Display machine, signal machine

Abstract

To provide an indicator and a signal device that can effectively suppress growth of snow accretion.SOLUTION: Multiple light source installation parts 3 are arranged approximately in parallel with each other at a predetermined interval. Each light source installation part 3 is housed inside a transparent cover member 9 of an approximately circular shape in cross section. Each light source installation part 3 is fixed to a fixing column 15 by a fixing member 11. Upper and lower end parts of the fixing column 15 are fixed to a frame part 7. That is, the light source installation parts 3 are fixed to the frame part 7. In contrast, the cover member 9 rotates around the light source installation parts 3 about the fixing column 15 as center.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an indicator, such as a traffic signal, capable of preventing snow from accumulating, particularly in snowy regions. [Background technology]

[0002] In recent years, with the change in the global environment, damage caused by heavy snowfalls in strong winds in winter has become a problem. Heavy snowfall not only creates obstacles to road traffic, but also causes snow to accumulate on traffic signal lamps and other equipment due to blizzards, blocking the light emitted by the traffic signal colors, making the traffic signal invisible. For this reason, measures to prevent snow accumulation on indicators such as traffic signals are desired.

[0003] One method of preventing snow accumulation is to provide a hood or cover to cover the traffic light (see, for example, Patent Document 1 and Patent Document 2).

[0004] There is also a method of melting snow using a heating element (eg, Patent Document 3 and Patent Document 4).

[0005] However, while methods such as those described in Patent Documents 1 and 2 that provide large hoods or the like may make it more difficult for snow to accumulate, once snow does accumulate, the area where snow has accumulated will expand, hindering the visibility of the traffic light.

[0006] Furthermore, when infrared rays are used as a heat source as in Patent Document 3, electrical energy is converted into light, which results in poor efficiency in conversion and absorption, and the difficulty of requiring an extremely large amount of electrical energy to generate sufficient heat to remove snow from the light-emitting surface.

[0007] Furthermore, Patent Document 4 provides a cover to form a dark portion that absorbs light, which is a heat source, and generates heat. However, this has problems in that it is inefficient when using light as an energy transmission means, and covering the traffic light with such a material impedes visibility under normal circumstances.

[0008] In response to this, a display has been proposed in which multiple light source arrangement sections are arranged at a predetermined interval so that wind and snow from the front can pass through the gaps between adjacent light source arrangement sections to the rear (Patent Document 5). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0009] [Patent Document 1] JP 2008-305025 A [Patent Document 2] Publication No. 2009-190554 [Patent Document 3] Utility Model Registration No. 3161877 [Patent Document 4] JP 2012-108861 A [Patent Document 5] Patent Publication No. 2021-26658 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0010] According to Patent Document 5, snow blown from the front passes through the gap between adjacent light source arrangement sections to the rear, so by appropriately setting the gap between the light source arrangement sections, it is possible to prevent snow from accumulating on the front surface of the light source arrangement section. However, the form of snow accumulation varies depending on various factors such as the strength and direction of the wind, the size of the snowflakes, and the moisture content. For this reason, it is difficult to completely prevent snow from accumulating on the front surface of the light source arrangement section. For this reason, a method is desired that allows snow to be easily removed even if it accumulates on the front surface of the light source arrangement section.

[0011] The present invention has been made in consideration of such problems, and has an object to provide a display and a traffic light that can more efficiently suppress the growth of snow accretion. [Means for solving the problem]

[0012] In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, the first invention is a display comprising a light source arrangement section having a light source arranged therein, a connecting section that connects a plurality of the light source arrangement sections at a predetermined interval, a transparent cover member that houses the light source arrangement section therein, and a drive section that is capable of rotating at least a portion of the cover member around the light source arrangement section.

[0013] the light source arrangement portion has a front surface and an inclined surface formed in a direction toward a side of the front surface by a predetermined angle, It is preferable that the light source is provided on each of the front surface and the inclined surface.

[0014] The drive section may be capable of rotating the cover member relative to only a portion of the light source arrangement sections.

[0015] A removal member for removing deposits adhering to the surface of the cover member may be disposed on the rear side of the cover member.

[0016] According to the first aspect of the present invention, gaps are formed between adjacent cover members, and wind can pass through these gaps, which prevents stagnation of the wind flow in front of the cover members and prevents snow from accumulating on the front surfaces of the cover members. In this case, even if snow accumulates on the front surfaces of the cover members for some reason, the cover members are rotating, so the snow can be moved toward the gaps, and the snow can be removed by the wind passing through the gaps.

