at the bottom of the panel.

Description

 Desk plan device for blind, visually impaired, sighted people.

 The invention relates to the field of information presentation panels in an urban or public environment.

 It is more particularly intended for the blind, visually impaired and sighted.

 In this area there are panels for the blind made of Thermoformed plastic - solid color, others have several colors and some in addition to Braille are printed in clear with large characters highly contrasted for the use of amblyopes, these are generally simplified relief maps.

The objects of the invention are to provide a device for braille and relief maps for the use of the blind but also for the use of sighted people as a normal map in a simple manner.
This is obtained using a printed background for LEDs on which are placed contrasting elements, planes and in relief, representing the sidewalks on these forms are posed in turn other elements which are of opposite color, smaller on the surface, always in relief, representing the blocks of buildings.

 On the three thicknesses thus constituted is placed a Thermoformed Transparent plastic provided with Braille inscriptions in coincidence with the printed indications of the underlying background.

 The edges of the thermoformed plastic are hollowed out with a small channel allowing to receive a flexible seal. The inner border of the frame support is hollowed out with the same small opposite channel which comes to rest precisely on the joint by pinching it.

 Braille is read as flat as possible, an inclination provides more reading comfort than if the plane is placed vertically, the main problem besides the complication of the support being that it is necessary to protect a plane thus exposed to the weather where the introduction of the framing support forming the entire device. The cut sides but which can be rounded off the framing support prevent unpleasant or even hurtful bumps, thwarting the grip for tearing and vandalism.

 The hollow of the support can shelter an audible signal said of refinement of localization of the plan in particularly confusing places (station, noisy crossroads).

 A blind man moving in a linear fashion, that is to say thanks to a series of benchmarks learned by heart by tactile contact on a path from which he cannot deviate i the plan in relief, like a real model , offers him a conceptualization of the surrounding space in a place that he does not know or that he only frequents in the linearly detailed manner described above.

He ignores most of the time what is on the other side of a block, the shape in space of this block, its proportion etc. One of the aims of the invention is therefore to offer a new dimension to the movement of the blind and to give them access, through better autonomy, to new occupations.

By way of illustration, drawings are attached which represent
FIG I: front view of the rear panel.

 FIG II: side view of the rear panel.

 FIG III: front view of the framing support.

 FIG IV: side view of the framing support.

 FIG V: top view of the framing support.

 FIG VI: bottom view of the framing support.

 FIG VII: side view, cut away from the frame support.

 FIG VIII: side view of the exploded rear panel.

 FIG IX: side view of 2 back panels placed back to back.

 FIG X: perspective view of the post.

 FIG XI: exploded view of the support in the event of fixing to the wall.

With reference to the drawings, the device includes
A rectangular panel 13, which may for example be made of wood, for wall positioning, a desk (2) fixed to the panel and creating an incident suitable for reading Braille.

 A plan for the use of indicator lights t3) placed on the desk and containing names or inscriptions in bold characters of width equivalent to the points of the Braille characters.

 Elements in relief of contrasting plastic t43 relative to the bottom t33 represent the sidewalks and are placed on the bottom. Then other elements in relief t53 of an opposite color. of smaller surface representing blocks of houses are posed on the 1st elements representing the pavements. The assembly is covered with a relatively rigid thermoformed transparent film t63 to support the embossing of the Braille indications just affixed to the printing characters underlying the background for the use of the indicators (3).

 So a blind person reading braille with their fingertips can have their reading or their personal interpretation of the plan in situ confirmed by a sighted third party simultaneously.

 The edge of the transparent film t63 is hollowed out in the form of a small channel capable of accommodating a flexible sealing joint [73.

 The part of the framing support t6 ') FIG III and VII which is applied to frame the edge of the thermoformed film is also hollowed out from the similar small channel coincidentally, recovering and pinching the flexible joint (7).

 The framing support (FIG III) frames in t1) the positioning panel (FIG I) all around its edges (A '). A sound signal [8) can be installed on the wooden panel to be hidden thanks to the recess existing in the frame support.

 Rigid aluminum bands will be used for stamping the film, these bands are embossed with Braille characters translating the indications printed in clear from the background t33. They are placed temporarily and as exactly as possible on these printed indications so as to be able to obtain a film by thermoforming, then it suffices to remove the strips by removing them from the bottom to see reappear the clear impression intended for sighted persons.

 The underside of the framing support (FIG 6) provides a part 18'3, comprising weakened zones which can be hollowed out, in order to surround the half-neck of a post in the case of juxtaposition of 2 supports as seen on (FIG 9).

 A post (FIG 1D1 is split to enclose the bottom of the vertical panels, 2 drilled flat bars are welded flat on the upper lips of the post and allow to square each base of the desks.

Claims (6)

 13 Device for desk planes for the blind, visually impaired and sighted, characterized in that a printed plan for the use of sighted people is fixed on a rigid panel and that on this plan are arranged the first geometric elements of a contrasting color compared to the plan, of a small thickness, symbolizing the sidewalks, then on these elements are placed other elements of slightly smaller dimension but of thickness which can be significantly greater, of a light color, this set being covered by a transparent film, the relief of which conforms to the elements arranged on the plan and which also bears indications in Braille character intended to be read by a blind person, and arranged at the level of the underlying inscriptions printed on the background. 2) Device according to claim 1 characterized in that the transparent film is a thermoformed film which has a recess (6) on its edges, authorized to receive a seal (7). 3) Device according to any one of claims 1 and 2 characterized in that it comprises a framing support with trapezoidal edges forming non-injurious cut sides, which it covers the edges tA ') of the panel fixed to the wall ( FIG I) on the one hand, pinch the edge of the film t63 and its joint t73 using the internal rim hollowed out in coincidence (6 ') on the other hand. 4) Device according to claim 3 characterized in that voids are left inside the frame support so as to be able to position an audible signal. 5) Device according to claim 1 characterized in that a part (FIG 63 constituting a half round t8 ') is provided on the underside of the support with weakened zones for its clearance on the spot in order to be placed on a post by juxtaposition back to back of 2 double-sided panels (FIG 93. 6) Device according to claim 5 characterized in that said post is split the thickness of 2 panels back to back, then that 2 flat bars welded on its upper edges to the horizontal (FIG 10) pierced with holes for screwing, solidly support the lower parallel sections of the desks. 73 Device according to claim I characterized in that the plane is disposed in an inclined manner on a rigid desk directly placed on the fixing panel (FIG I) creating an incidence from the top intended to generate better reading comfort when touched. blinded. An impression is then obtained with a transparent plastic by thermoforming, the strips are then removed, the film then definitively takes its place.  83 A method of producing the device according to claim 1 characterized in that after placement on the plan, flat shapes appearing on the sidewalks then smaller planar shapes arranged above showing the legs of the house. We place rigid aluminum strips coming from 2 embossed in Braille character, exactly covering the printing of the bottom