JPH0436206B2 - - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Field of Industrial Application] The present invention relates to a stud-type road signal device installed on the ground surface.

[Conventional technology and its problems] Attempts have been made to use light-emitting diodes, which consume less power than incandescent light bulbs, in signaling devices, but light-emitting diodes have a low amount of light and are difficult to blink, especially when viewed from a distance. The problem is that it cannot be seen visually.

On the other hand, a light-emitting road stud device designed to blink light-emitting diodes using solar cells as a power source is known from Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 57-61137, but in that case, the power that can be supplied to the light-emitting diodes is limited. There is. For this reason, high-brightness light emitting diodes with low power consumption are used, but even then, the amount of light emitted is insufficient and the light cannot be transmitted far, so devices powered by solar cells are required for visibility as traffic signals. is insufficient, and therefore the signaling device described in the above publication has not yet been put into practical use.

In addition, the light-emitting road stud disclosed in Japanese Utility Model Application Publication No. 57-119810 uses a light-emitting diode with a light-condensing lens integrally provided in front of the light source to improve light emission directionality. Although a structure has been developed to improve this, this structure still has the drawback that sufficient brightness cannot be obtained because the light emitted backward from the light source section of the light emitting diode is not focused.

Furthermore, in the embedded marker light shown in Utility Model Publication No. 58-10736, a parabolic reflector is provided behind the light source lamp like a normal marker light, and a filter, prism lens, waterproof glass, etc. are provided in front. However, although it does not include a reflector, it has a complicated structure and is expensive to manufacture, and it is difficult to maintain the accuracy of the position of the light source during assembly.

[Means for solving the problem] Therefore, the ground-mounted stud-type road signal device of the present invention has the following features:
A plate-shaped reflector that is inclined at an angle α with the ground surface is fixed, an elliptical hole is opened in a part of the reflector, and the center line on the back of the reflector makes an angle β with the reflector (however, β> α) A transparent quadratic curved surface is provided so as to be slightly tilted backward and downward, and the front end surface of the quadratic curved surface is aligned with the elliptical hole so that the surface of the reflector and the front end surface are flush with each other. In addition, a light emitting diode is provided at a focal point in the quadratic curved body, and a metal coating is applied to the outer peripheral paraboloid of the quadratic curved body. Note that the reflector and the quadratic curved body may be integrally molded.

[Function] The light from the light emitting diode is reflected by the parabolic metal coating and becomes parallel rays. These parallel rays are refracted at the front end face of the quadric surface and have strong directivity in the direction of crawling on the road surface. radiated. In addition, by directly attaching a quadratic curved body with a light emitting diode at the focal point to the reflector or integrally molding it, manufacturing and assembly becomes easier, the structure is simplified with fewer parts, and it can be manufactured with high precision and strength. .

[Example] Hereinafter, an example of the ground-mounted tack-type road signal device of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is an external perspective view of this signal device. The stud body 1 is formed by aluminum die-casting into a short quadrangular truncated pyramid shape, and rectangular window holes opened on the four side walls of the stud body 1 are equipped with red or yellow reflectors 2.
is loaded. This reflector 2 is molded from a transparent synthetic resin, has a flat surface, and has a large number of three orthogonal reflecting surfaces that form one corner of a cube arranged in regular rows on the back, and reflects light incident from the surface. This is a well-known method that reflects light in the direction of incidence. An elliptical hole 3 is formed in a part of the reflector 2, and the front end surface 5 of the transparent quadric surface body 4 is aligned with the elliptical hole 3 so that the surface of the reflector 2 and the front end surface 5 are flush with each other. The quadratic curved surface body 4 is buried in the back of the reflector 2 so that its center line 6 is slightly inclined backward and downward. That is, as shown in FIG. 3, the angle β that this center line 6 makes with the reflector 2 is larger than the angle α that the reflector 2 makes with the ground surface 7 (that is, β>α).
The quadratic curved surface body 4 is set so that its center line 6 is inclined backward and downward. Note that the quadratic curved body 4 may be molded integrally with the reflector 2 from a transparent synthetic resin, or may be molded separately and combined later. The back surface of the reflector 2 and the outer peripheral paraboloid of the quadratic curved surface body 4 are coated with a metal coating 8 (for example, aluminized) in order to enhance the reflection function. A high-intensity light emitting diode 9 is provided so that a light emitting part is located at a focal point in the quadric surface body 4. Reference numeral 10 denotes a housing that holds the reflector 2, and a backing material 1 made of a mixture of silicone resin and ceramic powder is placed in the housing so as to fill the back space of the reflector 2.
Fill with 1. Reference numeral 12 denotes a rubber packing material that is placed over the outer periphery of the housing 10 to serve as a cushioning material.

