ROAD MARKER WITH SOLID BODY AND LENS PROTECTION
A road marker configured to withstand the force of a tire of a vehicle travelling over the road marker is provided. The road marker includes at least one lens, and a body having a trapezoidal cross section. The body includes a flat top, a bottom wall, a pair of angled sides with pockets for the lenses, and a pair of rounded ends. A pocket is disposed on each of the angled sides. The pocket is formed to receive the lens. Each pocket extends from the top to the bottom wall and from one of the pair of rounded ends to the other of the pair of rounded ends. A plurality of vertical exterior ribs which extend beyond the exposed surface of the lens to provide a gap between the lens surface and the tire.
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This Application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application 61/326,402 filed on Apr. 21, 2010. This Application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application 61/365,091 filed on Jul. 16, 2010. This Application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application 61/386,120 filed on Sep. 24, 2010, the disclosures of which are incorporated by reference herein in its entirety.
FIELD OF THE INVENTIONThe present invention relates to a road marker having a solid body adapted to withstand tensile forces of a vehicle tire and lens protection in the form of vertical exterior ribs which extend beyond the exposed surface of the lens to provide a gap between the lens surface and the tire.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTIONRoad markers having reflective lenses are used to delineate lanes of roads. In the past, road markers typically have a shell with a retroreflective lens. The interior side of the retroreflective lens is metallized and the interior of the shell is filled with a “potting” material to provide strength and rigidity to the shell. Recently, road markers having “solid” bodies have been produced to eliminate the need for “potting”. These markers have not been successful in several ways. In some cases the bodies have fatigued. Some markers are formed with interior channels which are covered on the bottom wall with a plastic panel. However, the plastic panel has very low surface energy resulting in poor retention to the road surface. Additionally, the lens surface has been subjected to substantial degradation from abrasion of sand particles carried by the tires of vehicles. Accordingly, it remains desirable to have a road marker with a solid body operable to resist fatigue, has a greater road surface retention relative to current road markers, and withstand degradation from the passing of tires.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION AND ADVANTAGESA road marker having a solid body, at least one lens, and lens protection in the form of vertical exterior ribs which extend beyond the exposed surface of the lens to provide a gap between the lens surface and the tire is provided. The road marker is configured to withstand the force of a tire of a vehicle travelling over the road marker.
The road marker includes at least one lens having a reflective surface. The road marker further includes a body having a trapezoidal cross section. The body further includes a flat top, a bottom wall, a pair of angled sides with pockets for the lenses, and a pair of rounded ends.
A pocket is disposed on each of the angled sides. The pocket is formed to receive the lens. Each pocket extends from the top to the bottom wall and from one of the pair of rounded ends to the other of the pair of rounded ends. The road marker further includes a plurality of vertical exterior ribs which extend beyond the exposed surface of the lens to provide a gap between the lens surface and the tire.
In a first preferred embodiment, the road marker further includes a plurality of recesses extending downwardly an equal distance from the top and angled sides to the bottom wall. The recesses are generally rectangular. The bottom wall of each angled side is curved outwardly to provide additional area for the lens and to provide a smooth surface for the tires. Each of the pair of rounded ends are contoured from the top to the bottom wall, each of the pair of rounded ends further including a flange extending outwardly from each of the pair of rounded ends.
The bottom wall includes a lip bounding the peripheral edge of the bottom wall so as to define a recess in the center of the bottom wall, and a layer of polyurethane configured to fittingly engage the recess. The road marker further includes a plurality of grooves disposed on each of the pockets. The plurality of grooves extending axially from the top wall towards the bottom wall, the grooves are generally parallel with each other.
Each lens includes a plurality of vertically extending energy directors are also formed in the interior surface of the lens, the energy directors operable to facilitate ultrasonic welding of the lenses to the body. The plurality of vertical exterior ribs is disposed on each lens.
In a second preferred embodiment, the body is formed of cast aluminum and includes a center portion formed on the top, the center portion has an opening. The pocket is a plurality of pockets formed on each of the angled sides. Each of the plurality of pockets is formed by a vertical surface and a horizontal surface. The horizontal and vertical surfaces meet to form a plurality of corners and a plurality of steps.
The lens has a horizontal and vertical interior surface. The lens is configured to seat within one of the plurality of pockets. A plurality of ribs extends from the top to the bottom wall. The ribs form a plurality of pockets stacked on top of each other so as to form a stack of pockets. Each of the plurality of ribs extends beyond the corner formed by adjacent horizontal and vertical surfaces. Each of the vertical surfaces includes a concave depression so as to reduce mass of the road marker and help direct tire pressure transversely across the body of the road marker.
