The invention relates to a guidance system, in particular a guidance system for marking escape routes, comprising a row of light emitting diodes.

Markings of escape routes in the event of a fire are to be arranged close to the ground, so that they are visible even if the escape routes are filled with smoke.

Guidance systems are known having markings made of a photoluminescent material, with which the course of an escape route can be marked. By shaping the markings as arrows, a prescribed escape direction may also be indicated.

It is an object of the invention to provide a guidance system that makes possible an inconspicuous appearance, and nevertheless is very easily visible in an emergency situation.

According to the invention, this object is achieved by a guidance system having a flat substrate strip that is arranged in a groove, and which comprises a side that is equipped with a row of light emitting diodes, wherein the substrate strip is arranged on edge in the groove. For example, the guidance system is a guidance system that is integratable into the ground or is integrated in the ground. As a flat substrate strip is arranged on edge in the groove, for example a floor joint, a very small required space results. Therefore, for example, the substrate strip with the light emitting diodes can be laid in a joint between floor tiles. The guidance system may be subsequently installed in a existing floor.

Furthermore, because of the small dimensions, an inconspicuous appearance of the guidance system results. For example, an architectural design of an indoor room of a building may remain unimpaired. It is also advantageous that, due to the light emitting diodes, a good visibility of the guidance system can be ensured also in the event of a fire. Further- more, the guidance system may be adapted for operating the row of light emitting diodes as a running light. Thereby, for example even depending on an identified situation of danger, a suitable escape direction can be marked. Useful details of the invention are indicated in the dependent claims.

Preferred embodiments of the invention will now be described in conjunction with the drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a cross-sectional view of a floor joint having arranged therein a substrate strip with light emitting diodes of a guidance system that is in- tegratable into the ground;

Fig. 2 is a top view of a section of the guidance system;

Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view of a further embodiment, wherein the substrate strip is installed in a metal section;

Fig. 4 is a cross-sectional view of a further embodiment, wherein a casting material, in which the substrate strip with the light emitting diodes is embedded, is coated;

Fig. 5 is a cross-sectional view of a further embodiment, wherein the floor joint comprises coated walls;

Fig. 6 is a cross-sectional view of a further embodiment, wherein the light emitting diodes radiate towards the top side of the floor joint; and

Fig. 7 is a schematic top view of the substrate strip with light emitting diodes.

Fig. 1 schematically shows a cross sectional view of a groove 10 in a floor, which groove comprises a floor joint between two floor tiles 12. The groove 10 has a roughly rectangular cross section, is defined at its sides by the edges of the floor tiles 12 in an upper zone, and is defined at its sides as well as in a downward direction by an underlying ground 14 in a lower zone. For example, the groove 10 has a height of at least one or two centimeters, and has a width of less than 10 millimeters, for example 5 mm. Different from the illustration of Fig. 1, the height of the groove 10 may also be limited to the vertical range of the floor tiles 12.

A flat substrate strip 16 in the form of a flexible, strip-shaped printed circuit is arranged standing upright in the groove 10. Optionally, the substrate strip 16 comprises a reinforcing layer 18 for increasing the tensile strength. For example, the substrate strip 16 comprises at a back side the reinforcing layer 18 in the form of a metal strip. On a front side of the sub- strate strip 16, multiple light emitting diodes (LEDs) 20 are arranged in a row along the substrate strip 16. The front side of the substrate strip 16 faces a side wall of the groove 10. In the example shown, the substrate strip 16 standing on edge is vertically aligned. However, it may also be inclined with respect to the vertical direction. The substrate strip 16 carries the light emitting diodes 20 as well as strip conductors, and, optionally, electronic circuit sections for operating the light emitting diodes 20.

For example, the light emitting diodes 20 are adapted for radiating light in an angular range that extends over more than 90°, for example over 170°, transverse to the longitudinal direction of the substrate strip 16. For example, a respective main radiation direction corresponds to a surface normal of the front side of the substrate strip 16 in the region of the respective light emitting diode 20. For example, the main radiation direction is directed against the lateral boundary of the groove 10.

The groove 10 is at least partially filled with a casting material 22 that is light-transmitting or translucent. In particular, the casting material 22 closes the groove 10 at the top and, thus, forms a top cover. For example, the casting material 22 is flush with a top edge of the floor tiles 12. Preferably, the casting material 22 is optically clear, i.e. transparent. Optionally, the casting material 22 may be coloured. For example, the casting material 22 forms a light-conducting structure for conducting light from the light emitting diodes 20 to the top surface of the casting material 22 and, thereby, improve the visibility of the light radiated from the light emitting diodes 20. In the example shown, the casting material 22 also secures the substrate strip 16 with the light emitting diodes 20 in the groove 10. Furthermore, the casting material 22 forms a protection for the light emitting diodes 20 and the substrate strip 16 against contamination and against the penetration of moisture. For example, the casting material 22 may consist of a polymeric material or may comprise a polymeric material as an essential constituent, for example polyurethane. The casting material 22 may be composed of multiple sections. For example, a first section of the casting material 22 may form a casing for the light emitting diodes 20, optionally including the substrate strip 16, and a second section of the casting material 22, which may have a different material structure, may form a top ending of the groove 10, i.e. a cover. For example, the substrate strip 16 with the casing being formed by the first section of the casting material 22 may be in- serted into the groove 10 and then be sealed by further casting material, which then forms the second section of the casting material 22.

