Positioning member for pavement block and power transmission structure for road

Abstract

To dispense with wiring work between pavement blocks when power is transmitted from a power source to a load, and to easily add or replace the load, when providing the load on a road formed by laying the pavement blocks.SOLUTION: When power is transmitted from a power source to a load through a road formed by laying pavement blocks 8, wireless power feeding is used for power transmission between the pavement blocks 8. The positioning member 20 has a body part 24 having a load 22 and screwed to the power supply connection block 40 and the relay block 80 arranged adjacent to each other, and an insertion part 26 inserted into the joint 14 and having a built-in coil 36 for receiving power transmitted using wireless power feeding. When power from the AC power supply 6 is transmitted from the path formation member 42, the load 22 operates with the power received by the coil 36.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 6

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a positioning member for paving blocks and a power transmission structure for a road, and more particularly to a power transmission structure for a road where paving blocks are laid to form a load. [Background technology]

[0002] It has been common practice to use electricity to make road markings, etc. For example, Patent Document 1 proposes a technology for supplying electricity to light-emitting markings buried in the road surface, in which paving blocks (solar panel blocks) equipped with solar panels and power storage devices are connected by wiring cords to paving blocks (light-emitting display blocks) equipped with LEDs, and the LEDs are illuminated by electricity stored in the power storage devices from the solar panels to make road markings. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2003-108052 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2004-270443 [Patent Document 3] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 10-176304 [Patent Document 4] International Publication No. 2014 / 147857 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] When a load is installed on a paving block, if it becomes necessary to replace the load, it is common to replace the entire paving block. To replace a paving block, the connected power lines must be disconnected, the paving block must be replaced, and then the power lines must be reconnected.

[0005] Even if the work of connecting power lines is not taken into consideration, it will be necessary to replace each paving block carrying a load, but considering the weight of the paving blocks, the replacement work will impose a great burden.

[0006] The present invention aims to eliminate the need for wiring work between paving blocks when transmitting power from a power source to a load when installing a load on a road formed by laying paving blocks, and to enable the load to be easily added or replaced. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The positioning member for paving blocks of the present invention comprises an insertion portion that is inserted into a joint formed between a first paving block equipped with a power transmission means that transmits power from a power source using wireless power supply, and a second paving block that is laid on a road adjacent to the first paving block and equipped with a power receiving means that receives power transmitted from the first paving block using wireless power supply, a main body portion that is detachably attached to the first paving block and the second paving block and fixes the insertion portion within the joint, and a load, wherein the insertion portion is aligned between the power transmission means and the power receiving means that are arranged opposite each other when fixed by the main body portion, and comprises a power supply means that receives power transmitted from the first paving block using wireless power supply and supplies it to the load.

[0008] The road power transmission structure of the present invention is a road power transmission structure that transmits power from a power source to a load, and is characterized by comprising a first paving block equipped with a power transmission means that transmits power from a power source using wireless power supply, a second paving block laid on the road adjacent to the first paving block and equipped with a power receiving means that receives power transmitted from the first paving block using wireless power supply, and the positioning member described above. [Effects of the Invention]

[0009] According to the present invention, when a load is installed on a road formed by laying paving blocks, wiring work between the paving blocks is not required when transmitting power from a power source to the load, and the load can be easily added or replaced. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0010] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic diagram of a road to which a road power transmission structure according to an embodiment of the present invention is applied, viewed from above. [Figure 2] 1A and 1B are schematic diagrams of a power supply connection block according to the present embodiment, in which (a) is a plan view of the surface of the power supply connection block as viewed from above, (b) is a front view of the power supply connection block as viewed from the side at the bottom of the drawing, and (c) is a side view of the power supply connection block as viewed from the side at the right of the drawing. [Figure 3] 1A and 1B are schematic diagrams of a load block according to the present embodiment, in which (a) is a plan view of the surface of the load block as viewed from above, (b) is a front view of the load block as viewed from the side at the bottom of the drawing, and (c) is a side view of the load block as viewed from the side at the left of the drawing. [Figure 4] 1A and 1B are schematic diagrams of a relay block according to the present embodiment, in which (a) is a plan view of the surface of the relay block as viewed from above, and (b) is a front view of the relay block as viewed from the side at the bottom of the drawing. [Figure 5] 1A is a front view of the positioning member, FIG. 1B is a side view of the positioning member, and FIG. 1C is a plan view of the positioning member as viewed from above. [Figure 6] 6 is a plan view seen from above of the paving blocks shown in FIGS. 2 to 4 laid on a roadbed and the positioning members shown in FIG. 5 installed. FIG. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a front view of the paving block and positioning member shown in FIG. 6 as viewed from the side. [Figure 8]1A and 1B are schematic structural diagrams of modified examples of the relay block in this embodiment, where (a) is a plan view of the surface of the relay block as viewed from above, and (b) is a front view of the relay block as viewed from the side at the bottom of the drawing. [Figure 9] 10A and 10B are schematic structural diagrams of another modified example of the relay block in this embodiment, where (a) is a plan view of the surface of the relay block as viewed from above, and (b) is a front view of the relay block as viewed from the side at the bottom of the drawing. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0011] Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0012] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a road to which the road power transmission structure according to the present invention is applied, viewed from above. The road 2 shown in FIG. 1 extends vertically in the drawing. Curbs 4 are provided on both sides of the road 2. An AC power source 6 is provided outside the road 2, on the curb 4 at the left end in FIG. 1. The AC power source 6 is an example of a power source that supplies power to a load. Note that a "load" is a structure that consumes power. The power source does not necessarily have to be installed beside the road 2, i.e., on the curb 4. It need only be installed in a location that allows for wired connection to a power supply connection block, which is a form of paving block 8 and will be described later. Alternatively, the power source may be installed inside the paving block 8. The load may be installed inside the paving block 8 or on the surface of the paving block 8. FIG. 1 shows a load 12 installed on the paving block 8 and loads 22A and 22B installed on positioning members 20A and 20B.

