Traffic signal controller extension box

Abstract

To provide a traffic signal controller extension box integrated with a housing of a traffic signal controller, by utilizing a pole mounting hole pre-provided in the traffic signal controller.SOLUTION: A traffic signal controller extension box 10 comprises: a laterally long rectangular main box part 11 attachable to an existing traffic signal controller S by post-installation, and a fixing plate part 12 hanging only from a place near one side face part 11c of the main box part 11. A column body attachment hole S13 of the traffic signal controller S and a through-hole 12a of the fixing plate part 12 are fixed by a bolt after placing a bottom face 11b of the main box part 11 on a top face part S11 of the traffic signal controller S. The traffic signal controller extension box 10 that can store storage equipment inside the main box part 11 via an opening / closing door 11d allows the storage equipment to be taken out by unlocking a locking part 11i of the opening / closing door 11d when using the storage equipment.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an expansion box for a traffic signal controller that can be attached to a traffic signal controller that controls the lighting of traffic signal lamps installed at intersections. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a traffic light controller that can open and close a door via a hinge. The traffic light controller shown in Figure 12 of Patent Document 1 is installed on either the right or left side of a pillar near an intersection by removing the bolts.

[0003] To install the signal controller, the blocking bolts are removed from the mounting holes for the pillar on the side where it will be installed, and then fixing devices are attached to these mounting holes for the pillar, and the signal controller is fixed to the pillar via the fixing devices.

[0004] When various additional units are to be added to this existing signal controller, it may become necessary to attach an expansion box to the signal controller in which to install the additional units.

[0005] In such cases, it is preferable to have the expansion box be structured to be integrated with the existing signal control device for reasons such as space saving and reducing corrosion caused by rain and wind. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0006] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2022-26187 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0007] However, as mentioned above, when installing an integrated expansion box as an after-market accessory to an existing signal controller, if welding is performed on the existing signal controller or drilling is performed on the side wall panels, the work procedures will differ depending on whether the signal controller is installed on the left or right side of the pillar, and it will be difficult to process the signal controller at the installation site.

[0008] It is also possible to attach the expansion box to the pillar directly above the signal controller in the same way as the signal controller, but this expansion box also needs to have pillar mounting holes and blocking bolts on the left and right sides, which makes it difficult to attach to the pillar.

[0009] The object of the present invention is to solve the above-mentioned problems and to provide an expansion box for a traffic signal controller that is integrated with the housing of the traffic signal controller by utilizing the mounting holes for mounting on a column that are pre-installed in the traffic signal controller. [Means for solving the problem]

[0010] In order to achieve the above object, the expansion box for a traffic signal controller according to the present invention is a traffic signal controller expansion box that can be placed on the top surface of an existing traffic signal controller and attached as an integrated unit afterwards, and is composed of a main box part having a horizontally long rectangular parallelepiped shape and a bottom surface part that covers the entire top surface when placed on the top surface, and a rectangular fixing plate part that hangs down only from a position close to one side surface part of the main box part along the short side of the bottom surface and is parallel to the side surface, and a pair of side surfaces along the longitudinal direction of the bottom surface of the main box part have: The device is characterized in that it has two doors that open and close via hinges located on the right side when viewed from the front and back, and the surfaces of the pair of doors have lock mounting holes to which locking units can be attached, with the locking unit attached to one door to enable it to be opened and closed, and a blocking unit that blocks the lock mounting hole attached to the other door to prevent it from being opened or closed, and the fixing plate portion extending downward has a through hole that can communicate with the lock mounting holes for mounting on a pillar provided on the left and right sides of the traffic signal controller. [Effects of the Invention]

[0011] According to the expansion box for a traffic signal controller of the present invention, even if the traffic signal controller is attached to the left or right side of the pillar, the expansion box for the traffic signal controller can be easily attached and fixed from the right or left side, which is outside the traffic signal controller.

[0012] In addition, when the traffic signal controller expansion box is attached to the traffic signal controller from the right or left side, an opening and closing door with a hinge part on the right side, similar to the main door part of the traffic signal controller, is positioned on the front, making the opening and closing operation easy to operate.

