JP7851039B2 - display device - Google Patents

Description

This invention relates to a display device suitable for use as a road directional guide, which has an arrow indicator section formed on the display unit to indicate a direction from a starting point to an ending point.

To encourage lane changes on roads under construction, arrow signs are installed to guide drivers in the direction of travel. Typical arrow signs consist of two metal plates connected in a downward-opening manner, with arrows displayed on their surfaces.

These common arrow signs can be moved or toppled over by strong winds, not only rendering them ineffective but also potentially causing serious traffic safety problems if they collide with pedestrians or moving vehicles.

The arrow sign described in Patent Document 1 is a sign that opens downwards when viewed from the side, with a mesh-like structure. An arrow is displayed in the center of the sign, and it is proposed that the sign will not tip over due to strong winds by allowing air to pass through the mesh.

Registered Utility Model No. 3138352 Publication

As described in Patent Document 1 above, the arrow board has an arrow that is not easily visible due to the presence of numerous ventilation holes formed in the board, making it difficult to recognize the direction indicated by the arrow.
The inventors of this invention have found through research that the arrangement of ventilation holes makes the arrows more conspicuous.

This invention is based on the above findings and aims to provide a display device that prevents tipping by employing ventilation holes and allows for clear visual confirmation of the direction indicated by the arrow indicator.

The invention according to claim 1 is a display device comprising a display unit having an arrow indicator unit indicating a direction from a starting point to an ending point, and a ventilation hole arrangement area unit located outside the contour of the arrow indicator unit and having a plurality of ventilation holes, wherein the ventilation hole arrangement area unit is located from one side to the other of a straight line passing through the starting point and the ending point of the arrow indicator unit, and the plurality of ventilation holes are radially arranged ventilation holes arranged in a radial row from the starting point side toward the ending point side of the arrow indicator unit.

The invention according to claim 2 is the display device according to claim 1, characterized in that the arrow indicator portion has a shape that becomes thicker from the starting point to the ending point.

The invention according to claim 3 is a display device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the radially arranged ventilation holes include long and short ventilation holes having an opening shape with a longitudinal direction and a short direction, and the long and short ventilation holes are arranged in a row radially from the starting point side to the ending point side of the arrow indicator portion, with the longitudinal direction of the opening facing outwards.

The invention according to claim 4 is the display device according to claim 3, characterized in that the radially elongated ventilation holes are rhomboid ventilation holes with a diamond shape.

The invention according to claim 5 is the display device according to claim 3, characterized in that the radially elongated ventilation holes are elliptical in shape.

The invention according to claim 6 is the display device according to claim 3, characterized in that the radially elongated ventilation holes are arranged in a row such that at least one of the longitudinal and transverse directions of the opening shape gradually increases radially from the starting point to the ending point of the arrow indicator.

The invention according to claim 7 is a display device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that a fluorescent strip is formed inside the contour of the arrow indicator portion, along the contour.

The invention according to claim 8 is a display device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that a handle hole is formed at the end of the display portion, and the handle hole has a shape that is curved inwardly convex.

The display device of the present invention has multiple ventilation holes arranged in the ventilation hole area, making it less likely to move or tip over even when subjected to strong winds. This prevents the loss of its directional function and avoids accidents such as collisions with pedestrians or moving vehicles.
Furthermore, since the arrow indicator is equipped with radially arranged ventilation holes that are positioned in a radial pattern from the starting point to the ending point, the radially arranged ventilation holes complement the direction indicated by the arrow indicator, and as a result, the direction indicated by the arrow indicator can be clearly seen.

In addition, by making the arrow marker thicker from the starting point to the ending point, the direction indicated by the arrow marker is emphasized, improving visibility.

Furthermore, if the ventilation holes are shaped like rhombuses or ovals with a longitudinal and transverse direction, and arranged in a row with the longitudinal direction of the opening facing outwards from the starting point to the ending point, or if the radially elongated ventilation holes are arranged in a row that gradually increases in size radially from the starting point to the ending point, the effect of emphasizing the direction indicated by the arrow indicator is further enhanced.

In addition, a fluorescent band is formed inside the outline of the arrow marker, following its contour. This makes the direction indicated by the arrow marker easily visible even when installed in environments with insufficient light.