[0013] In this embodiment, the road 2 is formed by laying paving blocks 8. "Paving blocks" are paving components that are laid side by side on the roadbed to form the pavement surface of the road 2. The paving blocks 8 may be formed in various shapes, sizes, and materials depending on the application. For example, precast concrete slabs are also included in the paving blocks. In this embodiment, the surface of the paving block 8 is described as being a general rectangular shape, particularly a square shape. For example, the paving block 8 is formed with a surface size of 30 to 100 cm square and a thickness of 10 to 13 cm. Although there is a width depending on the size, one paving block 8 weighs more than 100 kgf.

[0014] The paving blocks 8 in this embodiment are laid in a regular array vertically and horizontally as shown in Figure 1. The road 2 in this embodiment is assumed to be an interlocking block pavement. In other words, the paving blocks 8 in this embodiment are interlocking blocks. "Interlocking blocks" are defined as paving blocks in which, when a load is applied, the gaps (joints) 14 between the blocks are filled with sand (hereinafter referred to as "joint sand"), resulting in an interlocking effect (load distribution effect) between the blocks. The gaps 14 are assumed to be about 5 to 10 mm.

[0015] As will be described in detail later, in this embodiment, several types of paving blocks 8 are prepared. That is, the paving blocks 8 can be broadly divided into paving blocks 8 that are equipped with a power transmission mechanism by being located on the power transmission path from the power source to the load (also referred to as "path-forming paving blocks") 8, and paving blocks 8 that are not located on the power transmission path and therefore do not need to be equipped with a power transmission mechanism. This embodiment is characterized by the power transmission structure of a road that uses the former path-forming paving blocks. Therefore, unless otherwise specified, when the term "paving block 8" is used in the following description, it refers to the path-forming paving blocks 8 that are located on the aforementioned power transmission path among the paving blocks 8 used to form the road 2. In FIG. 1, the paving blocks 8a to 8j that form the power transmission path 10 correspond to path-forming paving blocks.

[0016] One of the paving blocks (i.e., path-forming paving blocks) 8 is paving block 8g, which has a light-emitting element as a load 12. Paving block 8g corresponds to the load block described below. The load 12 is not limited to a light-emitting element formed by an LED or the like, but may be any electrically operated object such as a heating element such as a heating wire, various sensors, etc.

[0017] In this embodiment, loads 22A and 22B are disposed not only on the paving blocks 8 but also on the positioning members 20A and 20B. When there is no need to distinguish between the positioning members 20A and 20B, they are collectively referred to as "positioning members 20." Similarly, loads 22A and 22B are collectively referred to as "loads 22."

[0018] The positioning members 20 are disposed between adjacent paving blocks 8 to position the adjacent paving blocks 8. Therefore, they are also disposed between paving blocks 8 that do not form a power transmission path 10. For convenience, only positioning members 20A and 20B are shown in FIG. 1. FIG. 1 shows an example in which paving blocks 8j and 8k are positioned by positioning member 20A, and paving blocks 8e and 8f are positioned by positioning member 20B. The load 22 shown in FIG. 1 operates, like load 12, on power supplied from the AC power source 6 via the power transmission path 10.

