JP4599433B2 - LED sign - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to an on-vehicle LED sign having a snow melting function.

  In order to improve visibility and save power consumption, LED display boards are used for signs mounted on vehicles such as ambulances and patrol cars and road signs (for example, Patent Document 1).

The LED display panel does not generate heat compared to the conventional light bulb type display panel. Therefore, when used for a sign, there is a problem that the snow that is snowed during snowfall remains unmelted and visibility deteriorates.
JP 2006-350108 A

  This invention is made | formed in view of the said problem, and it aims at providing the LED sign which makes it possible to prevent the deterioration of the visibility by snowfall.

In order to achieve the above object, the LED sign according to the first aspect of the present invention is:
A plurality of LEDs arranged in a matrix, each LED is turned on and off to display desired information; and
A snow melting unit that is disposed on the display surface side of the LED display unit and emits heat and far infrared rays , and
The snow melting unit is
Frame material,
Two plate members having transparency to sandwich the frame member;
A cord-like heater disposed at a constant pitch in a space sealed by the frame member and the two plate members;
It is characterized by that.

  A heat insulating material may be provided inside the frame material.

  The snow melting unit may be detachably attached to the LED display unit.

  According to the present invention, since the snow melting unit that radiates far infrared rays is disposed on the display surface side, it is possible to prevent the visibility from being deteriorated due to snowfall.

  Hereinafter, an in-vehicle LED sign 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. The LED sign 100 is placed on a vehicle such as a patrol car or an ambulance, and functions as a sign for displaying various information such as road information.

FIG. 1A is a front view of an LED sign 100 according to the present embodiment. In this example, character information “accident” is displayed on the display surface of the LED sign 100.
Moreover, five heaters 21 provided in the snow melting unit 20 described later can be confirmed from this display. The heater 21 is a cord-like heater, and its width is sufficiently narrow with respect to the width of the display surface, so the visibility of display on the display surface hardly deteriorates.

  FIG. 1B is a cross-sectional view taken along the arrow when the in-vehicle LED sign 100 shown in FIG. 1A is cut along a straight line Sa-Sa '. The LED sign 100 includes an LED display unit 10 and a snow melting unit 20.

The LED display unit 10 is for displaying various information. The LED display unit 10 includes a plurality of LEDs arranged in a matrix on the display surface side, and a CPU (Centrarl
Processing Unit), and the CPU selectively controls lighting of each LED, so that images such as arbitrary characters, numbers, and other two-dimensional figures can be displayed in a dot matrix. The LED display unit 10 includes an acrylic plate 11 for protecting the display surface, and a cover made of metal such as aluminum or iron covering the periphery other than the display surface, plastic, FPR (Fiber Reinforced Plastics), resin, or the like. 12 and the whole are covered.

  The snow melting unit 20 is disposed so as to cover the display side of the LED display unit 10, and has a function of releasing heat and melting snow that is snowing.

As shown in FIG. 1B and FIG. 2, the snow melting unit 20 has a metal frame 22 formed by processing a metal plate such as SPCC (cold rolled steel plate) as an LED display unit 10. The acrylic plate 23 and the acrylic plate 24 bonded to the acrylic plate 11 are sandwiched. The snow melting unit 20 includes a plurality of cord-shaped heaters 21 in an internal space sealed by the metal frame 22 and the acrylic plates 23 and 24.
In addition, since the acrylic plates 23 and 24 have high transparency, even if the snow melting unit 20 is disposed so as to cover the display of the LED display unit 10, the display is not hindered.
Further, the metal frame 22 is subjected to a black mate treatment so that the radiant heat from the heater 21 can be efficiently absorbed.

A plurality of heaters 21 (five in the present embodiment) are arranged in the X direction at a predetermined heater pitch (for example, 60 mm).
Here, the structure of the heater 21 will be described with reference to FIG. 3A is an enlarged view of the heater 21, and FIG. 3B is a cross-sectional view taken along the arrow line when the heater 21 shown in FIG. 3A is cut along a straight line Ta-Ta ′. The heater 21 includes a conductor 211 that is a heating element containing carbon fiber (carbon), a polyimide tape 212 that covers the conductor 211 in a double layer, and silicon rubber 213, and is configured in a cord shape (linear shape). .

  Further, both ends of the heater 21 are connected to a power source (battery) of the vehicle. Then, by supplying power from this power source, the heater 21 generates Joule heat by the heat generated by the conductor 211 and emits far infrared rays. In addition, since the rated voltage of the heater 21 is a comparatively small voltage of 12 V, the power supply to the heater 21 does not affect devices such as an air conditioner that requires a power source (battery) in the vehicle.

