Abstract:
A traffic delineator includes a cylinder and a base. The base has a hole therethrough to permit the cylinder to be inserted into the base and the base then holds the cylinder down. A grip is formed in the center section of the cylinder to increase ease of carrying the delineator. The cylinder may also include a handle and means for affixing traffic warning lights and flags. The base may include means for holding removable ballast. The cylinder is formed by blow molding.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     This invention relates generally to traffic delineators, and more particularly to a traffic delineator comprising a blow-molded plastic cylinder and base that includes a centrally located grip. 
     The development of plastic traffic delineators, such as plastic cylinders, cones and barrels, for directing and channeling traffic flows has significantly increased the safety of automotive transportation. If a wood or metal delineator is struck by an automobile, the occupants may be seriously injured and the automobile seriously damaged. If a car being channeled by a line of plastic cylindrical delineators strikes one of the plastic cylinders, the lightweight, collapsible delineator causes little damage to the vehicle, which reduces the risk of injury to the vehicle occupants. Plastic cylinders are also sufficiently resilient to withstand numerous hits from vehicles and not show significant wear. 
     Plastic cylindrical traffic delineators have many advantages, including relative ease of manufacturing, light weight, and easy storage because the cylinders have a relatively narrow diameter and thus do not require significant space. The cylindrical delineators may be made of numerous colors, but a bright &#34;florescent&#34; orange has become common. Such coloration makes the cylinders more easily seen, day or night and in good or bad weather, than other colors. 
     For ease of manufacture and use, cylindrical delineators are often made in two pieces, an upper cylinder over which a drop down base is placed. The cylinder is usually a light-weight structure having a thin, plastic wall. The drop down base may be made of lightweight plastic, but is often made of heavy rubber. Sandbags or other ballasting materials may be used to increase the weight of the base and cylinder combination. 
     Recently, manufacturers have included handles on the top of the cylindrical delineators to make it easier to move the delineators. One such handle is that on the cylindrical delineator being sold by Bent Manufacturing company of Huntington Beach, Calif. That handle has a modified &#34;T&#34; shape, with the upper surface of the handle having an arcuate curvature to fit into human hands. Another cylindrical delineator having a handle on top is depicted in U.S. Pat. No. 5,036,791 to Thurston. That patent depicts two handles, one being of a generally &#34;T&#34; shape and the other having an inverted &#34;U&#34; shape. Yet another cylindrical delineator handle is that on the delineator being sold by Traffix Devices, Inc. of San Clemente, Calif. That handle is merely a reduction in the diameter of the cylinder, and then an abrupt enlargement of the diameter on the very top end of the cylinder, to form what may be termed as a &#34;baseball bat&#34; handle. 
     It is often necessary or useful to move the delineator. The cylinder and base delineator is usually relatively heavy, so that wind or minor impacts with vehicles do not knock the delineator over, and is also cumbersome, due to the dimensions of the cylinder and base. Thus, re-positioning a cylinder and base a short distance may require workers to lift the heavy, cumbersome cylinder and base combination. 
     Although the handle helps significantly, the placement of the handle causes problems. Existing handles formed on the top end of the cylinder may be useful for grabbing a delineator from the bed of a truck and moving it a short distance, or even up unto the truck. However, the cylinders may be 42 inches or more in height, and so a worker on the ground next to a delineator often has a difficult time carrying the delineator. Pulling the cylinder off the base can be time-consuming, and so if the cylinder and base are only to be moved a short distance, the worker does not usually want to pull the cylinder off the base. As a result, workers have been required to drag the delineator using the top handle, get assistance from another person, risk injury, or take the time to uncouple the base and cylinder just to move the delineator a short distance. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     According to the present invention, a base and cylinder traffic delineator is provided that overcomes these and other drawbacks of the prior delineators. A delineator made according to the present invention is inexpensive to manufacture and has parts that are interchangeable with existing cylinder and base delineators. The base is preferably compression molded from heavy rubber. The cylinder is preferably blow molded from light weight plastic, and may be made in a variety of shapes and from a variety of materials. 
