JP2014127136A - Signal light - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a signal light in which: the front side of a light housing is easily opened and closed during maintenance; no probability exits for cost increase; light from a light source can be easily viewed from an original viewing direction even under the condition that the front side of the light housing is opened; and no probability exists for the disruption of traffic conditions.SOLUTION: A light housing 11 comprises: a case-like body 12 fixed to an installation place; and a cover body 13 provided on the front side of the body 12 in an openable and closable manner and whose front face side is provided with front covers 16 transmitting light from LED units 20 forward. The LED units 20 are disposed inside the body 12 so that light from the LED units 20 can be emitted forward even when the cover body 13 is opened.

Description

  The present invention relates to a signal lamp for allowing a vehicle or a passer-by to see a traffic permission or stop instruction or other traffic regulation information, and relates to a signal lamp equipped with a light source inside a lamp housing.

  Conventionally, this type of signal lamp has a long or vertically long cubic case-like lamp case housing a light source housing, for example, a plurality of LEDs mounted on a substrate as a light source. The front side of the lid is configured to be openable and closable, and the lid is provided with a transparent front cover.

  Thus, in the signal lamp which employ | adopted LED for the light source, generally LED and its board | substrate are combined with other related components, and are comprised as an LED unit. Then, as described in paragraph 0020 of Patent Document 1, this LED unit is usually fixed to the front side of the lamp housing, that is, the lid that can be opened and closed, instead of the inside of the lamp body. It had been.

JP 2002-197592 A

  However, in the prior art described in Patent Document 1 described above, it can be said that the weight is reduced when the lid on the front side of the lamp housing is opened during the maintenance of the signal lamp (particularly the LED unit). The LED unit must also be lifted, and the opening and closing work during maintenance is troublesome, and the mechanism for holding the lid in an open state also requires considerable strength, which causes an extra cost increase. It was.

  Moreover, in the state which opened the cover body, the driver | operator and the pedestrian in the installation place cannot confirm the light irradiated from LED in a signal lamp device from the visual recognition direction of an original signal lamp device. Therefore, when the maintenance is prolonged, there is a possibility that the traffic situation is greatly affected, or the driver or the pedestrian is misunderstood by the light irradiation in another direction.

  The present invention has been made paying attention to the problems of the prior art as described above, and it is easy to open and close the front side of the lamp case during maintenance, and there is no risk of high costs. The purpose of the present invention is to provide a signal lamp that allows the light from the light source to be easily seen from the original viewing direction even when the front side of the lamp housing is open, and does not impair the traffic situation. .

The gist of the present invention for achieving the object described above resides in the inventions of the following items.
[1] In the signal lamp (10) provided with the light source (23) inside the lamp housing (11),
The lamp housing (11) is provided in a case-like main body (12) fixed to an installation location, and can be opened and closed on the front side of the main body (12), and forwards the light from the light source (23) to the front. A lid (13) provided on the front side with a front cover (16) that is transparent to the front,
Inside the main body (12), the light source (23) is disposed so that light can be emitted forward from the light source (23) even when the lid (13) is opened. Signal lamp (10) to do.

[2] The light source is an LED (23) mounted on a substrate (24), and is configured as a unit including other related parts,
The main body (12) is formed in a shallow case shape in the depth direction according to the thickness of the unit,
The lid (13) is formed in a substantially flat plate shape that closes the front opening of the main body (12), and the front cover (16) that is also formed in a flat plate on the front side forms a continuous plane. The signal lamp (10) according to [1], which is incorporated.

  [3] A viewing angle limiting plate (30) that is disposed on the front side of the light source (23) and limits the viewing angle of light from the light source (23) is housed in the lamp housing (11). The signal lamp device (10) according to [1] or [2], wherein

  [4] In the above [1] or [2], the front cover (16) is configured to serve as a viewing angle limiting plate (30) for limiting a viewing angle of light from the light source (23). Signal lamp (10) as described.

Next, the operation based on the above solution will be described.
According to the signal lamp (10) described in [1], the lamp case (11) is opened and closed on the front side of the main body (12) and the case-shaped main body (12) fixed to the installation location. The light from the light source (23) provided inside the lamp housing (11) is transmitted through the front cover (16) on the cover (13). Is irradiated forward.

