FR2790060A1 - Road signal/lighting assembly for use at night or in bad weather conditions, comprises a solar energy conversion cell for the provision of independent power supply - Google Patents

Abstract

The lighting/signal system comprises of a cylindrical housing (1) that is located within the road surface such that the cap (3) is flush with the road surface. The cap comprises of a transparent cover (4) under which is located a solar cell array (5). LED's (6) placed within the housing under the cover provide the lighting.

Description

- 1 - The present invention relates to a signaling device

  intended to facilitate the circulation of vehicles (in the broadest sense) or of people circulating in town, on road, motorway, public or private road. The purpose of this device is to increase the safety of people and property. It is an aid to traffic when visibility is poor, after dark or in weather

resourceful.

  There are many road signaling devices, they are either passive (cataphotic or other style) or active, emitting light from a

  energy source such as battery or electric power transmission line.

  1o The active devices can be remote controlled in general by wire.

  These devices have many drawbacks. Those of "cataphote" style are not effective in rain or fog because the retro-reflecting effect is reduced in a very important way and moreover the light of the headlights of the vehicles also undergoes a very strong absorption. Active devices have the disadvantage of having to be supplied by energy supply lines representing a significant installation cost and

  resulting in significant energy expenditure during operation.

  When they use battery-type energy storage devices (lead, nickel cadmium etc. etc.). They are subject to phenomena of

  aging and require periodic maintenance.

  The device according to the invention is active and completely independent of an external electrical supply. It exclusively uses solar energy, which, captured by solar cells, is stored in high capacity capacitors. This storage device has the advantage of not being subject to aging phenomena and therefore does not require maintenance. It can be used alone or with others. For example: alone to materialize an obstacle, to several to materialize a line. In the case of mass use, the light signaling devices will be

  arranged at carefully chosen intervals according to the use cases.

  During the day the capacitors are charged by ambient light.

  -2- When the brightness drops below a certain predetermined threshold depending on the place of intended use (cities, roads, roads in foggy weather, motorways, lighted areas, unlit areas, etc. etc.). A delay device for triggering the charge / discharge function is provided in order to avoid inadvertent starting or stopping of the signaling device (for example passing vehicles in continuous lines with all headlights on at night), the stored energy is restored. to light-emitting diodes "LEDs" which flash at a determined frequency. The

  Flash duration and frequency are adjustable.

  According to particular modes of use, the device is designed to be embedded in the road, on the edge of a quay, on the edge of a central island in cities, on roads for lane separation, to signal passages pedestrians, to signal a turn, to signal in the middle of the countryside a roundabout, a roundabout, to guide drivers in foggy weather, to signal work (and for example be embedded in concrete blocks or in plastic separators) etc. . etc. the device includes all or part: * a battery of solar cells = a battery of capacitors * a time delay device for switching charge / discharge with threshold adjustment To a device for detecting the charging current of the solar cells * a current regulator discharge * a battery of LEDs of various numbers and colors supplied by the discharge of the capacitors * a device for triggering supply of one or part of the LEDs on external control. It can be manual, by photo electric cells, by radio electric remote control, by infrared pulses etc. etc. By way of nonlimiting example, the following drawings give types -3-

  of possible uses of the invention and the description of an embodiment

  associated. Fig. 1. Schematically illustrates a portion of the road, on which the light devices materialize the center line Fig. 2. Schematically illustrates a pedestrian crossing equipped with bidirectional lighting devices Fig. 3. Schematically illustrates a crossroads with stops fitted with light devices Fig. 4. A block diagram of the light signaling device o Fig. 5. An overview of the device Fig. 6. A vertical section of the device in each figure, the following references are indicated Figure 1: A. light device B. Flashing representation C. Route D. Roadside E. Median of the road Figure 2: A. light device Bidirectional - B. Representation of flashing F. Pedestrian crossing Figure 3: A. light devices B. Representation of flashing G. Crossroad H. Stop -4- Figure 4:) Solar cells 6) LEDs (light-emitting diodes) 8) Capacities 9) Charge current detection) Adjustment of detection threshold and time delay 1 1) Current generator 12) Oscillator 13) frequency and duration adjustment 14) Receiver (IR, radio ...)) Transmitter (IR, radio ...) S) Inverter Figure 5 1) Sealed cylindrical body 2) Horizontal and vertical grooves 3) Lid 4) Transparent window) Solar cell battery 6) LEDs (light emitting diodes) Figure 6: 1) Sealed cylindrical body 2) Horizontal and vertical grooves wedges 3) Cover 4) Transparent window) Battery of solar cells 6) LEDs (light-emitting diodes) 7) Electronic board -5- 8) Battery of capacitors According to a particular embodiment, the block diagram of the device is illustrated in Figure 4. The sun illuminates the solar cells (5) which supply current. This current is detected at (9) and its value determines the position of the inverter S. The detection and delay threshold adjustment device (10) fixes the tilt threshold of the inverter as well as a tilt delay . When the current exceeds a certain threshold for a fixed time, adjustable in (10) according to the conditions of use (lighted areas, unlit areas,

  fog etc. etc.), the cell charges the capacitor bank (8).

