Classifications

• • G—PHYSICS
  • G08—SIGNALLING
  • G08B—SIGNALLING OR CALLING SYSTEMS; ORDER TELEGRAPHS; ALARM SYSTEMS
  • G08B7/00—Signalling systems according to more than one of groups G08B3/00 - G08B6/00; Personal calling systems according to more than one of groups G08B3/00 - G08B6/00
  • G08B7/06—Signalling systems according to more than one of groups G08B3/00 - G08B6/00; Personal calling systems according to more than one of groups G08B3/00 - G08B6/00 using electric transmission, e.g. involving audible and visible signalling through the use of sound and light sources
  • G08B7/066—Signalling systems according to more than one of groups G08B3/00 - G08B6/00; Personal calling systems according to more than one of groups G08B3/00 - G08B6/00 using electric transmission, e.g. involving audible and visible signalling through the use of sound and light sources guiding along a path, e.g. evacuation path lighting strip
• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A62—LIFE-SAVING; FIRE-FIGHTING
  • A62B—DEVICES, APPARATUS OR METHODS FOR LIFE-SAVING
  • A62B3/00—Devices or single parts for facilitating escape from buildings or the like, e.g. protection shields, protection screens; Portable devices for preventing smoke penetrating into distinct parts of buildings
• • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
  • F21—LIGHTING
  • F21S—NON-PORTABLE LIGHTING DEVICES; SYSTEMS THEREOF; VEHICLE LIGHTING DEVICES SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR VEHICLE EXTERIORS
  • F21S4/00—Lighting devices or systems using a string or strip of light sources
  • F21S4/20—Lighting devices or systems using a string or strip of light sources with light sources held by or within elongate supports
• • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
  • F21—LIGHTING
  • F21Y—INDEXING SCHEME ASSOCIATED WITH SUBCLASSES F21K, F21L, F21S and F21V, RELATING TO THE FORM OR THE KIND OF THE LIGHT SOURCES OR OF THE COLOUR OF THE LIGHT EMITTED
  • F21Y2115/00—Light-generating elements of semiconductor light sources
  • F21Y2115/10—Light-emitting diodes [LED]
• • G—PHYSICS
  • G09—EDUCATION; CRYPTOGRAPHY; DISPLAY; ADVERTISING; SEALS
  • G09F—DISPLAYING; ADVERTISING; SIGNS; LABELS OR NAME-PLATES; SEALS
  • G09F19/00—Advertising or display means not otherwise provided for
  • G09F19/22—Advertising or display means on roads, walls or similar surfaces, e.g. illuminated
  • G09F2019/225—Fire evacuation route indicating means

