JP2908696B2 - Road reflector - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a road reflector in which dew formed on the surface of the reflector is removed in a short time with an increase in atmospheric temperature.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In general, a concave or convex reflecting mirror body is provided at a corner of a road or in a place with poor visibility in order to ensure traffic safety such as running of a vehicle and traffic of a pedestrian. As shown in FIG. 4, in the conventional road reflector, the back surface of a reflector a made of glass, stainless steel, polymethyl methacrylate, or the like having a mirror surface formed on the back surface is closed with a back plate b, and the back surface of the reflector a is formed. A space c between the side and the back plate b
In most cases, the back plate b is attached to a column d.

[0003]

However, the conventional reflecting mirror as described above, when the start or end of sunlight irradiation, such as sunset or dawn, sudden rise and fall of the temperature of the atmosphere, and changes in the relative humidity, when the relative humidity changes. Because it was not possible to quickly follow changes in the temperature of the atmosphere, dew condensation occurred on the mirror surface due to the temperature difference between the atmosphere and the reflecting mirror, and the resulting dew condensation was not easily removed. Function may be reduced for a long time. Dew condensation as a cause of the fogging of the mirror surface occurs when the temperature of the reflecting mirror is lower than the dew point of the surrounding air, so a heating element or the like is provided on the back side of the reflecting mirror, and the reflecting mirror is Forcibly warms the reflector to raise the temperature of the reflector to the temperature of the surrounding air, thereby preventing dew condensation.The space between the back side of the reflector and the back plate has a large amount of heat insulation and high specific heat. Reflectors, etc., in which liquid is sealed to reduce the overall thermal conductivity to prevent dew condensation have been proposed, but the former reflector has a complicated structure and is a power source for generating heat from a heating element. However, installation was not easy considering electrical work. In the latter reflector, it is possible to delay the dew condensation start time, but it has not fundamentally prevented the dew condensation.

Accordingly, the present invention solves the above-mentioned problems,
It is an object of the present invention to provide a road reflector having a simple structure and capable of quickly and quickly removing dew condensation on a mirror surface.

[0005]

The inventor of the present invention has made intensive studies on how to naturally and quickly remove dew condensation on a reflector without using a heating element or the like. The reason why condensation is not easily removed is that the heat conductivity of the material used for the reflector is 0.67 Kc.
al / m · hr · ° C, stainless steel 40Kcal /
In the vicinity of m · hr · ° C., the polymethyl methacrylate content was 0.1%.
This is largely due to the fact that it is extremely low at around 2 Kcal / m · hr · ° C., and that the specific heat of the entire reflecting mirror is high due to the space formed between the back surface of the reflecting mirror and the back plate. I found that. That is, the conventional reflector has a low thermal conductivity and a high specific heat, so that it takes a considerable time for the temperature of the reflector to rise, compared to the rise in the temperature of the surrounding atmosphere due to irradiation with sunlight or the like, As a result, the dew condensation once formed was not easily removed.

In order to quickly remove the condensation formed on the reflector, the present inventor has to increase the thermal conductivity of the reflector and lower the specific heat to quickly raise the temperature of the reflector. The present invention has been completed based on the finding that, besides that, it is also effective to increase the infrared absorption of sunlight necessary for raising the temperature.

That is, the first embodiment of the road reflector according to the present invention.
In the aspect, the reflecting mirror, in which a heat conductive layer made of a material having a higher thermal conductivity than the base material is directly formed on the back surface of the base material whose surface is a mirror surface, is formed on the back surface of the base material. Heat conduction
At least a part of the layer is exposed and attached to the column, and as the temperature of the surrounding atmosphere increases, the heat is quickly transmitted to the heat conductive layer and reflected. Raise the temperature of the mirror close to the temperature of the atmosphere,
The purpose is to remove the condensation formed on the mirror surface in a short time.

FIG. 1 shows an example of the reflecting mirror used in the present invention. In FIG. 1, reference numeral 1 denotes a reflecting mirror 1, 2 denotes a base material having a mirror surface 21, and 3 denotes a heat conductive layer.

