Low-energy-consumption traffic light

Abstract

The invention relates to the technical field of traffic signal lamps, in particular to a low-energy-consumption traffic lamp which comprises a light-emitting panel, a light guide plate, a first liquid crystal light valve and an LED lamp set, the light-emitting panel and the light guide plate are both made of transparent acrylic materials, a plurality of light guide points are arranged on an emergent surface array of the light-emitting panel and combined to form a traffic lamp signal pattern, and the first liquid crystal light valve is arranged on the emergent surface array of the light-emitting panel. At least two side faces of the light-emitting panel are incident faces, the surfaces of the incident faces are flat and smooth, one incident face is coupled with the emergent face of the light guide plate, the other incident face is coupled with the emergent face of the LED lamp set, the incident face of the light guide plate is coupled with the first liquid crystal light valve, and the face, away from the light guide plate, of the first liquid crystal light valve is used for receiving natural light. By adopting a combined adjusting mechanism of the liquid crystal light valve and the natural light, the environment light source is effectively utilized, the situation that high-power output of the LED lamp set is still depended on under the strong light condition in the daytime is avoided, and therefore energy consumption is remarkably reduced.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of traffic signal lamps, and in particular to a low-energy consumption traffic lamp. Background Art

[0002] With the continuous advancement of urbanization, traffic lights, as an important part of urban traffic management, are widely used in various road intersections and traffic nodes. However, the existing traffic light system often has high energy consumption problems during operation. Most traditional traffic lights use LED lamp beads as light sources. Although LED light sources have lower power consumption than traditional incandescent lamps and fluorescent lamps, their energy consumption is still significant under long-term high-frequency flashing and all-weather use.

[0003] In addition, the brightness adjustment mechanism of existing traffic lights is generally relatively simple, mainly relying on a fixed power supply, and the difference in energy consumption during the day and night has not been effectively adjusted. Especially during the day, when the ambient light is strong, the light output of the LED lamp beads still remains at the set high brightness level, which causes unnecessary energy waste. Therefore, how to reasonably control the energy consumption of traffic lights while ensuring the visibility of traffic signals, especially during the day when the lighting conditions are good, has become an urgent problem to be solved.

[0004] Therefore, a new energy-saving solution for traffic lights is urgently needed to reduce energy consumption while ensuring the safety and visibility of traffic lights. Summary of the invention

[0005] In view of this, the present invention proposes a low-energy consumption traffic light with a more reasonable structural design.

[0006] The technical solution of the present invention is implemented as follows: The present invention provides a low-energy traffic light, including: a light-emitting panel, a light guide plate, a first liquid crystal light valve and an LED light group, the light-emitting panel and the light guide plate are both made of transparent acrylic material, the light-emitting panel's exit surface array is provided with a plurality of light guide points, and the plurality of light guide points are combined to form a traffic light signal pattern, at least two side surfaces of the light-emitting panel are incident surfaces, and the incident surface surfaces are flat and smooth, one of the incident surfaces is coupled with the exit surface of the light guide plate, and the other incident surface is coupled with the exit surface of the LED light group, the incident surface of the light guide plate is coupled with the first liquid crystal light valve, and the side of the first liquid crystal light valve away from the light guide plate is used to receive natural light.

[0007] In some embodiments, all surfaces of the light guide plate except the incident surface and the exit surface are provided with a first reflective coating.

[0008] In some embodiments, all surfaces of the light emitting panel except the incident surface and the exit surface are provided with a second reflective coating.

[0009] In some embodiments, a second liquid crystal light valve is further included, and the incident surface on one side of the light emitting panel coupled with the light guide plate is coupled with the exit surface of the light guide plate through the second liquid crystal light valve.

[0010] In some embodiments, a skylight hood is further included, which includes a Fresnel lens and a light-transmitting tube. The light-transmitting tube is conical, and the Fresnel lens is installed on the side with a larger opening of the light-transmitting tube, and the side with a smaller opening of the light-transmitting tube is coupled to the first liquid crystal light valve.

[0011] In some embodiments, the edge of the smaller opening of the light-transmitting tube is closely aligned with the edge of the first liquid crystal light valve.

