BOARD

Abstract: The board, which aims at improving visibility and safety conditions, comprises a viewing surface oriented towards an onlooker (U), said viewing surface being made discontinuous with the presence in it of through openings (7, 9; 7a, 9a) that allow the passage of a current of air incident on the board (1; 1a; 1b; 1c; 1d) and channelled in such a way as to prevent any light from behind passing through to the onlooker (U) positioned in front of the viewing surface.

Description: BOARD The invention concerns a board, particularly a signboard for use on roads, that is a signpost, or information board in general, with signs, illustrations, indications, for example for road users, or even pertaining to the most varied industrial and natural environments in general. The prior art comprises signboards consisting of a sheet of metallic material, or of plastics, integral or composite, supported on cumbersome frames and which, in the case of particularly large boards, comprise a pair of uprights which are connected together at the top by a substantially horizontal member: this, as a whole, constituting a costly portal structure. Cantilever frames, or cross frames, have also been proposed, that is frames consisting of a upright associated with at least one horizontal member extending, respectively, form just one side, or from both sides of said upright, the signboard being attached to its free end. Finally, prior art signboards can be supported on a pair of uprights by attaching their respective ends to each upright, particularly for signposts extending upwards in a succession of superimposed panels starting close to the ground. Moreover, prior art boards, and the respective frames thereof, are dangerously exposed to the elements, in particular to the wind, which may on occasions be strong enough, with speeds of over 100 m/h, to induce dynamic loads capable of damaging both the boards and the supporting frame thereof, for example, causing dangerous swaying, permanent deformation and/or fracture. This entails the risk of collapse and consequently a threat to the safety of persons or things. In particular, when the board is rotated with respect to the frame, for example due to failure, or sliding, of the joints connecting the cross member to the upright, this causes an undesirable alteration in the visibility condition of said board as regards the public, even up to the point of rendering it illegible: this engendering further situations of danger, particularly due to the users not perceiving indications that are indispensable for their safety. Furthermore, it is to be noted that the rotation of the cross member with respect to the upright can cause the disconnection of the electrical wiring the boards may be equipped with, as is normally the case with illuminated signals, for example traffic lights: this causing further inconvenience and danger. Furthermore, the signboards are attached to the relative lattice frames in such a way that they are substantially vertical: as a result, in conditions where the light is shining at a low angle, for example at sunrise or at sunset, the sun's rays can, depending on the orientation of the of the boards with respect to the cardinal points and to the road, be reflected towards a driver who is at a distance of, for example, 50-100 m, dazzling him, with the danger of causing him to lose control of the vehicle. Such prior art may be subject to considerable improvements with a view to eliminating, or at least significantly reducing, said drawbacks. It would be desirable to solve the technical problem of inventing a board for road signs which is significantly less susceptible to the wind and which has an optimal readability for an onlooker positioned at a conventional observation distance. A further technical problem consists in inventing a new board which requires significanlty reduced supporting frames, which are less susceptible to the wind actions. The invention resolves said technical problem by adopting a board, particularly a signboard or a screen, comprising a front viewing surface directed towards the onlooker characterised in that said viewing surface is made discontinuous by the presence in it of through openings that allow the passage through them of a flow of air incident on the board and channelled in such a way so as to substantially prevent light behind the board from shining through. In this way the viewing surface has a reduced wind resistance as a result of the through openings and is also perceived as being continuous, with consequently improved visibility and safety with respect to the case where it is provided with simple openings; moreover, there is no interference, such as those due to aberrations caused by the light of the sky, or of the background in general. This also enables the thrust exerted by the wind on the board to be reduced and the loads on the supporting structure of the boards to be considerably reduced, that is, with boards of a given size, it is possible to significantly increase their level of safety. In a particularly advantageous version, said viewing surface is divided into a plurality of slats, each having at least one inclined portion and the longitudinal edges on the opposite side not in contact with the corresponding edges of the adjacent slat(s), each one of said openings being defined between the longitudinal edge of one slat and the longitudinal edge of the next slat. This enables ample surfaces of board to be obtained, for example suitable for showing the information to be communicated, with a particularly simple and economical structural form. In a particularly advantageous