CN1076112C - reflective signage - Google Patents

Abstract

Retroreflective sign 10 has a front panel 12 that is adhered to a back panel 14. The front plate 12 has a plurality of riser profiles 16 disposed along its back surface. The sign may have any shape or color, and has a more excellent light reflecting effect at night than general signs. Therefore, the sign is easily seen when driving at night. In a variant embodiment, cube corner forms 16 are provided along the inner surface of the back plate. The front plate 12 or the entire sign 10 may be coated with a silicone coating 80 to protect the sign from scratches and damage.

Description

reflective signage

This invention relates to reflectors, and more particularly to an improved reflective signage for use, such as on roadside traffic signs.

The birth of the automobile brought with it the need for traffic management devices. Originally, each traffic sign was cut into a unique shape for easy identification. Since electricity was not widespread at the time, painted signs were used for traffic management. Due to the increasing use of automobiles around the clock, traffic signs began to be coated with a reflective paint whenever possible to be seen at night. At first, reflective paint was applied to wooden signs, and later, to more durable signs made of metal, including laminated signs. Currently, road signage has been made by adding fine glass beads to the paint to increase overall reflectivity.

Examples using glass beads include U.S. Patent No. 2,379,741 to Mackenzie, U.S. Patent No. 3,065,659 to Palmquist, U.S. Patent No. 3,494,912 to Mitsuo Toyama et al., U.S. Patent No. 3,494,912 to Brass et al. Patent No. 3,877,786, U.S. Patent No. 3,922,433 by Patterson et al., U.S. Patent No. 3,934,065 by Tong, U.S. Patent Nos. 3,994,086 and 4,025,674 by Mizuochi, U.S. Patent No. 4,082,426 by Brown, library U.S. Patent No. 4,099,838 by Ke et al., U.S. Patent Nos. 4,519,154 and 4,544,586 by Morali Jr., U.S. Patent No. 4,555,161 by Rowland, and U.S. Patent No. 4,995,185 by Cheng.

The current state of the art is that the beads are attached to a paper or mesh backing and covered with a thin layer. The other side of the paper or web is coated with a special glue so that it sticks to the aluminum. Another improvement is the use of a heat activated adhesive to improve bonding. In this method, the aluminum is heated and the paper or web is adhered to it. Signs in the field are glued to the metal backing using adhesive pieces and painted with sentences, graphic designs and symbols, etc. or a combination thereof, ie: STOP, WRONG WAY, etc. Once the adhesive pieces are attached, the sign is ready for stencil drawing and painting. However, when painting signage, use the minimum amount of paint to avoid obscuring the reflective medium. Laminates now include paints and pigments inside. However, the lacquer on the inside of the glued part can be damaged during the heating process. In addition, other damages may occur during installation in the wild. When the sign is secured to a sign pole, the pins cut long slits in the laminate. This allows moisture to get inside the sign and with normal daily temperature fluctuations, the sign begins to delaminate and after a few weeks the sign will fail.

Examples of other road reflective placards and markers include:

(1) US Patent No. 5,050,327 to Walterman discloses a sign having a panel with a legend of information attached thereto. The panel consists of one or more legend sections and one or more background sections. The legend and the background part define the section section of the sign. At least a portion of the legend or background portion is both retroreflective and translucent. Most typically, the legend and background portions of the panel are color contrasting to improve the readability of the information displayed on the signage. The backing of the tag must be translucent, or at least part of any backing in the translucent portion of the tag must be transparent. This sign only looks better at night than normal if the sign is backlit.

(2) US Patent No. 3,409,344 to Balint et al. discloses a roadway reflector comprising a hollow housing with sloped side and end walls and a flat top wall. The housing is molded in situ over the outer edge of the originally molded reflective insert so that the insert can be seated in the end wall. This insert has a substantially flat outer surface and a number of retroreflective prisms disposed on its inner surface, the prism axes of which form an alignment with the plane of the insert and thus with the road surface when the marker/reflector is in place. angle so that the car's headlight beams are returned to the driver's eyes.