[0012] In some embodiments, a light-distributing plate is further included. The light-distributing plate is made of a transparent acrylic material. The edge of the light-distributing plate is closely fitted with the edge of the smaller opening of the light-transmitting tube. The light-distributing plate is coupled to the first liquid crystal light valve.

[0013] In some embodiments, the light emitting panel is filled with scattering particles.

[0014] The scattering particles include at least one of metal particles, inorganic material particles, polymer particles, nanoparticles, organic particles, gaseous particles and carbon-based particles. The main function of the scattering particles is to diffuse or optically brighten the light. The metal particles can be silver particles, copper particles, aluminum particles, etc., the inorganic material particles can be titanium dioxide, silicon, bauxite, etc., the polymer particles can be polystyrene particles, polypropylene particles, the nanoparticles can be nano titanium dioxide, nano silver, nano silicon, etc., the organic particles can be polystyrene, polymethyl methacrylate particles, etc., the gaseous particles can be aerosol particles, and the carbon-based particles can be carbon nanotube particles, graphene particles, etc.

[0015] In some embodiments, there are multiple light-emitting panels, and two incident surfaces of each light-emitting panel are respectively coupled to an LED light group and a first liquid crystal light valve.

[0016] In some embodiments, the light guide point is a columnar protrusion protruding from the exit surface of the light emitting panel, and one end of the light guide point away from the light emitting panel is a rough surface.

[0017] Compared with the prior art, the present invention has the following beneficial effects: The present invention uses a combination adjustment mechanism of liquid crystal light valve and natural light to effectively utilize ambient light sources, avoid relying on high-power output of LED lamps under strong daylight conditions, and thus significantly reduce energy consumption. The liquid crystal light valve can adjust the amount of light transmission according to external lighting conditions, ensuring that the traffic lights maintain appropriate brightness under different lighting environments, avoiding unnecessary energy waste. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0018] In order to more clearly illustrate the embodiments of the present invention or the technical solutions in the prior art, the drawings required for use in the embodiments or the description of the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present invention. For ordinary technicians in this field, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without paying creative work.

[0019] Figure 1 It is a cross-sectional schematic diagram of the new low-energy traffic light of the present invention; Figure 2 It is an axonometric diagram of the light-emitting panel part of the new low-energy traffic light of the present invention; Figure 3 It is an axonometric diagram of the light-emitting panel in the new low-energy traffic light of the present invention; Figure 4 This is an axonometric view of the light guide plate in the new low-energy traffic light of the present invention.

[0020] In the figure: 1-light-emitting panel, 2-light guide plate, 3-first liquid crystal light valve, 4-LED lamp group, 5-second liquid crystal light valve, 6-lighting cover, 7-light averaging plate, 11-light guide point, 21-first reflective coating, 12-second reflective coating, 61-Fresnel lens, 62-light-transmitting tube. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0021] The following will be combined with the embodiments of the present invention to clearly and completely describe the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention. Obviously, the described embodiments are only part of the embodiments of the present invention, not all of the embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in this field without creative work are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0022] It should be noted that when an element is referred to as being "fixed to" or "disposed on" another element, it can be directly on the other element or indirectly on the other element. When an element is referred to as being "connected to" another element, it can be directly connected to the other element or indirectly connected to the other element.

[0023] It should be understood that the terms "length", "width", "up", "down", "front", "back", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inside", "outside", etc., indicating the orientation or position relationship, are based on the orientation or position relationship shown in the drawings, and are only for the convenience of describing the present application and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore should not be understood as a limitation on the present application.

[0024] In addition, the terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be understood as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly indicating the number of the indicated technical features. Thus, a feature defined as "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of the features. In the description of this application, the meaning of "plurality" is two or more, unless otherwise clearly and specifically defined.

[0025] Unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by those of ordinary skill in the art to which the embodiments of the present invention belong. If the definitions set forth in this section are contrary to or otherwise inconsistent with the definitions set forth in the patents, patent applications, published patent applications, and other publications incorporated herein by reference, the definitions listed in this section take precedence over the definitions incorporated herein by reference.