     The cylinder includes a generally centrally disposed grip to facilitate repositioning of the delineator. The grip is preferably formed into the cylinder at a location that will be relatively close to the center of gravity of the cylinder and base combination, so that when carried by the grip the delineator is generally balanced. This reduces the awkwardness of moving the delineator, and thus reduces the risk of injury when the delineator is moved. 
     The grip may take various shapes, to provide flexibility in design. For instance, a cavity may be formed into the cylinder for grasping, or the diameter of the cylinder may be reduced to permit a hand to grasp the cylinder. In each case, the grip does not interfere with placing the base over the cylinder, or with the visibility of the cylinder when in use. In fact, some designs for the grip may provide additional strength to the cylinder. 
     The top of the cylinder made in accordance with the present invention may also include a handle to facilitate grasping the cylinder. Thus, the present invention retains all the advantages of prior delineators while providing additional advantages. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     Other features and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following Detailed Description taken in conjunction with the accompanying Drawings, in which: 
     FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a traffic delineator cylinder according to one embodiment of the present invention; 
     FIG. 2 is a first side view of the cylinder of FIG. 1; 
     FIG. 3 is a top view of the cylinder of FIG. 1; 
     FIG. 4 is a second side view of the cylinder of FIG. 1; 
     FIG. 5 is a bottom view of the cylinder of FIG. 1; 
     FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of the cylinder shown in FIG. 1 taken along the line 6--6 of FIG. 4; 
     FIG. 7 is a side view of a traffic delineator cylinder according to a second embodiment of the present invention; 
     FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view of the cylinder shown in FIG. 7 taken along the line 8--8 of FIG. 7; 
     FIG. 9 is a first side view of a traffic delineator cylinder according to a third embodiment of the present invention; 
     FIG. 10 is a top view of the cylinder of FIG. 9; 
     FIG. 11 is a second side view of the cylinder of FIG. 9; 
     FIG. 12 is a bottom view of the cylinder of FIG. 9; 
     FIG. 13 is a first side view of a traffic delineator cylinder according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention; 
     FIG. 14 is a top view of the cylinder of FIG. 13; 
     FIG. 15 is a second side view of the cylinder of FIG. 13; 
     FIG. 16 is a bottom view of the cylinder of FIG. 13; 
     FIG. 17 is a side view of a traffic delineator cylinder according to a fifth embodiment of the present invention; 
     FIG. 18 is a top view of the cylinder of FIG. 17; 
     FIG. 19 is a bottom view of the cylinder of FIG. 17; 
     FIG. 20 is a first side view of a traffic delineator cylinder according to a sixth embodiment of the present invention; 
     FIG. 21 is a top view of the cylinder of FIG. 20; 
     FIG. 22 is a second side view of the cylinder of FIG. 20; 
     FIG. 23 is a bottom view of the cylinder of FIG. 20; 
     FIG. 24 is a first side view of a traffic delineator cylinder according to a seventh embodiment of the present invention; 
     FIG. 25 is a top view of the cylinder of FIG. 24; 
     FIG. 26 is a second side view of the cylinder of FIG. 24; 
     FIG. 27 is a bottom view of the cylinder of FIG. 24; 
     FIG. 28 is a first side view of a traffic delineator cylinder according to an eighth embodiment of the present invention; 
     FIG. 29 is a top view of the cylinder of FIG. 28; 
     FIG. 30 is a second side view of the cylinder of FIG. 28; 
     FIG. 31 is a bottom view of the cylinder of FIG. 28; 
     FIG. 32 is a side view of a traffic delineator cylinder according to a ninth embodiment of the present invention; 
     FIG. 33 is a top view of the cylinder of FIG. 32; and 
     FIG. 34 is a bottom view of the cylinder of FIG. 32. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     As shown in the drawings, the present invention is embodied in a traffic delineator 10 comprised of a cylinder 12 removably mounted inside a base 14. The cylinder 12 is a unitary piece, preferably made of a lightweight, blow molded plastic. The base 14 is a unitary piece having a circular opening 16 formed perpendicularly through the center of the base 14 to receive the cylinder 12. 