  Here, the light source (23) is not when the lid (13) is opened inside the main body (12) instead of the conventional lid (13) side of the lamp housing (11). In addition, the light source (23) is arranged so that light can be irradiated forward. Thereby, a heavy object such as the light source (23) is not added to the lid (13) that is opened and closed during maintenance, and the weight on the lid (13) side can be significantly reduced.

  Moreover, even when the lid (13) is opened, the light from the light source (23) inside the main body (12) is moved forward without passing through the front cover (16) of the lid (13). Can be irradiated. Thereby, even when the lid (13) is opened, drivers and pedestrians can easily see the light from the light source (23) from the original viewing direction, and even when maintenance is prolonged, There is no big impact on traffic conditions.

  According to the signal lamp device (10) described in [2], the light source is an LED (23) mounted on a substrate (24), and is configured as a unit including other related components. The main body (12) is formed in a shallow case shape in the depth direction according to the thickness of the unit, and the lid (13) is formed in a substantially flat plate shape that closes the front opening of the main body (12). The front cover (16), which is also formed in the shape of a flat plate on the front side, is built in a continuous plane.

  According to such a configuration, the lamp housing (11) can be formed extremely thin as a whole in accordance with the thickness of the unit of the LED (23). Therefore, the substantial arrangement space in the installation location of the signal lamp device (10) can be reduced as much as possible, and installation according to a request for space saving can be realized.

  According to the signal lamp device (10) described in [3], the viewing angle of light from the light source (23) is disposed inside the lamp housing (11) on the front side of the light source (23). The viewing angle limiting plate (30) for limiting the angle is stored. This makes it possible to limit the viewing angle without adding an extra configuration such as a hood or a louver to the outer wall of the lamp housing (11) or affecting the appearance.

  Alternatively, like the signal lamp (10) described in [4] above, the front cover (16) is configured to also serve as a viewing angle limiting plate (30) that limits the viewing angle of light from the light source (23). May be. As a result, the number of parts can be reduced, and the conventional front cover in the existing signal lamp can be simply implemented by replacing it with the viewing angle limiting plate (30) of the present invention.

  According to the signal lamp according to the present invention, it is easy to open and close the front side of the lamp case during maintenance, there is no risk of increasing the cost, and the front side of the lamp case is open. However, the light from the light source can be easily seen from the original viewing direction, and there is no possibility of impairing traffic conditions.

It is a perspective view which shows the state which opened the lamp case of the signal lamp device which concerns on 1st Embodiment of this invention. It is a front view which shows the state which opened the lamp case of the signal lamp device which concerns on 1st Embodiment of this invention. It is a front view which shows the signal lamp device which concerns on 1st Embodiment of this invention. It is sectional drawing which shows the signal lamp device which concerns on 1st Embodiment of this invention. It is a perspective view which shows the signal lamp device which concerns on 1st Embodiment of this invention. It is a perspective view which shows the frame structure of the signal lamp device which concerns on 1st Embodiment of this invention. It is sectional drawing which shows the signal lamp device which concerns on 2nd Embodiment of this invention. It is sectional drawing which shows the viewing angle limiting plate with which the signal lamp device which concerns on 2nd Embodiment of this invention is equipped.

Hereinafter, various embodiments representing the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
1 to 6 show a first embodiment of the present invention.
The signal lamp 10 according to the present embodiment is installed at a road intersection, a railroad track, or the like, and as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, an LED unit 20 that forms a light source inside the lamp housing 11. Is built in and configured. The signal lamp 10 has a rectangular shape extending in the left-right direction when viewed from the front, and is formed in a box shape that is shallow in the depth direction.

  The lamp housing 11 includes a case-like main body 12 fixed to an installation location, and a lid body 13 provided on the front side of the main body 12 so as to be openable and closable. The main body 12 is formed in a shallow case shape in the depth direction according to the thickness of the LED unit 20 to be described later, and the inside thereof is partitioned by reinforcing ribs 12a for each LED unit 20, and related parts are arranged. It has a space that can be built in if necessary. Each rib 12a is integrally fixed with respect to the upper and lower sides of the main body 12. A set terminal block 17 is disposed on one rib 12a, and a cord bush 18 (see FIG. 2) on the other rib 12a. Reference) is provided.

