Abstract:
A reflective traffic guidance system is disclosed for allowing vehicle drivers easier viewing of forward traffic by use of the reflective sides of the traffic barricade. The system includes a traffic barrier with a front surface, a substrate on the traffic barrier positioned adjacent to the front surface of the traffic barrier, and a reflective surface on the substrate for reflecting incident light in a substantially specular manner and being substantially incapable of reflecting incident light in a retroreflective manner. Optionally, the traffic barrier may comprise a traffic panel that may be placed on or over conventional concrete barriers or guardrails or may be used alone.

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
     This application is a continuation-in-part of application Ser. No. 09/727,408, filed Dec. 1, 2000 now abandoned. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates to traffic barricades and more particularly pertains to a new reflective traffic barrricade for allowing vehicle drivers easier viewing of forward traffic by use of the reflective sides of the traffic barricade. 
     2. Description of the Prior Art 
     The use of traffic barricades is known in the prior art. More specifically, traffic barricades heretofore devised and utilized are known to consist basically of familiar, expected and obvious structural configurations, notwithstanding the myriad of designs encompassed by the crowded prior art which have been developed for the fulfillment of countless objectives and requirements. 
     Known prior art includes U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,978,207; 5,599,132; 4,770,495; 5,641,214; 5,685,665; Des. 341,098; and 5,938,370. 
     In particular, the prior art teaches many traffic barriers that are intended to be highly visible to drivers, and thus include many retroreflective surfaces that serve only to reflect light back to its source, so that light emitted from the lights of a vehicle are directed back toward the vehicle from which the light originated, and the operator in the originating vehicle, for the purpose of indicating to the operator the presence of the traffic barrier without necessarily giving any indication to the operator of the presence (or absence) of other vehicles on the road in the vicinity of the traffic barrier or the vehicle. 
     In these respects, the reflective traffic barrricade according to the present invention substantially departs from the conventional concepts and designs of the prior art, and in so doing provides an apparatus primarily developed for the purpose of allowing vehicle drivers easier viewing of forward traffic by use of the reflective sides of the traffic barricade. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     In view of the foregoing disadvantages inherent in the known types of traffic barricades now present in the prior art, the present invention provides a new reflective traffic barrricade construction wherein the same can be utilized for allowing vehicle drivers easier viewing of forward traffic by use of the reflective sides of the traffic barricade. 
     The general purpose of the present invention, which will be described subsequently in greater detail, is to provide a new reflective traffic barrricade apparatus and method which has many of the advantages of the traffic barricades mentioned heretofore and many novel features that result in a new reflective traffic barrricade which is not anticipated, rendered obvious, suggested, or even implied by any of the prior art traffic barricades, either alone or in any combination thereof. 
     To attain this, the present invention generally comprises a traffic barrier with a front surface, a substrate on the traffic barrier positioned adjacent to the front surface of the traffic barrier, and a reflective surface on the substrate for reflecting incident light in a substantially specular manner and being substantially incapable of reflecting incident light in a retroreflective manner. Optionally, the traffic barrier may comprise a traffic panel that may be placed on or over conventional concrete barriers or guardrails or may be used alone. 
     There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, the more important features of the invention in order that the detailed description thereof that follows may be better understood, and in order that the present contribution to the art may be better appreciated. There are additional features of the invention that will be described hereinafter and which will form the subject matter of the claims appended hereto. 
     In this respect, before explaining at least one embodiment of the invention in detail, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and to the arrangements of the components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the drawings. The invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced and carried out in various ways. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology employed herein are for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting. 
     As such, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the conception, upon which this disclosure is based, may readily be utilized as a basis for the designing of other structures, methods and systems for carrying out the several purposes of the present invention. It is important, therefore, that the claims be regarded as including such equivalent constructions insofar as they do not depart from the spirit and scope of the present invention. 
     Further, the purpose of the foregoing abstract is to enable the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office and the public generally, and especially the scientists, engineers and practitioners in the art who are not familiar with patent or legal terms or phraseology, to determine quickly from a cursory inspection the nature and essence of the technical disclosure of the application. The abstract is neither intended to define the invention of the application, which is measured by the claims, nor is it intended to be limiting as to the scope of the invention in any way. 
     It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a new reflective traffic barrricade apparatus and method which has many of the advantages of the traffic barricades mentioned heretofore and many novel features that result in a new reflective traffic barrricade which is not anticipated, rendered obvious, suggested, or even implied by any of the prior art traffic barricades, either alone or in any combination thereof. 
     It is another object of the present invention to provide a new reflective traffic barrricade which may be easily and efficiently manufactured and marketed. 
     It is a further object of the present invention to provide a new reflective traffic barrricade which is of a durable and reliable construction. 
     An even further object of the present invention is to provide a new reflective traffic barrricade which is susceptible of a low cost of manufacture with regard to both materials and labor, and which accordingly is then susceptible of low prices of sale to the consuming public, thereby making such reflective traffic barrricade economically available to the buying public. 
     Still yet another object of the present invention is to provide a new reflective traffic barrricade which provides in the apparatuses and methods of the prior art some of the advantages thereof, while simultaneously overcoming some of the disadvantages normally associated therewith. 
