A construction area warning system

Abstract

This invention discloses a construction area warning system, comprising a water curtain generating unit, an image projection unit, and a vehicle detection unit. The water curtain generating unit includes a water mist receiving chamber for gathering and spraying water mist outwards, an atomizing device for spraying water mist into the water mist receiving chamber from the side, and an air supply mechanism for blowing air into the water mist receiving chamber from the side. A slender, straight mist outlet a is provided on the side of the water mist receiving chamber, and the angle between the action directions of the atomizing device and the air supply mechanism and the mist outlet a is equal to the mist outlet direction. The image projection unit includes a variable-angle projection system and is arranged in the oncoming vehicle direction of the water curtain generating unit. This construction area warning system uses water curtain projection to utilize virtual warning objects with light and shadow. The virtual warning positions can be at different heights in the middle of the road, making them conspicuous and collision-resistant, eliminating traffic hazards. Furthermore, the warning lights are diffuse-reflective active light sources, which are less affected by vehicle headlights and do not affect the driver's vision, resulting in a significant warning effect.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of traffic construction safety technology, specifically a construction area warning system. Background Technology

[0002] During road maintenance and construction, warning devices are often placed to remind passing vehicles to avoid them, thus preventing injuries or fatalities to construction workers and ensuring the safety of drivers and passengers. In actual construction, these warning devices are often traffic cones with reflective stickers on their surface. They are quite visible in bright daylight and can serve as a warning. At night, because of the reflective stickers, they can also remind drivers of obstacles ahead to some extent when illuminated by vehicle headlights. However, their nighttime warning ability relies on the reflection of the vehicle's own headlights. When the vehicle's headlights are poor, the reflected light is weak. In addition, the traffic cones are relatively low, and for some vehicle models, the field of vision is narrow, making them difficult to see. Therefore, their warning ability is limited.

[0003] Applications with application numbers 202111539495.1 and 201911079249.5 disclose solutions for warning using active light sources such as warning lights and displays to improve the warning effect. However, the light emitted by both is relatively concentrated, which can cause temporary blindness to the driver in special circumstances, affecting driving safety. At the same time, the light source or display is located in a dusty outdoor environment, and its surface is covered with dust, which also greatly affects the light propagation. In addition, both are physical warning devices, and in order to avoid collisions, they are mostly placed on the roadside, that is, the warning position is on the roadside, which cannot play a warning role for maintenance positions in the middle of the road. Therefore, the warning effect at night is still limited. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The technical problem to be solved by the present invention is to overcome the defects of the existing system and provide a construction area warning system. The system uses water curtain projection to create virtual warning objects with light and shadow. The virtual warning positions can be placed at different heights in the middle of the road, making them conspicuous and collision-resistant, eliminating traffic hazards. The warning lights are diffuse reflection active light sources, which are less affected by vehicle lights and do not affect the driver's vision. The warning effect is obvious and can effectively solve the problems in the background technology.

[0005] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention provides the following technical solution: a construction area warning system, comprising a water curtain generator, an image projection unit, and a vehicle detection unit, characterized in that:

[0006] The water curtain generating unit includes a water mist receiving chamber for gathering and spraying water mist outward, an atomizing device for spraying water mist into the water mist receiving chamber from the side, and an air supply mechanism for blowing air into the water mist receiving chamber from the side.

[0007] The side of the water mist receiving chamber is provided with a slender straight mist outlet a, and the angle between the action direction of the atomizing device and the air supply mechanism and the mist outlet a is equal to the mist outlet direction.

[0008] The image delivery unit includes a projection system with a variable projection angle and is arranged in the direction of oncoming vehicles from the water curtain generator.

[0009] The vehicle inspection department is used to detect the lane position of a vehicle.

[0010] As a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the water mist receiving chamber has a hexagonal cross-section, a narrow channel is extended from the mist outlet a, an air inlet b is provided on the side wall of the narrow channel, and a tail air supply hole c is provided on the side wall opposite the mist outlet.

[0011] The air supply mechanism and the atomizing device are arranged symmetrically about the line connecting the mist outlet a and the air supply hole c, and the air supply mechanism and the atomizing device make an obtuse angle with the mist outlet a mist outlet direction.

[0012] An air supply hole c is set at the tail end. When the water mist retention chamber inside the water mist container is rapidly expelled by the airflow, a negative pressure is formed inside. The external airflow will enter through the air supply hole c to supplement and strengthen the airflow, thereby ensuring that the mist can maintain a large initial velocity when it is blown out through the mist outlet a, and can condense for a long time without dispersing, thus forming a thin and wide water mist curtain.

