SIGN ASSOCIATED WITH A LIGHT SOURCE AND EQUIPPED WITH A LIGHT GUIDE ELEMENT FOR THE LIGHT RAYS FROM THE SOURCE ITSELF
Patent Information
- Authority / Receiving Office
- IT · IT
- Patent Type
- Utility models
- Current Assignee / Owner
- PUBLI CITTA
- Filing Date
- 2004-03-15
- Publication Date
- 2008-09-19
- Estimated Expiration
- Not applicable · inactive patent
AI Technical Summary
Existing illuminated signs require a large number of light sources, leading to increased space usage, breakage risk, and high energy consumption, and necessitate complex assembly and maintenance, especially when both surface illumination and remote signaling are needed.
A luminous sign design incorporating a light source and a light guide element that directs light rays to illuminate the sign surface and provide remote signaling with low energy consumption, using LEDs and rechargeable batteries for power, and featuring a simple assembly process.
The design achieves efficient illumination and remote signaling with reduced light sources, lower energy consumption, and easier assembly, while minimizing maintenance needs.
Description
DESCRIPTION of the Patent for Utility Model of: PUBLI CITTA' Srl, of Italian nationality, with headquarters in Milan, Via Cosimo Del Fante 4 Designated Inventor: LEONI Gialberto Filed on: 15 / 03 / 2004 N° Dom. -----or----- The subject of this invention is a luminous sign comprising a light source on the sign and at least one light guiding element for the light rays emitted by the light source. In the technical sector of signaling through signs and the like, it is well known that it is necessary to make the signs and their information content visible through illumination obtained from various types of light sources. It is also known that for this purpose the most recent technologies have made available low consumption light sources, for example LED (Light Emitter Diode) type, with power supply via solar panels in order to make the light signal independent from the electrical power supply network and therefore from the need to bring the power supply lines to each sign. Although functional, these signs require a large number of light sources distributed across the surface of the sign, resulting in a use of useful space, an increased risk of breakage of individual elements, and energy consumption. Furthermore, known types of signs require the provision of a double lighting circuit if both the illumination of the sign and the remote signalling of the latter are required, as occurs, for example, in the case of road danger signs. The technical problem therefore arises of creating illuminated signs that do not require a large number of light sources, allow both the surface of the sign to be illuminated and the sign to be signalled remotely via a light signal and have low energy consumption. In the context of this problem, it is also required that such signs are easy and economical to assemble using conventional industrial processes, which are capable of reducing the maintenance needs, may to be installed even by personnel with low qualifications. These results are obtained according to the present invention by a luminous sign comprising a visible surface, at least one light source associated with the sign and at least one light guide element into which the light rays generated by said light source are inserted. Further details may be found in the following description of a non-limiting example of implementation of the object of this invention carried out with reference to the attached drawings, which show: in figure 1: a front view of a sign according to the invention; in figure 2: a section along the II-II line of figure 1; in figure 3: the detail of a shape of implementation of the dual-direction light guide element. As illustrated, a sign 10, for example a road hazard warning sign, is associated with at least one light guide element 20 arranged on the visible front surface 10a of the sign. same. Said light guide 2 0 comprises a section 2 0a substantially parallel to the surface 10a of the sign and at least two sections 20b substantially orthogonal to said surface. The section 20a parallel to the sign is connected to the orthogonal sections 20b by inclined sections 20c designed to deviate the light rays coming from a light source 30 powered by related devices 40 which are conventional in themselves and therefore only schematized in figure 2 with a dotted line. According to preferred embodiments, the light guide 20 will have prismatic surfaces 21 designed to deviate the light rays emitted by the source 30 towards the visible surface 10a of the sign, in order to illuminate its information content. As illustrated in figure 3, the light guide 20 can however be provided with a first series of prisms 21, as described above, and a second series of prisms 22, suitable for deviating the light rays in a direction substantially orthogonal to the surface of the sign and in the opposite direction to the latter in order to constitute a signal. light of presence of the sign, visible to distance, for example, from the driver of a vehicle approaching in the direction of the sign itself. According to preferred embodiments, the light sources 30 consist of monochromatic LEDs and connected to a pilot driver capable of determine the lighting of a single LED a specific color, or a programmed selection of LEDs in order to obtain a color of the light signal determined by the combination of several colored emitting lights. It is also envisaged that the power supply device 40 may consist of rechargeable batteries in order to avoid the need for each sign to be connected to the electrical network. It is therefore the case that the sign according to the The finding allows for the creation of illuminated signage with a low number of light sources, and with illumination of both the surface of the sign and / or remote signalling of the same via a low energy consumption light signal. In addition, the use of LED light sources ensures a long life of the device in view. of the substantial lack of wear of the LEDs themselves.
Claims
CLAIMS 1. Illuminated sign comprising a visible surface (10a) and at least one light source (30) associated with the sign characterised by the fact that it comprises at least one light guide element (20) into which the light rays generated by said light source are inserted.
2. Sign according to claim 1 characterised in that said light guide (20) comprises a section (20a) parallel to the surface (10a) of the sign and at least two sections (20b) orthogonal to said surface and connected to the parallel section by inclined sections (20c).
3. Sign according to claim 1 characterised in that said light guide (20) comprises a prismatic surface (21) suitable for deviating said light rays in a direction substantially orthogonal to the visible surface (10a) of the sign and towards the same.
4. Sign according to claim 1 characterised in that said light guide (20) comprises a prismatic surface (22) suitable for deviating said light rays in a direction substantially orthogonal to the visible surface (10a) of the sign and in the opposite direction to it.
5. Sign according to claim 1 characterised in that said light guide (20) is arranged in a substantially perimeter area of the sign.
6. Sign according to claim 1 characterised in that said light source (30) consists of at least one LED.
7. Sign according to claim 1 characterised in that said light source (30) is of the monochromatic type.
8. Sign according to claim 1 characterised in that the light signal emitted by the light guide (20) is monochromatic.
9. Sign according to claim 1 characterised in that the light signal emitted by the light guide (20) is coloured.
10. Sign according to claim 1 characterised in that it comprises means (40) for powering the light source (30).
11. Sign according to claim 10 characterised in that said power supply means (40) are made up of rechargeable batteries. PUBLI CITTA' Srl A / L for assignment ( . 2; Dr.Eng.Paolo Stucovitz . / .<§2 Registered in the Register with no.328