[0019] In this embodiment, power is transmitted between the path-forming paving blocks 8 that form the road 2, and between the path-forming paving blocks 8 and the positioning members 20, using wireless power supply. In this embodiment, when there is no need to distinguish between the path-forming paving blocks 8 using subscripts, such as paving blocks 8a to 8k, they will be collectively referred to as "paving blocks 8."

[0020] "Wireless power supply" can be defined as a technology for transmitting power without using electric wires. There are various types of wireless power supply, such as electromagnetic induction, electric field coupling, and electromagnetic wave. The structure of the path-forming paving blocks 8, which are characteristic of this embodiment, will be explained below, using as an example a path-forming paving block 8 that uses an electromagnetic induction method other than magnetic field resonance.

[0021] The path-forming paving blocks 8 used in this embodiment, when laid on the road 2, function as at least one of a power transmission means for transmitting power to an adjacent path-forming paving block 8 and a power receiving means for receiving power transmitted from another adjacent path-forming paving block 8, and are equipped with path-forming components that form part of the power transmission path 10. In other words, the path-forming paving blocks 8 in this embodiment can be classified into three types: a type equipped with a power transmission means but not a power receiving means, a type equipped with a power receiving means but not a power transmission means, and a type equipped with both a power transmission means and a power receiving means. The path-forming components function as either a power transmission means or a power receiving means depending on the position of the path-forming paving blocks 8. Furthermore, path-forming paving blocks 8 may have multiple path-forming components, and there may be multiple path-forming components that function as a power transmission means or multiple path-forming components that function as a power receiving means. This will be explained later using the drawings.

[0022] Below, we will explain the basic structures of the power connection blocks 40, load blocks 60, and relay blocks 80 corresponding to each type of path-forming paving block 8. When referring to the power connection blocks 40, load blocks 60, and relay blocks 80 collectively, they will be referred to as "path-forming paving blocks 8" or simply as "paving blocks 8" as described above.

[0023] First, FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of the power connection block 40 in this embodiment. Of these, FIG. 2(a) is a plan view of the surface of the power connection block 40, which forms the surface of the road, as viewed from above. FIG. 2(b) is a front view of the power connection block 40 shown in FIG. 2(a) as viewed from the side in the downward direction of the drawing. FIG. 2(c) is a side view of the power connection block 40 shown in FIG. 2(a) as viewed from the side in the right direction of the drawing. As is clear from FIG. 2(a), FIG. 2(c) shows a view from the side where the path forming member 42 is arranged, and FIG. 2(b) shows a view from the side where the path forming member is not arranged.

[0024] The power supply connection block 40 is a paving block for connecting an AC power supply 6 installed outside the road. The power supply connection block 40 includes a path forming member (hereinafter also referred to as a "power transmission coil") 42 and a power line 44 inside the main body, which function as a power transmission means. The power line 44 electrically connects the power transmission coil 42 to the AC power supply 6 and transmits power from the AC power supply 6 to the power transmission coil 42. In this embodiment, for versatility, it is assumed that the connection to the AC power supply 6 is made by wire. However, if the AC power supply 6 is configured to be wireless, i.e., compatible with wireless power supply, it may be configured to receive power from the AC power supply 6 using the path forming member. The path forming member acting as a power receiving means will be explained when explaining the load block 60.

[0025] 2, the power line 44 is conveniently illustrated by a single broken line without indicating its width. This drawing method is also used in the drawings shown later.

[0026] The power transmitting coil 42 is disposed opposite the inner surface (the side surface corresponding to the right side shown in FIG. 2(a)) of the power connection block 40, which faces the AC power source 6 side (the side surface corresponding to the left side shown in FIG. 2(a)). In the present embodiment, which uses an electromagnetic induction method for wireless power supply, the power transmitting coil 42 includes an iron core 46 and a coil 48. The iron core 46, also called a core material, is formed from a disc-shaped laminated steel plate with no holes. However, a hole may be provided for passing the power line 44 connected to the coil 48. The coil 48 is disposed concentrically with the iron core 46 between the iron core 46 and the inner surface of the power connection block 40. The power line 44 is connected to the coil 48. The power transmitting coil 42 generates an electromotive force when it receives power from the AC power source 6.

[0027] The surface of the power connection block 40 shown in FIG. 2(a) forms part of the road surface. Recesses 50 are formed in the surface of the power connection block 40. The recesses 50 are formed on each side of the square-shaped surface of the power connection block 40 and accommodate part of a positioning member. The recesses 50 are paired with similar recesses formed in adjacent paving blocks 8 to form a square-shaped recess. Because a positioning member is installed in this recess, the recesses 50 must be formed in a position opposite the recess of the adjacent paving block. Therefore, in this embodiment, the recesses 50 are formed in the center of each side of the power connection block 40 to ensure versatility. The positions of the recesses 50 are the same for the other paving blocks 8. Two screw holes 52 are provided at the corners of the recess 50 for screwing in positioning members.

