Abstract:
The reflective marker allows a user to easily place the invention in a desired location without damaging the housing or structure of the marker. More specifically, the reflective marker that contains a foot cleat allowing a user to foot pressure to the cleat or to strike the cleat with a mallet/hammer to drive the invention into the ground. As a result, force is not exerted on the marker&#39;s external housing or marker&#39;s reflector, and the reflector&#39;s aesthetic appeal, structural integrity and reflecting capacity are kept intact. The reflective marker has a primary and a secondary anchor spike for securing the device in the ground.

Description:
This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional application No. 60/235,559, filed Sep. 27, 2000. The present invention relates to a device for marking an edge of a driveway, a walkway or the like, where a user desires to indicate the existence of a boundary region. Specifically, the device uses a plurality of light-reflecting portions oriented in an multi-directional configuration, thereby rendering it visible from a variety of approach angles. Furthermore, the invention incorporates a plurality of spike portions connected by a cleat member, the cleat member providing a surface for driving the spike portions into the ground. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE ART 
     Driveway reflectors typically only provide reflectivity on one or two faces of the reflecting device. As a result, when a reflector is approached at an angle where a reflector is not directly oriented, the reflectivity is attenuated. Furthermore, drive-way type reflectors often require that force be placed on the housing containing the reflecting portion or on the shaft in order to drive the reflector into the ground. This force can result in the cracking or degradation of the reflecting portion, as well as the deformation of the reflector housing itself, thereby reducing the marker&#39;s reflective effectiveness, as well as making the marker aesthetically unappealing, and less structurally sound. 
     When a rigid shaft is used that allows the shaft to be directly driven into the ground, that same rigidity poses a damage risk to vehicles that might strike the device. A number of rigid marker devices have been developed that possess sufficient column strength to be driven into the ground. For example, one such device requires that force be applied directly to the reflective portion to drive the unit into the ground. Another such device requires a rigid pipe of the like to be fitted over the length of the device, an end of the pipe bearing against a radially extending flange at the base of the device. That device is driven into the ground by applying force to the pipe as it surrounds the device. This, however, requires that the reflective head have a relatively small cross sectional area, to permit the pipe to fit around the reflective head. 
     The prior art generally teaches only the use of a single ground penetrating spike for securing the reflective marker. 
     Therefore, in light of the foregoing deficiencies in the prior art, the applicant&#39;s invention is herein presented. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     This object and other objects are achieved by device for marking an edge of a driveway or the like. The device comprises a shaft member, a head member and a ground anchor member. The shaft member has a first and a second end and an intermediate portion therebetween, the intermediate portion defining a longitudinal axis. The head member has a first end connected to the first end of the shaft member. The ground anchor comprises a cleat member, connecting means and a first and a second anchor spike. The cleat member extends radially outward from the longitudinal axis of the shaft member, with the connecting means connecting a first end of the ground anchor to a second end of the shaft member, on a first side of the cleat member. The first and a second anchor spike extend in parallel relationship from a second side of the cleat member. 
     In some embodiments, the first anchor spike is coaxial with the connecting means. 
     In some embodiments, the first anchor spike and the connecting means extend from near a first end of the cleat member and the second anchor spike extends from near a second end of the cleat member. 
     In many of the embodiments, the second anchor spike is shorter than the first spike portion. 
     In the typical device, the intermediate portion of the shaft member has a polygonal cross-section, including a circular cross section. 
     In some of the embodiments, the head member comprises a plurality of face surfaces, each said face surface having at least one reflective portion affixed thereto. 
     In other embodiments, a second end of the head member has a removable cap affixed thereto, wherein the removable cap allows replacement of the reflective portions. 
     In most of the embodiments, the head member has a rectangular cross-section. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     A better understanding of the present invention will be had when reference is made to the accompanying drawings, wherein identical parts are identified by identical reference numerals and wherein: 
     FIG. 1 is an elevational view of a reflective marker according to the present invention wherein a portion of an intermediate shaft is broken away to indicate a shaft which may be of any length; 
     FIG. 2 is an elevational view of the reflective marker main portion with parts broken away and in cross section and various members in assembly position for the purpose of the description; 
     FIG. 3 is a bottom inside view of a cap member showing attachment and alignment means for securing the cap on the top end of the reflective marker body; 
     FIG. 4 is a top view of the reflective marker body with the cap removed; 
     FIG. 5 is a bottom end view of the ground anchor portion of the reflective marker; and 
     FIG. 6 is an elevational view of an alternative embodiment for the ground anchor. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     FIG. 1 shows an elevational view of a reflective marker device  10  of the present invention. The device  10  has a head member  12 , with a plurality of reflective portions  14  and a top end cap  16 . Attached at a lower end of the head member  12  is a shaft member  18  with first and second ends and an intermediate portion  19  between the two ends. The intermediate portion  19  defines a longitudinal axis for the device  10 . The lower end of the head member  12  is attached to the first end of the shaft member  18 . 
