JP2021050555A - Start control machine - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a start control machine installed at an interchange dedicated to an automatic toll collection system having an opening and closing bar being long and provided with a light emitter.SOLUTION: An extension bar 17 made of a flexible elastic body having a small diameter in the long axis direction is attached from a tip of an opening and closing bar body 16. A light emitter 18 is attached to the outer circumference of the extension bar. The opening and closing bar body 16 is provided with a release mechanism that applies an elastic force for rotation. When a passing vehicle collides with the opening and closing bar body 16 and the extension bar 17, the opening and closing bar body 16 can be rotated in a horizontal plane with the elastic force being applied to the vehicle by the extension bar 17 and the release mechanism.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

The present invention relates to a start controller including opening and closing of an opening / closing bar that regulates the passage of a vehicle.

In the automatic toll collection system (hereinafter referred to as "ETC (Electronic Toll Collection System) system") installed at the tollhouse on the toll road, the blocking rod is rotated up and down to regulate the passage of vehicles entering the tollhouse gate. A start controller is known. The start controller normally keeps the open / close bar in the horizontal position to block the passage of the vehicle, and only when the passage is permitted by the communication between the roadside antenna and the on-board unit, the open / close bar is turned upward to the vertical position. Form a passable space for vehicles.

If the vehicle passes through the tollhouse gate without being allowed to pass, the vehicle will collide with the blocking bar with the open / close bar held in a horizontal position. Patent Document 1 discloses an opening / closing bar that is not damaged even if a vehicle collides with the support member by mounting a tubular bag body in which gas is injected.

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2016-14257

In recent years, smart ICs laid as ETC interchanges (ICs) have become widespread. The smart IC constitutes a passage gate that allows entry and exit between toll road facilities such as service areas and general roads only for vehicles equipped with a valid ETC card and ETC on-board unit. In smart ICs, a start controller is installed in the traffic lane, and after stopping temporarily in front of the open / close bar of the start controller, communication is exchanged between the ETC on-board unit and the roadside antenna, and the open / close bar opens. It has become. The exit route from the toll road facility to the general road in the smart IC may have a curved road shape such as a U-shape or a Y-shape in order to save space, and the road width is widened. For this reason, it is necessary to use an opening / closing bar that is longer than a normal tollhouse. In addition, it was necessary to improve the visibility of the opening / closing bar in dim light or at night.

However, since the tubular bag body infused with gas has a structure in which the outer skin made of polyurethane resin is inflated like a balloon, it is difficult to form an opening / closing bar that maintains a long tubular shape while preventing breakage. There was a challenge. Further, since the base side of the support portion is easily broken by attaching the electric device to the outer circumference of the tubular bag body, there is a problem that it is difficult to provide a light emitter on the opening / closing bar.

The present invention has been made to solve such a problem, and an object of the present invention is to obtain a start controller which is long and has an opening / closing bar having a light emitter.

The start controller according to the present invention is attached to a long opening / closing bar main body installed in a direction in which a long axis crosses a dedicated passage of a vehicle, and a long opening / closing bar main body projecting from the tip of the opening / closing bar main body in the long axis direction. When an extension bar made of an elastic body having a smaller diameter than the opening / closing bar body, a rotary drive unit that rotates the opening / closing bar body in the vertical direction, and a passing vehicle collides with the opening / closing bar body and the extension bar. A release mechanism that holds the opening / closing bar body rotatably in a horizontal plane while applying elastic force to the vehicle together with the extension bar, and a light emitter that is mounted on the outer periphery of the extension bar and emits light toward an oncoming vehicle. The rotation drive unit is provided with a control unit that sends a control signal for rotating the opening / closing bar body upward, and is provided in an interchange dedicated to the automatic toll collection system.

The start controller according to the present invention has a release mechanism in which a small-diameter extension bar made of an elastic body equipped with a light emitter is attached to the tip of the opening / closing bar body, and elastic force is applied to the opening / closing bar body to rotate in a horizontal plane. By providing it, when the vehicle collides with the opening / closing bar main body and the extension bar, the impact given to the vehicle can be alleviated and the opening / closing bar main body can be prevented from being broken.

