Road structure – process – or apparatus – Traffic director
Reexamination Certificate
2002-03-18
2003-02-18
Hartmann, Gary S. (Department: 3671)
Road structure, process, or apparatus
Traffic director
C116S06300T, C116S06300T
Reexamination Certificate
active
06520712
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
This application relates to traffic safety delineators, and more particularly to an improved vertical panel which is fixedly mounted to a traffic safety delineator having a conical structure, thereby having a unique capability of being easily stacked and transported.
Traffic safety delineators are extensively used at the present time to mark potential driving hazards, such as construction zones, potholes, etc., as well as to channelize traffic past such hazards. They are often used, as well, on sidewalks, bicycle paths, parking lots, indoor shopping malls, and the like to alert passersby to potential dangers, whatever the mode of transportation.
Vertical panels are well known in the prior art for use as barrel delineators when lack of space is an issue, being typically mounted on metallic stands and the like. They are most usually fabricated of polyethylene sheeting and have a minimum frontal surface area of 270 square inches as required by U.S. government standards, the front surface comprising alternating contrasting stripes (typically orange and white contrasting stripes) arranged in a diagonal pattern. This configuration has been shown to assist motorists in guiding their vehicles through the demarcated zone.
Traffic safety delineators having a conical structure are particularly widely used, and are commonly referred to as traffic safety cones. Although they may comprise only a freestanding conical body portion, they more typically include an integral weighted base as well, in order that the body portion may be stably supported in the wind gusts which are typically generated by high speed traffic, as well as by natural weather patterns. Prior art bases are typically fabricated of a solid material, such as rubber or plastic, in order to provide adequate weight to anchor the delineator body, which is typically molded of a resilient plastic.
Both traffic safety cones and vertical panels are designed to be temporary and portable, so are frequently lifted and transported from place to place, either within a single construction site as the construction project progresses, or between different sites. Thus, it is important that the temporary markers be easy and convenient to pick up. Unfortunately, however, neither prior art cones nor vertical panels typically provide means for being conveniently gripped, and are usually just lifted by attempting to grab some portion of the body portion of the cone or vertical panel itself. Both the cone and the vertical panel can be quite heavy and awkward to pick up, particularly with the supporting structure attached.
Several prior art designs have been developed to attempt to provide a handle for picking up traffic safety cones and the like. For example, a traffic safety cone having a bail handle, like that of a pail, extending from the top thereof is known in the prior art. Also, traffic safety cones and tubes are presently available which have a T-top handle extending from the top thereof. Such a handle may be used to carry the tube or cone by grasping the T-top with one's fingers. However, neither type of handle is fully satisfactory in providing a convenient means for easily grasping and picking up a delineator, since they do not permit a comfortable, full hand grip, and tend to pinch and cramp the user's fingers over time.
Another problem with traffic safety cones results from the common practice of stacking the cones when storing or transporting them. Obviously, stacking the cones is advantageous because of the space which is saved and because of the increased number of cones which may be transported at one time. However, as one cone is dropped downwardly over another one in a stacking relationship, they tend to stick and jam together, because of the interfering contact between their respective sidewalls. This problem is aggravated in warm weather, when the cone sidewall material tends to expand and increase the interfering contact. Once jammed, they can be very difficult to separate, and the tedious process of doing so can be labor intensive and result in downtime and frustration for the construction crew.
Because of their non-uniform construction and typically metallic supporting stands, vertical panels are even more difficult to transport and store. Since they are not stackable, they tend to be stowed singly in a storage yard or truck in a somewhat haphazard manner, wasting space and increasing clutter.
What is needed, therefore, is a vertical panel having a supporting structure which permits convenient stacking of a plurality of vertical panels, as well as a handle for providing a convenient means for gripping the vertical panel, in order to transport it to a new location. Furthermore, an improved traffic safety cone is needed, including a contoured gripping means which permits a comfortable full hand grip of the cone.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention solves the aforementioned problems of the prior art by providing a safety delineator having a conical body portion to which is attached one or more vertical panels. A new and improved handle feature permits easy and comfortable full hand gripping of the delineator and also prevents sticking and jamming together of a plurality of the delineators when they are stacked. The delineators may be stacked with the vertical panels attached thereto, since each vertical panel is particularly designed to wrap around the conical body portion to which it is attached as another vertical delineator slides over it.
More particularly, a safety delineator is provided which comprises a body portion having a top end and a base end, wherein the base end includes a horizontal support element for supporting the body portion in an upstanding position. A handle, which is adapted to permit convenient generally full hand gripping of the safety delineator, is integrally molded with the body portion and comprises a shaft portion axially oriented and extending axially upwardly from the body portion top end. A knob portion extends axially upwardly from the shaft portion. Preferably the handle is at least three inches long, and more preferably at least 5½ inches long so that the shaft portion has a sufficient length to permit all of the fingers of an average adult hand to be wrapped thereabout. One or more vertical panels are preferably fixedly attached to the body portion.
In another aspect of the invention, a safety delineator is provided which comprises a conical body portion constructed of a resilient plastic material and having a top end and a base end. The base end includes a horizontal support element for supporting the body portion in an upstanding position and one or more vertical panels fixedly attached to the body portion. Each vertical panel is preferably attached to its corresponding conical body using one or more mechanical fasteners, such as metal tubular rivets (plastic push rivets could be used as well), and is generally rectangular in shape, having two upper corners and two lower corners. The two upper corners of the vertical panel preferably have a rounded configuration to facilitate wrapping of the vertical panel about the circumference of the body portion to which it is attached when another delineator is stacked thereatop in a nesting fashion.
In yet another aspect of the invention, a method of storing or transporting a plurality of vertical panel delineators, wherein each delineator comprises a conical body portion having at least one vertical panel attached thereto, is disclosed. The method comprises the steps of standing a first one of said delineators in an upright position and stacking a second one of the delineators over the first delineator in a nesting fashion such that the vertical panel attached to the first delineators wraps about the conical body portion thereof as the second delineator slides over the first vertical panel.
The invention, together with additional features and advantages thereof, may best be understood by reference to the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying illustrative drawing.
R
Kulp Jack H.
Wehring Billy E.
Hartmann Gary S.
Stout Donald E.
Stout, Uxa Buyan & Mullins, LLP
Traffix Devices Inc.
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