JP2002040217A - Reflection body and reflection device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a reflection body and a reflection device capable of preventing the phenomena that the retro reflection properties of a reflection plate is reduced by snow adhesion, dew condensation and the like generated on the front surface of the reflection plate under the unfavorable condition of snowy weather, cold weather and the like. SOLUTION: The reflection plate having retro reflection properties is provided with a heatable heating means and the phenomena that the retro reflection properties is reduced by the snow adhesion and the dew condensation and the like generated on the front surface of the reflection plate when it is cold can be prevented by heating the heating means. Since snow can be easily melted even if snow is adhered to the front surface of the reflection plate, the retro reflection properties can be maintained as the reflection body and the reflection device even under the unfavorable condition of snowy weather, cold weather and the like.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a reflection device installed on a side opposite to a light-emitting portion across a road in a sensor device provided for discriminating a vehicle type and the like. The present invention relates to a reflector for preventing phenomena such as snow accretion and dew condensation, which cause erroneous recognition by preventing transmission of a generated light beam or the like, and a reflector having the reflector.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art For equipment such as an automatic toll collection system on a highway, which confirms the passage of a vehicle and determines the type of vehicle when the vehicle passes, recognition of the information without error involves collecting the toll, counting the number of vehicles passing, and the like. Above is an indispensable technology.

[0003] The most reliable method for confirming and discriminating is to provide a transmitter and a receiver opposite each other on both sides of a lane where a vehicle passes, and transmit a signal such as a light beam from the transmitter to receive the signal. In the state of receiving the signal by the device,
This is a method for confirming the passage and confirming the type of vehicle by detecting the area where the signal passes and the vehicle blocks.

However, in this method, aside from the transmitting section, the receiving section needs to secure the maximum height of the passing vehicle, so that the device becomes large-scale and the mechanism for receiving is not simple. It is expected to be very expensive.

In recent years, a transmitter and a receiver have been housed in the same device, and a retroreflective reflector has been provided at a location facing the device with the lane interposed therebetween, so that transmission and reception are intermittently repeated. Methods have been developed for checking vehicle passage and vehicle type. That is, a signal such as a light beam transmitted from the transmitting unit is reflected by a retroreflecting reflecting plate opposed across the lane, reflected, and returned to a receiver adjacent to the transmitter as a signal. If the signal does not recur, the vehicle type is determined by recognizing that the vehicle is passing through the lane and by checking the size of the vehicle by detecting the size of the area where the signal does not recur. . The use of the above-described device utilizing the reflection plate greatly contributes to simplification of the device and cost reduction.

[0006]

However, in the method of recognizing the passage of a vehicle and discriminating the vehicle type by sending and receiving signals to and from a transmitting unit and a receiving unit using a reflector, there is no rainfall, snowfall, etc. due to warm weather. Although there is no particular problem in the state, if snow accumulates or condensation forms on the front of the reflector under bad conditions such as cold weather or snowfall, the signal does not recur, or it is detected as accurate information even if it recurs It is more likely that you cannot. Such a situation is of particular concern in cold climates.

In rainfall, snowfall, dense fog, etc., the signal reception level at the time when the vehicle is not passing is constantly detected,
There is also a method to respond by correcting the transmitted signal strength, but such a method leads to waste of energy,
If the retroreflectivity of the reflector is lost due to the increase in the degree of snow and condensation as described above, it is powerless.

Accordingly, the present invention provides a reflector and a reflector capable of preventing a phenomenon that the retroreflectivity of the reflector such as snow accretion and dew condensation which occurs on the front surface of the reflector under adverse conditions such as snowfall and cold is reduced. Is what you do.

[0009]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention is characterized by comprising a reflector having a retroreflective property and heating means capable of heating.

When the heating means is heated, it is possible to prevent phenomena such as snow accumulation and dew condensation occurring on the front surface of the reflection plate in cold weather, which lower the retroreflectivity, and to easily melt even if snow accumulates. As a result, it is possible to maintain the retroreflectivity as a reflector and a reflector even under bad conditions such as in cold weather and snowfall.

The heating means according to the present invention is not limited in its energy source as long as it can be heated. The heating means may be a heat pipe system in which a warming fluid such as hot water, steam, hot air or the like is passed, an infrared ray or a microwave. The heating method used, a method using a heat storage material, a method using an electric heating block in which a heating wire is passed through a block body, or the like, or a combination thereof may be used.