     The base 14 may be any of those known in the art. The base 14 is relatively heavy and also low to the ground. The base has a bottom surface 18 that is adapted to rest on the road surface. The top of the base is flat for ease of stacking. In some embodiments, the base 14 is made of molded rubber, recycled automobile tires, or another high density molded material. In other embodiments, the base 14 is made of light weight plastic, and may be designed to be provided with ballast. 
     Typically, the base 14 is octagonal and the bottom surface 18 is generally planar, although the base may have cavities formed into the bottom surface. The base could even be a used automobile tire, which of course already has a center circular opening. The base may also include wheels or a drag plate to assist workers in moving the base without seriously damaging the base and without causing injury to the worker. 
     The cylinder 12 is preferably formed by blow molding and subsequent trimming. The cylinder 12 may be made of many shapes and colors, including those most common in the current traffic delineation industry, and preferably is interchangeable with existing cylinders and may be used with existing bases. The cylinder may be made of any of the materials known in the art, and usually includes pigments for the desired color, ultraviolet light inhibitors, stabilizers and fillers. 
     In the first embodiment of the present invention depicted in FIGS. 1-6, the cylinder 12 comprises a hollow, generally cylindrical body having an open bottom section 20 that leads into a central cavity 22 formed by the cylinder body. Making the cylinder hollow reduces the weight of the cylinder and significantly reduces the amount of material needed for the cylinder. The cylinder 12 may include radial protrusions 24 to segregate portions of the cylinder. These protrusions may provide additional strength to the cylinder, but often the intent is merely an aesthetic one, that is, to make the cylinder more visually pleasing. Often, the radial protrusions form the boundary between smooth sections 26 on which retroreflective sheeting may be affixed to the cylinder. 
     The upper end 30 of the cylinder 12 may be formed into a handle 32. In the various FIGURES, different handles are shown on the upper end 30 of the cylinder 12. The handle 32 is preferably hollow so that when blow molded, the hollow handle cools quickly. 
     The handle 32 shown in the embodiment of the invention depicted in FIGS. 1-6 has a modified &#34;T&#34; shape. Fingers grasp the handle 32 at undercut portions 34. The crossing surface 36 on top of the handle 32 is preferably formed with a convex arc that facilitates holding the handle 32 in the palm of the hand. 
     As shown in FIGS. 1 and 4, a hole 40 may be formed into the upper end 30 or the handle 32 of the cylinder 12. Such a hole 40 is useful for mounting a light, sign, or other traffic safety device to the cylinder 12. The hole 40 may be compression molded into the upper end 30, or may be cut out of the upper end 30 after molding, preferably by incorporating a divot into the mold where the hole 40 is to be placed. A bore for accepting a flag pole may also be included on the upper end 30 of the cylinder, in which case a detent may be formed into the side wall of the upper end 30 for supporting the flag pole when inserted into the bore. 
     The lower end 44 of the cylinder 12 flares into an outwardly extending flange 46. This flange has a radial diameter greater that the diameter of the circular opening 16 in the base 14. When the base 14 is dropped down over the cylinder 12, the flange 46 engages the bottom surface 18 of the base to support the cylinder in an upright position in the base. Thus, the cylinder 12 stays upright when the traffic delineator 10 is placed on the road surface. 
     The cylinder 12 includes a central section 48 between the upper end 30 and the lower end 44. In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1-6, a channel 50 through the diameter of the cylinder 12 forms a grip 52. This grip 52 may be used to carry the cylinder 12 or the complete delineator 10 including the base 14. The grip is generally formed near the center of gravity of the delineator 10 so that a worker carrying the delineator by the grip 52 does not have significant balance problems. The additional walls 54 forming the grip 52 increase the strength of the cylinder 12, and the channel 50 permits communication through the cylinder. As a result, the cylinders of this first embodiment of the present invention may be strung together by rope passed through the channel, if desired. 