Although nearly a century has passed since the beginning of the use of automobiles as a means of transportation, adequate traffic signage, especially signs that are easily visible at night, is still lacking in this field. What is therefore needed in the art is a sign that has enhanced reflective means as compared to current common signs so as to be better seen at night. In addition, the sign needs to be more durable and last longer than current signs. Therefore, the present invention aims to effectively solve the above-mentioned problems and disadvantages.

In general terms, the present invention relates to a reflective sign made of plastic with a face plate and a back plate. Specifically, the present invention employs retro-reflection technology. A reflector that returns light to the immediate vicinity of its source no matter where the source is placed is called a retro-retroreflector. Literally speaking, retro-directional reflection refers to strictly turning the direction of each beam back along its original path or a parallel path. An ideal retro-retroreflector returns most of the light received from a particular light source back to its source itself. However, the ideal retro-directional reflector is a non-practical and theoretically limited case. The actual retro-retroreflector differs from the ideal in that it tapers the reentrant beam to reach the observer's eyes as desired.

One type of retro-directional reflector is the tri-reflector. It has three reflective planes, each placed perpendicular to the other two, namely: the house-like floor and the corners of the two adjoining walls. In this way, any rays reflected successively by the three sides will be precisely directed back.

Using the "Stop" sign as an example, the faceplate member is molded from a moderate amount of sign red pigment while the letters or symbols and edge portions remain colorless or water white. The back of the entire panel member includes reflective means such as a cube corner type. UV stabilizers can be added to plastics to prevent sunlight from fading the pigments. The back plate piece is actually transparent. The inner finish of the back panel is very glossy and smooth, almost a mirror finish. Light passing through the panel member is reflected by the sign, creating a near-backlit effect, thus increasing the ability to see the sign at night. Finally, the sign can be coated with a silicon article. This coating increases UV stability and makes the sign surface harder to reduce the amount of dusting, dusting and scratching. Silicone coating also makes the sign more resistant to damage, since the paint does not adhere permanently to the treated surface.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a reflective sign which is brighter at night than conventional reflective signs.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a reflective sign which is easier to see at night than conventional reflective signs.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a reflective sign which is more durable than conventional reflective signs.

Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a reflective sign made of plastic.

Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a reflective sign which can be regenerated for replacement.

Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a reflective sign which is simple and inexpensive to manufacture.

Other objects and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent in conjunction with the following drawings, descriptions, examples and certain embodiments.

The invention will be better understood with reference to the accompanying drawings. in:

Fig. 1 is a front view showing the first step of the first molding process of the front panel member;

Fig. 2 is a front view showing the second step of the first molding process of the front panel member;

Fig. 3 is an exploded view of the present invention;

Fig. 4 is a front view of the present invention;

Figure 5A is a side view of a portion of a cube corner according to the present invention;

Figure 5B is a front view of a portion of the cube corner form in Figure 5A;

Figure 6 is a side view showing a part of the first embodiment of the present invention with three different colors;

Fig. 7 is a side view showing a part of the second example of the present invention;

Fig. 8 is a front view showing another molding process of the front panel member;

Figure 9 is a front view showing the invention made by the process shown in Figure 8; and

Figure 10 is a perspective view of two prefabricated letters according to this alternative molding process.

As shown, the present invention represents an improved reflective sign made by the molding process discussed below. The sign generally indicated at 10 is made of two plastic parts, including a front or panel part 12 and a back plate 14 . It is best to use a strong but flexible plastic, ie polycarbonate such as the LEXAN brand. However, other plastics and materials with similar properties to polycarbonate can also be used to make reflective signs. The designed thickness of the panel member 12 not only provides rigidity to the sign 10, but also forms a cube corner 16 in this area, increasing the reflectivity of the sign.

