Disaster prevention lighting device

Abstract

To obtain a lighting device for disaster prevention capable of allowing a user to effectively recognize life of a battery.SOLUTION: A lighting device for disaster prevention includes: a lamp; a control unit configured to turn on the lamp with power from a battery in an emergency or during inspection; and a storage unit configured to store the inspection result of the battery. The control unit is configured to, upon receiving an instruction for inspection: when the inspection result stored in the storage unit indicate that the battery is normal, cause the lamp to turn on emergently; and when the inspection result stored in the storage unit indicates that the battery has reached an end of its life, cause the lamp to perform specific operation including turning off the lamp.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a disaster prevention lighting device. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses an emergency lighting device for preventing a malfunction of the emergency lighting device from being left unattended for a long period of time. In this emergency lighting device, notification lighting is implemented by changing the light emission state of the LED to notify the manager of the emergency lighting device that the light source unit should be replaced. In the notification lighting, the light emission intensity of the LED is kept constant at an intermediate intensity between the normal intensity and the emergency intensity. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2017-157390 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, with the method of Patent Document 1, if the manager does not know the brightness of normal lighting and emergency lighting, there is a risk that it will be difficult to determine whether there is a malfunction.

[0005] An object of the present disclosure is to provide a disaster prevention lighting device that can effectively allow a user to recognize the battery life. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The disaster prevention lighting device of the present disclosure comprises a lamp, a control unit that turns on the lamp using power from a battery in an emergency or during inspection, and a memory unit that stores inspection results of the battery, and the control unit is configured, upon receiving an inspection instruction, to turn on the lamp in an emergency using power from the battery if the inspection results stored in the memory unit indicate that the battery is normal, and to cause the lamp to perform a specific operation including turning off the lamp if the inspection results stored in the memory unit indicate that the battery has reached the end of its life. Effect of the Invention

[0007] According to the disaster prevention lighting device of the present disclosure, when the battery is at the end of its life, the lamp performs a specific operation, including turning off, in a state where the user expects the lamp to be turned on in an emergency in response to an inspection instruction, so that the user can be effectively made aware of the battery's life. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an emergency exit light according to a first embodiment. [Diagram 2] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an emergency exit light according to a first embodiment. [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the emergency exit light according to the first embodiment. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the emergency exit light according to the first embodiment. [Diagram 5] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an inspection remote control according to the first embodiment. [Figure 6] 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of an emergency exit light according to a first embodiment. [Figure 7] FIG. 13 is a block diagram showing a configuration of an emergency exit light according to a modified example of the first embodiment. [Figure 8] 4 is a flowchart showing the operation of the emergency light according to the first embodiment. [Figure 9] FIG. 11 is a perspective view of an emergency light according to a modified example of the first embodiment. [Figure 10] 10 is a flowchart showing the operation of an emergency exit light according to the second embodiment. [Figure 11] 13 is a flowchart showing the operation of an emergency exit light according to a modification of the second embodiment. [Figure 12] 11 is a flowchart showing the operation of an emergency exit light according to the third embodiment. [Figure 13] 13 is a flowchart showing the operation of an emergency light according to the fourth embodiment. [Figure 14] FIG. 13 is a block diagram showing a configuration of an emergency exit light according to a fifth embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0009] The disaster prevention lighting device according to each embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings. The same or corresponding components are designated by the same reference numerals, and the repeated description may be omitted.

[0010] Embodiment 1 1 and 2 are perspective views of an emergency exit light 100 according to the first embodiment. Figs. 3 and 4 are exploded perspective views of the emergency exit light 100 according to the first embodiment. In this embodiment, an emergency lighting device will be described using the emergency exit light 100 as an example. The emergency lighting device is not limited to an emergency exit light, and may be an emergency light.

[0011] The emergency light 100 comprises a main case 10, a lamp 12 which is a light source, and a display unit 14. The main case 10 is box-shaped and has space inside for storing parts. The front of the main case 10 is open. A lighting unit 24, an inspection indicator 16, and a battery 28 are built into the main case 10. The lamp 12 is disposed above the display unit 14. The display unit 14 and the lamp 12 are combined and attached to the main case 10 so as to cover the opening of the main case 10.

[0012] The display unit 14 displays, for example, a pictogram for the purpose of evacuation guidance. The display unit 14 may also display a pattern or text indicating evacuation guidance. The display unit 14 is plate-shaped and has a light-transmitting display panel on which a pattern or the like is drawn, and a light guide disposed on the rear surface of the display panel. The light guide guides incident light to illuminate the display panel. The lamp 12 is turned on by power supplied from the lighting unit 24, and the light enters the light guide to illuminate the pictogram on the display unit 14.

