Abstract:
A plurality of reflector devices each having a reflective element, the reflector devices embeddable in the roadway of an off ramp, or in the curbing of an off ramp, and/or in the guardrails adjacent an off ramp or other one way street, the reflector warning system providing a visible alarm or alert to a driver in day or night conditions or low visibility that the driver has mistakenly or inadvertently turned his vehicle onto and is proceeding up an off ramp or other road way to another intersecting highway, and as such will encounter oncoming opposing traffic such that the driver can stop, reverse, and correct the mistake. The reflector devices embedded in the roadway depending upon their spacing will also provide a significantly tactile feedback to the driver that he is proceeding in the wrong direction by causing a vibration to the tires which is transmittable to the steering wheel.

Description:
RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    Applicant claims the benefit of provisional application Ser. No. 61/278,005, filed Oct. 2, 2009. 
     
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    1. Field of the Invention 
         [0003]    The present invention relates to roadway intersections and vehicular traffic, and in particular to a permanent or portable warning system providing visual and harsh tactile feedback to a driver that the driver is mistakenly proceeding in a traffic lane dedicated to traffic traveling in the opposing direction. 
         [0004]    2. Description of the Prior Art 
         [0005]    Drivers of vehicles encounter various traffic patterns every time they are behind the wheel. In many instances, one of these driving patterns is a one way street in an urban area, or perhaps a one way lane in a multi-story parking structure. Still further, various roadways as interstate highways are divided and have a plurality of on and off ramps for access thereto. The one thing in common with all of these one lane roadways, lanes, or the like, is that they eventually intersect with another roadway which may or may not be one way, but which allows a driver and vehicle on that intersecting roadway the possibility of entering the one way roadway or street either correctly or against opposing traffic. 
         [0006]    Applicant&#39;s invention has application to all of these situations where one encounters a one way road, street, or thoroughfare or private lane. It has particular safety implications with respect to on/off ramps associated with limited access, multi-lane divided highways. Therefore, while Applicant&#39;s invention will be described with particular attention to the on/off ramps, it will be recognized by those of ordinary skill in the art that Applicant&#39;s invention can also be utilized and installed with respect to one way streets, avenues, or lanes, and as temporary or permanent speed deterrents at accident scenes, or vulnerable streets. The intersection of roadways present a variety of different traffic control mechanisms to control the flow and turning of traffic. A simply rural intersection of two, two lane roads may present opposing stop signs on one of the roads, possibly a 4-way stop, or further possibly a yellow blinking light, or red blinking light, or perhaps a stop light signal (red, green, yellow). In urban areas, the use of stop signs and full traffic light signals (red, green, yellow) are more commonplace. 
         [0007]    The intersection of major roadways such as interstate highways, are normally constructed with large, sweeping on and off ramps to control the flow of traffic and allow the drivers to change interstates, and change directions without interrupting the flow of traffic. These types of intersections are commonly referred to as cloverleafs, and the long sweeping ramps are designed to guide vehicles from one interstate roadway to another interstate roadway, and into the direction which the driver wishes to proceed. These long sweeping ramps are normally designed to allow the vehicles to merge off of one interstate, follow the long sweeping ramp, and merge into the intersection interstate in the direction which the driver wishes to travel. Due to their merging qualities, it is very difficult for a driver to mistakenly proceed in the wrong direction up an off ramp and into opposing traffic. 
         [0008]    However, there are many intersections where the off ramp and the on ramp connecting a secondary street to a major highway are adjacent to each other and these type of ramps require the driver to make a 90 degree turn from the secondary street onto the respective on ramp in order to gain access to the major thoroughfare. As previously stated, in many instances, this on ramp is immediately adjacent the off ramp which intersects the secondary road and which off ramp requires a vehicle exiting the major highway to come to a stop at a “T” intersection before proceeding. 
