Card – picture – or sign exhibiting – Signs – Highway or street marker
Patent
1997-08-21
1999-11-02
Green, Brian K.
Card, picture, or sign exhibiting
Signs
Highway or street marker
40607, 40572, G09F 1500
Patent
active
059747129
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a traffic sign serving as a traffic guide and providing road users with necessary information.
BACKGROUND OF INVENTION
Traffic signs have conventionally been manufactured of metal in such a way that the actual sign plate has been stamped from sheet metal onto which the required sign has been painted. In general, the mounting post of the traffic sign has been a metal tube or a metal profile bar. Traffic signs have been erected by the roadside or the side of the street either by sinking them into the ground or by employing various concrete base members or equivalent. In conventional traffic signs, the sign portion has been attached to the mounting post either integrally or by using lobes of different types, which has made it possible to replace a sign on a mounting post.
One disadvantage of conventional metal traffic signs has been their rigid construction, with the result that, in vehicle collisions with such signs, the damages have often been great. In traffic accidents, conventional traffic signs may cause damage not only to the vehicle but also to the driver and passengers. In accordance with studies on accidents that have been conducted in Finland, annually 20 persons die in crashes in which the damage has at least partially been caused by a traffic sign upon collision of a vehicle with the sign. For reasons of economy, metal traffic signs are normally made of a material susceptible to corrosion. When the paint layer covering the sign is damaged, corrosion can easily start spreading and may damage the entire sign. Salt used on roads has also accelerated corrosion of traffic signs and shortened the service life of conventional traffic signs, which is calculated to be about 5 to 10 years with metal signs. Moreover, from a ecological point of view, conventional metal traffic signs have not been recyclable.
SUMMARY OF INVENTION
The traffic sign in accordance with the present invention avoids the above drawbacks, and use of signs in accordance with the present invention is very economical. The traffic sign of the invention is defined in the appended claims.
In one embodiment, the traffic sign comprises a base member, a mounting post of an elastic weather-resistant material, a jacket, and a sign portion of elastic weather-resistant material displaying traffic indicia. The jacket comprises first and second halves provided with a space therebetween. Each of the halves comprises an outwardly curved outer surface integrally formed with a protective frame. The sign portion is disposed on the outwardly curved outer surface of at least the first of the halves. The protective frame comprises an edge having an elevation that extends outwardly beyond an outer periphery of the sign portion whereby to protect the outer periphery. Each of the outer surfaces comprises a pliable, elastic material.
One advantage of the traffic sign of the present invention is its long life. The sign can be estimated to have a service life as long as 50 years. The traffic sign of the invention has good resistance against loads and also acid and alkaline substances, and road salt will not cause problems to the sign. In order that the sign plate may be washed for example with a high-pressure washer or the like, it is embedded in a protective frame. Since the traffic sign is made of pliable plastic, it will not cause as much damage in a crash situation as metal traffic signs. The surfaces of the sign portion in accordance with the invention are curved, and due to of the elastic material of which they are made they yield to the slip stream of large vehicles or a scurry of snow spread by a snow-plough. Thus, snow adhering to the traffic sign will come off, and the sign can be read. Furthermore, the sign in accordance with the invention has been designed to be collapsible, and thus it can bend under a car in collision situations, and resultant damage is minimized. Since the traffic sign is hollow, it can be provided with a light source, and hence it is also perceptible in twilight and i
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Green Brian K.
Leo Laine Oy
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