DE29806176U1 - Optical-mechanical arrangement for visual and / or tactile orientation aid - Google Patents

Description

Mr Eckhard Kukatsch, Im Dahl 1, 5 8579 Schalksmühle

Optical-mechanical arrangement for visual and/or
tactile orientation aid

The invention relates to an arrangement of optical and mechanical elements for visual and/or tactile orientation aids, in particular for blind and visually impaired people. Such orientation aids, if present at all, are usually attached as separate elements to walls, doors, etc. This method has several disadvantages: . ■ · ..

Firstly, the installation of additional building elements involves additional costs. Secondly, such wall-mounted elements must be re-installed every time a renovation is carried out, which causes additional costs. Thirdly, it is particularly important for blind people that orientation aids, especially those in the form of Braille, are placed in places that can be found naturally or at least very easily by the hand seeking orientation. This is generally not the case with orientation aids mounted on the wall. ' : '...■-',

TELEPHONE (0202)55 70 22 COMMERZBANK AG . CREDIT- AND VOLKSBANK EG POSTAL OFFICE ■ VAT No. TELEX 8591606 wpaid WUPPERTAL 4129 805 WTJPPERTAL 103490014 COLOGNE 72634-506 . DE121035988 FAX (0202) 5715 01 - -Bank code 33040001 . Bank code 33060098 Bank code 370100 50

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This is where the invention aims to remedy the situation. It aims to create an orientation system that can be integrated into the functional units of existing structures, in particular handrails and crash barriers. This brings with it functional, economic and aesthetic advantages. In order to be able to use an orientation aid, the blind person must first be able to find it by touch. This is easiest in places that the hand naturally passes over or that are easy to find and identify with a targeted search. The latter is particularly the case in exposed places.

Handrails are the first choice for supporting structures used for orientation. The above requirements can be met most easily here. Exposed areas on handrails include, for example, end elements or connectors. They are easy to find by touch and are easy to identify due to their particularly elaborate shape. If such elements have areas that are worked out over a large area, orientation messages (e.g. floor, room number) can be applied to them. This can be done by engraving the message or by sticking on a three-dimensionally structured film. If a handrail does not have any easily identifiable, exposed elements due to its special design, an orientation message can also be applied to a flat structure in the guide elements of the handrail, which are naturally brushed over by the hand.

For visually impaired people who still have some vision, distinctive visual arrangements are suitable as an orientation aid. Such structures can be implemented inexpensively and aesthetically

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They can be advantageously incorporated into functional units, such as handrails or crash barriers. Highly luminescent materials are particularly suitable for this purpose, and are often commercially available in the form of bands and strips of various widths. Such orientation aids can also be life-saving in the event of a fire, for example for people who are not visually impaired and who, when their vision is restricted by smoke, move close to the ground due to the risk of poisoning and therefore have difficulty orienting themselves.

The drawing shows various embodiments:

Fig. 1 shows a handrail with integrated luminescent
Structure in the leadership element and an orientation message
in Braille on a flat surface
Area of a spherical closure element,

Fig. 2 also shows a handrail with integrated tactile
and visual orientation aid, but without exposed
Elements,

Fig. 3 shows a piece of a crash protection strip with integrated
optical orientation aid,

Fig. 4 shows an enlarged section of the closing element
in Fig. 1,

Fig. 5 shows a guide element of a handrail
luminescent structure, arranged as
Pattern with a clear preferred direction.

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A special embodiment of the arrangement according to the invention is shown in Fig. 1. The handrail 10 is shown consisting of a guide element 11 and a closing element 12. The spherical closing element 12 has a flat structure 14 which bears the orientation message in Braille 15. An enlargement of this closing element 12 is shown in Fig. 4. When a handrail is made in the usual dimensions, the flat structure 14 offers sufficient space to accommodate even more complex

Orientation messages can also be placed. In addition, a luminescent structure 16 is incorporated in the guide element 11 of the handrail 10 in the form of a band as a visual orientation aid. The formation of special, exposed elements, such as the end of the connecting elements in the handrail, is not mandatory for an embodiment according to the invention. Fig. 2 shows an example of a handrail 10 that is unstructured in this respect. Here too, the phosphorescent structure 16 is incorporated into the guide element 11 of the handrail 10 as a visual orientation aid, but here the orientation message in Braille 15 is carried by a flat structure 14, also in the guide element 11 of the handrail 10. This is arranged in such a way that when the handrail 10 is used as intended, the hand naturally passes over the flat structure 14 and thus feels the orientation message in Braille 15. Another inventive embodiment that does not require an orientation aid in Braille is the impact protection strip shown in Fig. 3.