In addition, by forming a handle hole with an inwardly curved, convex shape at the edge of the display section, the handle hole fits comfortably against the bent finger when inserted into the handle hole, making it easy to grip.

This is a front view of a display device showing the first embodiment. This is a side view of a display device showing the first embodiment. This is a perspective view of a display device showing the first embodiment. This is a front view of a display device showing a second embodiment. This is a front view of a display device showing a third embodiment. This is a front view of a display device showing a fourth embodiment.

The following describes preferred embodiments of the present invention in detail based on the drawings. It goes without saying that the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described below.

[First Embodiment]
Figures 1 to 3 show a first embodiment of the present invention.
Figure 1 is a front view of the display device, Figure 2 is a side view of the display device, and Figure 3 is a perspective view of the display device.

In the first embodiment, the display device 1 is a device installed on a road to provide direction guidance, and comprises two display units 2 and a connecting member 3 that connects the two display units 2.

The display unit 2 is composed of a rectangular plate-like body made of metal such as iron or aluminum.
The two display units 2 are joined together in a V-shape when viewed from the side by a connecting member 3 positioned along one of the longer sides (top side), so as to gradually widen towards the other longer side (bottom side).

When the display device 1 is installed on a road or the like, the connecting member 3 becomes the top, and the other long side of the expanded display unit 2 becomes the bottom.
Furthermore, a roughly rectangular gripping hole 30 is formed in the central part of the connecting member 3.

Handle holes 20, which are curved inward in a convex shape, are formed on both the left and right sides (short edge ends) of the two display units 2.
Because the handle hole 20 has a curved shape, when you insert your fingers into the handle hole 20 and grip it, your bent fingers and the handle hole 20 fit together comfortably, making it easy to grip.

On the surfaces of the two display units 2 (opposite sides), an arrow indicator section 21 and a ventilation hole arrangement area section 22 are formed.

The arrow indicator section 21 is an arrow display having a straight rod-shaped section 210 and protruding sections 211 extending from one end of the rod-shaped section 210 to both sides.
A starting point 21a and an ending point 21b are set at two predetermined points on the display unit 2. The base end of the arrow (the base end of the rod-shaped part 210) is positioned at the starting point 21a, and the tip of the arrow (the tip of the protruding part 211) is positioned at the ending point 21b.

In this embodiment, the starting point 21a and ending point 21b are set such that a straight line 21c passing through them is positioned parallel to the long side of the display unit 2, i.e., horizontally, and approximately in the center in the height direction. The starting point 21a is on the right side in Figure 1, and the ending point 21b is on the left side in Figure 1.

Therefore, the arrow indicator section 21 has a rod-shaped section 210 positioned approximately in the center of the height direction (which was previously horizontal), and a protruding section 211 is positioned continuously at one end of the rod-shaped section, indicating the direction from the starting point 21a to the ending point 21b (from right to left in Figure 1). In other words, the arrow indicator section 21 of this embodiment encourages the viewer to move to the left.

The arrow indicator section 21 is displayed so that it points in the same direction on both display sections 2, and the rod-shaped section 210 is shaped to gradually thicken from the starting point 21a to the ending point 21b.

The inside of the outline 21d of the arrow sign section 21 is colored with an attention-grabbing color such as red.
A fluorescent strip 212 is placed inside the contour 21d of the arrow indicator section 21, following the contour 21d.

Even at night or in dark environments, the fluorescent stripe 212 glows in the shape of an arrow, clearly indicating the direction from the starting point 21a to the ending point 21b of the arrow indicator 21.
The area outside the outline 21d of the arrow indicator section 21 of the display section 2 is colored in a different color from the arrow indicator section 21.

The ventilation hole arrangement area 22 is the area outside the contour 21d of the arrow indicator area 21, and is located from one side to the other of the straight line 21c that passes through the starting point 21a and ending point 21b of the arrow indicator area 21. In other words, the ventilation hole arrangement area 22 is the area outside the contour 21d of the arrow indicator area 21, and is located from the upper side to the lower side, with the straight line 21c as the boundary.

The ventilation hole arrangement area 22 has multiple ventilation holes 220 arranged therein.
The ventilation holes 220 are formed by passing through openings into the plate-like body of the display unit 2.