     A ground anchor, shown generally as  20  in FIG. 1, is attached to the shaft member  18  at the second end of the shaft member. An alternate embodiment of the ground anchor is shown generally as  20 ′ in FIG.  6 . The ground anchor  20  comprises a primary or first anchor spike  22  and a secondary or second anchor spike  24 . Of these, the first anchor spike  22  extends essentially coaxially as an extension of the longitudinal axis of the shaft member  18 . The secondary anchor spike  24 , which is typically shorter than the first anchor spike  22 , is spaced apart from the first anchor spike and is maintained in a spaced-apart parallel relationship by cleat member  25  that extends radially outwardly from the longitudinal axis of the shaft member. Both of the anchor spikes  22 ,  24  are formed on and extend from a second or lower side of the cleat member  25 . Particularly, the primary or first anchor spike  22  is positioned at a first end of the cleat member  25  and the secondary anchor spike  24  is positioned at a second end thereof. 
     The upper or first side of the cleat member  25  is located at a top of the ground anchor  20 , as clearly shown in FIGS. 1 and 6, in which the alternate embodiment is shown. In the embodiment of FIG. 1, the ground anchor  20  is attached to the shaft member  18  by providing a shaft receiving stud  26  and a shaft receiving boss  28 , the stud and boss coacting to define an annular space into which the shaft end is at least frictionally retained. In many embodiments, the shaft end will be adhesively retained in this annular space and in other embodiments, the shaft may be thermally welded into place. These connnecting means  26 ,  28  are located on a first or upper side of the cleat member  25 . In the alternate embodiment of FIG. 6, the ground anchor  20 ′ has a connecting means which has the same shaft receiving stud  26 , but it lacks the shaft receiving boss  28 . Other connecting means will be known to those of skill in this art. In both embodiments, the primary anchor spike  22  is axially aligned with the shaft receiving stud  26 , so that placing the shaft receiving stud inside the lower end of the shaft member  18  puts the primary anchor spike into coaxial alignment with the shaft member. It will be recognized that the bottom view of the ground anchor  20  in FIG. 5 applies equally well to alternative embodiment  20 ′. 
     Attention is now directed to FIGS. 2 and 4, which focus on the head member  12 . The head member  12  has a plurality of marker body walls  30  that define lens receiving cavities  32 . In the particular embodiment shown, there are four such marker body walls  30  in a rectangular relationship, as well as four lens receiving cavities  32 . In addition to marker body walls  30 , the cavities  32  are also defined by side posts  34  of the head member  12 . The cavities  32  are even further defined by a bottom wall  36  at the lower extent of each marker body wall  30 . Each of the cavities  32  further has a recess  32   a  at its bottom end, defined by the bottom wall  36  and an open end  32   b  which is at the top end of the head member  12 . At the lower end of the head member  12 , a connecting means  38  is provided to attach the head member to the shaft member  18 . In the embodiment shown, the connecting means  38  is a shaft receiving boss which can be at least frictionally engaged with the first end of the shaft member  18 , although it would be clear to one of ordinary skill to adhesively retain this engagement, or to thermally weld the pieces together, or to engage them by other known means. In viewing this embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, it will be noted that the head member  12  has a cross sectional area (relative to the shaft  18 ) that is very close to that of the shaft. However, by providing the unique ground anchor  20  of the device  10 , it is possible to let the head member  12  be much larger in cross sectional area relative to the shaft  18 , as there is no need to use a pipe or tube fitted over the device to drive it into the ground, as it required in at least one of the prior art devices. 