[0013] The battery 28 is an emergency power source that supplies power to the lamp 12 in an emergency such as a power outage. The battery 28 is charged with power supplied from an external power source such as a commercial power source via the lighting unit 24. In an emergency, the battery 28 is controlled by the lighting unit 24 to light the lamp 12.

[0014] The lighting unit 24 controls the power supplied to the lamp 12. The lighting unit 24 receives power from an external power source during normal use, and receives power from a battery 28 in an emergency when no power is supplied from the external power source.

[0015] An alarm unit 22 is provided on the underside of the main body case 10. The alarm unit 22 is provided to notify the inspection status, charging status, status of the lamp 12, etc. The alarm unit 22 has, for example, an inspection monitor lamp 22a, a charging monitor lamp 22b, and a lamp monitor lamp 22c. The inspection monitor lamp 22a, the charging monitor lamp 22b, and the lamp monitor lamp 22c can each be configured with an LED.

[0016] Next, a description will be given of the inspection instruction unit 16. The inspection instruction unit 16 includes an inspection switch 17, a self-inspection switch 18 for performing a self-inspection, and a receiving unit 19 for receiving a remote control signal or the like.

[0017] While the user is operating the inspection switch 17, the lighting unit 24 switches the emergency light 100 to a pseudo power outage state and emergency lights the lamp 12 with power from the battery 28. The inspection switch 17 is provided to check that the lighting state of the lamp 12 is switched from normal lighting to emergency lighting. The inspection switch 17 can be operated, for example, by pressing a button provided on the underside of the main body case 10. The lighting unit 24 emergency lights the lamp 12 with power from the battery 28 while the button of the inspection switch 17 is being pressed.

[0018] When the user operates the self-check switch 18, the lighting unit 24 switches the emergency light 100 to a pseudo-power outage state and lights the lamp 12 for a specified time with power from the battery 28. The self-check checks whether the lamp 12 can be kept lit with power from the battery 28 for the specified time. The specified time is, for example, 20 minutes or 60 minutes. The self-check switch 18 can be operated by pressing a button provided on the underside of the main body case 10, for example.

[0019] The receiving unit 19 receives a radio signal from an external device. The receiving unit 19 is, for example, a remote control light receiving unit that receives an infrared signal from a remote control. The receiving unit 19 is provided on the bottom surface of the main body case 10, for example.

[0020] 5 is a diagram showing an inspection remote control 30 according to the first embodiment. The inspection remote control 30 has an inspection switch 31 and a self-inspection switch 32. When a user operates the inspection switch 31, the receiving unit 19 of the inspection instruction unit 16 receives an inspection instruction and causes the lighting unit 24 to perform the same inspection as when the inspection switch 17 is operated. Similarly, when a user operates the self-inspection switch 32, the receiving unit 19 of the inspection instruction unit 16 receives a self-inspection instruction and causes the lighting unit 24 to perform a self-inspection similar to when the self-inspection switch 18 is operated.

[0021] The structure of the inspection remote control 30 shown in Fig. 5 is one example, and any device capable of transmitting inspection instructions and self-inspection instructions can be used as the inspection remote control. Also, the inspection instruction unit 16 may be configured so that an inspection instruction or self-inspection instruction can be issued by a user's operation. As the inspection instruction unit 16, some of the functions of the inspection switch 17, the self-inspection switch 18, and the receiving unit 19 may be used.

[0022] 6 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the emergency exit light 100 according to the first embodiment. The lighting unit 24 has a control unit 24a and a storage unit 24b. The control unit 24a lights up the lamp 12 with power from the battery 28 in an emergency, during inspection, or during self-inspection. The storage unit 24b stores the inspection result of the battery 28. The inspection result is, for example, the result of the self-inspection described above. The control unit 24a has a self-inspection function that lights up the lamp 12 for a specified time with power from the battery 28. The control unit 24a stores the result of the self-inspection by the self-inspection function in the storage unit 24b as an inspection result.

[0023] When the control unit 24a receives an inspection instruction from the inspection instruction unit 16, it reads out the inspection results stored in the memory unit 24b. This inspection instruction is, for example, an inspection instruction issued by operating the inspection switch 17 or receiving an inspection instruction from the receiving unit 19. The control unit 24a is configured to turn on the lamp 12 in an emergency using power from the battery 28 when the inspection result stored in the memory unit 24b indicates that the battery 28 is normal. The control unit 24a is also configured to turn off the lamp 12 when the inspection result stored in the memory unit 24b indicates that the battery 28 has reached the end of its life.

