Lane separation mark

Abstract

To provide a lane separation mark capable of suitably receiving a reflected radio wave by a radio wave radar device.SOLUTION: The lane marker 10 includes a pole body 11 extending in the vertical direction, and a base 12 supporting the pole body 11. A groove-like part 30 is provided on a side part of the pole body 11. The groove-like portion 30 extends in the up-down direction in a groove shape in which the groove width becomes narrower toward the bottom 31. The bottom wall of the groove-shaped portion 30 has a reflective structure that reflects radio waves incident from the radio wave radar device.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a lane dividing sign. [Background technology]

[0002] Lane separators have come into practical use in recent years. A lane separator has a cylindrical pole body that extends vertically and a base that supports the pole body from below. Lane separators are erected at the edges of lanes, parking areas, etc. Vehicle occupants can visually recognize the edges of lanes, parking areas, etc.

[0003] Also known is a reflective member that reflects radio waves such as millimeter waves transmitted from an onboard radio wave radar device (see, for example, Patent Document 1). In Patent Document 1, the reflective member is made of a metal material and has a flat plate shape. The reflective member is arranged while being supported by a support member. Radio waves reflected by this reflective member (hereinafter referred to as reflected waves) are received by the radio wave radar device. The received reflected waves are then used for controlling the vehicle's operation, such as by determining the relative distance and relative speed to other vehicles based on the reflected waves. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2009-133682 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] One possible solution is to provide lane dividing markers with the ability to reflect radio waves transmitted from a radio wave radar device. However, simply providing such functionality to lane dividing markers would cause the reflected waves to diffuse almost entirely around the lane dividing marker when reflected from the outer surface, because the outer surface of the lane dividing marker is cylindrical. This reduces the radio wave intensity of the waves reflected by the lane dividing marker and heading toward the radio wave radar device, making it impossible for the radio wave radar device to properly receive the reflected waves. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] Various aspects of the device for solving the above problems will be described. [Embodiment 1] A lane division sign comprising a pole body extending in the vertical direction and a base supporting the pole body, the lane division sign having a groove-like portion provided on the side of the pole body, extending in the vertical direction with a groove width that narrows toward the bottom, the bottom wall of the groove-like portion having a reflective structure that reflects radio waves incident from a radio wave radar device.

[0007] According to the above configuration, radio waves transmitted from the radio wave radar device can be incident on the inside of the groove-shaped portion formed on the side of the pole body. The incident radio waves (hereinafter, incident waves) can then be reflected by the bottom wall of the groove-shaped portion toward the radio wave radar device (hereinafter, predetermined direction). Therefore, unlike when incident waves are reflected on the outer peripheral surface of the cylindrical pole body, when reflected on the side of the lane dividing marker, the diffusion of reflected radio waves (hereinafter, reflected waves) in directions other than the predetermined direction can be suppressed. This suppresses a decrease in the radio wave intensity of reflected waves heading in the predetermined direction, allowing the radio wave radar device to suitably receive the reflected waves reflected by the lane dividing marker.

[0008] [Aspect 2] A lane division sign as described in [Aspect 1], in which the groove-shaped portions are provided in multiple rows aligned circumferentially around the pole body. According to the above configuration, the groove-like portion can be provided over a wide circumferential range on the side of the pole body, and therefore, the function of reflecting incident waves in a predetermined direction by the bottom wall of the groove-like portion can be imparted to the wide circumferential range on the side of the pole body.

[0009] [Aspect 3] A lane division sign as described in [Aspect 1], in which the cross-sectional shape of the pole body is an X-shape in which four groove-like portions are arranged at equal intervals around the circumferential direction of the pole body. According to the above configuration, with a simple structure such as an X-shaped cross section, it is possible to provide the function of reflecting incident waves in a predetermined direction by the bottom wall of the groove-shaped portion over substantially the entire circumference of the side of the pole body.

[0010] [Embodiment 4] A lane division sign according to any one of [Embodiment 1] to [Embodiment 3], wherein the groove-shaped portion has a V-shaped groove shape with a bottom that bends at a right angle. According to the above configuration, the incident wave can be retroreflected by the bottom wall of the groove, which makes it possible to effectively suppress a decrease in the radio wave intensity of the reflected wave that is reflected by the bottom wall of the groove and heads toward the radio wave radar device, and therefore the reflected wave can be effectively received by the radio wave radar device.

