Road delineation device

Abstract

A road delineation device suitable for delineating the edge of a roadway section of a road infrastructure is described. The device comprises a light source which emits a plurality of light rays and a reflector which reflects at least part of the plurality of light rays emitted by the light source, the reflector defining an opening through which the plurality of light rays emitted by the light source exits the device. When the device is installed along the edge of the roadway section, the light source is at least partially positioned externally with respect to a substantially vertical plane, substantially parallel to the direction of extension of the roadway section and externally tangential to the opening of the reflector. Moreover, the reflector is configured to, when the device is installed along the edge of the roadway section, reflect the at least part of the plurality of light rays emitted by the light source towards the inside of the roadway section.

Description

[0001] ROAD DELINEATION DEVICE

[0002] Technical field

[0003] The present invention relates in general to the field of road traffic signalling systems. In particular the present invention relates to a road delineation device suitable for delineating the edge of a roadway section of a road infrastructure.

[0004] Prior art

[0005] As is known, road delineators are road traffic signalling devices which are installed along a roadway section (for example along the edge of the roadway, or along the lines delimiting the lanes, if the roadway section has multiple lanes) in order to improve the visibility of the edges of the roadway section and / or its lanes, in particular in low light conditions, in adverse weather conditions, along roadway sections with poor visibility or where there are curves, hairpin bends, intersections or pedestrian crossings. In this way, the road delineators help drivers to maintain the correct position of their vehicles along the roadway or along its lanes, thus reducing the risk of driving off the road or collisions with other vehicles or pedestrians and, therefore, increasing overall the safety of the traffic.

[0006] The road delineators suitable for delineating the edge of a roadway section may be installed on special supports. Alternatively, if along the edge of the roadway section a safety barrier (for example a guardrail) is present, the road delineators may be fixed to the beam of the guardrail. The mutual distance between consecutive road delineators depends on the specific application. For example, in the case where the roadway section to be delineated is a bend, the mutual distance between consecutive road delineators decreases with a reduction in the radius of curvature of the bend.

[0007] Road delineators may be of the passive type or active type.

[0008] Road delineators of the passive type in general comprise a reflective surface of the retro-reflecting type. In daytime lighting conditions, said surface reflects towards the drivers of passing vehicles a fraction of the natural light, while at nighttime it reflects towards the drivers of passing vehicles the light emitted by the headlamps of the said vehicles. Passive delineators are effective substantially at nighttime and in adverse weather conditions, since during the day and with good visibility conditions, the retro-reflecting effect towards the drivers of passing vehicles is substantially zero.

[0009] The road delineators of the active type comprise instead one or more light sources. These latter delineators have the advantage that they may be visible in any lighting conditions, provided that the intensity of their light sources is suitably adjusted.

[0010] IT 102017000088812 describes a lighting and road delineation apparatus suitable for being fixed to the beam of a guardrail and comprising both a system for lighting the road surface and a road delineation system, for example a passive system (i.e. a retroreflector or reflex reflector). Alternatively, the road delineation system may be active and comprise a board with a plurality of LEDs for delineating junctions, bends, dangerous sections, roundabouts or intersections and helping orient drivers in the event of fog and warning them in advance of accidents or roadworks.

[0011] Summary of the invention

[0012] A road delineator (both of the passive type and of the active type) must be visible for all the drivers of passing vehicles, irrespective as their position along the roadway. A driver of a heavy goods vehicle will in fact typically be situated in a higher position than the driver of a motorcar; also the distance of the driver from the edge of the roadway may vary, depending on the type of vehicle and the specific trajectory followed along the roadway. In any case, in order to ensure the safety of the traffic, all the drivers must be able to see clearly the road delineators.

[0013] The visibility of a road delineator depends on various factors, including the distribution of the light intensity of the light emitted by the said delineator, whether it be reflected (in the case of a passive delineator) or emitted by its LED (in the case of an active delineator). For example, in the case of road delineators of the active type, the UNI EN 12352 standard stipulates that the light intensity must be concentrated within an angle of ± 7° in the horizontal plane and within an angle of ± 7° in the vertical plane.

[0014] The Applicant has noted that, if the delineator is positioned along the edge of the roadway, a distribution of the light intensity such that it is concentrated within an angle of ± 7° (or in any case is symmetrical with respect to the direction of extension at the point of installation) disadvantageously results in a dispersion of the radiation, i.e. the emission of rays which are directed towards the outside of the roadway and which, therefore, do not help improve the visibility of the delineator for drivers of vehicles travelling along the roadway.

