Device and Method for Automatically Deploying Signage in Power Outage

Abstract

A road sign having two parts connected by a hinge that is arranged to obscure text in a retracted state but which exposes the text in a deployed state when the sign automatically deploys in response to a triggering event such as a power outage.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims the benefit of U.S. provisional patent application Ser. No. 62/309,488, filed on Mar. 17, 2016, incorporated herein by reference.

BACKGROUND

Currently, some communities have hidden signs that are only deployed during particular situations. For example, a stop sign may be deployed at an intersection when a traffic light at that intersection is inoperative, such as during a power outage. Signs may also be deployed at bridges when the bridge is icy, or in areas prone to flooding when flooding is present. However, using police or other city officers to manually deploy these signs when needed can be both hazardous to the worker, and expensive.

SUMMARY

Provided are a plurality of example embodiments, including, but not limited to, a stop sign that is automatically deployed when there is a power outage.

Further provided is deployable sign comprising: a first part; a second part; a hinge connecting the first part to the second part configured to allow a printed face on the second part to cover a printed face on the first part in a retracted position of the sign, but which exposes the printed face in a deployed position of the sign; and a locking component communicating with a triggering source, said locking component holding the sign in the retracted position until the triggering source indicates a triggering condition to the locking component for deploying the sign.

Also provided is deployable sign comprising: a first part; a second part; a hinge connecting the first part to the second part configured to allow a printed face on the second part to cover a printed face on the first part in a retracted position of the sign, but which exposes the printed face in a deployed position of the sign; and a locking component communicating with a power source of a traffic device at an intersection where the sign is installed, said locking component holding the sign in the retracted position while the power source is active, whereas the sign is deployed when the power source fails.

Further provided is method of deploying a sign at a traffic location, the method comprising the steps of:

• • providing a sign having two parts and a hinge, wherein said sign has a retracted state to position the two parts about the hinge obscure a text message on said sign, and wherein the sign also has a deployed state positioning the two parts about the hinge to expose the text message on said sign;
  • automatically holding the sign in the retracted state until detection of the triggering event;
  • detecting a triggering event;
  • automatically changing the state of said sign from the retracted state to the deployed state upon detecting the triggering event; and
  • manually changing the state of the sign from the deployed state to the retracted state by manually repositioning the two parts about the hinge; and
  • automatically holding the sign in the retracted stage after said manually changing step.

Also provided are additional example embodiments, some, but not all of which, are described hereinbelow in more detail.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The features and advantages of the example embodiments described herein will become apparent to those skilled in the art to which this disclosure relates upon reading the following description, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a schematic drawing showing a front view of the example automatically deployable sign in a deployed position;

FIG. 2 is a schematic drawing showing a side view of the example automatically deployable sign in a deployed position;

FIG. 3 is a schematic drawing of an exploded view of the individual components of the example automatically deployable sign;

FIG. 4 is a schematic drawing showing a back view of the example automatically deployable sign in a deployed position;

FIG. 5 is a schematic drawing showing a front view of the example automatically deployable sign in a retracted position;

FIG. 6 is a schematic drawing showing a side view of the example automatically deployable sign in a retracted position; and

FIG. 7 is a schematic drawing showing a side view of the example automatically deployable sign in a partially deployed position during deployment;

The features and advantages of the example embodiments described herein will become apparent to those skilled in the art to which this disclosure relates upon reading the following description, with reference to the accompanying drawings, which show an example embodiment of the device for a folded stop sign.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EXAMPLE EMBODIMENTS

FIG. 1 shows a front view of an example automatically deployable sign 10 in a deployed position showing the text covered front of the sign, in this case a “stop” sign. The sign 10 has a top part 12 and a bottom part 14 connected by a hinge 16 allowing the sign 10 to pivot at the hinge to cover the text portion, as shown in FIG. 5. FIG. 2 shows a side view of the sign of FIG. 1, with an electromagnetic lock 20 being mounted on the back of the sign 10.

FIG. 3 shows the components of the sign 10 in exploded view, with the top part 12 being provided with a hole 18 for receiving an electromagnet pole portion 22 for mounting in the hole 18. The pole portion 22 is a fully functional electromagnet that provides magnetic attraction at the end of the pole when power is provided to the power cord of the device. The use of the hole 18 allows the pole of the electromagnet 18 to come into contact with the bottom part 14 of the sign for better holding when the sign is retracted. A base 24 is provided to hold the pole portion. The base 24 is mounted on the back of the upper part 12 in the assembled sign 10, such as by using screws, spot welding, rivets, glue, or other fasteners.

The hinge 16 may be spring loaded, such as by using a torsion spring, to provide a torque that tends to deploy the sign, or the sign may rely on gravity to deploy the sign. If spring loaded, the spring would likely provide a relatively weak torque to avoid deploying the sign in undesirable situations (e.g., when the electromagnetic lock is powered).

FIG. 5 shows the front of the sign 10 in a retracted position, when the electromagnet lock 20 is activated to hold the front of the bottom part 14 of the sign over the front of the top part 12 of the sign to obscure the text of the sign. FIG. 6 shows a side view of the sign 10 in the retracted position, showing the electromagnet lock 20 mounted to the back of the sign.

FIG. 7 shows the sign 10 in a partially deployed position, as the sign might look during the deployment process.

Note that although a “stop sign” is used as the example embodiment, signs of other types could also be used, as discussed above.

The signs are installed and utilized, for example, as follows:

The deployable sign 10 can be retrofitted or used to replace an existing road sign at an appropriate location, such as at an intersection controlled by a traffic signal (stop light) in the case of a stop sign. The sign might be mounted on a traffic pole, or a stand-alone post, or some other structure that is viewable by drivers using the intersection.