  When the current is below the threshold, because the brightness becomes insufficient (strong fog, dusk, etc. etc.), the inverter switches and the capacitor bank (8) discharges through a current generator ( 11) and an i5 oscillator (12) in LEDs (6). In (13) are the adjustment circuits

  frequency and duration of the pulses supplying the LEDs.

  In (15) a remote control transmitter allows through the receiver (14) either to control the inverter S to trigger the discharge of the battery of

  capacitors either activate all or part of the LEDs or both.

  According to particular embodiments (Figures 5 and 6), the device is incorporated in an aluminum or other preferably sealed metal cylinder (1), which in the case where it is included in the roadway, has the ad hoc form for be perfectly positioned and integrated. Vertical grooves and horizontal grooves (2) or bosses are formed on the body of the cylinder to avoid any subsequent displacements. The upper part (3), cover, is screwed (a bayonet or other type of blocking can be envisaged), a transparent circular window is practiced there (4), in material of polycarbonate type, tempered glass or other materials having equivalent qualities. This window (4) must allow the passage of light to supply the battery of solar cells (5). It can however be sanded to avoid any slipping of vehicles or people. It can be structured to act as a Fresnel lens or other device allowing the concentration of the

light on solar cells.

  If the device is embedded in the road, the upper part (3) does not

  exceeds only a few millimeters.

  The LEDs (6) can be placed around the perimeter of the cover and can be varied in number depending on the use: they can emit white light

  or colored (green, yellow, red, blue, orange, two-color, multi-color etc. etc.).

  io They can produce several colors on the same device.

  These LEDs can be directive, for example: 8, 20, 40, 60, 80 etc. etc. or omnidirectional. The angles are chosen according to the area of use and the speed of the vehicles; For nonlimiting examples: 15. for cities: 40 degrees, * for motorways: 8 degrees * for roundabouts: 60 degrees etc. etc. In this nonlimiting example, the electronics, comprising the LEDs (6), the solar cells (5), the electronic board (7) and the capacitors (8) integral with the cover can be replaced easily by means of a specific removal key. of the cover (3) of the cylindrical body (1) and

  replacement of the electronic cover block.

  The invention described above may be subject to modifications and variants, without however departing from the basic concept. However, all the details of the invention can be replaced by technically equivalent elements. -7-

Claims (9)

Claims   1 Active signaling device for vehicles or people using solar energy as an energy source. Composed of solar cells capturing energy stored in very high capacity capacitors, thus avoiding the aging phenomena presented by conventional accumulators, of a discharge circuit constituted by LEDs, the whole device being integrated in a compound housing of two parts including a main body part and a cover part, comprising in its upper part a transparent window allowing solar radiation to power the solar cells, characterized in that: * The addition of a time constant in the circuit charge delays the charge / discharge switchover (10); - A circuit for adjusting the charge / discharge switching threshold is set up (10); * A circuit for regulating the discharge current of the capacitors in the LEDs is installed (1 1); We use an oscillator to generate and adjust the frequency and flash duration (12).   2. Device according to claim 1 characterized by a time constant adjustable (10).   3. Device according to claim 1 characterized by a frequency and a   - adjustable flash duration (12).   4. Device according to claim 1 characterized in that it further comprises a manual or automatic remote control (detectors) which makes it possible to remotely activate the flashing of the LEDs as well as to choose the groups of active LEDs or their colors if the LEDs are multicolored (14.15).   5. Device according to claim 1 characterized in that the LEDs are directional (angles of a few degrees to several tens of degrees) or omnidirectional (6).   -8- 6. Device according to claim 1 characterized in that the LEDs can emit light of different colors on the same device signaling (6).   7. Device according to claim 1 characterized in that the transparent window constitutes by its structure a lens for concentrating   solar rays on solar cells (4).   8. Device according to claim 1 characterized in that the housing has grooves or bosses, horizontal and vertical for positioning the signaling device definitively io light (2).   9. Device according to claim 1 characterized in that the cover part of the housing can be detached and extracted from the housing with a special key (3).