Abstract:
A resilient road sign comprising a rigid center member having left and right wings resiliently attached to the center member. The left and right wings are comprised of a substantially rigid material. The left and right wings and the rigid center portion each have a front surface and a rear surface. The left and right wings and rigid center portion may all have written indicia on the front surfaces thereof.

Description:
BACKGROUND 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates to road signs. Specifically the present invention relates to a road sign with resilient sides such that the sides can flex backwards or forwards then realign themselves with the rigid center portion of the road sign. 
     2. Prior Art 
     Numerous signs and sign stand devices have been designed for displaying information to the public. However, several problems are associated with these signs, especially road signs located in certain parts of the United States and the world. 
     In certain portions of the United States and the world, detrimental weather conditions exist during particular times of the year. In areas such as Alaska, snow is present during most of the year. When snow is present, machines are required to clear the streets on a regular basis so that people have access to the streets. Snowplows can cause great damage to street signs. The snowplow throws the snow with a large force onto the sides of the road. When the snow is thrown to the sides of the road with this kind of force, it can bend or even break metal signs with ease. Broken, bent or distorted signs are no longer readily visible to oncoming motorists. 
     In other parts of the United States and world, winds can do the same type of damage to road signs or any type of sign located in these areas. For instance, on the Eastern Coast of the United States hurricane force winds often hit the coastal cities with such strength as to do substantial damage to road signs located in those areas. Wind can bend and even break road signs and other types of signs. 
     To address these problems, some signs have been designed that could, conceivably, withstand weathering by the elements, especially the wind. One example of the such a sign is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,152,091 to Leach which discloses a collapsible highway sign that includes a cross brace assembly having first and second semi-flexible arms pivoted together. Each arm has first and second ends with four fastener stops. A sign sheet of flexible material with opposing message bearing and attachment faces as four fasteners secured to the attachment face. An anti-kiting device is secured to the sign to resist kiting and maintain the sign assembly in a safe position visible to oncoming traffic. Another example is in U.S. Pat. No. 3,899,843 to Doyle et al. which discloses a signaling device comprising a sign and a support with the sign being formed of flexible material and having rigid extension arms which are yieldably urged into position for supporting the sign. The rigid extension arms will bend with a predetermined wing load on the sign to facilitate spilling of wind past the sign. Means is provided which will prevent bending of the sign beyond a predetermined amount when wind is being spilled by the sign. 
     Yet another example is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,777,428 to Caufield et al. which discloses a signal apparatus for emergency use. The signal apparatus comprises a panel signal wherein panels incorporated therein are constructed to facilitate wind spillage in a manner such as to preclude the panel signal structure from tipping or blowing over in the presence of excessive wind pressures. 
     Hence, there is a need in the art for a resilient road sign which is able to withstand weathering by the elements or acting upon by other forces and maintain its original shape. The resilient road sign of the present invention serves as a rigid permanent or semi permanent resilient road sign that can be struck by snow, wind, vehicles or any other force, bend and resiliently spring back to its original form. There is also a need for a method of manufacturing a resilient road sign in which the resilient road sign is constructed from economical materials and easily assembled into the finished product. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     A resilient road sign having a center member adapted for attachment to a support member and left and right wings resiliently attached to the center member. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 shows a frontal view of the resilient road sign of the present invention. 
     FIG. 2 shows a top perspective view of the resilient road sign of FIG.  1 . 
     FIG. 3 shows a rear view of the resilient road sign of FIG.  1 . 
     FIGS. 4 a - 4   e  show a method of manufacturing the resilient road sign of FIG.  1 . 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     Those of ordinary skill in the art will realize that the following description of the present invention is illustrative only and not in any way limiting. Other embodiments of the present invention will readily suggest themselves to such skilled persons. 
     FIG. 1 discloses a resilient road sign. Resilient road sign  10  has a rigid center member  12  having a front surface  13  and a back surface  15 , a right wing  14  having a front surface  17  and a back surface  19  and a left wing  16  having a front surface  21  and a back surface  23 . Rigid center member  12 , right wing  14  and left wing  16  have written indicia  25  on the front surfaces  13 ,  17 ,  21 , which designates the message portion of the sign. Rigid center member  12 , right wing  14  and left wing  16  may be made out of any rigid material known in the art to be useful for such purposes such as 080, .100 o .125 5052-h38 conversion coated or alidined aluminum. 
