WO2003004777A1

WO2003004777A1 - Street furniture provided with cleaning means and with a windmill

Info

Publication number: WO2003004777A1
Application number: PCT/NL2002/000428
Authority: WO
Inventors: Cornelis Groot
Original assignee: West 6 BV
Current assignee: West 6 BV
Priority date: 2001-07-02
Filing date: 2002-07-01
Publication date: 2003-01-16
Anticipated expiration: 2004-01-02
Also published as: NL1018430C2; EP1402117A1

Abstract

The invention relates to street furniture (1), such as a roadside post, which is provided with an indicator (2), such as a reflector, wherein a renewable energy source, such as a windmill (3) or a solar cell (18), is coupled to the street furniture to drive a cleaning element (4) for cleaning the indicator. A windmill can have been coupled to a roadside post, traffic lights or, for example, a route information board.

Description

Street furniture provided with cleaning means and with a windmill

The invention relates to street furniture provided with an indicator and an energy source. The invention also relates to street furniture provided with an energy source for driving an electrical and/or mechanical component of the street furniture.

Installations of this type are known in the state of the art. For instance, a traffic sign is known with which a road sign is mounted on a post and with which the energy for lighting said road sign is generated by solar cells.

A disadvantage of the known installations is that these become dirty, inter alia as a result of the traffic driving by. h particular, street furniture that is sited along busy roads rapidly becomes dirty because the traffic driving by emits pollutants such as soot which then deposit on the street furniture. Water that splashes up, and the mud contained therein, as well as any salt or grit used in the winter months also renders the indicators on the street furniture, such as stop signs, one-way traffic signs, maximum speed signs, and also reflectors on roadside posts and along crash barriers, no longer clearly legible. The street furniture, such as traffic signs and posts, is cleaned manually by maintenance staff. Because of safety measures for maintenance workers, which have to be taken when work is carried out along roads and motorways, cleaning of street furniture is a highly labour-intensive activity. A first maintenance worker has to clean the street furniture, whilst a second and possibly even a third maintenance worker is/are needed in order to warn oncoming traffic that work is being carried out. The second and, where appropriate, the third maintenance workers in general have a vehicle that is provided with mobile warning means.

One aim of the present invention is to provide street furniture that can be cleaned in a simple and non-labour-intensive manner. A further aim of the invention is to provide an energy source for driving a mechanical movement or an optical indicator, which is inexpensive, has a low energy consumption and at the same time also generates energy in the dark.

The aim of the invention is achieved in that the energy source is coupled to a cleaning device that is provided with a cleaning element that can be moved over the indicators, which cleaning element can be moved with the aid of energy from the energy source. Using street furniture according to the present invention eliminates the need for a maintenance worker to walk along a road and clean the street furniture by hand. The second and the possible third maintenance worker and their vehicles with warning means can also be dispensed with. The street furniture according to the invention is provided with an energy source, such as, for example, a wind turbine blade or a solar cell. The energy generated is transmitted to a drive device that drives the cleaning element, as a result of which the dirt is removed from the street furniture. In one embodiment of the street furniture according to the invention the cleaning element comprises a shaft capable of translational movement over the indicators, which shaft is provided with a wiping element. This shaft capable of translational movement is preferably movably accommodated in two elongated guide slots located on either side of the indicator. The street furniture is also provided with a rotary element for rotating the shaft during translational movement of the shaft along the guide slots, such as a gear wheel on the shaft that turns as it moves along a rack along the guide slots. The speed with which the dirt is removed from the indicator is increased by rotating the shaft, which preferably takes place during the translational movement of the shaft. The effectiveness is also increased because the size of the wiping surface of the cleaning element is increased. Preferably, the energy source of the street furniture is connected to an accumulator that is designed such that the cleaning element is moved at least once from a first side of the indicators to a second side of the indicators when a predetermined energy level is reached. The purpose of the accumulator is to ensure that there is sufficient energy to move the wiping element completely past the indicator. The indicator is then poorly visible for only a short period to the traffic driving by.

