WO2004066233A1

WO2004066233A1 - Display guidance means

Info

Publication number: WO2004066233A1
Application number: PCT/GB2004/000052
Authority: WO
Inventors: Jacqueline Anne Moore
Original assignee: Sos Waypoint Limited
Priority date: 2003-01-18
Filing date: 2004-01-09
Publication date: 2004-08-05
Also published as: GB0301211D0

Abstract

A display guidance rail (12) including tactile or visual indicators (4)to be followed by a person along a designated path, said guidance rail having a section capable of receiving and displaying media (6) which can include commercial information such as adverts for the display of which revenue is received. The provision of a revenue stream allows the attractiveness of introducing the guidance system to be increased and hence increase the provision of safety as a result of the introduction of the guidance rail.

Description

Display Guidance Means

The present invention relates to a display guidance means which provides opportunity for an increase in safety, by providing a wayguidance system, and also an opportunity to obtain revenue from advertising on the same which in turn makes the system more likely to be installed and hence provide safety to users.

The use of electroluminescent, photoluminescent and light emitting diode illumination are well-known and adopted methods of marking escape paths, such as towards stairways and exit points. Similarly tactile wayguidance systems exist to assist those who are visually impaired or rendered so by local conditions. However it is recognised that these systems can be an expensive way of providing safety guidance and that for large periods of, non emergency, time do not serve a useful purpose.. Another problem can be that visitors to the premises or in said environments where the wayguidance systems are fitted are not experienced in using the same and do not receive instruction prior to entering the premises. This can mean that in an emergency situation no or reduced benefit is received from the wayguidance system.

In recognition of these problems and that such systems can be considered as a purchase with no pecuniary benefit, which can then lead to the same not being purchased at all and hence the important safety benefits not being provided to users, a first aim of the invention is to provide the opportunity for improved usage of the system and/or the ability to obtain a commercial benefit by, for example, providing income to the owner of the premises or operator of the premises or environment in which the systems are installed by way of advertising revenue. It is still a further aim of this invention to provide an object which can be accommodated and accepted in a plurality of applications and in a manner which is aesthetically pleasing and acceptable and which may be readily incorporated within existing or newly constructed environments such as buildings, transport means, stadia or in any environment where guidance of persons to safety is of use.

According to a first aspect of the present invention there is provided a display guidance means, said display guidance means including at least one section for receiving visual and/or tactile indicators to provide guidance to a person and characterised in that the display guidance means includes a further section for the reception and display of media to persons in the vicinity.

In one embodiment the display guidance means is an elongate rail. Reference hereonin to a display guidance rail is in a non limiting manner. In one embodiment the rail comprises at least one extruded or fabricated or otherwise formed section that has provision to accommodate visual and or tactile markers together with an area to accommodate advertising or information media.

Preferably the advertising or information media are provided, where possible, in a middle section of the display guidance rail, said middle section extending along the length of the guidance

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In one embodiment the section for receiving the media therein, is provided as a whole, or in subsections, with a monetary value and the monetary value is indicative of an amount which has to be paid by third parties to the system provider to allow media in the form of adverts to be placed in that section or subsection for a period of time. Thus, by providing the section for the reception of media so a revenue stream can be generated to the provider of the system. The provision of the revenue stream is more likely to overcome conventional reservations about the cost of fitting the guidance systems and therefore makes the introduction and fitting of the same more attractive and thereby improves the opportunity for the safety advantages to be provided to persons in the vicinity of the same.

In addition or alternatively the media can comprise or include information media including any or any combination of instructions on how to use the guidance rail in case of an emergency or otherwise, the persons current location relative to the surroundings, directions to the nearest exit or escape route.

Preferably a source of illumination is provided and in one embodiment is provided in the top section of the display guidance rail. Such illumination means could be by way of photoluminescent materials, electroluminescent lamps, light emitting diodes, tritium gas lighting devices or the like.

Preferably the tactile markers are provided in the lower section , of the display guidance rail. Preferably the tactile markers are in the form of raised protrusions or indents in any suitable shape and can be embossed, machined or moulded in any suitable medium.