[0015] In view of the above, the Applicant has faced the problem of providing a road delineation device of the active type which, when installed along the edge of a roadway section of a road infrastructure, has a distribution of the light intensity in the horizontal plane such as to minimize the dispersions (namely the emission of rays towards the outside of the roadway) such that substantially all the rays emitted by the device are directed towards the inside of the roadway (namely towards the drivers of passing vehicles) and help improve the visibility of the delineator.

[0016] In the present description and the claims, the adjectives “internal” and “external” (and the corresponding adverbs “internally” and “externally”) are to be understood as being in relation to the roadway and to its edge. Therefore “internal” and “internally” will indicate entities and directions directed from the edge of the roadway towards the inside, while “external” and “externally” will indicate entities and directions directed from the edge of the roadway towards the outside of the roadway.

[0017] According to embodiments of the present invention, the aforementioned object is achieved by a road delineation device suitable for delineating the edge of a roadway section of a road infrastructure, comprising a light source and a reflector; the light source emits a plurality of light rays; the reflector reflects at least part of the plurality of light rays emitted by the light source and defines an opening through which the plurality of light rays emitted by the light source exits the device; in the operating condition (namely when the device is installed at a certain point along the edge of the roadway section), the light source is at least partially positioned externally with respect to a plane (also called below “longitudinal plane”), which is substantially vertical, parallel to the direction of extension of the roadway at the installation point and externally tangential to the opening of the reflector; the reflector is also configured so that, in the operation condition (namely when the device is installed at a certain point along the edge of the roadway section), it reflects the at least part of the plurality of light rays emitted by the light source towards the inside of the roadway section.

[0018] The roadway delineation device according to embodiments of the present invention, when installed, advantageously exhibits a distribution of the light intensity in the horizontal plane such as to minimize the dispersions (namely the emission of rays towards the outside of the roadway) so that substantially all the rays emitted by the device are directed towards the inside of the roadway (namely towards the drivers of the passing vehicles) and help improve the visibility of the delineator.

[0019] Since the light source is positioned at least partially externally with respect to the longitudinal plane externally tangential to the opening of the reflector, it is located in a position at least partially external with respect to the opening. Therefore, the light rays emitted by the light source portion located externally with respect to the longitudinal plane along directions comprised within the angle having its vertex in the light source and sides which join the said source to the two internal and external ends of the opening (also called below “angle of direct emission in the horizontal plane”, or also only “direct emission angle”) exit directly from the device through the opening defined by the reflector (namely without undergoing any reflection), directly towards the inside of the roadway. The reflector therefore does not modify in any way the direction of these rays as emitted by the light source, since the latter is already such that it contributes to the visibility of the road delineation device owing to the position alone of the light source with respect to the opening.

[0020] As regards the light rays emitted by the light source along directions external with respect to the angle of direct emission in the horizontal plane, these are intercepted by the reflector and reflected one or more times before exiting the device. However, according to the present invention, the reflector is configured to reflect also these rays towards the inside of the roadway.

[0021] The positioning of the light source with respect to the opening of the reflector and the configuration of the reflector itself therefore advantageously are able to ensure that substantially all the rays emitted by the light source are directed towards the inside of the roadway (namely towards the drivers of the passing vehicles) and therefore contribute to the visibility of the road delineation device.

[0022] It should be noted that this result may be obtained without using lenses or other refractive elements in order to correct the direction of the rays emitted by the light source, in particular without refractive elements arranged between the light source and the reflecting wall of the reflector. These refractive elements in general induce diffusion effects, which could result in rays directed towards the outside of the roadway, with a consequent dispersion of the radiation emitted by the light source and a consequent reduction in the visibility of the delineation device. Avoiding the use of these refractive elements therefore prevents said diffusion effects and therefore essentially eliminates the risk of dispersion.

[0023] The possibility of not using refractive elements also results in a delineation device which is particularly compact and also economical.

[0024] According to one aspect of the present invention, a road delineation device suitable for delineating the edge of a roadway section of a road infrastructure is provided, said device comprising:

[0025] - a light source suitable for emitting a plurality of light rays; and

[0026] - a reflector suitable for reflecting at least part of the plurality of light rays emitted by the light source, said reflector defining an opening through which said plurality of light rays emitted by the light source exit the device, wherein, when the device is installed along the edge of the roadway section, the light source is at least partially positioned externally with respect to a substantially vertical plane, substantially parallel to the direction of extension of the roadway section and externally tangential to the opening of the reflector; and wherein the reflector is configured to, when the device is installed along the edge of the roadway section, reflect said at least part of the plurality of light rays emitted by the light source towards the inside of the roadway section.

