GB2403499A

GB2403499A - Solar powered illuminated bollard

Info

Publication number: GB2403499A
Application number: GB0315390A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Loey Salam; Mike Duke
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2003-07-01
Filing date: 2003-07-01
Publication date: 2005-01-05
Also published as: GB0315390D0

Abstract

The bollard, primarily for use streets, parks, buildings, car parks and in remote areas where electricity is not otherwise supplied, comprises a casing 6 with a photovoltaic panel 1 on its top which generates electricity during the day that is stored in batteries 5. During the night light emitting diodes (LED's) 3 which are mounted on the bollard are powered from the batteries to illuminate the bollard. The bollard may have a plastic or metal casing and the LED's may be switched on and off by a suitable system such as an automatic light switch or a timer.

Description

Solar Powered illuminated Bollard This invention relates to solar powered

illuminated bollard for streets and parks or the like.

The present invention relates to illuminated bollard for streets, parks, buildings, car parks and as a way-markers in remote areas where grid electricity is not available, and more specifically to illuminated bollard powered by photovoltaic cells.

Bollards are typically metal or plastic posts set in the ground that acts as a barrier between road vehicles and pedestrian areas. They can be sited at road junctions to prevent drivers 'cutting' the corner when turning. This stops the vehicle driving up on the pavement and injuring the pedestrians. They are also sited on the edge of the pavements near the road to prevent cars from parking on them.

The bollards are normally of robust design made out of Iron, steel or plastic tubing and cemented into the ground, so that if a car does drive up to the pavement and hits the bollard, the bollard will absorb the impact "dependent on the vehicle speed) and protect pedestrians from injury.

Night collisions with bollards can become a problem, as often the headlights of the cars do not point in the direction of the bollard and the driver do not see them in time to prevent an accident.

Accordingly, a need in the art exists for a new design that meet the traditional criteria of the bollard without having to encounter some of the complications mentioned above.

It is a primary object of the present invention to utilise the solar power to illuminate the bollard by the use of photovoltaic cells mounted on the bollard cap.

It is further object of the present invention that a regulator and batteries are placed inside the bollard tubing. The regulator function is to regulate the voltage input to the batteries while charging during the day and to stop charging when they are full at certain voltage so as to preserve the batteries life. The batteries will store the energy during the day and will power enough LED's during the night to enable drivers to see the illuminated bollard through a glass or plastic casing at the top of the bollard. The number of the batteries placed within the tubing will decide the power of light coming off the bollard and the number of standby days the bollard can function with no solar power charging the batteries. The LED's light will be switch on at dusk and turned off at dawn. This can be done by a number of ways, either by the regulator or by an automatic light switch or a timer.

The solar powered illuminated bollard will be completely self-contained with no wiring required from grid sources eliminating the need for digging up the roadways to lay cables.

An embodiment of the invention is now described, though only by way of illustration, with reference to the accompanying drawing in which: Figure 1 shows a cross-sectional schematic view of an embodiment of solar powered illuminated bollard with all system components according to the present invention; Figure 1 shows photovoltaic panel 1 and fitted on the top of bollard casing 6.

The light of the LEDs 3 shine through a transparent light casing 2. The light is directed through a reflective material 8, which surround the LEDs 3, effectively trapping the light and directing it to the outside through the transparent light casing 2. The solar energy from the photovoltaic panel 1 is stored in the batteries 5 placed inside the bollard casing 6 via a regulator and automatic lighting switch 4. The lighting switch 4 turns LEDs 3 on at dusk and off at dawn. The bollard casing 6 is fixed into the ground 7.

Claims

Claims 1- A solar powered illuminated bollard; consist of a metal or

plastic casing with Photovoltaic panel at the top of metal casing. The energy generated via the PV panel is stored during the day and then used during the night to light up a number of LEDs, which shine the light to the outside through a transparent light casing.

2- The casing of the solar bollard of claim 17 contains certain number of batteries charged by the solar cell through a charge regulator and a switch which turns the light on when it turns dark and off when it is daylight.