[0024] The control unit 24a can be realized by at least one arithmetic device such as a processor. The storage unit 24b can be realized by at least one memory such as a non-volatile memory. The storage unit 24b may store a program executed by the control unit 24a. The function of the lighting unit 24 may be realized by at least one arithmetic device such as a microcomputer. The storage unit 24b may be provided outside the lighting unit 24 or the emergency light 100.

[0025] Fig. 7 is a block diagram showing a configuration of an emergency exit light 100 according to a modification of Embodiment 1. As shown in Fig. 7, the inspection result may be stored in a storage unit 28a of a battery 28, for example.

[0026] 8 is a flowchart showing the operation of the emergency exit light 100 according to the first embodiment. When commercial power is supplied (step 1), the lighting unit 24 turns on the lamp 12 (step 2). Furthermore, the lighting unit 24 starts charging the battery 28 (step 3). Note that if the disaster prevention lighting device is an emergency light, the normal lighting in step 2 does not need to be performed.

[0027] When the battery 28 is normally connected to the lighting unit 24 and charging of the battery 28 starts (Yes in step 4), the lighting unit 24 turns on the charging monitor lamp 22b (step 5). On the other hand, when the lighting unit 24 cannot charge the battery 28 due to a poor connection of the battery 28 or the like (No in step 4), the lighting unit 24 turns off the charging monitor lamp 22b (step 6).

[0028] Next, the lighting unit 24 determines whether the self-inspection switch 18 has been operated (step 11). At this time, the lighting unit 24 may determine whether the receiving unit 19 has received a self-inspection instruction. When the self-inspection switch 18 has been operated or when a self-inspection instruction has been received (Yes in step 11), the lighting unit 24 starts a self-inspection operation (step 12). The operation flow of the self-inspection will be described later.

[0029] When the self-inspection switch 18 has not been operated (No in step 11), the lighting unit 24 determines whether the inspection switch 17 has been operated (step 21). The lighting unit 24 may also determine whether the receiver 19 has received an inspection instruction. When the inspection switch 17 has been operated or an inspection instruction has been received (Yes in step 21), the lighting unit 24 starts an inspection operation (step 22). The inspection operation flow will be described later.

[0030] If the inspection switch 17 has not been operated (No in step 21), the lighting unit 24 returns to the lighting start step (step 2) and keeps the lamp 12 lit.

[0031] Next, the operation flow of the self-inspection will be described. When the self-inspection switch 18 is operated (Yes in step 11), the lighting unit 24 starts the self-inspection operation (step 12) and transitions to a pseudo-power failure state (step 13). A converter that converts AC voltage from the commercial power supply into DC voltage is built into the lighting unit 24. In the pseudo-power failure state, the control unit 24a, for example, stops the operation of the converter so that power is not supplied from the commercial power supply to the lighting circuit that lights the lamp 12. In this way, the lighting unit 24 virtually cuts off the power supply from the commercial power supply and lights the lamp 12 with power from the battery 28.

[0032] When lighting lamp 12 with power from battery 28 during self-inspection, lighting unit 24 determines whether the battery voltage of battery 28 is equal to or higher than a reference value (step 14). If the battery voltage is equal to or higher than the reference voltage, lighting unit 24 determines whether a specified time has elapsed since starting self-inspection (step 15). The specified time is, for example, 20 minutes or 60 minutes. If the specified time has not elapsed, lighting unit 24 continues to monitor the battery voltage. Lighting unit 24 continues to monitor the battery voltage until the battery voltage falls below the reference value or the specified time has elapsed.

[0033] If the specified time has elapsed, the control unit 24a determines that the battery 28 is normal and stores "normal" in the memory unit 24b as the inspection result (step 16). If the battery voltage falls below the reference value before the specified time has elapsed, the control unit 24a determines that the battery 28 has reached the end of its life and stores "end of its life" in the memory unit 24b as the inspection result (step 17).

[0034] Thereafter, the control unit 24a causes the notification unit 22 to display the result of the self-inspection (step 18).

[0035] Next, the inspection operation flow will be described. The inspection operation described in this operation flow is an operation check to see if it is possible to switch from normal lighting to emergency lighting, and is also called a switching inspection. When the inspection switch 17 is operated (Yes in step 21), the lighting unit 24 starts the inspection operation (step 22) and transitions to a pseudo power outage state (step 23). At this time, the control unit 24a reads out the inspection result of "normal" or "life" stored in the memory unit 24b (step 24).