Of the ventilation holes 220, each pair of ventilation holes 220a is formed in a triangular shape and is located adjacent to the starting point 21a side of the protruding portion 211 of the arrow indicator portion 21, with one side running along the edge of the protruding portion 211 on the starting point 21a side and the other side running along the upper and lower edges of the rod-shaped portion 210.
The pair of triangular ventilation holes 220a are arranged symmetrically with respect to the straight line 21c.

Multiple elongated, rectangular ventilation holes 220b are formed adjacent to the upper and lower long sides of the rod-shaped portion 210 of the arrow indicator section 21, each having an opening in the longitudinal and transverse directions. These rectangular ventilation holes 220b are located in the region extending from the starting point 21a to the ending point 21b of the arrow indicator section 21.

The rectangular ventilation holes 220b are oriented with their longitudinal direction horizontal and their transverse direction vertical. Specifically, the rectangular ventilation holes 220b are trapezoidal, with opposite parallel sides in the transverse direction aligned approximately to the height of the display unit 2, and one side of each non-parallel side in the transverse direction aligned along the upper and lower longitudinal sides of the rod-shaped portion 210.

The rod-shaped portion 210 gradually thickens to a similar degree from the starting point 21a to the ending point 21b. Therefore, the rectangular ventilation holes 220b are arranged in radial rows from the starting point 21a to the ending point 21b. Specifically, the rectangular ventilation holes 220b are arranged in rows of three, with two such rows forming a radial pattern from the starting point 21a to the ending point 21b. The rectangular ventilation holes 220b are arranged in radial rows with the longitudinal direction of the opening facing from the starting point 21a to the ending point 21b.

These rectangular ventilation holes 220b correspond to the radially arranged ventilation holes of the present invention. Furthermore, these rectangular ventilation holes 220b correspond to the long and short ventilation holes of the present invention, and to the radially long ventilation holes of the present invention.

The rectangular ventilation holes 220b arranged along the upper long side of the rod-shaped portion 210 and the rectangular ventilation holes 220b arranged along the lower long side of the rod-shaped portion 210 are positioned symmetrically with respect to the straight line 21c.

Furthermore, the rectangular ventilation holes 220b are arranged in a row such that the dimensions of the longitudinal openings gradually increase from the starting point 21a to the ending point 21b of the arrow indicator section 21.

The ventilation holes 220c, other than those 220a and 220b, are diamond-shaped ventilation holes 220c arranged in a radial pattern from the starting point 21a to the ending point 21b of the arrow indicator section 21.

The diamond-shaped ventilation holes 220c are located in the region extending from the starting point 21a to the ending point 21b of the arrow indicator section 21.
The rhomboid ventilation holes 220c have an opening shape with diagonals in the longitudinal direction and diagonals in the transverse direction.

In this embodiment, the rhombus-shaped ventilation holes 220c are arranged such that the diagonals in the longitudinal direction are aligned along lines forming a radial pattern. To emphasize the radial pattern and make the arrows more prominent, the diagonals in the transverse direction are aligned vertically. The diagonals in the longitudinal and transverse directions are not perfectly perpendicular, resulting in a shape that is not a perfect rhombus (it is a parallelogram), but it may be a perfect rhombus. If it is a perfect rhombus, the diagonals in the longitudinal direction may be aligned along lines forming a radial pattern.

The diamond-shaped ventilation holes 220c are positioned to form a radial row even further out than the radial row of square ventilation holes 220b.

Multiple diamond-shaped ventilation holes 220c are arranged in rows along a radial line extending from the starting point 21a to the ending point 21b of the arrow-shaped indicator section 21.

Specifically, on one side (upper side) of the straight section 21c, the diamond-shaped ventilation holes 220c are arranged from the starting point 21a towards the ending point 21b. Five holes are placed in the first row (the fifth being on the end point 21b of the protruding section 211), six in the second row (the sixth on the end point 21b of the protruding section 211), five in the third row, and four in the fourth row. These rows form four radial lines.

