Guidance flooring and guidance strips

Abstract

To provide a smooth guide paving material and guide zone without any bulge such as protrusion, the guide paving material and guide zone capable of safely guiding pedestrians including the visually impaired.SOLUTION: A guide paving material 10 paved along a passage, where a plurality of guide paving materials are arranged side by side and used to provide pedestrians moving on the passage with information of movable directions, includes a moving part supported so as to vertically move with respect to a paving surface, the moving part moving downward only when a load is applied from above. The guide paving material is configured to move the moving part downward by a pedestrian stepping on the moving part.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to guide and guiding floor materials and guide strips that provide information on the directions in which pedestrians, including visually impaired people, can move, and in particular to guide and guiding floor materials and guide strips that are smooth and have no protrusions such as convex parts. [Background technology]

[0002] Braille blocks are installed to help visually impaired people walk. Visually impaired people can use their white canes or the soles of their feet to sense the raised areas on the blocks, allowing them to determine their walking path or recognize areas that call attention. These tactile paving blocks for the visually impaired are widely used throughout the country, and in train stations, for example, they are installed so that they extend to platforms, ticket gates, ticket vending machines, stairs, elevators, boarding and disembarking areas, etc.

[0003] However, braille blocks can actually be an obstacle for people with disabilities in their lower limbs. Because the braille blocks have protrusions, people with disabilities in their lower limbs who have difficulty lifting their feet, the elderly, pregnant women, injured people, and other mobility-restricted people can get their feet caught on the protrusions and fall. Furthermore, if the wheels of wheelchair users, stroller users, or carry-on bags hit the protrusions, smooth movement can be difficult. Although tactile paving blocks are a useful facility for the visually impaired, they have various problems as mentioned above.

[0004] In light of the above, the present inventors have proposed a pedestrian guidance device equipped with a vibration generator. This pedestrian guidance device is installed along a passageway and, when it detects a passerby, generates vibrations to guide the passerby along the path (Patent Document 1). According to this device, the pedestrian is guided along the walking path by vibrations transmitted through the shoes, and can be guided without causing any obstacles to walking.

[0005] On the other hand, Patent Document 2 discloses technology relating to a pedestrian guideway and cane that has a magnet between a rubber plate at the top end and a rubber base formed below, and a spring that supports the free up and down movement of the braille studs, and a magnetic body such as an iron core attached to the tip of the inside of the walker's cane, and when the magnetic body moves towards the tip, an electric circuit is closed to energize the device, converting the transmitted sound into audio that can be received by an earphone hearing aid, thereby enabling the walker to check the safety of walking both at their feet and at their ears. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0006] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 6036758 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2005-230033 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0007] However, the pedestrian guidance device of Patent Document 1 requires power to operate the detection unit, vibration generation unit, control unit, etc. Therefore, in the event of a power outage, an emergency power supply unit, emergency generator, etc. is required to prevent confusion due to the device's malfunction. Furthermore, the pedestrian guideway of Patent Document 2 does not address the problem that the protruding parts of the Braille studs that move up and down still hinder the movement of people with mobility restrictions. Furthermore, the Braille studs, which move up and down, are exposed, which creates the problem of low reliability of the moving parts due to the intrusion of dirt, water, etc.

[0008] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above situation, and aims to provide a guide and guiding floor material and guide and guiding strip that can safely guide pedestrians, including the visually impaired, and that is smooth and has no protruding parts or the like. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] The guide and guiding floor material of the present invention is a guide and guiding floor material that is buried along a passage and is used in a row in order to provide information on the direction in which pedestrians can move along the passage. , buried It is supported so that it can move up and down relative to the installation surface. R, When loaded from above Below Move towards Possible a moving part; the movable part has a repulsive force against a plurality of first magnets provided on the buried surface side, and includes a plurality of second magnets arranged in positions facing each of the first magnets, and supports the movable part in a levitated state by the repulsive force with each of the first magnets; When a pedestrian steps on the moving part, the moving part against the repulsive force It is characterized by being configured to be movable downward.

[0011] The movable portion may have a support portion having a movable guide portion that guides the movable portion within a range of vertical movement.