[0011] [Aspect 5] A lane division sign described in any one of [Aspect 1] to [Aspect 4], wherein the reflective structure comprises a base material, a first reflective layer laminated on the base material and made of a reflective material that reflects visible light, and a second reflective layer laminated on the first reflective layer and made of a wire mesh that reflects the radio waves.

[0012] According to the above configuration, incident waves entering the groove-shaped portion of the pole body can be reflected in a predetermined direction by the second reflective layer made of wire mesh. Moreover, visible light (e.g., light from vehicle headlights) entering the groove-shaped portion of the pole body can be reflected in a predetermined direction by passing through the second reflective layer, more specifically, the mesh of the wire mesh, and being reflected by the reflective material making up the first reflective layer. This improves the visibility of the lane dividing markers. According to the above configuration, both incident waves and visible light entering the groove-shaped portion of the pole body can be reflected in a predetermined direction by utilizing the first reflective layer and the second reflective layer making up the bottom wall of the groove-shaped portion.

[0013] [Aspect 6] A lane division sign described in any one of [Aspect 1] to [Aspect 5], wherein the pole body has a through hole that opens at the bottom and penetrates the pole body in a direction intersecting the center line of the pole body.

[0014] According to the above configuration, a portion of the wind that the grooved portion of the pole body receives can be diverted to the back side of the pole body by passing through the through-holes, which reduces deformation and vibration of the lane dividing sign due to wind pressure, thereby improving the durability of the lane dividing sign. [Effects of the Invention]

[0015] According to the present invention, radio waves reflected by lane dividing markers can be suitably received by a radio wave radar device. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0016] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a lane dividing sign according to an embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view showing the structure of a wall portion of the lane dividing sign. [Figure 4] 4 is a bottom cross-sectional view of the lane separation sign taken along line 4-4 in FIG. 1. [Figure 5]FIG. 10 is an operational diagram for explaining the operation of the lane dividing marker. [Figure 6] FIG. 10 is a perspective view showing a lane dividing sign according to another embodiment. [Figure 7] 7 is a bottom cross-sectional view of the lane separation sign taken along line 7-7 in FIG. 6. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0017] An embodiment of the lane dividing marker will be described below with reference to FIGS. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the lane dividing marker 10 includes a pole body 11 extending in the vertical direction and a base 12 that supports the pole body 11.

[0018] <Pole body> The pole body 11 forms the upper part of the lane dividing marker 10. The pole body 11 has an elongated shape in the vertical direction. The pole body 11 has four substantially flat wall portions 20. The four wall portions 20 are arranged at 90-degree intervals around the center line L of the pole body 11 so as to form an X-shaped cross section.

[0019] Four groove-like portions 30 are provided on the side of the pole body 11 so as to line up in the circumferential direction of the pole body 11 (hereinafter simply referred to as the circumferential direction). Each groove-like portion 30 extends in the vertical direction in a groove shape whose groove width narrows toward the bottom 31. Each groove-like portion 30 is composed of two wall portions 20 adjacent to each other in the circumferential direction. More specifically, each groove-like portion 30 is a V-groove whose bottom 31 is bent at a right angle. In this embodiment, the cross-sectional shape of the pole body 11 is an X-shape in which four groove-like portions 30 are lined up at equal intervals in the circumferential direction.

[0020] In this embodiment, the wall 20 corresponds to the bottom wall of the groove portion 30. The wall 20 has a reflective structure that reflects radio waves incident from the radio wave radar device in a predetermined direction (in this embodiment, the same direction as the incident direction). More specifically, as shown in FIG. 3 , the wall 20 has a base material 21, a first reflective layer 22, a second reflective layer 23, and a protective layer 24. Specifically, the wall 20 has a layered structure in which the base material 21, the first reflective layer 22, the second reflective layer 23, and the protective layer 24 are layered in this order from the bottom layer toward the surface layer.