         [0009]    In normal daylight hours and in normal traffic conditions, a driver can usually visually discern the difference between an off ramp and an on ramp because of the high volume of traffic and its direction of flow. However, in times of low traffic volume or decreased visibility such as at night, or in situations where the driver is unfamiliar with the territory or becomes confused and disoriented, it is very possible and has frequently occurred that such a driver will make a 90 degree turn onto the off ramp as opposed to the on ramp, and proceed in this direction in opposition to the correct flow of traffic and may not realize the mistake which has been made until the errant driver is facing head on traffic with possible calamitous results. 
         [0010]    These T-intersection off ramps and on ramps are most often marked with a sign on the off ramp which indicates to the driver that if the driver has turned into the off ramp, he is proceeding the wrong way. As previously stated during periods of high volume traffic and day light hours, such a sign may be easily seen or the off ramp may be easily discerned from the flow of traffic. However, at night, in times of low traffic volume or low visibility, these wrong way signs are often overlooked or not seen. 
         [0011]    There therefore has been a need for a warning system which is inexpensive and which can be established in the off ramp roadway or adjacent thereto to provide a visual and tactile indicator to a driver that he has mistakenly positioned his vehicle in a lane which will place him in opposition to oncoming traffic. Such a system would immediately warn the driver of the situation so as to cause the driver to correct the mistake without proceeding onto what could become a dangerous or life threatening situation for the driver as well as for oncoming traffic. Applicant&#39;s device would provide such a visual and uncomfortably tactile indicator and depending upon the size and spacing of Applicant&#39;s device, would also provide a tactile indicator causing a tire impact transmittable to the steering wheel. 
       OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION 
       [0012]    An object of the present invention is to provide a novel visual and tactile warning system for embodiment in the center of the roadway and random placement in the roadway of an off ramp or positioned adjacent the roadway in the curb or guard rail, which provides a visual and disturbingly tactile warning to a driver that the driver is proceeding in a direction where he will encounter opposing traffic. 
         [0013]    Another object of the present invention is to provide for a novel warning system which is easily installed and requires minimal upkeep. 
         [0014]    A still further object of the present invention is to provide for a novel warning system for a driver proceeding a wrong way against traffic which will immediately notify the driver of his mistake and allow him to correct the situation. 
         [0015]    A still further object of the present invention is to provide for a novel warning system for a driver proceeding a wrong way against traffic which will tactilely warn the driver of his mistake as the wheels of his vehicle encounter the warning devices and transmit an uncomfortable impact to the steering wheel. 
         [0016]    A still further object of the present invention is to provide for a novel warning device which may be permanently implanted preferably into the roadway, or curb, or adjacent guardrail to warn a driver that he is traveling in the wrong direction on a ramp. 
         [0017]    A still further object of the present invention is to provide for a novel warning system which is portable and which may be disbursed by police departments or construction crews to transmit a visual and/or tactile warning to drivers passing through a construction site or possible accident scene. 
