Road structure – process – or apparatus – Apparatus – With surface marking
Reexamination Certificate
2000-06-22
2001-04-17
Bagnell, David (Department: 3673)
Road structure, process, or apparatus
Apparatus
With surface marking
C404S014000, C404S019000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06217254
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to road markings on roads which have a fixed road surface, such as asphalt, concrete and the like and which are used by motor vehicles, bicycles and other vehicles. These road markings are intended to guide and to inform traffic and they must therefore be able to be seen by drivers both in daylight and at night, and in rain or other inclement weather. They are therefore provided at the surface with reflecting material so that light can be reflected, but also with friction material for increasing the friction, so that the road markings will have a friction corresponding to that of the surrounding surfacing.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The abovementioned road markings have been known for many years. The reflecting materials used are preferably glass beads or ceramic materials which are embedded in a binder in the marking but which protrude above the surface of the binder so that light can hit them and can be reflected back to the driver of a vehicle. These glass beads, as well as the binder, can have different compositions, but they are preferably made so that they reflect visible light.
The remainder of the roadway outside of these road markings must have as high a friction as possible in relation to the wheels of the vehicles driving on the road. However, a road marking generally consisting of thermoplastic with glass beads applied to the road surface creates a lower friction on this marking than on the rest of the road surface, for which reason it is also customary to apply a friction-enhancing material in or on the road marking. This material often consists of crushed glass, corundum or other stone material.
When applying both reflecting material and friction material, however, a problem arises because there is considerably poorer visibility in the dark compared to those cases where only reflecting material has been applied. The poorer visibility is caused by the fact that the friction particles shade the light from vehicles so that there is less possibility of the light being reflected back to the vehicle drivers.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In accordance with the present invention, it has now been found possible to apply both reflecting material and friction-enhancing material without the visibility of the road markings being reduced to an unacceptable level. In accordance with this invention, this has been accomplished by the discovery of road markings disposed on a fixed road surface comprising reflective material disposed on a first portion of the fixed road surface for improving light reflection thereon and friction material disposed on a second portion of the fixed road surface for increasing the friction between the fixed road surface and the wheels of a vehicle, the first and second portions of the fixed road surface being separate portions of the fixed road surface. In a preferred embodiment, the fixed road surface is asphalt or concrete.
In accordance with one embodiment of the road markings of the present invention, the first and second portions of the fixed road surface comprise shaped portions thereof. Preferably, the shaped portions of the fixed road surface comprise strip-shaped portions thereof.
In accordance with another embodiment of the road markings of the present invention, the reflective material and the friction material are applied to the fixed road surface by sprinkling or by application of compressed air supplied by a nozzle.
In accordance with another embodiment of the road markings of the present invention, the reflective material comprises glass beads and the friction material is crushed glass or stone, such as corundum.
In accordance with the present invention, a method has been devised for disposing road markings on a fixed road surface comprising first applying a friction material onto a first portion of the fixed road surface with the friction material in a tacky state, and subsequently applying a reflective material to the entire fixed road surface while the friction material remains in the tacky state whereby the reflective material adheres to a second portion of the fixed road surface and does not adhere to the first portion of the fixed road surface.
In accordance with the present invention, a method has also been devised for disposing road markings on a fixed road surface comprising first applying a reflective material onto a first portion of the fixed road surface with the reflective material in a tacky state, and subsequently applying a friction material to the entire fixed road surface while the reflective material remains in the tacky state, whereby the friction material adheres to a second portion of the fixed road surface and does not adhere to the first portion of the fixed road surface.
According to the present invention, road markings are used on roads with a fixed road surface, such as asphalt, concrete or the like for motor vehicles, comprising reflecting material for better reflection of light and friction material for increasing the friction between the roadway and the vehicle wheels, and on which the reflecting materials and the friction materials are separate from each other and form separate portions.
According to the present invention, it is preferable for the friction and reflecting materials to be applied in the form of strips or separate patches of different shapes.
According to the present invention, the friction material and the reflecting materials on the surface of the road marking have preferably been applied by the so-called drop-on method (sprinkling), or by means of compressed air and nozzles.
According to the present invention, the reflecting material preferably comprises glass beads and the friction material comprises crushed glass, corundum or other stone material.
The present invention also relates to a method for producing road markings of the abovementioned type, in which the friction material is first applied in portions on the marking, and the reflecting material is thereafter sprinkled across the whole surface while it is still tacky, and the reflecting material does not adhere on those portions which have first been sprinkled with friction material, or vice versa.
REFERENCES:
patent: 3855444 (1974-12-01), Palena
patent: 4373670 (1983-02-01), Kilner
patent: 4839198 (1989-06-01), Lonis et al.
patent: 4856931 (1989-08-01), Bollag
patent: 5203923 (1993-04-01), Hartmann
patent: 5395673 (1995-03-01), Hunt
patent: 5511896 (1996-04-01), Marcato
patent: 5599133 (1997-02-01), Costello et al.
patent: 5601900 (1997-02-01), Doscher
Ogemark Toni
Wallgren Magnus
Addie Raymond W
Bagnell David
Cleanosol AB
Lerner David Littenberg Krumholz & Mentlik LLP
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