Optical: systems and elements – Signal reflector – Mounted adjacent roadway
Reexamination Certificate
2001-08-09
2003-05-06
Robinson, Mark A. (Department: 2872)
Optical: systems and elements
Signal reflector
Mounted adjacent roadway
C359S528000, C359S839000, C362S307000, C362S310000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06558010
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a reflecting mirror which reflects light from a headlight of automobile, the reflecting mirror being attached, for example, to a guardrail, roadside or medial strip of a road in use.
Heretofore, reflecting mirrors which reflect light from a headlight of automobile have been attached to guardrails or fences of road. Various kinds of reflecting mirrors have been proposed: a first conventional example is that a front panel having a reflecting property is attached to a front opening of a bowl-like holding part constituting a main body of the reflecting mirror; a second example is that specular working is made on an inner surface of the holding part for improving the reflection efficiency; and a third example is that a bulb is placed inside the holding part. These are used as signs for car driving at nighttime and useful for driving safety. Many of these conventional reflecting mirrors have a front surface with a transparent reflecting panel into which a fluorescent pigment is mixed and a rear surface in which a prism formed. Therefore, while such a reflecting mirror is attached to a guardrail, as the reflecting surface will become dirty in a short time by splashes of mud water from the road surface and by pollutants contained in rain and air, the reflecting efficiency will deteriorate. This makes it difficult to ensure the driving safety of an automobile in bad conditions such as nighttime or raining. In view of the above, a fourth conventional example having a supporting shaft is projected from a center of the front panel, and a wind wheel having a brush is rotatably attached to the supporting shaft has been already put into practical use. Since the wind wheel is rotated by wind and the brush cleans the front panel by this rotation, such configuration is very useful for keeping the reflecting property.
However, in the second conventional example in which specular-working such as vapor-deposition or plating is made on the inner surface of the holding part, covering portions such as the rear surface of the holding member, on which such vapor-deposition or plating is not to be made, is required in order that those portions do not become dirty at the time of vapor-deposition or plating. Such a preparation is complicated and significantly affects the production costs. In the third conventional example in which a bulb is placed inside the holding part, electric wiring work is required. In the fourth conventional example utilizing the reflecting mirror with the wind wheel, splashes of mud water from the road surface and pollutants in rain and air will easily go into a bearing between the supporting shaft and the wind wheel, which makes the wind wheel not rotate smoothly and finally unable to rotate. As a result, the reflecting surface becomes dirty and the reflecting efficiency deteriorates, and such reflecting mirror does not contribute to ensure the safety of car driving at nighttime.
Furthermore, it is currently required to recycle scrapped synthetic resin parts, packages and the like of automobiles and household-electrical appliances from the view point of making effective use of resources. It has been found that the material of the reflecting mirror according to the present invention is satisfactory in the point of strength even when recycled synthetic resins are used.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In view of the above, it is an object of the present invention to provide a reflecting mirror capable of decreasing production cost, eliminating the necessity of electric wiring and capable of keeping the reflecting efficiency for a long time.
It is another object of the present invention to improve the reflecting efficiency of the reflecting mirror and to keep the reflecting efficiency for a long time. In particular, when a front surface of a front panel is coated with titanium oxide, the front surface is prevented from becoming dirty, so that it is possible to provide a reflecting mirror capable of keeping the reflecting efficiency for the longer time.
It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a reflecting mirror in which its holding part, attaching part and inner panel is formed out of recycled synthetic resin and such application enables use of recycled synthetic resin much wider.
An embodiment of a reflecting mirror according to the present invention comprises a holding member, an inner panel, a front panel and a solar-powered light emitter, the holding member being formed of a synthetic resin, having a hollow holding part with front surface opening and a attaching part for attaching to other members; the holding part being formed with a housing; the inner panel being a plate having a through hole and having a front surface formed into a reflecting surface; the front panel being formed of a transparent plastic material; the inner panel being provided in parallel with the front surface opening of the holding part in the holding part; the solar-powered light emitter being inserted into the housing of the holding part via the through hole of the inner panel; the front panel being attached to the front surface opening of the holding part.
Another embodiment of the present invention has the front surface of the front panel coated with titanium oxide.
A still further embodiment of the present invention has a diamond cut made on the rear surface of the front panel. This diamond cut surface comprehends any surface that irregularly reflects or exerts a prism effect.
Another embodiment of the present invention has the holding member and the inner panel formed of a recycled synthetic resin material.
REFERENCES:
patent: 3721489 (1973-03-01), Horvath
patent: 5122939 (1992-06-01), Kazdan et al.
patent: 5535111 (1996-07-01), Wedell
patent: 5703719 (1997-12-01), Chen
patent: 2000 56108 (2000-02-01), None
Jordan and Hamburg LLP
Robinson Mark A.
Takaroku Shoji Co., Ltd.
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