         [0018]    A still further object of the present invention is to provide the vertical, or near vertical, section of the speed bump with a highly reflective surface, and the word “STOP” in reflective red bold letters against this reflective surface. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0019]    A plurality of reflector devices each having a reflective element, the reflector devices embeddable in the roadway of an off ramp, or in the curbing of an off ramp, and/or in the guardrails adjacent an off ramp or other one way street, the reflector warning system providing a visible alarm or alert to a driver in day or night conditions or low visibility that the driver has mistakenly or inadvertently turned his vehicle onto and is proceeding up an off ramp or other road way to another intersecting highway, and as such will encounter oncoming opposing traffic such that the driver can stop, reverse, and correct the mistake. The reflector devices embedded in the roadway depending upon their spacing will also provide a significantly tactile feedback to the driver that he is proceeding in the wrong direction by causing a severe jolting to the tires which is transmittable to the steering wheel, causing the driver to reduce speed and determine that the vehicle is proceeding in the wrong direction. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0020]    These and other objects of the present invention will become apparent, particularly when taken in light of the following illustrations wherein: 
           [0021]      FIG. 1  is a top view of a typical roadway intersection in which the on ramps and off ramps of a major thoroughfare intersect with a secondary road at a T-intersection, which type of intersection presents the problems addressed herein; 
           [0022]      FIG. 2  is a side cross-section view of a reflector device of a warning system of the present invention; 
           [0023]      FIG. 3  is a top view of a reflector device of the warning system of the present invention; 
           [0024]      FIG. 4  is a front view of a reflector device of the warning system of the present invention; 
           [0025]      FIG. 5  is a perspective view of an off ramp of  FIG. 1  illustrating the alternative placements of the warning system illustrated in  FIGS. 2 ,  3 , and  4 ; 
           [0026]      FIG. 6  is a perspective view of a second embodiment of a reflector device of the warning system designed to be embedded in a roadway; and 
           [0027]      FIG. 7  is a perspective view of a roadway incorporating the reflector element of the warning system of  FIG. 6 . 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0028]      FIG. 1  is an overhead view of the typical roadway intersection which involves the use of on ramps and off ramps and which is exemplary of the situation which Applicant&#39;s invention would solve. 
         [0029]    In the  FIG. 1  hypothetical situation, a major thoroughfare  10  traverses north to south with a central divider  12  and multiple lanes in both the north direction  14  and the south direction  16 . A secondary road  20  traverses east/west, and is an undivided highway having at least one lane  21  and  22  in each direction but possibly multiple lanes in each direction with centrally disposed turn lanes. Engineers and planners wish to provide a means for traffic on the secondary roadway  20  to ingress the major overhead thoroughfare  10  traversing north/south. This is typically done with a plurality of on and off ramps. In the present situation, people on the secondary road traveling either east or west, and wishing to enter the southbound roadway  16  of the major thoroughfare  10  would either make a right turn if traveling east, or a left turn if traveling west, at location A in order to enter the on ramp  24  to the south bound lane  16 . 
         [0030]    Traffic on the secondary road  20  wishing to enter the northbound lane  14  of the major thoroughfare  10  would make either a left hand turn if traveling west, or a right hand turn if traveling east onto on ramp  26  at C in order to access the northbound lane  14  of major thoroughfare  10 . 
         [0031]    Those vehicles traveling on major thoroughfare  10  in either the north or south direction may wish to exit major thoroughfare  10  in order to access secondary road  20 . The traffic in the southbound lane  16  is accomplished by an off ramp  28  which directs traffic off of the southbound lane  16  and down to a T-intersection B with secondary road  20 . The T-intersection B will result in a full stop for the exiting vehicle and possibly a response to a traffic control device before proceeding. 
         [0032]    Northbound traffic  14  on the major thoroughfare  10  would have a more direct exit ramp  30  allowing the vehicle to merge off to the right side of the northbound lane  14  and enter the off ramp  30  again ending in a T-intersection D with the secondary road, the vehicle being subject to a full stop and possible traffic control mechanisms such as lights. 
         [0033]    The particular traffic pattern described works well for individuals familiar with the intersection, and familiar with the traffic patterns. It may present some problems to the uninitiated, but these are easily alleviated, particularly in daylight hours when one can observe the flow of traffic and determine which streets are one way and which streets are opposing directions. 
         [0034]    However, the situation presents dangerous consequences in times of low traffic volume, low visibility, darkness, and inclement weather, coupled with the driver&#39;s possible unfamiliarity with the area or inattention. In such a situation, a car traveling west on secondary road  20  or a car traveling east on secondary road  20  wishing to enter either the northbound or southbound lanes of the major overhead thoroughfare  10 , may miss the on ramp entrances  24  and  26  and mistakenly turn into what are the off ramps  28  and  30  from the major thoroughfare  10 . Normally there would be a sign at the intersection of these off ramps  28  and  30  with the secondary road at locations B and D which would warn the driver with the admonition “WRONG WAY”. However, at night, in low visibility situations, in low traffic volume situations, and in situations where the driver is not completely familiar with the traffic patterns, those drivers on the east/west secondary road  20  may mistakenly make a turn into the off ramp  28  and  30  of the major thoroughfare  10  and find themselves heading directly into oncoming traffic, if not on the off ramp  28  and  30 , on the major thoroughfare  10  once they merge into the lane heading in the wrong direction and into opposing traffic. 