     Still another object of the present invention is to provide a new reflective traffic barrricade for allowing vehicle drivers easier viewing of forward traffic by use of the reflective sides of the traffic barricade. 
     Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a new reflective traffic guidance system which includes a traffic barrier with a front surface, a substrate on the traffic barrier positioned adjacent to the front surface of the traffic barrier, and a reflective surface on the substrate for reflecting incident light in a substantially specular manner and being substantially incapable of reflecting incident light in a retroreflective manner. Optionally, the traffic barrier may comprise a traffic panel that may be placed on or over conventional concrete barriers or guardrails or may be used alone. 
     Still yet another object of the present invention is to provide a new reflective traffic barrricade that allows a person to see on coming or forward traffic by using the reflective barrier itself. 
     These together with other objects of the invention, along with the various features of novelty which characterize the invention, are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this disclosure. For a better understanding of the invention, its operating advantages and the specific objects attained by its uses, reference should be made to the accompanying drawings and descriptive matter in which there are illustrated preferred embodiments of the invention. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     The invention will be better understood and objects other than those set forth above will become apparent when consideration is given to the following detailed description thereof. Such description makes reference to the annexed drawings wherein: 
     FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view of a new reflective traffic barrricade according to the present invention. 
     FIG. 2 is a schematic cross sectional view taken along line  2 — 2  of the present invention. 
     FIG. 3 is a schematic cross sectional view of the present invention. 
     FIG. 4 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the present invention. 
     FIG. 5 is a schematic perspective view of a pair of reflective traffic panels of the present invention positioned in a back-to-back arrangement atop a conventional concrete traffic barrier. 
     FIG. 6 is a schematic perspective view of a single one of the reflective traffic panels of the present invention mounted on a series of posts. 
     FIG. 7 is a schematic perspective view of a single reflective traffic panel mounted on a series of posts in combination with a horizontal traffic barrier. 
     FIG. 8 is a schematic cross sectional view of a traffic barrier having the reflective traffic panel of the present invention mounted thereon. 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     With reference now to the drawings, and in particular to FIGS. 1 through 8 thereof, a new reflective traffic barrricade system embodying the principles and concepts of the present invention and generally designated by the reference numeral  10  will be described. 
     As best illustrated in FIGS. 1 through 4, the reflective traffic barrricade system  10  may generally comprise a blocking member  12 . The blocking member comprises an elongate member having a top side  14 , a front side  16 , a back side  18 , a bottom side  20 , a first end  22  and a second end  24 . A substantially vertical portion  17  is located adjacent to the bottom side  20  on both the front and back sides of the blocking member. The elongate member, or blocking member  12 , may have an inverted Y-shape in a plane taken transverse to a longitudinal cross-section of the elongate member such that a slot  26  extends upwardly into the bottom side  20 . The front side  16  and the back side  18  each have a generally concave shaped surface. 
     In one illustrative embodiment of the invention, the substantially vertical portions of the elongate member preferably have a height between approximately 0.1 meters and approximately 0.3 meters. The elongate member  12  has length generally equal to 6 meters, and a height generally between 0.8 meters and approximately 1.2 meters. The bottom side  20  of the elongate member may have a width preferably between approximately 0.6 meters and approximately 0.8 meters, and the top side  14  has a width preferably between approximately 0.2 and approximately 0.3 meters. 
     The elongate member  12  preferably comprises a substantially rigid material which is ideally concrete  28 , although hollow plastic  30  materials are also envisioned. If plastic is used, the device is preferably filled with water and has a length of 2 meters. The device  10 , if made from plastic, may also have an internal steel (or other metal) framework for added weight, strength and stability. 
     In one embodiment of the invention, each of the first and second ends of the blocking member has a slot  40  therein. The slot  40  extends into the first  22  and second  24  ends and into the top side  14 . When multiple blocking members are placed end-to-end, steel hollow sections or cement grout may be positioned in the slot of adjacent members to secure them together. In one illustrative embodiment of the invention, the slots are approximately 100 mm wide, approximately 50 mm deep, and approximately 600 mm high. 
     In one highly preferred embodiment of the invention, the top side has a width of approximately 262 mm and the bottom side a width of approximately 600 mm. The device has a height equal to approximately 1000 mm. A vertical line extending through the top side and through the bottom side defines a median. The arc of the front and back sides has a top portion extending downwardly approximately 500 mm from the top side, and a bottom portion extending from the top portion downwardly approximately 300 mm. The downward measurements are taken along the median. The top, or first, portion  74  of the arcs extend inward toward the median such that approximately 100 mm from the top side, the width of the device is approximately 252.8 mm, approximately 200 mm from the top side the width is approximately 250 mm which is the narrowest part of the device. At approximately 200 mm from the top side, the arc begins to start outward again. At approximately 300 mm from the top side the width is approximately 252.8 mm, at approximately 400 mm the width is approximately 262 mm, and at approximately 500 mm down along the median the width is approximately 276 mm at which the bottom, or second, portion  76  of the arc begins. The bottom arc has a greater curvature than the top arc, so that at approximately 600 mm from the top side the width is equal to approximately 306 mm, at approximately 700 mm the width is equal to 388 mm, and at approximately 800 mm from the top side the width is approximately 525 mm. At the bottom of the bottom arc, the front and back sides are angled downward toward the bottom side to define the generally vertical portions  17 . 