For this example, the electromagnet can be connected to a power source that also provides power to the traffic signal. When powered, the sign can be manually folded to retract the sign, in which case the electromagnet will hold the sign in the retracted position, obscuring the text of the sign.

When power to the traffic signal is lost, the electromagnet will turn off, leading to a loss of magnetism, which will cause the sign to deploy by dropping the bottom part 14, exposing the text of the sign. In this way, the stop sign is automatically deployed when the traffic signals are non-functional due to a power outage, and hence the traffic flow can be safely controlled.

Note that in most intersections, a deployable sign 10 should be provided for each direction of traffic flow, and hence the typical intersection would have at least 3 or 4 such signs. In this manner the intersection becomes a 3 or 4-way stop.

As an alternative embodiment, a switching device 30 (FIG. 7) may be provided to turn power to the electromagnetic lock 20 on or off. The switching device 30 may be manually operated using a switch, or it may be operated remotely, such as by radio control. Such a sign could be utilized for locations where a power outage is not the desired triggering event for deployment. For example, signs that are deployed near icy bridges or flood areas may be manually triggered. Alternatively, the switch 30 may be connected to a sensor that detects the ice formation of an icy bridge or water pooling in a flood zone and thereby automatically deploys the sign at the appropriate times.

In these example embodiments, the sign may be retracted using a manual process where an individual manually folds the sign so that the bottom part again contacts the electromagnet, and is then held in place when the electromagnet is powered, such as when power is again available. Since quick and responsive deployment is much more important for safety reasons than is retraction, this system provides a safer situation than manually deployed signs, since there will be a delay when the sign is deployed during a power outage. In contrast, a delay in retracting the sign is not much of a safety issue, and hence delays in retracting are less important, and the retracting can be done using lower paid individuals, or even citizen volunteers.

Additional features could be added, such as adding an automatic retraction mechanism to retract a sign into the retraced (undeployed) position when power is restored (or on command). The use of a motor or solenoid or spring could be added to accomplish this feature.

As an alternative, rather than using an electromagnet, a mechanical holding device could be utilized, such as a hook or latch that automatically disconnects upon command, or upon the loss of power, such as by operation of a motor or solenoid. For example, a spring-loaded latch could be provided on an upper portion of the sign that holds the sign in a retracted position, such as when powered, which automatically releases the sign upon command or loss of power by withdrawing the latch or pulling it up.

Many other example embodiments can be provided through various combinations of the above described features. Although the embodiments described hereinabove use specific examples and alternatives, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various additional alternatives may be used and equivalents may be substituted for elements and/or steps described herein, without necessarily deviating from the intended scope of the application. Modifications may be necessary to adapt the embodiments to a particular situation or to particular needs without departing from the intended scope of the application. It is intended that the application not be limited to the particular example implementations and example embodiments described herein, but that the claims be given their broadest reasonable interpretation to cover all novel and non-obvious embodiments, literal or equivalent, disclosed or not, covered thereby.

Claims

1. A deployable sign comprising:

a first part;

a second part;

a hinge connecting the first part to the second part configured to allow a printed face on the second part to cover a printed face on the first part in a retracted position of the sign, but which exposes the printed face in a deployed position of the sign; and

a locking component communicating with a triggering source, said locking component holding the sign in the retracted position until the triggering source indicates a triggering condition to the locking component for deploying the sign.

2. The deployable sign of claim 1, wherein the locking component includes an electromagnet.

3. The deployable sign of claim 2, wherein the triggering condition is a loss of power at an intersection where the sign is installed.

5. The sign of claim 3, wherein the triggering source is a power source that powers a traffic signal at the intersection, such that when the power source fails, the electromagnet is shut off thereby deploying the sign.

5. The deployable sign of claim 1, wherein the hinge includes a spring for biasing said sign into the retracted position.

6. The deployable sign of claim 1, wherein the triggering source is a switch that is manually activated.

7. The deployable sign of claim 1, wherein the triggering source is a switch that is remotely activated by wireless signal.

8. A deployable sign comprising:

a first part;

a second part;

a hinge connecting the first part to the second part configured to allow a printed face on the second part to cover a printed face on the first part in a retracted position of the sign, but which exposes the printed face in a deployed position of the sign; and

a locking component communicating with a power source of a traffic device at an intersection where the sign is installed, said locking component holding the sign in the retracted position while the power source is active, whereas the sign is deployed when the power source fails.

9. The deployable sign of claim 8, wherein the locking component includes an electromagnet.

10. The deployable sign of claim 8, wherein the hinge includes a spring for biasing said sign into the retracted position.

11. A method of deploying a sign at a traffic location, the method comprising the steps of:

providing a sign having two parts and a hinge, wherein said sign has a retracted state to position the two parts about the hinge obscure a text message on said sign, and wherein the sign also has a deployed state positioning the two parts about the hinge to expose the text message on said sign;

automatically holding the sign in the retracted state until detection of the triggering event;

detecting a triggering event;

automatically changing the state of said sign from the retracted state to the deployed state upon detecting the triggering event; and

manually changing the state of the sign from the deployed state to the retracted state by manually repositioning the two parts about the hinge; and

automatically holding the sign in the retracted stage after said manually changing step.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the triggering event is the loss of power.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the triggering event is the loss of power at an intersection where the sign is installed.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein the triggering event is the formation of ice on a bridge.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein the triggering event is the pooling of water on a road.

16. The method of claim 11, wherein the triggering event is the loss of power that is automatically detected.

17. The method of claim 11, wherein the triggering event is the activation of a button.