version, said slats are inclined, with respect to a vertical and/or horizontal plane, so that their viewing surfaces are oriented with a substantially orthogonal angle with respect to an onlooker who is positioned at a conventional observation distance. This gives the board optimal visibility, in all lighting conditions, as well as an optimal channelling of the air currents incident on the board through the openings defined by the successive slats. In a further advantageous version, said slats may be attached to a plurality of intermediate or end support elements, that have a surface coupling with said slats having a saw-tooth profile. This enables the slats making up the board to be rapidly and correctly positioned and to be securely fixed. In a further advantageous version, the saw-tooth coupling surface has a plurality of consecutive concave portions, each concave portion having a first side, lying in a plane which is substantially transverse with respect to the direction of observation, interacting with a relative slat in order to support it, and a second side functioning as a spacer for two consecutive slats, advantageously tapered upwards. This enables the accumulation of material, such as dirt, snow, or other material to be avoided with, consequently, an improvement in the conditions of visibility and safety; the adoption of the saw-toothed surface also enables the channelled openings to allow the passage of air to be obtained automatically and contemporaneously with the attachment of the slats during the construction of the board. In a further advantageous version, said board consists of a single panel having channelled through openings advantageously oriented towards the rear of the panel, obtained, for example, by plastic deformation and cutting of the material to allow the passage of wind through them. This enables signpost panels and also contrast screens to be obtained, possibly of reduced dimensions, particularly with a view to improving the visibility of illuminated signals, such as traffic lights, flashing signals, or other similar signals, in an extremely simple and economic manner. It is to be noted that the adoption of inclined surfaces for the elements making up the viewing surface affords the board self-cleaning properties, in that the air current passing through said openings increases its relative velocity with respect to the viewing surface thereby removing from it any particles that may have been deposited on it. It is also to be noted that the viewing surface has a negative incident angle with respect to the vertical and is thereby less susceptible to soiling in general. Some embodiments of the invention are illustrated, purely by way of example, in the six tables of drawings attached, in which: Figure 1 is a front view of a signboard, in the slatted version with viewing surfaces having upper and lower edges substantially parallel to a horizontal direction and having edge sidesinclined from the vertical; Figure 2 is section II-II of Figure 1; Figure 3 is a front view of a contrast board for traffic lights in the version with the traffic light included into it; Figure 4 is section IV-IV, greatly enlarged, of Figure 3; Figure 5 is a side view from the right of Figure 3, showing, in its lower part, slots associated to respective closing elements; Figure 6 is section VI-VI, greatly enlarged, of Figure 2; Figure 7 is a schematic elevated view of a signboard, or panel, showing the distribution of the rays of incident and reflected light; Figure 8 is a front view of a slatted signboard, but with the viewing surfaces extending vertically, substantially perpendicular to the viewing direction of the onlooker; Figure 9 is the top view of Figure 8; Figure 10 is a top view of a traffic light contrast screen, but in the version with integral screen and projecting traffic light; Figure 11 is the front view of Figure 10; Figure 12 is the side view from the left of Figure 11; Figure 13 is the rear view of Figure 11; Figure 14 is a section as in Figure 2, but showing a vertical supporting element for the slats, having a saw¬ tooth shape decreasing in depth towards the top; Figure 15 is the front view of a further version of the signboard, or contrast screen; Figure 16 is section XVI-XVI of Figure 15 but showing different versions of the slats. The figures show: 1, a board in an assemblable version, divided into a plurality of longitudinal slats 2, attached in a removable manner by means of connecting means not shown, to a plurality of supporting elements 3, substantially vertical, anchored to transverse elements 4 and having the shape of a frame in the shape of a comb, or saw-tooth profile; said transverse elements projecting laterally from an end zone of a support pole 8. Each supporting element 3 has a front edge provided with a plurality of consecutive indentations 5, or concave portions, defining together a serrated profile and having the function of seat for the positioning and the attachment in them of the slats 2: the shape of said indentations being such as to define the orientation of the slats 2 mounted in it, with an inclination from the vertical of an angle α (Figure 2) that reflects onto the ground, in the area immediately adjacent to the board, a ray of light incident on the board in a substantially horizontal direction. In this way, as shown in Figure 7, the onlooker U who is an acceptable distance H away from the board 1, for example, even just few dozen meters away, is not struck by the ray of reflected light Fr, which is instead reflected to the ground just a few metres away from the board: this giving rise to improved safety