Preferably, the energy source of the street furniture comprises a wind turbine. As a result of the use of a wind turbine, for example in the form of a windmill, the energy produced by the energy source is of a renewable nature. At the same time, the requisite energy is generated in situ, which has the advantage that no power lines are needed. The use of a wind turbine or windmill on street furniture has the advantage that use can be made of the existing wind, of which there is in general always a sufficient amount. The traffic driving by creates air movement by driving past the street furniture. This air movement is utilised to make the wind turbine turn. It is obvious that the wind turbine also turns as a result of the wind that is naturally present, in which context it must be pointed out that the predetermined energy level is reached more rapidly in relatively stormy weather than when it is relatively wind still.

More preferentially, the street furniture is provided with a spring element that is connected to the shaft of the wind turbine, provision being made for a retaining device connected to the spring element for retaining the spring and for releasing the spring at a predetermined spring tension. As a result of the rotation of the wind turbine blades and the wind turbine shaft, tension is applied to a spring that is connected to said wind turbine. The spring takes up the energy generated by the wind turbine blades. As soon as the tension on the spring, for example a rotary spring, has reached a predetermined value, a retaining device is released so that the spring discharges and the energy is released. This released energy is used so that the wiping element moves completely past the indicator and back again. In another embodiment the wiping element in its entirety moves past the indicator and moves back to the starting position on another side of the indicator. This is advantageous since, in addition to the indicator located on the front, an indicator that may be present on the rear of the street furniture is also cleaned by the wiping element.

Preferably, the street furniture according to the invention comprises a roadside post.

There are large numbers of roadside posts along roads and motorways. Roadside posts also require a relatively large amount of maintenance because these are placed a short distance away from a carriageway in a location that is relatively close to the ground. As a result roadside posts rapidly become dirty.

Preferably, the roadside post has a head with a passageway and, as energy source, a windmill fitted in the opening such that it can rotate about a shaft, wherein, viewed in the longitudinal direction of the roadside post, a lighting unit is fitted below the windmill and wherein the cleaning element is accommodated alongside the lighting unit and is connected to the shaft of the windmill.

In a further preferred embodiment, the head incorporating the windmill is fixed to the roadside post such that it can be removed. In the case of maintenance on said roadside post the head can be removed and taken away for maintenance purposes. Furthermore, in the event of a technical fault the head can easily be replaced by another.

According to a further embodiment, the energy source comprises at least one solar cell, a light fitting and a cleaning element that is positioned alongside the light fitting and is connected to at least one solar cell. By using a solar cell as energy source, an energy source without moving parts is obtained that requires relatively little maintenance. This is in particular the case when the solar cell is positioned on the surface that is cleaned by the cleaning element.

The invention also relates to street furniture, which is provided with an energy source for driving an electrical and/or mechanical component of the street furniture, wherein the energy source comprises a windmill. By making use of the present invention, street furniture which contains electrical and/or mechanical components, such as traffic lights, route information boards, illuminated signs and the like, can be made suitable for operation with renewable energy. Furthermore, by using the invention it is no longer necessary to lay power cables along roads and motorways for supplying power to the street furniture.

The street furniture can contain a lighting unit, the windmill being connected to a generator and an accumulator for storing electrical energy. This is especially relevant if stringent requirements are imposed on the operational reliability of the installation. In periods of relatively stormy weather, a relatively large amount of energy is produced. An accumulator, for example in the form of a battery, is able to store this energy and hold it until there are periods when the weather is relatively wind still. Recourse can then be made to the energy stored in the accumulator.

More preferentially, the street furniture according to the invention comprises a roadside post having a passageway, wherein the windmill is fitted in the passageway such that it can rotate about a shaft and wherein, viewed in the longitudinal direction of the roadside post, a lighting unit that is connected to the windmill is fitted below the windmill. By making use of this embodiment a roadside post is obtained which, instead of distributing light passively by means of a reflector, actively emits light itself, the energy for which is generated by means of the windmill according to the invention. This is particularly advantageous in conditions where the view of the road is not optimum for the drivers of vehicles.

One embodiment of street furniture according to the invention will be explained in more detail with reference to the figures shown in the drawing. In the drawing:

Fig. 1 shows a perspective view of a roadside post provided with a reflector, a cleaning element and a windmill;

Fig. 2 shows an exploded view of the drive device for the roadside post according to Figure 1.

Fig. 3 shows a partially exposed diagrammatic front view of the roadside post; and Fig. 4 shows a front view of a roadside post provided with a windmill, a solar cell, a cleaning element and a lighting unit.