Furthermore, on one side (upper side) of the straight line 21c, a diamond-shaped ventilation hole 220c1 is positioned on the radial line formed between the first and second rows, from the fifth hole of the first row to the sixth hole of the second row towards the endpoint 21b. A diamond-shaped ventilation hole 220c2 is also positioned on the radial line formed between the first row and the straight line 21c, from the fifth hole of the first row towards the endpoint 21b.

The diamond-shaped ventilation holes 220c (including 220c1 and 220c2) on the other side (lower side) of the straight line 21c are arranged symmetrically with respect to the straight line 21c with respect to the diamond-shaped ventilation holes 220c (including 220c1 and 220c2) on the one side (upper side) of the straight line 21c, except for the fourth row.
On the other side (lower side) of the straight line 21c, the fourth row of diamond-shaped ventilation holes 220c consists of two holes.

Furthermore, the diamond-shaped ventilation holes 220c are arranged in a row such that the dimensions of the openings in the longitudinal and transverse directions gradually increase from the starting point 21a to the ending point 21b of the arrow indicator section 21.

These diamond-shaped ventilation holes 220c (including 220c1 and 220c2) correspond to the radially arranged ventilation holes of the present invention. Furthermore, these diamond-shaped ventilation holes 220c (including 220c1 and 220c2) correspond to the long and short ventilation holes of the present invention, and to the radially long ventilation holes of the present invention.

Since multiple ventilation holes 220 are provided in the ventilation hole arrangement area 22, the display device 1 is less likely to move or tip over due to strong winds, and is highly stable.
The arrow sign section 21 is shaped to become thicker from the starting point 21a to the ending point 21b, which emphasizes the direction indicated by the arrow sign section 21 and makes it easier to attract the attention of pedestrians and drivers.

The rectangular ventilation holes 220b and the diamond-shaped ventilation holes 220c are arranged in a radial pattern, oriented longitudinally from the starting point 21a to the ending point 21b of the arrow indicator 21, and gradually increasing in size. Therefore, the direction indicated by the arrow indicator 21 is further emphasized by the other ventilation holes 220c, making it even clearer and easier to see.

[Second Embodiment]
Referring to Figure 4, a second embodiment of the present invention is shown. Note that the same parts as in the first embodiment will not be described, and only the differences will be explained.
Figure 4 is a front view of a display device showing a second embodiment.

In the second embodiment, the difference from the first embodiment is that the rhomboid ventilation holes 220c are changed to elliptical ventilation holes 220d, whose opening shape has both a longitudinal and a transverse direction.

The elliptical ventilation holes 220d are located in the region extending from the starting point 21a to the ending point 21b of the arrow indicator section 21.
The elliptical ventilation opening 220d has an opening shape with a major axis in the longitudinal direction and a minor axis in the transverse direction.

In this embodiment, the elliptical ventilation holes 220d have their major axes aligned along lines forming a radial pattern. The minor axes are positioned vertically to emphasize the radial pattern and make the arrows more prominent. The major and minor axes are not perfectly perpendicular, and therefore it is not a perfect ellipse (it is a deformed ellipse with the direction of the minor axis altered), but it may be a perfect ellipse. If it is a perfect ellipse, the major axis may be aligned along lines forming a radial pattern.

The elliptical ventilation holes 220d, similar to the diamond-shaped ventilation holes 220c in the first embodiment, are arranged in rows along a radial line extending from the starting point 21a to the ending point 21b of the arrow indicator section 21.

Similar to the diamond-shaped ventilation holes 220c1 in the first embodiment, elliptical ventilation holes 220d1 and elliptical ventilation holes 220d2 are arranged similarly to the diamond-shaped ventilation holes 220c2 in the first embodiment.

Furthermore, the elliptical ventilation holes 220d are arranged in a row such that the dimensions of the major and minor axes of the openings—that is, the dimensions of the openings in the longitudinal and transverse directions—gradually increase from the starting point 21a to the ending point 21b of the arrow indicator section 21.

These elliptical ventilation holes 220d (including 220d1 and 220d2) correspond to the radially arranged ventilation holes of the present invention. Furthermore, these elliptical ventilation holes 220d (including 220d1 and 220d2) correspond to the long and short ventilation holes of the present invention, and to the radially long ventilation holes of the present invention.

[Third Embodiment]
A third embodiment will be described with reference to Figure 5.
The same parts as those in the first and second embodiments will not be described.