[0013] As a preferred technical solution of the present invention, a flow divider is arranged in the water mist receiving chamber, on the line connecting the mist outlet a and the air supply hole c. The flow divider has a jujube-shaped cross section and is located at the intersection of the airflow generated by the air supply mechanism and the mist airflow generated by the atomizing device or upstream of the intersection.

[0014] By installing a flow divider between the air supply mechanism and the atomizing mechanism, the air supply mechanism is prevented from blowing directly onto the atomizing element. At the same time, the dry airflow and water mist airflow are separated and converged at the front end of the flow divider, moving forward synchronously until they are blown out from the mist outlet. Simultaneously, the airflow at the air supply port c is also separated to avoid the whistling sound caused by the airflow swirling in the water mist retention chamber, thus reducing noise pollution. In addition, during the design phase, for low-temperature environments such as winter, a heating device can be integrated into the flow divider to increase the temperature inside the water mist retention chamber, prevent mist crystallization, and increase the mist concentration in the airflow.

[0015] As a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the atomizing device includes several sets of separate water tanks arranged along the length of the water mist receiving chamber. The separate water tanks are connected to the main water supply source through pipes. An ultrasonic atomizer capable of generating water mist into the water mist receiving chamber is installed in the separate water tank.

[0016] Using an ultrasonic atomizer to generate water mist results in smaller droplet diameters, lower mass, longer suspension time in the air, higher density, and better imaging effects.

[0017] As a preferred technical solution of the present invention, the air supply mechanism includes a cross-flow fan and an axial flow fan placed at both ends of the cross-flow fan for air supply, and the air outlet of the cross-flow fan is connected to the air supply port d on the side wall of the water mist receiving chamber.

[0018] By utilizing the radial airflow characteristics of the cross-flow fan, the airflow velocity of each section of the water mist containment chamber is kept close, ensuring uniform water curtain thickness and excellent display effect. Furthermore, axial flow fans are installed at both ends to ensure the overall air intake volume.

[0019] As a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the axial flow fan duct at one end is L-shaped, and a reinforcing shaft is provided in the middle of the impeller inside the cross-flow fan. The reinforcing shaft passes through the side wall of the L-shaped duct and is connected to a motor.

[0020] The use of an impeller with an internal reinforcing shaft helps to increase the impeller length. Combined with the axial flow fans at both ends, it ensures the air intake of the cross-flow fans, thereby effectively increasing the effective design length of the water mist containment chamber, that is, effectively extending the width of the water curtain.

[0021] As a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the vehicle detection unit includes two sets of distance sensors respectively arranged on both sides of the road, and the distance between the two sets of distance sensors in the lane direction is L3 > 0.

[0022] Two sets of distance sensors are used to detect the distance between the vehicle and the sides of the road, thereby determining the lane the vehicle is in. When it is determined that the vehicle is in a construction lane, an emergency warning is issued by speeding up the flashing of the display or changing the image, thereby improving the warning effect.

[0023] Furthermore, the distance between the two sets of distance sensors is L3 in the lane direction. The value range of L3 is between the minimum and maximum length of the vehicle. By comparing the time difference between the peaks of the waveforms transmitted back by the two sets of sensors, the vehicle speed is determined, the distance between the vehicle and the construction site is calculated, and the intensity of the warning information is controlled.

[0024] Meanwhile, for multi-vehicle road sections, the number of overlapping vehicles can be determined by using the difference between the sum of the distances measured by the two sets of sensors and the total width of the road.

[0025] At the same time, the number of sensor pairs is increased. When vehicles in different lanes have different speeds, their overlap when passing through the sensors will also be different, and the waveforms returned by the sensors will be different. By comparing the waveforms on both sides, the accuracy of judging the lane and speed of the vehicle can be further improved.

[0026] As a preferred technical solution of the present invention, the water mist receiving chamber is arranged vertically and a base is provided at the bottom. The base is provided with a water supply tank and a drive power supply for the whole equipment. The water supply tank is provided with a pressurized water pump connected to the atomizing device.

[0027] The water curtain is arranged vertically and placed directly on both sides of the road, which is suitable for outdoor power supply conditions where it is difficult to install. The overall construction is relatively simple and easy to set up.

[0028] As a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the water mist containing chamber is arranged horizontally on the lane gantry;

[0029] Suitable for urban roads with relatively complete surrounding power facilities, it can increase the height of the water curtain and significantly improve the warning effect.