[0027] Preferably, the device is configured to, when installed along the edge of the roadway section, be directed with its opening towards a flow of vehicles travelling along the roadway section.

[0028] Preferably, the device is configured to, when installed along the edge of the roadway, be directed with its opening which forms with the aforementioned vertical plane an angle y of between 67.5° and 90°.

[0029] Preferably the light source has an optical axis which intersects the opening of the reflector.

[0030] Even more preferably, the opening lies in a further plane and the light source has an optical axis which forms an angle 0 of between 80° and 120° with said further plane.

[0031] Preferably, the reflector is formed by a single, shaped, continuous surface.

[0032] Preferably, when the device is installed along the edge of the roadway, the light source is entirely positioned externally with respect to the plane.

[0033] Preferably, the reflector has a hole and the light source is positioned substantially corresponding to the hole.

[0034] Preferably, a portion of the reflector located internally with respect to said plane has a profile comprising at least one concave part.

[0035] Preferably, the at least part of the light rays strike the reflector along respective incidence directions which coincide with respective emission directions of the at least part of the light rays from the light source.

[0036] Preferably, the light source has a light intensity adjustable depending on the time of day and / or the weather conditions.

[0037] Preferably, the light source has a light intensity adjustable so as to induce flashing of the device.

[0038] Preferably, the plurality of light rays emitted through the opening defined by the reflector forms an angle of between 0° and about 25° with the plane.

[0039] Preferably, the reflector has a reflecting wall with reflectance greater than 0.9.

[0040] Preferably, the device is designed to be installed at a height of between 70 cm and 110 cm.

[0041] According to a second aspect of the present invention, a road-side apparatus suitable for being installed along the edge of a roadway section of a road infrastructure is provided, the road-side apparatus comprising at least one device for grazing lighting of the roadway section of the road infrastructure and a road delineation device as described above.

[0042] Brief description of the drawings

[0043] Features and advantages of the present invention will emerge more clearly from the following detailed description, provided by way of a non-limiting example, to be read with reference to the attached drawings in which:

[0044] - Figures 1a and 1b are, respectively, a perspective view of a roadside apparatus comprising a road delineation device according to an embodiment of the present invention and a schematic view of the road-side apparatus installed along the edge of a roadway section of a road infrastructure;

[0045] - Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view along a horizontal plane of the delineation device included in the road-side apparatus according to Figures 1a and 1 b, according to an embodiment of the present invention; and

[0046] - Figures 3a, 3b and 3c illustrate operation of the reflector included in the delineation device shown in Figure 2, for rays having different directions in the horizontal plane.

[0047] The Figures are not to scale.

[0048] Detailed description of embodiments of the invention

[0049] Figures 1a and 1b show a road delineation device 100 suitable for delineating the edge of a roadway section of a road infrastructure according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0050] According to the embodiment shown in Figures 1a and 1 b, the road delineation device 100 is incorporated in a road-side apparatus 1000 which may also perform functions other than delineation of the roadway, including for example a lighting function. These additional functions will not be described in greater detail hereinbelow, since they do not form the subject of the present invention. In any case the incorporation in the road-side apparatus 1000 is not limiting, since the road delineation device could also be realized as a stand-alone device.

[0051] The road-side apparatus 1000 preferably comprises an external housing 1 . The external housing 1 has preferably a box-shaped form comprising a front face 1a, a rear face 1 b and two side faces 1c, 1d (the side face 1d is not visible in the Figures, but is preferably symmetrical with respect to the face 1c). The side faces 1c, 1d preferably have a trapezoidal shape with the greater base directed towards the front face 1a and the smaller base directed towards the rear face 1 b. The rear face 1 b also extends along the sides of the trapezium until it joins up with the front face 1 a.

[0052] The housing 1 has a preferably a shape elongated in a direction y perpendicular to the side faces 1c, 1d. When the apparatus 1000 is installed along the edge 200a of a roadway section 200 (for example as shown in Figure 1 b), the housing 1 is positioned so that the direction y is substantially parallel to the plane of the roadway section 200 and to the direction of extension of the roadway section 200 at the installation point, such that the side face 1c is substantially perpendicular to the direction of extension of the roadway section 200 and directed towards the flow of vehicles 400 passing along the roadway section 200, so as to be visible to drivers of said vehicles 400.

