GB2312458A

GB2312458A - A marker

Info

Publication number: GB2312458A
Application number: GB9707883A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Johan Maertens
Original assignee: THANT CONSTRUCTIE NV
Current assignee: THANT CONSTRUCTIE NV
Priority date: 1996-04-25
Filing date: 1997-04-18
Publication date: 1997-10-29
Also published as: GB9707883D0; FR2748041A3; NL1005798C1; DE29706594U1; BE1010172A6

Abstract

A marker for a surface, the marker comprising a body (2) of at least one synthetic material, wherein the body (2) is provided with at least one hole (3) for attachment of the marker to the surface by means of a plug (4) and a screw (5). The material of the body may make the body luminous in the dark, at least when illuminated. A polymer may be used that absorbs light during the day and radiates light by night.

Description

A MARKER The present invention relates to a marker.

Such markers can be used to replace painted lines on a road, e.g. on a roadway, or on the floor of a parking lot or of a warehouse, to indicate the border of a traffic lane or of the road, to indicate pedestrian crossings, parking lanes, a traffic direction, a danger zone or an escape route or similar.

Painted lines which are often used as markers are hardly visible or not visible in wet weather or in the dark. Moreover, they have regularly to be painted again.

The paints used also mostly contain toxic substances or heavy metals that can pollute the environment.

Strips of synthetic material can in some degree avoid these disadvantages; however, they are relatively expensive. They must also be glued to a road, for example, thus entailing a relatively expensive application whereby the danger exists that they come loose after some time.

Previously proposed markers, consisting of disks made of synthetic material, are also glued, and thus show the above-mentioned disadvantages. Particularly the fact that the markers can come loose and that they must then be replaced is an important factor of expense.

Moreover, these previously proposed markers can be difficult to remove without leaving traces on the road surface, for example, or without damaging the pavement, for example, which makes them inappropriate as temporary road markers, for example. The removed markers often cannot be used again because glue, tar or asphalt, for example, can adhere thereon.

Other previously proposed markers are mechanically fixed to the road, for example, with copper nails having a convex head and a shaft which is driven into the surface. These nails are expensive and their use is usually only possible with pavements made of stones between which they are driven. As a consequence, they are rarely used.

With a view to reducing the possibility of a marker coming loose on account of the traffic traversing it, for example, they are usually very thin and thus, they are often not felt by the driver driving over it.

The invention aims to provide a marking point which alleviates these and/or other inconveniences and which is relatively cheap in manufacture and in use and which can be removably fixed with a reduced chance of getting loose unwantedly.

According to the invention, there is provided a marker for a surface, the marker comprising a body of at least one synthetic material, wherein the body is provided with at least one hole for attachment of the marker to the surface by means of a plug and a screw.

Preferably, the marker is a round disk having at least one, preferably central hole.

Preferably, the at least one synthetic material of the body includes a material which makes the body luminous in the dark, at least when illuminated. Preferably, the at least one synthetic material includes a fluorescent or a phosphorescent material or a polymer which is apt to absorb light during the day and to radiate light at night.

In this way, the visibility of the marker, especially in the dark, can be improved.

Preferably, the body has a convex curved upper side. Preferably, the upper side includes a first portion which a large radius of curvature towards the periphery of the marker, and a second portion with a smaller radius of curvature towards the centre of the marker.

This shape makes that the marker can be felt when a driver crosses it while the danger of getting loose is reduced.

Preferably the body has a substantially flat base that is provided and with a stepped peripheral edge having a recess such that the peripheral edge of the base is spaced from the surface when the disk is fixed thereto.

The base can also be provided with at least one concentric annular groove, between its circumference and middle. Preferably, the marker is of polyamide.

The invention also aims at a marker described here-above which is attachable to a surface by means of a plug and a screw, preferably a strike plug which is applied in a hole in the surface.

Suchlike strike plug allows a quick and solid fixation while unscrewing the screw allows to withdraw the plug from the surface.

In order to better show the characteristics of the invention, a preferred embodiment of a marker according to the present invention is described hereafter, as an example, and without any restrictive character whatsoever, reference being made to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a plan view of a plurality of markers on a road; Figure 2 represents a cross-section according to line II-II in Figure 1, shown at an enlarged scale; Figure 3 represents a top view of a marker; Figure 4 represents a bottom view of the marker of Figure 3; Figure 5 represents at an enlarged scale a cross-section according to line V-V in Figure 3.

In Figure 1 a plurality of road markers are represented that divide e.g. the traffic road into lanes and which consist of markers which are fixed to a road surface 1. It will be understood that the invention is not limited to a particular surface and that a road has been shown purely by way of example.

The markers consist of a round disk 2 made of at least one synthetic material which is provided in its middle with a hole 3 and which is fixed to road surface 1, such as represented in Figure 2, by means of a plug 4 which traverses through the hole 3 and a screw 5 screwed therein. The markers could have a different shape.

The disk 2 is fully solid, and can be made by e.g. injection moulding. The at least one synthetic material may be coloured and could be e.g. white, yellow or red.

