JP2001034215A - Block indicator and light emitting mechanism - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a block indicator which has high discrimination property at night or the like without using a commercial electric source and is conspicuous, is excellent in visibility and durability by providing a light emitting means, a power generating means for supplying electric power to the light emitting means and an electricity storing means for storing electric power from the power generating means in a block-shaped base body made of glass. SOLUTION: The block indicator 1 is composed of a thick base body 1a made of toughened glass and a cavity is formed inside. Plural LED2 being the light emitting means are arranged at four flanks of the base body 1a in a luminescent block 2a made of a resin and further a solar battery 3 being the power generating means is arranged at a lower part of an upper surface thereof. A controller 4 for controlling a luminescent state or the like of the LED2, a capacitor 5 being the electricity storing means or the like are incorporated in the cavity. Further a sensor which is sensitive to brightness and darkness of an environment where the block indicator 1 is located is arranged and the controller 4 controls supply of driving power from the solar battery 3 to the LED2 based on result detected by the brightness/darkness sensing sensor.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a block sign and a light emitting mechanism, and more particularly, to a block sign having a light emitting function that can be identified even at night and a light emitting mechanism usable for the same.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art As a block sign which is buried or laid on a road surface such as a passage or a road and can be identified at night, there is a sign provided with a light-emitting body on its surface. This block marker is configured by embedding a plurality of LEDs on the surface of a block made of concrete, pottery, rough stone, or resin, and has a built-in lighting control device inside the block. However, this block sign uses commercial power,
The installation place is limited, and the running cost required for construction and maintenance is not low. Moreover,
Resin blocks are deteriorated and deteriorated by ultraviolet rays, so there is a problem in durability.In the case of other concrete, pottery, and rough stones, the resin block is attached to the place where the luminous body is embedded. However, there was a problem in durability of this portion.

In view of the above, as a technique which does not use a commercial power supply, a block sign provided with a solar cell and a power storage means has been developed (for example, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. Hei 6-118).
887). This sign has reduced the construction cost and the running cost required for maintenance and inspection.

[0004]

However, since this sign is constructed by embedding a dot-like LED in the base of the concrete block, it is difficult to stand out even if it emits light, and the discrimination at night is not always good. There is room for improvement. In addition, there is a problem that the resin lid member used to protect the LED as described above deteriorates over time.

Therefore, an object of the present invention is to solve the above-mentioned problems of the prior art without using a commercial power supply.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a block marker having high discrimination at night and the like, being conspicuous, having good visibility, and having excellent durability, and a light emitting mechanism usable for the block marker.

[0006]

The above object is achieved by the invention described in each claim. That is, the characteristic configuration of the block marker of the present invention is such that, on a block-shaped base made of glass, a light emitting means, a power generating means for supplying power to the light emitting means, a power storage means for storing power from the power generating means, And a controller for controlling a light emitting mode of the light emitting means.

According to this structure, the light emitted from the light emitting means passes through the inside of the glass block-shaped substrate having a higher refractive index than that of the resin, so that the light is easily diffused. Compared with the case where a luminous body of the shape is provided, the visibility is much better, and since a power generating means for the light emitting means and a power storage means are provided, a commercial power supply is unnecessary, Construction costs and running costs required for maintenance and inspection can be reduced. In addition, when a solar cell is used as a power generation means, since the characteristic of glass having a large refractive index can be used, it is not always necessary to arrange the solar cell on the uppermost surface of the block, which increases the degree of freedom in design. convenient. Furthermore, since the substrate is made of glass, there is less aging than block signs made of concrete or resin, and a high-strength glass such as tempered glass can be selected as a glass material depending on the place of use, so that it can withstand years of use. Gain. As a result, without using commercial power,
Nevertheless, it was possible to provide a block marker having high distinguishability at night, being conspicuous, having good visibility, and having excellent durability. The block marker according to the present invention can be used as various markers not only at night but also during the day.

It is preferable that the light emitting means comprises a plurality of LEDs, and these LEDs have a function of increasing or decreasing light.

According to this configuration, since the light emission expression of the LED can be changed in various ways, it is conspicuous even at night and the visibility is further improved.

[0010] Preferably, the plurality of LEDs comprise a combination of LEDs that emit different colors. According to this configuration, by changing the light emission expression of the LED in various ways, not only the primary color but also the intermediate color can be expressed from the combination of colors, and a more conspicuous light emission expression can be achieved, which is convenient.

It is preferable that the power generation means is a solar cell, and the solar cell is disposed below the upper surface of the block-shaped base, and an ultraviolet transmission preventing layer is formed at a lower part of the upper surface of the block-shaped base. .

According to this structure, the power generation means can be compactly mounted on the block-shaped base, which is convenient when buried or mounted on a road surface. It is possible to improve the durability of a resin casing or a covered wire for accommodating each device, and to extend the life as a sign, which is convenient.