[0013] Furthermore, even if other devices are already attached to the pillar, if there is some space above and outside the traffic signal controller, the traffic signal controller expansion box can be installed, and since it is integrated with the traffic signal controller, it looks good. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0014] [Figure 1] 1 is a perspective view of the traffic signal controller expansion box of the first embodiment before being attached to the traffic signal controller. FIG. [Figure 2] 1 is a perspective view of a traffic signal controller expansion box attached to the traffic signal controller. FIG. [Figure 3] FIG. 10 is a perspective view of the traffic signal controller expansion box of the second embodiment before it is attached to the traffic signal controller. [Figure 4] 1 is a perspective view of a traffic signal controller expansion box attached to the traffic signal controller. FIG. [Figure 5] FIG. 10 is a perspective view of the expansion box for the traffic signal controller as seen from the opposite side. [Figure 6] FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a state in which an expansion box for a traffic signal controller is attached to a traffic signal controller. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0015] The present invention will be described in detail based on the illustrated embodiment. [Example]

[0016] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the traffic signal controller expansion box of the first embodiment before it is attached to the traffic signal controller, and FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the traffic signal controller expansion box attached to the right side of the traffic signal controller.

[0017] The expansion box 10 for a traffic signal controller of Example 1 is a device that can be retrofitted to an existing traffic signal controller S installed on a pillar or the like at an intersection, or to an existing traffic signal controller S before installation.

[0018] The traffic signal controller expansion box 10 is made using the metal that constitutes the housing consisting of the main body S10 and main door S20 of the traffic signal controller S. Note that the traffic signal controller expansion box 10 can be made of any suitable material, such as metal, that is durable against wind and rain.

[0019] The expansion box 10 for a traffic signal controller is composed of a main box portion 11 having a horizontally long rectangular parallelepiped shape and a fixing plate portion 12 that hangs down only from a location near one side portion 11c of the main box portion 11 along the short side 11b of the bottom portion 11a of the main box portion 11.

[0020] The size of the bottom surface 11a of the main box portion 11 is large enough to cover the entire top surface S11 when placed on the top surface S11, and the expansion box 10 for traffic signal controllers can be attached to the traffic signal controller S by placing the bottom surface 11a of the main box portion 11 on the top surface S11 of the traffic signal controller S.

[0021] Openings (not shown) are provided on a pair of side surfaces perpendicular to the side surface 11c of the main box portion 11, and opening / closing doors 11d and 11e are provided to seal these openings. Note that, when closed, these opening / closing doors 11d and 11e are parallel to the long side 11f of the bottom surface 11a of the main box portion 11.

[0022] When viewed from the front or back, these doors 11d and 11e each have hinges 11g attached to the top and bottom of the right side. A lock mounting hole 11h is provided in the center of the left side of each door 11d and 11e, and a locking part 11i is attached to the lock mounting hole 11h of the front door 11d.

[0023] When the traffic signal controller expansion box 10 is attached to the traffic signal controller S, this locking unit 11i is attached only to the lock mounting hole 11h of the opening / closing door 11d or opening / closing door 11e located directly above the main door portion S20 of the traffic signal controller S. A sealing unit that seals the lock mounting hole 11h is attached to the lock mounting hole 11h of the opening / closing door 11e on the back side. Therefore, the opening / closing door 11e on the back side cannot be unlocked because it does not have a keyhole, and cannot be opened.

[0024] The fixing plate portion 12 extending downward from the side portion 11c is parallel to the side portion 11c, and has two through holes 12a provided along the vertical direction that can communicate with the pillar mounting holes S13 for mounting to pillars provided on the left and right side surfaces S12 of the main body portion S10 of the traffic signal controller S.

[0025] In the traffic signal controller expansion box 10 of Example 1, the fixing plate 12 is shown to have a length that reaches the upper pole mounting hole S13 out of two pole mounting holes S13 arranged above and below. It is also possible to employ a fixing plate 12 that has a length that reaches the lower pole mounting hole S13, as in the traffic signal controller expansion box 10 of Example 2 shown in Figures 3 to 5 described later.