[0028] Since no recess is formed in the curbstone 4, there is no need to form a recess on the side of the power connection block 40 facing the AC power supply 6 (the left side shown in FIG. 2(a)), as shown in the example of FIG. 2. If a recess is to be formed for manufacturing reasons, a member that fills the recess can be attached and fixed with screws.

[0029] FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram of a load block 60 in this embodiment. Of these, FIG. 3(a) is a plan view of the surface of the load block 60, which forms the surface of the road, as viewed from above. FIG. 3(b) is a front view of the load block 60 shown in FIG. 3(a), as viewed from the side in the downward direction of the drawing. FIG. 3(c) is a side view of the load block 60 shown in FIG. 3(a), as viewed from the side in the left direction of the drawing. As is clear from FIG. 3(a), FIG. 3(c) shows a view from the side where the path forming member 62 is arranged, and FIG. 3(b) shows a view from the side where the path forming member is not arranged.

[0030] The load block 60 is a paving block equipped with a load 12. The load block 60 includes, inside its body, a path forming member (hereinafter also referred to as a "power receiving coil") 62 that acts as a power receiving means, a power transmission mechanism including a power line 64 and a conversion circuit 70, and the load 12, which is a light-emitting body or the like. Note that, when the load 12 is a light-emitting body as illustrated in Fig. 3, the surface of the light-emitting body forms part of the road surface.

[0031] When laid on the road 2, the power receiving coil 62 is provided on the side facing an adjacent paving block 8 (hereinafter also referred to as the "adjacent paving block"). The power receiving coil 62 receives power transmitted from the adjacent paving block. Therefore, the paving block 8 disposed on the side opposite the power receiving coil 62 is a path forming paving block equipped with power transmission means. The power line 64 electrically connects the power receiving coil 62 to the load 12, and transmits the power received by the power receiving coil 62 from the AC power source 6 to the load 12.

[0032] In this embodiment, which uses electromagnetic induction for wireless power supply, the power receiving coil 62 includes an iron core 66 and a coil 68, similar to the configuration of the path forming member (i.e., the path forming member that functions as a power transmitting means) disposed opposite the power receiving coil 62. In this embodiment, the path forming member is formed with the same structure whether it functions as a power transmitting means or a power receiving means. That is, the iron core 66 is formed from a disc-shaped laminated steel plate. The coil 68 is provided concentrically with the iron core 66 between the iron core 66 and the inner surface of the load block 60. A power line 64 is connected to the coil 68.

[0033] The conversion circuit 70 is a circuit that converts current from AC to DC. Since the load 12 in this embodiment is assumed to use a DC power supply, the conversion circuit 70 is provided between the power receiving coil 62 and the load 12. If the load 12 uses an AC power supply, the conversion circuit 70 is not necessary.

[0034] The surface of the load block 60 shown in Figure 3(a) forms part of the road surface. Similar to the power connection block 40 shown in Figure 2, a recess 50 is formed on the surface of the load block 60 to accommodate part of the positioning member 20. The configuration of the recess 50 and its position on the surface are the same as those of the power connection block 40, so a description thereof will be omitted. In the load block 60 shown in Figure 3, a recess 50 is provided on each side of the square surface, but, similar to the case of the power connection block 40, it is not necessary to form a recess 50 on the side facing the curbstone 4.

[0035] Figure 4 is a schematic diagram of a relay block 80 in this embodiment. Of these, Figure 4(a) is a plan view of the surface of the relay block 80 that forms the surface of the road 2, as viewed from above. Figure 4(b) is a front view of the relay block 80 shown in Figure 4(a), as viewed from the side in the lower direction of the drawing. Figure 4(b) illustrates a side on which no path forming member is arranged.

[0036] The relay block 80 is a paving block that does not have an AC power source or a load, but simply relays power sent from the AC power source to the load. Therefore, the relay block 80 has at least one path forming member that acts as a power receiving means and one path forming member that acts as a power transmitting means. Figure 4 shows an example of a relay block 80 that has one path forming member that acts as a power receiving means (hereinafter also referred to as a "power receiving coil") 82 and one path forming member that acts as a power transmitting means (hereinafter also referred to as a "power transmitting coil") 84.

[0037] The relay block 80 includes a power transmission mechanism including a power receiving coil 82, a power transmitting coil 84, and a power line 86 inside the main body.