[0021] The base material 21 is a base portion for providing the first reflective layer 22, the second reflective layer 23, and the protective layer 24. In this embodiment, the first reflective layer 22, the second reflective layer 23, and the protective layer 24 are laminated on the base material 21. The base material 21 is formed in a flat plate shape from a soft resin material such as a polyurethane-based thermoplastic elastomer. The base material 21 is colored orange. In this embodiment, four base materials 21 are arranged at 90-degree intervals around the center line L of the pole body 11 so as to form an X-shaped cross section.

[0022] The first reflective layer 22 is laminated on the substrate 21 so as to cover substantially the entire surface of the substrate 21 on the surface side. The first reflective layer 22 is formed in a sheet shape from a soft resin material. The first reflective layer 22 is made of a reflective material that reflects visible light, a so-called retroreflective sheet. The first reflective layer 22 is provided on the substrate 21 so as to reflect visible light incident from the surface side.

[0023] The second reflective layer 23 is laminated on the first reflective layer 22 so as to cover substantially the entire surface of the first reflective layer 22 on the front side. The second reflective layer 23 is formed of a wire mesh. In this embodiment, the openings of the wire mesh that constitutes the second reflective layer 23 are set to a size (for example, several millimeters) that allows visible light to pass through the wire mesh and that allows radio waves transmitted from the radio wave radar device to be reflected by the wire mesh.

[0024] The protective layer 24 is formed in a sheet shape from a transparent soft resin material. The protective layer 24 is laminated on the second reflective layer 23 so as to cover the entire surface of the surface side of the second reflective layer 23. The protective layer 24 constitutes the surface layer of the wall portion 20 and is intended to protect the base material 21, the first reflective layer 22, and the second reflective layer 23.

[0025] In this embodiment, both side portions in the thickness direction of the wall portion 20 each form the bottom wall of the groove-shaped portion 30, and have a reflective structure. Specifically, the wall portion 20 has a seven-layer structure in which a protective layer 24, a second reflective layer 23, a first reflective layer 22, a base material 21, a first reflective layer 22, a second reflective layer 23, and a protective layer 24 are laminated in this order from one outer surface to the other outer surface in the thickness direction.

[0026] As shown in Figures 1 and 4, the pole body 11 is provided with two through holes 13, 14. The through holes 13, 14 are cross-shaped in plan view, with the middle portions in the extension direction connected to each other. Each of the through holes 13, 14 penetrates the pole body 11 in a direction intersecting the center line L of the pole body 11 so as to connect the bottoms 31 of a pair of groove portions 30 that are arranged back to back among the four groove portions 30. At the bottom 31 of the four groove portions 30, one end of the through holes 13, 14 is open.

[0027] <Pedestal> As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 , the base 12 supports the pole body 11 from below. The base 12 is made of a soft resin material and is formed integrally with the pole body 11. The base 12 is colored orange. The outer surface of the base 12 is cylindrical with five steps. The base 12 and the pole body 11 are formed so that the center line of the base 12 coincides with the center line L of the pole body 11. When installing the lane dividing marker 10, the base 12 is fixed to the ground. As a result, the lane dividing marker 10 is installed with the pole body 11 extending in the vertical direction. The lane dividing marker 10 of this embodiment is installed on a roadway, sidewalk, parking lot, etc., for the purpose of clearly indicating the boundaries of lanes, the boundaries between a roadway and a sidewalk, parking areas, etc.

[0028] <Operation of this embodiment> The operation of this embodiment will be described. As shown in Fig. 5, when radio waves are transmitted from the radio radar device R toward the lane dividing marker 10, the radio waves are incident on a groove portion 30 that forms a groove on the side of the pole body 11. The incident radio waves (hereinafter referred to as incident waves IW) are then reflected by a wall portion 20 that forms the bottom wall of the groove portion 30, more specifically, by a second reflective layer 23 (see Fig. 3).

[0029] Here, the groove portion 30 has a V-shaped groove shape with its bottom 31 bent at a right angle. Therefore, the incident wave IW is retroreflected at the wall portion 20 so that the incident direction and the reflected direction are the same. Therefore, unlike when radio waves are reflected at the outer peripheral surface of the cylindrical pole body 11, the reflected wave RW is prevented from diffusing when reflected at the wall portion 20 of the lane dividing marker 10, and therefore the diffusion of the reflected wave RW in directions other than the predetermined direction toward the radio wave radar device R is prevented. This prevents a decrease in the radio wave intensity of the reflected wave RW reflected at the wall portion 20 and toward the radio wave radar device R, and therefore the reflected wave RW can be suitably received by the radio wave radar device R.