The material for forming the base material 2 is not particularly limited. However, glass, stainless steel, and polymethyl methacrylate are used because they have excellent rust prevention and are easy to form the mirror surface 21 and are inexpensive. preferable. The heat conductive layer 3 is formed of a material having a higher thermal conductivity than that of the base material 2. Generally, the heat conductive layer 3 is formed of a material having a higher heat conductivity than that of the above-described material. Is 100Kca
It is effective to use a material having a temperature of 1 / m · hr · ° C. or more, specifically, a heat conductivity of 340 Kcal / m · hr.
Copper and copper alloy at around ° C, 190 Kcal / m
Aluminum and an aluminum alloy having a temperature of about hr · ° C. are preferable, and any combination thereof may be used. The reason why these metals are selected is that they have high thermal conductivity as described above, are general-purpose metals, are inexpensive, are easy to process, and the like.

Note that the heat conductive layer 3 needs to be formed directly on the back surface of the substrate 2 as shown in FIG. "Direct"
Means that no organic matter such as a gap or an adhesive is interposed between the back surface of the base material 2 and the heat conductive layer 3, and if these are interposed, the base material 2 and the heat conductive layer 3 are not interposed. This is because heat conduction between the first and second layers is hindered.

[0011] In a second aspect of the road reflector according to the present invention, a reflector having an infrared absorbing layer directly formed on the back surface of a substrate having a mirror surface is provided on the back surface of the substrate. Formation
At least a part of the applied infrared absorbing layer is exposed
In this state, it is attached to a column, and the infrared ray of the sunlight is efficiently absorbed by the infrared ray absorbing layer to increase the temperature of the reflecting mirror. Note that the infrared absorption layer needs to be formed directly on the back surface of the substrate, as in the first embodiment.

FIG. 2 shows an example of the reflecting mirror used in the present invention. In FIG. 2, 1 is a reflecting mirror, 2 substrates, 21
Is a mirror surface, and 4 is an infrared absorbing layer.

The material for forming the infrared absorbing layer 4 is not particularly limited, but may be 2 at a wavelength of 10 μm.
Those having an infrared absorption ability of 0% or more are preferable, and zirconium oxide, aluminum oxide, silicon carbide and the like are generally suitably used. This is because these materials exhibit good infrared absorption performance and are excellent in stain resistance. Alternatively, the infrared absorbing layer 4 may be formed by coating the back surface of the substrate with a synthetic resin paint or an inorganic paint containing a large amount of a pigment such as carbon black. The substrate 2 may be the same as the material used in the first embodiment.

[0014] In the road reflection mirror according to the present invention
The reflector is attached to the column with at least a part of the heat conduction layer or the infrared absorption layer formed on the back surface of the base material being exposed. By attaching these heat-conducting layers or infrared-absorbing layers to the pillars in an exposed state without providing a back plate or a space portion in the reflector as in the past, the specific heat of the reflector is lowered and the reflector is directly exposed to the surrounding atmosphere. This is to promote heat conduction from the atmosphere, which is necessary for raising the temperature of the reflector, and to prevent the irradiation of sunlight from being hindered.

The method of attaching the reflecting mirror to the support is not particularly limited. For example, as shown in FIG. 3, a frame is formed on the outer peripheral edge of the reflecting mirror 1 so that the heat conducting layer 3 or the infrared absorbing layer is exposed. 11, and the frame 11 may be attached to the support 13 via the support 12.

[0016]

According to the road reflector of the present invention, the heat of the atmosphere is quickly transmitted from the heat conducting layer or the infrared absorbing layer formed directly on the back surface of the base material, and the infrared rays by the irradiation of sunlight are efficiently absorbed. , Because the temperature of the reflector quickly rises,
Dew condensation, which is a cause of fogging generated on the mirror surface, is removed in a short time.