[0038] The power receiving coil 82 includes an iron core 88 and a coil 90, but has the same structure as the power receiving coil 62 shown in Figure 3, so its description will be omitted. The power transmitting coil 84 includes an iron core 92 and a coil 94, but has the same structure as the power transmitting coil 42 shown in Figure 2, so its description will be omitted. Therefore, a side view of the relay block 80 as seen from the left and right sides of the drawing is omitted because Figures 2(c) and 3(c) can be used instead. A power line 86 electrically connects the power receiving coil 82 and the power transmitting coil 84, and transmits the power received by the power receiving coil 82 to the power transmitting coil 84.

[0039] The surface of the relay block 80 shown in Figure 4(a) forms part of the road surface. Similar to the power supply connection block 40 and the load block 60, a recess 50 is formed on the surface of the relay block 80 to accommodate part of the positioning member 20. The configuration of the recess 50 and its position on the surface are the same as those of the power supply connection block 40, so a description thereof will be omitted. Furthermore, in the relay block 80 shown in Figure 4, a recess 50 is provided on each side of the square surface, but as with the power supply connection block 40, it is not necessary to form a recess 50 on the side facing the curbstone 4.

[0040] The above has described the three types of path forming paving blocks 8 used in this embodiment, namely the power supply connection block 40, the load block 60, and the relay block 80. Next, the positioning member 20 in this embodiment will be described.

[0041] Fig. 5 is a schematic diagram of the positioning member 20 in this embodiment. Fig. 5(a) is a front view of the positioning member 20. Fig. 5(b) is a side view of the positioning member 20 shown in Fig. 5(a) when viewed from the side on the right side of the drawing. Fig. 5(c) is a diagram showing the surface that forms the surface of the road 2, and is a plan view of the positioning member 20 shown in Fig. 5(a) when viewed from above in the drawing.

[0042] The positioning member 20 is fixed by screws to each of the paving blocks 8 that are laid adjacent to each other when forming the road 2, and is used to position the adjacent pair of paving blocks 8. The positioning member 20 is composed of a main body portion 24 and an insertion portion 26.

[0043] As explained with reference to Figures 2 to 4, the main body 24 is housed in a recess formed by a pair of recesses 50 formed in the surface of the paving block 8, and forms part of the road surface together with the paving block 8. Since it forms part of the road surface, the main body 24 is made of a strong metal such as an iron plate. When the main body 24 is placed in the recess, the insertion portion 26 is inserted into the joint.

[0044] The main body 24 is fitted into a pair of opposing recesses 50, so its surface is square. In other words, since the surface of the main body 24 is square, the aforementioned recesses formed when adjacent paving blocks 8 are laid are also square. Strictly speaking, the recesses and joints form a square. As such, the shape of the main body 24 or the shape formed by a pair of recesses 50 need only be the same, and the surface shape of the main body 24 and the shape formed by a pair of recesses 50 do not need to be square. If the surface of the main body 24 is square, the size should be, for example, 10 to 15 cm square.

[0045] The main body 24 includes a load 22, a conversion circuit 28, a power line 30, and a through-hole 32. The load 22 operates when power is supplied from an AC power source. The load 22 may be any electrically operated object, such as a light-emitting element formed by an LED or the like, a road marking, a road stud, a heating element such as a heating wire, or various sensors for detecting temperature, sound, etc. In this embodiment, a light-emitting element is assumed, and therefore the surface of the load 22 forms part of the road surface and emits light.

[0046] The conversion circuit 28, like the conversion circuit 70, is a circuit that converts current from AC to DC. If the load 22 uses an AC power source, the conversion circuit 28 is not necessary. The power line 30 sends the power converted to DC by the conversion circuit 28 to the load 22. The through-holes 32 are holes through which screws are passed to secure the main body 24, which is placed in the recess 50, to the recess 50. The positioning member 20 is detachably attached to a set of paving blocks 8 that are arranged adjacent to each other.

[0047] The insertion portion 26 is inserted between adjacent paving blocks 8, i.e., into the joint 14. With the insertion portion 26 inserted into the joint 14, the main body portion 24 is screwed into the recess 50, thereby allowing the positioning member 20 to position the adjacent paving blocks 8. To reliably fix the positioned paving blocks 8, it is desirable to make the width of the joint 14 equal to the thickness of the insertion portion 26. Because the insertion portion 26 is not directly subjected to loads like the main body portion 24, it does not require as much strength as the main body portion 24. Therefore, it may be made of plastic, for example.

[0048] The insertion section 26 includes a coil 36 and a power line 38. The coil 36 functions as a power supply means for supplying power to the load 22. The coil 36 receives power transmitted from a power transmission means using wireless power supply, similar to, for example, the coil 68 shown in FIG. 3 or the coil 90 shown in FIG. 4. The received power is supplied to the load 12 via the power line 38. Unlike the path forming members provided on the path forming paving blocks, the insertion section 26 does not have an iron core.

