Road structure – process – or apparatus – Traffic director
Reexamination Certificate
1998-09-18
2001-10-09
Will, Thomas B. (Department: 3671)
Road structure, process, or apparatus
Traffic director
Reexamination Certificate
active
06299379
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention pertains generally to the field of accessories used by outdoor sportsmen, such as hunters, to find their way outdoors, and more particularly to devices and methods for marking trails and location references in outdoor areas such as a forest.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Hunters, hikers and participants in other outdoor activities often need or would like to know where they are or where they have been in a forest or other outdoor area. A hunter, for example, would like to be able to find her way back to a choice hunting location. She may want to let another hunter who is to join her later know where she is and what path she has followed. A hunter may need to leave her prize temporarily to get help to carry the killed animal away, in which case she needs to be able to find her way back to the spot of the kill relatively quickly.
Finding one's way outdoors traditionally is accomplished with the help of distinctive landmarks, such as a particular rock, a stream, or an unusual tree. But this can be very difficult if one is not familiar with the surrounding environment, or distinctive landmarks are lacking. Outdoor location identification is particularly difficult in the night, when natural landmarks are not easily visible. Thus, hunters and outdoor sportsmen will often mark their trail as they proceed to or from a particular location. The marked trail can easily be followed to the location by the sportsmen at a later date or by others who follow.
A variety of devices and methods are known for marking trails outdoors. Typically, such methods involve placing permanent or removable marks on the ground, trees or other objects, or leaving a trail of markers on or in the ground, trees, etc. Reflective trail markers have become popular because they provide an inexpensive, easy method of marking trails and are highly visible at night when a light source is shined on them. Pieces of reflective tape, for example, are used to mark trails by placing the tape on trees or other objects, but such tapes are often not easily securely applied and removed.
One type of reflective trail marker currently on the market resembles a thumbtack having a head which is coated with a reflective coating, such as reflective paint. Such a marker can be pressed into a tree's bark easily with one hand. The ability to place a trail marker with only one hand is an important advantage, for one's hands are usually occupied with other equipment or accessories when participating in outdoor activities. A series of such markers pressed into trees forms an easily visible trail. The reflective markers are made highly visible in the dark from a distance by shining a light, e.g., from a flashlight, onto them. However, the heads of these reflective markers are flat, with a slight curvature. Thus, a light source must shine onto the head at a nearly perpendicular angle for the reflected light to be visible by a person at the source of the light. Also, such tacks can be difficult to remove from the trees or other structures in which they are placed.
Another reflective trail marker currently on the market resembles a tack having a cylindrical head, with the pin portion of the tack extending from one end of the cylinder. This type of trail marker is more easily placed in and removed from trees and other structures. A reflective coating, of tape or paint, is placed substantially entirely around the cylindrical head. Such a reflective head reflects source light directly shined onto it from any angle (360° reflection). However, for any particular angle of incident source light, the actual reflective area can be effectively very small. Therefore, the reflective marker's effective reflective distance is always relatively short. Moreover, since the reflective head reflects source light shined onto it from any angle, a trail formed of such markers can be easily detected by shining a source light in the general area of the trail. This can be a disadvantage in many cases, such as where the person marking the trail (such as to a choice fishing or hunting spot) wishes to keep the trail secret, and thus minimize the possibility of others discovering the trail. Reflective trail markers which reflect light in all directions (360° reflection) can also cause confusion in areas which are marked with several trails. A person shining a light into a forest with several trails marked using such (360° reflection) markers may simultaneously see reflections from markers belonging to different trails, making it difficult to discern the desired trail to be followed.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
A reflective trail marker in accordance with the present invention includes a generally “hour-glass” shaped marker head having a central portion and top and bottom cap portions formed at each end of the central portion. The central portion of the marker head has one or more side wall surfaces which are light reflective. The side wall surfaces of the marker head may be formed of a reflective material, or may be made reflective by applying reflective paint or tape thereto. Preferably, the central portion of the marker head is formed to have four flat reflective side wall surfaces at right angles to each other. This shape enhances the reflective surface area of the central portion of the marker head. The top and bottom cap portions of the marker head are non-reflective, and extend beyond the side walls of the central portion of the marker head. The non-reflective cap portions thus prevent illumination of and reflection from the central portion of the marker head at angles varying substantially from perpendicular to the reflective side wall surfaces of the central portion along the axis of the central portion. A pin preferably extends from one end of the marker head, to allow easy attachment of the marker to a support, such as a tree.
Reflective trail markers in accordance with the present invention may be used to mark a trail which is easily visible at night from many directions (360° reflection) or to mark a secret trail wherein the possibility that a person not knowing the general location of the trail will discover the trail is reduced (limited angle reflection). To mark an easily detectable trail, reflective trail markers in accordance with the present invention are mounted such that the top and bottom cap portions are positioned horizontally, for example, by mounting the trail markers on the tops or bottoms of generally horizontal surfaces, such as horizontal tree branches. In such an orientation, a light source shined on to the trail markers from any direction will be reflected back to the source of light from the reflective side wall surfaces of the central portions of the marker heads (the top and bottom cap portions do not restrict radial reflection from the side wall surfaces).
To mark a secret trail, reflective trail markers in accordance with the present invention may be mounted such that the top and bottom cap portions are positioned vertically, such as by mounting the markers on the sides of trees or other structures. By placing the markers in such an orientation, a trail is formed which is less likely to be discovered by someone not knowing the general location of the trail and which is also less likely to be confused with other trails marked with reflective markers. In such an orientation, the non-reflective top and bottom cap portions of the marker heads restrict illumination of and reflection from the reflective side wall surfaces of the central portions of the marker heads to a limited range of angles varying from perpendicular to the reflective side wall surfaces of the marker heads along the axes of the central portions (limited angle reflection). Thus, when mounted for limited angle reflection, a light source must shine onto the reflective trail markers at angles within a limited range of angles for reflected light to be visible by a person at the source of the light. Reflective trail markers in accordance with the present invention may thus be used to mark a private or secret trail which is less
Foley & Lardner
Lewis Hunting Accessories, Mfg., Inc.
Markovich Kristine
Will Thomas B.
LandOfFree
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