Now illustrating the sign composition process (FIGS. 1 and 2) requiring two colors, a first polycarbonate 20 is injected into the mold 40 through cavities 30 and 32 into the sign panel area, depending on the sign design. Specifically, one of two colored plastic pieces is injected. This will be called the first shot. It should be noted that more than two cavities may allow the first polycarbonate to flow through, the use and number of cavities being dependent upon the design of the sign. The areas where other pigments will go and the bottom of the cavities connected to these areas are closed by blocking or separating means 42 when the polycarbonate of the first color is injected to prevent the first color from entering this design area. After the first plastic (polycarbonate) 20 is set or hardened, the mold is used to coordinate the flow of other colored or uncolored plastics. As shown in FIG. 2 , the separating device 42 is pulled apart, opening the cavity 34 and allowing the passage of the second plastic 22 , completing the fabrication of the panel member 12 . After the first plastic part 20 hardens, it acts as a barrier to the cavities 30 and 32 so that the second plastic is not injected into the cavities 30 and 32 into the designed area of the first plastic 20 .

The mold 40, which has been modified by the hardening of the first plastic part 20 and the pulling out of the separation means 42, now accepts the second plastic part 22 to fill the cavity associated with the area of the sign panel assigned to the second plastic part. This will be called the second shot. In this example only two plastic parts of different colors are required, but it should be noted that this procedure can be used for an infinite number of different colored plastic parts using the appropriate number of barrier means 42 as well as pre-hardened colored and clear plastic parts so that additional colored and clear plastic pieces flow only into the area of the sign panel designated by this sign design. In this case, the additional plastic part can be referred to as a third or fourth etc. shot. Once all the plastic parts have cooled, the panel member 12 of the sign 10 is removed from the mold 40 .

Another improved process of the previous process is to move the first injection (i.e. the colored plastic part 20 after hardening) to a second independent mold (not shown) for the filling of the second injection (the second colored plastic part 20). Item 22). Since the two shots all use the same base material (only the color pigments are different), the two shots are fused together to make the panel member 12 a whole. The panel part 12 is molded with a suitable amount of color pigments, and the areas of letters and symbols are kept colorless. In terms of mold design, the entire back of the panel part includes several cube corner shapes 16 .

However, in either process, the mold is designed to provide several cube corner forms 16 throughout the interior surface of the panel member 12 . Although it is preferred that the cube corners 16 be disposed on the entire back of the panel member 12, the present invention is not limited thereto. Accordingly, it is within the scope of the present invention to provide a plurality of cube corners 16 over a substantial portion of the rear surface of the front panel member 12 rather than over the entire area. Each cube corner 16 is of the configuration of a tri-reflector as described above. The cube corner 16 is a mosaic configuration of a 90-degree triangular pyramid, which is formed by mold design to provide excellent signage night vision. Once the face member 12 has been removed from the mold 40, it is attached to the back member 14. Preferably, the back panel 14 is pre-printed with the correct shape of the label 10 to accept the front panel 12 . The front panel member 12 can be attached to the back panel member 14 by several different methods: clipping, gluing, snapping, and ultrasonic means, among others. However, it should be noted that the present invention is not limited to these attachment methods, and other common attachment methods not listed are within the scope of the present invention.

Finally, the panel member 12 is covered with a layer of silicon hardener 80 and pre-cured. To provide greater protection to sign 10, except for panel member 12, the entire sign may be coated with a layer of silicon hardener 80. The silicon cladding encloses the sign 10 and protects it from the sun's ultraviolet rays. The silicon coating also makes the surface harder, allowing the sign 10 to keep its exterior smooth and clean from damage. Thus, the present invention provides more reflective, more durable signs than conventional signs.

Therefore, the signage is best made of all plastic. No paint, aluminum lining, reflectors or adhesive parts. The entire panel member 12 is a sign, not an adhesive member attached to a backboard, such as metal, wood, or even plastic, as in the "stop" sign in the prior art. The letters, symbols and colors of the logo are molded together out of plastic (polycarbonate) with cube corners 16 molded into the inner or outer surface of the panel member 12 . Sign 10 has retro-reflective properties compared to the prior art. Furthermore, scratching the sign 10 cannot prevent the retro-reflective properties because the cube corners 16 are inside it and the overlay material cannot accept the paint on the outside.

