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CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    This application claims priority of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 60/979,302, filed Oct. 11, 2007, which is incorporated herein by reference. 
     
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    This invention relates generally to retro-reflective marker for mounting to roads. More specifically, the invention relates to a plastic protector for retro-reflective markers mounted to roads. 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0003]    In many regions, plastic retro-reflective road markers are mounted to the road surface to delineate the lanes. Retro-reflective markers mounted directly onto or into the road surface are damaged by the passing of motor vehicle tires over the markers. In particular, heavy motor vehicles such as trailer hauling trucks can cause significant damage and shorten the useable lifetime of retro-reflective road markers placed on the highway. 
         [0004]    Additionally, it has been difficult to accurately position plastic retro-reflective road markers with respect to the road surface. If the retro-reflective marker is placed too low within the pavement surface, the lens is obscured and there is insufficient light reflected from the lens to delineate the lane. In contrast, if the retro-reflective marker extends too far above the road surface, it can become a hazard for vehicles passing over it and suffers premature damage due to tires passing over it. 
         [0005]    Accordingly, it is desirable to have a protector for retro-reflective road markers which properly provides protection for the marker from damage by motor vehicle cars and can be accurately positioned with respect to the road surface. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0006]    Disclosed is a protector for a retro-reflective road marker that includes a top surface with a generally flat region with an opening where the retro-reflective road marker can be at least partially mounted and a bottom surface oppositely disposed from the top surface. The opening can extend through both the top surface and the bottom surface. The opening could also be bounded by a lip which the reflector is at least partially mounted on. The protector is made from moldable polymer and the top surface is operable to protect the road reflector from motor vehicle tires passing thereover. 
         [0007]    The top surface of the protector has a pair of spaced apart side rails that are parallel to a longitudinal axis of the protector, the side rails extending above the bottom surface. The side rails can each have a flange that extends in a generally outward direction from the longitudinal axis and can provide support for the protector when the bottom surface is mounted to the road. The top surface also has a center portion that extends between the spaced apart side rails, the center portion having a pair of upper surfaces that extend transversely between the side rails and are inclined downwardly toward the opening. The upper surfaces can include a center ramp that is aligned on the longitudinal axis of the protector. 
         [0008]    The upper surfaces could further include deformable studs located along the perimeter of the opening. The reflector could be at least partially mounted to the protector by deforming the studs such that a portion of the material that constitutes the stud overlaps an edge of the reflector. By at least partially mounting the reflector to the protector the reflector is able to move independently from the protector, which reduces the impact experienced by the retro-reflector when a tire passes thereover. 
         [0009]    The bottom surface of the protector can have a generally flat surface operable to be attached to a road surface. The bottom surface can include a cavity that extends from the bottom surface towards the top surface. In some instances, the cavity is generally parallel to the longitudinal axis and extends from the bottom surface towards the top surface and is directly under one of the center ramps. The bottom surface could further include a plurality of tabs extending outwardly from the bottom surface and/or a plurality of textured areas. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0010]      FIG. 1  is a top perspective view of an embodiment of the present invention illustrating the retro-reflector installed onto the protector; 
           [0011]      FIG. 2  is a top perspective view of an embodiment of the present invention illustrating the protector and the retro-reflector prior to installation; 
           [0012]      FIG. 3   a  is a cross-sectional view taken along the line  3 - 3  of  FIG. 2  illustrating the installation of the retro-reflector onto the protector; 
           [0013]      FIG. 3   b  is a cross-sectional view taken along the line  3 - 3  of  FIG. 2  illustrating the installation of the retro-reflector onto the protector; 
           [0014]      FIG. 3   c  is a cross-sectional view taken along the line  3 - 3  of  FIG. 2  illustrating the installation of the retro-reflector onto the protector; 
           [0015]      FIG. 3   d  is a cross-sectional view taken along the line  3 - 3  of  FIG. 2  illustrating the retro-reflector after it has been installed onto the protector; 
           [0016]      FIG. 4  is a bottom perspective view of an embodiment of the present invention. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
       [0017]    The present invention includes a plastic protector for a retro-reflective road marker. As such, the present invention has utility as an article that provides protection to road markers placed on the highway to delineate the lanes. 
