ROAD TRAFFIC SIGN

Abstract: Road traffic sign which is alterable in order to be able to show optionally two road signs with standarised shapes and colours. It has the form of a house with a front part (2') which is provided with an opening (23), which is covered by a window-pane (9') of a transparent, colourless, knock-resistant material. A disc is fitted in the house directly behind the front part. This disc is rotatable around a centre of rotation (17') which coincides with the centre of the road sign. The forward face of the front part and the part of the rotatable disc visible through the window consist, in two different positions in the case of the disc, of fields, figures or other symbols, which together in each of the two positions form the two standardised road signs.

Description: ROAD TRAFFIC SIGN TECHNICAL FIELD The invention concerns a road traffic sign, which is variable so as to be able to show optionally two road signs with standardised shapes and colours. BACKGROUND ART Variable traffic signs have indeed been suggested earlier and to a limited extent have also come into practical use. For example in certain cases illuminated signs are used in order to give information about recommended speeds, in particular along stretches of through road with the so-called "green wave" which are controlled by light signals working in conjunction. However, these variable illuminated signs have not found any application in what can be considered in the proper sense of the words as road signs. By road signs we understand in this connection warning signs, prohibition signs, mandatory signs and information signs in accordance with the Geneva Convention of 1968. In this convention it was regulated in detail what the road signs should look like. These regulations apply both to shapes and colours of figures and other symbols and to the colour of the back¬ grounds. From this it follows that only those symbols and backgrounds which are described in this convention are possible for use in road traffic signs. In other shapes or colours therefore the signs are not legally valid and can only become so if a dispensation from the norm is authorised. Even apart from the difficulties of fulfilling the requirements of the convention and therewith also for example of the Swedish Road Traffic Ordinance it is difficult to find a variable road traffic sign which gives identically the same impression or the same change of impression regardless of the direction from which you look at the road sign within a sector of nearly 180°. Furthermore a variable road traffic sign must be able to function without depending on an external power supply, since the electricity from the general network can be expensive to extend to the sign. DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION One object of the invention is to offer a variable road traffic sign which can fulfil the abovementioned requirements. This aim can be achieved through the fact that the sign in accordance with the invention has the shape of a house with a front which is provided with an opening which is covered by a window-pane of a transparent, colour¬ less, knock-resistant material, that a disc is fitted in the house immediately inside the front, that the disc is rotatable around a centre of rotation which coincides with the centre of the road sign, and that the forward side of the front and the part of the disc visible through the window, in two different positions in the case of the disc, consist of fields, figures or other symbols, which together in each of the two positions form the two standardised road signs. The road sign according to the invention can for example consist of a prohibition sign which can show two different speed limits depending for example on the time of day, the season, for example during the school term, winter, summer, morning or evening, road works (working hours) , high and low tra fic volume, etc. According to this example of the invention the face of the front is provided with a stationary standardised figure on the right-hand side of an imaginary vertical centre line, the rotatable disc behind the window is provided with two different figures but of the same standardised form as the figure on the front, with the figures on the disc having a height which is greater than the maximum radius of the disc. Further the figures on the disc are arranged each on its own side of the centre of the disc and in such a way that one figure is turned completely upside down when the other, when it is visible in the window, is the right way up and vice versa. The principle of the invention can also be used for road signs which can be altered from showing a prohibition of parking of vehicles to a road sign that shows a prohibition of stopping vehicles. According to this embodiment the face of the front shows a road sign with the window in the front having the form of a slot which extends diagonally across the background field at right angles to the red line on the face of the front, and that the face of the rotatable disc consists of a background field of the same colour as on the face of the front with a red band which extends over the said field on the disc through the centre of the disc, so that only the background field of the disc shows in the window when the road sign is to show prohibition of parking vehicles, while the red band is visible in the window when the road sign is to show a prohibition of stopping vehicles. Preferably the red band on the movable disc is slightly wider than the opening in the face on the front except right in the centre. Through this design no higher degree of precision is required when it is a question of the setting of the movable disc in the two positions. Instead of arranging a single opening which extends diagonally across