It is preferable that a sensor capable of sensing light and dark is provided, and the controller controls a light emitting state of the light emitting means based on a detection result of the sensor.

According to this configuration, power is exclusively stored during the day and light is not emitted, so that unnecessary power consumption can be eliminated, which is convenient.

Further, the characteristic structure of the light emitting mechanism according to the present invention includes a light emitting means for emitting light by receiving power supply from the power generating means, and the light emitting means comprises a plurality of LEs for emitting different colors.
D, and these LEDs have a function of increasing or decreasing light.

According to this configuration, by changing the light emission expression of the LED in various ways, not only the primary color but also the intermediate color can be expressed from the combination of colors, and a more conspicuous light emission expression can be achieved. Along with being able. When used for a block sign attached or buried in the ground, it becomes a light-emitting sign that is extremely conspicuous in darkness such as at night, and can be highly visible, which is convenient.

[0017]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. 1 and 2 show a block marker 1 according to the present embodiment. The block marker 1 is composed of a thickened base body 1a made of tempered glass, and has a cavity 1b formed therein. On the four side surfaces of the base 1a, a plurality of LEDs 2 as light emitting means are arranged in a light emitting block 2a made of milky or frosted glass resin, and a solar cell 3 as a power generating means is arranged at a lower portion of the upper surface. Have been. And the cavity 1b constituting the inside
Includes a controller 4 for controlling the light emission mode of the LED 2 and the like, and a capacitor 5 serving as power storage means. However, the light-emitting block 2a may be made of a transparent resin or glass, or the LED 2 may be directly disposed on the side surface of the base 1a without using this.

Further, a sensor (not shown) capable of sensing the brightness of the environment in which the block sign 1 is placed is provided in the cavity 1b.
The controller 4 controls the supply of the driving power from the solar cell 3 to the LED 2 based on the detection result of the light / dark sensor. By doing so, wasteful power consumption can be eliminated. Alternatively, after supplying the power supplied from the solar cell 3 to the capacitor 5, the power can be output to the LED 2 via a power amplifying means (not shown) provided in the cavity 1b.

A transparent or translucent layer for preventing transmission of ultraviolet rays is coated on the inner surface side of the base 1a on which the solar cell 3 is disposed. This ultraviolet transmission preventing layer is not always necessary, but if it is applied, the cavity 1b
It is convenient because the durability of a resin casing or a covered wire for storing each device disposed therein can be remarkably improved.
If the ultraviolet ray transmission preventing layer is omitted only at the position where the solar cell 3 is disposed or is formed on the back side of the solar cell 3, the amount of sunlight irradiated to the solar cell 3 is not reduced, which is convenient. Is good. The ultraviolet light transmission preventing layer is made of a substrate 1a
Is advantageously formed on the entire inner surface side, since ultraviolet light entering from the periphery of the glass block can be reliably blocked.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, a plurality of LEDs 2 are provided as a set, each of which has a different color, for example, R
(Red), G (Green), B (Blue), Yellow (Y), White (W) and other colors are emitted. Each of these LEDs 2
Are set to individually increase or decrease the light according to the instruction of the controller 4, as shown in FIG. Therefore, by the light emission of each of the LEDs 2, a variety of color expressions composed of combinations of the respective colors are made with time, and the base 1
Since a is made of glass, it is possible to realize a luminous sign that is extremely conspicuous when viewed in darkness such as at night. Of course, the light emission pattern of each LED 2 shown in FIG. 3 is merely an example, and various other patterns can be combined. However, it is only necessary that the color expression be changed in various ways over time.

As the capacitor 5, a large-capacity type electric double layer capacitor is used. This electric double layer capacitor is convenient because the internal resistance is small and the change in diameter is small, so that the charging efficiency is good, the life is long, and no maintenance is required.

The block sign 1 is mounted on a road surface and is used as a three-dimensional sign, a curb or the like. In that case, the bottom may be slightly embedded in the road surface, or may be attached with an adhesive. When mounted on the road surface in this way, the block sign 1
By arranging the LEDs 2 on the respective surfaces, the five surfaces including the upper surface of the block sign can be used as the light emitting surfaces, and the visibility from other directions is excellent. Naturally, instead of using the block marker 1 as a rectangular parallelepiped as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, a polygonal prism or a polygonal pyramid such as a quadrangular pyramid or a pentagonal pyramid may be used to increase the number of light-emitting surfaces. It is possible.

[Other Embodiments] (1) In the above embodiment, an example is shown in which the block sign 1 is attached to a road surface and used, but it may be buried in the ground together with other concrete blocks and the like. In this case, as shown in FIG. 4, a protective frame 6 made of metal, ceramic, or the like is provided at a specific location or four corners on the side surface of the base 1a.
And a lid 7 made of glass, metal, resin or the like is preferably attached to the lower surface position. By doing so, the glass substrate can be prevented from being damaged when buried in the ground, which is convenient. In this case, the LED 2 as the light emitting means may be arranged as it is, or the LED 2 may be arranged in the milky white or frosted glass light emitting block 2a.