The heating means sets an apparatus for detecting the outside air temperature and a certain threshold value to set the heating to “ON” for the purpose of saving energy, preventing the heating means and the reflection plate from overheating, etc.
A controller that is turned "OFF" may be provided so that heating is not performed at an outside temperature at which there is no possibility that snow accretion, dew condensation, or the like will occur.

Preferably, the heating means uses an electric heating plate which is easy to control "ON" and "OFF" and manage the temperature. The electric power used for the electric heating plate may be a commercial power supply, but may be a solar battery, a dry battery, a storage battery, or a combination thereof.

Further, a heating means and / or a detector for detecting the temperature of the reflector may be added to the controller so that the heating is not performed when the detected temperature is sufficiently high. In this case, as a condition for performing the heating, the outside air temperature is equal to or less than the threshold value, and the temperature detected by the detection device is 20 to 50 degrees below the outside air temperature.
It is preferable to set the temperature to be higher by ° C.

The heating means is installed at the front of the reflector,
It may be either the back or the middle. However, it is preferable to provide it in front of the reflecting surface in consideration of contamination of the reflecting surface, thermal efficiency, etc.
In that case, it is necessary to use a material having transparency which does not hinder transmission of a signal such as a light beam. Polycarbonate, acrylic resin, etc. are not particularly limited as long as they have sufficient transparency as long as they do not hinder signals, but glass is preferable in consideration of heat resistance and durability. Further, in consideration of simplicity of construction and maintenance, it is most preferable to use an electrically heated glass in which the heating means by electricity and the glass, which are easy to control, are integrated.

The electric heating glass may be a method in which an electric heating wire is sandwiched between two laminated glasses together with an intermediate film such as a polyvinyl butyral resin film. As the electric heating wire, a nichrome wire, a titanium wire, an alacidosten wire or the like is used. However, considering the influence of irregular reflection at the time of signal passing, it is preferable that the electric heating element is transparent. In this case, a pair of upper and lower or left and right conducting electrodes and a transparent electric heating film are provided between the two laminated glasses together with the intermediate film. Provide. The conducting electrode is not limited as long as it has conductivity, and a silver paste or the like is used. As the transparent electrothermal film, conductive ceramic, IT
O (composite oxide of indium and tin), SnO ₂ , Au,
A thin film such as Ag is used.

The glass used for the electric heating glass may be a normal plate glass as long as it has a sufficient translucency. However, when the glass is installed on the lane side, it is recommended to use a reinforced plate glass when it is assumed that stones are splashed by a vehicle. Good.

In order to dispose the electrothermal glass on the front surface of the reflecting plate, it is sufficient that the electric heating glass is in contact with or close to it, and it is preferable that they are fixed to each other in consideration of the influence of vibration and the like. There is no. If it is to be fixed, it may be fixed by an appropriate method such as bonding using an adhesive or fastening with a bolt, rivet or the like.

The photocatalyst-containing layer may be formed on the outer surface of either the heating means or the reflection plate, which is provided on the side of the transmitting section. The photocatalyst is activated by the irradiation of ultraviolet light, the contaminants attached are decomposed by the oxidizing action, and the photocatalyst becomes hydrophilic, so that the contaminants are easily washed away by rainfall, etc. Fall. Furthermore, since the attached water does not become water droplets, irregular reflection of the passing signal is less likely to occur. If it is not possible to expect sufficient irradiation of ultraviolet rays in the installation state by sunlight or the like after the installation of the reflector and the reflection device, the surface is activated by irradiating ultraviolet rays by an appropriate method in advance at an appropriate stage before the installation. And may be made hydrophilic.

In order to use the reflector as a reflection device,
The method is not particularly limited as long as the reflector can be erected and has sufficient durability against wind, vibration, etc. in the erected state. The both sides of the reflector may be held by the formed holding grooves of the support, and may be supported and erected so as not to be shaken by wind, vibration or the like. In forming the support, it is preferable to use an extruded material, a drawn material, or the like of an aluminum alloy which is easily formed and is lightweight.

In order to prevent the occurrence of erroneous signals due to sunlight, vehicle lights, etc., it is preferable that the reflecting device has a roof-like cover on the upper part and side plates on both side surfaces. Is installed in an area where snow is expected,
There is a possibility that snow cover and a snow eave at the edge of the roof may occur at a location that cannot be melted by the electrically heated glass in a normal shape. In particular, the snow eaves may interfere with retroreflection by covering a part of the reflector. Therefore, the shape of the roof is changed to Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 11-7172.
It is preferable to adopt a one-sided flow structure as described in No. 3 and to prevent snow on the roof from sliding down on a slope to prevent the occurrence of snow cover and cornice.

