JP7625171B2 - Flexible attention device - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to an attention-attracting device which is installed, for example, at road construction sites or accident sites, by swinging its arm to attract the attention of observers such as drivers of moving vehicles and prevent further accidents from occurring, or which is installed at event venues for advertising purposes to attract visitors, and which is characterized by its compact foldability and easy portability.

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, there have been attention-attracting devices that can regulate safe passage by forming required passage or hand signal signs in response to situations such as traffic accident scenes.
Specifically, there is a device that has a base into which air can be injected and stopped to allow the torso of a humanoid figure for traffic control to be freely inflated and contracted, and inflates and stands up, allowing the left or right side of the arm of the doll's inflated and erected body to be stretched and bendable to form the required hand signal sign for traffic control (see Patent Document 1).

Utility Model Registration No. 3163897

Conventional attention warning devices have a soft cylindrical body with arms connected to them that extend in a direction intersecting the extension direction of the body (horizontally in this example); when the device is placed on the ground or elsewhere and air is supplied to the body, the air pressure inside increases, causing a three-dimensional anthropomorphic person to appear.
However, the torso and arms are fixedly connected, making it merely a doll.
In other words, since the arms do not move (swing) relative to the torso, the attention-calling function is limited.
The present invention is intended to solve the problems of the prior art, and provides a strong warning to the viewer by swinging the arms relative to the torso.
Furthermore, there is no need for a mechanical mechanism to swing the arms relative to the torso, as the function is achieved solely by changes in air pressure.

(1) The present invention is an inflatable and contractible warning device comprising a soft, cylindrical body portion that can be expanded and contracted by supplying and venting gas therein, and inflatable and contractible cylindrical arms that are internally connected to the body portion and extend in a direction intersecting the extension direction of the body portion, wherein when gas is supplied to the body portion, the air pressure within the body portion and the arms increases, causing them to stretch and become tensed, and when the supply of gas is stopped, the internal air pressure drops, and the tensed state of the arms is first released.

In the present invention, when gas (e.g., air) is supplied to the torso, the air pressure inside the torso and the arms increases, causing them to stretch and become tensed, and when the supply of gas is stopped, the internal air pressure drops and the tension in the arms is first released, so that the tension in the arms is released while the tension in the torso remains, and the released arms are biased against the tensed torso.
When gas is supplied again, the arm also becomes tensed and returns to its original position from the biased position.
Therefore, by repeatedly supplying and stopping the gas to the body, the arms reciprocate between the original position and the biased position relative to the body.

(2) The present invention is an inflatable attention warning device that is erected on the ground, such as a road, to attract the attention of a viewer, the inflatable attention warning device comprising a soft cylindrical body that can be inflated and contracted by supplying and evacuating air therein, and inflatable and contractible cylindrical arms that are internally connected to the body and extend in a direction intersecting the extension direction of the body, the body is placed on the ground so that its extension direction is vertical, when air is supplied to the body, the air pressure inside the body increases, and the arms extend vertically and become taut and fixed, similar to the body, and the arms extend from the body in a direction intersecting the vertical direction and become taut and fixed, when the supply of air is stopped, the internal air pressure decreases, first the tension of the arms is released, and the tips of the arms droop due to gravity, and when air is supplied again, the internal air pressure increases again, and the arms are fixed in a taut state in their original position.

In the present invention, when air is supplied to the torso, the air pressure inside the torso increases, and as a result, the torso stretches vertically and becomes taut, and the arms, like the torso, stretch from the torso in a direction intersecting the vertical and become taut, and are fixed in that state. When the air supply is stopped, the air inside leaks to the outside through tiny gaps in the torso and arms, causing the air pressure to decrease, first the tension in the arms is released and the tips of the arms hang down due to gravity, and when air is supplied again, the internal air pressure rises again and the arms are fixed in a taut state in their original position. Therefore, while the tension in the torso remains, the tension in the arms is released, and the tips of the arms, now released from the tension, hang down due to gravity relative to the taut torso.
When air is supplied again, the arm also becomes taut and returns to its original upward position.
Therefore, by repeatedly supplying and stopping the air supply to the torso, the arms move up and down relative to the torso, giving the appearance of a human waving his or her arms up and down.
Thus, in the present invention, there is no need for a separate mechanism for moving the arms up and down; the arms can be made to swing up and down by repeatedly supplying and stopping the air to the body.