Preferably the surface on which the display guidance rail is provided is any or any combination of a wall surface, handrail surface, wall protection medium, door surface or mounting medium attachable to, or an integral part of, any of the aforementioned surfaces.

Preferably the display guidance handrail is provided at any or any combinations of height or position on the suitable surface. Preferably securing means for the securing of the display guidance rail to the supporting medium can be any or any combination of adhesive, slips, screws, nuts and bolts and/or the like.

In one embodiment the display guidance rail is extruded. The upper section of the display guidance rail is formed to accommodate the insertion of a photoluminescent material. Provision is also made in this part of the section to include an overlay in clear material such as polycarbonate, the purpose of this element is to protect the photoluminescent material from abrasion, soiling, damage and/or the like. Additional graphical information may either be printed on the photoluminescent material, on either face of the protective overlay or may be a separate entity sandwiched between the two. A further section of the display guidance rail is formed to accommodate the mounting of printed material, such as advertising material. Provision is also made in this section to include an overlay in clear material such as polycarbonate, the purpose of this element being to protect the printed material from abrasion, soiling, damage and/ or the like. Preferably this protective layer is removable to facilitate changing the printed material. In one embodiment a locking means is provided so as to prevent the same from being liable to interference from unauthorised persons. A yet further section of the display guidance rail is formed to accommodate the insertion of tactile wayguidance markers which may or may not be illuminated by such means as but not limited to photoluminescent material.

In one embodiment the tactile indicators include a first form located at pre- determined spaced intervals to indicate a route to be followed by a person to reach a particular location, the user moving towards the particular location by following the tactile indicators using a sensory part of their body. In certain systems a second form of tactile indicators are provided to indicate to the person to change their direction of movement and move in a designated new direction. Typically said first form and at least second form of said tactile indicators differ in any or any combination of shape, texture, size, orientation and spatial arrangement.

Typically the section capable of receiving and displaying media extends laterally of the display guidance rail.

Thus in accordance with the invention there is provided a display guidance rail situated along walls, handrails or other suitable supporting mediums of public places, hospitals, means of transport, or other premises in such a place as to allow a person to touch it, can be used as a medium for printed material, such as but not limited to advertisements, and can selectively provide emergency evacuation information and illumination. For example, it would be helpful to the general public if an illuminated, tactile wayguidance system was in place in a particular venue, in the event of an emergency. Furthermore, it would be of value to the owner of the venue if, at the same time as providing such a valuable safety system, revenue could be generated from said same system.

The invention as herein described achieves the aim of the provision of a guidance means which can accommodate the display of information, such as advertising material or directions. In addition, the object may also accommodate a wayguidance system which may or may not include a source of illumination and or tactile markers. The combination of the provision of improved safety and the possibility of generating income makes the system, as a whole, a significantly more desirable proposition than the conventionally available systems. An embodiment of the present invention will now be described below with reference to the following figures, wherein:

Figure 1 shows a perspective view of a display guidance rail according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Figure 2 shows a cross-sectional view through the assembly.

Figure 3 shows a typical location of a display guidance rail along a corridor wall of a public building.

Referring to Figure 1, the present invention is, in this embodiment, formed by an aluminium extrusion 1. In the upper section of the present invention a photoluminescent light source 2 is inserted and covered by a protective polycarbonate material 3. Visual graphical directional escape information 4 is applied to the surface of the photoluminescent material.

Still referring to Figure 1, the lower section of the present invention, in this embodiment, contains a photoluminescent material 2 which is inserted and covered by tactile markers 5 which are formed of a transparent material.