  Inside the main body 12, the LED unit 20 is arranged so that light can be emitted forward even when the lid 13 is opened. More specifically, a claw-like latching piece 12b for fixing each LED unit 20 in a fixed position is provided on the bottom surface of the main body 12, and the case of the LED unit 20 described later with this latching piece 12b. 21 can be stopped at equal intervals in the circumferential direction. Here, the front surface of the LED unit 20 is arranged in parallel with the front inner side of the lid 13.

  The lid 13 is formed in a substantially flat plate shape that closes the front opening of the main body 12, and a front cover 16 that is also formed in a flat plate shape on the front side is incorporated in a continuous plane. The main body 12 and the lid body 13 are connected to each other at their upper edges via hinges 14, and a known fastener 15 that engages with the lower edge of the lid body 13 is provided at the lower edge of the main body 12. Is provided.

  The front cover 16 transmits light from the LED unit 20 forward, and is formed in a disk shape that matches the shape of the LED unit 20 from, for example, transparent glass or synthetic resin. The front cover 16 is colorless and transparent, but may be colored according to the emission color of the LED 23 described later. Further, in the present embodiment, it is formed so as to have a property only for transmitting light, but it may be provided with a lens-like function or a function of diffusing light.

  As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the lid 13 is provided with three side-by-side and three circular openings 13 a, and the front surface of the front cover 16 is fitted into the opening 13 a so that the lid 13 It has a flat surface that is continuous with the front wall. As shown in FIG. 1, a shallow flange 16 a for attachment is integrally provided on the outer periphery of the front cover 16.

  On the other hand, an attachment portion (not shown) for positioning and attaching the flange 16a is provided on the inner periphery of each opening 13a of the lid 13. The lid body 13 is formed in a rectangular flat plate shape that matches the front opening of the main body 12, but actually, a very shallow positioning flange 13 b is integrally provided around the lid body 13.

  As shown in FIG. 6, the frame structure 100 for constituting the lamp housing 11 is formed by bending an extruded product having a closed cross-sectional shape having a hollow portion to form an outer peripheral frame 110. A thin plate-like rear panel 120 is attached so as to close the rear side opening of the outer peripheral frame 110, and a thin plate-like front panel 130 is attached to the front side opening of the outer peripheral frame 110 so as to be openable and closable.

  The extrusion-molded product is linearly extruded by a lightweight metal material such as aluminum or aluminum alloy, and has a plurality of hollow portions (not shown) in a direction orthogonal to the bending direction at the time of bending. Have a closed cross-sectional shape. Extruded products are prepared as a pair, and the upper part 110a and the lower part 110b, which are bent symmetrically with each other to form the upper and lower halves of the outer peripheral frame 110, are brought into contact with each other at both ends. It is fixed in the state.

  As shown in FIGS. 1 and 4, when the LED unit 20 is applied to a three-color (three-position) traffic signal lamp, the LED unit 20 is a separate lamp for each of the blue, yellow, and red lighting colors. This unit is assembled on the lid 13 side of the lamp housing 11 and lights up in response to an electric signal supplied from the outside. The LED unit 20 has a case 21 made of a bottomed cylindrical body that opens forward.

  The front opening of the case 21 is covered with a substrate 24 of an LED 23 that forms a light source. As shown in FIG. 4, the substrate 24 is screwed to a mounting portion 22 such as a boss at a position slightly ahead of the front opening of the case 21, and a heat radiation gap is left between the front opening and the case 24. It is arranged with. Here, the substrate 24 is a general printed wiring board, and a large number of LEDs 23 are mounted on the circular surface side thereof.

  The LED 23 is not limited to an LED lamp in which a light emitting element is embedded in a substantially bullet-shaped mold, but may be an LED chip including only a light emitting element mounted on a lead wire. For each LED unit 20, in the case of a three-color lamp, LEDs 23 that emit blue, yellow, and red light in order from the left in front view of FIG. 2 are used.

  Further, although not shown, a connector for connecting an electric wire, a signal line, or the like is provided at an appropriate place such as the back side of the substrate 24, and is connected to a power supply unit, a control device that performs lighting control, and the like. Furthermore, the light quantity of the LED 23 is set so that it can be arbitrarily adjusted by a dedicated switch.