On the other hand, on the upper surface of the tack body 1, a raised edge 13 is formed in the shape of a picture frame.
A solar cell 14 is disposed in a region surrounded by a solar cell formed therein. A cylindrical portion 15 is formed integrally with the lower surface of the stud body 1, and houses a printed circuit board 16 forming a light/dark sensitive switching circuit and a sealed storage battery 17 such as a nickel-cadmium battery. Reference numeral 18 denotes a substantially cubic container, which is buried underground with its top opening aligned with the level of the ground surface 7. An O-ring 19 is attached to the upper opening edge of the container 18, and the O-ring is hermetically pressed to the lower surface of the stud body 1. 2
0 indicates bolts that are inserted into the four corners of the rivet body 1 and screwed into screw holes formed in the four corners of the container 18, thereby removably fixing the rivet body 1 to the container 18. Note that 21 is a convex lens-shaped transparent plate that covers the surface of the solar cell 14.

In the ground-mounted road signal device configured in this way, the electromotive force of the solar cell 14 during the daytime is transferred to the storage battery 17.
The light emitting diode 9 is lit by the power of the storage battery at night. The light from the light emitting diode 9 becomes a ray of light that is approximately parallel to the opposite center line 6 on the paraboloid on the inner circumference of the quadric surface body 4, and is emitted at an angle β-α upward with respect to the horizontal line. It is refracted at point 5 and radiated in a direction similar to that of a road surface that is slightly upward relative to the horizontal plane. This makes the light visible even from a distance. It goes without saying that the refraction angle of light at the front end surface 5 depends on the refractive index of the transparent synthetic resin constituting the quadratic curved surface body 4 relative to the air. The reflector 2 reflects the light from the headlights of a car at night in the direction of incidence, thereby informing the driver of the presence of the signal device at an early stage.

[Effects of the Invention] As described above, the ground-mounted stud-type road signal device of the present invention has a simple structure consisting of a reflector and a quadratic curved body, so it can be easily assembled with high precision and requires no manufacturing cost, so it can be manufactured in large quantities. Suitable for production. Then, the light from the light emitting diode is reflected on the metal coating of the quadratic curved body to become parallel light beams, which are then refracted at the front end surface of the quadratic curved body, and emitted with strong directivity in the direction of crawling on the ground surface. Since the scattering of the lights is reduced, the blinking state can be clearly seen even from a distance, and this has the remarkable effect of making road signals practical with a small amount of electricity using solar cells as an energy source.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

The drawings show an embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 1 is an external perspective view, FIG. 2 is a partially sectional side view thereof, and FIG. 3 is an enlarged sectional view of the main part. DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1...Tack body, 2...Reflector, 3...Oval hole, 4...Quadratic curved body, 5...Front end surface, 6...Center line, 7...Ground surface, 8...Metal coating, 9 ...Light emitting diode.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A plate-shaped reflector that is inclined at an angle α with the ground surface is fixed, an elliptical hole is opened in a part of the reflector, and a center line on the back of the reflector is at an angle β with the reflector. A transparent quadratic curved body is provided so as to be tilted slightly backward and downward with the angle .beta. and a light emitting diode is provided at a focal point in the quadratic curved surface, and a metal coating is applied to the outer paraboloid of the quadratic curved surface. Mounting stud type road signal device. 2. The ground-mounted stud-type road signal device according to claim 1, wherein a quadratic curved surface body is integrally formed on the back of the reflector.