[0049] Figure 6 is a plan view from above of the path forming paving blocks 8 (40, 60, 80) shown in Figures 2 to 4 laid on a roadbed (not shown) and the positioning member 20 shown in Figure 5 installed. In other words, it shows the state after the road has been formed. Figure 7 is a front view of the path forming paving blocks 8 and positioning member 20 shown in Figure 6 viewed from the side. First, the engagement relationship between the path forming paving blocks 8 and the positioning member 20 will be explained using Figures 6 and 7.

[0050] As shown in Figures 6 and 7, the path-forming paving blocks 8 are laid on the roadbed in the order of power supply connection block 40, relay block 80, and load block 60. This arrangement is so that the power supply connection block 40 receives power from the AC power supply 6 and transmits it to the relay block 80, and the relay block 80 relays the power from the AC power supply 6 to the load block 60. In this embodiment, each paving block 8 is laid so that the joint width is, for example, 5 to 10 mm. The thickness of the insertion portion 26 is formed to be 5 to 10 mm to match the width of this joint 14.

[0051] The positioning member 20 is then placed so that the insertion portion 26 is inserted into the joint 14 and the main body portion 24 is housed in a recess formed by a pair of recesses 50. In this state, the through holes 32 of the positioning member 20 and the screw holes 52 of the path-forming paving blocks 8 are aligned, so the positioning member 20 is fastened by screws (bolts) 54 to a set of paving blocks 8 whose four corners are adjacently arranged.

[0052] When the paving block 8 is positioned by the positioning member 20, the power transmission coil 42 of the power connection block 40 and the power receiving coil 82 of the relay block 80 are arranged in opposing positions. Also, the power transmission coil 84 of the relay block 80 and the power receiving coil 62 of the load block 60 are arranged in opposing positions.

[0053] Incidentally, the coil 36 shown in Fig. 5 is not built into the insertion portion 26C of the positioning member 20C that positions the relay block 80 and the load block 60. This point will be described later.

[0054] As shown in Figure 5, the insertion portion 26 of the positioning member 20, which positions the power connection block 40 and the relay block 80, has a coil 36 built in. The coil 36 is aligned and disposed between the power transmitting coil 42 of the positioned power connection block 40 and the power receiving coil 82 of the relay block 80. Incidentally, the power connection block 40 corresponds to a first paving block equipped with power transmitting means, and the relay block 80 corresponds to a second paving block disposed adjacent to the power connection block 40 and equipped with power receiving means.

[0055] An alternating current from the AC power supply 6 flows through the power line 44 to the power transmitting coil 42 of the power connection block 40. This generates a magnetic flux in the power transmitting coil 42. This magnetic flux penetrates the side surface of the power connection block 40 perpendicularly, and generates an electromotive force by electromagnetic induction in the coil 36 of the positioning member 20 that positions the power connection block 40, and in the power receiving coil 82 of the relay block 80 adjacent to the power connection block 40, which faces the side surface through which the magnetic flux penetrates.

[0056] In the positioning member 20, the power received by the coil 36 from the power connection block 40 is sent to the conversion circuit 28 through the power line 38, and is converted from AC to DC by the conversion circuit 28. The load 22 is then operated by receiving the power converted to DC via the power line 30.

[0057] Furthermore, in the relay block 80, the power received by the power receiving coil 82 from the power supply connection block 40 is transmitted to the power transmitting coil 84 through a power line 86. The power receiving coil 62 of the load block 60 is disposed at a position facing the power transmitting coil 84 of the relay block 80. The power transmission from the power transmitting coil 84 that has received power to the power receiving coil 62 works in the same way as the power transmission from the power transmitting coil 42 to the power receiving coil 82, and therefore a description thereof will be omitted.

[0058] In the load block 60, the power received from the relay block 80 by the power receiving coil 62 is sent to the conversion circuit 70 through the power line 64, and is converted from AC to DC by the conversion circuit 70. The load 12 then operates by receiving the power converted to DC.

[0059] 5 is not built into the insertion portion 26C of the positioning member 20C that positions the relay block 80 and the load block 60. This is because the positioning member 20C does not need to carry a load, and therefore does not include the coil 36. Therefore, unlike the positioning member 20 that has the function of supplying power to the load 22, the positioning member 20C is formed with a structure that has its own positioning function.

[0060] As described above, in this embodiment, the positioning member 20 is provided with the coil 36 as power supply means and is configured to be able to receive power transmitted using wireless power supply, so that the load 22 can be disposed on the positioning member 20. For example, the load 22 can be easily installed between the relay block 80 and the load block 60 simply by replacing the positioning member 20C shown in FIG. 6 which does not have a load 22 with the positioning member 20 which has a load 22.