Next, the operation of the signal lamp device 10 according to the first embodiment will be described.
As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, according to the signal lamp 10, the lamp housing 11 is provided with a case-like main body 12 that is fixed to an installation location and a front side of the main body 12 that can be opened and closed. The light from the LED 23, which is a light source provided inside the lamp housing 11, passes through the front cover 16 on the lid 13 and is irradiated forward.

  Here, the LED unit 20 including the LED 23 emits light from the LED 23 even when the lid body 13 is opened inside the main body 12 instead of the conventional lid body 13 side of the lamp housing 11. It is arranged so that it can be irradiated forward. That is, the case 21 of the LED unit 20 is disposed in a state in which the substrate 24 of the LED 23 is parallel to the front inner side of the lid 13 by the latching piece 12 b on the bottom surface of the main body 12.

  Such an arrangement of the LED unit 20 does not add a heavy object related to the LED unit 20 to the lid 13 that is opened and closed at the time of maintenance, and can greatly reduce the weight on the lid 13 side. The lid 13 can be opened and closed easily. Moreover, even when the lid 13 is opened, the light from the LED 23 inside the main body 12 is irradiated as it is without passing through the front cover 16 of the lid 13. As a result, even when the lid 13 is opened, the driver and pedestrian can easily see the light from the LED 23 from the original viewing direction, and even if the maintenance is prolonged, the traffic situation is greatly affected. Will not affect.

  In particular, the signal lamp 10 according to the present embodiment includes an LED unit 20 having a shape and size that does not make the light source bulky, and the body 12 of the lamp housing 11 has a depth direction that matches the thickness of the LED unit 20. It is formed in a shallow case shape. The lid 13 is formed in a substantially flat plate shape that closes the front opening of the main body 12, and the front cover 16 that is also formed in the flat plate shape on the front side is incorporated into a continuous flat surface. .

  The signal lamp 10 having such a configuration is referred to as a so-called flat type, and the lamp casing 11 can be formed extremely thin as a whole in accordance with the thickness of the LED unit 20. Therefore, the substantial arrangement space in the installation location of the signal lamp device 10 can be reduced as much as possible, and installation according to a request for space saving can be realized.

  In addition, according to the frame structure 100 of the signal lamp device 10 described above, a portion of the lamp housing 11 that requires strength is formed only by bending an extruded product, and the lamp housing 11 that does not require strength is formed. By using a thin plate-like rear panel 120 on the back surface, the required strength can be obtained even with a simple configuration, and further weight reduction can be realized. Moreover, in terms of equipment, it is sufficient to prepare a dedicated die for an extrusion-molded product and equip it with a general-purpose extruder, and the manufacturing cost can be reduced.

7 and 8 show a second embodiment of the present invention.
The signal lamp 10A according to the present embodiment has the same basic structure as the signal lamp 10 according to the first embodiment described above, the lamp casing 11 and the LED unit 20, but the interior of the lamp casing 11 is the same. The difference is that the viewing angle limiting plate 30 is arranged on the front side of the LED unit 20. In addition, the same code | symbol is attached | subjected to the site | part of the same kind as 1st Embodiment, and the overlapping description is abbreviate | omitted.

  The viewing angle limiting plate 30 limits the viewing angle of light from the LEDs 23 of the LED unit 20, and specifically, for example, a light-shielding light extending in the longitudinal direction in a thin shape inside a thin plate shape through which light is transmitted. The blocking portions are arranged in a state where they are arranged in a plurality of rows. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 8, the opaque resin forming the light blocking portions 32 is laminated at predetermined intervals inside the plate plate 31 formed from the transparent resin forming the thin plate, and is integrally formed. . Here, the opposite side surfaces 32a and 32a of each light blocking portion 32 are subjected to a process for preventing light reflection at least forward (in the direction toward the front outside of the front cover 16).

  The opposite side surfaces 32 a and 32 a of each light blocking portion 32 are spaced apart at equal intervals in the plane direction of the plate plate 31. Here, the thickness of each light blocking part 32, that is, the size between both side surfaces 32a and 32a is set to 0.2 mm, for example, in the present embodiment, and the interval between them is, for example, 0 in the present embodiment. .7mm is set. These specific dimensions may be set as appropriate in accordance with the viewing angle limit range required for the signal lamp 10.

