Abstract:
A retroreflective plastic strip having conspicuity tape on its outer surface and having flanges along each lateral edge for spacing the strip from the surface of an under-ride bumper on a truck trailer. The strip has means such as zip ties or pop rivets for detachably securing the strip on the bumper to comply with Federal regulations.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to the Federal mandate that commercial trailers and semitrailers must be equipped with retroreflective sheeting or an array of reflective reflector in a red and white pattern on them to make the vehicles more readily visible to drivers of other vehicles (see Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard No. 108 (49 CFR 571.108), S5/7, Conspicuity systems). This mandate is aimed at improving highway safety. 
     A common practice for meeting such Federal mandate is to apply conspicuity tape, which is commercially available from companies such as the 3M Company, to bumpers, under-ride bumpers, tail gates and sides of trailers and semitrailers. 
     A problem arises however from the corrosion effects of water, salt, abrasive materials and the like that will corrode metal surfaces on vehicles and degrade the adhesion of conspicuity tape to the metal surfaces. Failure to maintain the quality of the retroreflective sheeting frequently results in ticketing by highway patrol officers and the assessment of fines. 
     Replacement of missing or degraded conspicuity tape on bumpers typically requires sand blasting or grinding the bumper, application of a primer and paint, and application of new conspicuity tape. This can cost several hundred of dollars per bumper, plus the downtime for the trailer while the replacement process is completed. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention provides a quick and inexpensive fix comprising easily attachable and detachable retroreflective plastic strips for replacing missing or damaged retroreflective tape on truck trailers and semitrailers. This invention provides a thin strip of plastic with retroreflective conspicuity tape on it and a system for quickly attaching the plastic strips to under-ride bumpers on trailers in any weather. It is preferably made such that water and air can flow through the plastic strip and thus minimize water being trapped against the under-ride bumper. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is an elevation view of the rear of a truck trailer, sans the wheels and tires, showing a plastic strip of this invention with retroreflective conspicuity tape on it detachably secured on the trailer&#39;s under-ride bumper. 
         FIG. 2  is a larger perspective view of a portion of the under-ride bumper shown in  FIG. 1  with plastic retroreflective plastic strip of this invention attached with zip ties, to the under-ride bumper. 
         FIG. 3  is a fragmentary view of the front face of a plastic strip of this invention showing conspicuity tape on the strip. 
         FIG. 4  is an edge view of the plastic strip of  FIG. 3 . 
         FIG. 5  is an end view of the plastic strip of  FIGS. 3 and 4  and additionally showing a zip tie assembled with the plastic strip. 
         FIG. 6  is a fragmentary view of the back face of a plastic strip of this invention shown in  FIGS. 3 ,  4 , and  5  and additionally showing a plurality of zip ties assembled with the strip. 
         FIG. 7  is a cross sectional view through an under-ride bumper of a truck trailer and showing a plastic strip of this invention detachably secured to the bumper with a pop rivet. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     Referring to  FIG. 1 , the rear end of a truck trailer  10  is shown having an under-ride bumper  16  and a plastic strip of this invention with a strip of retroreflective conspicuity tape  12  adhesively bonded to the exposed rear face of the plastic strip. The conspicuity tape has alternating retroreflective white and red (shown as shaded) colors, which are easily seen by other drivers. 
     The under-ride bumper  16  on commercial trucks is required by Federal law to be not more than 22 inches above the road surface to stop passenger cars/vehicles from being driven under the trailer and thereby reduce the risk of serious injury or death to passengers in the cars. 
     Location of the under-ride bumper close to the road surface and at the rear of the trailer results in the under-ride bumper being highly exposed to salt and other harsh chemicals along with other road waste that can corrode the metal in the under-ride bumper. Such corrosion can degrade the bumpers and any retroreflective tape on the bumpers. Such degradation and/or loss of the retroreflective tape can occur rapidly and unexpectedly. Truck drivers are sometimes confronted with non-conforming vehicles while on the road and having no convenient way to rectify the problem. 
     The Federal law requires that under-ride bumpers extend horizontally to within 4 inches of the side of the truck and not beyond the sides of the truck. The distance between the bottom of the under-ride bumper must not exceed 22 inches at any point. The rear surface of the bumper must be within 12 inches of the rear surface of the truck, and the height of the bumper must be at least 3.94 inches. 
       FIG. 2  shows a retroreflective plastic strip  14  of this invention detachably secured to an under-ride bumper  16  with zip ties  20 . As used herein, “detachably secured” means that the plastic strip can be detached from an under-ride bumper relatively easily. Zip ties  20  are readily available commercially in a variety of sizes and types from several companies including Panduit and Hellerman Tyton. Zip ties  20  used in this invention are preferably approximately 0.345×0.100 inches and 24 inches long. This invention preferably uses plastic zip ties but can use steel or stainless steel zip ties 
     Zip ties  20  can be quickly and easily inserted through holes in the plastic strip ( FIGS. 3-6 ) and locked around an under-ride bumper  16  The zip ties  20  in the plastic strip  14  used in this invention are preferably spaced about 4 inches apart. Plastic zip ties typically have a slotted end  21  with a locking tooth  23  and a transversely grooved end  25  for insertion into the slotted end and locking the ends together (See  FIG. 6 ). When the grooved end  25  is inserted into the slotted end  21 , the ends cannot be pulled apart without breaking the ends. This locking of the ends together can be done manually without need for a tool. 
