Field of Invention

The invention relates to road safety devices, specifically, to solar powered road safety devices, kits and road furniture including these, and to methods of attachment.

Background to the Invention

Road accidents cost lives. Road accidents can occur when cyclists or drivers do not have the ability to clearly determine the direction that the route ahead is taking. Such a situation may or will typically occur when it is dark or when there are poor weather conditions such as fog or heavy precipitation. In many cases, roadside or central reservation barriers have been deployed to assist in keeping a vehicle on the road in any such accident, but a better solution is to prevent the vehicle from deviating from the correct course in the first place.

One solution is to illuminate the route. Active lighting such as street lighting is effective, although installation is a major project and maintenance and electricity costs are high. Passive lighting, such as retroreflective cat's eyes, are highly beneficial in that there is no electrical infrastructure to install and no electricity costs. Reflective systems are, however, highly dependent on the originating light beam being shone in a direction incident to the reflector. Furthermore, reflectors are typically only effective over a limited distance ahead of the driver.

Whilst street lighting illuminates an area of ground around the light, other examples disclose the use of lights of a lower power to simply identify the position of the light. A sequence of such lights placed along a road barrier, for example, can effectively communicate the position of the road barrier to a driver without the driver needing to see the road barrier itself.

DE202010017031U (Doellken) is one such example, disclosing the use of LED lights placed along the length of a road barrier. However, providing electrical power to such a system is problematic, particularly for roads that travel through remote areas. Connecting to mains electricity requires an electricity transmission infrastructure that extends to a mains connection. The nearest mains connection may be quite some distance from many roads. The requirement for frequent replacement of batteries makes them an impractical and expensive solution. In a similar way, the use of any type of combustion-driven electricity generator would be impractical for all but short term lighting.

Solar panels have been used in an attempt to circumvent the need to connect to inconvenient, impractical or expensive electricity sources. For example, BRIO 102197 IB (Hwang) discloses a system where a solar panel is installed on a post and connected to a lighting system installed on a roadside barrier. In another example, US2012120640A (Graham) discloses a free-standing construction drum modified to bear a strip that has both a reflective element and battery-powered light-emitting diode (LED) lights. This strip can either be riveted or adhesively attached to the drum, with the battery and other components located in the interior of the drum. Optionally, a solar-panel may be included on the drum to charge the battery. A free-standing construction drum is not a practical solution for roadside lighting along long sections of road and, furthermore, is not a long-term solution. Graham suggests further embodiments that can be attached to roadside barriers but provides no details regarding installation.

While solar powered lighting systems provide answers to many of the problems faced in bringing lighting to the roadside, the installation and maintenance of such systems can be prohibitively inconvenient. Most significantly, it takes time to install such systems, which would mean extended periods of working under dangerous roadside conditions or extended periods of time where the road must be closed to protect the workers. These solar powered lighting systems are not as robust as street lighting or reflectors, and will require frequent maintenance. Multiple electrical connections may succumb to the weather, batteries may fail or bulbs may burn out. Again, during maintenance, the operators will be exposed to dangerous roadside conditions or roads will be inconveniently closed. A lighting system that is cost effective, robust, and easy to install and maintain at the roadside would lead to increased deployment and therefore road safety. The invention is intended to provide a lighting system that can be rapidly installed on road barriers in order to provide a clear visual indicator of the barrier location, particularly in the dark or in bad weather conditions.

Summary of the Invention

According to a first aspect, the invention provides a road safety device comprising a solar powered lighting unit and a retaining member for attaching the road safety device to road furniture such as guard rails, road barriers, lamp posts and sign bearing poles.

By road safety device, we mean a device that can be installed on or near to a road, cycle route, or pedestrian walkway to aid in preventing accidents caused by the user of the road or cycle route, or pedestrian, straying from the correct course. Specifically, the road safety device of the invention comprises a solar powered lighting unit that allows the road safety device to be seen. Solar power is well known in the state of the art, and is provided by means of an electricity-generating solar panel known in the state of the art. The electricity generated is used to power a light.