[0022]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS One embodiment of the present invention will be described.
This will be described with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 shows a reflector 1 in which a reflector and an electric heat glass are integrated. The reflector 1 has a structure in which an electric heat glass 12 is provided on a front surface of a reflector 11. The electric heating glass 12 uses a transparent electrode, and does not hinder its retroreflectivity even if it is provided on the front surface of the reflection plate 11.

FIG. 2 shows a cross section taken along the line A--A in FIG. 1, that is, a cross section of the reflector 1. FIG.
An adhesive layer 13 is provided between the reflector 11 and the electric heating glass 1.
2 are integrated. Note that a transparent material is used for the adhesive layer 13 so as not to hinder signal transmission.

FIG. 3 is a schematic view of the electric heating glass. The electric heating glass 12 is constituted by an electric heating section 16 sandwiched between two sheets of tempered glass 14 and 15.

The cross section taken along the line BB of FIG.
FIG. 4 shows a cross section of FIG. 4. The electric heating glass 12 is constituted by an electric heating part 16 sandwiched between two sheets of tempered glass 14 and 15, and the electric heating part 16 is composed of an electrode part 161 formed of a silver paste and a thin film. And an intermediate film 163 using a polyvinyl butyral resin film. The electrode portions 161 disposed on both side edges of the electric heating glass are conductive, and when the transparent electrode 162 is energized, the electric resistance causes the electric heating portion 16 to generate heat. By heating the electric heating glass, dew condensation, snow accumulation and the like are prevented. . In addition, a photocatalyst containing layer 164 is formed on the outer surface, and the surface is preliminarily hydrophilicized by ultraviolet rays before installation, and has an easy washing property by water washing by hydrophilicity and an antifogging property by diffusion of attached water droplets.

FIG. 5 shows the reflecting device 2 having a one-sided roof-like cover 21 formed thereon. The roof-like cover 21 and a side plate for preventing generation of erroneous signals due to sunlight, vehicle lights, and the like. 22 and a structure in which the reflector 1 is erected inside. Angles x and y that constitute one-sided flow shape
The snow on the roof slides off at different angles and at 50 degrees or more.

FIG. 6 shows a state in which the reflector 1 is held by the support 23. A substantially U-shaped holding groove 231 is provided at both ends to face each other. By holding both ends of the body 1, the reflector can be easily erected, and the body 1 has durability against wind pressure and vibration.

[0029]

As described above, when the heating means is heated, it is possible to prevent phenomena such as snow accretion and dew condensation occurring on the front surface of the reflector during cold weather, which lower the retroreflectivity, and to easily melt even if snow accumulates. Because of this, it is possible to maintain the retroreflectivity as a reflector and a reflector even under bad conditions such as cold weather and snowfall.

[0030]

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a front view showing one embodiment of a reflector according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a sectional view of FIG.

FIG. 3 is a front view showing one embodiment of the electric heating glass according to the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a sectional view of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a front view showing an embodiment of a reflection device according to the present invention.

FIG. 6 shows a state in which a reflector is supported by a support having a substantially U-shaped holding groove according to the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Reflector 11 Reflector 12 Electric heating glass 13 Adhesive layer 14 Tempered glass 15 Tempered glass 16 Electric heating part 161 Electrode part 162 Transparent electrode 163 Intermediate film 164 Photocatalyst containing layer 2 Reflector 21 Single-sided roof-like cover 22 Side plate

Claims (10)

[Claims] 1. A reflector comprising: a reflecting plate having retroreflectivity; and a heating means capable of heating. 2. The heating means detects the outside air temperature and the temperature of the heating means itself and / or the reflector, and turns ON and OFF.
The reflector according to claim 1, wherein is controlled by a controller. 3. The reflector according to claim 1, wherein the heating means is an electric heating plate. 4. The reflector according to claim 1, wherein the heating means is an electric heating glass. 5. The reflector according to claim 1, wherein a photocatalyst-containing layer is formed on an outer surface of the reflector. 6. The reflector according to claim 1, wherein the heating means is provided on a front surface of the reflector. 7. The photocatalyst containing layer is formed on the outer surface of the heating means.
The reflector according to 1. 8. The support according to claim 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, or 7, wherein the holding member is formed such that substantially U-shaped holding grooves are formed opposite to each other at both ends. A reflecting device, wherein both ends are held in a groove. 9. The reflector according to claim 1, wherein a roof-like cover is formed on an upper portion, and the shape of the cover is a one-way shape. . 10. The reflection device according to claim 8, wherein a roof-like cover is formed on an upper portion, and the shape of the cover is a one-way shape.