It is a figure which shows the structure of the automatic toll collection system 100 and the start controller 10 which concerns on Embodiment 1. FIG. It is a figure which shows the structure of the start controller 10 which concerns on Embodiment 1. FIG. It is a figure which shows the operation of the opening / closing bar of the start controller 10 which concerns on Embodiment 1. FIG. It is a figure which shows the release state which the opening / closing bar 15 which concerns on Embodiment 1 swiveled and stopped.

Hereinafter, embodiments according to the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In each figure, the same or corresponding parts are designated by the same reference numerals. In the description of the embodiment, the description will be omitted or simplified as appropriate for the same or corresponding parts.

Embodiment 1.
FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a configuration of an automatic toll collection system 100 and a start controller 10 according to the first embodiment. The automatic toll collection system 100 constitutes a smart IC arranged at an interchange (IC) dedicated to ETC.

The automatic toll collection system 100 constitutes a passage gate between a toll road facility such as a service area and a general road. The automatic toll collection system 100 is arranged in the lane 60, which is a one-way dedicated passage of the passage gate. The automatic toll collection system 100 includes a roadside antenna 11 installed in the lane 60, a vehicle detector 12, a roadside control device 14, a start controller 10, a vehicle imaging camera (not shown), and the like. The start controller 10 is composed of an open / close bar 15 and a control unit 13. The start controller 10 can instruct the passing vehicle 50 in the lane 60 whether or not the passing gate can be passed by opening and closing the pair of opening / closing bars 15. The vehicle 50 is equipped with an ETC on-board unit 55.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a configuration of the start controller 10 according to the first embodiment.
The start controllers 10 are arranged in pairs on the road shoulders on both sides of the lane 60, and a gap d narrower than the vehicle width Vw is formed between both opening / closing bars 15 (Vw> d). Further, the length obtained by adding the gap d to twice the length L of the opening / closing bar 15 is arranged so as to be equal to or greater than the road width Rw of the lane 60 (2L + d ≧ Rw). That is, the difference (Rw-2L) between the road width (Rw) of the lane 60 and the sum (2L) of the length of the extension bar 17 and the length of the opening / closing bar body 16 is shorter than the vehicle width Vw.

Each opening / closing bar 15 of the start controller 10 includes a long bar-shaped opening / closing bar main body 16, an extension bar 17, and a plurality of light emitters 18, respectively. The opening / closing bar main body 16 is installed in pairs in the direction in which the long axes cross the dedicated traffic path of the vehicle.
The extension bar 17 is attached to the tip of the opening / closing bar main body 16 so as to project from the long axis direction. The extension bar 17 is made of a flexible rod-shaped elastic body.

At least two light emitters 18 are mounted on the outer periphery of each extension bar 17 at intervals so as to emit light toward a vehicle passing through the lane 60. The light emitter 18 is composed of, for example, a light emitting circuit using a lightweight red LED (Light Emitting Diode).

The outer diameter of the extension bar 17 is smaller than the outer diameter of the opening / closing bar main body 16, and the shaft length of the extension bar 17 is less than half the shaft length of the opening / closing bar main body 16.
The opening / closing bar body 16 is formed of, for example, a thin-walled hollow tube made of carbon fiber reinforced plastic.
The extension bar 17 is composed of, for example, a thin-walled hollow tube or a solid tube made of rubber as an elastic body. Since the extension bar 17 uses rubber having a smaller outer diameter and shaft length than the opening / closing bar main body 16 and a specific gravity smaller than that of carbon fiber, it is lighter than the opening / closing bar main body 16. For example, the extension bar 17 has a weight less than half that of the opening / closing bar body 16.

The start controller 10 on the right side shown in FIG. 2 is a partial cross-sectional view schematically showing an internal device.
The control unit 13 includes a rotation drive unit 20 including a rotation unit 20a and a fixing unit 20b, a rotation unit 19, and a spring 21.
The opening / closing bar main body 16 is attached to the rotating portion 20a of the rotary driving unit 20 and is rotatably supported by the fixed portion 20b of the rotating driving unit 20. The rotation drive unit 20 rotates the opening / closing bar body 16 in the vertical direction.

