Safety reflective seal trim strip

A safety reflective trim strip includes a holding frame of any selected length having a holding channel therein into which one or more reflector lenses are inserted. The holding frame is cut to any desired length and includes special features for aid in its attachment to an object. End caps are provided to close the ends of the holding channel after the reflector lenses are inserted. The reflector lenses are either slid into the holding frame through one open end thereof or are snapped into the holding frame from the front.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
1. Field of the Invention 
This invention relates to light reflectors and more particularly to 
reflective strips adapted to be attached to a solid object in order to 
render that objects more visible under low light conditions. 
2. Description of the Prior Art 
Reflectors are commonly used to mark vehicles such as buses, trailers, and 
trucks, as well as such stationary objects as mailboxes, fences, and 
signs. The reflectors are designed to render the objects more noticable 
under low light conditions by reflecting back to a viewer a significant 
portion of the light falling upon the reflector. One of the most 
successful ways of accomplishing this reflection with the minimum of light 
loss is to employ a transparent reflector lends having an internal 
structure adapted to redirect and reflect light by means of internal 
reflection. When a comparatively small reflector is sufficient to 
adequately mark an object, such a lens molded from transparent plastic or 
glass often can be used successfully. 
Plastic and glass reflectors generally are rigid and relatively fragile, 
and it is often desirable to contain them within some sort of protective 
frame. Such frames, however, are cumbersome and inconvenient where a long 
reflective strip is desired. A glass or plastic reflector several feet 
long, for example, is undesirably vulnerable to breakage during shipment 
or application. Such a reflector twenty feet long proves entirely 
unmanagable. Consequently, reflective tape is commonly employed to produce 
long reflective strips. The tape is difficult to attach firmly to rough 
objects, however, and is more vulnerable to weather and minor abrasion 
than is a glass or plastic reflector within a protective frame. Often when 
one section of a long piece of reflective tape has become loosened, the 
entire strip is pulled off as the loose end whips in the wind. 
Furthermore, special washing or other surface preparation is often 
necessary before tape can be applied to an object such as a truck, the 
outer surface of which is often coated with oil and dirt from use on the 
road. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
I have invented a reflective safety strip for use on motor vehicles, signs, 
or any object on which it is desired to place a long and narrow reflector. 
My reflective safety strip has an elongated holding frame which may be 
manufactured from a flexible plastic or other material by an extrusion 
process. The holding frame is preferably supplied in long continuous 
sections which can be rolled for convenient shipping and storage. The 
holding frame has formed in it a holding channel, the channel running the 
length of the holding frame. Conventional plastic reflector lenses made in 
lengths suitable for easy handling and storage are adapted to slide into 
an open end of the holding channel after the holding frame has been cut to 
the desired length and fastened in place. Alternatively the reflector 
lenses may be snapped into the holding frame from the front. The plastic 
reflector lenses are retained in the holding channel by retaining flanges 
on the holding frame. End caps are used to prevent the reflector lenses 
from slipping out of the ends of the holding channel. 
When it is desired to apply a reflective strip to a truck, for example, a 
roll of holding frame at least as long as the reflective strip 
contemplated is unrolled and secured to the side of the truck with rivets 
or screws. Once the holding frame is fastened in place and cut to the 
desired length, reflector lenses are then inserted into the holding 
channel from either open end of the holding frame, or are snapeed in the 
front thereof, until enough of the lenses have been inserted to fill the 
holding frame completely. An end cap is then removably fastened at each 
end of the holding frame to block the open ends of the holding channel, 
thereby keeping the lenses from slipping out the ends of the holding 
channel. 
The reflective strip thus assembled and applied is securely attached to the 
object it marks, has not required that the surface of the object be 
specially prepared, and will not loosen with weather, washing, or minor 
abrasion. Furthermore, should any one reflector lens in the frame be 
broken, it can be replaced by first removing the broken pieces and then 
inserting a replacement lens at one end of the holding frame, shifting the 
lenses until the gap left by the broken lens has been filled. Reflector 
lenses may be made in a variety of colors so that decorative patterns or 
colors may be displayed on signs or in other applications. Numbers or 
letters constructed from lengths of my reflective strip may be applied to 
the sides of trucks or to other surfaces to be easily observed under low 
light conditions. The triangular symbol for a slow moving vehicle may be 
applied to the back of such a vehicle using sections of my reflective 
strip. An attention attracting, very large triangle may easily be made and 
proportioned to fit the particular vehicle. 
Other features and advantages of my invention will be apparent from the 
following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying 
drawings showing preferred embodiments of a safety reflective trim strip 
exemplifying the principles of my invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, my safety reflective trim strip includes an 
elongated holding frame 10 formed to any length as may be desired for the 
particular application. In my preferred embodiment, the holding frame is 
formed of an extruded polyvinyl thermoplastic material, although other 
plastics or flexible metals such as aluminum, could also be used. The 
holding frame 10 includes a back 11 and two opposed substantially parallel 
side walls 12 projecting outwardly from the back 11 and extending for 
substantially the length of the holding frame. Each of the side walls 12 
has formed toward its outward edge a retaining flange 14 projecting toward 
the other side wall 12, with the back 11, the side walls 12, and the 
retaining flanges 14 combining to define a holding channel 13 therebetween 
with the length of the side walls 12 being selected so that the holding 
channel 13 is deep enough to securely receive a selected reflector lens 
therein. The retaining flanges 14 function to retain the reflector lens in 
the holding channel 13. 