In traditional solar powered road safety device systems a solar power source is provided for a sequence of light sources installed along a section of road furniture. The invention instead focuses on a system in which each individual light source, whether a single bulb or cluster of bulbs, is powered by its own solar power source. Moving to a system of providing a solar power source for each and every light source may seem counterintuitive, but it has cleverly and surprisingly solved a number of problems facing the more traditional solar-powered roadside lighting systems. Most significantly, the road safety device of the invention is a discrete component that is independent from needing any additional electrical installation. The invention may provide a compact and self-contained solar-powered lighting unit. By this, we mean that any solar panels and any lights are housed in, or on, the same construction. In this way, the solar powered lighting unit may be considered as self-contained. It is desirable that the unit be self-contained because only a single component needs to be installed on the road furniture, with no need for additional electrical installation at the roadside.

The road safety device also comprises a retaining member, thereby allowing for rapid attachment to an item of road furniture, such as a guard rail, road barrier, lamp post or sign bearing pole. By this, we mean that the construction that comprises a solar powered lighting unit also comprises a retaining member. By retaining member, we mean a part of the road safety device that allows for attachment to road furniture by clipping, strapping, interference fitting, or any other means. The retaining member may be attached to the solar powered lighting unit, or, alternatively, may form an integral part of the structure of the solar powered lighting unit.

Road furniture, also known as street furniture, includes objects and devices installed on or near to roads, for reasons including safety, the provision of information and aesthetics. The road safety device of the invention can be installed on road furniture that is already in place. That is, the road safety device of the invention can be retrofitted to road furniture that is already in place.

The road safety device of the invention is used to mark road boundaries, and therefore benefits from being installed at frequent points along a road boundary. Road furniture that provides such an opportunity for frequent attachment includes guard rails or road barriers that run alongside roads or along central reservations of roads. Lamp posts or other sign bearing poles also offer opportunities for attachment.

The invention therefore takes advantage of any pre-existing road furniture infrastructure. With the invention, installation workers will no longer have to spend extended amounts of time at the roadside installing components such as separate solar panels and electrical wiring. The installation of the road safety device of the invention can be rapidly achieved by a worker driving along a road and attaching a road safety device to pre-existing road furniture using the retaining member. Importantly, very little training is needed to be able to install the road safety device and no special tools are needed. If work does need to be done at the roadside, it can be conducted from the side of the barrier away from the road. A number of such road safety devices can thus be installed along extended sections of road, at frequent intervals, in a short space of time.

Moreover, when a light fails, the maintenance workers are not required to spend time at the roadside troubleshooting and repairing each problem. Instead, a worker can simply drive along the road and detach each faulty device and return the faulty devices to a safer location away from the road for repair. The worker may even switch each faulty road safety device with a working device as part of the same journey.

Most importantly, the time that workers will need to spend working under hazardous roadside conditions is dramatically reduced. The length of time that any road closures need to be imposed for will also be reduced. Furthermore, fewer workers will require specialist training in electrical wiring and so forth. The installation and maintenance at the roadside will require only basic training and larger teams of workers can therefore be trained and deployed than if specialist training was required. The faulty road safety devices can then be returned to central facilities where workers with the necessary skills can repair the devices.

Optionally, the road safety device may also comprise at least one reflective member, such as a cat's eye retroreflector, other reflector, or a reflective strip. In the case of an electric failure, the reflective member acts as a backup, still providing a level of safety to the driver.

The road safety device may be complementary in shape to any given item of road furniture. By this, we mean that a road safety device may be designed to have a complementary shape to a specific item of road furniture. This includes fitting against the edge of road furniture or against specific features of the road furniture such as grooves, bumps or recesses. For example, roadside guardrails often have a recessed channel that runs along the length of the guardrail, and the road safety device can be designed to fit substantially inside this channel. This allows for secure installation, for example, when the road safety device is slotted into any recesses in the road furniture. The secure installation allows for benefits such as enhanced protection from the weather, and also helps to ensure that in the event of a collision the road safety device does not detach from the road furniture. This helps to prevent further damage to the road safety device, but moreover, helps prevent further damage to vehicles, drivers, passengers or other bystanders. The road safety device may be further secured using a fixing lug and/or a security thread.