[0053] The direction y in the continuation of the present description and in the claims will also be called “longitudinal direction The longitudinal direction y is shown in Figures 1a together with two other directions x and z (respectively parallel to the plane of the roadway section 200 and perpendicular thereto), together with which the longitudinal direction y forms a set of three orthogonal directions. In the continuation of the present detailed description it is assumed that the roadway section 200 is substantially horizontal, so that the directions x and y are substantially horizontal, while the direction z is substantially vertical. The longitudinal direction y and the horizontal direction x identify a plane xy which below will also be called “horizontal plane”, while the longitudinal direction y and the vertical direction z identify a plane yz which below will also be called “longitudinal plane”. It should be noted that the roadway section 200 is not necessarily horizontal, but could for example correspond to a sloping section of the road infrastructure. In this case, the set of three orthogonal directions x, y, and z is rigidly rotated so that the plane xy remains in any case substantially parallel to the plane of the roadway section 200. The longitudinal plane yz is not affected by this rotation.

[0054] The housing 1 is preferably made of metal, for example aluminium or stainless steel. The housing 1 preferably has dimensions, along each of the three directions x, y, and z, respectively comprised between 5 cm and 10 cm, between 15 cm and 40 cm, and between 8 cm and 12 cm. The road-side apparatus 1000 is preferably fixed to a support structure arranged along the edge 200a of the roadway section 200. The support structure may be a structure dedicated to support the road-side apparatus 1000, or may be a surface of a structure which performs another function. For example, in the case where the roadway section 200 is flanked by a guardrail 300, the road-side apparatus 1000 may be fixed between the undulations formed by the beam of the guardrail 300, as shown schematically in Figure 1 b. If, instead, the roadway section 200 is situated inside a tunnel, the roadside apparatus 1000 may be fixed to a surface of the side wall of the tunnel. If the delineation device 100 is made as a stand-alone device, it may be separately fixed to the support structure (for example, the beam of a guardrail or tunnel wall).

[0055] In any case, the road delineation device 100 (whether it be incorporated in the road-side apparatus 1000 or made as a standalone component) is preferably positioned at a height H with respect to the plane of the roadway section 200. The height H is measured along the vertical direction z. The height H is preferably in compliance with the standards relating to roadway delineation applicable to the roadway section 200. For example, the height H may be between 70 cm and 110 cm.

[0056] The road delineation device 100 is configured to generate a light beam suitable for delineating the edge 200a of the roadway section 200, namely for improving the visibility thereof. For this purpose, the device 100 is preferably directed towards the flow of vehicles 400 travelling along the roadway section 200 so that it is visible to the drivers of the vehicles 400 travelling along the roadway section 200. In the embodiment shown in Figures 1 a and 1 b, in which the device 100 is incorporated in the road-side apparatus 1000, the device 100 is therefore located along the side face 1 c of the housing 1 .

[0057] With reference to Figure 2, the road delineation device 100 preferably comprises a light source 5 and a reflector 6.

[0058] The light source 5 may for example comprise one or more LEDs. The light source 5 preferably has a colour and intensity which comply with the standards relating to roadway delineation applicable to the roadway section 200. For example, the light source 5 may have an amber colour with tri-chromatic coordinates comprised within the ranges defined by the UNI EN 12899-3 standard.

[0059] The light intensity of the source 5 is also preferably adjustable, for example by adjusting the power supply current of the light source 5 (in particular by varying the intensity and / or waveform of the power supply current). The intensity of the light source 5 may, for example, be adjusted depending on the time of day and / or the weather conditions so as to ensure that the delineation device 100 is visible without causing dazzling or visual fatigue. Alternatively or in addition, the intensity of the light source 5 may be varied so as to induce flashing of the delineation device 100. In this way, advantageously, the road delineation device 100 combines both the delineation function and a function for signalling anomalous traffic events (for example traffic jams, accidents, the presence of ice, or roadworks) which are present along a section situated after the roadway section 200, and / or particularly dangerous conditions (for example dangerous tight bends). Advantageously, therefore, it is not necessary to provide signalling devices separate from the delineation devices, this constituting an advantage both in terms of time and installation costs, environmental impact and safety.

[0060] The light source 5 may be mounted on a board (not shown in the drawings). Alternatively, the electrical contacts of the light source 5 may be directly connected to an electric power supply circuit included in the road-side apparatus 1000.

[0061] The reflector 6 is configured so as to reflect at least part of the rays emitted by the light source 5.

[0062] More particularly, the reflector 6 has a reflecting wall which encloses a space 60 which is in communication with the outside of the reflector 6 via an opening 61 .

[0063] Preferably, the optical axis O of the light source 5 (namely the direction along which the peak of the radiation diagram of the light source 5 is located) intersects the opening 61 of the reflector 6, such that most of the optical power generated by the light source 5 is directly emitted through the opening 61 of the reflector 6, without undergoing any reflection. Preferably, the light source 5 is positioned so that its optical axis 0 forms an angle 0 of between 80° and 120° with the plane of the opening 61. This advantageously results in maximization of the light efficiency of the device 100. According to a particularly preferred embodiment, the angle 0 is substantially equal to 90°.