In an illustrative example, the horizontal and vertical surfaces are generally orthogonal to each other. Each lens has an outer surface which extends at an approximately 45 degree angle and the horizontal and vertical interior surface are orthogonal to each other. The lenses are mounted within each pocket. The outer surface of the lens is recessed slightly from ribs and corners which define each pocket.
The bottom wall surface of the marker is generally planar with a series of grooves with a tire tread like pattern formed in the surface to receive glue. The road marker may further include semicircular notches formed on each of the rounded ends to facilitate the gripping of the marker for insertion in the road surface. The road marker may further include a retroreflective sheeting disposed along the vertical surface of the lens.
In a third preferred embodiment, the bottom wall includes a plurality of grooves operable to increase the retention ability of the road marker to the road surface. The plurality of grooves includes a plurality of horizontal grooves extending in a longitudinal direction. A pair of radially extending grooves extending radially from a respective point on the center of the longitudinal axis to a respective end portion of the body.
Other advantages of the present invention will be readily appreciated, as the same becomes better understood by reference to the following detailed description when considered in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein:
Referring to the Figures, wherein like numerals indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views, a road marker 10 having a solid body 12, at least one lens 14, and lens 14 protection in the form of vertical exterior ribs 16 which extend beyond the exposed surface of the lens 14 to provide a gap between the lens 14 surface and the tire is provided.
The body 12 has a generally rectangular footprint with a trapezoidal cross section. The body 12 has a flat top 18, bottom wall 20, a pair of angled sides 22 with pockets 24 for the lenses 14, and a pair of ends 26. Each angled side 22 has at least one pocket 24, each are formed to receive the lens 14. The pockets 24 extend from the top 18 to the bottom wall 20 and from end 26 to end 26.
With reference now to
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The bottom wall 20 of each angled side 22 is curved outwardly to provide additional area for the lens 14 and to provide a smooth surface for the tires. The pockets 24 are also countoured. Likewise, the ends 26 are contoured from the top 18 to the bottom wall 20 where a flange 30 extends from each end 26.
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There are additional depressions 38 formed on the underside of the body 12 where there are large portions of material of the body 12 such as under the ends 26. The depressions 38 are formed to eliminate unneeded plastic material.
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With reference first to
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With reference again to
The ribs 116 are further operable to support tranverse walls 46 forming the opening 44 of the body 112. The figure shows the horizontal and vertical surfaces 50, 48 being generally orthogonal to each other. However, it should be appreciated that angle of the surface is selected in accordance with the angle walls of lens 114 as discussed below. Each of the vertical surfaces 48 includes a concave depression 58 so as to reduce mass of the road marker 10. Further, the concave depressions 58 help direct tire pressure transversely across the body 112 of the road marker 110.
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Each lens 114 may further include a retroreflective sheeting 64 along the vertical surface 48 of the lens 114. The lens 114 is glued into the pocket 124. The use of independent lens 114 segments permits replacement of the segments of lens 114 to prevent crack propagation along the entire width of the road marker 110 relative to road markers with single lenses spanning the width of the road marker. The ribs 116 prevent cracks will not propagate the entire width of the body 12 of the road marker 110. Additionally, the segment of lenses 14 may be replaced if damaged.
The lens 114 may be formed of plastic or glass. The vertical wall or the outer wall of the lens 114 can be set at a desired angle to maximize the reflectivity of the reflective sheeting according to the Snell principle as discussed in provisional patent application No. 61/288,687.
With reference now to
The body 212 has a plurality of vertical elongated recesses 232 surrounding the opening 244. The vertical elongated recesses 232 extend downwardly to the bottom wall 220 as in the first embodiment. The elongated recesses 232 are generally rectangular and extend through the lens 214 pocket 224 as well as the center portion of the road marker 210. These elongated recesses 232 are also intended for not to exceed the maximum wall thickness of the plastic injection molding, varying from plastic to plastic approximately to 0.145″of wall thickness.
Each angled side 222 has at least one pocket 224, each are formed to receive the lens 214. The pockets 224 extend from the top 218 to the bottom wall 220 and from end 226 to end 226 of the body 212. The pockets 224 may include a plurality of has a plurality of elongated recesses 232 extending downwardly from the outer surface of the pockets 224 towards the bottom wall 220 of the body 212. The elongated recesses 232 are generally rectangular and are formed to provide sufficient strength to the body 212 to help the road marker 210 resist the impact of vehicles.
The bottom wall 220 of each angled side 222 is curved outwardly to provide additional area for the lens 214 and to provide a smooth surface for the tires. Likewise, the ends 226 are contoured from the top 218 to the bottom wall 220 where a flange 230 extends from each end 226.