(2) The block marker 1 of the present invention may be configured as shown in FIG. 5, for example, and arranged in a garden or the like. The block marker 1 includes an upper portion having a substantially cylindrical glass base 1a and a base having a hollow portion 1b in which an LED 2, a solar cell 3, a controller 4, a capacitor 5, and the like are stored. Because it is flat, it can be easily placed on a foundation stone such as a garden. In this case, when the base portion is a quadrangle in a plan view (it is also possible to form another polygonal shape), and the solar cells 3 are arranged at each of four sides so as to surround the substantially cylindrical upper block, This is convenient because the light receiving area can be increased.

(3) The block marker 1 of the present invention is shown in FIG.
And may be similarly arranged in a garden or the like. This block marker 1 is different from that shown in FIG.
The light receiving area is further increased, and the upper glass block is formed in a cylindrical shape, in which a thin tubular fluorescent lamp 2 'or the like as a light emitting means is housed, and a roof-shaped solar cell 3 is arranged on the top. It is configured. Other controllers 4, capacitors 5 and the like are arranged at the base.

However, the solar cell 3 may be arranged at the base in the same manner as shown in FIG. 5. In this case, if a pattern such as a waveform is formed on the outer periphery of the upper cylindrical glass block, the change may be caused. It is preferable because rich light emission expression can be realized. or,
A transparent or translucent resin cylinder, which can easily form various patterns, may be placed on the outside of the transparent cylindrical glass block.

(4) The block marker 1 of the present invention may be configured as shown in FIGS. 7 and 8 and used as a gate light. That is, the block signs 1 are arranged as gate lights on the left and right walls 9 sandwiching the gate 8, respectively, a plurality of LEDs 2 housed in a glass block are arranged in the center, and the sun is arranged around the periphery from above. The battery 3 is configured by arranging a capacitor 5, a controller 4, and the like below the battery 3.
Of course, a tubular fluorescent lamp may be arranged instead of the LED 2.

(5) In the above embodiment, an example was shown in which an electric double layer capacitor was used as a capacitor as a power storage means. However, other capacitors can be employed. Various secondary batteries that can be charged and discharged can also be used.

(6) In the above embodiment, the example in which the block sign is installed on the road surface has been described. However, the block sign may be installed on a railway platform, stairs, or the like, and may be further installed on a wall surface or buried. Good.

(7) In the above embodiment, an example was described in which an LED was used as the light emitting means. However, the light emitting means is not limited to this, and the tubular or linear fluorescent lamp shown in FIG. And so on. Also, the number of arrangements, the arrangement place, and the like are not limited to the illustrated example, and may be more or less. In addition, LE
D is not limited to one that emits monochromatic light, but may be one that can emit polychromatic light with one LED. When this LED is used, mixed light can be easily expressed, which is convenient.

(8) In the above embodiment, the LED as a plurality of light emitting means has a function of increasing or decreasing the light. However, a light emitting means having a simple blinking function may be combined with this, and there is no change. Continuous light emitting means may be combined.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a block sign according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the block marker shown in FIG. 1 taken along the line II-II.

FIG. 3 illustrates an example of a light emission pattern of a light emitting unit.

FIG. 4 is a sectional view similar to FIG. 2 of a block marker according to another embodiment.

FIG. 5 is a sectional view similar to FIG. 2 of a block marker according to still another embodiment.

FIG. 6 is a sectional view similar to FIG. 2 of a block marker according to still another embodiment.

FIG. 7 is a layout diagram of a block marker according to still another embodiment.

FIG. 8 is an enlarged sectional view of the block marker of FIG. 7;

[Explanation of symbols]

 1a Base 2 Light Emitting Means (LED) 3 Power Generating Means (Solar Cell) 4 Controller 5 Power Storage Means

Claims (6)

[Claims] 1. A light-emitting means, a power-generating means for supplying power to the light-emitting means, a power storage means for storing power from the power-generating means, and a light-emitting mode of the light-emitting means. A block indicator. 2. The block sign according to claim 1, wherein said light emitting means comprises a plurality of LEDs, and said LEDs have a function of increasing or decreasing light. 3. The block sign according to claim 2, wherein the plurality of LEDs comprise a combination of LEDs emitting different colors. 4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the power generation means is a solar cell, the solar cell is disposed below an upper surface of the block-shaped substrate, and an ultraviolet transmission preventing layer is formed on a lower portion of the upper surface of the block-shaped substrate. Item 4. The block marker according to any one of Items 1 to 3. 5. A block according to claim 1, further comprising a sensor capable of sensing light and dark, and wherein said controller controls a light emitting state of said light emitting means based on a detection result of said sensor. Signs. 6. A light-emitting device which emits light by receiving power supply from a power generation device, wherein the light-emitting device comprises a combination of a plurality of LEDs emitting light of different colors. Light emitting mechanism.