     To further explain the above, the top arc is formed by a first circle having a radius of approximately 3500 mm and the bottom arc is formed by a circle having a radius of approximately 1050. The first circle is tangent to a first line parallel to the median and approximately 125 mm from the median. The first circle is tangent to the first line approximately 200 mm from the top side. The top portion of the arc has a measurement generally equal to approximately 0.143 radians, or approximately 8.13 degrees. A second circle having a radius of approximately 470 mm forms the bottom arc. The second circle is tangent to the first circle at a point approximately 500 mm from the top side and approximately 138 mm from the median where the radii of the first circle and the second circle coincide. The bottom portion of the arc has a measurement generally equal to approximately 0.74 radians, or approximately 42.4 degrees. The top arc smoothly transitions into the bottom arc. It should be noted that the top and bottom arcs are located on both sides of the device. 
     A significant aspect of the invention is a reflective means  32  provided on the blocking member for generally reflecting an image of a light source. The reflective means is securely attached to and generally covers or coats a substrate, such as the front side  16  and the back side  18  of the elongate member. The reflective means  32  may be any conventional reflecting material capable of reflecting a true image and preferably comprises a conventional acrylic mirror  34  adhered to the front and back sides. Also envisioned is the used of reflective metal  36 . 
     The reflective means of the invention is characterized by being capable of reflecting an image in a manner that the image may be perceived in the reflected light by a person viewing the reflected light. The most effective and suitable reflective means for use in the invention provides a high degree of specular reflectivity in which the reflected light is reflected from a surface of the reflective means along an axis that is oriented at an angle with respect to the surface that is substantially equal to the axis of the incident light with respect to the surface. The most effective and suitable reflective means also provides little or no retroreflectivity of the light back to its source. Since the portion of the incident light that is retroreflected back towards that light source is light that is not reflected towards other vehicles for enhancing visibility, any significant degree of retroreflectivity diminishes the effectiveness of the reflective means for the intended purpose of the invention. Thus, the reflective means for the purposes of the invention should have only a minimal retroreflective character. 
     One highly preferred reflective means comprises a smooth surface on the substrate (such as the blocking member, and may comprise a polished surface (for example, stainless steel or acrylic) on the substrate, or the surface of a glossy coating (for example, high gloss paint) on the substrate. 
     Optionally, blocking members  12  having only one curved side are also envisioned so that the blocking members may be used as bridge parapets. The size of the blocking members may be altered for the desired need. 
     In use, the elongate members  12  are placed end to end to block traffic as traditional blocking members are used for. The concave front  16  and back  18  sides provide an image of vehicles ahead of the blocking members. The reflective means  32  assist the driver of a vehicle in seeing forward traffic that might otherwise be blocked by traffic in front of the driver. 
     In an optional embodiment of the invention, the traffic barrier may comprise a traffic panel  50  that may be mounted in various manners on traffic barriers or other structures positioned adjacent to a road. For example, as shown in FIG. 5, first 50 and second 52 traffic panels are mounted in a “back-to-back” orientation on top of a concrete barrier  54 . In another example, as shown in FIG. 6, the traffic panel  50  is rested on the top of a plurality of posts  56 . In yet another example, as shown in FIG. 7, the traffic panel  50  is positioned on posts  58  that also support a horizontal traffic barrier  60  (such as, for example, a guardrail formed of a metal, illustratively steel). 
     The traffic panel  50  may have a front wall  62  with the front surface  72  thereon. The front wall  62  may be arcuate about a substantially horizontal axis such that the front surface  72  is convex. The traffic panel  50  may also have a bottom wall  64  that extends from a bottom of the front wall  62  and a top wall  66  that extends from the front wall. The top  66  and bottom  64  walls may extend in substantially parallel planes. Illustratively, the thickness of the walls  62 ,  64 , and  66  may be between approximately 0.4 mm to approximately 1.0 mm. 
     In another variation of the invention as shown in FIG. 8, the traffic panel  50  is wrapped about a portion of a horizontal traffic member  68  mounted on a support  70 . Illustratively, the traffic member  68  may be formed, for example, of a plastic or a metal, and may measure approximately 200 mm high, approximately 100 mm long, and approximately 70 mm wide, and may include a cavity for permitting bolting to the support  70 . 
     As to a further discussion of the manner of usage and operation of the present invention, the same should be apparent from the above description. Accordingly, no further discussion relating to the manner of usage and operation will be provided. 
     With respect to the above description then, it is to be realized that the optimum dimensional relationships for the parts of the invention, to include variations in size, materials, shape, form, function and manner of operation, assembly and use, are deemed readily apparent and obvious to one skilled in the art, and all equivalent relationships to those illustrated in the drawings and described in the specification are intended to be encompassed by the present invention. 
     Therefore, the foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention.