MODULAR SYSTEM FOR LUMINOUS SIGNALS, PARTICULARLY FOR ROAD SIGNALS

Abstract

A modular system for illuminated signs, in particular for road signs, includes a plurality of bars that can be put together so as to form a frame structure. Each bar has a full body made of a material usable as light-guide, for example polycarbonate, substantially transparent to the colour of the light that propagates inside it, in which a LED light source is integrated. The system moreover comprises a plurality of modules in the form of letters, figures or symbols, which can be positioned within the aforesaid frame and are each also constituted by a body of material usable as light-guide, for example polycarbonate, substantially transparent to the colour of the light that propagates inside it, with at least one LED light source integrated within each module. Each of the aforesaid modules is provided with at least one pair of terminals for connection of the respective LED source with a source of electrical supply.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Further characteristics and advantages of the invention will emerge from the ensuing description with reference to the annexed plate of drawings, which are provided purely by way of non-limiting example and in which:

FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view of a road-sign panel obtained with the system according to the invention;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a module forming part of the system of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a schematic side view of the module of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 illustrates a variant embodiment of a letter module of the system according to the invention;

FIG. 5 illustrates a further variant;

FIG. 6 illustrates a cross section according to the line VI-VI of FIG. 5;

FIG. 7 illustrates the panel of FIG. 1 in the lit-up condition, at night;

FIG. 8 illustrates a light-coloured letter, for example white or red with a dark outline, for example blue or black, designed to contrast in daylight with the colour of the letter;

FIGS. 9 and 10 illustrates an exploded perspective view and an assembled perspective view of a road sign according to the invention, obtained starting from a conventional road sign; and

FIG. 11 illustrates a variant of FIG. 10.

Claims

1. A modular system for illuminated signs comprising a supporting structure and a plurality of modules in the form of letters, figures or symbols in general, which can be positioned on said supporting structure, each module comprising a body made of a material that can be used as light-guide and is substantially transparent, with at least one LED light source set within said body and at least one pair of terminals for electrical connection of the LED light source to the source of electrical supply.

2. The modular system according to claim 1, wherein the supporting structure includes a plurality of bars that can be put together in such a way as to form a frame structure, each bar comprising a body made of a material usable as light-guide that is substantially transparent to the colour of the light that propagates inside it, with at least one LED light source set within said body and at least one pair of connection terminals for connection of the LED source to a source of electrical supply, said modules in the form of letters, figures or symbols being positioned within the aforesaid frame structure.

3. The modular system according to claim 2, wherein the body of said bars and of said letter modules is made of at least one of polycarbonate and polymeric material transparent to the colour of the source used and reinforced with additives according to known procedures to be resistant to yellowing caused by sunlight.

4. The modular system according to claim 3, wherein each of said bar modules has a pair of male terminals projecting axially from each end, which can be used both for electrical connection of the LED source set within the bar module with the electrical source and for mechanical connection of the bar module to an adjacent module.

5. The modular system according to claim 4, wherein each bar module has at least one side surface, which at each of its ends has two female terminals for electrical and mechanical connection to two male terminals of an adjacent bar module.

6. The modular system according to claim 1, wherein each of said letter modules has a body defining an outline of the letter or symbol designed to improve the visibility of the said letter or symbol.

7. The modular system according to claim 1, wherein each of said letter modules has an opaque panel having on its two opposite faces two letter modules visible from opposite sides of the sign system.

8. The modular system according to claim 2, wherein the letter modules are supported by a bar extending horizontally vertically or diagonally in the space internal to the aforesaid frame, between two vertical bars forming the frame.

9. The modular system according to claim 8, wherein said supporting bar comprises one of the aforesaid modules made of light-guide material with an integrated LED source.

10. The modular system according to claim 1, wherein the aforesaid source of electrical supply comprises one or more batteries.

11. The modular system according to claim 10, wherein said battery is of the rechargeable type and is associated to a power generator.

12. The modular system according to claim 11, wherein said generator is made up of one or more photovoltaic solar panels.

13. The modular system according to claim 11, wherein the generator is a wind-power generator.

14. The modular system according to claim 1, wherein a coloured diffusing layer is deposited on at least one of one of the sides of the body of the modules of the frame and of the symbol modules.

15. The modular system according to claim 1, wherein the symbols or letters are in turn outlined by a border, preferably silk-screen printed, of a colour chosen for contrasting with the colour of the symbol or letter.

