WO2005094135A1

WO2005094135A1 - Half-level light signaling device

Info

Publication number: WO2005094135A1
Application number: PCT/IB2005/000710
Authority: WO
Inventors: Gianluigi Basile
Original assignee: O.C.E.M. S.P.A.
Priority date: 2004-03-23
Filing date: 2005-03-18
Publication date: 2005-10-06
Also published as: ITBO20040026U1

Abstract

Half-level light signaling device is formed by a casing, including a lower part, which houses electrical and/or electronic circuits and at least one light source, and a cap protruding from the ground and removably fastened to the lower part. The cap has at least one aperture, to which a prism is connected, so as to send outwards a light beam produced by the light source. The signaling device includes at least one antenna connected to the prism and having the terminals accessible from the lower part of the casing.

Description

HALF-LEVEL LIGHT SIGNALING DEVICE

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to the technical field concerning transmission of radio-frequency signals from light source, in particular from half-level signaling devices .

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART As it is known, such signaling devices include a casing defined by a lower part embedded in the ground and a metallic cap protruding from the casing and housing, in one or more separate seats, suitable prisms for lighting of the .surrounding area. The power and control circuitry is situated in the part embedded in the ground, in order to feed the light source and to check its operational state and its physical integrity.

The cap is made of a material, which bears the continuative action of the exogenous agents and of the mechanical stresses of compression, caused by the passage of possible means.

These light sources usually constitute the loads of lighting equipments of a certain extension and importance, which supply airports or anyway areas, in which the operational continuity is essential for security.

Thus, it is necessary to provide a radio-frequency transmission system, which is safer, cheaper and more flexible than a cable system (see EP1239704) , which allows exchange of information concerning the operational state of each element of the system with other surrounding- elements and with a suitable central unit.

Therefore, each load must have an antenna for this purpose.

As it is known, the half-level light signaling device is made of metallic material, therefore the electromagnetic wave emitted by the antenna possibly introduced into the casing would be strongly weakened, and consequently the comprehensability of the information signal contained therein would be put at risk.

The degradation of the wave in input/output of the light signaling device can be limited by a suitable housing of the antenna made in the cap protruding from the ground, which mutually isolates the metallic parts.

From the other side, the so obtained recess would require an increase of the complete thickness of the cap, needed to maintain intact the mechanical compactness with respect to the known solutions. From one side, the above solution facilitates the signal transmission, limiting its weakening to minimum, from the other side, it is expensive and complicated because it requires, as it has been noted, the definition of a suitable recess containing the antenna in the metallic cap and of a suitable isolation system between the antenna and the in-the-ground embedded metallic part.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The object of the present invention is to propose a half- level signaling device, in which the cap - antenna assembly allows a transmission/reception of the signal, in which the weakening or deformation phenomena are almost absent in prefixed directions.

Another object of the present invention is to propose the above cap - antenna assembly, which optimizes the isolation with respect to the mass of the antenna and which does not jeopardize the cap mechanical resistance.

A further object of the present invention is to propose a simple technical solution, which is easy to realize and allows to reduce the production costs. The above mentioned objects are obtained in accordance with the contents of the claims .

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The characteristic features of the invention will be pointed out in the following description of some preferred but not exclusive embodiments, with reference to the enclosed figures, in which: Figure 1 is a top view of a cap for a half-level light signaling device, proposed by the present invention; Figure 2 is a schematic section view taken along II- II of Figure 1 ,- Figure 3 is a schematic section view taken along III-III of Figure 1; - Figure 4 is a schematic section view taken along the arrow X of Figure 3.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Regarding the above Figures, the reference numeral 10 indicates a casing formed by a lower part 4, shown schematically and embedded in the ground (for example road surface, aircrafts runways, etc.) and the reference numeral 1 indicates the cap protruding from the ground.

The cap, made of metallic material, forms seats 9, which receive means (not shown) for removably fastening the cap to the lower part 4.

The cap includes one or more apertures 3a and 3b for housing suitable prisms 7, rigidly fastened to the cap, and aimed at sending relative light beams, generated by one or more lamps (not shown) inserted in the lower part 4 of the casing, to the surrounding area.

According to the present invention, an antenna is connected to at least one or all the present prisms.

More precisely, the antenna is advantageously situated in the wall 8 of the prism 7 corresponding to the aperture 3b and is obtained according to known techniques, e.g. screen printing. The terminals 5a, 5b of the antenna 2 are joined to the circuitry situated in the lower part 4 of the light signaling device (not shown, as known) by an electric connection passing inside the seal 11, interposed between the prism and the cap. According to an interesting variant, not shown in the Figures, the antenna 2 is housed inside the seal 11, or situated (e.g. obtained by screen printing) on its inner surface facing the prism 7.

According to another variant, not shown in the Figures, the antenna 2 is housed in a prism 7, or equivalent device, housed in a suitable aperture. The assembly constituted by the cap and the system prism - antenna, with possible variants described above, defines an extremely compact and rigid technical solution, which allows to reduce to maximum the production costs.

The isolating material of the prism and the seal assures the best isolation between the cap and the antenna; moreover, the positioning of the antenna very near to the aperture allows an emission/reception of the signal without weakening and/or decay in the direction identified by the aperture.

A further advantage of the present invention lies in the fact that it allows to obtain a perfect anchorage of the antenna with the prism, to which it is connected, avoiding any relative movement between the two considered elements, thus protecting it from external causes, such as atmospheric agents and/or mechanical stresses.

The production of the prism by molding allows, during the design step, to situate the antenna very accurately thereinside, so as to facilitate a privileged irradiation direction within the solid angle defined by the above mentioned aperture for the transmission/reception of the electromagnetic waves from/to the antenna.

According to the example shown in Figure 1 , a cap is characterized by two apertures aimed at containing relative prisms, each of which can be connected to a relative antenna.

In this case, such technical solution allows to obtain as many communicating channels for the transmission/reception of the information signal.

It is understood that what above has been described as a mere, not limiting example. Therefore, it is obvious that any changes or variants applied thereto remain within the protective scope defined by the following claims.

Claims

1. Half-level light signaling device formed by a casing, including a lower part, which houses electrical and/or electronic circuits and at least one light source, and a cap protruding from the ground and removably fastened to said lower part and having at least one aperture, to which a prism is connected, so as to send outwards a light beam produced by the light source, characterized in that it includes at least one antenna connected to said prism and having the terminals accessible from the lower part of the casing.

2. Signaling device, as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that said antenna is connected to the prism in a region corresponding to the aperture of said cap.

3. Signaling device, as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that said antenna is inserted into the seal interposed between said prism and cap.

4. Signaling device, as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that said antenna is connected to the seal, interposed between said prism and cap, in a region corresponding to the inner surface of the seal, facing said prism.

5. Signaling device, as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that said antenna is housed in the material making up the prism.