An important feature of the invention is the ability to attach to an item of road furniture. Optionally, this can be done using one or more clips. Where the retaining member of the road safety device comprises one or more clips, such clips can be located so that the retaining member is easily attached to the road furniture. Specifically, the road safety device may be designed to be complementary to a specific item of road furniture, and any clips will be placed in an arrangement that is complementary to a section of the road furniture that can be clipped to. Such clips and clipping mechanisms are already well known in the state of the art. Such clips may be an extension of the material of the retaining member or an extension of the material of a part of the retaining member. Alternatively, such clips may be attached to the retaining member.

Optionally, the material of the clip is resiliently deformable. That is, the material may be flexible enough to distort, for example, when force is exerted during installation, but returns to its original conformation when such force is removed. Again, such clips are well known in the state of the art.

Additionally or alternatively the attachment mechanism may include fastening the road safety device to the item of road furniture by using one or more strap fastening members, selected from hook-and-loop straps, ratchet locking straps, cable tie straps, buckle straps, snap-fit connectors and combinations thereof. By this, we mean that the retaining member of the road safety device has straps attached to it and these straps can be fastened around a part of the road furniture. The retaining member may be fixed with two complementary straps that can be wrapped around a part of the road furniture, tightened, and fastened. The retaining member may have one strap that connects to the retaining member in at least two locations, wherein at least one connection to the strap can be reversed, for example by unthreading. Such strap fastening means are well known in the state of the art.

The retaining member may comprise an interference fit member. By interference fit, we mean that one or more sections of the retaining member can form an intimate fit with the item of road furniture. Friction and/or physical blocking then holds the retaining member and the rest of the road safety device in position.

Any of the means of attaching a retaining member to an item of road furniture may be used alone or in combination with one or more other means.

The attachment mechanisms described include, above all, retaining members which offer fast and easy to installation, and can result in a secure connection, minimising the amount of time that the installation worker has to spend installing each road safety device. Additional security may be provided by using a combination of more than one means of attachment.

Optionally, the means of attaching a retaining member to an item of road furniture may be reversible. By this, we mean that as well as providing the capability of easily and rapidly installing the road safety device, the invention may also provide the capability of easily and rapidly detaching the road safety device.

The road safety device may also be further secured to the item of road furniture using a fixing lug and/or a security thread. These further security measures help ensure that the road safety device remains attached to the item of road furniture in the event of a collision.

Optionally, the whole or part of the road safety device is weatherproof. By this we mean that the materials that the road safety device are made from are corrosion- resistant and resistant to being compromised by hot or cold conditions or sunlight. Any electrical components may be shielded from water by housing in waterproof compartments or other waterproof shielding. Solar powered lighting units may comprise components well known in the state of the art. For example, a rechargeable battery is often included to store power generated during daylight for use in powering the light when dark.

The light of the solar powered lighting unit may be a low power light such as a light emitting diode (LED). Optionally, more than one such light may be included in a solar powered lighting unit. The light or lights may be coloured.

A lighting control component may be included to prevent wastage of power by turning the light off when it is not needed. Such control components are well known in the art. As an example, the control component may operate by turning the light off during daylight hours, either through light detection means or by using a timing mechanism. The timing mechanism may optionally be dependent on the light detection means, for example by having a time delay built in. Light detection means may include detecting a signal from a light dependent resistor, or detecting the power output of the solar panel, and turning the light off when ambient light is above a set threshold. Use of such a control component will allow any batteries to charge more rapidly during daylight hours, and will help prevent the unnecessary drain of any batteries.

Optionally, the solar panel may be directionally adjustable. By this, we mean that the solar panel may be mounted to be directionally adjustable, using a flexibly deformable mounting for example, or the entire road safety device may be directionally adjustable. This means that the solar panel can be adjusted to an orientation wherein maximal sunlight can be harvested.