(3) In the present invention, it is preferable that the volume of the space within the torso is larger than the volume of the space within the arm.
If the volume of the space within the torso is greater than the volume of the space within the arms, when approximately equal amounts of air escape from the torso and arms at the same time, the amount of air remaining in the arms will be relatively small, and even if the torso still retains its rigidity, the arms will lose their rigidity and sag due to gravity.
Therefore, by repeatedly supplying and stopping the air to the torso, the arms can be easily swung up and down.

(4) In the present invention, the volume of the space within the torso is preferably 10 times or more larger than the volume of the space within the arms.
If the volume of the space within the torso is ten times or more the volume of the space within the arms, then it is possible to swing only the arms up and down with almost no change in the shape of the torso.

(5) In the present invention, the material of the arms is preferably softer than the material of the body.
If the material of the arms is softer than that of the torso, the arms will contract first even if the air pressure inside the arms drops overall, and the arms will tend to bend at their bases, causing them to droop relatively quickly.
On the other hand, since the body is rigid relative to the arms, the upright position is maintained firmly.

(6) In the present invention, it is preferable that the connection portion between the body portion and the arms is softer than other portions.
If the connection between the torso and the arms is softer than the other parts, the arms will sag easily even when the amount of air that escapes from inside is relatively small.
In other words, the arms swing in quick response to the supply and cut of air, and since there is a relatively large amount of air remaining overall, the overall structure remains sturdy even when the air is released, i.e., the arms are hanging down.

(7) It is preferable that the arm portion is formed with a fine exhaust port communicating with the outside.
If the arm is formed with tiny exhaust ports such as pinholes that communicate with the outside, when the air supply is stopped, the air will quickly escape from the arm, causing the arm to easily droop.

(8) It is preferable that an air intake port of an air blower is connected to the body portion, and that by activating the air blower, air is supplied to the body portion to increase the internal air pressure, and by stopping the air blower, the air pressure within the body is decreased.
In other words, the arm can be swung simply by periodically turning the air blower on and off, so no other parts are required and the device can be manufactured simply and inexpensively.

(9) It is also possible that an air intake port of an air blower is connected to the body portion, and when the air blower is activated, air is supplied to the body portion to increase the internal air pressure, and when the air intake port of the air blower is closed, the air pressure inside the body is decreased.
A lid is provided for opening and closing the air intake port of the air blower, and air supply can be instantly started and stopped by opening and closing the lid, so that the arm can be swung more quickly.

(10) It is preferable that a weight is removably attached to the arm.
When weights are attached to the arms, the arm's downward movement becomes even quicker, and the patient's attention is more strongly attracted.

In the present invention, the arm can be moved back and forth between the original position and the offset position relative to the body by a very simple structure and operation of repeatedly supplying and stopping gas to the body.
That is, the arm portion can be swung relative to the torso portion with a simple and inexpensive device, and the patient's attention can be more strongly attracted than with a fixed type device.

FIG. 1 is a front view of a first aspect of an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a front view of a second aspect of an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 13 is a front view of a third aspect of an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 13 is a front view of a fourth aspect of an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a partial cross-sectional view of a second aspect of an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a partial cross-sectional view of a third aspect of an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a horizontal cross-sectional view of one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a vertical cross-sectional view of one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a control block diagram of an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 10 is a control block diagram different from FIG. 9 according to an embodiment of the present invention. 11A and 11B are diagrams illustrating the operation of the arm of the air blower switch according to one embodiment of the present 1 illustrates a normally closed switch and arm movement of one embodiment of the present invention. 1 illustrates a normally closed switch and arm movement of one embodiment of the present invention.