For purposes of illustration only, "stop" signs have been used where appropriate in describing the invention to give an example of signage design. However, as described below, the invention can be used with any other type of sign requiring retroreflection, regardless of shape or color.

Take the "stop" sign (stop) as an example, and the molding process will be described below. The polycarbonate (with red pigment) is injected through the cavity into a mold. The panel member 12 is thus molded with an appropriate amount of red paint, and the area where the character (STOP) is set is left blank. Once hardened, colorless plastic (polycarbonate) is injected through the cavity into the area of the lettering STOP as well as the edge area of the sign. The hardened red polycarbonate acts as a barrier preventing colorless plastic from entering the region of the panel part 12 . The interior or back surface of the entire panel member is molded into a cube corner pattern 16 .

In use, the biggest problem with stop signs is that the red pigment will fade due to the ultraviolet rays in the sun. But the plastic (polycarbonate) will prevent this fading due to the addition of UV stabilizers. In addition, the thickness of the panel member 12 is made with more red pigment than in typical STOP signs simply with a red overlay applied to the reflective adhesive member. This additional pigment can also increase the longevity of the sign 10 in the field.

The back panel member 14 of the STOP sign 12 is also made of plastic, preferably polycarbonate, and is practically transparent. The inner surface of the inner surface 18 of the backing member 14 is very smooth and glossy, almost mirror-like, to create a reflective surface. Alternatively, a MYLAR brand film, glossy paper or metallic layer may also be provided on the inner surface of the back panel member 14 to create a reflective surface. , so that any light passing through the panel member 12 will be reflected back through the sign, creating an almost "backlit" effect. Thus, people's ability to see sign 10 at night is greatly improved. Additionally, electrical light sources can also be provided to the sign to increase the amount of light reflected by the glossy mirror surface. Finally, the entire sign 10 can be coated with a silicon-based product. This silicon layer increases the red pigment and its own UV stability. Yet another advantage is that the silicon layer makes the surface of the sign 10 harder, thereby reducing the amount of dusting, dusting and scratching of the sign 10 . The silicon layer also makes the sign resistant to damage, as some paints do not adhere permanently to treated surfaces.

In a first alternative embodiment, the reflective surface (ie: MYLAR brand film, glossy paper, metallic layer, etc.) can be placed over the cube corner form 16 to provide specific reflection. After applying the reflective surface to the cube corner 16, the cube corner 16 can be closed without the need for a back piece.

In a second alternative embodiment (FIG. 7), the cube corners are provided on the back panel member 14 rather than on the front panel member of the sign. Thus the inner and outer surfaces of the panel member are substantially flat. The method of making the panel is still as above, except that the cube corner design in the mold is removed. This alternative embodiment has all the advantages of the first embodiment of the invention.

In a third alternative embodiment, the panel member is clear or water white and the inner surface of the back panel member or the inner surface of the panel member includes cube corners. In this embodiment, the message conveyed by the sign will be painted on the panel member. Similar to above, the back plate member can be eliminated and the reflective surface can be provided on the cube corner.

A second alternate process for the sign design employs prefabricated mold configurations 50 to separate the different colors of the sign design. Using the example of "stop" signboard (STOP) again (Figs. 7 to 10), the prefabricated configuration 50 is manufactured by injecting plastics into a mold according to the design of the signage to make letters, designs or other symbols (such as : The shape of the letters S, T, O, P and the outer edge area of the STOP sign. The prefabricated configuration provides support walls and a means of separating or segmenting the colors of the signage design. In this process, the above-mentioned separating device 42 is no longer necessary, since the prefabricated configuration essentially performs this function.

The prefabricated form 50 is made by injecting plastic into a first mold to form the desired sign design letters and symbols. The plastic material and color used for the prefabricated configuration 50 is the same as the plastic of the signage panel member 12 . In this way the plastics are thoroughly mixed with each other to form a seamless whole. Once cooled and the residual plastic removed, the form is inserted into a second mold to make the sign's panel piece.

