Marker apparatus

• US 5,580,156 A
• Filed: 09/14/1995
• Issued: 12/03/1996
• Est. Priority Date: 09/27/1994
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Koito Manufacturing Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Koito Manufacturing Company Limited
• Inventors: Tamura, Kazunori, Suzuki, Yoshio, Matsukawa, Nobuo
• Primary Examiner(s): Gromada, Denise
• Assistant Examiner(s): Sember, Thomas M.
• Application Number:
  US08/527,875
• Time in Patent Office: 446 Days
• Field of Search: 362/184, 362/186, 362/190, 362/191, 362/373, 362/235, 362/236, 362/237, 362/240, 362/241, 362/246, 362/247, 362/249, 362/252, 362/276, 362/293, 362/294, 362/297, 362/307 , 362/308, 362/328, 362/329, 362/339, 362/346, 362/431, 362/410, 362/414, 362/253, 362/800, 362/802, 116/63 R, 116/63 P, 116/63 C
• US Class Current: 362/184
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 7/00 Arrangement or adaptation of portable emergency signal devices on vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: E01F 9/617 Illuminated or wired-up posts, bollards, pillars or like upstanding bodies or structures for traffic guidance, warning or control E01F9/559 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 9/02 the power supply being a battery or accumulator
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 31/03 with provision for venting for vehicle head lights F21S45/33; for vehicle rear lights F21S41/192
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 7/0083 Array of reflectors for a cluster of light sources, e.g. arrangement of multiple light sources in one plane combination of two or more reflectors F21V7/0025
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 7/05 plane
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 7/09 with a combination of different curvatures
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 9/08 for producing coloured light, e.g. monochromatic; for reducing intensity of light with provision for controlling the colour F21V9/40
• CPC Class Codes: F21W 2111/02 for roads, paths or the like
• CPC Class Codes: F21Y 2105/10 comprising a two-dimensional array of point-like light-generating elements
• CPC Class Codes: F21Y 2113/13 comprising an assembly of point-like light sources
• CPC Class Codes: F21Y 2115/10 Light-emitting diodes [LED]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 362/80 Light emitting diode
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 362/802 Position or condition responsive switch

Abstract

A marker apparatus including a retroreflector constituted by three reflective surfaces arranged on three surfaces of a trigonal pyramid and a light source disposed on an optical axis of the retroreflector. A lens is provided in front of the retroreflector and a condensing lens is formed on the lens for condensing light emitting from the light source. A plurality of retroreflectors are provided continuously on the same plane in such a manner that directions of the three reflective surfaces, which constitute each of the retroreflector, are different from one another, and a front view of the retroreflector is regular hexagonal. A wall surface is formed between the three reflective surfaces constituting each retroreflector so that the wall surface directed in parallel with an optical axis.

Claims

1. A marker apparatus comprising:

at least one retroreflector constituted by a trigonal pyramid having three reflective surfaces;

a light source disposed on an optical axis of said retroreflector;

a cylindrical casing accommodating therein a battery for supplying electric power to said light source;

a marker body accommodating therein said retroreflector, said marker body detachably engaging with said casing; and

a lens mounted on a front opening of said marker body; and

wherein

said marker body comprises an air hole formed in a back surface thereof for communicating an inside of said marker body with an outside thereof, a window formed in the back surface thereof for leading light therein, and a transparent cover mounted on said light leading window through an O-ring.

2. The marker apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said marker body detachably engages with said cylindrical casing by a screw engagement.

3. The marker apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said battery accommodated in said cylindrical casing is a dry battery.

4. The marker apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said light source comprises a light emitting diode.

5. The marker apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising an optical sensor and a control device electrically connecting to said optical sensor, wherein said light source is operated in association with an output signal of said optical sensor.

6. The marker apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said retroreflector is formed of resin and a surface of which is subjected to an aluminum deposition treatment.

7. The marker apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a plurality of said retroreflectors are continuously disposed on a same plane.

8. The marker apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the plurality of said retroreflectors are arranged in a honeycomb configuration.

9. The three marker apparatus according to claim 7, wherein each retroreflector has edge lines in various directions, said edge lines being defined by said three reflective surfaces crossing by an angle of 120°

when viewed from a front, are different from those of other retroreflectors.

10. The marker apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the plurality of said retroreflectors comprises a first retroreflector having the three edge lines directing to an apex of a regular hexagon of a front view and a second retroreflector having the three edge lines directing perpendicular to each of side lines of the regular hexagon, and one edge line of said first retroreflector directs up or down whereas one edge line of said second retroreflector directs left or right.

11. The marker apparatus according to claim 10, wherein said first retroreflector comprises one edge line directing upward and the other two edge lines directing downward which are inclined to each other by 120°

, and vertical wall surfaces are formed on each of the three reflective surfaces at positions of an upper apex and left and right lower apices of a regular hexagonal opening, and said second retroreflector comprises one edge line directing leftward and the other two edge lines directing rightward which are inclined to each other by 120°

, and vertical wall surfaces are formed on each of the three reflective surfaces at positions of crossings between the three edge lines and lines of the regular hexagonal opening.

12. The marker apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said three reflective surfaces of said retroreflector cross perpendicularly to one another at apices thereof.

13. The marker apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said retroreflector has a configuration which is a regular hexagonal shape in a front view and a partition wall surface is formed in a parallel direction with an optical axis at a position of one of boundaries and junctions between each of said reflective surfaces.

14. The marker apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said retroreflector comprises a triangular hole formed by cutting an apex part thereof, and said light source faces said triangular hole.

15. The marker apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said retroreflector comprises a flange formed integrally with and at a circumference of said reflective surfaces to correspond to a contour of said marker body, and said flange comprises a short cylindrical sleeve projecting rearward from a periphery thereof to be extended along an inner peripheral surface of said marker body, and said marker body comprises a seal groove formed along an opening periphery of a front opening thereof, and said lens comprises a seal leg part formed along a peripheral portion thereof, said leg part is inserted in said seal groove.

16. The marker apparatus according to claim 15, wherein a seal agent is filled in said seal groove formed on said marker body.

17. The marker apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said lens is formed of a transparent resin material.

18. The marker apparatus according to claim 17, wherein a clear coating is applied to whole surface of said lens.

19. The marker apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said lens comprises light condensing steps formed on an inner surface thereof at a position corresponding to an approximately center position of said retroreflector.

20. The marker apparatus according to claim 19, wherein said light condensing steps comprises a Fresnel step.

21. The marker apparatus according to claim 19, wherein said lens comprises an outer lens and an inner lens disposed between said retroreflector and said outer lens, and said light condensing steps are formed on an appropriate portion of said inner lens.

22. The marker apparatus according to claim 21, wherein said light condensing steps comprises a Fresnel step.

23. The marker apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said retroreflector has a configuration which is a regular square shape in a front view, and a plurality of said retroreflectors are arrayed in a matrix arrangement.

24. The marker apparatus according to claim 23, wherein an outer contour of the retroreflector includes a back surface which is configured cubic.

25. The marker apparatus according to claim 23, wherein an outer contour of the retroreflector includes a back surface which is configured parallelepiped.

26. The marker apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said light source emits light continuously.

27. The marker apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said light source generates a flasher emission of light.

28. The marker apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said light source comprises two or more light emitting elements.

29. The marker apparatus according to claim 28, wherein said light emitting elements have a different color from one another.

30. The marker apparatus according to claim 29, wherein said light emitting elements have red, green and blue colors.

31. The marker apparatus according to claim 30, wherein each of said light emitting elements is arranged to have a different optical axis from one another and light beams emitting from the marker apparatus are directed directed differently from one another.