An appropriate synthetic material would be polyamide, which enables the disc 2 to be resistant to temperatures between -70 and + 1300C and to a pH between 1 and 15. Of course, numerous other suitable materials will be apparent to persons skilled in the art.

Into the polyamide, or other material, a fluorescent material can be incorporated, whereby the marker radiates in the dark when illuminated. The marker could be reflective.

Instead of a fluorescent material, a phosphorescent material can be added or a polymer that absorbs the light during the day and radiates light in the dark. In a variant the disk 2 can completely be made of such a polymer.

Appropriate dimensions of the disk 2 are a diameter of approximately 70mm, e.g. 71mm, and a maximum thickness of approximately 10mm, e.g. llmm. The central hole 3 has an upper part with a diameter of approximately 12mm and a bottom part with a smaller diameter in such a way that a collar is formed to retain the upper end of the plug 4. Of course, the size of the disk may be varied at will depending on the use to which it is to be put.

The disk 2 has a substantially flat base 6 and a convex curved upper side 7.

The base 6 is provided with a number of concentric annular grooves 8, e.g. three, situated around the hole 3. These grooves 8 allow the removal of water and impurities which have penetrated between the disk 2 and the road surface 1.

At the periphery, the base 6 is also provided with a step having a recess 9 in such a way that at its peripheral edge the disk 2 does not touch the road surface 1 such as represented in detail in Figure 5. When pushed against, the edge of the disk 2 can slightly deform in an elastic way towards the road surface 1 so that the shock is absorbed.

The bottom 6 has a rough surface between the grooves 8 and lip 9.

The convex curved upper side 7 of the disk 2 contains around the hole 3 a central part 10 with a very slight curve at which spot the thickness of the disk 2 only slightly diminishes towards the circumference, around it a part 11 with a considerable curve. A narrow part 12 steeply directed downwards which joins the lip 9 could also be provided.

The plug 4 and the screw 5 can be of the classical type but they preferably are a so-called strike plug which can be found in commerce and which is not described here in detail.

In order to attach the disk 2 to the road surface 1, for example, a hole 13 is drilled, for example, into the road surface 1. A strike plug, of which the plug 4 is introduced through the hole 3 into the disk 2 and of which the screw 5 is screwed in the upper part of the plug 4, is placed in the hole 13.

By means of a hit with a hammer, for example, the strike plug is fixed in the hole 13 whereby the disk 2 is pressed against the road surface 1.

If needed, the last 0.5cm of the screw 5 can be screwed to determine the tension of the strike plug on the disk 2, depending on the nature of the road surface 1.

The marker can easily be distinguished by its shape and colour. Even when it is foggy, or when it rains, visibility is improved.

When crossing it, it provokes a clearly recognisable and unpleasant vibration on account of which the driver is motivated to respect the marker. However, the marker is unlikely to cause damage to the vehicle or to the tires and is thus of little danger for traffic.

Particularly by means of the strike plug the attachment of the marker on the surface 1 can be quickly realised and on account of the particular shape of the base 6 it can fixedly be attached even on relative uneven surfaces. Even in dense traffic, the chance of the marker coming loose is reduced.

If desired, the marker can be easily removed. It suffices to unscrew the screw 5 and to withdraw the plug from the hole 13. The disk 2 as well as the plug 4 and the screw 5, can be used again.

Should the disk 2 be damaged, it can be recycled.

The present invention is in no way limited to the embodiment described above and represented in the accompanying drawings, but such a marker can be realised in different variants, without leaving the scope of the invention.

For example, the marker may have more than one hole and may be securable by more than one strike plug or other means.

Claims

CLAIMS 1. A marker for a surface, the marker comprising a body of at least one synthetic material, wherein the body is provided with at least one hole for attachment of the marker to the surface by means of a plug and a screw.
2. A marker according to claim 1, wherein the body is a round disk having the at least one hole substantially in the middle thereof.
3. A marker according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the at least one synthetic material of the body includes a material which makes the body luminous in the dark, at least when illuminated.
4. A marker according to claim 3, that at least one synthetic material of the body includes a material from the group formed by fluorescent material, phosphorescent material, polymer which is apt to absorb light during the day and to radiate light by night.
5. A marker according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the body has a convex curved upper side.
6. A marker according to claim 5, wherein the upper side includes a first portion with a large radius of curvature towards the periphery of the marker and a second portion with a smaller radius of curvature towards the centre of the member.
7. A marker according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the body has a substantially flat base that is provided with a stepped peripheral edge having a recess such that the peripheral edge of the base is spaced from the surface when the body is attached thereto.
8. A marker according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the body's base is provided between its circumference and middle with at least one concentric annular groove.
9. A marker according to claim 7 or 8, wherein the base of the body has a rough surface, at least beside the at least one groove.
10. A marker according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the body is of polyamide.
11. A marker according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the body is attachable to a surface by means of a plug and a screw which penetrate through the hole.
12. A marker according to claim 11, wherein the plug and the screw are a strike plug.
13. A marker substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.