Road marking unit and road marking system capable of switching from reflective state to light absorbing state

• US 6,092,909 A
• Filed: 01/20/1999
• Issued: 07/25/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 01/22/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: US Philips Corporation (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Original Assignee: US Philips Corporation (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Inventors: Smid, Reinder, Henzen, Alexander V., Sools, Franciscus G. P.
• Primary Examiner(s): O'Shea, Sandra
• Assistant Examiner(s): Stanley, Bryan P.
• Application Number:
  US09/233,841
• Time in Patent Office: 552 Days
• Field of Search: 362/551, 362/558, 362/559, 362/561, 362/153.1, 362/327, 362/328, 362/329, 362/341
• US Class Current: 362/153.1
• CPC Class Codes: E01F 9/20 Use of light guides, e.g. fibre-optic devices
• CPC Class Codes: E01F 9/559 illuminated

Abstract

A road marking unit (1) according to the invention comprises a house (10) with a light transmissive window (20). In the house (10) is arranged an electro-optic switch (30). In an activated state of the road marking unit (1) the electro-optic switch (30) achieves that light is reflected from the window (20) back to the window (20). In a de-activated state of the road marking unit (1) the electro-optic switch (30) achieves that light from the window (20) is absorbed. The road marking unit (1) of the invention has the advantage that it can also in bright environmental light it can be switched between visible and invisible.

Claims

1. A road marking unit comprising a housing with a light-transmitting window, and an electro-optical switch accommodated in the housing, which switch in an activated state reflects light entering from the window back towards the window, and in a deactivated state absorbs light entering from the window.

2. A road marking unit as in claim 1 wherein the electro-optical switch comprises an electro-optical medium on the basis of liquid crystals.

3. A road marking unit as in claim 1 further comprising a light generator which emits light in the housing.

4. A road marking unit as in claim 3 wherein the light generator comprises a light waveguide having a first end in the housing and a second opposed end which is optically coupled to a light source.

5. A road marking unit as in claim 4 further comprising a transparent plate arranged in a plane defined by the window, said plate having an inward-facing surface provided with a relief having transverse surfaces which extend substantially perpendicularly to the plane defined by the window, said first end of said light waveguide being directed towards said transverse surfaces.

6. A road marking unit as in claim 1 further comprising a receiver in the housing for remote control of the electro-optical switch, and a solar cell in the housing for supplying power to the receiver and the electro-optical switch.

7. A road marking system provided comprising at least one road marking unit as in claim 1, a control system for the road marking unit, and means for coupling the road marking unit to the control system.