[0026] Unless otherwise specified, the methods used in the following examples are all conventional methods. Unless otherwise specified, the materials, reagents and instruments used are all conventional materials, reagents and instruments in the art, and can be obtained by those skilled in the art through commercial channels.

[0027] When an amount, concentration or other value or parameter is expressed as a range, a preferred range or a range defined by a series of upper preferred values ​​and lower preferred values, this should be understood as specifically disclosing all ranges formed by any pairing of any range upper limit or preferred value with any range lower limit or preferred value, regardless of whether the range is disclosed separately. For example, when a range of "1 to 5" is disclosed, the described range should be interpreted as including the range "1 to 4", "1 to 3", "1 to 2", "1 to 2 and 4 to 5", "1 to 3 and 5", etc. When a numerical range is described herein, unless otherwise stated, the range is intended to include its end values ​​and all integers and fractions within the range. In the present specification and claims, range definitions can be combined and / or interchanged, and if not otherwise stated, these ranges include all subranges contained therein.

[0028] like Figure 1 As shown, combined Figure 2-4 The low-energy traffic light of the present invention comprises a light-emitting panel 1, a light guide plate 2, a first liquid crystal light valve 3 and an LED light group 4. The light-emitting panel 1 and the light guide plate 2 are both made of transparent acrylic material. The light-emitting panel 1 has an exit surface array provided with a plurality of light guide points 11, and the plurality of light guide points 11 are combined to form a traffic light signal pattern. At least two side surfaces of the light-emitting panel 1 are incident surfaces, and the incident surface surfaces are flat and smooth. One of the incident surfaces is coupled with the exit surface of the light guide plate 2, and the other incident surface is coupled with the exit surface of the LED light group 4. The incident surface of the light guide plate 2 is coupled with the first liquid crystal light valve 3, and the side of the first liquid crystal light valve 3 away from the light guide plate 2 is used to receive natural light.

[0029] In the above embodiments, the light-emitting panel 1 is used to receive the delivered natural light or the light of the LED light group 4, and mainly emits it through the light guide point 11, so as to form a light signal pattern for traffic indication. Specifically, the light-emitting panel 1 made of transparent acrylic material receives the emitted light from the light guide plate 2 coupled thereto through its incident surface, or receives the light from the LED light group 4 coupled thereto, wherein the light guide plate 2 receives the natural light through the coupled first liquid crystal light valve 3, and the first liquid crystal light valve 3 is used to adjust the flux of the natural light incident on the light guide plate 2. When the natural light is relatively strong, the LED light group 4 can work in a low-power state or stop working, and adjust the light flux incident on the light guide plate 2 through the first liquid crystal light valve 3, so as to adjust the brightness of the light guide point 11 and the exit surface of the light-emitting panel 1 or the opening and closing of the light signal. When the natural light is insufficient, the LED light group 4 can be turned on to supplement the light, so that the brightness of the light guide point 11 and the exit surface of the light-emitting panel 1 can meet the use requirements.

[0030] In order to achieve better transmission of optical signals, the light emitting panel 1 and the light guide plate 2 both have smooth and flat surfaces.

[0031] In some embodiments, all surfaces of the light guide plate 2 except the incident surface and the exit surface are provided with a first reflective coating 21 .

[0032] In the above embodiment, the first reflective coating 21 can be a metal coating, such as an aluminum coating or a silver coating. Through the first reflective coating 21, on the one hand, the loss of light in the light guide plate 2 can be reduced, and on the other hand, the light escape from other non-working surfaces of the light guide plate 2 can be avoided to cause unnecessary interference and influence on the normal light indication of the light-emitting panel 1.

[0033] In some embodiments, all surfaces of the light emitting panel 1 except the incident surface and the exit surface are provided with a second reflective coating layer 12 .

[0034] In the above embodiment, the second reflective coating 12 can be a metal coating, such as an aluminum coating or a silver coating. The second reflective coating 12 can reduce the light loss in the light-emitting panel 1, thereby ensuring the brightness of the exit surface of the light-emitting panel 1 and the light guide point 11.

