Abstract:
In accordance with the present invention, there is provided is a safety marker with an on-board convection fan for marking areas/hazards to be avoided while concurrently producing a convection effect upon the adjacent, surrounding surfaces so as to enhance evaporation of liquids/moisture thereon. Along these lines, the safety marker will not only mitigate risks by allowing for the marking of an area to be avoided, but also, uniquely, by accelerating the elimination of what is most often the root cause of the risk; wetness on the floor.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 61/240,804 entitled SAFETY MARKER WITH INTEGRAL BATTERY OPERATED CONVECTION FAN filed Sep. 9, 2009. 
    
    
     STATEMENT RE: FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH/DEVELOPMENT 
     Not Applicable 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates generally to safety devices and, more particularly, to a safety marker with a convection fan for marking areas to be avoided while concurrently producing a convection effect upon all surrounding floor areas so as to enhance the evaporation of liquids thereon. 
     2. Description of the Related Art 
     Safety markers specifically suited for use on floors or in other prescribed interior or exterior areas have been in use for years. Typically, safety markers are objects used for marking off areas to be temporarily avoided. Currently known safety markers come in various sizes and shapes ranging from small cones to large traffic safety barrels. 
     Three basic types of safety markers are typical for use within and around buildings and other pedestrian based facilities. These include collapsible safety markers which are made of fabric and are collapsible to allow for storage within flat or tubular containers, foldable safety markers which are typically of plastic construction and foldable upon a top mounted hinge to allow for flat storage against a wall, and stackable safety markers which are typically of plastic or rubber construction and are tapered like a cone to enable stacking for efficient storage of multiple markers. 
     Safety markers are typically of a bright color to enhance their visibility. Some have provisions for connecting a sign or a battery operated flashing light to enhance their visibility further. In addition to having a shape and color conducive to drawing attention, most safety markers include written warnings or visual depictions of danger printed on their external surfaces. Such warnings act to communicate the dangers inherent to the area that a safety marker is marking to be avoided. Apart from safety markers used for highway safety applications, safety markers used within and around pedestrian based facilities are most often used for applications involving wet surfaces to be avoided by the public. Wet surfaces (primarily floors) are commonly marked by safety markers in restaurants, grocery stores, factories, shopping malls, and other areas where foot traffic is prevalent and spills may occur. Their purpose is generally to prevent people from coming into contact with the wet surface so as to prevent tracking of the wetness throughout the facility and, more importantly, slips and falls due to the slippery surface caused by the wetness. Accordingly, by reducing the possibility of slips and falls in a facility, the proprietor of such facility will typically reduce their liabilities associated with wet floors and the slips and falls they may cause. 
     One deficiency with conventional safety markers is that they typically do nothing to improve the condition of the area over which they are being used to mark as dangerous. They merely mark or cover the area. In the case of a wetted area being marked, the area will remain wet until evaporation removes the wetness. In this regard, the marker itself does not contribute to the evaporation process in any way. 
     Accordingly, there is a need in the art for a safety marker configured to alert pedestrians of nearby hazards, while at the same time introducing forced convection for drying a wetted area of the underlying surface. These and other advantages attendant to the present invention will be described in more detail below. 
     BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     In accordance with the present invention, there is provided a safety marker with a convection fan for marking areas/hazards to be avoided while concurrently producing a convection effect upon the adjacent surfaces (e.g., floors) so as to enhance evaporation of liquids/moisture thereon. Along these lines, the safety marker will not only mitigate risks by allowing for the marking of an area to be avoided, but also, uniquely, by accelerating the elimination of what is most often the root cause of the risk, i.e., wetness on the floor. 
     According to one implementation, the safety marker includes a portable housing having a fluid intake and a fluid exhaust, wherein the housing is configured to be disposable on a surface having a hazard and/or a wetted area. A convection fan is disposable within the housing and is configured to direct fluid radially outward to dry the wetted surface. 