[0012] The guide strip of the present invention is characterized in that it is constructed by arranging a plurality of the above-mentioned guide floor materials side by side.

[0013] The guidance and guiding belt may be configured so that the second magnet provided on one of the plurality of guidance and guiding floor materials and the second magnet provided on another of the plurality of guidance and guiding floor materials have different magnitudes of repulsive force against the first magnet.

[0014] The guide floor material may be configured to have a waterproof and dustproof member that covers at least the movable portion thereof. [Effects of the Invention]

[0015] The guide floor material and guide strip using the same of the present invention allow pedestrians, including the visually impaired, to sense the downward movement when they step on it and determine the direction in which they can move (walking path).The movable part moves downward only when gravity is applied, that is, when a load is applied, and the upper surface is always smooth when not under load.This allows pedestrians, including the visually impaired, to be safely guided without interfering with the movement of people with mobility restrictions such as those with disabilities in the lower limbs who have difficulty lifting their feet high, the elderly, pregnant women, injured or ill people, wheelchair users, stroller users, or the wheels of carry-on bags, etc. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0016] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic diagram of a usage pattern of a guide strip 11 according to this embodiment. [Figure 2] 1 is an explanatory diagram of a guide floor material 10 according to the present embodiment and a guide belt 11 using the same. [Figure 3] 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a guide floor material 10 according to the present embodiment and a guide belt 11 using the same. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the guide floor material 10. [Figure 5] FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram of the movable part 3. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0017] Embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. However, the embodiments described below are merely illustrative and are not intended to exclude various modifications or applications of techniques not explicitly described below. That is, the present invention can be implemented in various modifications (e.g., by combining the various embodiments) as long as the effects thereof are achieved. Furthermore, in the following description of the drawings, identical or similar parts are denoted by identical or similar reference numerals. The drawings are schematic and do not necessarily correspond to actual dimensions, ratios, etc. Parts in the drawings may have different dimensional relationships or ratios. Furthermore, to avoid unnecessary redundancy in the following description and to facilitate understanding by those skilled in the art, detailed descriptions of already well-known matters and redundant descriptions of substantially identical configurations may be omitted.

[0018] An embodiment of the present invention will be described. Fig. 1 is a schematic diagram of a usage form of a guide and guiding strip 11 according to this embodiment, Fig. 2 is an explanatory diagram of a guide and guiding floor material 10 according to this embodiment and a guide and guiding strip 11 using the same, and Fig. 3 is a schematic explanatory cross-sectional view of the guide and guiding floor material 10 and a guide and guiding strip 11 using the same. In particular, Fig. 2 is intended to explain the approximate positional relationship of each component, and the details of the shape of each component are not limited to this.

[0019] The guidance and guiding floor material 10 is buried along a passageway and is used in a plurality of pieces lined up to provide information on the possible directions of movement to pedestrians traveling along the passageway, and is characterized by having a movable part 3 that is supported so as to be able to move up and down relative to the buried surface 20, and which moves downward only when a load is applied from above, so that the movable part 3 can be moved downward when a pedestrian steps on the movable part 3.

[0020] In this embodiment, a case where the repulsive force of the first magnet 1 and the second magnet 2 is used to move the movable part 3 up and down will be described as an example. The guidance and guiding floor material 10 in this embodiment is a guidance and guiding floor material 10 that is buried along a passageway and is used in a plurality of rows to provide information on the possible directions to pedestrians traveling along the passageway, and has a first magnet 1 on the buried surface 20 side. It also has a movable part 3 that is supported so as to be able to move up and down relative to the buried surface 20, and is equipped with a second magnet 2 that supports the movable part 3 in a floating state by the repulsive force with the first magnet 1. It is characterized in that when a pedestrian steps on the movable part 3, the movable part 3 can move downward against the repulsive force.

[0021] The guide strip 11 in this embodiment is characterized in that it is configured by arranging a plurality of guide floor materials 10 side by side. In the following description, the direction in which the guide floor materials 10 are buried is referred to as the "burial direction."