  In particular, the viewing angle of the light from the LED 23 can be limited to a desired angle range by the ratio between the thickness of the plate plate 31 and the value of the interval between the light blocking portions 32. Moreover, it is preferable to set the thickness of each light blocking part 32 itself as thin as possible from the viewpoint of not reducing the light quantity of the LED 23. Regarding the arrangement of the viewing angle limiting plate 30, if the light blocking portions 32 are arranged in a row, the viewing angle in the left-right direction is limited. If the light blocking portions 32 are arranged in a row, The viewing angle in the vertical direction, that is, the perspective is limited.

  The plate plate 31 may be anything as long as it is a colorless and transparent resin. Specifically, for example, an acrylic resin, a polycarbonate resin (PC), an ASA resin (ASA), or the like is suitable. The light blocking portion 32 may be anything as long as it is a colored and opaque resin. Specifically, for example, the above-described acrylic resin or the like may contain carbon black or titanium oxide as a black colorant. What is important here is the surface processing on both side surfaces 32a and 32a of the light blocking portion 32, and at least a treatment for preventing light reflection in the forward direction (the direction toward the front outside of the front cover 16) is performed.

  Specifically, for example, the both side surfaces 32a and 32a are provided with fine irregularities that reduce light reflection at the boundary surface with the transparent resin that is the plate plate 31 as a treatment for preventing light reflection. It may be formed by processing or flocking, forming a plurality of stripes having a saw section on both side surfaces 32a, 32a, or processing so that fine rib-shaped protrusions are integrally formed in advance. The point is that the light reflected by the boundary surface between the plate plate 31 and both side surfaces 32a, 32a of the light blocking portion 32 is directed to the front outer side of the front cover 16, particularly between the light blocking portions 32. Any structure can be used as long as it can suppress the reflection of light that spreads at a wider angle than the end face of 31.

  In the case where the viewing angle limiting plate 30 is integrally formed of resin, the light can be easily obtained by forming so that opaque fine particles are mixed in both side surfaces 32a and 32a of the light blocking portion 32 in contact with the plate plate 31 at the time of molding. Processing to prevent reflection can be performed. Here, the specific forming method of the viewing angle limiting plate 30 is a method of simultaneously extruding the plate plate 31 and the light blocking portion 32, and the transparent resin of the plate plate 31 extruded from the first extruder, The opaque resin of the light blocking portion 32 extruded from the second extruder is merged in a mold, and the merged material extruded from the mold is passed through a sizing die to obtain the viewing angle limiting plate 30.

  Further, as a specific arrangement of the viewing angle limiting plate 30, it is interposed in the lamp housing 11 between the substrate 24 of the LED 23 and the front cover 16 disposed in front of the substrate 24. Here, as shown in FIG. 7, the viewing angle limiting plate 30 may be integrally provided so as to be superimposed on the back surface side (inside) of the front cover 16, or may be integrally assembled in front of the substrate 24. .

  According to the second embodiment as described above, in the viewing angle limiting plate 30, the light emitted from the LED 23 disposed behind the viewing angle restriction plate 30 is directed forward from the gap between the light blocking portions 32 within a predetermined angle range. Therefore, the viewing angle in the left-right direction of the signal lamp device 10 is limited within a predetermined angle range. Here, the arrangement of the light blocking portions 32 on the viewing angle limiting plate 30 and the arrangement of the LEDs 23 on the substrate 24 do not necessarily match, and the viewing angle is limited not only for the LEDs 23 but also for various types of light sources. The plate 30 can be applied universally.

  At least both sides of the light blocking portions 32 of the viewing angle limiting plate 30 that face each other are subjected to a process for preventing light reflection forward. As described above, when the viewing angle limiting plate 30 is integrally formed of resin as described above, opaque fine particles are mixed into both side surfaces 32a and 32a of the light blocking portion 32 that contacts the plate plate 31 during the molding. What is necessary is just to shape | mold. In any method, by preventing light reflection forward on both side surfaces 32a of each light blocking portion 32, light does not leak unnecessarily outside the viewing angle limit range, and the viewing angle of light from the LED 23 is increased. It can be surely limited.