the front, one can also arrange two openings which together have more or less the same extent as the aforementioned slot, but which are separated from each other in the centre by the permanent red line on the face of the front. According to a third embodiment of the invention the road sign consists of a mandatory sign which in one position of the movable disc shows a mandatory keep left and in the other position shows a mandat¬ ory keep right. The face of the front consists in this case of a field of a single colour, which according to the Swedish Road Traffic Ordinance is blue, with a window which has the form of a cross, while the face of the rotatable disc consists of a field of the same colour as on the face of the front but which in addition has a white field which extends through the centre of the disc. The cross-shaped window has, according to the embodiment in question, more precisely the form of two crossed arrows with the tips pointing downwards. The white field on the movable disc has the approximate form of a band which widens towards the periphery of the disc and in particular the band - or the white field - is wider in that part which is to be placed under the arrowheads, so that in this case too the need for precision in the setting of the movable disc is eliminated. The two arrowheads on the front overlap each other slightly. At least this applies with a sign shaped in accordance with the norms of the Swedish Road Traffic Ordinance. Within this overlapping area the front is preferably not pierced but instead this part is coloured white. It can be seen that this also reduces the need for precision with regard to the setting of the white field in the two positions. As in the two previous embodi¬ ments, the window in the front is covered by a window-pane of transparent, colourless, knock-resistant material. The movable disc is perferably rotated by a shifting motor, which is driven and controlled by a programmed microprocessor, with the accumulator for example being chargeable by means of solar cells. Alternatively the motor can be driven by batteries, and in many cases it may also be practical to connect the sign to the general electri¬ city network. In certain cases it may also be practical quite simply to be able to turn the rotatable disc manually with the aid of a key, crank or suchlike. This may for example apply to such cases when the change from one road sign to the other must occur under direct " super¬ vision in order to avoid traffic accidents in connection with the actual changeover. Further characteristics and aspects arid also advantages of the inven¬ tion will become clear from the following description of preferred embodiments. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS in the following description reference will be made to the enclosed drawings, of which Fig. 1 shows from in front a traffic sign according to a first embodiment of the invention, Fig. 2 shows the same traffic sign from the side, Fig. 3 shows the same traffic sign from above, Fig. 4 shows a section IV-IV in Fig. 1, Fig. 5 shows the rotatable disc according to this embodiment in a view V-V in Fig. 4, Fig. 6 shows the same disc rotated a half revolution, Fig. 7 shows a traffic sign according to a second embodiment of the invention from straight ahead, Fig. 8 shows the front side of the rotatable disc according to this second embodiment, Fig. 9 shows from in front a traffic sign according to a third embodiment of the invention, which in this position shows a mandatory keep left, Fig. 10 shows the same traffic sign but converted to show a mandatory keep right, and Fig. 11 shows the front side of the rotatable disc in the road traffic sign according to this third embodiment. In Fig. 1 and Figs. 5-11 the colour marking symbols which are recommended by the US Patent Office are used, see also Fig. 1. DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS With reference first to Figs. 1-6 a road traffic sign according to this first embodiment is generally marked with the figure 1. The road traffic sign 1 consists of a front part 2 and behind this a back part 3, which has the form of a box and is mounted on a post 4. The front part 2 consists of a circular disc, which is rigidly attached to the back part 3 along the periphery. According to this embodiment the sign shows a prohibition sign, which in accordance with Fig. 1 shows a speed limit of 50 km/h. The front side of the front part 2 thus shows a yellow central field 5, which is surrounded by a red border 6. In the right-hand part of the yellow central field 5 there is a stationary black figure 7, which according to the example ■ consists of a zero. In the left-hand part of the yellow central field 5 there is instead an opening 8, which is covered by a window-pane 9 of knock-resistant, transparent, colourless material, preferably knock-resistant plastic. Inside the back part 3 is a rotatable disc 10 placed immediately behind the front part 2, Fig. 4. This rotatable disc 10 shows on the side which is turned towards the front part 2 the same yellow colour as the central field 5 on the face of the front part. This yellow field on the rotatable disc has been marked 11. On the field 11 there are two figures symmetrically placed each on its own side of an imaginary centre line 12. As this centre line 12 is vertical, one figure 13 - in this case a five - is positioned in the middle of the opening 8, while the other figure 14 - in this case a seven - is positioned upside down and hidden behind the right-hand part of the front part 2. All figures 7, 13, 14 are of standardised design. The size of the figures 13 and 14 on the rotatable disc 10 is bigger than the maximum radius of the disc. The disc 10, which is flat, is rotatable by means of a shifting motor 16 around an axis