[0064] The opening 61 is closed by an optically transparent window 7, namely a window which allows the light radiation emitted by the light source 5 to pass outside of the road delineation device 100. The opening 61 and the window 7 have preferably a window and height of between 3 cm and 5 cm, for example 4 cm.

[0065] The window 7 may be made for example of glass or plastic material. The window 7 has a substantially constant thickness. The thickness of the window 7 is preferably between 2 mm and 6 mm. The material and the thickness of the window 7 are preferably chosen so as to provide the window 7 with a suitable mechanical strength, for example in terms of resistance to impacts and / or abrasion due to fine atmospheric dust and / or the action of the devices for periodically cleaning the outer surface of the window 7.

[0066] Preferably, the window 7 is configured so as to minimize the reflection of the light radiation emitted by the light source 5 back towards the reflector 6. This effect may be achieved for example by configuring the reflector 6 so that the rays emitted by the light source 5 and reflected by the reflector 6 strike the surface of the window 7 with angles of incidence smaller than the total reflection angle. Alternatively or in addition, the reflection by the window 7 may be minimized by subjecting the inner surface of the window 7 to an antireflection treatment.

[0067] Optionally, the window 7 may be configured (for example by means of a special treatment of its inner or outer surface) so as to modify the spectrum of the light radiation emitted by the light source 5, for example making the colour of the light radiation more saturated or in any case modifying its colour. This advantageously increases the range of light sources which can be used in the device 100. For example, the window 7 could be configured to act as an interferential filter, allowing the use of a white-coloured light source 5 or making use of part of the radiation dispersed by a grazing lighting device included in the road-side apparatus 1000.

[0068] Optionally, the outer surface of the window 7 may be treated so as to minimize the yellowing and / or clouding and / or soiling which may occur over time and which may negatively affect the performance of the device 100. For example, the outer surface of the window 7 may be treated with TiO2 (titanium dioxide). Advantageously, when the window 7 is exposed to an ultraviolet light (for example the ultraviolet component of sunlight or the ultraviolet light emitted by a UV lamp especially placed close to the device 100 in order to perform a cleaning operation), said light triggers a reaction of photocatalytic oxidation of any organic or inorganic compounds present on the outer surface of the window 7. Titanium dioxide advantageously acts as a photocatalyst or photo promoter of this reaction, namely favours the reaction without changing its structure, nor its state.

[0069] The window 7 is preferably positioned at the side face 1c of the housing 1. For this purpose, the housing 1 may be provided with a suitable opening inside which the window is inserted 7. In order to seal the housing 1 and protect it from infiltration by water, moisture, duct, etc., the edges of the window may be sealingly fixed to corresponding edges of the opening in the housing 1 , for example by means gluing and / or by means of a seal (not shown in the drawings).

[0070] The reflector 6 is preferably formed by a single, shaped, continuous surface.

[0071] The reflecting wall of the reflector 6 (namely the inner wall of the reflector 6 directed towards the space 60) preferably has a reflectance greater than 0.9 (90%). The reflecting wall of the reflector 6 also preferably has been subjected to a surface machining treatment designed to minimize the presence of radiation diffused in non-specular directions, not useful for delineation of the roadway section 200. The Applicant has in fact noted that, with an increase in the reflectance of the reflecting wall of the reflector 6, advantageously the optical performance of the road delineation device 100 increases, namely the ratio between the light flux emitted by the road delineation device 100 and the light flux emitted by the source 5 increases. On the other hand, a machining treatment of said reflective surface decreases the intensity of the non-specular diffusion to which the rays emitted by the light source 5 and striking the reflecting wall of the reflector 6 are subject. In order to obtain the aforementioned reflectance values, for example, the reflecting wall may be made of aluminium, sheet metal or glass. Optionally, in order to increase further the reflectance and reduce the diffusion, the inner surface of the reflecting wall of the reflector 6 (or at last part thereof) may be machined with treatments which reduce the surface roughness thereof, for example lapping, polishing, metallization or sputtering.

[0072] Figure 2 shows a plane P which, when the device 100 is in the operating condition (namely is installed along the edge 200a of the roadway section 200), is substantially parallel to the longitudinal plane yz and externally tangential to the opening 61 of the reflector 6. In the continuation of the present detailed description, the plane P will also be called “longitudinal plane P”.