[0036] When the read inspection result is "normal" (No in step 25), the control unit 24a turns on the lamp 12 in an emergency (step 28). This changes the light emission state of the display unit 14, allowing the user to recognize that the emergency light 100 is switching from normal lighting to emergency lighting. In the emergency light 100, for example, the lamp 12 emits light more dimly during emergency lighting than during normal lighting. The dimly lit emergency lighting state continues for the period during which the inspection switch 17 is operated, that is, the period during which the button is pressed and the switch is turned on (step 29).

[0037] Next, when the read inspection result is "end of life" (Yes in step 25), the control unit 24a turns off the lamp 12 (step 26) and stops the display unit 14 from emitting light. The display unit 14 does not emit light, so the user can recognize that the normal lighting will not switch to emergency lighting. Therefore, the user can recognize that the battery 28 has reached the end of its life, that is, that the battery needs to be replaced. The off state of the lamp 12 continues for the period during which the inspection switch 17 is operated, that is, while the button is pressed and the switch is on (step 27).

[0038] Here, a comparison is made between a conventional emergency light and the emergency light 100 of the present embodiment. In general, the battery of an emergency light can light the lamp for a short time even if it is in a state where it cannot light the lamp for a specified time. Therefore, even if the battery has reached the end of its life, the lamp switches to emergency lighting and the display unit lights up when the inspection switch is operated. This makes it difficult for users to notice that the battery has reached the end of its life. Some conventional emergency lights notify users of the end of their battery life by turning off or blinking the charging monitor lamp. However, there is a possibility that users will not be able to understand at a glance what kind of error the lighting state of the charging monitor lamp indicates.

[0039] In addition, in the past, when a malfunction of an emergency light is left unattended for a long time, there is a method of lighting the lamp at an intermediate light emission intensity between normal use and emergency use to make people around recognize that a malfunction has occurred. In this case, if the user does not know the brightness of normal use and emergency use, there is a problem that he or she cannot tell whether the battery has reached the end of its life or whether the lamp has reached the end of its life and its luminous flux has deteriorated. Furthermore, emergency lights are generally turned on during normal use to inform the user of emergency exits and evacuation routes and to allow the user to learn about them. There is a problem that if the brightness of normal use is reduced to inform the user of a malfunction, the learning effect is reduced.

[0040] In contrast, in the emergency light 100 of the present embodiment, when the battery 28 is determined to be at the end of its life through self-inspection, the lamp 12 is turned off without switching to emergency lighting even when the inspection switch 17 is operated. Therefore, since the display unit 14 does not emit light when the battery 28 is at the end of its life, the user can immediately notice that the battery 28 has reached the end of its life. In particular, when the user operates the inspection switch 17 or sends an inspection instruction from the remote control, it is considered that the user expects the lamp 12 to be turned on in an emergency state in response to the inspection instruction. Since the lamp 12 is turned off in this state, the user can be made effectively aware of the end of the battery 28's life.

[0041] In the present embodiment, a case has been described in which a self-inspection is performed and the inspection result of the self-inspection is stored in the memory unit 24b. The inspection result stored in the memory unit 24b may be another inspection result. For example, the inspection result may be the result of an automatic inspection. An automatic inspection is an inspection that is performed automatically based on a preset schedule, for example, by providing the emergency exit light 100 with a function for measuring time. The function for measuring time is also called a calendar function, a clock function, or a timer function. In an automatic inspection, the control unit 24a lights the lamp 12 for a specified time using power from the battery 28, for example.

[0042] The emergency exit light 100 may be connected to an external management facility via a wired communication line or wirelessly, and an automatic inspection may be performed based on an inspection signal from the management facility. The automatic inspection by the management facility may be performed by transmitting an inspection signal to the emergency exit light 100 based on schedule information preset in the management facility. The automatic inspection by the management facility may be a so-called remote-controlled inspection, or the manager may manually transmit an inspection signal to the emergency exit light 100 to perform the inspection.

[0043] 9 is a perspective view of an emergency light according to a modification 200 of the first embodiment. In this embodiment, the case where the disaster prevention lighting device is the emergency light 100 has been described, but the disaster prevention lighting device may be an emergency light 200. The emergency light 200 includes a main body 210, a lamp 212, an inspection instruction unit 16, and a notification unit 22 such as a charging monitor lamp 22b. The main body 210 includes a lighting unit 24, an inspection instruction unit 16, and a battery 28. The lamp 212, a button for the inspection instruction unit 16, and a charging monitor lamp 22b are provided on the underside of the main body 210.