     Referring to  FIGS. 3-6 , plastic strips  14  of this invention are preferably 2 inches wide and have a channel-like cross section with short flanges  22  along both longitudinal edges and an intermediate ridge/land  24  between the flanges as seen in  FIGS. 5 and 6 . The channel shape of the strip  14  serves to conserve plastic material, facilitate forming holes in the strip for receiving zip ties, and provide a gap for air flow that helps prevent the accumulation of water between the strip and the under-ride bumper. 
     The conspicuity strip  12  is adhesively bonded to the front face of the plastic strip  14 . The plastic strip  14  is preferably substantially rigid so it will be minimally affected by wind and resist degradation by chemicals and abrasive materials that may impact against the strip. The plastic strip  14  is preferably extruded from poly vinyl chloride (PVC) but can also be made of polyethylene, polystyrene and polypropylene among other plastic materials. The plastic strips are preferably made of one homogeneous thickness of plastic but can be multi-layer of one or more different plastics. 
       FIG. 4  shows a plurality of holes  26  through both flanges  22  on the edges of the strip  14 . The holes  26  in both edges are aligned diametrically along the strip, so zip ties  20  thought the holes in the flanges  22  will extend across the strip  14  perpendicular to the flanges and the centerline of the strip as seen in  FIG. 6 . The intermediate ridge/land  24  between the flanges preferably projects from the strip slightly less than the projection of the flanges  22  ( FIG. 5 ) so the zip ties  20  will not cause the strip to bulge outwardly. Instead, front face of the strip  14  is substantially parallel to the face of the under-ride bumper. The primary purpose of the intermediate ridge  24  is to support the strip  14  when it is secured on an under-ride bumper with pop rivets as is described below. 
       FIG. 6  shows a plurality of zip ties  20  disposed through the holes in the flanges  22  on the strip  14 .  FIGS. 5 and 6  show the zip ties  20  shorter than actual dimensions for purpose of illustration. The zip ties are preferably at least 24 inches long in order to extend around a under-ride bumper and have their ends secured with the grooved end  25  locked in the slotted end  21  as seen in  FIG. 2 . 
       FIG. 7  shows an alternative embodiment of this invention in which a retroreflective plastic strip  30  is riveted to an under-ride bumper  16 . Strip  30  may have the same cross sectional channel shape as strip  14  in  FIGS. 3-6 , but does not require holes through the flanges  36 . A plurality of rivets  32  are preferably inserted though holes drilled through the retroreflective strip  30  and through on wall  28  of the bumper  16 . The rivet holes are preferably drilled on or near the centerline of the strip  30  and through the intermediate ridge  34 . The holes are preferably spaced no more than 6 inches apart, but the spacing can vary depending on materials and design choices. The rivet heads are preferably about ¼ to ⅜ inch in diameter to secure the strip  30  to the bumper  16  or other vehicle surface and not tear out. The retroreflective strip  30  is trimmed flush with the end of the bumper  16  so the strip won&#39;t catch the wind. The plastic strip  30  can be easily detached from the bumper  16  by drilling out the pop rivets  32 . 
     Metal screws, liquid adhesive or peelable adhesive can also be used to secure retroreflective plastic strips of this invention to bumpers and other surfaces of trailers. Adhesive suitable for this invention can be purchased from the 3M Company and other suppliers. Rivets and/or screws used in this invention should be either aluminum or stainless steel to minimize corrosion. 
     This invention also includes a kit comprising at least two retroreflective plastic strips approximately 2-4 feet or more in length and a supply of attachment means such as zip ties, rivets or screws for attaching the strips to a bumper or other surface on a trailer. The kit is adapted to be marketed in truck stops, service stations or the like for truckers to purchase them while on the road and unexpectedly confronted with a compliance issues due to missing or degraded retroreflective tape on their vehicles. 
     It is seen that this invention provides a new product and kit to facilitating an expedient way to correct missing and/or degraded retroreflective sheeting on truck trailers and semitrailers. This invention can be used as a temporary or permanent compliance with the statutory requirements for retroreflective sheeting. The durable and easily attachable and detachable plastic retroreflective strips of this invention are inexpensive and cost effective. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that numerous modifications can be made in the preferred embodiments of this invention, which have been selected for purposes of illustration, without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the claims appended hereto. For example, a plastic of this invention can have a variety of cross sectional shapes such as rectangular with no channel, or be channel shaped with a rounded ridge between edge flanges. A flat rectangular strip could have a plurality of holes through it along both edges and colored zip ties could be used that would match the color of the conspicuity and be disposed across the exterior surface of the strip, through the holes and around an under-ride bumper.