[0073] When the device 100 is installed along the edge 200a of a roadway section 200, it is preferably positioned so that the opening 61 (namely the plane on which its edges lie) is substantially perpendicular to the direction of extension of the roadway section (and therefore to the plane P as well) and directed towards the flow of vehicles 400 passing along the roadway section 200 so as to be visible to the drivers of the said vehicles 400. More generally, the device 100 may be positioned so that the plane of the opening 61 forms with the direction of extension of the roadway section 200 (and therefore with the plane P, as shown in Figure 2) an angle y of between 67.5° and 90°, more preferably between 80° and 90° (y = 90° is the aforementioned case where the plane of the opening 61 is perpendicular to the direction of extension of the roadway section and therefore to the plane P). If the device 100 is incorporated in the road-side device 1000 described above, in the case where the angle y is different from 90°, the window 7 which closes the opening 61 will therefore be inclined with respect to the face 1c of the apparatus 1000.

[0074] When the device 100 is in the operating condition (namely installed along the edge 200a of the roadway section 200 as described above), the longitudinal plane P preferably divides the reflector 6 into two portions, i.e. an external portion 62 (directed towards the outside of the roadway section 200) and an internal portion 63 (directed towards the inside of the roadway section). The two portions 62 and 63 are therefore mutually adjacent at the longitudinal plane P.

[0075] When the device 100 is in the operating condition (namely installed along the edge 200a of the roadway section 200 as described above), the light source 5 is at least partially positioned externally with respect to the longitudinal plane P, i.e. at the external portion 62 of the reflector 6. According to advantageous embodiments, when the device 100 is in the operating condition (namely installed along the edge 200a of the roadway section 200 as described above), the light source 5 is entirely positioned externally with respect to the longitudinal plane P. For example, as shown in Figure 2, the external portion 62 of the reflector 6 may have a hole 65 at which the light source 5 is positioned. The light source 5 must not necessarily be positioned flush with the reflecting surface of the reflector 6; the light source 5 may in fact be situated in a different position, provided that it is situated at least partially externally with respect to the longitudinal plane P which delimits the external portion 62 of the reflector 6. For example, the light source 5 may be positioned inside the space portion 60 enclosed between the plane P and the external portion 62 of the reflector 6. Alternatively, the light source 5 may be positioned at least partially at the external portion 62 of the reflector 6 but outside of the space 60, for example at the hole 65 but in a position outside of the space 60.

[0076] The roadway delineation device 100, when installed, advantageously exhibits a distribution of the light intensity in the horizontal plane xy such as to minimize the dispersions (namely the emission of rays towards the outside of the roadway section 200) so that substantially all the rays emitted by the device 100 are directed towards the inside of the roadway section 200 (namely towards the drivers of the passing vehicles 400) and contribute to the visibility of the said device 100.

[0077] Since, when the device 100 is in the operating condition (namely installed along the edge 200a of the roadway section 200 as described above), the light source 5 is at least partially positioned externally with respect to the longitudinal plane P externally tangential to the opening 61 , it is located in a position at least partially external with respect to the opening 61 . Therefore, as shown in Figure 3a (which shows the advantageous case where the light source 5 is entirely positioned externally with respect to the longitudinal plane P), the light rays R1 , R2 emitted by the light source 5 along directions comprised within the angle a having its vertex in the light source 5 and sides which join the said source 5 with the internal end 66 and the external end 67 of the opening 61 respectively (also called below “angle of direct emission in the horizontal plane”), including the rays emitted along the optical axis of the light source 5, exit the device 100 through the opening 61 without undergoing any reflection, directly towards the inside of the roadway section 200. The reflector 6 therefore does not have to modify in any way the direction of these rays R1 and R2, which is already such as to avoid dispersions owing to the sole external position of the light source 5 with respect to the opening 61 .

[0078] As regards the light rays emitted by the light source 5 along directions outside the angle a of direct emission angle in the horizontal plane, these are intercepted by the reflector 6 and reflected one or more times.

[0079] Preferably, the shape of the reflector 6, together with the exact position of the light source 5 at least partially externally with respect to the longitudinal plane P, is determined so that the reflected rays exit the device 100 through the opening 61 , being directed towards the inside of the roadway section 200. For this purpose, the reflector 6 may comprise one or more convex parts and / or one or more concave parts, where “convex part” is understood as meaning that, taking any pair of points of that part of the reflector 6, the segment which joins together the two points of the pair is entirely contained within the space 60; “concave part” is instead understood as meaning a part of the reflector 6 which does not have the aforementioned property which defines the convex part. Moreover, the external portion 62 and the internal portion 63 of the reflector 6 preferably have different shapes, namely different combinations of at least one convex part and / or at least one concave part.