[0044] In addition to the difference in the device structure, emergency lights and emergency lights also have different methods of controlling the lighting of the lamp. The dual-purpose emergency light 200 controls the lighting, dimming, and extinguishing of the lamp 212 so that it functions as general lighting when commercial power is being supplied, and turns on the lamp 212 in an emergency in the event of a disaster such as a power outage when commercial power is not being supplied. The dedicated emergency light 200 turns off the lamp 212 when commercial power is being supplied, and turns on the lamp 212 in an emergency in the event of a disaster such as a power outage when commercial power is not being supplied.

[0045] Thus, there are structural differences between emergency lights and emergency lights, as well as differences in the lighting method during normal use. However, the lighting method during an emergency and the method for checking the battery 28 are basically the same. Therefore, the check method for the emergency light 100 and the control described in FIG. 8 can also be applied to the emergency light 200.

[0046] In the case of the dedicated emergency light 200, when the battery 28 is judged to be at the end of its life, if an inspection instruction is received, the operation is changed from the off state to the off state. For this reason, the user may not be able to determine whether the battery 28 is at the end of its life or the off state is due to an operation of a remote control or the like. In such a case, in order to clearly indicate that the battery 28 is at the end of its life, the lamp 212 may be turned on once and immediately turned off. The lamp 212 may also be blinked multiple times, such as twice. In this way, it is also effective to cause the lamp 212 to perform an operation different from the normal operation. In this way, the control unit 24a may be configured to cause the lamp 12 to perform a specific operation, including turning off, when the inspection result stored in the memory unit 24b indicates that the battery 28 is at the end of its life, when the control unit 24a receives an inspection instruction.

[0047] The above-mentioned modifications can be appropriately applied to the disaster prevention lighting devices according to the following embodiments. Note that the disaster prevention lighting devices according to the following embodiments have many points in common with the first embodiment, so the following description will focus on the differences from the first embodiment.

[0048] Embodiment 2 10 is a flowchart showing the operation of the emergency light 100 according to embodiment 2. In this embodiment, part of the operational flow of the emergency light 100 is different from embodiment 1. Steps 1 to 3 and step 4 after "Yes" are the same as in embodiment 1.

[0049] If the lighting unit 24 determines in step 4 that charging is not in progress (No in step 4), it turns off the charging monitor lamp 22b (step 6) and determines whether the battery 28 has been removed (step 31). If the lighting unit 24 determines that the battery 28 has been removed (Yes in step 31), it is highly likely that the user has removed the battery 28 to replace it. Therefore, the control unit 24a of the lighting unit 24 resets the data in the memory unit 24b (step 32). In this way, the "lifespan" information stored in the memory unit 24b can be erased.

[0050] In the operation flow of the first embodiment, the inspection result stored in the memory unit 24b cannot be changed unless a self-inspection is performed. In other words, once the battery 28 is determined to have reached the end of its life and the "end of its life" is recorded in the memory unit 24b, the "end of its life" information remains in the memory unit 24b until a self-inspection is performed, even if the battery 28 is replaced.

[0051] In contrast, in this embodiment, the control unit 24a erases the information on the inspection result stored in the storage unit 24b when it detects that the battery 28 has been removed from the emergency light 100. This makes it possible to delete the inspection result of the battery 28 before replacement when the battery 28 is replaced.

[0052] Regarding the method of judging whether the battery 28 has been removed, for example, when the battery 28 is removed from the lighting unit 24, the charging current to the battery 28 is stopped and the voltage output from the charging circuit increases. By detecting that this voltage is higher than the reference voltage, it can be judged that the battery 28 has been removed.

[0053] 11 is a flowchart showing the operation of the escape light 100 according to a modification of the second embodiment. In the modification, the operation after determining that the battery 28 has been removed (step 31) differs from that of the second embodiment. For example, it is assumed that the control unit 24a detects that the battery 28 has been removed from the escape light 100 after determining that the battery 28 has reached the end of its life (Yes in step 31). At this time, the control unit 24a stores information indicating that the battery 28 has been removed in the memory unit 24b (step 36).