     FIG. 2 discloses a top view of the resilient sign of the present invention. As disclosed in FIG. 2, rigid center member  12  overlays right wing  14  and left wing  16  by approximately ½ inch to 1 inch. However, depending on the size of the sign, the size of rigid center member  12 , right wing  14  and left wing  16 , the distance by which rigid center member overlaps right wing  14  and left wing  16  can vary greatly. Thus, the distance mentioned above is illustrative only and not meant in any way to be limiting. 
     As shown in FIG. 2, a rigid center strength member  18  having a front surface and rear surface is positioned at the center back surface of rigid center member  12  such that the rear surface of rigid center member  12  is adjacent to the front surface of rigid center strength member  18 . Rigid center strength member  18  may be approximately 1 inch wide and the length of rigid strength center member  18  corresponds to the length of resilient road sign  10 . As stated above, depending on the size of resilient road sign  10 , the width of rigid center strength member  18  can vary greatly. Thus, the width mentioned above is illustrative only and not meant in any way to be limiting. 
     Referring still to FIG. 2, adhered to and extending across the entire surface of right wing  14 , rigid center strength member  18  and left wing  16  may be a resilient material  20 . Resilient material  20  can be made from any resilient material such as Lexan 8A35 and other like materials. Resilient material  20  connects right wing  14 , rigid center strength member  18  and left wing  16 . Resilient material  20  is adhered to right wing  14 , rigid center strength member  18  and left wing  16  by any adhesives known in the art such as super high tack adhesive—either roll type or spray type, which may be highly resistant to detrimental whether conditions. 
     In one aspect of the present invention, a plurality of pieces of resilient material such as Formex GK-40 flame retardant polypropylene or other similar material, illustrated by numerals  22 ,  24  and  26 , are attached approximately to the center of resilient material  20  by a fastener  30 . Fastener  30  can be any type of attachment means such as a screw, bolt, rivet, pin, nail, etc. Fastener  30  provides attachment of rigid center member  12 , rigid center strength member  18 , resilient material  20 , and plurality of resilient material pieces  22 ,  24  and  26 , and pole  28  for placing resilient road sign  10  in the appropriate location. 
     In another aspect of the present invention, springs, such as leaf springs may be used instead of or together with resilient material  20  and the plurality of resilient materials pieces  22 ,  24  and  26 . Further, in another embodiment, the sign itself may be comprised of a large leaf spring. 
     In yet another aspect of the invention, the front surface of rigid center member  12 , right wing  14  and left wing  16  and the rear surface of resilient material  20  is covered (coated) with a film (non-stick material) 34  to prevent foreign materials such as snow and ice to stick to the surface of resilient road sign  10  and thus preventing resilient road sign  10  to assume its original state once it has been hit by snow, ice, etc. The non-stick material  34  can be any material known in the art suitable for such purposes such as crystal coat spray coating or Avery Dennison Graphitti film. 
     FIG. 3 discloses a rear view of resilient road sign  10 . As shown in FIG. 3 resilient material  20  covers, not necessarily all, but most of right wing  14  and left wing  16 . The plurality of resilient pieces  22 ,  24  and  26  indicated in FIG. 3 by resilient material piece  26  are attached to resilient road sign  10  and pole  28  by fastener  30 . 
     In yet another aspect of the invention, as shown in FIGS. 4 a  through  4   e , a method of manufacturing the resilient road sign  10  of the present invention is disclosed. As shown in FIG. 4, a method of manufacturing resilient road sign  10  begins with providing rigid center member  12 . Next a rigid center strength member  18  is placed at or near the center of rigid center member  12 . Next right wing  14  is placed at or near the right side of rigid center member  12  overlapping the rigid center member  12 . Next left wing  16  is placed at or near the left side of rigid center member  12  overlapping the rigid center member  12 . 
     Resilient material  20  is the adhered to the rear surface of right wing  14 , left wing  16  and rigid center strength member  18 . Next a plurality of resilient material pieces  22 ,  24  and  26  are placed at or near the center of resilient material  20 . Finally, the plurality of resilient pieces  22 ,  24  and  26 , resilient material  20  rigid center strength member  18  and rigid center member  12  are attached together by fastener  30 . 
     In another method of manufacturing the present invention, springs such as leaf springs may be used instead of or together with resilient material  20  and the plurality of resilient materials pieces  22 ,  24  and  26 . 
     While embodiments and application of this invention have been shown and described, it would be apparent to those skilled in the art that more modifications that mentioned above are possible without departing from the inventive concepts herein. The invention, therefore, is not to be restricted except in the spirit of the appended claims.