     The portable housing may include an upper body and a lower body selectively engageable with the upper body. The lower body may include a base and a plurality of inlet fins extending from the base, wherein the inlet fins are sized and configured to align the upper body with the lower body and to frictionally engage with the upper body. The fluid intake may be formed by a space between the upper body and the lower body base, while the fluid exhaust may be formed by a space between the base and the underlying support surface. A plurality of exhaust fins may be disposed between the base and the support surface to facilitate a more even air distribution across the support surface. 
     The fan may be powered by a rechargeable battery. The battery may be disposed within a battery receptacle coupled to the upper body and electrically connectable with the fan via an internal wire. When the power within the battery is drained, the battery may be recharged by a battery charger having the wiring and transformer needed for converting AC power from a conventional wall outlet to the DC power generally required to charge the battery. 
     Another implementation of the present invention is directed toward a drying unit configured for use with a conventional safety marker. The drying unit includes a base and a fan connected to the base to create a fluid flow. The drying unit is configured to engage with and support a conventional safety marker to perform the dual functionality of alerting nearby pedestrians of potential hazards while concurrently drying an adjacent wetted area to mitigate risk of a slip and fall injury. 
     The present invention is best understood by reference to the following detailed description when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       These, as well as other features of the present invention, will become more apparent upon reference to the drawings wherein: 
         FIG. 1  is a top perspective view of a portable safety marker and drying device for marking a hazard and drying a liquid disposed on a surface; 
         FIG. 2  is an exploded top perspective view of the portable safety marker and drying device depicted in  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 3  is an enlarged view of an upper portion of the portable safety marker and drying device depicting a battery receptacle and removable battery engageable therewith; 
         FIG. 4  is a top perspective view of the battery shown in  FIG. 3  and a corresponding battery charger; 
         FIG. 5  is a top perspective view of a second embodiment of a portable safety marker and drying device including a plurality of casters to facilitate movement of the marker; 
         FIG. 6  is a top perspective, partial cutaway view of a third embodiment of a portable safety marker and drying device including a battery connectable directly to a fan; 
         FIG. 7  is a top perspective, partial cutaway view of a fourth embodiment of a portable safety marker and drying device including a single housing body; 
         FIG. 8  is a top perspective view of a sixth embodiment of a portable safety marker and drying device; 
         FIG. 9  is an exploded top perspective view of the portable safety marker and drying device depicted in  FIG. 8 ; 
         FIG. 10  is a top perspective view of a fifth embodiment of a portable safety marker and drying device including a portion formed from a collapsible and breathable material; and 
         FIG. 11  is an exploded top perspective view of the portable safety marker and drying device depicted in  FIG. 10 . 
     
    
    
     Common reference numerals are used throughout the drawings and detailed description to indicate like elements. 
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     Referring now to the drawings, wherein the showings are for purposes of illustrating preferred embodiments of the present invention, and not for purposes of limiting the same, there is shown in  FIGS. 1 and 2  a portable safety marker drying device  10  for marking the location of a hazard on a surface  11 , such as a wet surface  11 , wherein the safety marker drying device  10  is additionally configured to dry the surface  11  to reduce the likelihood of injury which may be caused by the wet surface  11 , i.e., a slip and fall. The safety marker drying device  10  is believed to be more desirable than conventional markers because the device  10  is configured to create a fluid flow to dry the wet surface  11  via convection. Therefore, the device  10  may be placed on the wet surface  11  to not only alert pedestrians of the presence of liquid on the surface  11 , but also to direct air over the surface  11  to more quickly dry the wet surface  11 . 
     Referring now specifically to  FIGS. 1-3 , there is depicted a first embodiment of the safety marker drying device  10  including a portable housing  12  comprised of an upper body  14  and a lower body  16 . The device  10  further includes a fan  18  disposable within the portable housing  12  to generate the drying force. In this regard, the housing  12  defines a fluid flow path where air is supplied to the fan  18  and is then exhausted from the housing  12  over the surface  11  to dry liquid disposed thereon. In this regard, air is exhausted from the housing  12  in a plane substantially parallel to the surface  11 . 