[0030] Compared with the prior art, the beneficial effects of the present invention are: the construction area warning system can form a screen at any height in the middle of the road in the form of a water curtain, and use the image projection unit to present light and shadow to inform the driver of the construction location and lane ahead. It can also directly position the display location in front of the construction lane, which can achieve the effect of a road barrier. At night, the light reflected by the water curtain is diffuse reflection, and the light entering the driver's eyes is relatively soft, avoiding instant blindness. Even if the driver is distracted and hits the water curtain, there will be no damage.

[0031] Furthermore, the water curtain can be placed in a high position, making it more conspicuous and easier to observe and discover;

[0032] Meanwhile, the mist generated by the water curtain can absorb and settle dust in the air, thereby purifying the surrounding environment of the construction area.

[0033] Furthermore, by placing the image projection unit in the direction of oncoming traffic, even if the water curtain is damaged, the light will penetrate the water curtain directly and will not shine directly into the driver's eyes, effectively avoiding blindness caused by strong light.

[0034] Furthermore, the projection direction and angle of the image delivery unit are adjustable, allowing it to be projected directly onto the road surface. In windy weather, where water curtains are easily blown away, the image can be projected directly onto the road surface, where it is diffusely reflected and enters the driver's eyes, thus achieving the same warning effect. Attached Figure Description

[0035] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the water curtain generator structure of the present invention;

[0036] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the transverse cross-section of the water curtain generator of the present invention;

[0037] Figure 3 This is a cross-sectional view of the air supply mechanism of the water curtain generator of the present invention;

[0038] Figure 4This is a schematic diagram illustrating an embodiment of the present invention;

[0039] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of another embodiment of the present invention.

[0040] In the diagram: 1. Water curtain generating unit; 101. Water mist receiving chamber; 1011. Water mist retention chamber; 1012. Split water tank; 1013. Ultrasonic atomizer; 1014. Diverter plate; 102. Air supply mechanism; 1021. Straight-tube axial flow fan; 1022. Impeller; 1023. Reinforcing shaft; 1024. Right-angle tube axial flow fan; 1025. Motor; 103. Base; 2. Image projection unit; 3. Vehicle inspection unit. Detailed Implementation

[0041] The technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of the present invention, and not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0042] Please see Figures 1-5 The present invention provides a technical solution: a construction area warning system, including a water curtain generating unit 1, an image projection unit 2, and a vehicle detection unit;

[0043] The water curtain generating unit 1 includes a water mist receiving chamber 101 for gathering and spraying water mist outward, an atomizing device for spraying water mist into the water mist receiving chamber 101 from the side, and an air supply mechanism 102 for blowing air into the water mist receiving chamber 101 from the side.

[0044] The water mist receiving chamber 101 has a slender straight mist outlet a on its side, and the direction of action of the atomizing device and the air supply mechanism 102 is equal to the angle between the direction of mist outlet a and the direction of mist discharge.

[0045] The image delivery unit 2 includes a projection system with a variable projection angle and is arranged in the direction of oncoming vehicles from the water curtain generating unit 1.

[0046] Vehicle inspection unit 3 is used to detect the lane position of a vehicle.

[0047] See Figure 2 The water mist holding chamber 101 has a hexagonal cross section. A narrow channel is extended from the mist outlet a. An air inlet b is provided on the side wall of the narrow channel. A tail air supply hole c is provided on the side wall directly opposite the mist outlet.

[0048] The air supply mechanism 102 and the atomizing device are arranged symmetrically about the line connecting the mist outlet a and the air supply hole c, and the angles α and β between the air supply mechanism 102 and the atomizing device and the mist outlet a are both obtuse angles.

[0049] An air supply hole c is provided at the tail end. When the water mist retention chamber 1011 inside the water mist receiving chamber 101 is rapidly expelled by the airflow, a negative pressure is formed inside. The external airflow will enter through the air supply hole c to supplement and strengthen the airflow, thereby ensuring that the mist can maintain a large initial velocity when it is blown out through the mist outlet a, and can condense for a long time without dispersing, thus forming a thin and wide water mist curtain.

[0050] A flow divider 1014 is arranged on the line connecting the mist outlet a and the air supply hole c inside the water mist receiving chamber 101. The flow divider 1014 has a jujube-shaped cross section and is located at the intersection of the airflow generated by the air supply mechanism 102 and the mist airflow generated by the atomizing device or upstream of the intersection.