[0026] The traffic signal controller S is a metal box consisting of a main body S10 with an opening on one side and a main door S20 that seals this opening and can be opened and closed via a hinge S14.

[0027] A window portion (not shown) that communicates with the interior of the main body portion S10 is provided in the center below the main door portion S20, and a rectangular sub-door portion S21 that opens and closes around a vertical axis portion (not shown) is provided to cover this window portion.

[0028] The main door S20 and the sub-door S21 are provided with a locking unit S22 that can be locked and unlocked with a common key. The locking unit 11i of the traffic signal controller expansion box 10 may be configured to be locked and unlocked with a key that is common to these locking units S22.

[0029] When attaching the traffic signal controller expansion box 10 to an existing traffic signal controller S, it is placed on the bottom surface 11a of the main box portion 11, which can be placed on the top surface S11 of the traffic signal controller S. Then, the main box portion 11 and the fixing plate portion 12 are aligned, and the column mounting hole S13 on the side surface S12 of the traffic signal controller S and the through hole 12a of the fixing plate portion 12 are fixed with bolts B as shown in FIG.

[0030] When the expansion box 10 for the traffic signal controller is fixed to the traffic signal controller S, the opening and closing doors 11d and 11e of the expansion box 10 for the traffic signal controller, which are made to fit the external dimensions of the traffic signal controller S, become flush with the front and back sides of the traffic signal controller S.

[0031] In addition, a rubber sheet material of approximately the same size as the bottom surface 11a may be placed between the top surface S11 of the traffic signal controller S and the bottom surface 11a of the main box portion 11 to prevent misalignment.

[0032] 1 and 2 are perspective views of the traffic signal controller S when it is attached to a pillar (not shown) on the left side when viewed from the front so that the main door S20 can be seen. Therefore, although the explanatory diagram shows the traffic signal controller expansion box 10 fixed to the right side of the traffic signal controller S, it is possible to fix a traffic signal controller expansion box 10, which is upside down, to the left side of a traffic signal controller S attached to a pillar on the right side.

[0033] In this way, when the traffic signal controller expansion box 10 is fixed to the left side of the traffic signal controller S, the locking unit 11i is attached to the lock mounting hole 11h of the opening / closing door 11e located immediately above the main door S20. Then, a sealing unit that seals the lock mounting hole 11h is attached to the opening / closing door 11d on the back side.

[0034] In this way, the expansion box 10 for the traffic signal controller fixed to the traffic signal controller S can store storage equipment such as maintenance tools and various tools for the traffic signal controller S inside the main box section 11 via the opening and closing door 11d.

[0035] These stored devices are stored in the main box portion 11 of the traffic signal controller expansion box 10 because there is not enough space inside the housing of the traffic signal controller S. When using the stored devices, the locking portion 11i of the opening and closing door 11d is unlocked and the stored devices are taken out.

[0036] In addition, for traffic signal controllers S that have been decided to be fixed to the column from the left or right side, through holes (not shown) are provided in advance in the top surface S11 of the traffic signal controller S and in the bottom surface 11a of the main box portion 11 of the traffic signal controller expansion box 10, and cables, etc. can be passed through these through holes to connect the equipment inside the housing of the traffic signal controller S with the various internal equipment installed inside the main box portion 11.

[0037] Furthermore, the internal equipment such as an antenna stored in the main box 11 can be placed on the bottom 11a or fixed to the backside of the door 11e, which does not open or close. By attaching the internal equipment to the backside of the door 11e, maintenance and replacement of the internal equipment can be easily performed when the door 11e is opened. [Example]

[0038] Figure 3 is an oblique view of the state before the traffic signal controller expansion box of Example 2 is attached to the traffic signal controller, Figure 4 is an oblique view of the state after the traffic signal controller expansion box is attached to the right side of the traffic signal controller, Figure 5 is an oblique view of the traffic signal controller expansion box as seen from the opposite side, and Figure 6 is a block diagram of the state after the traffic signal controller expansion box is attached to the left side of the traffic signal controller.

[0039] The traffic signal controller expansion box 10' of the second embodiment is not made of the metal that constitutes the housing of the traffic signal controller S, but is made of a durable and rigid synthetic resin material such as polycarbonate.