         [0035]      FIG. 1  illustrates but one traffic pattern in which the dangerous situation which Applicant seeks to address could occur. It will be recognized by those of ordinary skill in the art, that the apparatus described herein, can have application to any traffic pattern or situation in which a particular road, street, lane or pattern is designed for one way direction traffic, and Applicant&#39;s apparatus would serve as a visual and physical alarm and alert to a vehicle who had mistakenly entered such a one way thoroughfare in the wrong direction. 
         [0036]      FIG. 2  is a side cross-sectional view of the reflector device  50  of the warning system of the present invention,  FIG. 3  is a top view, and  FIG. 4  is a front view. The reflector device  50  includes a housing member  52  preferably of solid one piece construction of either high density polymer or metal or of recycled tires. The housing member  52  includes a base wall  54 , and an acutely angled top wall  56  which intersects with base wall  54  and sidewalls  55  and  57 . Front wall  58  defines a recessed slot  60  within which a reflective element  62  is positioned and maintained, either by an adhesive on its rear wall  64 , or by means of overlapping lips  66  and  68  integrally formed with the housing member  52 . The reflector device  50  is illustrated in  FIG. 2  is positioned on a roadway  28  or  30 . The normal flow of traffic on roadway  28  or  30  is indicated by the arrow  70 . The reflector devices  50  are positioned in the roadway such that they present little obstruction or resistance to the flow of traffic in that its acutely angled upper face provides a non-resistant path to a vehicle tire, should a vehicle tire pass over the reflector device  50 . The reflective element  62 , is not visible to traffic traveling on the roadway in the correct direction. The reflective element  62  is visible only to vehicles which mistakenly enter the roadway heading in a direction opposite to that indicated by arrow  70 , and since the multiplicity and placement cause bumping and shock, the reflective element  62  and reflector device  50  provides a visual and physical alarm in the form of wheel impact to alert to the driver that he is traveling in the wrong direction on this particularly roadway. 
         [0037]    The reflector device  50  can be secured to the roadway in one of many various procedures. As illustrated in  FIG. 2 , the bottom wall  54  of the housing member, is formed with a plurality of depending legs  72  and  74  which can be physically embedded into the macadam or concrete roadway. Alternatively, the housing member could be secured to the surface of the roadway by means of an adhesive layer  76 , or the adhesive layer could be used in combination with the depending legs  72  and  74 . 
         [0038]    In one embodiment, the multiple numbers of reflector devices  50  could be positioned and/or embedded in the roadway, in the middle of the roadway, providing an errant driver with a straight line of reflective elements  62 . However, the reflector devices  50  could be placed in the roadway in the random manner, as illustrated in  FIG. 5 . The reflector devices  50  could also be positioned in the roadway in locations to unmistakably optimize their possibility of being in the tire path of an errant vehicle. In this situation the errant vehicle is subjected not only to a visual alarm, but a sudden physical alarm as the wheels of the vehicle are engaging the reflector devices  50  on its forward more angular face whereas traffic falling in the correct direction would engage the shallower angle of the rear face (see  FIG. 5 ). 
         [0039]    As an alternative or supplemental placement of the reflector devices  50 , they may be installed on the curbs  80  which define the edges of the roadway  28 . In  FIG. 5  the reflector devices  50  are illustrated as being secured to the inner vertical wall  82  of the curb or on the top horizontal surface  84  of the curb. Since most headlights on vehicles are biased toward the right hand curb, reflector devices  50  mounted thereon would supplement those positioned in the roadway. 