against the risk of being dazzled and an improved visibility of the information 6 on the front surface of the board 1. The viewing axis A traced from the onlooker's viewpoint U, positioned a conventional distance H from the board, defines an incident angle β with the slat 2, close to approximately 90°, and variable in function of the distance of the onlooker U from the board 1. Furthermore, the seats 5 of the supporting elements 3 are such as to enable the slats 2 to be attached to them obtaining a channelled passage 7 between each slat 2 and the slat(s) 2 adjacent to it. It is to be noted how the presence of the plurality of channelled passages 7 constitutes an interruption in the continuity of the surface of the board 1 and eases the passage of the wind, with, consequently, reduced dynamic loading of the board and of its supporting frames, or structure. Furthermore, it is preferable, with a view to achieving a more uniform passage of the air so reducing losses caused by turbulence and friction, for the passages 7 to be delimited by slats 2 that have rounded edges 15. The seats 5 also have, on the second sides 5a not used for attaching the slats 2 to them, a cross-sectional profile with tapered ends pointing upwards, as shown in Figure 6. Also, there may be a considerable distance D between the front surface of each slat 2 and the rear face of the slat 2 adjacent to it, even of the order of a few dozen centimetres, in order to avoid throttling the flow of air and reducing the amount that may pass through the passages 7. It is to be noted that each slat 2 may include only a part of the information given on the board, or it may include all the information to be communicated; in both cases the plurality of slats 2 may carry a corresponding plurality of items of information 6, even unrelated to one another, as occurs, for example, with signposting for industrial estates, or also for road signposting in general. As shown in Figures 3, 4, 5 a board la may have passages 7a defined by a plurality of openings 9 advantageously obtained by drawing the sheet constituting the body of the board la: the openings 9 advantageously having edges 9a connecting with the viewing surface of the board la, advantageously the top and side edges, whereas they are separated from said viewing surface along the lower edge of its periphery: this enables the optimal passage of the air current incident on the board as well as an apparent visual continuity of the viewing surface for an onlooker at ground level. As shown in the lowest part of Figure 4, the openings 9 may also be defined by through holes 22, each associated to attached elements 23 for partially occluding said holes in a channeled manner and screening them. This enables the lower edge 24 of each attached element 23 to come well below the corresponding edge of the relative hole 22; therefore the light coming from the back of the panel does not pass through the openings. The longitudinal and vertical extension of each opening 9 may be varied in a suiable manner, depending also on the overall dimensions; in particular, as shown in the case where the board acts as a contrast screen to improve the visibility of a traffic light 10, the longitudinal extension of the openings 9 is such that it defines a substantially homogeneous distribution of the passages 7 on said board. The openings 9 may be distributed on inclined, or even horizontal, planes. The board l, la may be protected by a top visor 12, horizontal or sloping downwards, that reduces the soiling of the viewing surface. It is to be noted that, in a board 1, la, the fluid lines 13 representing the current of air incident on the viewing surface of the board 1, la, are deflected downwards, whereas the fluid lines 14, incident on the opposite side of the board, are deflected upwards; this reducing the loads on the board. The slats 2 may advantageously have an aerodynamic profile, in particular with the cross section 16 tapered at the top to increase the amplitude of the opening 7 and to allow the passage of a greater quantity of air without reducing the viewing surface. Figure 8 shows how the slats 2a may also be distributed, distanced from one another, in substantially vertical planes, so as to constitute, for example, signboards fixed to the ground by means of uprights 8a having supports 3a with saw-toothed concave portions, analogous to the supports 3 described previously, but horizontally disposed. The sign thus obtained has the viewing surfaces of each slat 2a oriented in a plane which is orthogonal to the viewing direction Al of an onlooker transiting in a direction M. As shown in Figures 10 to 13, a contrast screen lb for a traffic light 10 may have a formation of openings 7 covering substantially the entire extent of its surface, in that the traffic light is supported on the body of said screen at its lower and upper ends by means of brackets 15 and bolts 16. In this way the body of the traffic light projects from the viewing surface of the contrast screen lb, so that the fluid lines 13a, 14a of the air incident at right angles to the screen lb are deflected around the body of the traffic light 10 and may be discharged through the openings 7. In particular, the fluid lines 14a incident on the rear of the screen may pass through the openings freely, flowing round the body of the traffic light 10 downstream of the openings, the traffic light being separated from the body of the screen lb. Furthermore, the fluid lines 17, 18, incident on the panel obliquely, respectively from the front and from the rear, may also be deflected and find a greater number of outlets through openings 