[0022] The guide strip 11 is constructed by burying a plurality of guide floor materials 10 in a continuous line, so that it can guide pedestrians, including visually impaired people, in the buried direction. The guidance and guiding floor material 10 is provided with a first magnet 1 on the buried surface 20 side. The first magnet 1 may be installed on the buried surface 20, or a magnet installation plate (not shown) may be provided on the buried surface 20 side and the first magnet 1 may be installed on the magnet installation plate. Furthermore, if the desired magnetic force of the first magnet 1 can be obtained outside the ground surface 20, the first magnet 1 may be embedded inside the buried surface 20.

[0023] The guidance and guiding floor material 10 has a movable part 3 equipped with a second magnet 2 that has a repulsive force against a first magnet 1. The second magnet 2 of the movable part 3 is configured to be able to support the movable part 3 in a floating state by the repulsive force with the first magnet 1 provided on the buried surface 20 side. Figures 2 and 3 show an example in which the movable part 3 is provided with a plurality of second magnets 2 so as to face each of the plurality of first magnets 1 provided on the buried surface 20 side. Note that some of the first magnets 1 are not shown in the figures. Furthermore, there is no limitation on the number of first magnets 1 and second magnets 2. As long as the repulsive force between the first magnets 1 and the second magnets 2 can support the movable part 3 in a levitated state, one magnet may be sufficient, and the number of first magnets 1 and second magnets 2 does not have to be the same.

[0024] In the examples of Figures 2 and 3, the second magnet 2 is provided on the side of the embedded surface 20 of the movable part 3, but if the desired repulsive force can be obtained, the second magnet 2 may be embedded inside the movable part 3, or the second magnet 2 may be provided on the side opposite the embedded surface 20 of the movable part 3. The first magnet 1 and the second magnet 2 have a magnetic force sufficient to obtain a desired repulsive force, and for example, a strong permanent magnet such as a neodymium magnet is used. The movable part 3 is made of a metal such as stainless steel, but any material may be used as long as it has the desired strength and durability.

[0025] Furthermore, the guide and guiding floor material 10 has a support part 4 that is supported upright on the embedded surface 20. The support part 4 is provided in the embedded direction in which at least other guide and guiding floor materials 10 are arranged. Note that in Figure 2, the support part 4 is partially omitted for simplicity.

[0026] The support part 4 has a movable guide part that guides the movable part 3 within a range of vertical movement. FIG. 4 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the guide floor material 10. For example, as shown in FIG. 4, the support part 4 has one piece 4a as an example of a movable guide part and the other piece 4b as an example of a movable guide part connected to the other end of the one piece 4a, and is configured by bending the one piece 4a and the other piece 4b into an L-shape at a substantially right angle. The two support parts 4 are configured with the pieces 4a facing each other and the movable part 3 arranged inside the L-shape of the piece 4a. The other end of the other piece 4b is erected on the buried surface 20. The other end of the other piece 10b may be fixed to the buried surface 20.

[0027] This allows the movable part 3 to be stably supported in a floating state, and the movable part 3 to be stably moved up and down in a direction perpendicular to the buried surface 20. Specifically, when a pedestrian steps on the movable part 3 with their foot, applying their center of gravity to move the movable part 3 downward against the repulsive force of the first magnet and the second magnet, and then lifts their foot to cause the movable part 3 to float again due to the repulsive force, the L-shaped support part 4 prevents the movable part 3 from jumping out upward and returns it to its original position without shifting position.

[0028] The support portion 4 is made of a metal such as stainless steel, but any material may be used as long as it has the desired strength and durability. In addition, support parts 4 may be provided not only on the two sides in the burying direction in which the other guide and induction floor materials 10 are arranged, but also on two sides in a direction perpendicular to the burying direction, so that the movable part 3 is supported by the four sides of the rectangle. The amount of downward movement of the movable part 3 may be such that a pedestrian can sense a slight sinking when stepping on it, and is preferably, for example, about 5 mm.