Using the stop sign as an example, due to the precast configuration 50, red plastic and colorless plastic are simultaneously injected into the mold. The colorless plastic is poured into the area 52 between the letters S, T, O, P and the outer edge area, while the red plastic is poured into the designated area 54 . In this second mold, the cube corner form 16 is produced in the same manner as in the other methods described above. The cube corners 16 can be provided either on the front panel member 12 (FIG. 8) or on the back panel member (FIG. 7).

When provided on the panel member 12, the cube corners are provided on the entire interior surface of the panel member 12, except for the area occupied by the prefabricated formation 50. However, this area is small enough to not affect the reflective properties of sign 10 .

Thus, this second alternative procedure provides a more practical method of making the retroreflective signage of the present invention. In addition, the prefabricated configuration 50 provides additional areas for bonding the face piece 12 and back plate piece of the sign 10 together, thereby increasing the stiffness of the sign 10 .

For example, in the operation of a stop (STOP) sign, light such as a car headlight hits the sign. Some light will immediately bounce off the red and water-white or colorless areas of the STOP sign. But some light cannot be reflected back, but passes through the face piece 12 of the STOP sign through the small gap between the cube corners, and then is lost between the face piece and the back plate piece. These rays hit the glossy or mirror-like finish on the interior surface of the backing member and are reflected back onto the cube corners. The cube corner scatters and traps these light rays between the face and back members to make the STOP sign easily visible to motorists in all directions. The present invention increases the reflective area by about 50% compared to a sign of the same outer dimensions using glass beads in the prior art for reflection. Therefore, the present invention enables the driver to see the stop sign long before approaching it, so as to stop safely before entering the corresponding intersection and road. In addition, due to its large amount of red pigment, the stop sign can keep red longer than ordinary stop signs. As a sign, it is made of all plastic or thermoplastic material, which can be recycled and other signs can be made according to the invention. The silicon coating applied to the sign helps protect the sign from vandalism and scratches, sun rays, and the like.

The invention can be used with any sign requiring retroreflection, regardless of its size. The present invention can be applied to any symbol on the panel portion of the sign, including any letter, and also in any shape, color or combination of shapes and colors. The invention can therefore be used with any traffic sign and any sign requiring retro-reflection. However, the invention is not limited to signage, but can be used for any other purpose and item requiring retro-reflection. In addition, although the present invention uses a cube-corner reflector in the description, it should be noted that other three-way reflectors and reflectors can be used instead of the cube-corner. It should also be noted that other design combinations using the features of the present invention are possible and within the scope of the present invention. Furthermore, although the entire sign is made of plastic, it is not limited thereto and other materials such as glass, fiberglass or metal can be used.

Thus, it should be noted that I have illustrated and described certain forms of my invention and it is not limited to the exact form and arrangement of parts described herein. Those skilled in the art could make various changes without departing from the scope of the present invention, and the present invention should be considered as being not limited to the descriptions in the specification and the examples in the accompanying drawings.

Claims (21)

1. one kind can increase conspicuousness and retro-reflection label readable and that have a required form comprises at night:

A single sheathing spare that combines and have an outside surface and an inside surface with beacon information, the inside surface of this panel piece with in use combine with the reflection unit that it interrelates, described panel piece is molded as the required form of described label, and wherein said beacon information is the part of the panel piece of described individual course.

2. retro-reflection label as claimed in claim 1, it is characterized in that, further comprise a backboard spare that in use interrelates with panel piece, described backboard spare has an inside surface and an outside surface, described label has a front and a back, and wherein said beacon information only just can seen when described label is watched in this front.

3. one kind has required profile and can strengthen conspicuousness and visual retro-reflection label comprises at night:

One has outer, inside surface and in conjunction with the single sheathing spare of beacon information, the inside surface of described panel piece with in use combine with the reflection unit that it interrelates, described panel piece is molded into the required form of described label; And

A backboard spare that in use interrelates with described panel piece, described backboard spare has an inside surface and an outside surface, and described label has a front and a back, and wherein said beacon information has only from described front and watches Shi Caike to see;

The inside surface of wherein said backboard spare has the surface layer of a smooth and gloss, so that one second reflection unit to be provided.