[0017] Further, the reflecting mirror is attached to the support in a state where the heat conductive layer or the infrared absorbing layer is exposed .
Since the specific heat of the reflecting mirror is lowered and the heat conducting layer or the infrared absorbing layer is directly exposed to the surrounding atmosphere, heat conduction from the atmosphere is promoted and the irradiation of sunlight is not hindered, and the temperature of the reflecting mirror is maintained. Rises more quickly, and the dew condensation caused by the fogging on the mirror surface of the substrate is removed in a shorter time.

[0018]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The present invention will be specifically described below with reference to embodiments.

First, as a reflecting mirror as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 used in the road reflecting mirror of the present invention, an embodiment 1 shown in Table 1 is used.
~ 9 were created. Table 1 shows the materials, dimensions, and means for forming the heat conductive layer or the infrared absorbing layer used for the base material, the heat conductive layer, and the infrared absorbing layer in each example.

[0020]

[Table 1]

FIG. 3 used for a conventional road reflector.
Comparative Examples 1 to 3 as shown in Table 2
It was created. In Comparative Examples 1 to 3, a space was formed between the back surface of the reflecting mirror and the back plate. Table 2 shows the materials and dimensions used for the reflecting mirror and the back plate of each comparative example.

[0022]

[Table 2]

Next, each of Examples 1 to 9 and Comparative Examples 1 to 3 was -5
After cooling for 30 minutes in an environment of
It was allowed to stand outdoors at 25 ° C. and 60% humidity, and it was observed how the state of dew condensation generated on the mirror surface of the reflecting mirror changes with time. The results are shown in Table 3.

[0024]

[Table 3]

In Table 3, "icing" indicates a state in which ice adheres to the mirror surface, "condensation" indicates that the ice has melted and is in a dew state, and "start". Indicates a state in which the dew has begun to be removed, and "recovery" indicates a state in which the dew has been completely removed and the mirror surface has been recovered.

As is clear from Table 3, when the same material is used for the reflecting mirror, that is, when each of the examples using stainless steel, glass, and polymethyl methacrylate is compared with the comparative example, It was confirmed that in the example in which the heat conductive layer or the infrared absorbing layer was formed on the back surface of the material, the dew condensation generated on the mirror surface was removed in a short time, and the fogging was eliminated.

[0027]

As described above in detail, according to the road reflector of the present invention, the condensation formed on the mirror surface is quickly removed, so that the fogging is eliminated in a short time and the function as the reflector is impaired. Since there is no heating element and no conventional heating element or the like, the structure is simple.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a sectional view showing one embodiment of a reflector used in a road reflector according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a sectional view showing another embodiment of the reflector used for the road reflector of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing one embodiment of the road reflector of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a sectional view showing a reflector used in a conventional road reflector.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Reflector 11 Frame 12 Support 13 Support 2 Substrate 21 Mirror surface 3 Heat conduction layer 4 Infrared absorption layer

Claims (5)

(57) [Claims] Claims: 1. A back surface of a substrate having a mirror surface,
A reflector formed by directly forming a heat conductive layer of a material having a higher thermal conductivity than the base material is provided on the back surface of the base material.
A road reflector mounted on a support with at least a portion of the conductive layer exposed . 2. The base material is made of a material selected from the group consisting of glass, stainless steel and polymethyl methacrylate, and the heat conductive layer is made of a material selected from the group consisting of copper, copper alloy, aluminum and aluminum alloy. 2. The road reflector according to claim 1, wherein the reflector is made of a kind of metal. 3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the back surface of the base material having a mirror surface is
The reflecting mirror with the infrared absorption layer formed directly on the back of the substrate
At least a part of the infrared absorption layer formed thereon is exposed.
A road reflector mounted on a support post in an outgoing state . 4. The road reflector according to claim 3, wherein the infrared absorbing layer is made of a material selected from the group consisting of zirconium oxide, aluminum oxide and silicon carbide. 5. The road reflector according to claim 3, wherein the infrared absorbing layer is a black paint.