[0029] Furthermore, when arranging a plurality of guide floor materials 10 side by side to form the guide belt 11, they are arranged by abutting the outer sides of the pieces 4b of each support part 4. This allows the guide floor materials 10 to be lined up easily and straight without stress, without creating unnecessary gaps. The size of the guidance and guiding floor material 10 is formed to be, for example, the same size as the so-called Braille blocks for the visually impaired (a square of 300 mm length and 300 mm width according to the JIS standard). The movable guide portion of the support portion 4 may be any portion as long as it can guide the movable range of the vertical movement of the movable portion 3. For example, the movable guide portion may be configured with a guide pin and a stopper, so that the movable portion 3 does not jump out upward and returns to its original position without shifting position.

[0030] Furthermore, a waterproof and dustproof member may be provided to cover at least the movable parts 3 of the guide floor material 10. For example, the guide belt 11 may be configured to have a cover 12 as an example of a waterproof and dustproof member that covers multiple guide floor materials 10. The cover 12 prevents the movable parts 3 that move up and down from being exposed. It also prevents external substances such as water and dust from entering the interior through gaps that occur in the guide floor material 10 (for example, gaps between the movable parts 3 and the support parts 4), thereby providing waterproof and dustproof functions.

[0031] Furthermore, the cover 12 can absorb the slight step between the movable part 3 and the support part 4 that occurs due to the thickness of the piece 4 a of the support part 4 . The cover 12 has a predetermined thickness, for example, of about several millimeters to 10 mm. It is sufficient that the cover 12 is thick enough to absorb at least the slight difference in level between the movable part 3 and the support part 4, and to ensure that when wheelchair users or stroller users pass on the guide strip 11, or when rolling the wheels of a carry bag or the like, they do not feel the vibrations caused by the up and down movement of the movable part 3, or that the up and down vibrations are reduced and do not interfere with their movement.

[0032] The cover 12 is made of, for example, a yellow-colored resin. The shape, color, and material of the guide floor material 10 and the cover 12 are not limited to these, and they may be made of other shapes, colors, and materials. The waterproof and dustproof member may also be configured in a bag-like shape. For example, the entire constituent unit of the guide floor material 10 may be enclosed in a bag-like waterproof and dustproof member, and multiple bag-like components may be buried to form the guide belt 11. Furthermore, a cover 12 that covers the guide belt 11 may also be used.

[0033] As explained above, the guide floor material 10 and the guide strip 11 using it allow pedestrians, including the visually impaired, to sense the downward movement when they step on it and determine the direction in which they can move (the walking path). In particular, the movable part 3 moves downward only when a load is applied, and the upper surface is always smooth when not under load. Therefore, it can safely guide pedestrians, including the visually impaired, without interfering with the movement of people with disabilities in their lower limbs who have difficulty lifting their feet high, the elderly, pregnant women, injured or ill people, and other mobility-restricted people, wheelchair users, stroller users, or the wheels of carry-on bags, etc.

[0034] Moreover, it can be used to guide pedestrians to their destinations, regardless of whether they are visually impaired or not. For example, if the guide flooring material 10 is installed in a continuous line on the floor leading to the destination and a guide strip 11 is provided, users of a building can be guided to their destination without getting lost. It is particularly useful for guiding pedestrians to their destinations in the dark, such as movie theaters, concert halls, museums, and haunted houses.

[0035] Furthermore, the guidance and guide floor material 10 of this embodiment has a relatively small number of parts, and utilizes the repulsive force of magnets, making it possible to realize a non-contact, highly durable guidance and guide floor material 10. Furthermore, no power is required, and in particular, if permanent magnets are used as the first magnet 1 and the second magnet 2, a maintenance-free guidance and guide floor material 10 can be realized.

[0036] Furthermore, the guide and guiding belt 11 can be constructed simply by lining up and burying the guide and guiding floor materials 10. In other words, since no other fixtures are required on the buried surface 20, handling is easy and there is a high degree of freedom in layout. In particular, if a magnet installation plate (not shown) is provided on the buried surface 20 side of the guide and guiding floor materials 10 and a first magnet 1 is provided on the magnet installation plate, the guide and guiding floor materials 10 can be easily divided into blocks, and the guide and guiding belt 11 can be easily constructed simply by placing the guide and guiding floor materials 10 on the buried surface 20.