Definitions

• Present invention relates to a guiding light system comprising controllable light sources which can be used as optical means for influencing persons to follow an assigned route of move ⁇ ment to one selected of a plurality of target areas, wherein said light sources are disposed along alternative routes of movement, and the system further comprising operation control means for turning light sources on and off in such a way that light sources located along the assigned route, indicate movement in the direction of the target area selected, in the form of travelling light.
• the invention also relates a lighting strip adapted to be used as optical means for influencing persons to follow one designated of two opposite directions of a movement along the lighting strip.
• GB Patent No. 1 498 483 which comprises both sound and light sources disposed along the fixed escape route, and where the light sources may be caused to emit light sequentially so that the light is perceived to travel along the fixed, predeter ⁇ mined escape route in one direction only, towards one specific emergency exit, for example.
• the light sources are mounted on the wall approximately at head level above the floor in e.g. corridors, in such a way that there will be long voids between the light sources at door openings and openings to branching corridors as well as in open spaces, such as lobbies.
• Such discontinuities in the visual marking of the escape route contribute to the necessity of completing the system with sound sources which not only makes the system more expensive, but also the installation and operation of the same.
• the most important disadvantage by such systems for indicating a predetermined escape route which cannot be altered is the fact that in a certain, real emergency situations the predetermined escape route in question may be blocked by e.g. fire or gas leakage, which may bring people who follow the indication, into utmost mortal danger.
• the marked predetermined escape route may be unsuitable for other reasons, such as those pertaining to the method of evacuation.
• a further disadvantage by the systems known from the published publications mentioned above, is that their signal sources with the corresponding connecting wires, housing for integral mounting, and so on, are not particularly well suited for post-instal ⁇ lation in buildings and crafts.
• the light source housings which in US Patent No. 4 347 499 are shown lowered into recessions in the floor between the cabin and the cargo room of a passenger aircraft, would weaken the structure of the floor to such a large extent that utilization in practice hardly is permissable.
• processing and communication means to activate upon command entered through said input means, said travelling light from light sources which correspond to the respective designated route, or routes, of movement.
• the operation control means is arranged to set the travelling light in accordance with a predetermined sequence of switching the light sources on and off, whereby this sequence can be established so that in a series of conse ⁇ cutively numbered light sources, the light sources along the assigned route of movement are caused to light up and go out in consecutively rising or falling numerical order, or with switching between light sources of odd and even numbers, respectively, in the series of light sources, possibly with switching between groups of light sources, but always in such a way that said travelling light as a whole is perceived to indicate movement in the direction of the target area selec ⁇ ted, preferably with a velocity of at least 2 m per second.
• optical effects can be achieved which make the indications of the direction toward the selected target area clearer and also display modes of travelling light which can be perceived differently by an observer, and hence are used for different purposes.
• a guiding light system preferably comprises a plurality of lighting strip modules, each of which comprising an elongated casing for the internal disposition of a number of light sources, one after the other, the casing at least at each light source being light permeable, and capable of being joined to further such lighting strip modules to form a continuous lighting strip section, which further can be joined to other corresponding lighting strip sections, thereby forming a consecutive lighting strip without voids along each of the routes of movement.
• the operation control means of the guiding light system accor ⁇ ding to the invention is preferably arranged to control one or more continuous lighting strip sections separately or collec ⁇ tively in one or more groups of lighting strip sections, the operation control means comprising a central control unit arranged to control groups consisting of one or more lighting strip sections, by means of a plurality of local control units, each of which being associated with a respective lighting strip section, the local control units being adapted to receive control signals from the central control unit, preferably by way of wireless signal transmission.
• the invention also relates to a lighting strip adapted to be used as optical means for influencing persons to follow one designated of two opposite directions of movement along the lighting strip.
• This lighting strip is intended to be used in a guiding light system according to the invention, and which comprises opera- tion control means to control the light function of the lighting strip in such a manner that light sources located in the lighting strip indicate light transfer in the form of a travelling light in the direction of movement designated.
• the lighting strip according to the invention is characterized in that the light sources are low power light sources, preferably of a type comprising light emitting diodes, disposed to illuminate a reflecting field.
• a non-dazzling light effect is achieved by the feature that the elongated casing of the lighting strip is provided with an optical design in the light permeable portion, preferably formed substantially on the inside of the casing, to cause light from the light sources disposed within the casing to be brought together in bundles of light for emission substantially slanting relative to a line perpendicular to the light permeable portion of the casing, by an angle of between 10 and 30 degrees, preferably 20 degrees, with respect to said line.