[0051] By setting a flow divider between the air supply mechanism 102 and the atomizing mechanism, the air supply mechanism 102 is prevented from blowing directly onto the atomizing element. At the same time, the dry airflow and water mist airflow are split and converged at the front end of the flow divider 1014 and blown forward synchronously until they are blown out from the mist outlet. At the same time, the airflow at the air supply port c is split to avoid the whistling sound caused by the airflow swirling in the water mist retention chamber 1011, thus reducing noise pollution. In addition, in the design, for low temperature environments such as winter, a heating device can be integrated in the flow divider 1014 to increase the temperature in the water mist retention chamber 1011, prevent mist crystallization, and increase the mist concentration in the airflow.

[0052] See Figure 1 The atomizing device includes several sets of separate water tanks 1012 arranged along the length of the water mist receiving chamber 101. The separate water tanks 1012 are connected to the main water supply source through pipes. An ultrasonic atomizer 1013 capable of generating water mist into the water mist receiving chamber 101 is installed in the separate water tanks 1012.

[0053] The water mist is generated using an ultrasonic atomizer 1013, resulting in smaller water droplet diameters, lower mass, longer suspension time in the air, higher density, and better imaging effects.

[0054] At the same time, the water mist generated by the point-like ultrasonic atomizer 1013 in the atomizing device is evenly distributed by the water mist retention cavity 1012, thereby ensuring that a water mist curtain of uniform thickness is blown out from the mist outlet a.

[0055] See Figure 3 The air supply mechanism 102 includes a cross-flow fan and an axial flow fan placed at both ends of the cross-flow fan for air supply. The air outlet of the cross-flow fan is connected to the air outlet d on the side wall of the water mist receiving chamber 101.

[0056] By utilizing the radial airflow characteristics of the cross-flow fan, the airflow velocity of each section of the water mist receiving chamber 101 is kept close, ensuring uniform water curtain thickness and excellent display effect. Furthermore, axial flow fans are installed at both ends to ensure the overall air intake volume.

[0057] One end of the axial flow fan duct is L-shaped. The impeller 1022 inside the cross-flow fan has a reinforcing shaft 1023 in the middle. The reinforcing shaft 1023 passes through the side wall of the L-shaped duct and is connected to a motor 1025.

[0058] A straight-tube axial flow fan 1021 and a right-angle tube axial flow fan 1024 are respectively installed at both ends of the cross-flow fan. A filter cloth is installed at the air inlet of the axial flow fan to filter the airflow entering the water mist receiving chamber 101 and prevent dust from entering.

[0059] The impeller 1022 with an internal reinforcing shaft 1023 helps to increase the length of the impeller 1022. Combined with the axial flow fans at both ends, it ensures the air intake of the cross-flow fans, thereby effectively increasing the effective design length of the water mist holding chamber 101, that is, effectively extending the width of the water curtain.

[0060] See Figure 4 and Figure 5 The vehicle detection unit 3 includes two sets of distance sensors arranged on both sides of the road, and the distance between the two sets of distance sensors in the lane direction is L3>0;

[0061] Two sets of distance sensors are used to detect the distance between the vehicle and the sides of the road, thereby determining the lane the vehicle is in. When it is determined that the vehicle is in a construction lane, an emergency warning is issued by speeding up the flashing of the display or changing the image, thereby improving the warning effect.

[0062] Furthermore, the distance between the two sets of distance sensors is L3 in the lane direction. The value range of L3 is between the minimum and maximum length of the vehicle. By comparing the time difference between the peaks of the waveforms transmitted back by the two sets of sensors, the vehicle speed is determined, the distance between the vehicle and the construction site is calculated, and the intensity of the warning information is controlled.

[0063] Meanwhile, for multi-vehicle road sections, the number of overlapping vehicles can be determined by using the difference between the sum of the distances measured by the two sets of sensors and the total width of the road.

[0064] At the same time, the number of sensor pairs is increased. When vehicles in different lanes have different speeds, their overlap when passing through the sensors will also be different, and the waveforms returned by the sensors will be different. By comparing the waveforms on both sides, the accuracy of judging the lane and speed of the vehicle can be further improved.

[0065] Example 1:

[0066] See Figure 4 The water mist receiving chamber 101 is arranged vertically, and a base 103 is installed at the bottom. The base 103 is equipped with a water supply tank and a drive power supply for the whole equipment. A pressurized water pump connected to the atomizing device is installed in the water supply tank.