This embodiment is a human-shaped attention-attention device used for traffic restrictions and the like as shown in Figures 1 to 4, in which a head 3 is provided at the upper end of a human-shaped torso 1 installed so that its extension direction is vertical, and arms 2A, 2B, 2C, 2D, 2E, 2F extend from shoulders 4 in a direction intersecting the extension direction of the human-shaped torso 1 (horizontally, diagonally upward, diagonally downward, etc.).
Here, the arms are given the symbol 2, with the left arm extending horizontally being represented as 2A (FIG. 1), the right arm extending horizontally being represented as 2B (FIGS. 1 and 2), the left arm extending upward being represented as 2C (FIG. 2), the right arm extending diagonally upward to the right being represented as 2D (FIG. 3), the right arm extending diagonally downward to the right being 2E (FIG. 4), and the left arm extending downward being represented as 2F (FIGS. 3 and 4).

As shown in Figures 7 and 8, the basic structure is that an air blower 6 of a specified capacity and an LED 7 are mounted on a base 5 that is portable and can be stably installed with a specified weight, and air is injected into the outer periphery to inflate it into a life-sized person such as a police officer or security guard, and a bag-like human-shaped torso 1 is attached so that it can stand up.

The base 5 can be an elliptical or polygonal plate of a specified weight, but is basically a circular board with an air intake port 9 of a specified diameter opened in part of the bottom surface and an air intake port 10 opened on the side for intake of air from the outside, and air is sucked in by an air blower 6 through a filter of a specified mesh so that the air can be supplied to the humanoid torso 1.
In addition, a control device 11 for controlling the air blower 6 and the LED 7 is mounted on the base 5 .

The air blower 6 is a small type similar to those used in vacuum cleaners, and is designed to inflate the human-shaped torso 1 so that it can stand up in a short period of time, such as 5 to 10 seconds, with an airflow rate of 5 to 30 ^m3 /min, and preferably 10 to 20 ^m3 /min. It is preferable that the power cord be connected to a 12 V power plug, such as that used for cigarettes in a vehicle such as an automobile, so that power can be supplied, but a 100 V commercial power source may also be used.

The humanoid torso 1 is made by cutting a thin, strong, flexible sheet that is waterproof and somewhat breathable, such as a translucent or opaque vinyl sheet or nylon sheet, into an appropriate shape and sewing it together to form a bag-like shape. The lower periphery of the bag is airtightly attached to the periphery of the base 5, and air is supplied via the air blower 6 to inflate it and make it stand up.

5 and 6 may be made of the same material as the humanoid torso 1 and arms 2, but may be made of a thinner, more flexible material. If the shoulders 4 are flexible, the arms 2 can be swung more easily.
In order to maintain the original shape even if some of the internal air escapes, the tip portions of the body 1 and the arms 2 can be made thicker or out of harder materials.
Furthermore, as shown in Figures 3 and 4, a flashlight 8 acting as a weight is detachably attached to the arm 2D, 2E that is to be swung. When the flashlight 8 is attached to the arm 2D, 2E in this manner, it acts as a weight to speed up the hanging movement of the arm 2E, and at night, the flashlight 8 can be illuminated to further draw the attention of the patient.
The arm 2 is made of a transparent or semi-transparent material, and may have LEDs connected in a tape shape attached inside for blinking.
In addition, although not shown in the figure, a tiny exhaust port with a diameter of about a few millimeters is opened at the tip of each arm 2 using a grommet punch, so that when the air supply is stopped, the air inside the arm 2 can be rapidly released, allowing the arm 2 to be quickly lowered.
The internal volume of the humanoid torso 1 is approximately 1.5 ^m3 , and the internal volume of each arm 2 is approximately 0.1 ^m3 ; however, as long as the internal volume of the torso 1 is greater than the internal volume of the arms 2, it can be used in practical applications.