The swivel portion 19 and the spring 21 form a release mechanism 23.
The swivel unit 19 supports the opening / closing bar main body 16 so as to be swivelable in a horizontal plane with respect to the base 22 of the control unit 13.
The spring 21 applies an elastic force to the opening / closing bar main body 16 when the opening / closing bar main body 16 turns. Although the spring 21 in FIG. 2 shows an example of a torsion spring, another spring such as a compression spring or a leaf spring may be used.
In the release mechanism 23, when the vehicle 50 collides with the opening / closing bar main body 16 and the extension bar 17, the turning portion 19 turns 90 ° in the horizontal plane with the extension bar 17 and the opening / closing bar main body 16 being elastically urged. After that, a lock pin 24 is provided to fix the opening / closing bar main body 16 in a swiveled state. Further, by releasing the lock pin 24, the swivel portion 19 rotates in the opposite direction due to the elastic force of the spring 21, and the opening / closing bar main body 16 can be returned to the original position. The lock pin may be released manually, or an actuator may be provided so that the lock pin can be released automatically.
The release mechanism 23 may be configured so that the opening / closing bar main body 16 can be restored and bent in a horizontal plane by using another mechanism.

Next, the operation of the start controller 10 according to the first embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 4.
FIG. 3 is a diagram showing the operation of the opening / closing bar 15 of the start controller 10 according to the first embodiment, FIG. 3A shows a state in which the opening / closing bar 15 is closed, and FIG. 3B shows an opening / closing bar 15. Indicates the open state.
FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a release state in which the vehicle 50 collides with the open / close bar 15 and the open / close bar 15 turns and stops.

When the vehicle detector 12 detects the vehicle 50 passing through the lane 60, the control device 14 instructs the roadside antenna 11 to start communication, and the roadside antenna 11 starts road-to-vehicle communication with the vehicle-mounted device 55 of the vehicle 50. ..

As a result of the communication, when the roadside antenna 11 and the on-board unit 55 normally end communication, the control device 14 sends an instruction signal for rotating the open / close bar 15 upward to the control unit 13 of the start controller 10. .. The control unit 13 sends a control signal for rotating the open / close bar main body 16 upward to the rotation drive unit 20, the open / close bar 15 rotates upward, and the open / close bar 15 rotates as shown in FIG. 3 (b). Open (open the traffic gate).

When the vehicle detector 12 detects that the vehicle 50 has passed the open / close bar 15, it sends an instruction signal to rotate the open / close bar 15 downward, and closes the open / close bar 15 as shown in FIG. 3 (a). Close the traffic gate).

On the other hand, when the communication between the roadside antenna 11 and the on-board unit 55 is abnormal as a result of the communication, or when the ETC card mounted on the on-board unit 55 is not valid or when the ETC card is not mounted. Alternatively, when the vehicle 50 is not equipped with the on-board unit 55, the roadside antenna 11 notifies the control device 14 of the result of poor communication. When the control device 14 receives the result of poor communication, the start controller 10 keeps the open / close bar 15 closed (the passage gate is closed) as shown in FIG. 3A.

Further, in FIG. 4, when the vehicle 50 collides with the opening / closing bar 15 with the opening / closing bar 15 closed, the opening / closing bar 15 turns around 90 ° together with the turning portion 19, and the turning portion 19 with the opening / closing bar 15 turned. The lock pin 24 is engaged with the lock pin 24, and the opening / closing bar 15 is fixed in the release state as shown in FIG.
By releasing the lock pin in this released state, the swivel portion 19 swivels due to the elastic energy stored in the spring 21, and returns from the released state as shown in FIG. 3A.

When the vehicle 50 collides with the opening / closing bar 15, the front tip portion of the vehicle 50 hits the extension bar 17, and the extension bar 17 bends due to the elastic force. After the vehicle 50 has passed, the extension bar 17 is restored to its original shape from the state of being bent by its own elastic force.