     The upper body  14  may be configured to define a variety of shapes and sizes; however, in the embodiment shown in  FIGS. 1-3 , the upper body  14  has a generally frusto-conical shape defining and thus disposed about an upper axis  15  (see  FIG. 2 ). The upper body  14  includes a first end portion  20  and an opposing second end portion  22 , and also defines a hollow interior chamber  23  (see  FIG. 2 ) extending between the first end portion  20  and the second end portion  22 . The diameter of the upper body increases from the first end portion  20  toward the second end portion  22 , with the second end portion  22  including a cylindrical collar  25  that is of substantially uniform diameter. The device  10  is configured to be disposable on the surface  11  to assume an upright configuration wherein the first end portion  20  is disposed further from the surface  11  than the second end portion  22 . 
     The upper body  14  may be configured to alert nearby pedestrians of hazards present on the surface  11 . In this regard, the upper body  14  may be of a bright color (orange/yellow) or include wording (i.e., “CAUTION” or “WET SURFACE”), symbols, or other indicia displayed on an exterior surface thereof to denote nearby hazards. 
     According to one implementation, the upper body  14  is configured to be removably engageable with the lower body  16 . The lower body  16  includes a base  24  defining and thus disposed about a lower axis  27  (see  FIG. 2 ). The lower body  16  also defines a first end portion  26  and an opposing second end portion  28 , as well as a hollow interior chamber  30  extending between the first end portion  26  and the second end portion  28 . The base  24  defines an arcuate (e.g., concave) surface which circumvents the lower axis  27  and extends between the first end portion  26  and the second end portion  28 , wherein the arcuate surface has an outer diameter which increases from the first end portion  26  toward the second end portion  28 . The outer diameter of the first end portion  26  of the lower body  16  is preferably smaller than the outer diameter of the second end portion  22  of the upper body  14  to allow a portion of the lower body  16  to be received into the upper body  14 . Along these lines, the outer diameter of the second end portion  28  of the lower body  16  is preferably larger than the outer diameter of the upper body  14  to provide stable support for the upper body  14 . 
     The housing  12  defines a fluid intake  32  and a fluid exhaust  34  to create a fluid flow for drying the liquid disposed on the underlying surface  11 . Air is drawn into the housing  12  through the fluid intake  32  and is expelled from the housing  12  through the fluid exhaust  34  to dry the surface  11 . In the embodiment shown in  FIGS. 1-2 , the fluid intake  32  is defined by a gap between the base  24  and the upper body  14 . Disposed within this gap is a plurality of inlet fins  36  which extend from the arcuate surface of the base  24  in a direction generally parallel to the lower axis  27 . The inlet fins  36  are disposed in spaced relation to each other (preferably at equidistant intervals) and frictionally engage with the upper body  14  to align and secure the upper body  14  to the lower body  16 . As is best depicted in  FIG. 2 , the inlet fins  36  preferably extend above an upper edge  38  of the base  24  to collectively define a containment area for the fan  18 , as described in more detail below. 
     The fluid exhaust  34  is in fluid communication with the fluid intake  32  via the hollow interior  30  of the base  24 , and is defined by a gap or space between the base  24  and the surface  11  upon which the device  10  is positioned. Disposed within such gap is a plurality of exhaust fins  40  which protrude from a lower surface of the base  24 . Like the fins  36 , the fins  40  extend from the base  24  in a direction generally parallel to the lower axis  27 . The fins  40  are disposed in spaced relation to each other (preferably at equidistant intervals) and are sized and arranged to be rested directly upon the surface  11  to support the base  24  in spaced relation to such surface  11 . In this regard, the fins  40  preferably each include a distal edge or surface, such distal surfaces residing on a common plane. The fins  40  additionally facilitate a more even air distribution over the underlying surface  11  when the device  10  is in operation. 