[0035] In some embodiments, a second liquid crystal light valve 5 is further included, and the incident surface of one side of the light emitting panel 1 coupled with the light guide plate 2 is coupled with the exit surface of the light guide plate 2 through the second liquid crystal light valve 5. In the above implementation manner, the role of the second liquid crystal light valve 5 is to further control the incident light on the incident surface of the light-emitting panel 1, so as to prevent unnecessary interference light from affecting the correct indication of the signal, and at the same time avoid the problem of poor contrast of the light signal caused by the insufficient shading effect of the first liquid crystal light valve 3. Secondly, when natural light is insufficient and the LED light group 4 provides illumination, the second liquid crystal light valve 5 can prevent the light in the light-emitting panel 1 from escaping into the light guide plate 2, which helps to further reduce energy consumption.

[0036] In some embodiments, a skylight hood 6 is further included, which includes a Fresnel lens 61 and a light-transmitting tube 62 . The light-transmitting tube 62 is conical, and the Fresnel lens 61 is installed on the larger opening side of the light-transmitting tube 62 . The smaller opening side of the light-transmitting tube 62 is coupled to the first liquid crystal light valve 3 .

[0037] In the above embodiments, the design of the skylight 6 aims to increase the amount of natural light collected by the light guide plate 2. The natural light is converged by the Fresnel lens 61. The Fresnel lens has the advantage of a short focal length and can greatly improve the collection effect of natural light.

[0038] In the above embodiments, the side with the smaller opening of the light-transmitting tube 62 is coupled with the first liquid crystal light valve 3 , which means that the light emitted from the side with the smaller opening of the light-transmitting tube 62 can be incident into the first liquid crystal light valve 3 .

[0039] In some embodiments, the edge of the smaller opening of the light-transmitting tube 62 is closely aligned with the edge of the first liquid crystal light valve 3. In the above embodiments, the sealing process can prevent the light that does not enter the first liquid crystal light valve 3 from entering the traffic light and affecting the precise control of the emitted light and the control of the contrast of the light emitting panel 1 .

[0040] In some embodiments, a light scattering plate 7 is further included. The light scattering plate 7 is made of transparent acrylic material. The edge of the light scattering plate 7 is closely attached to the edge of the smaller opening of the light-transmitting tube 62. The light scattering plate 7 is coupled to the first liquid crystal light valve 3. In the above embodiments, the light homogenizing plate 7 is used to transmit the converged light from different positions, and utilizes the light guiding effect of the transparent acrylic so that the light can finally enter the first liquid crystal light valve 3 .

[0041] In some embodiments, the light emitting panel 1 is filled with scattering particles. In the above implementation, scattering particles are filled in the light emitting panel 1, aiming to scatter the light incident into the light emitting panel 1 to a certain extent, and to form a background light with a certain brightness without affecting the light transmission in the light emitting panel 1, thereby improving the indication brightness of the traffic light and providing a more uniform background pattern. By filling scattering particles (such as metal particles, inorganic particles, nanoparticles, etc.) in the light emitting panel, the present invention can effectively diffuse the light, improve the uniformity and visual effect of the light, avoid light spots and uneven brightness, ensure that the traffic signal graphics are clearly visible at different angles, and improve the visibility and safety of the traffic light.

[0042] In some embodiments, there are multiple light-emitting panels 1, and the two incident surfaces of each light-emitting panel 1 are respectively coupled to an LED light group 4 and a first liquid crystal light valve 3. In the above embodiments, in order to achieve more comprehensive traffic indication, multiple, for example three, light-emitting panels 1 can be used to display yellow, red and green lights respectively. Or each light-emitting panel 1 is used to control a pixel block respectively, so as to achieve more sophisticated pattern display.

[0043] In some embodiments, the light guide point 11 is a columnar protrusion protruding from the exit surface of the light emitting panel 1, and the end of the light guide point 11 away from the light emitting panel is a rough surface. In the above embodiments, the light guide point 11 protrudes from the exit surface of the light emitting panel 1, thereby forming a concentrated exit point of light and a highlight area, and the rough surface is conducive to forming uniform diffuse reflection, so that the light in the area of ​​the light guide point 11 is isotropic at all angles. Depending on the different traffic signal patterns to be applied, a combination of light guide points 11 with different distributions can be used.