Thus, in the start controller 10 according to the first embodiment, the extension bar 17 is attached to the tip of the opening / closing bar main body 16 to lengthen the opening / closing bar 15, so that the vehicle passing through the lane of the passage gate can move into the lane. It is possible to prevent the vehicle from passing through the gap d of the opening / closing bars 15 arranged on both sides of the opening / closing bar 15.

Further, when the extension bar 17 is attached to the tip of the opening / closing bar body 16 to lengthen the opening / closing bar 15, the extension bar 17 is formed of a small diameter and short rubber to reduce the weight, thereby reducing the weight of the opening / closing bar 15. And the increase in inertia can be suppressed. As a result, it is possible to suppress an increase in the required torque of the motor constituting the rotary drive unit 20, so that the motor can be made smaller than when the opening / closing bar 15 is made of the same material. In addition, the production price of the motor can be suppressed by downsizing the motor.

Further, by providing an extension bar 17 having a diameter smaller than that of the opening / closing bar main body 16, a light emitter is installed so that the visibility of the opening / closing bar 15 does not deteriorate at night or at dawn or at dusk. As a result, it is possible to further prevent a vehicle collision due to a decrease in visibility of the opening / closing bar 15.

Further, the opening / closing bar 15 is attached to the swivel portion 19, and a release mechanism is provided so that the torque due to the spring 21 acts on the opening / closing bar 15 when the opening / closing bar 15 turns in the horizontal plane. As a result, even if the vehicle tries to break through the traffic gate and collides with the closed opening / closing bar 15, the impact acting on the opening / closing bar 15 can be mitigated and the opening / closing bar 15 can be prevented from being damaged. ..

Further, a flexible extension bar 17 made of rubber is attached to the tip of the elongated opening / closing bar 15 to reduce the rigidity of the tip of the opening / closing bar 15, so that the impact acting on the opening / closing bar 15 is deformed. Can be absorbed by. This makes it possible to prevent damage to the vehicle that collides with the opening / closing bar 15.

As described above, in the start controller 10 according to the first embodiment, a small-diameter extension bar 17 made of an elastic body equipped with a light emitter 18 is attached to the tip of the opening / closing bar main body 16, and an elastic force is applied to the opening / closing bar main body 16. By providing a release mechanism 23 that rotates in a horizontal plane, the impact on the vehicle when the vehicle collides with the opening / closing bar body 16 and the extension bar 17 is alleviated, and the opening / closing bar body 16 is prevented from being broken. It has the effect of being able to.

It should be noted that the embodiments described above are essentially preferred examples and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention, the scope of application of the invention, and the scope of use of the invention. The above-described embodiment can be variously modified as needed.

10 Start controller, 11 Roadside antenna, 12 Vehicle detector, 13 Control unit, 14 Roadside control device, 15 Open / close bar, 16 Open / close bar body, 17 Extension bar, 18 Light emitter, 19 Swivel part, 20 Rotation drive unit, 21 Spring, 23 leasing mechanism, 50 lanes, 55 on-board units, 60 lanes (one-way dedicated lane), 100 automatic toll collection system.

Claims (4)

A long opening / closing bar body installed so that the long axis crosses the vehicle's exclusive passage,
An extension bar made of an elastic body that is attached so as to project from the tip of the opening / closing bar body in the long axis direction and has a smaller diameter than the opening / closing bar body.
A rotary drive unit that rotates the opening / closing bar body in the vertical direction,
When a passing vehicle collides with the opening / closing bar body and the extension bar, a release mechanism that rotatably holds the opening / closing bar body in a horizontal plane while applying elastic force to the vehicle together with the extension bar.
A light emitter mounted on the outer circumference of the extension bar and emitting light toward an oncoming vehicle,
A control unit that sends a control signal for rotating the open / close bar body upward to the rotation drive unit.
A start controller installed at the interchange dedicated to the automatic toll collection system. The start controller according to claim 1, wherein the difference between the width of the dedicated passage, the length of the extension bar, and the sum of the lengths of the opening / closing bar main body is shorter than the vehicle width. The start controller according to claim 1, wherein the extension bar is made of rubber. The start controller according to claim 1, wherein the light emitter includes an LED.

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