In the third embodiment, the arrow indicator section 21 is colored (gradient) so that it gradually becomes darker from a light state from the starting point 21a to the ending point 21b, strongly expressing a sense of dynamism as if it is leaping out from the starting point 21a to the ending point 21b.

The fluorescent stripe 212 is not provided inside the contour 21d of the arrow indicator section 21, and a ventilation-free area 23 without ventilation holes 220 is formed around the outside of the contour 21d, with a certain width.

All of the ventilation holes 220 are elliptical, but in the areas 23 where no ventilation holes are located around the arrow indicator section 21, the elliptical opening shape of the ventilation holes 220 is partially cut out. Therefore, the outline 21d of the arrow indicator section 21, surrounded by the area 23 where no ventilation holes are located, becomes clearer.

Multiple ventilation holes 220 are arranged in a row along a radial line extending from the starting point 21a to the ending point 21b of the arrow indicator section 21.

Specifically, on one side (upper side) of the straight section 21c, the ventilation holes 220 are arranged from the starting point 21a towards the ending point 21b, with 10 holes in the first row (the 9th and 10th holes are on the end point 21b of the protruding section 211), 10 holes in the second row (the 9th and 10th holes are on the end point 21b of the protruding section 211), 11 holes in the third row (the 9th to 11th holes are on the end point 21b of the protruding section 211), 11 holes in the fourth row (the 9th to 11th holes are on the end point 21b of the protruding section 211), 9 holes in the fifth row (the 9th hole is on the end point 21b of the protruding section 211), and 8 holes in the sixth row. These rows form six radial lines.

The ventilation holes 220 on the other side (lower side) of the straight line 21c are arranged symmetrically with respect to the straight line 21c to the ventilation holes 220 on the one side (upper side) of the straight line 21c.

The ventilation holes 220 are formed in the area of the display section 2 that extends from the starting point 21a of the arrow indicator section 21 to the area beyond the ending point 21b.
In this embodiment, the ventilation hole 220 is formed from the starting point 21a, but it may also be formed from outside the starting point 21a.

In this embodiment, similar to the elliptical ventilation holes 220d in the second embodiment, the major and minor dimensions of the openings, i.e., the dimensions of the openings in the longitudinal and transverse directions, are arranged in a row such that they gradually increase from the starting point 21a to the ending point 21b of the arrow indicator portion 21. However, the elliptical shape of the ventilation hole 220 closest to the starting point 21a is arranged to be close to a circular shape.
Alternatively, the opening of the ventilation hole 220 closest to the starting point 21a may be made circular, and the shape may gradually become an ellipse towards the ending point 21b.

In this embodiment, unlike in the first and second embodiments, the display unit 2 does not have a handle hole 20, but of course, it is possible to form one.

[Fourth Embodiment]
A fourth embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Figure 6.
Note that the same parts as in the first to third embodiments will be omitted from the explanation, and the differences will be explained in detail.

In the fourth embodiment, the arrow indicator 21 comprises an arrow body portion 213 having a rod-shaped portion 210 and an overhanging portion 211, a first direction support portion 214 formed at a slight distance from the tip of the overhanging portion 211 of the arrow body portion 213, and a second direction support portion 215 formed at a slight distance from the tip of the first direction support portion 214.

The first directional support portion 214 has a shape similar to, but larger than, the protruding portion 211 of the arrow body portion 213, and is a V-shaped portion positioned parallel to the tip edge of the protruding portion 211 of the arrow body portion 213, with a gap between them.

The second directional support portion 215 has a similar shape to the first directional support portion 214, but is larger, and is a V-shaped structure positioned parallel to the tip edge of the first directional support portion 214 at a distance.

The first direction support portion 214 and the second direction support portion 215 point in the same direction as indicated by the arrow body portion 213, and the tip of the second direction support portion 215 becomes the endpoint 21b of the arrow indicator portion 21.

The arrow indicator section 21, similar to the third embodiment, is colored (gradient) so that it gradually becomes darker from a lighter state from the starting point 21a to the ending point 21b.

