SE418681B - Arrangement to make it easier for partially-sighted persons to find their way around built-up city areas using a "guide stick" - Google Patents

Abstract

An arrangement to enable partially-sighted persons to find their way around built-up city areas more easily consists of a resonance object 5 with its upper surface with grooves or similar, which object is placed in a lowered position and with its upper side on a level with the walk surface, e.g, street 1, pavement 2, 3, open square, floor or similar, and with the grooves or equivalent sound-generating device pointing in the required direction of walk. The resonance object can be made of a material with good natural resonance, or in the form of a closed box with volume sufficient for good resonance. The sound-generating device is placed suitably along or immediately in front of a place which ought to be easily observed so that the guide stick 6 of the partially-sighted person, when moved forwards and backwards over the resonance object's 5 upper grooved surface 7, produces an easily-recognisable sound. The grooves 7 in the resonance object's upper surface are suitably formed with varying distribution or similar means so that the resonance object gives off different sounds, tones of timbres to identify different types of object. <IMAGE>

Description

The present invention aims to solve the mentioned problems and to provide a device for facilitating the visually impaired to orientate themselves in urban areas so that he or she at a certain specified points gets a quick and accurate indication of where he or she is. .

According to the invention, a resonant object, preferably a closed, hollow resonant box with a grooved or similarly shaped upper surface is lowered and with the upper surface flush with the walking surface, eg the pavement, the street or the open space and with the grooves or corresponding sound-generating means running in it. The intended promenade direction at or immediately in front of a place that carries can be easily observed, so that the articulated joint of the visually impaired in its reciprocating movement over the grooved upper surface of the resonant object produces an easily recognizable sound. Resonance objects, eg resonant boxes of the type mentioned, are preferably placed immediately next to and on either side of bus stops, metro descents, entrances to banks, post offices, insurance funds, etc., next to the curb in line with pedestrian crossings, etc. Corresponding objects can also be laid out as a long path with longitudinal grooves or the like across an open space or a square, so that the visually impaired can get in a exactly straight line.

Further details of the device according to the invention will appear from the following detailed description, in which reference will be made to the accompanying drawings. In the drawings, figure 1 schematically shows a perspective view of a small section equal to alternatives of the orientation system inserted. of a street, where Figure 2 likewise shows in perspective a resonant box for use in the system according to the invention and Figure 3 shows a partial section through the resonant box in Figure 2 along the line III-III.

Figure 1 thus shows a section of a street 1 with sidewalks 2 and 3 and figure shows a section of a house with doors 4 to a frequently visited room. On the left-hand sidewalk shown in the figure, it is marked how a resonant object 5 with a groove or other sidewalk of the sidewalk and with the grooves running in the longitudinal shape of the sidewalk is inserted into the sidewalk with the upper surface in a plane with direction. When a visually impaired person moves along the pavement, he moves his cane 6 back and forth, and when the cane with the tip reaches the resonant object, an easily recognizable sound is emitted. The grooves 7 can be shaped in any way, but suitably the grooves are designed so that different sounds are emitted for marking different situations.

It is known that a visually impaired person usually has a distinct and well-developed * 'sound and hearing ability and that the visually impaired can easily identify different sounds. Therefore, with rather small differences, different types of grooves can be arranged for marking the bus stop and the subway, bank, post office, social insurance office or other places or premises.

By making the grooves with different divisions, different pitches can be achieved in a simple manner, and the grooves can also be arranged in one and the same resonant box in such a way that a tone sequence arises when the hinge rod is pulled over the grooves. There is also a theoretical possibility of designing the grooves as a mechanical re-formation of spoken sound waves, so that the resonant box emits a pronounced word when the stick is pulled over it.

Figure 1 also shows a pedestrian crossing point 8, which is marked in the usual way with transverse white bands. Adjacent the curb on both sides of the street and in line with the white marking strips, a resonant object 9, 10, such as a resonant box, has been placed in the street. Also in this case how the grooved upper surface is placed substantially flush with the street 1.

Figure 1 also marks an alternative to the crossing point marking. This alternative consists of a resonant box 11 running across the street, which is inserted in the street immediately next to the pedestrian crossing markings; By following this rather narrow box, the visually impaired can exactly follow the location of the pedestrian crossing.

This alternative to orientation means is also particularly suitable for use in larger open spaces such as squares, pedestrian streets, in V _ _ In '... d-vw h fl ... e un »: ill -fl l ~ I> CIP \ * QIV "I '*' Å- '' w,., ._ m.,. _« _ - ._- m_ »f. Fl gyfl -_- _ ~. - =, .xerz»! Z "'.» ..lnll.cul ~ ärïu.ü. _, _...., -. 4 .... |, «........... ...__-_- __........__. È_ iv91o20z- 4 larger stores etc., in that the visually impaired person can follow a exactly straight line by following the resonant box ïl. Of course, the elongate resonant boxes 11 can also be designed bent in the horizontal plane, so that they follow a desired arcuate walkway, or branched, so that an alternative walkway can be chosen at a given place. Preferably, a special marking tone is applied immediately in front of a branch point.

Figures 2 and 3 show a preferred embodiment of a resonant object according to the invention. The resonant object in this case is designed as a closed box with bottom 12, side walls 13 and top 14. The top 14 is as described previously formed with grooves 7 or similar sound-generating means, and the grooves are placed so that they run in the intended direction of travel, i.e. so that the articulated stick 6 of the visually impaired person during its reciprocating movement runs across the grooves. The resonant box 5 can be made of any material such as sheet metal or concrete, and it is preferably designed to be waterproof. It can also be designed non-watertight, but in that case should be drained at the bottom. By making the resonant box in a suitable material and with a suitable volume, a good resonant effect can be achieved, which can be varied as needed.

Some materials have a good resonant ability of their own, and in this case the resonant object 5 can advantageously be formed from a solid piece of the material and with grooves on the upper surface.

As mentioned earlier, the grooves 7 or any other sound generating means may be formed in any suitable manner, for example as the shoes or softly rounded grooves with different mutual division from object to object or with varying division within one and the same object. varying sounds or two or Å several different tones.

It is to be understood that the above description and the embodiments of the invention shown in the drawings are merely illustrative examples and that many different modifications may occur within the scope of the following claims.

Claims (3)

{71UlU0'H P a t e n t k r a v 1. l. Device for making it easier for the visually impaired to orientate themselves in urban areas and consisting of an organ '5) with a ribbed or correspondingly shaped upper surface (7), characterized in that the ribbed organ forms a resonant object made of a material with good self-resonance weller ieform of enclosed leather with_en for good resonance erf required volume, and of the fact that the grooves in the sound-generating member are arranged to run in the walking direction and with the upper side running, j¿p] ¿u ;, ,., ¿With the street (ll, the pavement (2, 3), the open space, the floor or the like, so that the articulated joint (6) of the visually impaired when moving over the resonant object (5). Grooved upper surface produces an easily recognizable sound. Device according to claim 1, characterized in that the grooves or the corresponding sound-generating means (7) on the upper side of the resonant object (5) are designed with different pitch or otherwise to emit different sounds, timbre or tone for marking different objects. to be observed. Device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the resonant object (5) is designed to be elongated and is straight, curved and / or branched and is embedded in the ground, the street, the floor or the like in order to enable the visually impaired to accurately follow the desired longer path. we ... a »u-a -... f-