[0017] Furthermore, by arranging light sources in the light source installation section so that they face in multiple directions, it is possible to suppress a decrease in visibility even if some snow accumulates.

[0018] Also, instead of rotating all the cover members of the light source arrangement parts, only some of them may be rotated. For example, even if every other cover member is rotated, the same effect can be obtained because snow accumulation can be suppressed at least on the rotated cover members. In this case, by arranging light sources in multiple directions in the light source arrangement parts, even if snow accumulates on the non-rotating parts, the light from the adjacent light source arrangement parts can be emitted in that direction, so that the decrease in visibility can be minimized.

[0019] Furthermore, by locating a removal section for removing deposits behind the cover member, deposits adhering to the cover member can be removed more reliably.

[0020] The second invention is a traffic light using a display device according to the first invention, characterized in that in a plurality of the light source arrangement sections arranged in an approximately rectangular shape, the light sources are arranged so as to form an approximately circular shape when viewed from the front.

[0021] According to the second invention, a traffic light with excellent visibility can be obtained. In this case, a panel that blocks light from the circular part of the traffic light is not used, and the light source is arranged so that the light-emitting part of the traffic light is made substantially circular, so that the flow of wind is not obstructed. Effect of the Invention

[0022] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a display device and a traffic light capable of efficiently suppressing the growth of snow accretion. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0023] [Figure 1] FIG. 4A is a front view showing the display unit 1, and FIG. 4B is a cross-sectional view showing the display unit 1, taken along line BB in FIG. [Diagram 2] FIG. [Diagram 3] FIG. 4A is a diagram showing a rotation structure of a cover member 9, and FIG. 4B is a cross-sectional view taken along line CC in FIG. [Figure 4]13(a) to 13(c) are diagrams illustrating the rotational operation of the cover member 9. [Diagram 5] 3 is a conceptual diagram showing the direction of light emitted from the light source arrangement section 3. FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0024] Hereinafter, a first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1(a) is a front view of a display device 1, and FIG. 1(b) is a cross-sectional view of the display device 1 taken along line BB in FIG. 1(a). In the illustrated example, rear light-shielding members and the like are omitted. In the following description, an example in which the display device 1 is a traffic signal with three devices lined up horizontally will be described, but the display device 1 of the present invention may be vertically linked or may be a double traffic signal. In addition to traffic signals, the display device 1 can also be used as a display device that displays traffic information, warnings, signs, and other information.

[0025] The display device 1 is mainly composed of a light source mounting section 3, a light source 5, a frame section 7, a cover member 9, etc. A plurality of light sources 5 are arranged in the longitudinal direction in the light source mounting section 3. The light sources 5 are, for example, LED light sources.

[0026] The light source arrangement sections 3 are arranged substantially parallel to one another at a predetermined interval. In the illustrated example, the light source arrangement sections 3 are arranged in a vertical lattice pattern in the vertical direction. The frame section 7 serves as a connecting section that supports the light source arrangement sections 3 at least at the upper and lower parts of the light source arrangement sections 3.

[0027] The light source arrangement section 3 is housed inside a transparent cover member 9 having a substantially circular cross-sectional shape. Gaps 19 are formed between adjacent cover members 9. In this way, by forming gaps 19 between a plurality of adjacent cover members 9, it is possible for wind from the front to pass through the gaps between adjacent cover members 9 to the rear. Note that forming a gap between adjacent cover members 9 means that there is an intentional space between adjacent cover members 9 through which wind can pass.

[0028] A plurality of light sources 5 are arranged in each light source arrangement section 3. Since the light source arrangement sections 3 are of approximately the same length and arranged at a predetermined interval, the light emitting area in which the light sources 5 can be installed is approximately rectangular. In the plurality of light source arrangement sections 3 arranged in such an approximately rectangular shape, the light sources 5 are arranged so as to form an approximately circular shape when viewed from the front (A in the figure). In this way, light is emitted in an approximately circular shape, which can be recognized as circular light.

[0029] It should be noted that there is also a method of covering the area other than the circular light-emitting area with a shielding plate or the like, but in this case, the gap between adjacent light source arrangement sections 3 is filled with the shielding plate. As a result, the shielding plate prevents the flow of fluid (wind) between adjacent light source arrangement sections 3. For this reason, it is preferable to form a substantially circular light-emitting area by arranging the light sources 5 in the light source arrangement section 3, rather than blocking a portion of the light source arrangement section 3.