16. The modular system according to claim 1, wherein the body of said bars and of said letter modules is made of coloured methacrylate.

17. The modular system according to claim 1, wherein the body of the bar modules and of the symbol modules is tubular and has walls with prismatic grooves to favour propagation of the light.

18. The modular system according to claim 1, wherein, in order to orient better the direction of the beam of light leaving each light-guide body, matrix micro-optics are arranged thereon.

19. The modular system according to claim 14, wherein at least one of the side of the body with the diffusing layer and the side from which the light comes out are provided with a curvature.

20. The modular system according to claim 14, wherein one or more side walls of the letters or of the symbols are coated with a diffusing layer.

21. The modular system according to claim 14, wherein at least one of the frame and the letters/symbols have said diffusing layer that covers only a part of the body, in this way enabling at least one of the letter and the frame to be visible at a distance also from behind.

22. The modular system according to claim 1, wherein the generator comprises a lens that focuses the sunlight on a thermoelectric module.

23. The modular system according to claim 1, wherein the generator comprises a piezoelectric film exposed to the wind, which by bending or vibration produces electricity.

24. The modular system according to claim 7, wherein said opaque panel is provided with holes that reduce the area of exposure to the wind.

25. The modular system according to claim 12, wherein solar panels are provided adjacent to the border of one or more modules and on one or more sides.

26. The modular system according to claim 25, wherein the solar panels are of the flexible-film type, configured to operate with good efficiency also on scattered sunlight (albedo).

27. The modular system according to claim 12, wherein the solar panels are of a type chosen from the group consisting of monocrystalline silicon, multicrystalline silicon, string ribbon, thin film, amorphous silicon, cadmium tellurate, copper indium diselenide, dye-sensitized electrochemical junction, Graetzel cell, polymeric photovoltaic, and photosynthetic photovoltaic.

28. The modular system according to claim 11, wherein the rechargeable batteries are chosen from among the group consisting of the families of Ni—Cd, Ni-MH, Li-ion, Li-Pol, or from among types of planarizable or film batteries.

29. The modular system according to claim 2, wherein it comprises a lighting sensor set on the frame and connected to an electrical circuit that controls turning-on and turning-off of the LEDs.

30. The modular system according to claim 1, wherein it comprises a sensor for detecting the visibility and means for regulating the intensity of the LEDs in relation to the signal detected, the intensity being maximum in the case of fog or in general of reduced visibility.

31. The modular system according to claim 1, wherein it comprises a control unit for the electrical supply of the LEDs.

32. The modular system according to claim 1, wherein it comprises a control unit for the electrical supply of the LEDs that is configured to operate in feedback loop with the environmental sensors and regulates supply of the current emitted by the battery in relation to its state of charge.

33. The modular system according to claim 2, further comprising a control unit for the electrical supply of the LEDs designed to light up in a pulsed way at least one of the frame and a symbol or any letter for at least one of highlighting situations of danger and for supplying in a sequenced and regulatable way symbols.

34. The modular system according to claim 1, wherein the body of the modules is equipped with an opaque or reflecting coating on the side that faces upwards for the purpose of nullifying the luminance beyond the horizon.

35. The modular system according to claim 31, further comprising shieldings for reducing the luminance for small angles below the horizon.

36. The modular system according to claim 14, wherein the diffusing layer comprises a surface with controlled roughness, printed directly on the symbol or letter and then possibly coated with a reflecting coating.

37. The modular system according to claim 1, wherein the supporting structure includes a road sign of a conventional type, comprising a panel with a front surface bearing wordings or symbols in general, and in that the aforesaid modules in the form of letters or symbols with light-guide body and at least one LED integrated therein are fixed on the front surface of the road sign, so as to cover the original wordings or symbols.

38. The modular system according to claim 37, wherein said modules are fixed on said front surface with the interposition of a layer of coating material, of a colour contrasting with that of the modules.

39. The modular system according to claim 38, wherein the letters or symbols of the modules are of dimensions larger than those of the original road sign.

40. The modular system according to claim 37, wherein fixed behind the panel is a supporting structure for the batteries and for the generator.

41. The modular system according to claim 37, wherein fixed on the panel are modules defining a frame corresponding to the perimetral band of a road sign.

42. The modular system according to claim 1, wherein the aforesaid modules are provided with a coating of a self-cleaning type.