         [0018]    The protector for the retro-reflective road marker is a moldable plastic body of material that includes a top surface and a bottom surface. In some instances, the protector is made from a moldable polymer. The moldable polymer can be a hard, durable material such as polycarbonate. The moldable polymer can include any suitable polymer material or combination of polymer materials known to those skilled in the art, illustratively including a material made from 80% acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) and 20% acrylic. The top surface has an opening wherein the retro-reflective road marker can be mounted and at least two side rails that extend above the retro-reflective road marker when it is mounted onto the protector. 
         [0019]    In some instances, a center ramp can be included between the two side rails, the side rails and/or center ramp affording protection of the retro-reflective road marker from motor vehicle tires passing thereover. The protector can also include a bottom surface that has one or more cavities that extend from the bottom surface towards the top surface. The cavities afford for reduced weight, reduced cross-sectional thickness, and increased bottom surface area of the protector. 
         [0020]    Referring now to  FIGS. 1 ,  2  and  4 , a low profile protector for a retro-reflective road marker is shown generally at reference numeral  10 . The protector  10  includes a top surface  100  and a bottom surface  200  ( FIG. 4 ). 
         [0021]    The top surface  100  can include a pair of side rails  112  which are spaced apart from each other. Between the side rails  112  is a center portion  150 . The center portion  150  includes a pair of upper surfaces  152  that extend transversely between the side rails  112  and can be inclined downwardly toward an opening  156 . As illustrated in  FIGS. 1 and 2 , a retro-reflective road marker R can be mounted to the protector  10  adjacent the opening  156 . The pair of upper surfaces  152  can also include a slot  154 , which affords for the removal of the road reflector R from the protector  10  by use of an instrument that fits at least partially within the slot  154  and applies leverage to the reflector R. For example, a screwdriver can be used to remove the reflector R from the protector  10  by placing the head of the screwdriver (not shown) within the slot  154  and prying up and/or against the reflector R. 
         [0022]    Each of the upper surfaces  152  can include a center ramp  162 . As illustrated in  FIG. 2 , the center ramp has a sidewall  163  that extends above the upper surface  152 . It is appreciated that the pair of side rails  112  and the pair of center ramps  162  extend above the upper surface  152  to a height such that the reflector R when mounted within the opening  156  is protected by items rolling thereover. In some instances, the height of the center ramps  162  is equal to a plane extending across top surfaces  114  of the pair of side rails  112 . In other instances, the height of the center ramps  162  is not equal to the height of the plane extending across top surfaces  114  and is less than or greater than the height of the side rails  112 . 
         [0023]    The pair of side rails  112  includes a sidewall  113 , which extends in a generally upward direction from the upper surface  152  to the top surface  114 . In some instances, the top surface  114  is an arcuate surface that increases in height from an end that is proximate to an edge  158  of the center portion  150 . In this manner, a pair of low profile protective surfaces is provided for the protection of the reflector R. The pair of side rails  112  can include a flange  122  that extends in a generally outward direction from a longitudinal axis  110  of the protector  10 , the flange  122  increasing the support area of the bottom surface  200  when the protector  10  is placed on a pavement surface. The flange  122  can also provide additional protection to the protector  10  and the reflector R when impacted from a generally sideward direction by a tire. 
         [0024]    Referring now to  FIG. 4 , the bottom surface  200  is a generally flat surface and affords support for the protector  10  on a pavement surface when the bottom surface  200  has been placed in contact with pavement. The bottom surface  200  can include at least one cavity  210  and/or cavity  211 . The cavity  210  and/or  211  extends from the bottom surface  200  towards the top surface  100 . The cavity  210  and/or cavity  211  affords for an increased surface area of the bottom surface  200  and lighter weight for the protector  10 . 
         [0025]    The bottom surface  200  can further include a plurality of tabs  214  which extend outwardly from the bottom surface  200 . The tabs  214  provide for an increased surface area of the bottom surface  200  and contribute to the accurate positioning of the protector  10  with respect to the road surface. In addition, the bottom surface  200  could also include a plurality of textured areas  212  which also increase the surface area of the bottom surface  200 . The textured areas  212  could be comprised of a generally roughened surface, a plurality of ridges which extend outwardly from the bottom surface, or any combination thereof. The increased surface area of the bottom surface  200  afforded by the cavity  210  and/or cavity  211 , tabs  214  and textured areas  212  provides for increased area that adhesive, if used to hold the protector  10  to the pavement surface, can adhere to. 