     In an exemplary embodiment, the upper body  14  and lower body  16  have a combined height of approximately 24-36 inches, although those of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that the upper and lower bodies  14 ,  16  may be of other sizes without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. Furthermore, the upper body  14  and lower body  16  are preferably formed from an injection molded plastic; however, other materials may be used without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. In addition, the upper body  14  and/or the lower body  16  may be configured to enable stacking of a plurality of upper bodies  14  of identical or approximate shape. 
     The fan  18  of the device  10  is disposed within the containment area defined by the plurality of inlet fins  36 . As such, as viewed from the perspective shown in  FIG. 2 , the fan  18  resides on top of the base  24 . The fan  18  has an outer diameter smaller than the diameter of the second end portion  28  of the base  24 , the outer ends of the fins  40  terminating at and being substantially flush with the second end portion  28 . In this respect, the outer diameter of the fan  18  is preferably substantially equal to the outer diameter of the base  24  at the upper edge  38  such that when the fan  18  is disposed within the containment area, the outer surface of the fan is substantially flush with the upper end portion  26  of the base  24 . A screen or wire mesh  42  may extend across the upper end portion  26  to cover one end of the hollow interior  30  to support the fan  18  and to prevent external objects from making contact with the outlet side of the fan  18 . The fan  18  may be connected to the housing  12  via mechanical fasteners such as screws, rivets, and the like. 
     The fan  18  is configured to create the above-described fluid flow through the housing  12 . In this regard, when the fan  18  is on, fluid (air) is drawn into the housing  12  though the fluid intake  32 . The fan  18  pulls air into the hollow interior  23  of the upper body  14  and forces the air out through the hollow interior  30  of the lower body  16  where it exits through the fluid exhaust  34 . The fan  18  may be operable at different speeds to create convection forces at different magnitudes. 
     According to one implementation, the fan  18  is powered by battery to allow for remote positioning of the device  10  (i.e., the fan  18  does not need to be plugged into a wall outlet; although it is contemplated that other embodiments of the fan  18  may include a power cord that is pluggable into a wall outlet to receive power). Therefore, the device  10  includes a battery receptacle  44  electrically connectable with the fan  18  and engageable with a rechargeable battery  46 . The battery receptacle  44  includes a neck  49  configured to extend partially into the hollow interior  23  of the upper body  14  to secure the battery receptacle  44  adjacent the first end portion  20  thereof. The battery receptacle  44  defines a cavity  47  which is sized to receive and engage with a complimentary stem  49  formed on the rechargeable battery  46 . The cavity  47  includes internal electrical contacts which mate with external electrical contacts on the stem  49  when the battery  46  is connected to the battery receptacle  44 . The battery  46  may include a finger actuated, spring-loaded retainer  43  to secure the battery  46  to the receptacle  44 . Actuating the retainer  43  disengages the battery  46  from the receptacle  44  allowing a user to remove the battery  46  from the receptacle  44 . 
     The battery  46  may be configured to supply power to the fan  18  upon engagement with the battery receptacle  44 . In this regard, the battery  46  may continuously supply power to fan  18  until the power is completely drained from the battery  46  or until the battery  46  is disengaged from the receptacle  44 . Alternatively, the battery receptacle  44  may include an ON/OFF switch for controlling the operation of the fan  18 . Additionally, the battery receptacle  44  may be equipped with a variable speed control switch allowing for the creation of convection forces of different magnitudes via the fan  18 . A wire  50  extends internally between the battery receptacle  44  and the fan  18  to communicate power from the battery receptacle  44  to the fan  18 . 