  In addition, since the viewing angle limiting plate 30 is a resin molded product, handling becomes easy and sufficient strength can be secured, and there is no possibility that foreign matter enters the gaps between the light blocking portions 32. In addition, the viewing angle limiting plate 30 has a thin plate shape as a whole and can be easily accommodated in the lamp housing 11 without being bulky. In particular, since the viewing angle limiting plate 30 is not exposed to the outside by being provided inside the lamp housing 11, it can be arranged in a compact manner without being affected by wind and snowfall, and there is a demand for space saving. Can also respond.

  Furthermore, the viewing angle limiting plate 30 may be integrally assembled in front of the substrate 24 in the LED unit 20 on the main body 12 side instead of the lid 13 side where the front cover 16 is provided. In such a case, even when the lid 13 is opened, the viewing angle of the light from the LED 23 can be limited as it is.

  As another embodiment, the front cover 16 itself may be configured to also serve as a viewing angle limiting plate that limits the viewing angle of light from the LED 23. In such a case, the number of parts can be reduced. In addition, the present invention can be implemented simply by replacing the front cover of the existing signal lamp with the front cover that also serves as the viewing angle limiting plate of the present invention.

  As described above, the embodiments of the present invention have been described with reference to the drawings. However, the specific configuration is not limited to these embodiments, and the present invention can be modified or added without departing from the scope of the present invention. Included in the invention. For example, in each of the above-described embodiments, an example in which the LED unit 20 is used for a three-color lamp (three-position type) has been described. However, the present invention is not limited to this example. The present invention can also be applied to other signal lamps such as lamps and single flashing lamps. Alternatively, a type in which an arrow lamp or a single flashing lamp is added to a three-color lamp (three-position type) may be used.

  The viewing angle limiting plate 30 according to the second embodiment has a viewing angle required for an actual signal lamp with respect to the thickness of the plate 31 and the direction and size of the vertical or horizontal row of each light blocking section 32. What is necessary is just to set suitably according to a restriction | limiting range. Further, the viewing angle limiting plate 30 is not limited to a resin molded product, and for example, as another configuration, the viewing angle limiting plate 30 is configured by arranging the light blocking portions in a rectangular frame surrounding the thin plate-like interior. May be. The signal lamps 10 and 10A are not limited to the flat type in which the lamp casing 11 is formed thin.

  INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY The present invention can be widely used for various signal lamps for allowing a vehicle or a passerby to see traffic permission or stop instructions and other traffic regulation information.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 ... Signal lamp 10A ... Signal lamp 11 ... Lamp housing 12 ... Main body 12a ... Rib 12b ... Hook 13 ... Lid 13a ... Opening 13b ... Flange 14 ... Hinge 15 ... Fastener 16 ... Front cover 16a ... Flange 17 ... Terminal block 18 ... Cord bush 20 ... LED unit 21 ... Case 22 ... Mounting part 23 ... LED
24 ... Substrate 30 ... Viewing angle limiting plate 31 ... Plate plate 32 ... Light blocking part

Claims (4)

In a signal lamp equipped with a light source inside the lamp housing,
The lamp housing includes a case-shaped main body fixed to an installation location, and a lid provided on the front side of the main body so as to be openable and closable, and a front cover for transmitting light from the light source forward. The body,
A signal lamp device, wherein the light source is arranged in a state in which light can be emitted forward from the light source even when the lid is opened inside the main body. The light source is an LED mounted on a substrate, and is configured as a unit including other related parts,
The main body is formed in a shallow case shape in the depth direction according to the thickness of the unit,
The lid body is formed in a substantially flat plate shape that closes the front opening of the main body, and the front cover that is also formed in a flat plate shape on the front side is incorporated in a continuous flat surface. The signal lamp device according to claim 1.   The signal lamp according to claim 1 or 2, wherein a viewing angle limiting plate that is disposed on a front surface side of the light source and limits a viewing angle of light from the light source is housed in the lamp housing. .   The signal lamp device according to claim 1, wherein the front cover is configured to serve also as a viewing angle limiting plate that limits a viewing angle of light from the light source.

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