[0030] Furthermore, when visible light, which is the light from vehicle headlights, is irradiated toward the lane dividing marker 10, the visible light enters the groove portion 30. The visible light incident on the groove portion 30 (hereinafter referred to as incident light IL) passes through the second reflective layer 23 of the wall portion 20, more specifically, the mesh of the wire mesh, and is reflected by the reflective material that constitutes the first reflective layer 22. The incident light IL is retroreflected by the first reflective layer 22 so that the incident direction and the reflected direction are the same. The light reflected by the first reflective layer 22 (hereinafter referred to as reflected light RL) passes through the second reflective layer 23 and heads toward the vehicle that has irradiated the lane dividing marker 10 with its headlights. The vehicle occupants can visually recognize the lane dividing marker 10 by looking at this reflected light RL.

[0031] In this embodiment, the cross-sectional shape of the pole body 11 is an X-shape in which four groove portions 30 are arranged at equal intervals in the circumferential direction. Therefore, radio waves transmitted from the radio radar device R and light irradiated from headlights toward the lane dividing marker 10 are incident on one of the four groove portions 30 regardless of the angle from which they are transmitted or irradiated around the pole body 11. The incident waves IW and incident light IL incident on the groove portions 30 are retroreflected by the wall portions 20 that form the bottom walls of the groove portions 30. According to this embodiment, by adopting a simple structure such as an X-shaped cross section, it is possible to impart the function of reflecting the incident waves IW and incident light IL in a predetermined direction by the wall portions 20 around substantially the entire circumference of the side portion of the pole body 11.

[0032] As shown in Fig. 4, the pole body 11 is provided with through-holes 13 and 14 that open at the bottom 31 of the groove-shaped portion 30 and penetrate the pole body 11 in a direction intersecting the center line L of the pole body 11. Therefore, part of the wind that the groove-shaped portion 30 of the pole body 11 receives can be released to the back side of the pole body 11, more specifically, to the groove-shaped portion 30 that is arranged on the back side of the groove-shaped portion 30 that receives the wind, by passing through the through-holes 13 and 14. This suppresses deformation and vibration of the lane division marker 10 due to wind pressure, thereby improving the durability of the lane division marker 10.

[0033] <Effects of this embodiment> The effects of this embodiment will be described. (1) The lane dividing marker 10 comprises a pole body 11 extending in the vertical direction and a base 12 supporting the pole body 11. A groove-shaped portion 30 is provided on the side of the pole body 11. The groove-shaped portion 30 extends in the vertical direction in a groove shape whose width narrows toward the bottom 31. The bottom wall of the groove-shaped portion 30 has a reflective structure that reflects radio waves incident from a radio wave radar device in a predetermined direction. With this configuration, the effects of the above-described embodiment are achieved, and the reflected waves RW reflected by the lane dividing marker 10 can be suitably received by the radio wave radar device.

[0034] (2) The cross-sectional shape of the pole body 11 is an X-shape in which four groove portions 30 are arranged at equal intervals in the circumferential direction. With this configuration, by adopting a simple structure such as an X-shaped cross section, it is possible to impart the function of reflecting the incident wave IW in a predetermined direction by the wall portion 20 over approximately the entire circumference of the side portion of the pole body 11.

[0035] (3) The groove 30 has a V-shaped groove shape with a bottom 31 bent at a right angle. This configuration can suppress a decrease in the radio wave intensity of the reflected wave RW that is reflected by the wall 20 and heads toward the radio wave radar device, allowing the reflected wave RW to be received appropriately by the radio wave radar device.

[0036] (4) The reflective structure that reflects the incident wave IW includes a base material 21, a first reflective layer 22, and a second reflective layer 23. The first reflective layer 22 is laminated on the base material 21 and is made of a reflective material that reflects visible light. The second reflective layer 23 is laminated on the first reflective layer 22 and is made of a wire mesh that reflects radio waves. With this configuration, the first reflective layer 22 and the second reflective layer 23 that constitute the wall portion 20 can be used to reflect both the incident wave IW and the incident light IL that are incident on the groove portion 30 of the pole body 11 in a predetermined direction.