[0030] 2 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of one light source arrangement section 3, etc. The light source arrangement section 3 has a front surface 3a and inclined surfaces 3b formed on both sides of the front surface 3a toward the side at a predetermined angle from the front surface 3a. The light sources 5 are provided on both the front surface 3a and the inclined surfaces 3b. That is, the light sources 5 are arranged in at least three rows in the longitudinal direction. Note that, in the illustrated example, a row of light sources 5 is provided on each of the front surface 3a and the inclined surfaces 3b, but multiple rows of light sources 5 may be provided on each surface.

[0031] The light source arrangement section 3 is fixed to a fixed support 15 by a fixing member 11. The upper and lower ends of the fixed support 15 are fixed to the frame section 7. That is, the light source arrangement section 3 is fixed to the frame section 7. On the other hand, the cover member 9 is rotatable with respect to the light source arrangement section 3. The rotational movement of the cover member 9 will be described in detail later.

[0032] As shown in FIG. 1(b), a removal member 17 for removing snow-adhered deposits on the surface of the cover member 9 is disposed on the rear side of the display unit 1 (light source arrangement section 3). The removal member 17 may be in contact with the cover member 9, or may be disposed with a small gap therebetween. The removal member 17 may be a hard member or an elastically deformable member. For example, the removal member 17 may be a scraper-like member or may be brush-like.

[0033] Next, the rotational operation of the cover member 9 will be described. Fig. 3(a) is a diagram showing the rotational structure of the cover member 9, and Fig. 3(b) is a cross-sectional view taken along line CC in Fig. 3(a). A drive unit 21 is fixed to the frame 7. A drive roller 25 is fixed to the rotation shaft of the drive unit 21. A roller 27 is fixed above the cover member 9. A bearing 31 is disposed above the roller 27, and the fixed support 15 is supported by the bearing 31.

[0034] As described above, the fixed column 15 is fixed to the frame portion 7 and does not rotate. That is, the light source mounting portion 3 does not rotate. On the other hand, the roller 27 can rotate with respect to the fixed column 15 together with the bearing 31. That is, the cover member 9 can rotate with respect to the light source mounting portion 3.

[0035] The drive roller 25 and the roller 27, and the rollers 27 themselves, are connected by a connecting member 23. That is, the rotation of the drive roller 25 is transmitted to the other rollers 27 connected by the connecting member 23. In the illustrated example, every other roller 27 is fixed to the cover member 9. Therefore, when the drive unit 21 is driven, every other cover member 9 rotates around the light source arrangement unit 3 with the fixed support 15 as the center.

[0036] In this embodiment, the cover members 9 are rotated for every other light source installation section 3, but all of the cover members 9 may be rotated. Also, instead of every other cover member 9, the cover members 9 may be rotated for only some of the light source installation sections 3. Also, the method of transmitting the rotational force of the drive section 21 is not limited to the method using rollers and connecting members 23, and may be a method using gears or the like. Also, the rotation direction does not have to be constant, and may be reversed.

[0037] As in Patent Document 5, in this embodiment, multiple cover members 9 are installed on the light-emitting surface, and gaps 19 are formed between adjacent cover members 9. Therefore, the width of each cover member 9 is small compared to the entire light-emitting surface, and the snow accumulation area is narrow. In addition, by making the front of the cover member 9 into a gently convex shape, the wind flows gently (without forming large turbulence) to the rear of the cover member 9. Therefore, the stagnation point area can be made small.

[0038] On the other hand, even if the stagnation point area is small, snow may accumulate in that small stagnation point area. However, by rotating the cover member 9, the snow-accumulated area moves out of the stagnation point area, so that the snow can be more reliably removed rearward together with the wind flowing between the adjacent cover members 9.

[0039] Next, the effect of the removal member 17 will be described. Fig. 4(a) is a diagram showing a state in which snowflakes or other attachments 29 are attached to the front surface of the cover members 9. When some of the cover members 9 are rotated from this state, the attachments 29 are removed by wind flowing through the gaps 19 between the adjacent cover members 9, as described above. However, if the attachments 29 are firmly attached, there are cases in which the attachments cannot be removed even by the wind flowing through the gaps 19 of the cover members 9 (Fig. 4(b)).

[0040] Even in this case, since the removal member 17 is disposed behind the cover member 9, the deposits 29 are scraped off and removed behind the cover member 9 by the removal member 17. Therefore, the surface of the cover member 9 is always kept clean, and the light from the light source 5 can be visually confirmed.