Figure 1 shows a perspective view of a roadside post 1 provided with an indicator, a cleaning element 4 and a windmill 3. In the embodiment shown, the indicator is constructed as reflector 2. This reflector 2 is fixed to the front 8 of the roadside post 1. A head 9, which contains an energy source in the form of the windmill 3, is fixed on that part of the roadside post 1 that is located above the reflector 2. The windmill 3 comprises a wind turbine blade 12, which in the use position rotates about a shaft 10 and which is fixed to said shaft 10. The windmill drives a cleaning element 4 that can be moved over the reflector 2. The cleaning element 4 is constructed as a wiping element 6, such as a spongelike body or, as in this embodiment, a brush 6 which is attached to a shaft 5 (see Fig. 3). This shaft 5 is guided in two guide slots 7, 7'.

In the use position the brush 6, confined in the two guide slots 7, 7', moves from the first side 13 of the reflector 2 past the second side 14 of the reflector 2. After the brush 6 has reached the second side 14, the brush 6 returns past the first side 13 of the reflector 2 into the starting position, for example by using a spring device as shown in Figure 2. Energy is generated by the rotation of the windmill 3, which energy is supplied by means of the gears 24 via a shaft 23 to a rotary spring 22 (see Figure 2). The rotary spring 22 is wound up around a shaft 23 until the predetermined spring tension has been reached. Once this spring tension has been reached, the release dog 31 activates a release device 25, which releases the spring 22. The energy stored in the rotary spring 22 is sufficient to cause the brush 6 to move over the reflector 2, from the first side 13 to the second side 14 and back to the first side 13. During this movement the pawl 27 makes a rotary movement. The pawl 27 engages in the elongated cavity 28 that has been made in an elongated movable part 29 that is movably fitted on two horizontal pins 30. The rotary movement of the pawl 27 is converted by the construction 26 into both a translational and a rotary movement for the brush 6. The ends of the shaft 5 of the brush 6 are guided in the guide slots 1, 1'.

Figure 3 shows a partially exposed diagrammatic front view of the roadside post. The cleaning element 4 has a shaft 5 running in the longitudinal direction of the roadside post 1, which shaft 5 is guided at both ends through a guide slot 7, 7'. The guide slots 7, 7' ensure that the wiping element 6, which, for example, can comprise a sponge-like body, such as a piece of foam rubber, or a brush, is moved in the correct direction. As a result of the presence of the two guide slots 7, 7', the combination of the shaft 5 and the wiping element 6 is pressed against the reflector 2, so that the reflector 2 is cleaned. The guide slots 7, 7' also hold the shaft 5 of the wiping element 6 in place.

The head 9, which has a hole 11 extending from the front to the back, in which hole the energy source for the street furniture is accommodated, is fixed to the top of the roadside post 1. The shape of the hole can act as a constriction from the front to the back, so that the air entering into the hole 11 is compressed to some extent and acquires a somewhat higher speed than the air streaming past the hole 11. The energy source has a shaft which extends in the longitudinal direction of the roadside post 1 and which at the top of the hole 11 is fixed to the head 9 of the roadside post 1 and at the bottom of the hole 11 is connected to a drive device 17, which can comprise a generator 16 (dynamo) for generating energy and an accumulator 15 for storing the energy generated by the generator 16.

A wind turbine blade 12 is also accommodated on the shaft 10, which wind turbine blade 12 is able to rotate, under the influence of the wind force, about the shaft 10 in the longitudinal direction of the roadside post 1. In the embodiment shown, the wind turbine blade 12 is positioned in the hole 11 in the head 9 of the roadside post 1. An embodiment in which only the bottom of the shaft 10 is fixed to the drive device 17 is, of course, possible. In this case there is no hole 11 and the wind turbine blade 12 can then be made somewhat larger. The shaft 10 of the wind turbine blade 12 is also connected to a rotary device, which makes it possible for the shaft 5 of the wiping element 4 to rotate during execution of a translational movement by the wiping element 4 from the first side 13 of the reflector 2 to the second side 14 of the reflector 2. In addition to the translational movement, the shaft 5, and thus also the brush 6, also executes a rotary movement, which ensures that the dirt present on a roadside post 1 is rapidly and effectively removed.