• Figure 1 is a block diagram of an embodiment of the guiding light system according to the invention
• Figures 2A and 2B illustrates schematically examples of lighting strip sections made up of five and three light strip modules, respectively
• Figure 3 is a view showing the location of the light sources within a lighting strip casing
• Figure 4 is a perspective view of a part of a lighting strip module, with the light sources partially pulled out of the casing
• Figure 5 shows a section through a preferred embodiment of a lighting strip casing
• Figures 6A and 6B illustrate the disposition of a lighting strip according to the invention on a floor against a wall, and spaced from a wall, re ⁇ spectively.
• FIG. 1 schematically shows an example of a guiding light system according to the invention.
• the guiding light system comprises operation control means which in the embodiment shown is made up of a central control unit 1 and a plurality of local control units 2 (of which only two are shown) .
• the central control unit includes an input unit 11, a processor 12, a display 13 and a communication unit 4, and as shown in Figure, each local control unit 2 is connected to a section 31 of a lighting strip 3.
• the central control unit 1 is located in a central place, such as the bridge on a ship, the reception or a manned security room in a building, or a security service centre for a plurality of subscribers.
• the display unit 13 is constituted by a tableau, a screen or the like, showing an outline of the ship or building concerned and including sketch maps of the desired decks of the ship or floors of the building together with an indication of the associated separate lighting strip sections 31 or groups thereof, since it can be advantageously to control the sections in groups depending on the physical configuration of the site where the guiding light system is installed.
• the input unit 11 may take the form of a keypad, a keyboard or pointer device (control ball, mouse) connected to the screen.
• the display unit 13 may alternatively, in stead or in addition, be a touch or point sensitive screen for direct reception of commands.
• Another possibility is to incorporate the input unit 11 in a tableau board having knobs and switches with corresponding lamps located in accordance with the lighting strip sections 31, or groups thereof.
• the communication unit 14 of the central control includes at least one radio trans ⁇ mitter arranged to send control signals to the local control units 2.
• the control signals preferably of a frequence within the VHF band, may be transmitted with very low power as compared to mobile telephones, for example, so that other radio or electronic installations are in not a affected a way which e.g. mobile telephones may do.
• the input unit 11 By commands to the input unit 11 it is then possible to transmit control signals to the local controls 2 in question to activate and deactivate each of the lighting strip sections or groups thereof, and at any time set different appearance alternatives or attributes of the light within each single section or group.
• attribute is meant an on-and-off sequence for the light sources in the lighting strip and the direction and velocity of the motion of the travelling light in the lighting strip, as well as possible colours of the emitted light and possibly the setting of one or more light sources to emit steady light.
• the display unit 13 reflects the settings chosen by showing the light strip sections or groups which at any time is activated, together with corresponding, or the most important of these, attributes.
• the central control 1 may also be connected to an alarm system (not shown) to give a warning of fire or other emergency situations, so that predetermined parts of the lighting strip installation are activated in a predetermined way as a function of the location where the alarm is triggered and the kind of alarm condition.
• an alarm system not shown
• the communication unit 21 contains at least one radio receiver to receive the control signals transmitted from the central control unit 1, as discussed above. If the central control unit 1 is arranged to process return messages from the local units 2, it is, however, necessary that the communication units 14, 21 in the central control 1 and the local controls 2, respectively, are of a transceiver type to allow bidirectional communication. Even though communication by means of radio waves is perferred and, thus, is shown in Figure 2, such communication is not a requirement, since both unidirectional and bidirectional communication can be achieved by signal transmission via cables, instead.
• radio communication reduces to a minimum the need for laying signal cables, which eases the installation, makes shorter in ⁇ stallation periods possible and lower the costs of the installation substantially. Then the signal transmission path is not very much exposed to damage by fire, vandalism or other external influences.
• the local processor 22 of the local controls 2 are arranged to set the rate and order by which light sources in the lighting strip section 31 is caused to light up and go out.
• the processor 22 is designed to make this setting either in accordance with the corresponding instructions received by a control signal from the cental control unit 1 or in accordance with fixed instruction settings stored in the local control unit, which in the latter case, also must contain a storage or memory (not shown) for such instructions.
• the rate with which each light source in the lighting strip section 31 is caused to light up and go out can be adjusted so that light sources located one after the other in the lighting strip section are caused to light up and go out in a constantly increasing or constantly decreasing rate in accordance with the location in the longitudinal direction of the lighting strip section, thereby giving the travelling light and accelerated or decelerated movement in the direction of movement selected, thus being an indication of the distance to the target area to an observing person.
