Drawing device for pavement surface

Abstract

To provide a "drawing device for pavement surface" that can improve safety by using road surface signs such as letters and arrows to draw attention of general vehicles during travel, for example, when traffic restrictions are implemented on roads currently in use by setting up a restriction belt for construction, work or the like.SOLUTION: A drawing device 10 for a pavement surface for drawing various signs on a pavement surface while traveling is configured such that there is a tank 14 for storing drawing liquid, a pump 16 to which the tank 14 is connected and which pressure-feeds the drawing liquid is provided, and multiple ejecting means 17, 17... are connected to the pump 16 so as to draw various signs on the pavement surface. The drawing device includes: displacement data detection means for measuring data on a speed or a travel distance of a vehicle 12 at the time of drawing; drawing information generation means for storing or setting drawing data; and control means to which measurement data of the displacement data detection means and the drawing data of the drawing information generation means are inputted, and which determines timing of ejecting the drawing liquid and selects any one from the ejecting means 17, 17... to eject the drawing liquid on the basis of the inputted data.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] When painting road dividing lines on the pavement surface of a road or painting road markings on the pavement surface, for example, on a road in use, it is necessary to alert drivers of vehicles traveling in front of the construction site. The present invention relates to a pavement surface drawing device used to draw road markings for alerting drivers in front of a construction site. The present invention also relates to a drawing device used for drawing various kinds of markings on asphalt pavement or concrete pavement at events and the like. [Background technology]

[0002] On the surface of paved roads on which automobiles travel, various road markings are painted, such as road dividing lines, side lines, center lines, etc., which distinguish between driving lanes and passing lanes. These road markings, such as road dividing lines, serve as guides for automobiles and other vehicles when traveling, and are essential for ensuring smooth road traffic.

[0003] Usually, painting of such road markings is carried out by completely closing the road to traffic, or on roads with multiple lanes such as two lanes, lane restrictions are imposed to keep one lane open to traffic while the other lane is placed in a restricted zone, and construction and painting of road markings are carried out in this restricted zone. When construction work is carried out on such roads while they are in use, it is necessary to reliably inform drivers that lane restrictions are in place just before the construction site, which is a restricted zone.

[0004] Generally, a signboard indicating that painting work is underway is placed just before the restricted zone to alert drivers and encourage them to slow down or change lanes to the other side, or traffic guides are deployed to notify drivers of the need to change lanes to the other side. The signs that are installed include those with warning graphics and letters, but in recent years, digital signage that uses LCD screens and other labor-saving and highly visible signs have also been used.

[0005] Conventionally, a "construction information notification system" described in JP 2013-50840 A (Patent Document 1) has been known as an invention for notifying automobile drivers of construction information during such construction restrictions. The invention described in the publication involves installing vehicle detection sensors at a first location just before the construction-restricted section and at a second location a specified distance away in the opposite direction from the first location, and determining whether or not there is a traffic jam based on the detection information from the sensors.Based on the results of this determination, the invention selects appropriately from a number of installed electronic signs to announce information about current construction work, etc. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0006] [Patent Document 1] JP 2013-50840 A DISCLOSURE OF THEINVENTION [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0007] However, the above-mentioned various methods of calling attention using signs require the sign to be installed in front of the construction site, which requires a lot of work. In particular, in cases such as painting road markings, where painting vehicles move on the road and construction restriction zones move continuously, the sign must be moved and installed at short intervals, which requires manpower and work. Furthermore, the act of warning people by guides or security guards similarly requires the deployment of personnel, which is not desirable from the standpoint of safety and reducing labor costs. Furthermore, the "construction information notification system" described in Patent Document 1 has issues such as a complex structure and the need to secure a power source, and it requires moving and installing signs, making it unsuitable for construction work in which the restriction zone moves continuously, such as painting work on road dividing lines.

