JP2001032226A - Road stud - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a road stud with excellent water resistance and durability, and easy to repair a light source. SOLUTION: In a road stud 10, an optical transmission tube 1 is arranged in a road stud body 11. A translucent part 14 formed of a translucent glass or a synthetic resin is provided on an inclined surface 12. The optical transmission tube 14 is disposed at substantially same height as this translucent part 14 and in the longitudinal direction of the road stud. This optical transmission tube 1 is led from a road stud body 11 and led into a light source unit 15.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a road stud installed on a road surface, and more particularly to a road stud configured to emit light.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In a self-luminous road stud, a lamp is provided between casings so that lamp light is radiated outward from a translucent portion on an upper surface of the casing.

[0003]

A conventional lamp attached to a road stud is premised on replacement due to a broken ball or the like. When replacing the lamp, remove the screw of the top cover of the road stud. , It is troublesome and the workability is poor.

An object of the present invention is to provide a road stud which overcomes such disadvantages, has excellent water resistance and durability, and can easily repair a light source.

[0005]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION A road stud according to the present invention is a road stud comprising a road stud body having a light-transmitting portion on an upper portion and a light-emitting device provided on the back side of the light-transmitting portion. Is characterized by having a light transmission tube that emits light from a side peripheral surface, and a light source provided at one end of the light transmission tube.

In such a road stud, light from a light source is introduced into the light transmission tube, radiated from the side peripheral surface of the light transmission tube, and radiated through the light transmitting portion of the road stud body. You.

[0007] The light transmission tube may be arranged so that the radiated light is directly applied to the back side of the light transmitting part. The light may be emitted from the light-transmitting portion.

In the road stud according to the present invention, the light transmission tube can be extended from the road stud, and the light source can be located far away from the road stud at a location where maintenance is easy. In the present invention, light may be given to a plurality of road studs by a common light transmission tube.

The light transmission tube used in the present invention preferably has a tubular clad and a core made of a material having a higher refractive index than the constituent material of the tubular clad. Further, a strip-shaped reflective layer is formed between the tubular clad and the core along the length direction of the tubular clad, and light passing through the core is reflected and scattered by the reflective layer to form a reflective layer. An optical transmission tube that emits light from the peripheral surface on the opposite side of the tubular cladding is preferable.

In such an optical transmission tube in which the reflective layer is formed in a band along the length of the tube between the tubular cladding and the core, strong light passing through the core having the largest light intensity is applied to the band. And is emitted as strong light with high directivity from the tube side peripheral surface opposite to the reflective layer. As a result, the brightness becomes extremely high and the brightness becomes very bright.

The tubular cladding is made of a (meth) acrylic polymer, the core is made of polystyrene, polycarbonate or a styrene- (meth) acrylic copolymer, and the reflecting layer is made of a (meth) acrylic polymer containing a white pigment or a scattering material. Preferably,

This light transmission tube uses a multicolor extruder such as a three-color extruder having three screw parts, and has a core material,
A cladding material, and a reflecting material containing a white pigment or a scattering material are introduced into, for example, each die portion of the multicolor extruder, and the core material is formed into a columnar shape, and the reflecting material is formed into a plurality of strips on the outer peripheral surface of the columnar core material. A method of simultaneously extruding a strip and a clad material into a tube shape covering the core material and the reflective material, and forming a strip-shaped reflective layer between the tubular clad and the core along the length direction thereof, thereby achieving high production. It can be manufactured inexpensively based on the nature.

[0013]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the drawings. FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the road stud according to the embodiment, and FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along line VV of FIG.

The road stud 10 is one in which one end side of the light transmission tube 1 is arranged in a road stud body 11 constituting a casing. The road stud body 11 has two pairs of slopes 12, 13 at an upper portion 12 protruding above the road surface R. One pair of slopes 12 is the other pair of slopes 13
The long slope 12 is provided with a light transmitting portion 14 made of light transmitting glass or synthetic resin. The light transmission tube 1 is routed in the road stud body 11 at substantially the same height as the translucent portion 14 and in the longitudinal direction of the road stud. The other end of the light transmission tube 1 is pulled out of the road stud body 11 and drawn into the light source unit 15.

In the light source unit 15, a light emitting element such as an LED for supplying light to the light transmission tube 1 and a circuit for driving the light emitting element are provided. When the light emitting element emits light, light is emitted from the side peripheral surface of the light transmission tube 1 and light is emitted from the translucent portion 14 in the road tack main body 11. The light source unit 15 is arranged at a location where maintenance is easy (for example, on a sidewalk or a pillar beside a sidewalk). Note that a plurality of light transmission tubes 1 may be connected to one light source unit 15.

In this manner, the maintenance can be easily performed by installing the light source unit at a position where it is easily separated from the road studs for easy maintenance. Even if this light transmission tube is drawn long, there is almost no decrease in the amount of light. This light transmission tube transmits only light, and does not leak at all even if it is splashed with water or should it break.