[0041] The driving unit 21 may rotate constantly or may operate intermittently. For example, it may be operated only at a predetermined time during the day or at night by a timer, or may operate under predetermined conditions by detecting the temperature or weather with a sensor or the like. Also, the presence of an attachment on the surface of the cover member 9 may be detected by a sensor. Also, when an administrator is present, such as at a toll gate signal on a highway or the like, the driving unit 21 may be operated manually.

[0042] As described above, all of the cover members 9 may be rotated, but some (for example, every other) of the cover members 9 may be rotated. In this case, there is a risk that the deposit 29 may remain on the front surface of the cover members 9 that are not rotated. This may make it difficult to visually recognize the light from the light source arrangement portion 3 housed inside the cover members 9.

[0043] 5 is a diagram showing a state in which a deposit 29 is attached to the front surface of some of the cover members 9 (non-rotating cover members 9). As described above, a plurality of light sources 5 are arranged facing different directions in one light source arrangement section 3. For this reason, light (E in the figure) directed toward the front direction from the front surface 3a of the light source arrangement section 3 and light (F in the figure) directed in an oblique direction from the inclined surface 3b are emitted from the light source arrangement section 3.

[0044] In this way, since light is emitted from the light source arrangement section 3 even in an oblique direction, even if the light from every other light source arrangement section 3 is blocked, the light is also emitted in the same direction from the adjacent light source arrangement section 3, so the decrease in visibility can be minimized. Also, a part of the light emitted obliquely is reflected forward by the cover member 9 (G in the figure). Therefore, the decrease in visibility can be suppressed without rotating all of the cover members 9.

[0045] As described above, according to this embodiment, the structure allows wind and snow to blow through between adjacent cover members 9 housing light sources 5, so that the dynamic pressure received from the wind blowing in front of the cover member 9 can be significantly reduced. This makes it possible to significantly reduce snow accumulation on the light-emitting surface of the cover member 9. Furthermore, even if snow or the like accumulates on the front surface of the cover member 9, the deposits 29 can be easily removed by rotating the cover member 9.

[0046] In particular, by arranging the removal member 17 on the rear side of the cover member 9, the deposits 29 can be reliably removed from the rear side of the cover member 9, and the cover member 9 can always be kept clean. In this case, since the removal member 17 is arranged on the rear side of the cover member 9, the visibility of the display unit 1 is not hindered.

[0047] In addition, by arranging the light sources 5 not only on the front surface 3a of the light source arrangement portion 3 but also on the inclined surface 3b, it is possible to suppress a decrease in visibility even if a deposit 29 is attached to the front surface of some of the cover members 9. Therefore, it is not necessary to rotate all of the cover members 9, and the drive unit 21 can be made smaller.

[0048] Although the embodiment of the present invention has been described above with reference to the attached drawings, the technical scope of the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment. It is clear that a person skilled in the art can think of various modifications or alterations within the scope of the technical ideas described in the claims, and it is understood that these also naturally belong to the technical scope of the present invention.

[0049] For example, although the light source arrangement section 3 (cover member 9) is arranged in a vertical lattice pattern, it may be arranged in a horizontal lattice pattern. [Explanation of symbols]

[0050] 1……Display device 3……Light source installation part 3a……Front 3b……Slope surface 5……Light source 7...Frame 9: Cover member 11...Fixing member 15……Fixed support 17...Removal member 19. Gap 21...Drive section 23...Connecting member 25...Drive roller 27...Laura 29....Attachment 31...Bearing

Claims

1. a light source arrangement section in which a light source is provided; a connecting portion that connects the plurality of light source arrangement portions at a predetermined interval; A transparent cover member that houses the light source arrangement portion therein; a drive unit capable of rotating at least a part of the cover member around the light source arrangement portion; A display device comprising:

2. the light source arrangement portion has a front surface and an inclined surface formed in a direction toward a side of the front surface by a predetermined angle, 2. The display according to claim 1, wherein the light source is provided on each of the front surface and the inclined surface.

3. 2. The display device according to claim 1, wherein the drive unit is capable of rotating the cover member with respect to only a portion of the light source arrangement portion.

4. 2. The display according to claim 1, further comprising a removal member disposed on the rear side of the cover member for removing matter adhering to the surface of the cover member.

5. A traffic signal using the display device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, A traffic light, characterized in that the light sources in the light source arrangement sections arranged in a substantially rectangular shape are arranged so as to form a substantially circular shape when viewed from the front.

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