The front surface of the holding frame back 11 has a rectangular fastener 
or rivet channel 15 formed extending longitudinally therein parallel to 
the side walls 12 for substantially the entire length of the holding frame 
10. The back 11 also has at least one and preferably several fastener or 
rivet holes 16 extending therethrough and located centrally within the 
rivet channel 15. A rivet 17 is inserted through each of the rivet holes 
16 and through corresponding holes 18 drilled at appropriate locations in 
the object to be marked 19, thereby securely and rigidly fastening the 
holding strip to the object. The rivet channel 15 is deep enough so that 
the head of the rivet 17 is completely contained therein and does not 
protrude beyond the front surface of the back 11 into the holding channel 
13. It is intended that screws, adhesive, tape or other means for 
attaching the holding strip to the object to be marked could be used 
without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention. 
Two ridges 11a project backwardly from the side edges of the back 11 and 
extend for substantially the length of the holding frame 10. The ridges 
11a project from the back sufficiently far to prevent the holding frame 
from rocking when it is fastened to a contoured or curved surface. Two 
sealing welts 11b which taper to ridged apexes also project from the 
backwardly facing surface of the back and extend for substantially the 
length of the holding frame. The sealing welts 11b are so located that the 
rivet 17 passes between them. When the holding frame is riveted to an 
object to be marked, the portion of the back 11 between the sealing welts 
11b is stressed and the sealing welts 11b are drawn tightly against the 
surface, thereby securing the trim strip against movement and rattling and 
preventing water from flowing around the rivet 17 to enter the object to 
be marked through the rivet hole. 
If desired, the upper most of the two sides 12 may be adapted to project 
beyond the associated retaining flange 14 to form a drip cap 12a, shown in 
FIG. 4. The drip cap 12a extends for substantially the length of the 
holding frame and projects outward sufficiently far to divert water 
flowing down the side of the marked object from passing over the reflector 
lens. 
At least one reflector lens 20 is slidably received in the holding channel 
13 and is retained in place by the retaining flanges 14. The reflector 
lens 20 is selected to be of a length convenient for shipping, handling, 
and storage. The reflector lens 20 may be made of acrylic plastic or other 
conventional reflector material and has an internal structure designed to 
reflect a substantial amount of the light incident thereon back toward any 
person viewing the safety reflector trim strip. 
In my preferred embodiment, a reflective under strip 21 made of a metallic 
or other highly reflective tape having a specular surface is applied to 
the bottom of the holding channel 13 before the reflector lens 20 is 
inserted. The reflective under strip 21 enhances the reflectivity of the 
relfector lens 20 increasing that percentage of the light incident on the 
reflective safety trim strip which is returned to a viewer of the strip. 
End caps 22 are adapted to block the ends of the holding channel 13 to 
secure the reflector lens 20 therein when the end caps are placed over the 
ends of the holding frame 10. The outwardly facing surface of the end caps 
22 have an inset portion 22a adapted to fill the space between the opposed 
retaining flanges 14. When each end cap 22 is in place, its inset portion 
22a engages the inwardly facing surface of the retaining flange 14, 
preventing the end cap 22 from being twisted or rotated relative to the 
holding strip. Each end cap 22 has at least one screw hole (not shown) 
extending therethrough. At least one self-tapping screw 23 is adapted to 
extend through the screw hole and threadedly engage a hole drilled at a 
desired location in the object to be marked, thereby removably but rigidly 
fastening the end cap 22 in place. 
When it is desired to install a reflective trim strip, a roll of holding 
frame 10 is unrolled, cut to the desired length, and riveted in place. A 
reflective under strip 21 is then applied, if desired. Next, as many 
reflector lenses 20 as are needed to fill the holding frame are inserted 
into either end of the holding channel. No cutting of the reflector lenses 
20 is necessary if the holding frame 10 is cut to a length that is a 
multiple of the length of the individual reflector lenses 20 used. 
Reflector lenses 20 can be of any color, or lenses of differing colors can 
be intermixed to achieve desired decorative effects. Finally, one end cap 
22 is fastened in place at each end of the holding frame 10, blocking the 
ends of the holding channel 13 and thereby preventing any of the reflector 
lenses 20 from sliding out. 
Shown in FIG. 5 is an alternative embodiment of my invention. In the 
holding frame 12 of FIG. 5, the retaining flanges 14 of the embodiment of 
FIG. 3 are altered to form snap-fit retaining flanges 24 which are 
relatively short and have rounded ends. With the holding frame 12 formed 
with the snap-fit retaining flanges 24, the reflector lens 20 can be 
snapped directly into the front of the holding frame 12 by first inserting 
the lower edge of the reflector lens 20 behind the lower snap-fit 
retaining flange 24 and then pressing on the reflector lens 20 to snap its 
other edge past the upper snap-fit retaining flange 24. Of course, even 
with this provision for the snap-fit retaining flanges 24, the reflector 
lens 20 can still be slid into an open end of the holding channel 13 if so 
desired. Also, with this embodiment the end cap 22 is altered to include 
snap tabs 26 extending outward from the inset portion 22a of the end cap 
22 with the inset portion 22 also being made deeper to extend into the 
holding channel 13. In this way the end cap 22 can also be snap-fit onto 
the holding frame 11 by snapping the snap tabs 26 past the snap-fit 
retaining flanges 24. 
The reflective trim strip thus produced presents what appears to be a 
continuous plastic reflector in a protective frame, as shown in FIG. 1 
installed on a truck. In fact the reflector is composed of individual 
seqments that can be easily replaced, should one be damaged, without the 
need to change the entire reflective strip. By means of my invention, 
strips may be made much longer than those practical with single piece 
reflectors, and customer trimming and even lettering, as shown in FIG. 1, 
can be accomplished with ease. 
It is understood that my invention is not confined to the particular 
materials, construction, and arrangement of parts herein illustrated and 
described. Instead, various changes may be made without departing from the 
spirit and scope of my invention. My invention embraces all such modified 
forms thereof as come within the scope of the following claims.