With reference again to
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It is to be understood that variations and modifications can be made on the aforementioned structure without departing from the concepts of the present invention, and further it is to be understood that such concepts are intended to be covered by the following claims unless these claims by their language expressly state otherwise.
Claims
1. A road marker configured to withstand the force of a tire of a vehicle travelling over the road marker, the road marker comprising:
- at least one lens;
- a body having a trapezoidal cross section, the body further including a flat top, a bottom wall, a pair of angled sides with pockets for the lenses, and a pair ends,
- a pocket disposed on each of the angled sides, the pocket formed to receive the lens, each pocket extending from the top to the bottom wall and from one of the pair of ends to the other of the pair of ends; and
- a plurality of vertical exterior ribs which extend beyond the exposed surface of the lens to provide a gap between the lens surface and the tire.
2. The road marker as set forth in claim 1, further including a plurality of recesses extending downwardly an equal distance from the top and angled sides to the bottom wall, the recesses are generally rectangular.
3. The road marker as set forth in claim 1, wherein the bottom wall of each angled side is curved outwardly to provide additional area for the lens and to provide a smooth surface for the tires.
4. The road marker as set forth in claim 1, wherein each of the pair of rounded ends are contoured from the top to the bottom wall, each of the pair of rounded ends further including a flange extending outwardly from each of the pair of rounded ends.
5. The road marker as set forth in claim 1, wherein the bottom wall includes a lip bounding the peripheral edge of the bottom wall so as to define a recessed surface in the center of the bottom wall, and a layer of polyurethane configured to fittingly engage the recessed surface.
6. The road marker as set forth in claim 1, further including a plurality of grooves disposed on each of the pockets, the plurality of grooves extending axially from the top wall towards the bottom wall, the grooves are generally parallel with each other.
7. The road marker as set forth in claim 1, wherein each lens includes a plurality of vertically extending energy directors are also formed in the interior surface of the lens, the energy directors operable to facilitate ultrasonic welding of the lenses to the body.
8. The road marker as set forth in claim 1, wherein the plurality of vertical exterior ribs are disposed on each lens.
9. The road marker as set forth in claim 1, wherein each of the pair of ends are rounded.
10. The road marker as set forth in claim 1, wherein the body is formed of cast aluminum and includes a center portion formed on the top, the center portion having an opening.
11. The road marker as set forth in claim 10, wherein the pocket is a plurality of pockets formed on each of the angled sides, each of the plurality of pockets formed by a vertical surface and a horizontal surface, a plurality of corners formed by one of the horizontal surface adjacent a vertical surface, the horizontal and vertical surfaces also forming a step;
- the lens having a horizontal and vertical interior surface, the lens configured to seat within one of the plurality of pockets; and
- a plurality of ribs extend from the top to the bottom wall, the ribs forming plurality of pockets stacked on top of each other so as to form a stack of pockets, each of the plurality of ribs extending beyond the corner formed by adjacent horizontal and vertical surfaces.
12. The road marker as set forth in claim 11, wherein each of the vertical surfaces includes a concave depression so as to reduce mass of the road marker and help direct tire pressure transversely across the body of the road marker.
13. The road marker as set forth in claim 11, wherein the horizontal and vertical surfaces being generally orthogonal to each other.
14. The road marker as set forth in claim 11, wherein each lens has an outer surface which extends at an approximately degree angle and the horizontal and vertical interior surface are orthogonal to each other, the lenses are mounted within each pocket, the outer surface of the lens is recessed slightly from ribs and corners which define each pocket.
15. The road marker as set forth in claim 11, wherein the bottom wall surface of the marker is generally planar with a series of grooves with a tire tread like pattern formed in the surface to receive glue.
16. The road marker as set forth in claim 11, further including semicircular notches formed on each of the rounded ends to facilitate the gripping of the marker for insertion in the road surface.
17. The road marker as set forth in claim 11, further including a retroreflective sheeting disposed along the vertical surface of the lens.
18. The road marker as set forth in claim 1, wherein the bottom wall includes a plurality of grooves operable to increase the retention ability of the road marker to the road surface, the plurality of grooves including a plurality of horizontal grooves extending in a longitudinal direction, a pair of radially extending grooves extending radially from a respective point on the center of the longitudinal axis to a respective end portion of the body.
Type: Application
Filed: Apr 21, 2011
Publication Date: Oct 27, 2011
Applicant: Teknotraffic, Inc. (Houston, TX)
Inventors: Yadhira Cruz Farias (Veracruz), Sergio Damian Amaya Gonzalez (Monterrey), Neyda Eliza Leon Lopez (Garza Garcia)
Application Number: 13/091,507
International Classification: E01F 15/00 (20060101);