[0061] At this time, the bolts 54 are removed to remove the positioning member 20C, and a new positioning member 20 is placed in the recess as described above and screwed in place. This is a simple process.

[0062] When it is desired to replace the load 22 of the positioning member 20 that positions the power supply connection block 40 and the relay block 80, the load 22 can be replaced in the same manner.

[0063] The loads 12 attached to the paving blocks 8 can be formed in various shapes within the surface area of ​​the paving blocks 8. Therefore, by arranging multiple load blocks 60 adjacent to each other, it is easy to form letter-based road markings using multiple loads 12. On the other hand, the loads 22 attached to the positioning members 20 may be limited in the road markings that can be formed compared to when multiple load blocks 60 are combined, due to the size of the surface that forms the road surface.

[0064] However, replacing the load 12 in the load block 60 requires replacing the entire paving block 8. As mentioned above, the paving block 8 is heavy, so replacing the block is a heavy workload. On the other hand, the positioning member 20 in this embodiment is lightweight compared to the paving block 8 and is detachably attached to the paving block 8, making it easy to replace the load 22.

[0065] Incidentally, the relay block 80 shown in Fig. 4 has path forming members 82 and 84 provided at opposing positions. Relay blocks 8c, 8e, 8f, 8h, and 8j shown in Fig. 1 correspond to the structure of this relay block 80. However, there are cases where it is necessary to change the direction of power transmission, as in relay blocks 8b, 8d, and 8i shown in Fig. 1. Therefore, modified examples of the relay block 80, particularly the arrangement patterns of the path forming members in the relay blocks, will be described using Figs. 8 and 9.

[0066] Fig. 8 is a schematic diagram of the relay block 180 in this embodiment, and is a diagram showing a modified example of the relay block. Of these, Fig. 8(a) is a plan view of the surface layer of the relay block 180 when viewed from above, and is a diagram corresponding to Fig. 4(a). Fig. 8(b) is a front view of the relay block 180 shown in Fig. 8(a) when viewed from the side in the lower direction of the drawing, and is a diagram corresponding to Fig. 4(b). Note that the same components as those in the relay block 80 shown in Fig. 4 are given the same reference numerals, and explanations thereof will be omitted as appropriate.

[0067] 4, a path forming member 82 that acts as a power receiving coil and a path forming member 84 that acts as a power transmitting coil are provided on opposing sides, while a relay block 180 shown in FIG. 8 further includes path forming members 96, 102 on each of the lower and upper sides of the drawing. Like the path forming member 84, the path forming member 96 includes an iron core 98 and a coil 100, and the path forming member 102 includes an iron core 104 and a coil 106. The path forming member 82 is connected in series with the path forming members 84, 96, and 102 that act as power transmitting coils by a power line 86. Therefore, the power received by the path forming member 82 is distributed to the path forming members 84, 96, and 102.

[0068] 8 shows a modified example in which power received by path forming member 82 is transmitted to three path forming members 84, 96, and 102, but the connection relationship is not limited to this. For example, as shown in FIG. 8, path forming members 96 and 102 may be provided on adjacent sides of path forming member 84, which acts as a power receiving coil, so that power can be distributed in three directions. Alternatively, two of path forming members 84, 96, and 102 may be provided to distribute power in two directions. Alternatively, only one of path forming members 84, 96, and 102 may be provided to supply power in one direction.

[0069] In the relay block 180 shown in FIG. 8, when the path forming member 84 acts as a power receiving coil, the other path forming members 84, 96, 102 act as power transmitting coils.

[0070] Here, for example, a relay block 180 identical to that shown in FIG. 8 (hereinafter referred to as an "adjacent relay block") is disposed below the relay block 180 shown in FIG. 8. In this case, the path forming member 102 of the adjacent relay block 180 is disposed opposite the path forming member 96 of the relay block 180. As described above, the path forming member 96 of the relay block 180 acts as a power transmitting means. Therefore, the path forming member 102 of the adjacent relay block 180 acts as a power receiving means. As described above, the path forming member 102 of the relay block 180 acts as a power transmitting means. In other words, the path forming member 102 at the same position may act as a power transmitting means or as a power receiving means.

[0071] In this way, the path-forming member functions as either a power transmission means or a power reception means depending on its positional relationship with the adjacent path-forming paving blocks. Various methods have been proposed to improve power transmission efficiency, such as adjusting the number of turns of the coil. However, since the path-forming member in this embodiment may function as both a power transmission means and a power reception means as described above, the path-forming member is basically formed with an equivalent structure. Of course, if the function of the path-forming member (i.e., power transmission means or power reception means) is specified without making the paving blocks versatile, the path-forming member may be formed with a structure that increases the amount of power transmitted and received between the paving blocks 8.

