Combined traffic signal with stacked EL elements

• US 4,857,920 A
• Filed: 10/06/1987
• Issued: 08/15/1989
• Est. Priority Date: 10/07/1986
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Nakajima, Shigeo, Yoshida, Masaru, Kataoka, Shoei
• Primary Examiner(s): Orsino, Joseph A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): TUMM, BRIAN
• Application Number:
  US07/106,545
• Time in Patent Office: 679 Days
• Field of Search: 340/907, 340/84, 340/781, 340/716, 340/717, 340/107, 340/815.32, 340/944, 358/59, 313/506, 313/509, 313/510, 40/544
• US Class Current: 340/907
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/095 Traffic lights

Abstract

A highly reliable and economical traffic signal has only one light-emitting display section having two or more semiconductor thin-film EL plates of different colors such as green and red stacked one on top of the other. Green and red can be displayed by causing one of the EL plates to emit light and yellow can be displayed by causing both of them to emit light.

Claims

1. A traffic signal comprising a display section having at least two transparent EL elements for emitting light of different colors including red, said EL elements being stacked one on top of each other on top of a glass substrate at said display section, either one or both of said EL elements being adapted to emit light in response to a voltage applied on said one or both of said EL elements to display in said display section either of said different colors or a combination of said different colors, said traffic signal further comprising a transparent internal electrode film sandwiched between said EL elements.

2. The traffic signal of claim 1 wherein said voltage is applied by a driving circuit including a power circuit connected to said EL elements, a coil connected in parallel with said EL elements to said power circuit and a light-receiving diode adapted to control said power circuit according to the brightness of light received by said light-receiving diode.

3. A traffic signal comprising a display section having at least two transparent EL elements for emitting light of different colors including red, said EL elements being stacked one on top of each other on top of a glass substrate at said display section, either one or both of said EL elements being adapted to emit light in response to a voltage applied on said one or both of said EL elements to display in said display section either of said different colors or a combination of said different colors, each of said EL elements including a light-emitting layer sandwiched between an insulating film and an external electrode.

4. A traffic signal comprising a display section having at least two transparent EL elements for emitting light of different colors, said EL elements being stacked one on top of each other on top of a glass substrate at said display section, either one or both of said EL elements being adapted to emit light in response to a voltage applied on said one or both of said EL elements to display in said display section either of said different colors or a combination of said different colors, said EL elements having a transparent internal electrode film sandwiched therebetween.

5. The traffic signal of claim 4 wherein said voltage is applied by a driving circuit including a power circuit connected to said EL elements, a coil connected in parallel with said EL elements to said power circuit and a light-receiving diode adapted to control said power circuit according to the brightness of light received by said light-receiving diode.

6. A traffic signal comprising a display section having at least two transparent EL elements for emitting light of different colors including red, said EL elements being stacked one on top of each other on top of a glass substrate at said display section, either one or both of said EL elements being adapted to emit light in response to a voltage applied on said one or both of said EL elements to display in said display section either of said different colors or a combination of said different colors, said voltage being applied by a driving circuit which includes a power circuit connected to said EL elements, a coil connected in parallel with said EL elements to said power circuit and a light-receiving diode adapted to control said power circuit according to the brightness of light received by said light-receiving diode.

7. A traffic signal comprising a display section having at least two transparent EL elements for emitting light of different colors, said EL elements being stacked together at said display section, either one or both of said EL elements being adapted to emit light in response to a voltage applied on said one or both of said EL elements to display in said display section either of said different colors or a combination of said different colors, said EL elements being shaped so as to represent a colored symbol indicative of a safe or dangerous traffic condition or a traffic command.

8. The traffic signal of claim 7 wherein said voltage is applied by a driving circuit including a power circuit connected to said EL elements, a coil connected in parallel with said EL elements to said power circuit and a light-receiving diode adapted to control said power circuit according to the brightness of light received by said light-receiving diode.

9. The traffic signal of claim 7 wherein each of said transparent EL elements includes a combination of a light-emitting layer, insulating films sandwiching said light-emitting layer and transparent electrode films, said combination being disposed above a glass substrate.

10. The traffic signal of claim 7 wherein said EL elements are stacked one on top of each other on top of a glass substrate.

11. The traffic signal of claim 10 wherein said EL elements include a red-light emitting EL element and a green-light emitting EL element.

12. The traffic signal of claim 10 further comprising a transparent internal electrode film sandwiched between said EL elements.

13. The traffic signal of claim 10 wherein each of said EL elements includes a light-emitting layer, an insulating film and an external electrode.