The light transmission tube 1 is connected to the main body 1 of the road stud.
Since only the portion inside 1 needs to emit light, the other portions are covered with a reflective protective layer or a protective tube so as not to emit light.

Next, referring to FIGS.
Will be described in detail. FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing the optical transmission tube 1, FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken along line II-II in FIG. 1, and FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken along line III-III in FIG.

The light transmission tube 1 has a band-shaped reflective layer 4 extending in the longitudinal direction of the tube between a core 2 and a tubular cladding 3 covering the core. The reflection layer 4 may be formed in a state in which the reflection layer 4 slightly penetrates into the core 2 from the surface of the core 2.

As the material (core material) constituting the core 2, a transparent material having a higher refractive index than the material (cladding material) constituting the tubular cladding 3 is used. Is appropriately selected and used depending on the purpose.

Specific examples of the core material include polystyrene,
Styrene / methyl methacrylate copolymer, (meth) acrylic resin, polymethylpentene, allyl glycol carbonate resin, spirane resin, amorphous polyolefin, polycarbonate, polyamide, polyarylate, polysulfone, polyallylsulfone, polyethersulfone, polyether Imide, polyimide, diallyl phthalate, fluororesin, polyester carbonate,
Transparent materials such as a norbornene-based resin (ARTON), an alicyclic acrylic resin (Optrez), a silicone resin, an acrylic rubber, and a silicone rubber can be used. .).

On the other hand, the clad material can be selected from transparent materials having a low refractive index, and examples thereof include organic materials such as plastics and elastomers.

Specific examples of the clad material include polyethylene, polypropylene, polymethyl methacrylate, polymethyl methacrylate, polyvinyl chloride, polyvinylidene chloride, polyvinyl acetate, polyethylene-vinyl acetate copolymer, polyvinyl alcohol, and polyethylene. -Polyvinyl alcohol copolymer, fluororesin, silicone resin, natural rubber, polyisoprene rubber, polybutadiene rubber, styrene-butadiene copolymer, butyl rubber,
Halogenated butyl rubber, chloroprene rubber, acrylic rubber, ethylene-propylene-diene copolymer (EPD
M), acrylonitrile-butadiene copolymer, fluorine rubber, silicone rubber and the like.

Among the above-mentioned core materials and cladding materials, polystyrene, polycarbonate, styrene- (meth) acryl copolymers (core materials) are used as core materials in view of optical characteristics such as transparency and refractive index and coextrudability. MS polymer) and the like, and the clad material is (meth)
Acrylic polymers are preferred.

The reflection layer contains a white pigment or a scattering material (meta).
It is preferable to use an acrylic polymer.

Examples of the white pigment and the scattering material include organic polymer particles such as silicone resin particles and polystyrene resin particles, metal oxide particles such as Al ₂ O ₃ , TiO ₂ and SiO ₂ , and sulfate particles such as BaSO _4. And carbonate particles such as CaCO ₃ , and one of these can be used alone or in combination of two or more.

In consideration of reflection efficiency, coextrusion workability, and the like, the average particle size of the particles of these white pigments and scattering materials is preferably about 0.1 to 200 μm, particularly preferably about 0.5 to 50 μm. The content in the reflective layer constituting material (reflective material) is about 0.5 to 20% by weight, particularly 1 to 10% by weight.
It is preferred that it is about.

Although the thickness of the reflection layer 4 is not particularly limited,
The thickness is preferably 0 to 200 μm, particularly preferably 50 to 100 μm. If the thickness is too small, the reflected light decreases and the luminance decreases.If the thickness is too large, the reflected light increases and the luminance increases. In some places, the brightness may be disadvantageously reduced.

Although the diameter of the core 2 is not particularly limited, it is usually about 2 to 30 mm, especially about 5 to 15 mm.
The wall thickness of the tubular cladding 3 is usually about 0.05 to 4 mm, especially about 0.2 to 2 mm.

In this light transmission tube, a reflective protective layer may be formed on the outer surface of the tubular cladding 3 so as to cover the peripheral surface that does not emit light. In the case of an optical transmission tube having such a reflective protective layer formed thereon, when there is a defect such as a pinhole in the reflective layer 4, light leaking to the back side of the reflective layer 4 through this defective portion or the reflective layer 4 has Reflecting light leaking from the side with this reflective protective layer reduces light loss,
The brightness on the opposite side of the reflective layer 4 can be further increased.

As described above, it is preferable that the entire portion of the portion of the light transmission tube that is drawn out from the main body of the road stud is covered with the reflective protective layer.

As a constituent material of the reflective protective layer, a material that does not transmit the light leaked from the reflective layer 4 to the outside, does not absorb the light, and reflects the light efficiently is preferable. And a metal foil or metal sheet of silver, aluminum, or the like, or a coating film in which the above-described scattering particles that scatter light are dispersed.