The luminescent structure 16 is also integrated into the functional element of the crash barrier in a mechanically protected and aesthetically pleasing manner.

The band-shaped design of the luminescent structure 16 shown in Figs. 1 to 3 is not mandatory for a design according to the invention. Fig. 5 shows an embodiment in which the phosphorescent structure 16 is designed as a herringbone pattern with a clear preferred direction. In this way, attention can be drawn to special rooms, exits, etc.

It should be expressly pointed out at this point that the parts shown in Figures 1 to 5 are merely specific embodiments of the invention. Further modifications according to the invention are conceivable. In particular, the orientation message in Braille 15 can be applied to flat structures 14 of handrails 10 using adhesive, spatially structured films.

BUSE ■ MENTZEL LUDEWIg

Authorised representatives before the European Patent Office

PO Box 201462
D-42214 Wuppertal

71

Kleiner Werth D-42275 Wuppertal

PATENT ATTORNEYS bipl.-Phys. Buse Dipl.-Phys. Mentzel Dipl.-Ing. Ludewig

Wuppertal-Wuppertal,

Keyword: Optical-mechanical orientation system

Mr Eckhard Kukatsch, Im Dahl 1, 58579 Schalksmühle

Optical-mechanical arrangement for visual and/or tactile orientation aid

List of reference symbols:

10 Handrail (consisting of .11 and possibly 12)

11 Guide element (of. 10)

12 End element (of 10)

13 Crash protection tape . ,

14 flatly worked out structure (support of 15 j

15 Orientation message in Braille

16 luminescent structure

TELEPHONE (0202)55 70 22 COMMERZBANK AG CREDIT- AND VOLKSBANK EG POSTAL OFFICE VAT No. TELEX 8 591606 wpald WUPPERTAL 4 129805 WUPPERTAL103 490014 COLOGNE 72634-506 ■ DE 121 035 988 . FAX (0202) 5715 01 ■ Bank code 33040001 • .Bank code 33060098 . Bank code 370100 50

Claims (8)

BUSE · MENTZEL · LUDEWIG Patent Attorneys Authorized representative before the European Patent Office Dipl.-Phys. Buse PO Box 2014 62 Kleiner Werth 34 Dipl.-Phys. Mentzel D-42214 Wuppertal D-42275 Wuppertal Dipl.-Ing. Ludewig Wuppertal-Wuppertal, 71 Keyword: Optical-mechanical orientation system Mr Eckhard Kukatsch, Im Dahl 1, 58579 Schalksmühle Optical-mechanical arrangement for visual and/or tactile
Orientation aid Expectations: 1.) Optical-mechanical arrangement for visual and/or tactile orientation aid, characterized, that the guiding elements serving as orientation aids can be integrated into the functional structures of handrails and/or impact protection strips. 2.) Optical-mechanical orientation system according to claim 1, characterized in that the guide elements serving as orientation aids can be equipped as tactile structures with an orientation message encoded in Braille. 3.) Optical-mechanical orientation system according to claim 2, characterized in that the orientation message is printed on a flat structure of a spatially particularly prominent TELEPHONE (0202) 55 70 22 COMMERZBANK AG CREDIT- AND VOLKSBANK EG POSTAL OFFICE VAT No. TELEX 8 591606 wpatd WUPPERTAL 4 129 805 WUPPERTAL 103 490 014 COLOGNE 72634-506 DE 121035988 FAX (0202) 571501 Bank code 33040001 Bank code 33060098 Bank code 37010050 Element, in particular a closing and/or connecting element of a handrail. 4.) Optical-mechanical orientation system according to claim 2, characterized in that the orientation message can be applied to a flat structure in the guide elements of a handrail, whereby a region of the handrail can be selected for this purpose which is naturally passed over by the hand during intended use. 5.) Optical-mechanical orientation system according to claim 3 or 4, characterized in that the orientation message can be subsequently applied to the flat structures of the spatially particularly highlighted elements or the guide elements, for example in the form of spatially structured foils. 6.) Optical-mechanical orientation system according to claim 1, characterized in that the guide elements can be incorporated as luminescent structures in the guide elements of handrails and/or in impact protection strips. 7.) Optical-mechanical orientation system according to claim 6, characterized in that the luminescent structures can be designed as bands along the guide elements of handrails or along the impact protection bands. 8.) Optical-mechanical orientation system according to claim 6, characterized in that the luminescent structures can be designed as a pattern with a clear preferred direction.