[0080] The shape of the reflector 6 may for example be calculated as the shape of a single continuous surface by an optical simulation software which is supplied with various constraints, i.e. one or more requisites which the light beam emitted by the road delineation device 100 must comply with. These one or more constraints comprise the fact that the rays intercepted by the reflector 6 and reflected one or more times are emitted so as to be directed towards the inside of the roadway section 200. More preferably other constraints are also supplied (for example regarding the distribution of the light intensity in the horizontal plane xy, as will be described in greater detail here below), depending on the standards governing roadway delineation applicable to the roadway section 200. Preferably, the simulation software is also supplied with the values of the angles y and 0.

[0081] By way of a non-limiting example, the reflector 6 may have the shape shown in Figure 2. In particular, Figure 2 shows a crosssection of the reflector 6 in a plane parallel to the horizontal plane xy (and therefore also horizontal) and passing through the light source 5. In this horizontal plane, the external portion 62 of the reflector 6 has a convex profile; the internal portion 63 of the reflector 6 instead has a profile comprising both a convex part and a concave part. In particular, a part 64 of the internal portion 63 of the reflector 6 adjacent to the internal end 66 of the opening preferably has a concave profile.

[0082] As shown in Figure 3b, the rays R3 directed towards the external portion 62 of the reflector 6 are reflected once before exiting the device 100 through the opening 61 . The rays R4 directed towards the convex part of the internal portion 63 of the reflector 6 are also reflected before exiting the device 100 through the opening 61. In any case, both the rays R3 (namely the rays which are emitted towards the outside by the source 5 and which do not directly pass out through the opening 61 ) and the rays R4 (namely the rays which are emitted by the source 5 towards the inside and which do not pass out directly through the opening 61 ) exit the device 100 through the opening 61 , being directed towards the inside of the roadway section 200.

[0083] Finally, as shown in Figure 3c, some rays R5 emitted by the light source 5 along directions outside the direct emission angle a in the horizontal plane may be directed towards the concave part 64 of the internal portion 63 of the reflector 6. These rays R5 are reflected a first time towards the external portion 62 of the reflector 6 and from there may undergo further reflection before exiting the device 100 through the opening 61 . In any case, the rays R5 also exit the device 100 through the opening 61 , being directed towards the inside of the roadway section 200. The shape of the reflector 6 and the positioning of the light source 5 with respect thereto are therefore advantageously able to ensure that substantially all the rays emitted by the light source 5 (or all the rays emitted by the light source 5, according to the advantageous embodiment shown in the Figures in which the light source 5 is entirely positioned externally with respect to the longitudinal plane P) are directed towards the inside of the roadway section 200 such that they all contribute to the visibility of the road delineation device 100.

[0084] In principle, in order to prevent dispersions, it is sufficient for substantially all the rays emitted by the device 100 to be directed towards the inside of the roadway along directions which form any non-zero angle with the longitudinal plane P. On the other hand, the Applicant has noted that the angle which the rays form with the longitudinal plane P has preferably a maximum value, beyond which the rays are excessively inclined with respect to the longitudinal plane P and therefore do not contribute to the visibility of the device 100. The maximum value of the angle depends on the dimensions of the roadway section 200 and the possible positions of the passing vehicles on the roadway section 200. More specifically, the maximum value of the angle formed by the rays emitted by the road delineation device 100 with the longitudinal plane P is preferably equal to about 30°, more preferably about 25°.

[0085] It should be noted that advantageously lens or other refractive elements (in particular refractive elements arranged between the light source 5 and the reflecting wall of the reflector 6) for correcting the direction of the rays emitted by the light source 5 are not necessary. These refractive elements in general cause diffusion, which could result in rays directed towards the outside of the roadway, with a consequent risk of dispersion. Avoiding the use of these refractive element is therefore able to minimize the diffusion and, therefore, substantially eliminate dispersion which may reduce the visibility of the device 100.

[0086] The possibility of not using refractive elements also results in the delineation device 100 being particularly compact and also economical.

[0087] Although avoiding the use of refractive elements is possible and advantageous, optionally, according to embodiments not shown in the drawings, the window 7 may be configured to induce refraction on at least part of the rays emitted by the light source 5. For example, the window 7 could have a portion with an internal surface and / or external surface which is curved (for example concave or convex). The curvature forms in fact a lens which, if crossed by a ray, modifies the direction thereof as result of refraction. According to a variant, the refraction may be obtained by varying locally the refraction index of the material from which the window 7 is made. According to one embodiment, a refractive element positioned directly on the source 5 may be provided.