[0067] The water curtain is arranged vertically and placed directly on both sides of the road, which is suitable for outdoor power supply conditions where it is difficult to install. The overall construction is relatively simple and easy to set up.

[0068] At a distance of L1 = 1000m in front of the construction site, a water curtain generator 1 is arranged on the side of the road closest to the construction area, with the mist outlet a facing the middle of the road, spraying water mist onto the road. A vehicle detection unit 3 is arranged at a distance of L2 = 1000m from the water curtain generator 1 in the direction of oncoming traffic. When a vehicle is detected approaching, an image projection unit 2 is used to project an image and issue a warning.

[0069] If the outdoor wind is strong on a given day and the water curtain is difficult to maintain, the projection angle of the image delivery unit 2 can be changed so that it projects directly onto the ground. This can also serve as a warning, allowing drivers to be aware of the construction information ahead from a distance and adjust their driving lanes in a timely manner.

[0070] Example 2:

[0071] See Figure 5 The water mist containment chamber 101 is horizontally arranged on the lane gantry;

[0072] Suitable for urban roads with relatively complete surrounding power facilities, it can increase the height of the water curtain and significantly improve the warning effect.

[0073] A water curtain generator 1 is horizontally arranged on the gantry in the direction of oncoming vehicles at the construction site to increase the vertical height of the water curtain and enhance its visibility.

[0074] Although embodiments of the invention have been shown and described, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes, modifications, substitutions and alterations can be made to these embodiments without departing from the principles and spirit of the invention, the scope of which is defined by the appended claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. A construction area warning system, comprising a water curtain generator (1), an image projection unit (2), and a vehicle detection unit, characterized in that: The water curtain generating unit (1) includes a water mist receiving chamber (101) for gathering and spraying water mist outward, an atomizing device for spraying water mist into the water mist receiving chamber (101) from the side, and an air supply mechanism (102) for blowing air into the water mist receiving chamber (101) from the side. The water mist holding chamber (101) is provided with a slender straight mist outlet a on the side, and the direction of action of the atomizing device and the air supply mechanism (102) is equal to the angle between the mist outlet a and the mist outlet direction. The image delivery unit (2) includes a projection system with a variable projection angle and is arranged in the direction of oncoming vehicles of the water curtain generating unit (1); Vehicle inspection unit (3) is used to detect the lane position of the vehicle; The water mist holding chamber (101) has a hexagonal cross section. A narrow channel is extended from the mist outlet a. An air inlet b is provided on the side wall of the narrow channel. A tail air supply hole c is provided on the side wall opposite the mist outlet. The air supply mechanism (102) and the atomizing device are arranged symmetrically about the line connecting the mist outlet a and the air supply hole c, and the air supply mechanism (102) and the atomizing device make an obtuse angle with the mist outlet a mist outlet direction. A flow divider (1014) is arranged on the line connecting the mist outlet a and the air supply hole c inside the water mist container (101). The flow divider (1014) has a jujube-shaped cross section and is located at the intersection of the airflow generated by the air supply mechanism (102) and the mist airflow generated by the atomizing device or upstream of the intersection. The atomizing device includes several sets of separate water tanks (1012) arranged along the length of the water mist receiving chamber (101). The separate water tanks (1012) are connected to the main water supply source through pipes. An ultrasonic atomizer (1013) capable of generating water mist into the water mist receiving chamber (101) is installed in the separate water tanks (1012). The air supply mechanism (102) includes a cross-flow fan and an axial flow fan placed at both ends of the cross-flow fan for air supply. The air outlet of the cross-flow fan is connected to the air outlet d on the side wall of the water mist container (101). The vehicle detection unit (3) includes two sets of distance sensors arranged on both sides of the road, and the distance between the two sets of distance sensors in the lane direction is L3 > 0.

2. The construction area warning system according to claim 1, characterized in that: One end of the axial flow fan duct is L-shaped. The impeller (1022) inside the cross-flow fan is provided with a reinforcing shaft (1023) in the middle. The reinforcing shaft (1023) passes through the side wall of the L-shaped duct and is connected to a motor (1025).

3. The construction area warning system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The water mist holding chamber (101) is arranged vertically and has a base (103) at the bottom. The base (103) is equipped with a water supply tank and a drive power supply for the whole equipment. The water supply tank is equipped with a pressurized water pump connected to the atomizing device.

4. The construction area warning system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The water mist containment chamber (101) is arranged horizontally on the lane gantry.

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