[0008] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above-mentioned circumstances, and has an object to provide a "pavement drawing device" that can improve safety when implementing traffic restrictions for construction or other work, particularly on roads in operation, by accurately drawing the attention of general traveling vehicles with road markings such as letters and arrows until the traffic restriction zone is completed. Another object of the present invention is to provide a drawing device that can easily and quickly draw various kinds of markings on a paved surface such as asphalt during an event or the like. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] The invention described in claim 1 is a pavement marking device that is mounted on a vehicle and draws various markings on a pavement surface while traveling, The system comprises a tank for storing the drawing liquid, which is a liquid used for drawing, a pump connected to the tank of the drawing liquid and for pressure-feeding the drawing liquid, a plurality of jetting means connected to the discharge port of the pump and for drawing various markings by discharging the drawing liquid onto the pavement surface, a displacement data detection means for measuring data on the speed or distance traveled of a vehicle traveling at the time of drawing, a drawing information generation means for storing or setting drawing data for the various markings to be drawn, and a control means for inputting the data on the speed or distance traveled measured by the displacement data detection means and the drawing data of the drawing information generation means, and for determining the timing of jetting of the drawing liquid by the plurality of jetting means based on the input data and for selecting which of the plurality of jetting means to jet the drawing liquid from.

[0010] The invention as recited in claim 2 is characterized in that in the above-mentioned first aspect, the injection means are arranged in a row array that is perpendicular to the traveling direction of the vehicle.

[0011] The invention as set forth in claim 3 is characterized in that in the above-mentioned first or second aspect, the injection means are arranged in a row array that is in a direction along the traveling direction of the vehicle, in addition to the column array.

[0012] The invention described in claim 4 is characterized in that, in any one of claims 1 to 3 above, the drawing liquid is an evaporative liquid or water, and after drawing on the pavement surface, it evaporates over a predetermined time period, causing the drawn marking to disappear. Effect of the Invention

[0013] According to the present invention, it is possible to easily and quickly draw various kinds of markings on paved surfaces such as the asphalt of roads, parking lots, and plazas during construction, work, events, etc., and by providing accurate advance notice of traffic restrictions and warnings, it contributes to improving safety. In addition, since the various markings drawn are made of a volatile liquid, they will naturally disappear over time, eliminating the need for any erasing work. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0014] [Figure 1] 1 is a side view showing a drawing device according to an embodiment of the present invention attached to a towing vehicle; [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a front view of the imaging device according to one embodiment of the present invention taken along line II-II in FIG. [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a circuit configuration of a control system of a drawing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of drawing the character "left" on a road surface as a drawing pattern using the drawing device of one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 5-1] FIG. 13 is an explanatory diagram showing an example in which a restriction band is set up on one lane of a two-lane road while keeping one lane open to traffic, using the drawing device of one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 5-2] This figure also shows an example of using the drawing device of one embodiment of the present invention to set up a traffic restriction zone in one lane on a two-lane road while keeping the other lane open, and is an explanatory diagram of how the construction restriction zone is reconstructed from the state in Figure 5-1 and road markings are drawn in the construction notice area. [Figure 5-3] This is an explanatory diagram showing an example of using the drawing device of one embodiment of the present invention to set up a traffic restriction zone in one lane on a two-lane road while keeping the other lane open, and showing the state from the state in Figure 5-2 where the road markings drawn in the construction notice area are beginning to disappear. [Figure 6] FIG. 13 is an explanatory diagram showing an arrangement of injectors (nozzles) in a drawing apparatus according to another embodiment of the present invention. BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THEINVENTION

[0015] Hereinafter, the "drawing device for pavement surfaces" according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. FIG. 1 is a side view showing a drawing device according to one embodiment of the present invention attached to a vehicle for towing the device, as viewed from the side, and FIG. 2 is a view taken along line II-II in FIG. 1.

[0016] As shown in these Figures 1 and 2, the drawing device 10 of this embodiment includes a chassis 11, a water supply tank 14, a water supply pump 16, a plurality of injectors (nozzles) 17·· as injection means, a control circuit box 20, etc. The drawing device 10 mounted on a chassis 11 is coupled to the rear of a towing vehicle 12 and is configured to draw various road markings on the road surface by spraying drawing liquid from injectors (nozzles) 17... while being towed by the vehicle 12.