Figure 4 shows a front view of a roadside post 1 provided with a windmill 3, a solar cell 18 and a lighting unit 20. hi an advantageous embodiment of the invention the roadside post is provided with a lighting unit 20 which can be cleaned by the cleaning element 4. The lighting unit 20, which, for example, is made up of individual LEDs 19, uses energy that is generated by the windmill 3, which has a shaft 10 and a wind turbine blade 12. The LEDs 19 are positioned on the surface over which the wiping element 6 sweeps in the use position. The roadside post 1 is provided with a head 9 which contains a windmill 3. The roadside post 1 is also provided with solar cells, which are positioned below the lighting unit 20. The solar cells 18 and/or the windmill 3 provide the lighting unit 20 with energy. The cleaning element 4 can also be provided with energy by the solar cells 18.

In an advantageous embodiment the solar cells 18 are also accessible to the cleaning element 4, so that if the solar cells 18 become dirty these can be cleaned by the cleaning element 4. What is achieved by constructing a roadside post with both a windmill 3 and solar cells 18 is that in periods in which one of the two energy sources is not functioning the other energy source can take over the task.

In an embodiment that has not been shown it is also possible for traffic lights to be equipped with a cleaning element according to the invention. Traffic signs can also be equipped with windmills according to the invention.

Claims

1. Street furniture (1) provided with an indicator (2) and an energy source (3), characterised in that the energy source is coupled to a cleaning device that is provided with a cleaning element (4) that can be moved over the indicators (2), which cleaning element can be moved by the energy source (3).

2. Street furniture (1) according to Claim 1, characterised in that the cleaning element (4) comprises a shaft (5) capable of translational movement over the indicators (2), provided with a wiping element (6).

3. Street furniture (1) according to Claim 2, characterised in that the shaft (5) is movably accommodated in two elongated guide slots (7) located on either side of the indicator (2) and is provided with a rotary element for rotating the shaft (5) during translational movement of the shaft (5) along the guide slots (7).

4. Street furniture (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the energy source (3) is connected to an accumulator (15) that is designed such that the cleaning element (4) is moved at least once from a first side (13) of the indicators (2) to a second side (14) of the indicators when a predetermined energy level is reached.

5. Street furniture (1) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the energy source (3) comprises a windmill.

6. Street furniture (1) according to Claims 4 and 5, wherein a spring element is connected to a shaft of the windmill (3), provision being made for a retaining device connected to the spring element for retaining the spring and for releasing the spring at a predetermined spring tension.

7. Street furniture (1) according to one of Claims 1 to 6, characterised in that the street furniture comprises a roadside post (1).

8. Street furniture (1) according to Claim 7, characterised in that the roadside post (1) has a head (9) with a passageway (11) and, as energy source (3), a windmill (3) fitted in the opening such that it can rotate about a shaft (10), wherein, viewed in the longitudinal direction of the roadside post, a lighting unit (20) is fitted below the windmill and wherein the cleaning element (4) is accommodated alongside the lighting unit (20) and is connected to the shaft (10) of the windmill (3).

9. Street furniture (1) according to Claim 8, characterised in that the head (9) with the windmill (3) can be removed from the roadside post (1).

10. Street furniture (1) according to Claim 7, wherein the energy source (3) comprises at least one solar cell (18), a light fitting (20) and a cleaning element (4) that is positioned alongside the light fitting (20) and is connected to at least one solar cell (18).

11. Street furniture (1) provided with an energy source (3) for driving an electrical and/or mechanical component of the street furniture, characterised in that the energy source (3) comprises a windmill.

12. Street furniture (1) according to Claim 11, characterised in that a spring element is connected to a shaft (10) of the windmill, provision being made for a retaining device connected to the spring element for retaining the spring and for releasing the spring at a predetermined spring tension.

13. Street furniture (1) according to Claim 11 or 12, wherein the electrical and/or mechanical component comprise/comprises a lighting unit (20), wherein the windmill (3) is connected to a generator (16) and an accumulator (15) for storing electrical energy.

14. Street furniture (1) according to Claim 11, 12 or 13, characterised in that the street furniture (1) comprises a roadside post (1) having a passageway (11), wherein the windmill (3) is fitted in the passageway (11) such that it can rotate about a shaft (10) and wherein, viewed in the longitudinal direction of the roadside post (1), a lighting unit (20) that is connected to the windmill (3) is installed below the windmill (3).