of rotation 17, which coincides with the centre of the road sign. The shifting motor 16 is fitted inside the back part 3. The motor 16 obtains its feed from an accumulator 33, which in its turn is charged by a solar cell battery 18 preferably placed on the top side of the back part 3. The shifting motor 16 is advantageously controlled by a programmed microprocessor 19. Alternatively or complementarily the shifting motor 16 is controlled by a control signal transmitted via radio. Further the disc 10 can as an alterna- tive be rotated by battery operation or through connection of the sign to the general electric network. Further the disc 10 can be rotated manually by means of a key, which is not shown, or the like if the need for this is considered to arise. All components in the inside of the back part 3, i.e. the rotatable disc 10 and its drive and control organs are protected from external influence through the opening 8 being covered by a pane 9 of resistant material. This window-pane also prevents rain, snow and dust from penetrating. The window-pane also prevents damage caused by mischief or more advanced sabotage aimed at the movable parts in the equipment. The shifting motor 16 can be arranged so that it always rotates a half revolution in the same direction at each changeover or forwards and backwards a half revolution and is stopped by a limit switch, not shown in detail, in the correct position with the upright figure 13 or 14 positioned in the middle of the opening/window 8,9. The embodiment according to Fig. 7 concerns a road traffic sign 1' with a prohibition sign concerning a prohibition of parking vehicles, which in accordance with the invention can be converted to a prohibi- tion of stopping vehicles. The front part 2' has in this case the same appearance as the abovementioned prohibition sign, which means a prohibition of parking vehicles, which entails that in accordance with the Swedish Road Traffic Ordinance it shows a blue field 21, which is surrounded by a red border 6' and with a red band 22 going diagonally across the blue central field 21. According to this embodiment of the invention an opening 23 is also provided in this case in the front part 2'. The opening consists of a slot with the same width as the red band 22, which slot heraldically speaking extends diagonally across the blue central field 21 at right angles to the red band 22, Fig. 7. Behind this front part 2* there is a circular, flat disc 10', Fig. 8, which is rotatable around the axis of rotation 15' in the same way as the rotatable disc in the previous embodiment. The opening 23 is covered by a pane 9 1 of knock-resistant, transparent plastic or glass. The front side of the disc 10', which can be exposed in the opening 23, has the same blue colour as the blue field 21 on the forward face of the front part 2 1 . More precisely the rotatable disc 10' shows two substantially semicircular-shaped blue fields 24 and 25 and between them a red band 26, which extends across the disc. In the middle the band 26 has the same width as the slot/opening 23 in the front part 2' . This middle part 27 of the red band 26 has the same length and width, and from this middle part 27 the band 26 widens successively out towards the periphery. Through this design no greater precision is required in the positioning of the disc 10' in the two positions, i.e. in the one case with the red band 26 of the movable disc placed under the red band 22 of the front part 2' (marking prohibition of parking) and in the other position with the red band 26 of the movable disc positioned in the area of the slot/opening 23. For the rotation and control of the movable disc 10' the same sort of equipment can be used as is described in connection with the previous embodiment. According to this embodiment the solar cell battery 18' is mounted on a mast 34 and can rotate so that it receives the best solar lighting. This alternative is more advantageous than the placing which is shown with reference to Figs. 2 and 3. The third embodiment in accordance with the invention, which is described with reference to Figs. 9-11, concerns a road traffic sign with a mandatory sign, which in the one case, Fig. 9, orders keeping left and in the other case, Fig. 10 orders keeping right. The general construction of the traffic sign is the same as in the previous embodiments. Only the divergences in relation to the earlier description will therefore be explained here. The front part 2 11 , Figs. 9 and 10, consists of a blue field 28, which is surrounded by a white border 29. In the middle of the blue field 28 there is an opening 30 in the shape of two obliquely crossed downward-pointing arrows 31 and 32. The movable disc 10'', Fig. 11, has the same blue colour as the field 28 on the face of the front part and on this blue field 36 on the movable disc there is a white field 37, which approxi¬ mately has the same shape as one of the arrows 31, 32. By approxi¬ mately we understand in this case that the white field 37 has approxi- mately the same extent as an arrow 31 or 32 but is slightly wider except just in the centre of the disc, so that the movable disc 10' * without any requirements for specially great precision can be orien¬ tated under one of the arrows 31 and 32 in order to show one of the alternative symbols which can be seen from Figs. 9 and 10. A smaller "overlapping" part 31 on the front part is not pierced but instead it is permanently coloured white. The opening 30 which has the shape of the two crossed downward-pointing arrows 31 and 32 is covered by a window-pane 9' ' of knock-resistant, colourless, transparent glass or plastic. The centre of rotation of the disc 10' ' has been marked 17' ' and coincides as in the previous embodiment with the centre of the road traffic sign.

