Rail signal

Abstract

A rail signal having a rail signal lamp with a lens assembly comprising: a light emitter panel having an inner panel portion and a surrounding outer panel portion, wherein the inner panel portion is provided with an inner plurality of light emitters and the outer panel portion is provided with an outer plurality of light emitters, and a lens plate covering at least the outer panel portion and provided with a plurality of lens elements aligned with light-emitters in the outer panel portion, wherein the lens assembly provides light from the outer plurality of light emitters with a narrower divergence than the light from the inner plurality of light emitters.

1 . A rail signal having a rail signal lamp with a lens assembly comprising:
 a light emitter panel having an inner panel portion and a surrounding outer panel portion, wherein the inner panel portion is provided with an inner plurality of light emitters and the outer panel portion is provided with an outer plurality of light emitters, and   a lens plate covering at least the outer panel portion and provided with a plurality of lens elements aligned with light emitters in the outer panel portion,   wherein the lens assembly provides light from the outer plurality of light emitters with a narrower divergence than the light from the inner plurality of light emitters.   
     
     
         2 . The rail signal of  claim 1 , wherein the lens plate is provided with an aperture aligned with the inner plurality of light emitters. 
     
     
         3 . The rail signal of  claim 1 , wherein the lens plate is provided without lens elements aligned with the inner plurality of light emitters. 
     
     
         4 . The rail signal of  claim 1 , wherein the lens plate is provided with a diffusion region aligned with the inner plurality of light emitters. 
     
     
         5 . The rail signal according to  claim 1 , wherein the lens plate is provided with a lens element corresponding with each of the light emitters of the outer plurality of light emitters. 
     
     
         6 . The rail signal according to  claim 1 , wherein the lens elements are spaced apart on the lens plate. 
     
     
         7 . The rail signal according to  claim 1 , comprising a lens plate mask extending across the lens plate and provided with an inner aperture aligned with the inner panel portion and a lens element aperture aligned with each lens element of the lens plate. 
     
     
         8 . The rail signal according to  claim 7 , wherein the lens plate mask is provided with a diffusion region in the inner aperture. 
     
     
         9 . The rail signal according to  claim 1 , wherein the inner panel portion is offset away from the emission direction of the light emitters with respect to the outer panel portion. 
     
     
         10 . The rail signal according to  claim 1 , comprising a cover spaced apart from the lens assembly and positioned for light from the lens assembly to pass through the cover. 
     
     
         11 . The rail signal according to  claim 10 , wherein the cover is configured to absorb at least 75% of light in the range 100 nm to 400 nm. 
     
     
         12 . The rail signal according to  claim 10 , wherein the cover is configured to scatter a first portion of the light from the lens assembly and to transmit a second portion of the light without being scattered or absorbed, and the second portion is 25%-75% of the intensity of light from lens assembly. 
     
     
         13 . The rail signal according to  claim 1 , wherein light emitters of a single colour in the inner panel portion are arranged in a ring or are arranged in a concentric pattern or rings. 
     
     
         14 . The rail signal according to  claim 1 , wherein the outer panel portion is annular and the inner panel portion is concentric with the outer panel portion. 
     
     
         15 . The rail signal according to  claim 1 , wherein the light emitters are light emitting diodes. 
     
     
         16 . The rail signal according to  claim 1 , wherein the light emitters are red, green and yellow light emitters. 
     
     
         17 . A rail signalling system comprising a plurality of rail signals according to  claim 1  and a control system for controlling the rail signals. 
     
     
         18 . A lens assembly comprising:
 a light emitter panel having an inner panel portion and a surrounding outer panel portion, wherein the inner panel portion is provided with an inner plurality of light emitters and the outer panel portion is provided with an outer plurality of light emitters; and   a lens plate covering at least the outer panel portion and provided with a plurality of lens elements aligned with light emitters in the outer panel portion,   wherein the lens assembly provides light from the outer plurality of light emitters with a narrower divergence than the light from the inner plurality of light emitters.