     FIG. 2 shows aspects of the reflective portions  14 , which are seen in side view. A face view of one reflective portion is seen in FIG.  1 . This face view provides a face surface of the reflective portion  14 . In FIG. 2, it will be seen that each reflective portion  14  has an lower lip  14   a  and an upper lip  14   b . These lips  14   a ,  14   b  are used to secure the reflective portion  14  into the cavity  32 . These reflective portions may be of many types, although the specific type illustrated is a colored plastic piece with a planar front surface and a rear surface that is faceted to reflect light. Such a material is commonly available and will be readily known to one of skill in this art. 
     The cap  16  of the device  10  is shown in FIGS. 2 and 3. The cap  16  has an interior  40 . On that interior  40  are a pair of keyed protrusions  42  and a pair of alignment protrusions  44 . In the rectangular embodiment of the head member  16  illustrated, the keyed protrusions  42  are positioned oppositely to each other. The alignment protrusions  44  are also positioned opposite to each other, in perpendicular relationship to the keyed protrusions  42 . The cap  16  also has a pair of screw receiving bores  46 . 
     These latter features of the cap  16  are understood when reference is again made to FIGS. 2 and 4. A pair of protrusion receiving bores  50  are shown on opposite walls  30  of the head member  12  for capturing keyed protrusions  42  of the cap  16 . A pair of slots  52  in opposing walls  30  of the head member  12  are shown for capturing alignment protrusions  44 usions of the cap  16 . Also, screw receiving bores  48  in the head member  12  correspond to screw receiving bores  26  in the cap  16 . All of these pieces coact to secure the cap  16  atop the head member. Of course, cap  16  has an outer peripheral surface that serves to provide the final defining edge of cavity  32 , so that the reflective lenses  14  are retained in place, but in a manner that allows access to the reflective lenses  14  and replacement thereof when necessary. 
     While the embodiment taught herein has a head member  16  with a rectangular cross-section, the shape of the head member  16  may be cylindrical, square, triangular, hexagonal, or any other shape suitable for housing a plurality of reflecting portions. 
     It is also contemplated that a user may remove and insert reflective portions  14  having various colors or reflective characteristics into the any of the cavities  32 . After the reflective portions  14  are inserted, the user can replace the cap  16  and the reflector portions  14  are held in position thereby. By locating the reflecting portions  14  on each of four faces of the head member  16 , the device  10  provides multi-directional reflectivity, thereby alerting a person of the marker when approached from a plurality of angles. 
     Because the shaft member  18  is not relied upon to be able to drive the device into the ground, the shaft member does not have to be made of metal or of a similarly strong material. Instead, the shaft member  18  can be relatively flexible so that it will not damage a vehicle if struck, or, alternatively, it will tend to be more resistant to damage from a vehicle if struck. Rigid shafts of the prior art devices would either damage a vehicle that struck them or they would be severely damaged (even broken) by a vehicle striking it. For these reasons, many embodiments of the shaft will be hollow tubes, especially hollow tubes of a thermoplastic material. 
     The ground anchor  20  or  20 ′, and particularly cleat  25 , provide the user with a surface region suitable for driving the primary and secondary anchor spikes  22 ,  24  into the ground. Additionally, the cleat  25  provides the user with a sufficient surface to use a hammer/mallet or similar device, to drive the primary and secondary anchor spikes  22 ,  24  into the ground. By inserting both anchor spikes  22 ,  24  into the ground, the reflecting marker  10  resists rotating around the longitudinal axis of shaft  18 . Additionally, the use of both primary and secondary anchor  22 ,  24  permits the device  10  to achieve a high degree of lateral rigidity, thereby increasing its resistance to disturbances created by external environmental forces such as wind, snow, etc. 
     In some embodiments, the head member  12 , shaft member  18 , and ground anchor  20  are formed as an integral piece, although this is not as easily achieved while keeping the shaft member as a hollow tubular member. Additionally, any two contiguous pieces such as the head portion  16  and shaft member  18 , or the shaft member  18  and the ground anchor  20  may be formed as a single unified section. 
     The foregoing disclosure is illustrative of the present invention and is not to be construed as limiting thereof. Although one or more embodiments of the invention have been described, persons of ordinary skill in the art will readily appreciate that numerous modifications could be made without departing from the scope and spirit of the disclosed invention. As such, it should be understood that all such modifications are intended to be included within the scope of this invention. The written description and drawings illustrate the present invention and are not to be construed as limited to the specific embodiments disclosed.