Next, the block diagrams of FIG. 9 and FIG. 10 will be described.
In the example shown in FIG. 9, the air blower 6 does not have an opening/closing cover, and a switch 13 is connected to a power source 12 , and power is supplied from the switch 13 to the air blower 6 via a timer 14 .
When the air blower 6 is driven to supply air to the lower end of the human-shaped torso 1, the human-shaped torso 1 is first inflated by the air pressure, and then air is also supplied to the arms 2, so that the overall shape of a human body is formed.
Thereafter, when the switch 13 is turned on and off at a predetermined interval, for example at 5-second intervals, the air blower 6 supplies air when the switch 13 is on, causing the arm 2 to rise, as shown in FIG. 11, and when the switch 13 is off, air is exhausted, causing the arm 2 to descend.
Therefore, when the switch 13 is turned on and off at the timing set by the timer 14, the arm 2 moves up and down accordingly.
Alternatively, two switches may be provided, and the first switch may be used to powerfully operate the air blower 6 to inflate the torso, and the second switch may be used to turn the air blower 6 on and off to swing the arms 2. It is also possible to rotate the air blower 6 in the reverse direction to actively exhaust air.

What is shown in Figure 10 is an air blower 6 with an opening/closing lid (not shown) attached to the air exhaust port, which is opened and closed by a solenoid valve 15. The air blower 6 is constantly driven to continue supplying air, and by turning the solenoid valve 15 on and off, the opening/closing lid is opened and closed, repeatedly supplying and cutting off the air to the humanoid torso 1, causing the arms 2 to swing in the same manner as described above.

12, the solenoid valve 15 is a normally closed valve (normally closed and opens when the power is on), and when power is supplied to the normally closed valve, the normally closed valve opens, air is supplied to the humanoid torso 1, and the arm 2 rises. When power is stopped, the normally closed valve closes, the supply of air to the humanoid torso 1 is cut off, and the arm 2 descends.

13, the solenoid valve 15 is a normally open valve (normally open and closed when the power is on), and when power is supplied to the normally open valve, the normally open valve closes, cutting off air to the humanoid torso 1 and lowering the arm 2. When power is stopped, the normally open valve opens, air is supplied to the humanoid torso 1 and the arm 2 rises.

Next, the operation of the arm portion 2 will be described with reference to FIGS.
In Figures 1 and 2, Figure 2 shows the basic form, in which when air is supplied to the human-shaped torso 1, the left arm 2C extends upward, and when the internal air is expelled, the left arm 2C descends to become the left arm 2A extending horizontally, resulting in an overall "stop command" shape.
3 and 4, FIG. 3 shows the basic form, in which when air is supplied to the human-shaped torso 1, the right arm 2D extends diagonally upward, and when the internal air is expelled, the left arm 2D descends to become the left arm 2E extending diagonally downward, resulting in an overall "attention" shape.

1 Humanoid torso, 2 Arms, 3 Head, 4 Shoulders, 5 Base, 6 Air blower, 7 LED, 8 Flashlight, 9 Air intake, 10 Air intake, 11 Control device, 12 Power source, 13 Switch, 14 Timer, 15 Solenoid valve.

Claims (1)

An expandable and contractible attention-attracting device that is erected on the ground, such as a road, to attract the attention of viewers,
The device is provided with a soft cylindrical body section that can be expanded and contracted by supplying and exhausting air to the inside, a cylindrical arm section that is internally connected to the body section and extends in a direction intersecting the extension direction of the body section and has an internal space volume smaller than that of the body section , and an air blower that supplies air to the body section,
The fuselage is placed on the ground so that its extension direction is vertical, and air is supplied to the fuselage by the air blower, so that the air pressure inside the fuselage increases and the fuselage is stretched vertically and fixed in a tensed state;
Air is supplied to the arm portion through a communication portion from the torso portion, and the arm portion is stretched from the torso portion in a direction intersecting with a vertical direction and fixed in a tensed state,
When the supply of air from the air blower is stopped, the air pressure inside the torso and the arms drops, and the tension in the arms, which have a small internal volume, is released, causing the tips to sag due to gravity. When air is supplied again from the air blower, the internal air pressure rises again, and the arms are fixed in their original positions in a tensioned state .
An expandable and contractible warning device, characterized in that the volume of the space within the torso portion is 10 times or more the volume of the space within the arm portion .