• the light sources in the lighting strip section 31 can be brought to light up and go out with a pause between the switching off of one light source and the switching on of the light source which in accordance with a predetermined sequence, is to be lit, or with an overlap of such switching off and on.
• the predetermined sequence of switching the light sources 35 on and off will influence the effect produced by the light sources, and by having a suitable sequence, it will be possible to produce travelling lights or "light trains" which move along or "waves along", for example, the lighting strip, and which, as a whole, is perceived to indicate a movement in the direction of the selected target area.
• the velocity of this movement should be greater than normal walking speed for human beings and in emergency situations at least 2 m/s.
• Each local control unit 2 is provided with a separate power supply 23 connected to a main power network, such as the mains in buildings, and including a charging circuit for an accumu ⁇ lator, the capacity of which being adapted to a number of light sources in the associated lighting strip section 31 in such a way that these light sources, by being connected to said accumulator, are maintained effective at least for a predetermined period of time in case of failure in the supply from the main power network.
• This predetermined minimum time would, for light sources of the preferred type described below, typically amounts to three hours.
• the accumu ⁇ lator is disposed in the local control unit 2 or in the lighting strip 3 itself, it can be connected to a number of light sources in a lighting strip section 31, so that the light sources automatically are supplied with power for emitting steady light, if a failure occur in the local control unit, or possibly in other parts of the installation.
• the local control units 2 To protect the local control units 2 from vandalism and other kinds of damage, they should be placed behind roof or wall panels to make them invisible, and if the antenna portion of the local control 21 has to be on the outside of such a panel, it should be encased in an impact resistant material, such as neoprene, which withstands mechanical stresses.
• an impact resistant material such as neoprene
• the local control units 2 may be connected to equipment arranged to detect an error condition in the associated lighting strip section and convey such a detection to the local control unit, which in turn, informs the central control unit correspondingly via a bidirectional communication link.
• a local control unit 2 may be connected to equipment arranged to detect a change of state in the environment of the control unit and deliver a corresponding signal to the local control unit, which in turn, informs the central control unit.
• detectable state changes may arise from in a sensor beginning to detect smoke or gas, for example, or other condi ⁇ tions threatening the security, a fire alarm button being de ⁇ pressed or fire extinguishing equipment being released.
• a warning of the latter condition may indicate that a starting fire exists, since some people in such cases grab the nearest fire extinguishing equipment as their first reaction, but the warning may also indicate that a fire extinguishing unit not longer is in place and may have been removed by vandals.
• Such misuse may then be detected quickly and equipment corre ⁇ sponding to the missing unit be put back at once to restore normal operation.
• the radiolink to the central control unit 1 may also advan ⁇ tageously be used for giving a warning of several other conditions, such as water leakage, burglary, release of life saving material, and so on, particularly in such places where it is uneconomical or impossible to lay cables.
• the system according to the invention may also comprise a number of distributed display units (not shown) disposed to show a general view of alternative routes of movement to different target areas, and being arranged to indicate in the general view of alternative routes of move ⁇ ments shown, the shortest route of movement to a selected target area, as a response to an input signal designating a selected target area.
• Input signals to such distributed display units may be given by means of an associated keypad, a card reader for keycards, magnetic cards and the like, or other input equipment, and the display unit may be connected to a printer unit to print e.g. on paper said general view in ⁇ cluding the assigned shortest route of movement.
• a lighting strip 3 is made up of a plurality of lighting strip modules 32, each comprising an elongated casing (33, Figure 4) for internal disposition of a number of light sources (35, Figures 3 and 4), one after the other, and which at least at each light source is permeable to light and can be joined to further such lighting strip modules to form a continuous lighting strip section 31, which also may be joined to other corresponding lighting strip sections 31, thereby forming a consecutive lighting strip 3 without voids along each route of movement.
• a non-interrupted lighting strip 3 is made up of number of lighting strip modules 32 of the kind shown in Figure 3, in which a number of light sources 35 are disposed evenly spaced and preferably such that the two light sources located closest to the ends of the module are at a distance from the edge of the module which, as it appears from Figure 3, equals about half the mutual spacing a of the other light sources. In this way the spacing of the light sources closest to the ends of two joined modules will be approxi ⁇ mately the same as the spacing of the other light sources in the two modules. This fact will enchance the continuity of a travelling light in the consecutive lighting strip.
• the joinable lighting strip modules 34 of the type shown in Figure 3 may be provided in two stardard lengths, for example, i.e. a shorter type (corresponding to that shown) having four evenly distributed light sources 35 and a length of about 1 m, preferably 113,1 cm, and a longer type including eight such sources and having a length of about 2 m, pre ⁇ ferably 226,3 cm. In both cases the distance a between the middle point of the light sources 35 amounts to 25 to 32 cm, preferably 28,3 cm.