Claims: CLAIMS 1. Road traffic sign which is alterable in order to be able to show optionally two road signs with standardised shapes and colours, c h a r a c t e r i s e d by the fact that it has the shape of a house (3) with a front part (2, 2', 2'*) which is provided with an opening (8, 23, 30), which is covered by a window-pane (9, 9', 9'') of a transparent, colourless, knock-resistant material, that a disc (10, 10', 10'') is placed in the house immediately behind the front part, that this disc is rotatable around a centre of rotation (17, 17', 17' ' ) which coincides with the centre of the road sign, and that the forward face of the front part and the part of the rotatable disc visible through the window, in two different positions in the case of the disc, consists of fields, figures or other symbols, which together in each of the two positions form the two standardised road signs. • 2. Device as per claim 1, c h a r a c t e r i s e d by the fact that the road sign consists of a prohibition sign, which can show two different speed limits, that the forward face of the front part is provided with a stationary figure (7) on the right-hand side of an imaginary vertical centre line (12), that the window (8, 9) is located in the corresponding position on the left-hand side of the centre line, that the rotatable disc (10) behind the front part is provided with two different figures (13, 14) but of the same standardised type as the figure (7) on the front side, that the figures on the rotatable disc have a height that is greater than the maximum radius of the disc, and that the figures on the rotatable disc are located each on its own side of the centre of the disc and in such a way that one figure (14) is quite upside down when the other (13), when it is visible in the window, is the right way up and vice versa. 3. Device as per claim 1, c h a r a c t e r i s e d by the fact that the road sign in the one position of the rotatable disc (10') shows a prohibition of parking vehicles and in the other position shows a prohibition of stopping vehicles, that the forward face of the front part (2 1 ) shows a road sign which means prohibition of parking vehicles, in which road sign a window (23) has been incorporated in the form of at least one slot which extends diagonally across the background field (21) in the said road sign at right angles to the red band (22) which traverses the field (21), and that the front side of the rotatable disc consists of blue fields (24, 25), which are divided by a central red band (26), which extends between the blue fields through the centre of the disc, so that only the background field of the disc is shown in the window when the road sign is to show prohibition of parking vehicles, while the red band (26) on the movable disc is visible in the window when the road sign is to show prohibition of stopping vehicles. 4. Device as per claim 3, c h a r a c t e r i s e d by the fact that the red band (26) on the movable disc widens from the centre outwards towards the periphery. 5. Device as per claim 1, c h a r a c t er i s e d by the fact that the road sign consists of a mandatory sign which in one position of the movable disc shows a mandatory keep right and in the' other position shows a mandatory keep left, that the forward face of the front part consists of a blue field (28) with a window (30) in the shape of a cross, that the front side of the rotatable disc consists of a blue field (36) with a fairly long white area (37) which extends through the centre of the disc, and that the cross consists of two crossed arrows (31, 32) with the tips pointing oblique downwards. 6. Device as per claim 5, c h a r a c t e r i s e d by the fact that the white area (37) on the movable disc (10'') is somewhat wider than the arrows (31, 32) but not in the centre.

Inventors: ANDERSSON GERT AGNE, GUNNARSSON KARL LARS GUNNAR
Applicants: NYA ABIA INDUSTRIAUTOMATIK AB, NYA ABIA INDAUTOMATIK AB
Application year: 1986
Main classification: G09F11
IPC codes: G08G1