     Referring now specifically to  FIGS. 3 and 4 , the battery receptacle  44  preferably includes one or more battery charge indicator LED lights  48  to provide a visual indication as to the power level or strength of the battery  46 . When the power level is low, the battery  46  may be disengaged from the battery receptacle  44  and connected with a power charger  51  to recharge the battery  46 , as described in more detail below. The power charger  51  includes a cavity  53  sized to receive and engage with the stem  49  to recharge the battery  46 , as well as a cord  55  to plug the charger  51  into a wall outlet to receive power therefrom. The charger  51  incorporates the wiring and transformer needed for converting AC power from a wall outlet to DC power required to charge the battery  46 . Charger indicator lights  57  indicate the power level of the battery  46  as it is getting charged. When the battery  46  is completely charged, it may be removed from the charger  51  and replaced on the battery receptacle  44 . While the battery  46  is being charged by the power charger  51 , a battery backup may be connected to the receptacle  44  to provide power to the fan  18 . 
     According to one embodiment, the device  10  may include a timer in operative communication with the LED lights  48  to illuminate the LEDs  48  for a specified period of time. For instance, if a particular floor (i.e., a bathroom floor) is routinely cleaned or mopped, the cleaning staff may know that it takes a certain period of time for that floor to dry (i.e., fifteen minutes). Therefore, the timer may be set for fifteen minutes to illuminate the LEDs  48  for alerting nearby pedestrians that the floor is wet. The timer may be powered by the battery  46  when the battery is coupled to the battery receptacle  44 . 
     Referring now to  FIG. 6 , it is also contemplated that the battery receptacle  44  may be integrated directly into the fan  18  to eliminate the need of an external cord extending between the battery  46  and the fan  18 . Furthermore, this configuration may advantageously conceal the battery  46  if there is a concern that the battery  46  may be tampered with. 
     Referring now back to  FIG. 5 , it is contemplated that the safety marker drying device  10  may include structural features intended to facilitate the movement of the device  10 . It is contemplated that the weight of the device is small enough to allow a single person to lift and carry the device; however, the size and shape of the device  10  may make it difficult to complete such a task. Therefore, certain embodiments may include structural features to facilitate movement of the device  10  without carrying the device. For instance, the device  10  may include one or more wheels or castors  60  connected to the housing  12  to allow a user to roll the device  10  along a surface. The castors  60  may be of the swivel construction type and coupled to the underside of the outer diameter of the second end portion  28  of the lower body  16 , and in particular the base  24  thereof. While the use of a plurality of casters  60  allows for movement of the device  10  across the surface  11 , the use of casters  60  having a predetermined resistance to rotation or having a locking mechanism integral to their design may be included to maintain the device  10  in a desired position. Alternatively, a separate braking device that is not integrated to the casters  60  may be included to maintain the device  10  in a desired position. As seen in  FIG. 5 , the device  10  may additionally include a handle  52  to provide a location where a user may easily grip the device  10  for movement thereof. As depicted in the drawings, the handle  52  is connected to the battery  46 ; however, it is understood that the handle  52  may be connected to other portions of the device  10 , such as the upper body  14  or the battery receptacle  44 , without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. 
     Referring now to  FIG. 7 , there is depicted another embodiment of the safety marker drying device  110  including a single, unitary housing  112 . In this regard, the primary distinction between the device  110 , and the device  10  discussed above, is that the device  10  includes a housing  12  having an upper body  14  and a separate lower body  16 , whereas the device  110  is comprised of only the housing  112 . The housing  112  includes an upper end portion  115  and an opposing lower end portion  117 . A flange  119  may be disposed about the lower end portion  117  to provide stability and support. The housing  112  defines both a fluid intake  116  and a fluid exhaust  118  in fluid communication with the fluid intake  116  to facilitate fluid flow through the device  110 . The fluid intake  116  is formed by a series of slots extending through the housing  112  into fluid communication with the hollow interior thereof. The fluid exhaust  118  is defined by a space or gap disposed between the housing  112  and the surface upon which the housing  112  is positioned. A plurality of exhaust fins  120  having structural and functional characteristics mirroring those of the fins  40  described above in relation to the device  10  may be coupled to the housing  112  to dispose the housing  112  in spaced relation to the underlying support surface to define the fluid exhaust  118 . 