Optionally, the light may be directionally adjustable. By this, we mean that the light may be mounted to be directionally adjustable, using a flexibly deformable mounting for example, or the entire road safety device may be directionally adjustable. This means that the light can be adjusted to an orientation where it directs maximal light in the required direction, towards oncoming traffic for example.

Optionally, the road safety device may additionally comprise at least one reflector. In the event that the light of the road safety device fails, a reflector may still provide a level of visibility, As such, the reflector is present as a backup to the active lighting system.

Optionally, the reflector may include a retroreflector. A retroreflector is a device that reflects light back substantially in the direction of the incident light beam. Such devices are well known in the state of the art, in particular in the form of cat's eyes.

According to a second aspect, the invention provides a kit comprising one or more road safety devices according to the first aspect of the invention. By this, we mean that a kit can be made that comprises one or more road safety devices that are finished and ready for installation simply by attaching to an item of road furniture. This kit allows the installation worker to perform the installation simply using the contents of the kit.

Optionally, the kit may contain reflector units. By this, we mean a unit similar to the road safety device according to the first aspect of the invention, but without the solar powered lighting unit. The kit may therefore optionally comprise at least two types of road safety device, wherein one type of road safety device provides active lighting and a second type of road safety device provides passive lighting. These two types of road safety device can then be installed in an alternating pattern, or other pattern, as the installation requirements demand.

The reflector unit may be of similar to the road safety device in terms of shape and retention mechanism, for instance, the reflector unit may optionally comprise a retaining member, and this retaining member may incorporate a clip mechanism, strap mechanism, interference fit mechanism, or any combination thereof, for attaching to an item of road furniture. The reflector unit may be further attached using a fixing lug and/or security thread. The reflector unit may optionally be of a complementary shape to the item of road furniture. The reflector unit may be reversibly attached to the road furniture.

The reflector unit may comprise a directionally adjustable reflector. By this, we mean that the reflector may be mounted such that its direction can be adjusted, or the entire reflector unit may be directionally adjusted. This allows the reflector to be positioned in a desired direction, such as facing oncoming traffic.

Optionally, the kit may comprise an item of road furniture with one or more road safety devices according to the first aspect of the invention and/or reflector units attached. This allows installation of the road furniture with such safety devices already installed.

According to a third aspect, the invention provides road furniture that has one or more road safety devices according to the first aspect of the invention installed. By this, we mean that the road safety device has already been installed on the item of road furniture through use of the retaining member.

According to a fourth aspect, the invention provides for a method of attaching a road safety device according to the first aspect of the invention to road furniture. This may be through clipping, strapping, and/or interference fitting the road safety device to the road furniture. The road safety device may then be further secured using a fixing lug and/or security thread. Optionally, the method may use a road safety device that is of a complementary shape to the road furniture. Once installed, the direction of a light, solar panel and/or reflector may be adjusted.

Unless otherwise stated each of the integers described in the invention may be used in combination with any other integer as would be understood by the person skilled in the art. Further, although all aspects of the invention preferably "comprise" the features described in relation to that aspect, it is specifically envisaged that they may "consist" or "consist essentially" of those features outlined in the claims. In addition, all terms, unless specifically defined herein, are intended to be given their commonly understood meaning in the art. Further, in the discussion of the invention, unless stated to the contrary, the disclosure of alternative values for the upper or lower limit of the permitted range of a parameter, is to be construed as an implied statement that each intermediate value of said parameter, lying between the smaller and greater of the alternatives, is itself also disclosed as a possible value for the parameter. In addition, unless otherwise stated, all numerical values appearing in this application are to be understood as being modified by the term "about".

Brief Description of the Drawings

In order that the invention may be more readily understood, it will be described further with reference to the figures and to the specific examples hereinafter.