[0088] In the above description the cross-sectional shape of the reflector 6 in the horizontal plane xy has been described in detail. As regards its shape in the longitudinal plane yz, it may be substantially parabolic with the light source 5 substantially at the vertex of the parabola, so that the rays emitted by the delineation device 100 have in the transverse plane yz a distribution of the light intensity which is substantially symmetrical. The shape of the parabola is preferably calculated so that the distribution of the light intensity in the longitudinal plane yz is compliant with the standards relating to roadway delineation applicable to the roadway section 200. For example, if the standard applicable is the aforementioned UNI EN 12352 standard, the distribution of the light intensity in the longitudinal plane yx is preferably such that the light radiation emitted by the road delineation device 100 is concentrated within an angle of ± 7° with respect to the horizontal plane xy.

[0089] Moreover, although in the above description, it has been assumed that the road delineation device 100 is directed towards the flow of vehicles 400 passing along the roadway section 200, this is not limiting. According to a variant, the road delineation device 100 could be directed in the opposite direction (namely against the flow of vehicles passing along the roadway section 200). In this case, the device 100 may be activated (in particular may be made to flash) for example so as to signal a danger situation to the driver of a vehicle which mistakenly or intentionally is travelling along the roadway section 200 in the wrong direction.

Claims

CLAIMS1. Road delineation device (100) suitable for delineating the edge (200a) of a roadway section (200) of a road infrastructure, comprising:- a light source (5) suitable for emitting a plurality of light rays (R1-R5); and- a reflector (6) suitable for reflecting at least part (R3-R5) of the plurality of light rays (R1-R5) emitted by the light source (5), said reflector (6) defining an opening (61 ) through which said plurality of light rays (R1-R5) emitted by the light source (5) exit the device (100), wherein, when the device (100) is installed along the edge (200a) of the roadway section (200), the light source (5) is at least partially positioned externally with respect to a substantially vertical plane (P), substantially parallel to the direction of extension of the roadway section (200) and externally tangential to the opening (61 ) of the reflector (6); and wherein the reflector (6) is configured to, when the device (100) is installed along the edge (200a) of the roadway section (200), reflect the at least part (R3-R5) of the plurality of light rays (R1- R5) emitted by the light source (5) towards the inside of the roadway section (200).

2. Device (100) according to claim 1 , wherein the device (100) is configured to, when installed along the edge (200) of the roadway section (200), be directed with its opening (61 ) towards a flow of vehicles (400) travelling along the roadway section (200).

3. Device (100) according to claim 2, wherein the device (100) is configured to, when installed along the edge (200a) of the roadway section (200), be directed with its opening (61 ) which forms an angle (y) of between 67.5° and 90° with the plane (P).

4. Device (100) according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the light source (5) has an optical axis which intersects theopening (61 ) of the reflector (6).

5. Device (100) according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the opening (61 ) lies in a further plane and wherein the light source (5) has an optical axis (0) which forms an angle (0) of between 80° and 120° with said further plane.

6. Device (100) according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the reflector (6) is formed by a single, shaped, continuous surface.

7. Device (100) according to any of the preceding claims, wherein, when the device (100) is installed along the edge (200a) of the roadway section (200), the light source (5) is entirely positioned externally with respect to the plane (P).

8. Device (100) according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the reflector (6) has a hole (65) and wherein the light source (5) is positioned substantially corresponding with the hole (65).

9. Device (100) according to any of the preceding claims, wherein a portion (63) of the reflector (6) located internally with respect to said plane (P) has a profile comprising at least one concave part (64).

10. Device (100) according to any of the preceding claims, wherein said at least part of the light rays (R3-R5) strike said reflector (6) along respective incidence directions which coincide with respective emission directions of said at least part of the light rays (R3-R5) from the light source (5).

11. Device (100) according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the light source (5) has a light intensity adjustable depending on the time of day and / or weather conditions.

12. Device (100) according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the light source (5) has a light intensity adjustable so as to induce flashing of the device (100).

13. Device (100) according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the plurality of light rays (R1-R5) emitted through the opening (61 ) defined by the reflector (6) forms an angle of between 0°and about 25° with the plane (P).

14. Device (100) according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the reflector (6) has a reflecting wall with reflectance greater than 0.

9.

15. Device (100) according to any of the preceding claims, wherein said device (100) is designed to be installed at a height (H) of between 70 cm and 110 cm.

16. Road-side apparatus (1000) suitable for being installed along the edge (200a) of a roadway section (200) of a road infrastructure, the road-side apparatus (1000) comprising at least one device for grazing lighting of said roadway section (200) of said road infrastructure and a road delineation device (100) according to any one of the preceding claims.

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