         [0040]    Finally, if the roadway in question were protected by a guardrail  90 , the reflector devices  50  could also be secured to the road facing surface of the guardrail  90 . The positioning on the guardrail could be achieved by the adhesive as used on the roadway or curbs, or alternatively, the depending legs of housing member  52  could be threaded so as to pass through apertures in the guardrail and be secured by a threaded nut or fastener on the reverse side as illustrated in  FIG. 4 . 
         [0041]    In all instances, the reflector device  50  would be installed in the same orientation as described with respect to  FIGS. 2 ,  3 , and  4 , such that a driver traveling in the correct direction on the roadway would not see the reflective element and would thus proceed as normal. The driver and vehicle that had mistakenly entered the roadway traveling in the wrong direction would immediately be subject to the reflection of the reflective element  62  and if mounted in the roadway, a tire impact alerting the driver he had mistakenly or errantly entered a one way street or ramp in the wrong direction. 
         [0042]      FIG. 6  is a perspective view of a second embodiment of a reflector device  50 A of the present invention. The reflector device is similar to that of the warning element or reflector device illustrated in  FIGS. 2 ,  3 , and  4 , in that it includes a housing member  52 A including a base wall  54 A, an acutely angled top wall  56 A which intersects with base wall  54 A and sidewalls  55 A and  57 A, and a front wall  58 A defining a recessed slot  60 A for receipt of a reflective element  62 A. Extending forwardly from front wall  58 A are a pair of angled leg members  92  which taper from broad to narrow as they extend from the front wall  58 A. These legs would be utilized in a warning or reflector device which was deployed in geographical areas which experience substantial snowfall. In such areas snow plowing operations most oftentimes proceed in the normal direction of traffic and thus the blade of a plow would easily pass over the acutely angled top wall  56  of the embodiment illustrated in  FIGS. 2 through 4 , however, oftentimes in the interest of expediting removal, snow plows will move in a direction opposite to traffic. The extended tapered legs  92  would protect the reflector device in such a situation and condition. 
         [0043]    It will be recognized by those of ordinary skill in the art that there is no dimensional limits as to the size of the reflector devices. They are designed to be deployed on limited roadways and do not necessarily have to extend for the length of the roadway. The height of the front wall  58  or  58 A need only be sufficient so as to include a reflective element. This could be accomplished with the height of one inch, however, if one wished to impart not only the visual warning, but the tactile warning, a height of between 2 and 3 inches would be optimum. Further, the reflective element can vary in color or be a standardized color or reflective foil, and may also be designed or cut to present an indicia such as the word “stop” or other suitable warning. 
         [0044]      FIG. 7  illustrates a layout of reflector devices  50  or  50 A on the roadway ramp in such a manner that it will impart the impact to the tires of the vehicle and hence to the steering wheel. The arrangement insures that each of the tires of the vehicle independently encounters a warning device thus imparting a severe jolt or rocking sensation to the vehicle providing a tactile warning in addition to the visual warning that the driver is proceeding in a direction opposing traffic. 
         [0045]    The reflector device of the present invention, either embodiment 1 or embodiment 2, can be fabricated from any suitable material which will stand up to the rigors of having automobile tires passing over it on a regular basis. Therefore steel, or a high density polymer, or other suitable metal may be utilized in the fabrication. Additionally, the housing may also be fabricated from recycled tires which have been ground to a small particle size and used as a filler with a solid plastic, as nylon. 
         [0046]    Still further, in the preferred embodiment in which the reflector devices are positioned on the roadway, the front wall  58  or  58 A in either embodiment should be slightly angled resulting in a slight angle of the reflector element. This allows for a self-cleaning effect of the reflector element during periods of rain. 
         [0047]    Therefore, while the present invention has been disclosed with respect to the preferred embodiments thereof, it will be recognized by those of ordinary skill in the art that various changes and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. It is therefore manifestly intended that the invention be limited only by the claims and the equivalence thereof.