     A fan  114  is disposed within the interior of the housing  112 , and in the intended path of fluid flow therethrough, such that the fluid intake  116  is disposed upstream of the fan  114  and the fluid exhaust  118  is disposed downstream of the fan  114 . The housing  112  may include tabs, a flange, a shelf, etc., against which the fan  114  may be coupled. The fan  114  may be battery operated, similar to the fan  18  discussed above. 
     Referring now to  FIGS. 8-9 , there is shown a further embodiment of the safety marker drying device  210  which is specifically configured to integrate a conventional safety marker  212  therein. In this regard, the device  210  includes a drying unit  214  upon which a conventional safety marker  212  may be placed. The drying unit  214  includes a base  216  and a plurality of inlet fins  218  configured to engage with the conventional safety marker  212  to dispose the safety marker  212  in spaced relation to the base  216 . In this regard, the inlet fins  218  collectively define a surface configured to support the safety marker  212 . The space or gap between the safety marker  212  and the base  216  defines a fluid intake  215 . The drying unit  214  is configured to dispose the base  216  in spaced relation to the underlying support surface to define a fluid exhaust  217 . The drying unit  214  may include one or more casters  222  or fins like the above-described fins  40  to maintain the base  216  in spaced relation to the underlying support surface. The casters  222  may facilitate movement of the device  210 . The fluid intake  215  and fluid exhaust  217  are in fluid communication with each other. In this regard, the base  216  may include an opening to facilitate such fluid communication. 
     A fan  220  is connected to the base  216  to draw air through the fluid intake  215  and to force air through the fluid exhaust  217  upon the engagement of the safety marker  212  to the base  216 . However, it is understood that the fan  220  and base  216  are able to draw air through the unobstructed fluid intake zone  219  above the fan  215  and to force air through the fluid exhaust  217  even without engagement of the safety marker  212  to the base  216 , thus allowing for the drying unit  214  to be similarly integrated to other items such as a mop bucket or cart. The inlet fins  218  may define a containment area within which the fan  220  may be placed. The fan  220  may be battery powered, as described in detail above. 
     The base  216  may include one or more LED battery indicator lights  225  to indicate the power level of the battery. As such, when the battery is connected to the fan  220 , the battery is additionally placed in electrical communication with the base  216  to allow the base  216  to provide a visual indication of the power level of the battery. 
     Referring now to  FIGS. 10 and 11 , there is depicted an additional embodiment of the safety marker drying device  310  including a breathable safety marker  312  and a drying unit  314 . The breathable marker  312  is formed from a breathable fabric shell  316  (i.e., nylon) and a spring-loaded, collapsible, spiraling conical wire frame  318 . In this regard, the breathable marker  312  may be disposed in a deployed position (as shown in  FIGS. 10  and  11 ) as well as a collapsed position to facilitate storage or transport thereof. The drying unit  314  includes a base  320  having a fan  322  connected thereto. The drying unit  314  is similar to the drying unit  214  discussed above. The fan  322  is configured to draw air through the breathable fabric shell  316  and force air through an exhaust  325  disposed between the base  320  and the surface upon which the base  320  is supported. A plurality of fins  324  are connected to the base  320  and define a containment area within which the fan  322  is positioned. The fins  324  may also be configured to facilitate the frictional engagement with the breathable marker  312 . A plurality of castors  326  may be connected to a base  320  to facilitate movement thereof. 
     This disclosure provides exemplary embodiments of the present invention. The scope of the present invention is not limited by this exemplary embodiment. Numerous variations, whether explicitly provided for by the specification or implied by the specification, such as variations in structure, dimension, type of material and manufacturing process may be implemented by one of skill in the art in view of this disclosure.