  The air in the space sealed by the metal frame 22 and the acrylic plates 23 and 24 is heated by the Joule heat generated by the heater 21 and the heat accompanying the molecular motion by the far infrared rays emitted. Therefore, since the snow melting unit 20 is entirely heated by the air inside, the snow that snows on the snow melting unit 20 melts instantly and does not remain on the display surface (acrylic plate 24). Therefore, the LED sign 100 according to this embodiment can prevent deterioration of visibility due to snowfall.

The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications and applications are possible.
For example, the acrylic plate 11 of the LED display unit 10 and the acrylic plates 23 and 24 of the snow melting unit 20 may be made of other transparent resins such as polycarbonate.

  Further, as shown in FIGS. 4A and 4B, a heat insulating material may be provided inside the metal frame 22 of the snow melting unit 20. By doing so, it is possible to prevent the heat generated by the snow melting unit 20 from escaping to some extent, and it is possible to melt the snow on the display surface more efficiently. Further, since the heat insulating material is provided only inside the metal frame 22, the visibility is not deteriorated.

  Further, the LED sign 100 may be configured to be detachable from the LED display unit 10 by, for example, fixing the snow melting unit 20 to the LED display unit 10 with screws. By doing in this way, when the snow melting unit 20 should break down, the snow melting unit 20 can be removed and replaced, and maintenance becomes easy. In addition, the snow melting unit 20 can be removed and used except in winter when snow falls, and it is also possible to reduce the weight and save power.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 5, the acrylic sign provided in the snow melting unit 20 is only the acrylic board 24, and the LED sign is arranged so that the heater 21 is disposed between the acrylic board 24 and the acrylic board 11 of the LED display unit 10. 100 may be configured. In this case, since the number of acrylic plates between the LED display unit 10 and the snow melting unit 20 is reduced from two to one, display visibility is further improved.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 6, the heater 21 may be arranged directly on the display LED of the LED display unit 10 and the acrylic plate 11 may cover the heater 21. In this case, since it is not necessary to provide the snow melting unit 20, the LED sign 100 can be produced at a lower cost. In addition, as shown in FIG. 7, the heater 21 may be arranged so as to be embedded in the gap between the LEDs. In this case, the visibility deterioration due to the heater 21 can be suppressed to zero as much as possible.

  In the above embodiment, it has been described that the snow melting unit 20 has a plurality of heaters 21, but as shown in FIG. 8, one heater 21 is bent so as to cover the entire surface of the snow melting unit 20. Also good.

  Moreover, in the said embodiment, although carbon fiber was used as the heat generating conductor 211 of the heater 21, you may comprise the heater 21 using a heating wire, a heating wire, etc. other than this. In short, any material can be used as long as the cord-like heater 21 can be realized.

  Moreover, in the said embodiment, although the LED sign mounted in the vehicle was demonstrated, the LED sign of this invention is not limited to this, It can apply to the LED sign currently utilized in various scenes and places. For example, LED signs installed at the entrance and inside or outside of tunnels, LED signs for ETC access arms, LED signs used at toll barriers on expressways, and LEDs that display traffic regulation information at construction sites The present invention can also be applied to labels and the like. The present invention can also be applied to LED signs functioning as information boards, variable bulletin boards, and outdoor displays that display various types of guidance, warnings, rules, instruction information, and the like that are arranged outdoors.

It is the front view (A) and sectional drawing (B) of the LED sign which concern on embodiment of this invention. It is an external view of a snow melting unit. It is a figure for demonstrating the structure of a heater. It is the external view (A) of the snow melting unit at the time of using a heat insulating material, and sectional drawing (B) of an LED sign. It is a figure for demonstrating the LED sign of another form. It is a figure for demonstrating the LED sign of another form. It is the figure which showed the relationship between LED and a heater. It is the external view which showed the snow melting unit comprised with one heater.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 LED display part 11 Acrylic board 12 Cover 20 Snow melting unit 21 Heater 22 Metal frame 23, 24 Acrylic board
100 LED signs

Claims (3)

A plurality of LEDs arranged in a matrix, each LED is turned on and off to display desired information; and
A snow melting unit that is disposed on the display surface side of the LED display unit and emits heat and far infrared rays , and
The snow melting unit is
Frame material,
Two plate members having transparency to sandwich the frame member;
A cord-like heater disposed at a constant pitch in a space sealed by the frame member and the two plate members;
LED signage characterized by that. A heat insulating material is provided inside the frame material,
The LED sign according to claim 1 , wherein: The snow melting unit is detachably attached to the LED display unit,
The LED sign according to claim 1 or 2 , characterized in that.

Images