     In the second embodiment of the present invention depicted in FIGS. 7 and 8, the cylinder 12 is generally the same as in the first embodiment. However, the second embodiment has a slightly different grip 58. In this embodiment, the grip 58 is not formed as a channel through the diameter of the cylinder 12. Rather, the grip 58 is formed by a pair of opposing cavities molded in the side wall of the center section 48 of the cylinder. As a result, this grip 58 includes a center wall 60 that provides additional structural strength to the cylinder. 
     A third embodiment of the invention is depicted in FIGS. 9-12. According to this third embodiment, the upper end 30 and lower end 44 of the cylinder 12 are similar to the first embodiment. However, according to the third embodiment, a grip 64 is formed as a reduced diameter of the cylinder 12. This reduced diameter permits the fingers and thumb of a human hand to grasp the grip 64. Protruding rings 66 are formed into the grip 64 to provide increased strength, reduced slippage, and better aesthetics. 
     According to a fourth embodiment of the present invention, depicted in FIGS. 13-16, the cylinder 12 does not include the handle 32 on the upper end 30. Forming a handle in the cylinder 12 is typically more difficult, and thus more time-consuming and expensive, than not forming a handle, and thus certain applications do not justify a handle. This embodiment includes a grip 52 similar to the grip of the first embodiment. 
     In this fourth embodiment, the upper end 30 may be formed into a dome shape. The rounding top of a dome helps distribute the plastic when blow molding the cylinder. As a result, the upper end 30 has better distribution of plastic throughout, and the corner connecting the upper end 30 to the side wall of the cylinder 12 even has additional plastic to provide added strength. Radial ribs may be formed in the dome to further increase the strength of the cylinder upper end. 
     FIGS. 17-19 depict a fifth embodiment of the present invention. According to this fifth embodiment, a reduced diameter grip 64, such as the grip of the third embodiment, is added to a cylinder 12 having a flat or domed upper end 30, as described in connection with the fourth embodiment of the present invention. This embodiment is therefore something of a cross between the third and fourth embodiments. 
     FIGS. 20-23 depict a sixth embodiment of the present invention. According to this embodiment, a channel 50 through the cylinder 12 forms the grip 52. However, the handle 32 of the first and second embodiment is replaced by a handle 70 that has an inverted &#34;U&#34; shape. This same style of handle 70 is used in a seventh embodiment of the present invention, as depicted in FIGS. 24-27. According to this seventh embodiment, a reduced diameter grip 64 is formed in the center section of the cylinder 12, similar to the grip of the third and fifth embodiments, see FIGS. 9-12 and 17-19. 
     FIGS. 28-31 and FIGS. 32-34 depict eighth and ninth, respectively, embodiments of the present invention. In the eighth embodiment, a grip 52 is formed by a channel 50 in the center section 48 of the cylinder 12. In the ninth embodiment, a reduced diameter grip 64 is formed in the center section of the cylinder. In both of these embodiments, a handle 74 is formed at the upper end 30 of the cylinder 12. This handle 74 has a reduced diameter proximate portion 76 and an expanded diameter distal end 78 at the top of the cylinder. As with the reduced diameter grip 64, protruding rings 80 are formed into the handle 74 to provide increased strength, reduced slippage, and aesthetic appeal. This type of handle 74 may be called a &#34;baseball bat&#34; style handle. 
     It will be obvious to those of skill in the art that the various handles depicted in the FIGURES may be mixed and matched with the various grips to produce different embodiments of the present invention. Thus, the present invention has several advantages over the prior art without sacrificing any of the advantages of the prior art. Although one embodiment of the invention has been illustrated and described, various modifications and changes may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.