         [0026]    In some instances, the cavity  210  and/or cavity  211  are included to afford a relatively consistent thickness of the protector  10  in order to decrease shrinkage and/or warpage during manufacture of the protector  10 . As such, the design of a protector for a retro-reflective road marker can use cavities such as those shown in the figures to obtain a generally uniform thickness of the protector in order to reduce shrinkage and/or warpage during the molding process and thereby improve the consistency and/or quality of the product. In addition, the cavity  210  and/or cavity  211  affords for a reduction in the average cross-sectional thickness of the protector  10 . Such a reduction in the average cross-sectional thickness of the protector  10  reduces expansion and contraction of the protector during temperature changes and affords for an increase in the useful lifetime of the protector  10  when in use. 
         [0027]    Turning now to  FIGS. 3   a - 3   d , the retro-reflective road marker R is attached to the protector  10  using studs  180  disposed on the upper surfaces of the top surface. The opening  156  has a lip  157  bounding the opening. The lip  157  and the opening  156  are dimensioned such that the retro-reflective road marker R can sit on the lip  157  and not pass through the opening. After the retro-reflective road marker R is placed within the opening  156  and sits on the lip  157 , the studs  180  can be deformed such that a polymer material overlaps the edges of the marker R and holds the marker in place and attached to the protector  10 . The studs  180  can be deformed using heat, pressure, chemicals and combinations thereof. In some instances, the studs can be deformed by using heat from a soldering iron. In other instances, the studs can be deformed using ultrasonic welding. In some instances a bar  300  can have a soldering iron  400  attached thereto, with the soldering iron  400  brought into contact with the studs  180  as illustrated in  FIGS. 3   b  and  3   c . In other instances, the bar  300  can have two or more soldering irons  400  attached thereto, and the plate  300  can be attached to a movement device  500  that affords back and forth motion, e.g. up and down motion, such as a drill press. Once the protector  10  with the retro-reflector marker R within the opening  156  has been placed proximate to the plate  300 , the movement device  500  can bring the soldering iron  400  into contact with the stud  180 . It is appreciated that if the soldering iron is energized, and thus hot, that the stud  180  can be deformed in such a manner that part of the stud  180  overlaps a portion of the retro-reflector marker R and thereby attaches the reflector R to the protector  10 . 
         [0028]    Once the road reflector marker R is placed within the opening  156  and attached to the protector  10  as illustrated in  FIG. 1 , the protector  10  and/or the reflector R can be attached to a pavement surface. In some instances, the protector  10  is attached to a pavement surface using adhesive but the retro-reflective marker R is not directly attached to the pavement surface. In this way, the at least partially mounted retro-reflective marker R is free to vibrate independently from the protector  10 , as seen in  FIG. 3   d  by the ghost lined marker R. By allowing the marker R to move independently from the protector  10  the impact experienced by the marker R when a tire rolls over the protector  10  and marker R can be reduced. In other instances, the retro-reflective marker R is attached to a pavement surface using adhesive while the protector  10  is not directly attached to the pavement. In this manner, the protector  10  absorbs the energy or impact of a tire rolling thereover and is free to vibrate, thereby allowing the impact to be absorbed by the protector  10  and at least partially isolate said impact from the marker R. 
         [0029]    In this manner, a low profile protector for a retro-reflective road marker is provided. The foregoing drawings, discussion and description are illustrative of specific embodiments of the present invention, but they are not meant to be limitations upon the practice thereof. Numerous modifications and variations of the invention will be readily apparent to those of skill in the art in view of the teaching presented herein. It is the following claims, including all equivalents, which define the scope of the invention.

Summary:
Disclosed is a protector for a retro-reflective road marker mounted on a road that includes a top surface that has a generally flat region and a bottom surface oppositely disposed from the top surface. The generally flat region has an opening where the retro-reflective road marker can be at least partially mounted to the protector by deforming studs located along the perimeter of the opening such that the retro-reflective road marker is moveable independent from the protector. The protector is made from a moldable polymer and the top surface is operable to protect the road reflector from motor vehicle tires passing thereover.