[0037] (5) The pole body 11 is provided with through holes 13, 14 that open at the bottom 31 of the groove portion 30 and penetrate the pole body 11 in a direction intersecting the center line L of the pole body 11. This configuration can improve the durability of the lane dividing marker 10.

[0038] <Example of change> The above embodiment can be modified as follows: The above embodiment and the following modifications can be combined with each other within the scope of technical compatibility.

[0039] The shape of the base 12 can be changed as desired. For example, the outer surface of the base 12 can be shaped like a truncated cone, a truncated square pyramid, or a disk. One of the through holes 13, 14 may be omitted, or both of the through holes 13, 14 may be omitted.

[0040] The cross-sectional shape of the pole body 11 may be L-shaped, in which only one groove portion 30 is provided on the side of the pole body 11. Specifically, the two wall portions 20 may be arranged at 90-degree intervals around the center line L of the pole body 11, and may be arranged to form an L-shaped cross section.

[0041] Furthermore, the cross-sectional shape of the pole body 11 may be T-shaped, in which two groove-shaped portions 30 are lined up in the circumferential direction. Specifically, three wall portions 20 may be arranged at 90-degree intervals around the center line L of the pole body 11, and so as to form a T-shaped cross section. With this configuration, compared to when only one groove-shaped portion 30 is provided, the groove-shaped portion 30 can be provided over a wider range in the circumferential direction on the side of the pole body 11. Therefore, the function of reflecting the incident wave IW in a predetermined direction by the bottom wall of the groove-shaped portion 30, more specifically the wall portion 20, can be imparted to a wider range in the circumferential direction on the side of the pole body 11.

[0042] The pole body 11 may be hollow instead of solid. This configuration allows the pole body 11 to be formed using a smaller amount of resin material than when the pole body 11 is solid, thereby reducing the weight of the pole body 11 and keeping manufacturing costs low.

[0043] 6 and 7 show an example of a diagonal separation marker 110 having a hollow pole body 111. In Fig. 6 and Fig. 7, the same components as those in the above embodiment are given the same reference numerals, and corresponding components are given the reference numeral "1**", which is the reference numeral ** of the components in the above embodiment plus 100, to avoid redundant explanation below.

[0044] In the example shown in Figures 6 and 7, the outer surface of the pole body 111 is shaped like a regular rectangular prism that is elongated in the vertical direction. Of the four side walls 101 of the pole body 111, two side walls 101 that are arranged opposite each other have central portions (hereinafter referred to as central portions 102) that are recessed toward the inside of the pole body 111. The outer surface of the central portion 102 forms a groove that has a triangular cross section and extends in the vertical direction. In the diagonal separation marker 110, the outer surface of the central portion 102 forms a groove-like portion 130. More specifically, the groove-like portion 130 has a V-groove shape with a bottom 131 bent at a right angle. The central portion 102 has a reflective structure that reflects radio waves incident from the radio wave radar device in a predetermined direction. Specifically, the central portion 102 has a layered structure in which, from the bottom to the top, a base material 121, a first reflective layer 122, a second reflective layer 123, and a protective layer 124 are layered in this order. The pole body 111 can be formed by, for example, blow molding.

[0045] In the above-described diagonal line separation mark 110, the groove-shaped portions 130 may be provided on two of the four side walls 101 of the pole body 111 that are adjacent in the circumferential direction. Alternatively, the groove-shaped portions 130 may be provided on only one of the four side walls 101, only three of the four side walls 101, or all four side walls 101. By providing a plurality of groove-shaped portions 130, the groove-shaped portions 130 can be provided over a wider range in the circumferential direction on the side of the pole body 111 than when only one groove-shaped portion 130 is provided. Therefore, the function of reflecting the incident wave IW in a predetermined direction by the bottom wall of the groove-shaped portion 130 can be imparted to a wider range in the circumferential direction on the side of the pole body 111.