[0054] Next, the control unit 24a determines whether or not the battery 28 is attached after the battery 28 is removed (step 37). If the battery 28 is charged (step 4) while the information "battery removed" is stored in the memory unit 24b, this indicates that the battery 28 was attached after being removed. This makes it possible to make the determination in step 37.

[0055] When the control unit 24a determines that the battery 28 has been attached after the battery 28 has been removed (Yes in step 37), it determines whether the battery 28 is fully charged or charged to a specified level or more (step 38). When the control unit 24a determines that the battery 28 is fully charged or charged to a specified level or more (Yes in step 38), it clears the "battery removed" data in the memory unit 24b (step 39) and proceeds to self-inspection (step 12).

[0056] As described above, in this modification, when the control unit 24a detects that the battery 28 has been removed, the control unit 24a stores information that "battery has been removed" in the memory unit 24b. When the battery 28 attached to the emergency light 100 is charged while the information that "battery has been removed" is stored in the memory unit 24b, the control unit 24a erases the information that "battery has been removed" and performs a self-inspection of the battery 28 attached to the emergency light 100.

[0057] 10, when the inspection result of the storage unit 24b is erased when the battery 28 is removed, there is a risk that the battery 28 may be erroneously detected as having been replaced normally even if a battery 28 that has reached the end of its useful life is mistakenly attached again after the battery 28 has been removed. In contrast, in this modified example, when it is detected that the battery 28 has been attached after the battery 28 has been removed, a self-inspection is performed to confirm whether the lamp 12 can be turned on for a specified time. This makes it possible to reliably confirm that the battery 28 has been replaced with a normal battery 28. In other words, by performing a self-inspection after the battery 28 is reattached, it is possible to notify the user that a battery 28 that has reached the end of its useful life has been attached even if a battery 28 that has reached the end of its useful life is reconnected by mistake.

[0058] The self-inspection (step 12) to check whether the battery 28 has been replaced after step 39 may be performed immediately after the battery 28 is fully charged, or may be performed during a time period when no one is present, such as at night. By performing a scheduled inspection during a time period when no one is present in the building in which the emergency exit light 100 is installed, it is possible to prevent problems such as insufficient remaining charge in the battery 28 making it impossible to provide sufficient evacuation guidance when a power outage occurs due to a disaster or the like during a self-inspection.

[0059] Embodiment 3 12 is a flowchart showing the operation of the emergency light 100 according to embodiment 3. In this embodiment, a part of the operational flow of the emergency light 100 is different from embodiment 1. Steps 1 to 6, steps 11 to 18, steps 21 to 24, and steps after "Yes" in step 25, as well as steps 28 and 29 are the same as those in embodiment 1.

[0060] The control unit 24a determines whether or not an equipment malfunction occurs during normal lighting (step 41), and if it determines that an equipment malfunction has occurred (Yes in step 41), it stores malfunction information in the memory unit 24b (step 42).

[0061] When the inspection switch 17 is operated (step 21) and the battery 28 has not reached the end of its life (No in step 25), the control unit 24a reads out the failure information from the memory unit 24b and determines whether or not a part has failed (step 43). If a part has failed and failure information is stored in the memory unit 24b (Yes in step 43), the control unit 24a blinks the lamp 12, thereby blinking the display unit 14 (step 44). The blinking of the lamp 12 continues for the period during which the inspection switch 17 is operated, that is, the period during which the button is pressed and the switch is on (step 45).

[0062] In the operation flow of the first embodiment, when the inspection switch 17 is operated while the memory unit 24b has information on "life", the lamp 12 is turned off to notify the user of the end of the battery 28 life. However, some users may determine that the lamp 12 being turned off is a malfunction of the device. In contrast, in the present embodiment, the memory unit 24b stores malfunction information when a malfunction of the emergency light 100 is detected. When the control unit 24a receives an instruction to inspect, it turns on the lamp 12 in a lighting state different from the off state and emergency lighting state, such as blinking, if malfunction information is stored in the memory unit 24b. In this way, by using a different notification method in the event of a malfunction than when the battery 28 has reached the end of its life, the user can be notified of a malfunction of the device.

[0063] Embodiment 4 13 is a flowchart showing the operation of the emergency light 100 according to embodiment 4. In this embodiment, a part of the operation flow of the emergency light 100 is different from embodiment 1. Steps 1 to 12, steps 13 to 15, and steps 21 to 29 are the same as in embodiment 1.