[0072] Fig. 9 is a schematic diagram of the relay block 280 in this embodiment, and shows another modified example of the relay block. Of these, Fig. 9(a) is a plan view of the surface of the relay block 280 when viewed from above, and is a diagram corresponding to Fig. 4(a). Fig. 9(b) is a front view of the relay block 280 shown in Fig. 9(a) when viewed from the side in the lower direction of the drawing, and is a diagram corresponding to Fig. 4(b). Note that the same components as those in the relay blocks 80 and 180 shown in Figs. 4 and 9 are given the same reference numerals, and descriptions thereof will be omitted as appropriate.

[0073] In the relay block 180 shown in FIG. 8 , the path formation member 82 acting as a power receiving unit is connected in series with the path formation members 84, 96, and 102 acting as power transmitting units. In contrast, in the relay block 280 shown in FIG. 9 , the path formation member 82 acting as a power receiving unit is connected in parallel with the path formation members 84, 96, and 102 acting as power transmitting units. When the path formation members 82, 84, 96, and 102 are connected in parallel, even if, for example, the power line 86 connected to the path formation member 82 is disconnected downstream of the branching point to each of the path formation members 84, 96, and 102, such as the power line 86a, power may not be transmitted to the path formation member 84, but power can continue to be transmitted to the path formation members 96 and 102. Similarly, for example, if the power line 86b is disconnected, power may not be transmitted to the path formation member 96, but power can continue to be transmitted to the path formation members 84 and 102.

[0074] In the above explanation, the location and number of path forming members are explained using relay blocks, but it is also possible to apply this to other types of path forming paving blocks 8, i.e., power connection blocks 40 and load blocks 60.

[0075] [Configuration of the present invention] Configuration 1: an insertion portion that is inserted into a joint formed between a first paving block equipped with a power transmission means that transmits power from a power source using wireless power supply, and a second paving block that is laid on the road adjacent to the first paving block and equipped with a power receiving means that receives power transmitted from the first paving block using the wireless power supply; a main body portion that is detachably attached to the first paving block and the second paving block and fixes the insertion portion within the joint; Load and Equipped with A paving block positioning member characterized in that, when the insertion portion is fixed by the main body portion, it is aligned between the opposing power transmitting means and power receiving means, and is equipped with a power supply means that receives power transmitted from the first paving block using the wireless power supply and supplies it to the load. Configuration 2: A road power transmission structure that transmits power from a power source to a load, a first paving block having a power transmission means for transmitting power from a power source using wireless power supply; A second paving block is laid on the road adjacent to the first paving block and is equipped with a power receiving means that receives power transmitted from the first paving block using the wireless power supply; the positioning member according to configuration 1; A road power transmission structure comprising: [Explanation of symbols]

[0076] 2 road, 4 curbstone, 6 AC power supply, 8, 8a to 8k paving blocks, 10 power transmission path, 12, 22, 22A, 22B load, 14 gap (joint), 20, 20A, 20B, 20C positioning member, 24 main body, 26, 26C insertion portion, 28, 70 conversion circuit, 30, 38, 44, 64, 86, 86a, 86b power line, 32 through hole, 36, 48, 68, 90, 94, 100, 106 coil, 40 power connection block, 42, 62, 82, 84, 96, 102 path forming member, 46, 66, 88, 92, 98, 104 iron core, 50 recess, 52 screw hole, 60 load block, 80, 180, 280 relay block, 54 bolt.

Claims

1. an insertion portion that is inserted into a joint formed between a first paving block equipped with a power transmission means that transmits power from a power source using wireless power supply, and a second paving block that is laid on the road adjacent to the first paving block and equipped with a power receiving means that receives power transmitted from the first paving block using the wireless power supply; a main body portion that is detachably attached to the first paving block and the second paving block and fixes the insertion portion within the joint; Load and Equipped with A paving block positioning member characterized in that, when the insertion portion is fixed by the main body portion, it is aligned between the opposing power transmitting means and power receiving means, and is equipped with a power supply means that receives power transmitted from the first paving block using the wireless power supply and supplies it to the load.

2. A road power transmission structure that transmits power from a power source to a load, a first paving block having a power transmission means for transmitting power from a power source using wireless power supply; A second paving block is laid on the road adjacent to the first paving block and is equipped with a power receiving means that receives power transmitted from the first paving block using the wireless power supply; The positioning member according to claim 1; A road power transmission structure comprising:

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