[0037] Furthermore, the guide belt 11 may be constructed by arranging a plurality of guide floor materials 10 each having a different sinking depth under load. For example, the repulsive force when stepping on one guide floor material 10 may be configured to be different from the repulsive force when stepping on another guide floor material 10. Specifically, the second magnet 2 provided on one guide floor material 10 and the second magnet 2 provided on the other guide floor materials 10 may be configured to have different repulsive forces against the first magnet 1. Alternatively, the material of the movable part 3 on one guide floor material 10 may be different from the material of the movable part 3 on the other guide floor materials 10. Alternatively, the material of the cover 12 on one guide floor material 10 may be different from the material of the cover 12 on the other guide floor materials 10.

[0038] This allows pedestrians to feel the information they need to know (guidance, stopping, warnings about turning corners, etc.) according to their purpose, further improving the usefulness of the guidance and guiding floor material 10 and the guidance and guiding strip 11.

[0039] Furthermore, by providing a magnet or a magnetic material such as iron having a polarity opposite to that of the second magnet 2 at, for example, the tip of a cane carried by a walker, including a visually impaired person, or at the sole of the walker's shoe, the walker can determine the direction in which they can move by sensing the magnetic force that attracts the second magnet 2 in the guidance and guiding floor material 10 with their cane or foot. It is also possible to provide a magnet with the same polarity as the second magnet, and by sensing the repulsive force with their cane or foot, they can determine the direction in which they can move.

[0040] Although the guidance and guiding floor material 10 of this embodiment utilizes the repulsive force of the first magnet 1 and the second magnet 2 to move the movable part 3 up and down, the present invention is not limited to this. Any configuration is sufficient as long as the movable part 3 can move downward only when a pedestrian steps on it, i.e., only when a load is applied, and the upper surface is always smooth when not under load. For example, a tactile dome or other tactile switch may be provided below the movable part 3, and the movable part 3 and the tactile dome or other tactile switch may move downward only when a load is applied from above. Any configuration is sufficient as long as the downward movement is sensed when a pedestrian steps on it and the possible direction of movement (walking path) can be determined.

[0041] The scope of application of the present invention is not limited to the above-described configuration. The present invention can be widely applied to a guide floor material 10 that provides pedestrians with information on the direction in which they can move, and a guide strip 11 that uses the same. [Explanation of symbols]

[0042] 1 First magnet 2 Second magnet 3 Moving parts 4 Support part 10 Guidance flooring 11 Guide strip 12 Cover 20 Buried Surface

Claims

1. A guide and guidance floor material that is buried along a passageway and is used in a row to provide information on the direction in which pedestrians can move along the passageway, It has a movable part that is supported so as to be movable up and down relative to the buried surface and moves downward only when a load is applied from above, The movable part is a plurality of second magnets that have a repulsive force against a plurality of first magnets provided on the buried surface side, are arranged in positions facing each of the first magnets, and support the movable part in a levitated state by the repulsive force with each of the first magnets; A guide floor material characterized in that the movable part is configured so that when a pedestrian steps on it, the movable part can move downward against the repulsive force.

2. A guidance and induction flooring material as described in claim 1, characterized in that it has a support part having a movable guide part that guides the range of movement of the movable part up and down.

3. A guidance and guidance band characterized by being constructed by arranging multiple pieces of the guidance and guidance flooring material described in claim 1 or claim 2 side by side.

4. A guidance and guidance belt as described in claim 3, which is composed of the guidance and guidance flooring material as described in claim 1 or claim 2, and is characterized in that the second magnet provided on one of the guidance and guidance flooring materials included in the plurality of guidance and guidance flooring materials and the second magnet provided on another of the guidance and guidance flooring materials included in the plurality of guidance and guidance flooring materials have different magnitudes of repulsive force against the first magnet.

5. A guidance and guidance band as described in claim 3 or claim 4, characterized in that it has a waterproof and dustproof member that covers at least the movable part of the guidance and guidance floor material.

Images