Signals and indicators – Flags and flagstaffs
Reexamination Certificate
2000-02-02
2003-04-29
Gutierrez, Diego (Department: 2859)
Signals and indicators
Flags and flagstaffs
C116SDIG002, C040S597000, C248S363000, C248S683000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06553929
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a hazard marker and more particularly, to the hazard marker commonly used in public places, such as supermarkets, shopping malls, or restaurants.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Hazard markers commonly used in public places today, such as supermarkets, shopping malls, or restaurants, are plastic cone-shaped units. The walls of these cone-shaped units are painted with bright fluorescent color and a warning, such as “Be careful, Wet floor”.
Other types of hazard markers currently used also include folding plastic board units. The plastic board unit has two plastic boards, which are hinged together on one edge. The plastic board unit can stand on the floor on its two movable edges of the boards. The boards are normally painted with bright fluorescent color and warning, such as “Be careful, Wet floor”.
Each year, the industries like supermarkets incur a great deal of unnecessary expenses for compensating injured customers or individuals in personal injury claims, due to untimely responses to hazardous conditions by the supermarket personnel and to place a hazard marker on site. Some individuals' claims of personal injuries may not be legitimate because they purposely injure themselves at the hazardous condition and claim lack of any warning marker.
Hazard markers used in public places should be easily accessible, transportable, and storable. Particularly, in supermarkets where spillages are common occurrences, it is critical that clerks of the supermarket can timely respond to any hazardous spillage and conditions, to place a hazard marker on the spot, before any customers or people with an intent to file a personal injury claim arrive at the spot of the hazard condition.
The hazard markers currently used in the industries have several drawbacks and disadvantages. First, these markers are too bulky and unaesthetic to store around the areas where hazard conditions mostly occur. Because of their bulkiness, the current hazard markers have to be kept in a storage room. Therefore, there is a distance between the storage place and the spot of hazard conditions. As a result, there will be a time lapse between discovering a hazard condition and placing a hazard marker on the spot. Secondly, it is more expensive to manufacture the hazard markers currently used, and subsequently, more expensive for replacement. Finally, because of its inherent use and the materials, the currently available hazard markers get filthy easily and difficult to clean.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is therefore an object of this invention to provide a hazard marker that is easily attachable and removable from the floor.
It is yet another object of this invention to provide an easily assessable hazard marker.
It is a further object of this invention to provide a less costly hazard maker.
It is yet another object of this invention to provide a hazard marker with a retractable and extendable flag or sign.
Therefore, according to one form of the present invention, there is provided a hazard marker comprising a housing having an interior wall, an exterior wall in fluorescent color, a top opening, and a bottom opening, a means for affixing said bottom opening of said housing to the floor and for releasing said bottom end from the floor, two grooves on said exterior wall for readily storing said marker, each said groove being closed to said top opening and said bottom opening.
In the first embodiment of the invention, the diameter of said housing at said bottom opening is gradually enlarged, and said bottom opening has a bottom closure having a first outwardly concaved surface. Said first outwardly concaved surface having a first central opening and a second opening.
Said means for affixing said bottom opening to the floor consists of a cylindrical suction base insert having a top receiving end and a bottom suction base. Said bottom suction base has a second outwardly concaved surface and an exterior surface, and a releasing tap on said exterior surface. The top end of said suction base insert is securely affixed into said first central opening and said releasing tap is movably retained inside said second opening. Said second outwardly concaved surface of said suction base will be securely attached onto the floor when a user pushes said marker downwardly against the floor, whereby said suction base will be released from the floor when the user pushes the housing in a predetermined direction.
In the second embodiment of the present invention, the bottom end of said housing is not enlarged. There provided a different assembly of a suction base insert having a top receiving end and a bottom suction base having an exterior surface and an outwardly concaved surface, and a releasing tap on said exterior surface of said suction base. Said receiving end is securely affixed onto said bottom end of said housing, whereby said outwardly concaved surface of said suction base will be securely attached onto the floor when a vertical force is applied on to said marker downwardly, whereby said suction base will be released from attaching to the floor when an user pushes the releasing tap in a predetermined direction.
In the third embodiment of the present invention, there is provided a hazard marker according to the first embodiment, wherein said housing further comprising:
a spring-loaded mechanical means inside said housing, said spring-loaded mechanical means having an extendable and retractable flag in fluorescent color, said spring-loaded means having a top end and a bottom end, said top end having a cap:
a stopping pin across the interior wall of said housing between said top opening and bottom opening of said housing, said bottom end of said spring-loaded means resting on said pin;
an opening slot on said housing, said flag retractably passing through said slot;
a locking mechanical means.
Said locking mechanical means further comprises a first bar being securely attached to an edge of said flag, a rotatable knob being attached to said first bar, a second bar having a first end and a second end. The diameter of the first bar is greater than the width of said slot. Said first end of the second bar is rotatably attached to said knob. A notch is made at said slot and a clip is affixed on said exterior of said housing, whereby said flag is extended by pulling said first bar horizontally and outwardly through said slot and said second end of said second bar is securely positioned into said notch, whereby said flag is retracted into said slot by the spring-loaded device when said second bar is released from a locking position and said second bar is retained by said clip.
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Gonzalez Madeline
Gutierrez Diego
Intellectual Property of Law Offices of S. Alex Liao
Liao S. Alex
LandOfFree
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