9 than is the case of the traffic light set into the screen (Figures 3, 5), with consequent benefits as regards the aerodynamic resistance of the screen lb and traffic light 10 together. In fact, the aerodynamic resistance of said screen and traffic light together, expressed as the product of a coefficient of exposure and shape with the kinetic pressure exerted by the wind (see Decree of the Ministry of Public Works - Italy - 12 February 1982, Official Gazette 26-2- 1982, n. 56 "General criteria for verifying the safety of buildings and of loads and overloading", Official Gazette 26/2/82, n.56), is considerably lower with the traffic light separate from the body of the screen, as shown in Figure 10, than is the case with the traffic light set into the body of the screen la, as shown in Figure 5. Having separated the traffic light from the body of the contrast screen also affords maximum flexibility in the choice of the shape and dimensions of the traffic light, it being possible, with the same contrast screen, to provide suitable screening of the background for a vast range of traffic lights. In particular, it is possible to eliminate the external frame 19 of the group of signalling lights 20 from the structure of the traffic light 10, limiting it to a single signalling light inserted in a cylindrical casing 21 (Figure 11 bottom) , with further aerodynamic advantage due to the reduction in the upwind and downwind area. As shown in Figure 14, the slats 2, 2a may be associated with a saw-toothed support 3b with decreasing depth in the direction Y transverse with respect to the slats 2, 2a. This enables a small angle γ to be maintained, advantageously of a few degrees, between the face of each slat 2, 2a and a front reference plane P, for example, vertical, without having to increase the height V of the slats 2, 2a too much. In the version in Figure 15, the board Id consists of a plurality of slats 25 separated in height, each preferably having a profile in the shape of a V, advantageously asymmetric, attached at their ends to a pair of uprights 26 with L-shaped sections. One of the sides of the V of each slat 25 may be attached to the internal surface of a relative upright 26, so that the corresponding end of the slat is enclosed by the L-shaped profile of said upright. Alternatively, the slats may be flat, as shown with 27, and be associated to uprights 28 which are also flat. With the adoption of the slats 25 the air passages are defined between the back of a slat and the opposite face of the successive slat and it is possible to create said passages using slat elements with a large angle of inclination from the vertical with a view to increasing the area of the passages. In practice the materials, dimensions and details of execution may be different from, but technically equivalent to, those described without departing from the juridical domain of the present invention.

Claims: CLAIMS 1. A board (1; la,- lb; lc; Id) comprising a viewing surface oriented towards an onlooker (U) characterised in that said viewing surface is made discontinuous by the presence in it of through openings (7, 9; 7a, 9a) that allow the passage of an air current incident on the board (1; la; lb; lc; Id), channelled in such a way as to prevent any light from behind passing through to the onlooker (U) positioned opposite the viewing surface. 2. A board as claimed in claim 1, characterised in that the body of the board (l; la; lb; lc; Id) is subdivided in to a plurality of slats (2; 2a; 25; 27) at least one part of which is inclined and each having opposite sides not in contact with the corresponding sides of the adjacent slat(s) (2; 2a; 25; 27), each one of said openings (7; 7a) being defined between the lower edge of one slat (2; 2a,- 25; 27) and the upper edge of the next slat (2; 2a,- 25; 27), or vice versa. 3. A board as claimed in claim 2, characterised in that said slats (2; 2a,- 25; 27) are inclined from the vertical so that the viewing surface is oriented at an angle (β) substantially orthogonal with respect to an onlooker (U) at ground level a conventional observation distance (H) away. 4. A board as claimed in claim 2, or 3, characterised in that said slats (2; 2a; 25; 27) may be attached to at least two support elements (3; 3a; 3b; 26; 28), or uprights. 5. A board as claimed in claim 4, characterised in that said support elements (3; 3a,- 3b) have a coupling surface (5) with a saw-tooth-shaped profile. 6. A board as claimed in claim 5, characterised in that said support elements (3; 3a,- 3b) have a plurality of successive concave portions (5) , each concave portion having a first side that interacts with a relative slat (2; 2a) to support it and a second side (5a) distancing the slat (2) that is adjacent to it. 7. A board as claimed in claim 1, characterised in that said through openings (7a, 9a) have a closed outline and are connected to channelling and closing elements (23) that have at least one edge portion (9a) . 8. A board as claimed in claim 7, characterised in that said openings (9) are obtained by plastic deformation, preferably towards the rear of the board (la,- lb) , and shearing of the material constituting said viewing surface. 9. A board as claimed in claim 8, characterised in that it has an opening to accommodate a traffic light (10) . 10. A board as claimed in any claim l to 9, characterised in that it has a support (15) for attaching a traffic light (10) in front of the viewing surface.

Inventors: VINCENZI MAURIZIO, VINCENZI, MAURIZIO
Applicants: VINCENZI MAURIZIO, VINCENZI, MAURIZIO
Application year: 1995
Main classification: G09F7
IPC codes: G09F7