[0064] When the self-inspection switch 18 is operated to start the inspection operation (step 12), the control unit 24a reads out the past inspection results stored in the memory unit 24b and the current date and time information (steps 51, 52). The current date and time information is, for example, calendar information if the emergency exit light 100 has a calendar function, or time information including the date if the emergency exit light 100 has a clock function. If the emergency exit light 100 has a timer function, the current date and time information can be obtained from the cumulative operating time of the emergency exit light 100 or the time elapsed since the previous inspection was performed.

[0065] Next, the control unit 24a compares the inspection implementation date and time included in the read inspection result with the current date and time information, and determines whether a predetermined time, such as one week, has passed (step 53).

[0066] If the predetermined time has elapsed (No in step 53), the control unit 24a transitions to a pseudo power outage state (step 13) and continues the self-inspection operation. When the self-inspection is performed and the inspection result is stored in the memory unit 24b, the inspection date and time when the inspection was performed is stored in addition to the inspection result of "normal" or "life" (steps 54, 55).

[0067] If the specified time has not elapsed (Yes in step 53), the control unit 24a displays the inspection result using the display pattern of the notification unit 22 based on the inspection result of “normal” or “life” stored in the memory unit 24b (step 56).

[0068] In this manner, in this embodiment, when the control unit 24a receives an instruction to perform a self-inspection, if a predetermined time has passed since the inspection execution time of the inspection result stored in the storage unit 24b, the control unit 24a performs the self-inspection. If it is within the predetermined time from the inspection execution time, the control unit 24a reports the inspection result stored in the storage unit 24b without performing the self-inspection.

[0069] As a result, if a self-inspection has been performed recently, the user can check the inspection result in a short time before the specified time has elapsed, with little effect on the actual battery life determination result. Furthermore, while the self-inspection can accurately check whether the battery 28 is functioning sufficiently by discharging the battery 28 for a specified time, there is a risk that the life of the battery 28 will be shortened by increasing the number of charging and discharging. However, by notifying the user of the inspection result based on the most recent inspection result, the number of excessive charging and discharging can be suppressed. Therefore, the life of the battery 28 can be extended.

[0070] Furthermore, in this embodiment, a self-inspection is performed in advance, and the user can immediately check whether the battery life of the emergency light 100 has expired by operating the self-inspection switch 18 or the inspection switch 17. This allows the battery 28 to be replaced efficiently. Without this function, the user would need to remember in advance which emergency light's battery to replace. This embodiment makes it possible to prevent a problem such as accidentally replacing the battery 28 of an emergency light 100 whose battery life has expired, that is, whose battery 28 is normal.

[0071] Embodiment 5. 14 is a block diagram showing a configuration of an emergency light 300 according to the fifth embodiment. The emergency light 300 of the present embodiment has a function of communicating with the outside. For example, the lighting unit 24 of the emergency light 300 has a communication unit 24c that communicates with an external device. The communication unit 24c transmits information such as the inspection result stored in the storage unit 24b to the external device.

[0072] The lighting unit 24 notifies the user of the details of the equipment failure, the number of times the failure was detected, the cumulative operating time, the time when the failure occurred, the results of the inspection of the battery 28, the number of inspections, etc., and stores this log information. The communication unit 24c uploads the log information stored in the storage unit 24b to a building management system, a cloud server, etc. This makes it easier for building managers, maintenance companies, etc. to manage equipment information, and allows them to provide appropriate maintenance services, etc.

[0073] The technical features described in each embodiment may be used in appropriate combination.