4. retro-reflection label as claimed in claim 3 is characterized in that, at least a portion lining last layer surface hardener of panel piece reduces fading of described label and prolongs its life-span with help.

5. retro-reflection label as claimed in claim 3 is characterized in that, described panel piece and described backboard spare at least a portion lining last layer surface hardener reduce fading of described label and prolong its life-span with help.

6. retro-reflection label as claimed in claim 3 is characterized in that, described reflection unit is that several are on described panel piece inside surface and the solid angle type that combines with it.

7. retro-reflection label as claimed in claim 3 is characterized in that, described panel piece and described backboard spare are made of plastics.

8. retro-reflection label as claimed in claim 3 is characterized in that described backboard spare comes down to transparent.

9. one kind has required form, can strengthen conspicuousness and visual retro-reflection label comprises at night:

A single sheathing spare that has outer, inside surface and combine with beacon information, the inside surface of described panel piece combines with the reflection unit that in use interrelates, and described panel piece is molded into the required form of described label; And

A backboard spare that in use interrelates with described panel piece, described backboard spare has an inside surface and an outside surface, and described label has a front and a back, and wherein said information is only watching Shi Caike to see from described front; And

Wherein said reflection unit is some solid angle types that are provided with along the inside surface of described panel piece and backboard spare, and the effect that is arranged on the described solid angle type of described backboard spare inside surface is one second reverberator.

10. retro-reflection label as claimed in claim 9 is characterized in that, the inside surface of described panel piece has the surface layer of a smooth and gloss, so that one second reflection unit to be provided.

11. a conspicuousness that strengthens label at night comprises with visual retro-reflection label:

One has outer and inner surface and in conjunction with the single sheathing spare of beacon information, and

A backboard spare that in use combines with described panel piece, described backboard spare have an inside surface and an outside surface, and the inside surface of described backboard spare has the reflection unit that in use interrelates with it.

12. retro-reflection label as claimed in claim 11 is characterized in that, described panel piece at least a portion lining last layer surface hardener fades to help described label life-saving and to reduce.

13. retro-reflection label as claimed in claim 11 is characterized in that, described panel piece and described backboard spare at least a portion lining last layer rigidizer fade to help described label life-saving and to reduce.

14. the retro-reflection label as claim 11 is characterized in that, there is the surface layer of a smooth and gloss on the surface, inside of described panel piece, so that one second reflection unit to be provided.

15. retro-reflection label as claimed in claim 11 is characterized in that, described reflection unit is some solid angle types that are provided with along described backboard spare inside surface.

16. retro-reflection label as claimed in claim 11 is characterized in that described backboard spare and panel piece are made of plastics.

17. retro-reflection label as claimed in claim 11 is characterized in that described backboard spare comes down to transparent.

18. one kind can strengthen the label conspicuousness at night and comprise with visual retro-reflection label:

A panel piece that has outside surface and inside surface, makes by polycarbonate;

Some solid angle types that are provided with along described panel piece; And

One transparent in fact, by the backboard spare that polycarbonate is made and in use interrelated with described panel piece, described backboard spare has an inside surface and an outside surface, the inside surface of described backboard spare has the aspect of a smooth and gloss.

19. retro-reflection label as claimed in claim 18 is characterized in that, described panel piece at least a portion lining last layer rigidizer.

20. retro-reflection label as claimed in claim 18 is characterized in that, described panel piece and backboard spare at least a portion lining last layer rigidizer.

21. one kind can strengthen conspicuousness at night and comprise with visual retro-reflection label:

Panel piece with an outside surface and inside surface;

Some solid angle types that are provided with along the inside surface of described panel piece;

A backboard spare that in use interrelates with described panel piece, described backboard spare has an inside surface and an outside surface, the inside surface of described backboard spare has the surface layer of a smooth and gloss, so that at cremasteric reflex device except described some solid angle types.

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