[0040] By using synthetic resin, which is a material that does not easily block radio waves, it is possible to ensure sufficient reception strength when the internal device is, for example, an antenna.

[0041] The expansion box 10' for a traffic signal controller is composed of a main box portion 11 in the shape of a horizontally long rectangular parallelepiped, a fixing plate portion 12 that hangs down from the bottom portion 11a near one side portion 11c of the main box portion 11, and a vertically long rectangular sub-box portion 13 that hangs down from a corner portion 11j provided at a corner of the bottom portion 11a of the main box portion 11 and whose interior is connected to the main box portion 11.

[0042] The structure of the opening and closing doors 11d and 11e located at the front and rear of the main box section 11 of the expansion box 10' for traffic signal controllers is the same as that of the expansion box 10 for traffic signal controllers in Example 1, and the side section 11c of the main box section 11 and the outer side section 13a of the sub-box section 13 are flush and continuous, forming an inverted L-shape as shown in Figure 4.

[0043] As shown in Figure 5, the inner surface of the sub-box portion 13 and a portion of the outer surface of the fixing plate portion 12 are connected, and multiple through holes 12a are provided in the vertical direction on the fixing plate portion 12 other than the portion connected to the sub-box portion 13.

[0044] The fixing plate 12, which is fixed to the traffic signal controller S via the through-hole 12a, may be made of metal since it requires a certain degree of strength. The sub-box 13 may also be made of metal. In this case, at least the main box 11 is made of a material that does not easily block radio waves.

[0045] As shown in Figure 6, the traffic signal controller S contains a control unit S30 that controls the lighting of the signal lights L installed at the intersection, a transmission unit S40 that is connected to the control unit S30 and communicates with the wireless communication unit 14 installed in the main box 11, and a power supply unit S50 that receives power from an external AC power source P and outputs DC power to the control unit S30, the transmission unit S40, and the wireless communication unit 14. The control unit S30 has a processing unit that performs lighting processing for each signal light L, and a memory unit that stores constants of the time limit table for the signal light L, etc.

[0046] Although not shown in Figures 3 to 5, a wireless communication unit 14 is provided inside the main box 11 as shown in Figure 6. The wireless communication unit 14 is composed of, for example, a GPS communication unit 14a, a mobile communication communication unit 14b, and a BLE communication unit 14c for Bluetooth (registered trademark). In addition to the wireless communication unit 14, the internal equipment installed inside the main box 11 can also include a battery unit that supplies backup power to the traffic signal controller S, and these appropriate devices can be combined and installed.

[0047] The GPS communication unit 14a, the mobile communication communication unit 14b, and the BLE communication unit 14c installed in the main box 11 are connected to a transmission unit S40 in the traffic signal controller S via communication cables C1, C2, and C3, respectively. In addition, the GPS communication unit 14a, the mobile communication communication unit 14b, and the BLE communication unit 14c are connected to a power supply unit S50 via a power cable C4.

[0048] These communication cables C1, C2, C3 and power cable C4 are wired from the bottom end of the traffic signal controller S and are wired inside the sub-box portion 13. Furthermore, if the wireless communication unit 14 is an antenna, such as a GPS antenna, a BLE antenna, or a mobile communication antenna, there is no need to wire the power cable C4.

[0049] The procedure for attaching the traffic signal controller expansion box 10' to an existing traffic signal controller S is to first fix the internal equipment inside the main box section 11 on the bottom section 11a or on the back of the unused opening / closing door 11e or opening / closing door 11d, and then insert the communication and power cables C connected to these internal equipment into the sub-box section 13.

[0050] In this state, similar to the traffic signal controller expansion box 10 of Example 1, it is placed on the bottom surface 11a of the main box portion 11 that can be placed on the top surface S11 of the traffic signal controller S. Then, the main box portion 11 and the fixing plate portion 12 are aligned, and the column mounting hole S13 on the side surface S12 of the traffic signal controller S and the through hole 12a of the fixing plate portion 12 are fixed with bolts B as shown in FIG.