All of the ventilation holes 220 are diamond-shaped, but rows of larger ventilation holes 220 and rows of smaller ventilation holes 220 are arranged alternately in a radial pattern.
The ventilation holes 220 in each row are arranged such that their dimensions in the longitudinal and transverse directions gradually increase from the starting point 21a to the ending point 21b of the arrow indicator section 21, and the ratio of the longitudinal dimension to the transverse dimension gradually increases. In other words, the ventilation holes 220 become progressively narrower as they move from the starting point 21a to the ending point 21b of the arrow indicator section 21.

In this embodiment, the direction indicated by the arrow indicator 21 is emphasized by the shape of the arrow indicator 21 and the changes in the size and shape of the ventilation holes 220.

[Other variations]
The present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above. For example, the following are also included.

In this embodiment, the arrow indicator 21 was designed to prompt the viewer to move to the left, but the direction of the prompt could be any direction.

In this embodiment, the ventilation holes arranged in radial rows have a shape with a longitudinal direction and a transverse direction, but they may also be circles, squares, or other shapes without a distinction between longitudinal and transverse directions.

In this embodiment, the ventilation holes arranged in a radial pattern are arranged in a shape that gradually increases in size radially from the starting point to the ending point of the arrow indicator. However, ventilation holes of the same shape can also be arranged in a radial pattern. Furthermore, the radial pattern can be made up of ventilation holes of different shapes, such as alternating between diamond-shaped and elliptical-shaped ventilation holes. Alternatively, the radial straight line 21c can be made different, for example, by arranging the first row of diamond-shaped ventilation holes and the second row of elliptical-shaped ventilation holes.

In the first and second embodiments, the ventilation holes, arranged in radial rows, are located in the region extending from the starting point to the ending point of the arrow indicator. In the third and fourth embodiments, they are located in the region extending beyond the starting point to the ending point of the arrow indicator, but they may also be located in only a portion of the region from the starting point to the ending point of the arrow indicator.

In this embodiment, the two display units are joined in a V-shape when viewed from the side, so that they expand from one long side to the other. However, the two display units may also be pivotally mounted on one long side, allowing them to be opened and closed between a V-shape open state and an overlapping state.

In the first and second embodiments, handle holes are provided at both ends of the display section, but they can also be provided at only one end.

Each technical aspect of any embodiment may be applied to other embodiments to create examples.

1 Display device 2 Display section 20 Handle hole 21 Arrow indicator section 21a Starting point 21b Ending point 21c Straight line passing between the starting and ending points 21d Contour 210 Rod-shaped section 211 Protruding section 212 Fluorescent strip 213 Arrow body section 214 First direction support section 215 Second direction support section 22 Ventilation hole arrangement area section 220 Ventilation hole 23 Ventilation hole non-arrangement area 3 Connecting member 30 Gripping hole

Claims (8)

A display device comprising a display unit having an arrow indicator section that indicates the direction from a starting point to an ending point, and a ventilation hole arrangement area section that is outside the contour of the arrow indicator section and where a plurality of ventilation holes are arranged,
The ventilation hole arrangement area is located from one side to the other of a straight line passing through the starting point and ending point of the arrow indicator section.
The display device is characterized in that the plurality of ventilation holes include radially arranged ventilation holes that are arranged in a radial row from the starting point side toward the ending point side of the arrow indicator portion. The display device according to claim 1, characterized in that the arrow indicator portion has a shape that becomes thicker from the starting point to the ending point. The aforementioned radially arranged ventilation holes include long and short shaped ventilation holes with openings having a longitudinal direction and a short direction.
The display device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the long and short ventilation holes are arranged in a row of radially elongated ventilation holes facing the longitudinal direction of the opening from the starting point side to the ending point side of the arrow indicator portion. The display device according to claim 3, characterized in that the radially elongated ventilation holes are provided with diamond-shaped ventilation holes. The display device according to claim 3, characterized in that the radially elongated ventilation holes are provided with elliptical ventilation holes. The display device according to claim 3, characterized in that the radially elongated ventilation holes are arranged in a row such that at least one of the longitudinal and transverse directions of the opening shape gradually increases radially from the starting point side to the ending point side of the arrow indicator portion. The display device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that a fluorescent strip is formed inside the contour of the arrow indicator portion, along the contour. The display device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that a handle hole is formed at the end of the display portion, and the handle hole has a shape that is curved inwardly convex.