[0046] The base material 21 of the pole body 11 and the base 12 may be made of a hard resin material. The pole body 11 and the base 12 may not necessarily be integrally formed, but may be formed separately and then assembled to the base 12.

[0047] The protective layer 24 may be made of a translucent resin material instead of a transparent resin material. The protective layer 24 can be omitted.

[0048] The base material 21 and the base 12 are not limited to being colored orange, but may be colored any color such as green or brown. The first reflective layer 22 may be laminated on the substrate 21 so as to cover only a portion of the surface of the substrate 21 on the front side. For example, the first reflective layer 22 may be a layer in which a plurality of strips of reflective material extending in the width direction of the substrate 21 are provided at intervals in the vertical direction.

[0049] The first reflective layer 22 can be omitted. The second reflective layer 23 may be laminated on the first reflective layer 22 so as to cover only a portion of the surface of the first reflective layer 22 on the front side. For example, the second reflective layer 23 may be a plurality of wire meshes extending in strips in the width direction of the base material 21 and spaced apart in the vertical direction.

[0050] The first reflective layer 22 and the second reflective layer 23 may be provided so that they do not entirely overlap each other. When the base material 21 is resin-molded, the second reflective layer 23 may be inserted and formed integrally therewith.

[0051] The second reflective layer 23 may be made of a wire mesh, a punched metal, a resin mesh made of a conductive resin material, or a structure in which multiple corrugated metal wires are spaced apart.

[0052] The base material 21 may be formed of a conductive resin material. With this configuration, the base material 21 can reflect the incident wave IW in a predetermined direction. In the above configuration, the second reflective layer 23 can be omitted.

[0053] The predetermined direction in which the incident wave IW is reflected does not necessarily have to be the same as the incident direction, but can be set to a direction slightly offset from the incident direction. Specifically, instead of the reflecting structure of the bottom wall of the groove 30 being a structure that reflects the incident wave IW in the same direction as the incident direction, it may be a structure that reflects part or all of the incident wave IW in a direction slightly offset from the incident direction. Such a reflecting structure can be realized by changing the shape of the wall 20 that constitutes the bottom wall of the groove 30, or by providing the wall 20 with a radio wave reflector (e.g., a reflect array) that can adjust the angle at which the radio waves are reflected.

[0054] The groove portion 30 can have any shape as long as it is a groove-like shape that extends in the vertical direction and whose groove width narrows toward the bottom 31. For example, the groove portion 30 can be a V-shaped groove whose bottom 31 bends at an angle slightly smaller than a right angle, or a V-shaped groove whose bottom 31 bends at an angle slightly larger than a right angle. In addition, the groove portion 30 can also be shaped like a groove whose bottom surface is partially or entirely curved. [Explanation of symbols]

[0055] IW…Incoming wave RW…Reflected wave 10,110...Lane separation sign 11,111...pole body 12...Pedestal 13...Through hole 14...Through hole 20...Wall part 21,121...Base material 22,122...first reflective layer 23,123…Second reflective layer 24,124…protective layer 30,130…Groove portion 31,131…bottom 101...Side wall 102...Central part

Claims

1. A lane dividing sign comprising a pole body extending in the vertical direction and a base supporting the pole body, A groove-shaped portion is provided on the side of the pole body, and extends in the vertical direction with a groove width that narrows toward the bottom, The bottom wall of the groove portion has a reflective structure that reflects radio waves incident from a radio wave radar device. Lane separation sign.

2. The groove-shaped portion is provided in plurality so as to be aligned in the circumferential direction of the pole body. The lane dividing sign according to claim 1.

3. The cross-sectional shape of the pole body is an X-shape in which four of the groove portions are arranged at equal intervals in the circumferential direction of the pole body. The lane dividing sign according to claim 1.

4. The groove-shaped portion has a V-shaped groove shape with a bottom bent at a right angle. The lane dividing sign according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

5. The reflective structure is A substrate; a first reflective layer laminated on the base material and made of a reflective material that reflects visible light; a second reflective layer formed of a wire mesh that is laminated on the first reflective layer and reflects the radio waves; The lane dividing sign according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

6. The pole body is provided with a through hole that opens at the bottom and penetrates the pole body in a direction intersecting the center line of the pole body. The lane dividing sign according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

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