[0017] Each piece of equipment in the drawing device 10 is mounted on a chassis 11, which is made, for example, by assembling aluminum frames or the like into a frame shape, and a pair of wheels 13A, 13B for running are mounted on the lower rear end of the chassis 11 so as to be rotatable along the road surface. A central wheel 13C is installed between the wheels 13A and 13B, and a travel distance detection sensor 15 is disposed on the rotation axis of the central wheel 13C as a vehicle displacement data detection means, so as to detect data on the speed or travel distance of the vehicle 12 traveling on the road surface. The detected speed or travel distance data is output to a control means, which will be described later.

[0018] In this embodiment, a rotary encoder that measures the number of rotations of the axle of the wheel 13C is used as the travel distance detection sensor 15, but it is also possible to use data obtained from a speedometer that is pre-installed in the vehicle 12.

[0019] A water supply tank 14 for storing drawing liquid is installed near the rear of the vehicle 12, and this water supply tank 14 is connected to an inlet of a water supply pump 16 on the chassis 11 by a hose 16A. The water supply pump 16 draws water from the water supply tank 14 through a hose 16A, and pumps it from its discharge port through a hose 16B to a water supply chamber 18. The water supply chamber 18 is That is, in this embodiment, water is used as the drawing liquid.

[0020] In this embodiment, a total of 16 injectors (nozzles) 17, 17..., which serve as the injection means, are used, arranged in 16 rows in a direction perpendicular to the direction of travel of the vehicle 12, and each injector (nozzle) 17, 17... is attached to the lower frame 11A of the chassis 11 at equal intervals (100 mm intervals in this embodiment), so that a mist of water is sprayed vertically to the road surface from the injection holes of each injector 17, 17....

[0021] Each injector (nozzle) 17·· is connected to the water supply chamber 18 described above via each hose 18A, and a constant water pressure (e.g., 0.3 MPa to 0.8 MPa) is generated at the injection hole by the discharge pressure from the water supply pump 16. An ON signal is sent from a relay circuit described later, which opens the valve of the injection hole to discharge water and draw on the road surface with water. The amount of water ejected can be changed by adjusting the discharge pressure from the water supply pump 16 . A control circuit box 20 mounted on the chassis 11 houses therein control system circuits such as control means, relay circuits, etc., of which signal lines 19... that output ON-OFF signals to each of the injectors 17 described above are connected to the relay circuit.

[0022] 3 is a block diagram showing the circuit configuration of a control system in the drawing device 10 of this embodiment. As shown in the figure, the control circuit in the drawing device 10 includes a control means 30, a drawing information generating means 32, a displacement data detecting means 34, etc. The control circuit 30 in this embodiment includes a single-board computer 30A (for example, product name: RaspberryPi) and a one-board microcomputer 30B (for example, product name: Arduino). The driving voltage of the control means 30 is obtained by converting the power supplied from the vehicle battery to DC 5V by the voltage conversion unit 36.

[0023] The drawing information used for drawing on the road surface is a drawing pattern of up to 16 bits (1, 0) per line output from the drawing information generating means 32 to the computer 30A, and the ON-OFF of each injector 17, 17... is controlled by the relay circuit 38 based on this drawing information. The microcomputer 30B that drives the relay circuit 38 enters a state of waiting for reception of an ON-OFF signal (16 bits) to each injector 17 that is transmitted by the computer 30A via SPI communication.

[0024] The drawing patterns, such as "Watch out ahead" or "Construction ahead", are stored in the memory of the drawing information generating means 32 (an external flash memory is also possible), and the driver of the vehicle 12 or the operator of the equipment selects the drawing pattern corresponding to the construction work using an interface (not shown) installed in the seat, etc. In addition to using pre-stored drawing patterns, the operator can also set the most suitable pattern for the work using a touch panel type graphic user interface (GUI).

[0025] Further, the computer 30A of the control means 30 receives the speed of the vehicle 12 from the travel distance detection sensor 15 of the displacement data detection means . In this embodiment, the number of revolutions of the central wheel 13C is counted by a rotary encoder as the travel distance detection sensor 15, and is input as pulses to the one-board microcomputer 30B via the computer 30A. The drawing pattern is drawn sequentially by selecting the injector 17 associated with the detected speed and distance, and causing the relay circuit 38 to eject water from the specified injector 17.