[0051] Finally, the communication and power cables C extending from the bottom end of the sub-box section 13 are inserted into the sub-box section 13 and connected to the transmission section S40 and power section S50 of the traffic signal controller S, respectively, completing the installation of the traffic signal controller expansion box 10' to the traffic signal controller S.

[0052] A traffic signal controller S with an expansion box 10' for a traffic signal controller fixed thereto can perform maintenance on internal equipment such as the wireless communication unit 14 through the openable / closable door 11e or door 11d located directly above the main door section S20.

[0053] In this way, according to the traffic signal controller expansion box 10, 10' of the present invention, even if the traffic signal controller S is attached to the left or right side of the pillar, the traffic signal controller expansion box 10, 10' can be easily attached and fixed from the right or left side, which is outside the traffic signal controller S.

[0054] Furthermore, when the traffic signal controller expansion box 10, 10' is attached to the traffic signal controller S from the right or left side, the opening and closing doors 11d, 11e equipped with a hinge part S14 on the right side, similar to the main door part S20 of the traffic signal controller S, are positioned on the front, making the opening and closing operations easy to operate.

[0055] Furthermore, even if other devices are already attached to the pillar, if there is some space above and outside the traffic signal controller S, the traffic signal controller expansion boxes 10, 10' can be installed, and since they are integrated with the traffic signal controller, they look good. [Explanation of symbols]

[0056] 10, 10' Traffic Signal Controller Expansion Box 11 Main box 11a Bottom part 11b Short side 11c Side part 11d, 11e Opening and closing doors 11g hinge 11h Lock mounting hole 11i Locking section 11j corner corner 12 Fixing plate 12a Through hole 13 Sub box part 13a Outer side 14. Radio Communication Section 14a GPS communication unit 14b Communication unit for mobile communication 14c BLE communication section S Traffic signal controller S10 main body S11 Top part S12 side S13 Mounting hole for column

Claims

1. An expansion box for a traffic signal controller that can be placed on the top surface of an existing traffic signal controller and attached as an integrated unit after installation, The box is a horizontally long rectangular parallelepiped and includes a main box portion having a bottom surface portion that covers the entire top surface portion when placed on the top surface portion, and a rectangular fixing plate portion that hangs down only from a position near one side surface portion of the main box portion along the short side of the bottom surface portion and is parallel to the side surface portion, A pair of side surfaces along the longitudinal direction of the bottom surface of the main box portion are provided with opening and closing doors that are opened and closed via hinges located on the right side when viewed from the front and back, The surfaces of the pair of opening and closing doors are provided with lock mounting holes to which locking units can be attached, The locking part is attached to one of the doors so that it can be opened and closed, and the closing part that closes the lock mounting hole is attached to the other door so that it cannot be opened or closed, An expansion box for a traffic signal controller, characterized in that the fixing plate portion extending downward has a through hole that can communicate with the column mounting holes provided on the left and right sides of the traffic signal controller.

2. a vertically long rectangular sub-box portion that hangs down from a corner of the bottom surface portion and has an interior that communicates with the main box portion; an inner surface of the sub-box portion and a part of an outer surface of the fixing plate portion are connected to each other; 2. The expansion box for a traffic signal controller according to claim 1, wherein the through holes are provided in the fixing plate portion other than the portion where the fixing plate portion is connected to the sub-box portion.

3. 3. The expansion box for a traffic signal controller according to claim 2, wherein an internal device connected to the traffic signal controller is installed inside the main box portion.

4. 4. The traffic signal controller expansion box according to claim 3, wherein the internal device is a wireless communication unit.

5. The expansion box for a traffic signal controller according to claim 4, wherein the wireless communication unit includes at least one of a GPS communication unit, a BLE communication unit, and a mobile communication unit.

6. An expansion box for a traffic signal controller as described in any one of claims 3 to 5, characterized in that a cable connected to the internal equipment is inserted into the sub-box portion, and the cable extending from the lower end of the sub-box portion is connected to a transmission unit of the traffic signal controller.

7. 6. The expansion box for a traffic signal controller according to claim 3, wherein at least the main box portion is made of a material that does not easily block radio waves.

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