To manufacture the light transmission tube, a core material, a clad material, and a reflective material containing a white pigment or a scattering material are extruded using a multicolor extruder, for example, a three-color extruder having three screw portions. The core material is extruded into a cylindrical shape, the reflective material is extruded into a plurality of strips on the outer peripheral surface of the columnar core material, and the clad material is extruded simultaneously into a tube shape covering the core material and the reflective material. .

According to this method, three types of materials having different refractive indices and physical properties can be simultaneously extruded, and a laminated structure having three types of functions can be formed at a time.
Moreover, since the respective materials are laminated in a softened state, an optical transmission tube having excellent adhesion between the respective layers can be efficiently manufactured.

When a reflective protective layer is formed, a metal foil or a metal sheet may be attached after the extrusion molding, or a coating material in which scattering particles are dispersed may be applied. It is also possible to form a hydrophilic protective layer.

The light transmission tube may be manufactured by a method other than the above.

In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the light transmission tube 1 is pulled out of the road stud body 11 and the light source unit 15 is pulled out.
However, the light source unit 15 may be installed in the road stud body 11A like the road stud 10A in FIG. Reference numeral 16 denotes a beam-shaped support member for supporting the light transmission tube. In this embodiment, for maintenance of the light source unit 15, the upper portion of the road stud body is made separate from the lower portion, and both are detachably connected by bolts or the like.

In FIGS. 4 to 6, the light transmission tube is routed to the upper part in the main body of the road stud.
As shown in B, the light transmission tube 1 may be routed below the road stud body 11B, and a mirror (may be a half mirror) 18 may be installed above the road stud body 11B.

In the road stud 10B, the light from the light transmission tube 1 is split by the downwardly convex quadrangular pyramid-shaped mirror 18, and the light is radiated from the four light transmitting portions 14 in all directions.
However, the light transmitting section 14 may be provided only on some slopes, for example, only on a pair of slopes.

When a light transmitting portion is provided only on a pair of slopes, a triangular prism-shaped mirror (may be a half mirror) 18 'shown in FIG. 10 is used as the mirror.
In FIGS. 7 to 9, a common light transmission tube 1 is passed through a plurality of road studs 10 </ b> B, and one light transmission tube gives light to many road studs 10 </ b> B. One light transmission tube 1 may be connected to the road stud. As shown in FIG. 8, a protection tube 19 is attached to a portion of the light transmission tube 1 outside the road stud body.

[0041]

As described in detail above, the road stud of the present invention is
Light is emitted by light guided by the light transmission tube, and the light source unit can be arranged at a distance from the road stud. For this reason, the light source unit can be installed at a location where maintenance is easy. This light transmission tube is lightweight, water-resistant, durable, durable,
Even if the load is damaged by dropping a heavy object, the current does not short.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an optical transmission tube used in the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken along the line II-II in FIG.

FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken along line III-III in FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a road stud according to the embodiment.

FIG. 5 is a sectional view taken along line VV of FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view showing another embodiment.

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a road stud according to still another embodiment.

FIG. 8 is a sectional view taken along line VIII-VIII in FIG.

9 is a sectional view taken along line IX-IX in FIG.

FIG. 10 is a perspective view of a mirror used in another embodiment.

[Description of Signs] 1 Optical transmission tube 2 Core 3 Tubular cladding 4 Reflective layer 10, 10A, 10B Road tack 14 Light transmitting unit 15 Light source unit 18, 18 'Mirror

Claims (9)

[Claims] 1. A road stud having a road stud body having a light-transmitting portion on an upper portion and a light-emitting device provided on the back side of the light-transmitting portion, wherein the light-emitting device emits light from a side peripheral surface. A road stud comprising a transmission tube and a light source provided at one end of the light transmission tube. 2. The road according to claim 1, wherein the light transmitting portions are provided on both upper sides, and the light emitted from the light transmission tube is split into the light transmitting portions on both sides by a mirror. Tack. 3. The road stud according to claim 1, wherein one end of the light transmission tube extends so as to be separated from the road stud. 4. The road stud according to claim 3, wherein a portion of the light transmission tube that is drawn from the road stud body is covered with a reflective protective layer all around. 5. The road tack according to claim 1, wherein a common light transmission tube is routed for the plurality of road tacks. 6. The optical transmission tube according to claim 1, wherein the optical transmission tube includes a tubular clad and a core made of a material having a higher refractive index than a constituent material of the tubular clad. Road studs featured. 7. The optical transmission tube according to claim 6, wherein the optical transmission tube forms a strip-shaped reflective layer between the tubular clad and the core along a longitudinal direction of the tubular clad, and transmits the light passing through the core. A road stud, characterized in that it is an optical transmission tube that is reflected and scattered by a reflection layer and emitted from the outer peripheral surface of the tubular cladding opposite to the side where the reflection layer is formed. 8. The road stud according to claim 6, wherein the tubular cladding is made of a (meth) acrylic polymer, and the core is made of polystyrene, polycarbonate or a styrene- (meth) acrylic copolymer. . 9. The road stud according to claim 7, wherein the reflection layer is made of a (meth) acrylic polymer containing a white pigment or a scattering material.