[0044] The low-energy traffic light of the present invention uses natural light, especially sunlight, for light guidance, which greatly reduces power consumption. It uses a liquid crystal light valve structure to control the flux of light, has extremely low energy consumption, and is easy to implement in structure, thus having good application prospects.

[0045] By setting up dual adjustment of the reflective coating and the liquid crystal light valve, the propagation path and brightness of light can be controlled more accurately, which not only improves the luminous flux but also makes the use of light energy more efficient by reducing the loss of invalid scattered light.

[0046] The design of the light cover and Fresnel lens enables the traffic light to effectively collect and utilize natural light, especially during the day, minimizing the use of LED light groups, thereby reducing dependence on electricity and further improving energy efficiency. The design of the present invention optimizes the light transmission and diffusion process by rationally arranging the coupling of the light source, liquid crystal light valve and light guide plate, so that the traffic light can provide stable brightness under different lighting conditions and maintain low energy consumption operation.

[0047] The above description is only a preferred embodiment of the present invention and is not intended to limit the present invention. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, improvements, etc. made within the spirit and principles of the present invention should be included in the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A low energy consumption traffic light, characterized in that: include: A light-emitting panel (1), a light guide plate (2), a first liquid crystal light valve (3) and an LED light group (4); the light-emitting panel (1) and the light guide plate (2) are both made of transparent acrylic material; a plurality of light guide points (11) are arranged in an array on the light-emitting surface of the light-emitting panel (1); the plurality of light guide points (11) are combined to form a traffic light signal pattern; at least two side surfaces of the light-emitting panel (1) are incident surfaces; the incident surfaces are flat and smooth; one of the incident surfaces is coupled to the light-emitting surface of the light guide plate (2); the other incident surface is coupled to the light-emitting surface of the LED light group (4); the incident surface of the light guide plate (2) is coupled to the first liquid crystal light valve (3); and a surface of the first liquid crystal light valve (3) away from the light guide plate (2) is used to receive natural light.

2. The low energy consumption traffic light according to claim 1, characterized in that: All surfaces of the light guide plate (2) except the incident surface and the exit surface are provided with a first reflective coating (21).

3. The low energy consumption traffic light according to claim 1, characterized in that: All surfaces of the light-emitting panel (1) except the incident surface and the exit surface are provided with a second reflective coating layer (12).

4. The low energy consumption traffic light according to claim 1, characterized in that: It also comprises a second liquid crystal light valve (5), and an incident surface on one side of the light emitting panel (1) coupled with the light guide plate (2) is coupled with an exit surface of the light guide plate (2) via the second liquid crystal light valve (5).

5. The low energy consumption traffic light according to claim 1, characterized in that: It also comprises a daylighting cover (6), the daylighting cover (6) comprising a Fresnel lens (61) and a light-transmitting tube (62), the light-transmitting tube (62) being conical, the Fresnel lens (61) being mounted on the side with the larger opening of the light-transmitting tube (62), and the side with the smaller opening of the light-transmitting tube (62) being coupled to the first liquid crystal light valve (3).

6. The low energy consumption traffic light according to claim 1, characterized in that: The edge of the smaller opening of the light-transmitting tube (62) is tightly fitted to the edge of the first liquid crystal light valve (3).

7. The low energy consumption traffic light according to claim 6, characterized in that: It also comprises a light-dispersing plate (7), the light-dispersing plate (7) being made of a transparent acrylic material, the edge of the light-dispersing plate (7) being closely fitted to the edge of the smaller opening of the light-transmitting tube (62), and the light-dispersing plate (7) being coupled to the first liquid crystal light valve (3).

8. The low energy consumption traffic light according to claim 1, characterized in that: The light-emitting panel (1) is filled with scattering particles.

9. The low energy consumption traffic light according to claim 1, characterized in that: There are a plurality of light-emitting panels (1), and the two incident surfaces of each light-emitting panel (1) are respectively coupled to an LED light group (4) and a first liquid crystal light valve (3).

10. The low energy consumption traffic light according to claim 1, characterized in that: The light guide point (11) is a columnar protrusion protruding from the emission surface of the light emitting panel (1), and one end of the light guide point (11) away from the light emitting panel is a rough surface.

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