[0026] In this embodiment, the pulses output from the rotary encoder, which is the mileage detection sensor 15, have digital values ​​of 3.3 V and 0 V, and these pulses have the following correlation in terms of frequency: 4.73km / h → 1kHz 9.47km / h → 2kHz 18.94km / h → 4kHz 37.89km / h → 8kHz 75.78km / h →16kHz 151.57km / h →32kHz 303.14km / h →64kHz Theoretically, the above correlation exists; however, the water sprayed from the injector 17 is dispersed by wind pressure before it reaches the road surface and does not form letters, so in reality, the maximum speed at which letters can be drawn is thought to be around 8 kHz in frequency.

[0027] 4 shows an example of a drawing pattern in which the character "LEFT" is drawn on the road surface. The horizontal axis of the drawing indicates the arrangement of the 16 injectors 17, numbered 1, 2, 3, etc. from the left, and the vertical axis indicates the traveling direction of the vehicle 12 with an arrow. As shown in the figure, when drawing the character "left," of the 16 injectors 17, 17... arranged at 100 mm intervals, injection begins from injectors 17 1, 5 to 16 in the character string X1 in the bottom row (the injectors selected first).

[0028] Next, for character string X2, water is sprayed from injectors 17 numbered 2 and 11. In this manner, while traveling, the control means 30 selects an injector 17 associated with the speed, distance and drawing information of the vehicle 12 and sprays water to draw characters with water on the pavement surface. In this manner, the drawing operation is performed sequentially while selecting an injector 17 for each character string. The drawing pattern is a maximum of 16-bit (1,0) pattern per line of text, created using a spreadsheet program or similar.

[0029] Next, an example of the drawing device of this embodiment used in a case where a construction restriction zone moves will be described. Figures 5-1 to 5-3 are diagrams sequentially showing the construction of road markings and a traffic control strip when lane regulation is performed on a two-lane road by the drawing device 10 of this embodiment, a traffic control strip is set up in one lane while keeping the other lane open, and road marking construction and painting work are performed on the traffic control strip.

[0030] As shown in Figure 5-1, of the two lanes, one lane 40A will be open to traffic, and a construction restriction zone 42 will be set up in the other lane 40B, and work to install (paint) dividing lines will be carried out in this other lane 40B.

[0031] In the case of such painting work, the work restriction zone 42 must be set up and removed many times because the work is carried out while ensuring that general vehicles can travel and while moving in the same direction as the vehicles. Therefore, when reconstructing the construction restriction zone 42 shown in Fig. 5-2, it is essential for safety to continuously warn vehicles traveling in one lane 40A. Therefore, in the construction notice section 44, road markings are made with water using the drawing device 10 of this embodiment. Here, the construction notice section 44 is drawn with the message "Construction ahead" from more than 200 m before the construction restriction zone 42 to warn passing vehicles.

[0032] On the other side of the lane 40B, the road markings in the construction notice section 44 drawn with water will evaporate, dry and disappear in approximately 5 minutes, as shown in Figure 5-3, depending on the air temperature and road surface temperature at the time, so there is no need to remove the road markings. Then, construction moves on to the next new restricted area, and similarly, a warning road marking is drawn just before the restricted area.

[0033] In this way, the drawing device 10 of the present embodiment makes it possible to accurately call the attention of general vehicles traveling on a road using road markings such as letters and arrows when constructing a construction restriction zone on an in-service road until the construction restriction zone is completed. As a result, this contributes to improving safety and also makes it possible to save labor by eliminating the need for the labor of erasing the road markings.

[0034] In this embodiment, water is used as the drawing liquid for drawing the road markings, but an evaporative liquid may be used in consideration of the environment. Also, the erasing time of the display can be adjusted by taking into consideration the boiling point of the drawing liquid. Furthermore, in consideration of nighttime construction, water containing fluorescent liquid or colored liquid can be used to accommodate construction work that takes place at night. In other words, by selecting the drawing liquid according to the situation, it can be used for a variety of purposes.

[0035] Fig. 6 is an explanatory diagram showing the arrangement of injectors (nozzles) in a drawing device according to another embodiment of the present invention. In the above-mentioned embodiment of Fig. 1 to Fig. 4, injectors (nozzles) 17 are arranged in 16 columns only in a direction (column arrangement) perpendicular to the traveling direction, but the embodiment of Fig. 6 differs in that in addition to the column arrangement of injectors (nozzles) 1, 2 to n+2, row arrangements a to d in the row direction along the traveling direction are added as a number of rows (4 rows as an example). In this embodiment, the configuration of the control means, etc. is almost the same as the above-mentioned embodiment, so a detailed description thereof will be omitted.