Fig. 2 shows a top view of a section of a guidance system that is integratable into the ground, having the structure shown in Fig. 1. The substrate strip 16 with the light emitting diodes 20 extends along the groove 10, which in turn extends at the position of a floor joint between respective floor tiles 12 facing each other.

The groove may also be introduced into the ground at other positions and may, for example, run across a floor tile 12 and split the same.

Owing to a sufficient flexibility of the substrate strip 16, the latter may also follow an angular course of the groove 10, because due to the arrangement of the substrate strip 16 standing on edge, the bending stress is much lower than e.g. in the case of a flat, horizontal arrangement of a substrate strip.

In the following, different versions of the guidance system are described with reference to Figs. 3 to 6. Features and elements that correspond to the first example are labelled with the same reference signs, respectively. Fig. 3 shows an embodiment, wherein the substrate strip 16 with the light emitting diodes 20 is arranged in a groove 23 of a metal section 24 having, for example, a U-shaped cross- section. For example, the metal section 24 is, in turn, arranged in the groove 10 in the ground. For example, the metal section 24 is an aluminium profile. The open side of the metal section 24 is facing upwards in the example. In the example shown, the metal section 24 is covered on the top by the casting material 22. Similar to the example of Fig. 1 , the casting material 22 surrounds the light emitting diodes 20 and again forms a light- conducting structure for guiding light from the light emitting diodes 20 to the surface of the casting material 22 at the top edge of the groove 10. The casting material 22 may be composed of multiple sections. For example, a first section of the casting material 22 may be disposed in the interior of the metal section 24, and a second section of the casting material 22 that has, for example, a different material structure, may form a top ending of the groove 10, i.e. a cover. For example, the substrate strip 16, which is encapsulated together with the light emitting diodes 20 by the first section of the casting material 22 in the metal section 24, may, for example, be arranged in the groove 10 and may there be sealed by further casting material, which then forms the second section of the casting material 22. Due to a metallic surface of the metal section 24, for example a smooth surface, light from the light emitting diodes 20 may be scattered or reflected towards the top side of the groove 10. In particular, the metal section 24 may comprise one or more reflective inner faces. Fig. 4 shows a further embodiment, wherein the light emitting diodes 20 are encapsulated by a first casting material 22', and wherein the substrate strip 16 together with the first casting material 22' is arranged in the groove 10 and is covered by a second casting material 22". The material structure of the first and second casting materials 22', 22" may be the same or may differ from each other. In the example shown, the substrate strip 16 to- gether with the light emitting diodes 20 is encapsulated by the first casting material 22'. In particular, the first casting material 22' forms a casing for the light emitting diodes 20, optionally including the substrate strip 16. The casing, i.e. the first casting material 22', optionally comprises a coating 26 on at least one side, for example a reflective coating or a lacquer. For example, the coating 26 is adapted for scattering back or reflecting light, which is radiated by the light emitting diodes 20. In the example shown, the first casting material 22' is provided with the coating 26 at the sides and at the bottom. The first casting material 22' with the light emitting diodes 20, and having the optional coating 26, is arranged in the groove 10 and is sealed with the second casting material 22". In particular, the first and second casting materials 22', 22" form a light-conducting structure for guiding light emitted by the light emitting diodes 20 to the top, free surface of the second casting material 22" that covers the groove 10.

Fig. 5 shows a further embodiment, wherein a coating 28 is applied to at least a lateral boundary of the groove 10. For example, the side walls and the bottom of the groove 10 are provided with the coating 28. For example, the coating 28 may be a reflective coating or a lacquer. Again, the coating 28 is adapted for scattering back or reflecting light that is emitted by the light emitting diodes 20. The casting material 22 fills the space between the light emitting diodes 20 and the coating 28 at that side of the groove 10 which is opposite to the light emitting diodes 20. Thus, the casting material 22 is also provided with the coating 28. Again, the casting material 22 may comprise multiple sections, as has been de- scribed above.

Fig. 6 shows an embodiment that is similar to the example of Fig. 1. Instead of the light emitting diodes 20, or additionally to the light emitting diodes 20, light emitting diodes 20' are arranged on the substrate strip 16, which are adapted for radiating light substantially upwards when the substrate strip 16 stands upright. In the arrangement shown, for example, the main radiation direction is directed vertically upwards.

Fig. 7 shows a view of the front side of the substrate strip 16 according to one of the above described embodiments. The substrate strip 16 is connected to a control device 30. The circuitry of the light emitting diodes 20, which is formed on the substrate strip 16, is adapted for permitting an independent control of single light emitting diodes 20 or single groups of light emitting diodes 20. For example, the control device 30 is adapted for operating multiple single light emitting diodes 20 or groups of light emitting diodes 20 on the substrate strip 16 in the manner of a running light. With at least three groups of independ- ently controllable light emitting diodes 20, which are, for example, arranged in an interleaved pattern, the light emitting diodes can be controlled in the manner of a running light having a direction of motion. Fig. 7 exemplarily shows a section of the substrate strip 16 having segments of a first group 32, a second group 34, and a third group 36 of the light emitting diodes 20 that repeatedly succeed each other. For example, the control device 30 comprises a setting device 38 for setting the running direction of a running light effect. The setting device 38 may be adapted for obtaining different, moving and/or still, lighting ef- fects. The term lighting effect shall be understood as meaning an operating condition wherein at least one of the light emitting diodes 20 permanently or intermittently emits light. For example, instead of or additionally to a running light effect, a flashing of the light emitting diodes 20 may be effected, i.e. a periodic switching on and off. The described examples serve for exemplifying the invention. The features of the described embodiments can be combined with each other at will.