Still referring to Figure 1, the middle section of the present invention, in this embodiment, contains media 6, which can be in the form, for example, of a substrate with printed matter thereon, which is protected by the insertion of a transparent material 7 to allow the printed material 6 to be visible. In this embodiment this protective transparent material 7 is slid into a mating slot formed in the extrusion 1. It may be however that this protective material may be otherwise secured to facilitate easy removal by authorised persons. Still referring to Figure 1, this embodiment of the present invention is affixed, in this embodiment, to a suitable supporting medium by means of screws 8 and rawl-type wall plugs 9. These fixings are hidden from view by extrusion 10 which is formed of, but not limited to, a plastic material, manufactured to mate with the slot formed in the main extrusion

I. It is envisaged that the display guidance rail would be manufactured in lengths such as, 3 metre lengths and the said lengths can be interconnected using formed components to accommodate straight joints, internal mitres, external mitres and the like.

Figure 2 shows a section through the assembly and clearly details placement of the components using the same reference numerals as Figure 1 and illustrates the use of the respective upper lower and middle sections which extend along the rail.

Illustrating a typical example of the use of this present invention, Figure 3 shows a display guidance rail in use on the corridor wall of a public building.

Referring to Figure 3, there is shown a perspective view of one side of a corridor wall of a public building. In the event of a fire, visitors would need to make their way to the nearest exit

II. In accordance with the present invention the display guidance rail assembly 12 extends across the corridor wall at a convenient height where it can be touched by a person moving along the corridor. In the event of an emergency the visitors would use the light and tactile information from the display guidance rail to find their way to the fire exit 11. The printed matter 6, inserted at regular intervals along the display guidance rail, is visible at all times in emergency and non- emergency times and during non emergency times which is a large majority of the time, provides media, such as advertising from which revenue may be obtained.

Whilst the display guidance rail has been illustrated for use in a public building, it will be appreciated that it may be used in other buildings such as hospitals, offices, exhibition halls, railway stations, bus stations, passenger ships, cruise liners, airports and the like.

As such, an invention has been disclosed in terms of preferred embodiments thereof which fulfil each and every one of the objects of the invention as set forth hereinabove and provide a new and useful display guidance rail of novelty and utility even in non emergency times which combines advertising or information space with wayguidance measures.

Of course, various changes, modifications and alterations in the teachings of the present invention may be contemplated by those more skilled in the art without departing from the intended spirit and scope thereof.

Claims

1. A display guidance means (12), said display guidance means including at least one section for receiving visual and/ or tactile indicators (5) to provide guidance to a person and characterised in that the display guidance means includes a further section for the reception and display of media (6) to persons in the vicinity.

2. A display guidance means (12) according to claim 1 characterised in that the guidance means is in the form of a rail provided for attachment to a supporting medium.

3. A display guidance means (12) according to claim 1 characterised in that said tactile indicators (5) include a first form located at pre- determined spaced intervals to indicate a route to be followed by a person to reach a particular location, the user moving towards the particular location by following the tactile indicators (5) using a sensory part of their body.

4. A display guidance means (12) according to claim 3 characterised in that said tactile indicators (5) include a second form, the tactile indicators (5) in said at least second form indicating to the person to change their direction of movement and move in a designated new direction.

5. A display guidance means (12) according to claim 4 characterised in that said first form and at least second form of said tactile indicators (5) differ in any or any combination of shape, texture, size, orientation and spatial arrangement.

6. A display guidance means (12) according to claim 1 characterised in that one or both of said sections are provided with illumination means (2) .

7. A display guidance means (12) according to claim 1 characterised in that said visual indicators (4) and/or media (6) are removably overlaid with a translucent or transparent material (3, 7) for protection.

8. A display guidance means (12) according to claim 1 characterised in that said at least one section capable of receiving and displaying media (6) extends laterally of the display guidance rail (12).

9. A display guidance means (12) according to claim 1 characterised in that said at least one section capable of receiving and displaying media (6) is bounded by at least one section in which visual indicators (4) and/or tactile indicators (5) can be selectively positioned.

10. A display guidance means according to claim 1 characterised in that the media which is displayed includes advertising material for the display of which revenue is received from the advertising party.

11. A display guidance means according to claim 10 characterised in that the media which is displayed includes promotional or commercial material.

12. A display guidance means according to claim 1 characterised in that the media which is displayed includes information relating to the use of the guidance means.