[0036] In the drawing device of the embodiment in Fig. 6, by configuring the row arrays a to d into four rows, it is possible to increase the amount of drawing liquid sprayed and fixed on the paved road surface, and therefore it is possible to perform drawing work by increasing the moving speed of the vehicle 12. The distance Y between the nozzles in the row array is determined taking into consideration various factors, such as the distance at which the drawing liquid sprayed while diffusing in a fan shape from the front and rear injectors (nozzles) does not overlap.

[0037] The operation of the drawing device of FIG. 6 is as follows. First, the injectors 1, 2 to n+2 in the front row first inject drawing liquid onto the pavement surface at the drawing start point, and then the relay circuit 38 is controlled by the control means 30 described above so that each injector in the next b rows injects drawing liquid with a delay time that corresponds to the moving speed of the vehicle 12. Then, after a certain delay time has elapsed, the injectors in rows c and d are fired in sequence, completing the series of drawing operations. In this way, with the drawing device of FIG. 6, the amount of drawing liquid that can be ejected in one drawing operation and the area that can be drawn are increased, and the travel speed of the vehicle 12 can be increased.

[0038] For example, the drawing liquid supplied to the injectors in each row of the row array a to d may be black for the front row a and the next row b and onwards may be the three primary colors RGB, making it possible to draw colored road markings on the pavement surface. In this configuration, it is necessary to connect a separate drawing liquid tank to each of the injectors in each of the rows a to d and to supply colored drawing liquid to the injectors in each of the rows a to d individually. By using colored paint as the drawing liquid, it is possible to create a variety of road markings on packed snow and frozen roads during the winter, which are difficult to distinguish using water. [Industrial Applicability]

[0039] INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY The present invention can be used for marking pavement surfaces associated with construction work, such as road repair work and painting of road dividing lines. In addition to drawing road markings, it can also be used for temporary signboards and signs placed on the paved surfaces of parking lots. [Explanation of symbols]

[0040] 10 Drawing device 11 Chassis 12 Vehicles 13A 13B Wheel 13C central wheel 14 Water supply tank 15. Odometer detection sensor 16 Water supply pump 16A 16B Hose 17,17·· Injector (nozzle) 18 Water supply chamber 18A Hose 19 Signal Line 20 Control circuit box 30 Control Means 30A Single Board Computer 30B One-board microcontroller 32 Drawing information generation means 34 Displacement data detection means 36 Voltage conversion section 38 Relay Circuit 40A One-way lane 40B Other side lane 42 Construction Restrictions 44 Construction Notice Area Injectors (nozzles) arranged in 1,2~n+2 rows Injectors (nozzles) arranged in rows a to d

Claims

1. A pavement marking device that is mounted on a vehicle and draws various markings on a pavement surface while traveling, A tank for storing a drawing liquid, which is a liquid for drawing; a pump connected to a tank of the drawing liquid and for pumping the drawing liquid; a plurality of spray means connected to the discharge port of the pump for spraying the drawing liquid onto the pavement surface to draw various markings; a displacement data detection means for measuring data on the speed or distance traveled of a vehicle traveling at the time of drawing; A drawing information generating means for storing or setting drawing data of various marks to be drawn; and a control means for inputting data of the speed or distance traveled measured by the displacement data detection means and drawing data of the drawing information generation means, and for determining the timing of ejection of drawing liquid by the multiple ejection means based on the input data, and for selecting which of the multiple ejection means will eject the drawing liquid.

2. 2. A pavement marking device according to claim 1, wherein said spray means are arranged in a row aligned in a direction perpendicular to the direction of travel of the vehicle.

3. 3. A drawing device for a pavement surface according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the ejection means are arranged in a row array along a direction in which a vehicle travels, in addition to the column array.

4. The drawing device for pavement surfaces described in any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the drawing liquid is an evaporative liquid or water, and after drawing on the pavement surface, it evaporates over a predetermined period of time, causing the drawn marking to disappear.

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