Figure 1 relates to a cross-section of an embodiment of the invention, a road safety device ready for installation;

Figure 2 shows a cross section of the road safety device of Figure 1 installed on a road-side guardrail; Figure 3 shows two of the road safety devices of Figure 1 installed at two locations along a road-side guardrail;

Figure 4 relates to a different embodiment of the invention, a road safety device that has been installed using an interference fit mechanism;

Figure 5 relates to a different embodiment of the invention, a road safety device that is ready to be installed using an interference fit mechanism;

Figure 6 relates to a different embodiment of the invention, a road safety device with poles installed; and

Figure 7 shows a pole of Figure 6 ready for installation.

Detailed Description of the Drawings

Figure 1 shows a cross-section of a road safety device 10 that can be installed on a road-side guardrail. The road safety device 10 comprises a retaining member 12. The retaining member 12 has a solar panel 14 attached to one side and a compartment 16 on the other side. The compartment 16 is used to house the light or lights (not shown) and any batteries (not shown), control components (not shown) or other components. The retaining member 12 also has two clips 18 that can be used to attach to a roadside guardrail.

Figure 2 shows a cross section of the road safety device 10 of Figure 1 after installation on a road-side guardrail 20. This figure shows in detail how the road safety device 10 is of complementary shape to the road-side guardrail 20.

Figure 3 shows two road safety devices 10 installed at two different points along a road-side guardrail 20. Each road safety device 10 comprises a retaining member 12 with a solar panel 14 attached to the side that faces away from the road-side guardrail 20. The retaining member 12 also has a compartment 16 attached and this compartment 16 fits into the channel that runs along the road-side guardrail 20. The compartment 16 houses the light or lights (not shown) and any other electrical components (not shown). The compartment 16 has a wall 22 that allows light to pass through, allowing the light to be stored in a waterproof environment but that allows light to be transmitted out of the waterproof environment. One of the road safety devices 10 also has a cat's eye retroreflector 24 attached and the other road safety device 10 shows an embodiment with a retroreflective member 25 around the compartment 16. In these embodiments, the retroreflectors 24 and 25 are present as a backup in case the light inside the compartment 16 fails.

Figure 4 shows three embodiments of the invention that can be secured to a wall. These road safety devices 26, 27 and 28 are installed using different lengths and shapes of an interference fit retaining member 29. Again, the road safety devices 26, 27 and 28 have a solar panel 14 and a compartment 16 for housing the light or lights (not shown) and any other electrical components (not shown). The compartment 16 has a wall 22 that allows light to pass through, allowing the light to be stored in a waterproof environment but that allows light to be transmitted out of the waterproof environment.

Figure 5 shows another embodiment of the invention, a road safety device 30 that can be installed using an interference fit retaining member 32 and 34. The retaining member is made of two components, a main body 32 and an interference fit retaining member 34 that is attached. The coupling between the main retaining member 32 and the attached retaining member 34 can be rotated to change the orientation of the main retaining member 32 relative to the attached retaining member 34. The main retaining member 32 also has a solar panel 14 and a compartment 16 for housing a light or lights (not shown) and any other electric components (not shown). The compartment 16 has a wall 22 that allows light to pass through, allowing the light to be stored in a waterproof environment but that allows light to be transmitted out of the waterproof environment. The compartment 16 also has a cat's eye retroreflector 24 attached. In this embodiment, the retroreflector 24 is present as a backup in case the light inside the compartment 16 fails. The solar panel 14 may be installed on any of the sides of the road safety device 30 so that, for example, it faces away from the road or faces the predominant direction of incident sunlight.

Figure 6 shows an example of a road barrier 20 that has a number of poles 36 in place.

Figure 7 shows an exploded view of an embodiment of the present invention 37 that can be attached to the poles 36 of Figure 6. This embodiment shows a solar panel 14 and an LED light source 40. A retroreflective cat's eye 24 is incorporated as a backup in case of failure of the LED light source. A control box 42 is provided that can be inserted into the structure, within a space that is not occupied by the pole 36 when fully installed. This embodiment 37 is secured to the pole 36 by means of one or more snap-fit connectors 38. Securing this embodiment to a pole 36 also secures the control box 42 in such a way that it will not be possible to take it out without breaking the system.