Communications: electrical – Visual indication – Audio responsive lamp
Patent
1996-10-10
1998-06-16
Swarthout, Brent A.
Communications: electrical
Visual indication
Audio responsive lamp
340984, 313500, 362800, G08B 500
Patent
active
057677832
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The invention relates to a signalling device visible from 360.degree. comprising a light source composed of several electroluminescent diodes.
It also relates to a sea buoy equipped with the device.
It applies more particularly, though not exclusively, to the nautical field in which it is necessary to indicate, by means of a coded light signal, certain positions referred to on maps.
A light device, also called a light beacon, which emits a light signal, is used for this purpose.
This signal could be continuous but it is generally composed of a series of light flashes.
This basic signal can be obtained by baffling a light source, for example by means of a shutter, but more generally the various light flashes are created by controlling the light source.
While in urban areas the supply of electrical power and the maintenance of the signalling device are relatively simple to achieve, this is not the case when these light beacons are located in difficult-to-reach areas and, for example, when these beacons are placed at sea on buoys.
Also, it is preferable to limit servicing of the signalling device as much as possible, which is why a reliable device is required.
In the majority of the known embodiments, the light source is an incandescent lamp which must be periodically changed at intervals that essentially depend on the quality of the lamp but which are nevertheless frequent.
In other applications, it is known (DE-A-3.806.217) to replace these incandescent lamps with electroluminescent diodes which have a service life far longer than that of the incandescent lamps known to date.
Instead of using a single electroluminescent diode placed at the center of a costly optical device, it is preferable for this light source to be constituted by a plurality of diodes supported in a particular disposition on a rotating cylindrical support.
In this known embodiment, the number of diodes is limited, which allows them to be supplied with power individually by means of standard cable wiring.
However, the small number of diodes reduces the visibility of the beacon.
For this reason, it is preferable to increase the diode density of the signalling device even if, because of this, it becomes much more difficult to supply power to each diode individually with standard electrical cables since the wiring would take up a lot of space and reliability would be reduced.
Another problem raised by the utilization of these diodes is that, because of the available electrical voltage, for example from 9 to 15 volts, and the individual supply voltage of the diodes which is between 1.5 and 3 volts, it is only possible to supply power to groups of diodes connected in series (FR-A2.339.922 or 2.631.102).
This poses a problem because when one diode in the group fails, it causes an increase of the current in the other diodes in the group, which generally leads to an overcurrent and to the malfunctioning of the entire group of diodes, which goes out.
Thus, a black out effect occurs.
To eliminate this black out effect, the owner of the French patent application (FR-A-2.631.102) reports that it suffices to interlace the diodes of one group with the diodes of another group but does not disclose either the means or the method for solving this problem.
The larger the number of diodes, the more complex this problem is.
Another problem with sea buoys is that it is necessary to implant daylight markers above the signalling device.
In the known solutions, these daylight markers are borne by supports which, being supported from underneath the signalling device, frame this device and partially baffle it.
Because of the design of the light sources used, the supports are mounted to the signalling device externally, since the center of this device is taken up by the lamps and the optics.
This impairs the visibility of the light source.
One of the results that the invention seeks to obtain is a signalling device of the above-mentioned type which eliminates the above-mentioned drawbacks.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
To this end, the su
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Kerins John C.
Swarthout Brent A.
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