[0074] Various aspects of the present disclosure are summarized below as appendices. (Appendix 1) Lamps and a control unit that turns on the lamp using power from a battery during an emergency or during inspection; A storage unit that stores the inspection result of the battery; Equipped with When the control unit receives an instruction to inspect, When the inspection result stored in the memory unit indicates that the battery is normal, the lamp is turned on in an emergency by power from the battery; A disaster prevention lighting device characterized in that it is configured to cause the lamp to perform a specific operation, including turning off, if the inspection result stored in the memory unit indicates that the battery has reached the end of its life. (Appendix 2) Equipped with an inspection switch, When the inspection switch is operated, the control unit When the inspection result stored in the memory unit indicates that the battery is normal, the lamp is turned on in an emergency by power from the battery; The disaster prevention lighting device described in Appendix 1 is configured to perform a specific operation, including turning off the lamp, if the inspection result stored in the memory unit indicates that the battery has reached the end of its life. (Appendix 3) The control unit is a self-check function for lighting the lamp for a specified period of time using power from the battery; 3. The disaster prevention lighting device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the result of the self-inspection is stored in the memory unit as the inspection result. (Appendix 4) The disaster prevention lighting device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the control unit erases the inspection result information stored in the memory unit when it detects that the battery has been removed from the disaster prevention lighting device. (Appendix 5) The control unit is When detecting that the battery has been removed from the disaster prevention lighting device, storing information indicating that the battery has been removed in the storage unit; The disaster prevention lighting device according to any one of appendices 1 to 4, characterized in that when the battery attached to the disaster prevention lighting device is charged while the information that the battery has been removed is stored in the memory unit, the information that the battery has been removed is erased and a self-inspection of the battery attached to the disaster prevention lighting device is performed. (Appendix 6) The storage unit stores failure information when a failure of the disaster prevention lighting device is detected, The disaster prevention lighting device according to any one of appendices 1 to 5, characterized in that, when the control unit receives the inspection instruction, if the fault information is stored in the memory unit, the control unit turns on the lamp in a lighting state different from the lighting-off state and the emergency lighting state. (Appendix 7) When the control unit receives an instruction to perform a self-inspection, If a predetermined time has elapsed since the inspection result stored in the memory unit was inspected, the self-inspection is performed; The disaster prevention lighting device according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that if it is within the predetermined time from the inspection time, the self-inspection is not performed and the inspection result stored in the memory unit is notified. (Appendix 8) A communication unit is provided for communicating with an external device. The disaster prevention lighting device according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the communication unit transmits the inspection results stored in the memory unit to the external device. [Explanation of symbols]

[0075] 10 main body case, 12 lamp, 14 display unit, 16 inspection instruction unit, 17 inspection switch, 18 self-inspection switch, 19 receiver unit, 22 alarm unit, 22a inspection monitor lamp, 22b charging monitor lamp, 22c lamp monitor lamp, 24 lighting unit, 24a control unit, 24b memory unit, 24c communication unit, 28 battery, 28a memory unit, 30 inspection remote control, 31 inspection switch, 32 self-inspection switch, 100 emergency light, 200 emergency light, 210 main body, 212 lamp, 300 emergency light

Claims

1. A lamp and a control unit that turns on the lamp using power from a battery during an emergency or during inspection; A storage unit that stores the inspection result of the battery; Equipped with When the control unit receives an instruction to inspect, When the inspection result stored in the memory unit indicates that the battery is normal, the lamp is turned on in an emergency by power from the battery; A disaster prevention lighting device characterized in that it is configured to cause the lamp to perform a specific operation, including turning off, if the inspection result stored in the memory unit indicates that the battery has reached the end of its life.

2. Equipped with an inspection switch, When the inspection switch is operated, the control unit When the inspection result stored in the memory unit indicates that the battery is normal, the lamp is turned on in an emergency by power from the battery; The disaster prevention lighting device according to claim 1, characterized in that it is configured to cause the lamp to perform the specific operation including turning off the lamp when the inspection result stored in the memory unit indicates that the battery has reached the end of its life.

3. The control unit is a self-check function for lighting the lamp for a specified period of time using power from the battery; 3. The disaster prevention lighting device according to claim 1, wherein a result of the self-inspection is stored in the memory unit as the inspection result.

4. 3. The disaster prevention lighting device according to claim 1, wherein the control unit erases the inspection result information stored in the memory unit when it detects that the battery has been removed from the disaster prevention lighting device.

5. The control unit is When detecting that the battery has been removed from the disaster prevention lighting device, storing information indicating that the battery has been removed in the storage unit; 3. The disaster prevention lighting device according to claim 1, wherein when the battery attached to the disaster prevention lighting device is charged while the information that the battery has been removed is stored in the memory unit, the information that the battery has been removed is erased and a self-inspection of the battery attached to the disaster prevention lighting device is performed.

6. The storage unit stores failure information when a failure of the disaster prevention lighting device is detected, 3. The disaster prevention lighting device according to claim 1, wherein, when the control unit receives the inspection instruction, if the fault information is stored in the memory unit, the control unit turns on the lamp in a lighting state different from the off state and the emergency lighting state.

7. When the control unit receives an instruction to perform a self-inspection, If a predetermined time has elapsed since the inspection result stored in the memory unit was inspected, the self-inspection is performed; The disaster prevention lighting device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that if it is within the predetermined time from the inspection time, the self-inspection is not performed and the inspection result stored in the memory unit is notified.

8. A communication unit is provided for communicating with an external device.

3. The disaster prevention lighting device according to claim 1, wherein the communication unit transmits the inspection result stored in the memory unit to the external device.

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