• FIG 4 a perspective view of a part of a preferred embodiment of a lighting strip module according to the invention is shown with a substrate 34 for mounting of light sources 35 partially pulled out of the casing 33 of the module.
• the casing is preferably made of a water impermeable, impact resistant material which withstands mechanical loads from i.a. vacuum cleaning and normal travel by foot, pre ⁇ ferably a transparent plastic material, such as a polyacrylate or polycarbonate, and the joints in a continuous lighting strip section of assembled lighting strip modules are of a watertight configuration.
• the casing is provided with attachment means, preferably of a self adhesive type, for direct fixing to a foundation.
• Such an attachment means may comprise a two-sided adhesive tape placed on the lower outer surface of the casing 33 shown in Figure 4, and provided with a protective sheet to be released imme ⁇ diately prior to the fixing to a foundation.
• the casing is of an external height of 6 to 10 mm, preferably 8 mm, and a width of 20 to 25 mm, preferably 23 mm.
• the light sources 35, 36 are low power light sources, pre ⁇ ferably of a type comprising light emitting diodes, dispopsed to illuminate a reflecting field.
• Such light sources com ⁇ prising two light emitting diodes (LEDs) for illimination of an intermediate field which may serve as a background field for a liquid crystal display window, emitting evenly distri ⁇ ubbed scattered light of high light intensity, are commer- cially available.
• LEDs light emitting diodes
• Such light sources are very reliable and possess long working life.
• An example of such LED light source is of a height and thickness of merely 3 mm and fits excellent into said casing, even when it is mounted on substrate having a thickness of 1 to 2 mm.
• a "button battery”, e.g. of the lithium type, would have sufficient capacity to serve as accumulator for emergency illumination.
• a button battery has small enough external dimensions to be disposed within the casing, on the top of the substrate for the light sources, for example.
• the LED type sources men ⁇ tioned above have been measured to provide an average lumi ⁇ nance of more than 100 cd/m 2 , which is more than sufficient for the purpose of the invention.
• LED light sources of this type are available which emit light of a colour such as yellow, green and red, and which may be placed inside the casing, which then, at least in its light permeable portions, should be colourless to let the light from the light sources through, without changing colour.
• At least these portions of the casing may have a predetermined colour to give the light emitting from the casing a certain desired colour, e.g. in a selected length of the assembled lighting strip. In this way it is not difficult to achieve light with a clear green colour, which usually is preferred.
• the colour of the travelling light emitted from a light strip module may be determined under control from the operation control equipment by dis ⁇ posing light sources which are capable to be controlled to emit light having a specific of a selection of colours, or by disposing further light sources, each of a different colour or of the same colour in groups, and which are wired to be switched on and off individually, in groups or as a whole.
• Subsequent light sources in the light strip may in this way emit light having different colours, and the colours of the light from the light sources can, by an observing person, be used as an indication of the distance to the target area, for example.
• the substrate 34 for fixing the light sources 35 inside a lighting strip casing 33 is provided with printed circuits and terminal points at the ends thereof, but the connections to the light sources may also comprise isolated cable strands.
• an elongated casing according to the invention is preferably conFigured as optics at least in its light permeable portions, to cause light from the light sources disposed therein to gather into bundles of light for emission substantially slanting relative to a line perpendicular to the casing.
• Figure 5 shows a section through a lighting strip casing 33 having such optics 37 formed on the inside of the casing, in which the angle between the emitted bundles of light and said straight line, is of a magnitude of about 20 degrees, which is a preferred value, but an angle of between 10 and 30 degrees is also possible.
• the lighting strip modules according to the invention are very well suited for mounting directly on a floor 4 or deck, closely adjacent a floor rail, door sill or wall 5, such as shown in Figure 6A, or spaced from walls, such as shown in Figure 6B.
• a corresponding strip of the carpet is preferably cut away, so that the modules can be disposed as shown in Figures.
• a reinforcing profile 7 e.g.
• the lighting strip modules may possibly be disposed lowered into the floor itself, so that their upper surface lies in the same plane as the floor.

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• Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
• General Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• General Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
• General Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
• Business, Economics & Management (AREA)
• Emergency Management (AREA)
• Circuit Arrangement For Electric Light Sources In General (AREA)
• Non-Portable Lighting Devices Or Systems Thereof (AREA)

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Cited By (6)

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Citations (10)

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• 1993
  • 1993-12-08 NO NO934463A patent/NO934463L/no unknown
• 1994
  • 1994-12-08 WO PCT/NO1994/000199 patent/WO1995016249A1/en not_active Application Discontinuation
  • 1994-12-08 EP EP95918449A patent/EP0741894A1/en not_active Withdrawn
  • 1994-12-08 US US08/652,435 patent/US5815068A/en not_active Expired - Fee Related

Patent Citations (10)

Non-Patent Citations (1)

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