Patent Document

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS  
       [0001]     This is a continuation-in-part application of the U.S. Patent Application No. 10/131,316, filed 04/23/2002, now allowed and to be issued as the U.S. Pat. No. 6,766,760. This application also claims the benefit of the Provisional Patent Application No. 60/495,229, filed Aug. 13, 2003, the entire content of which is incorporated herein by reference. 
     
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0002]     1. Field of the Invention  
         [0003]     The present invention generally relates to portable road signs. More specifically, the present invention relates to barricade signs and roll-up signs.  
         [0004]     2. Description of the Related Art  
         [0005]     Road signs are useful in alerting, informing, directing, or diverting motorists as well as pedestrians to avoid or pass safely around hazards, obstacles, work zones, and so on. In addition to standard roll-up warning and informational signs, many road sign designs exist.  
         [0006]     For example, a portable and compact retrorefloective sign system disclosed in the U.S. Pat. No. 6,115,951 and issued to Jing et al. includes a base, a winding mechanism roller attached to the base, and a retroreflective roll-up sheeting having a first end and a second end. The first end is attached to the roller and the sign is wound about the roller.  
         [0007]     U.S. Pat. No. 4,507,887, issued to Seely, discloses a portable sign system with a frame member for mounting a sign and a means to allow the sign to pivot or swing under side-wind loads by action of a resilient portion of the stand.  
         [0008]     These and other prior road sign designs, although very useful, are not particularly easy to carry, nor are they suitable for storing in places where space is limited, for instance, in the trunk or cargo area of a vehicle. Furthermore, most existing designs lack the capability to withstand strong wind, for example, over  10  mph. Non-collapsible ones have an additional drawback of possibly causing greater damages to pedestrians, vehicles and/or other properties when hit by a car or blown over by wind.  
         [0009]     Therefore, although many prior designs exist, there is a continuing need in the art for a compact portable road sign providing maximum visibility, high safety, substantial versatility, and strong wind resistance. The present invention addresses this need.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0010]     The present invention provides a road sign, hereinafter referred to as a barricade sign, that is compact, portable, durable, versatile, and weather/wind resistant. According to an aspect of the invention, the barricade sign distinguishes two parts—a base and a lid—that are pivotally connected. The base supports the lid and has a compartment for storing one or more items inside. The shapes of the base as well as its compartment can vary depending upon design and/or desire.  
         [0011]     In some embodiments, the compartment is configured to store one or more safety cones, warning/traffic signs such as roll up signs, or any other items related to road safety that can be reduced to a small volume. Preferably, the compartment stores one, two, three, or more flexible safety cones disclosed in the above referenced U.S. Pat. No. 6,766,760.  
         [0012]     The lid is latched onto the base with a closing means such as a latch, clip, hook, strap, click-mechanism, pin, lock, or the like. One side of the lid may include a positioning element to facilitate securing one or more flexible safety cones in place. The other side of the lid implements a desired sign, e.g., a warning sign, a traffic sign, an informational sign, etc.  
         [0013]     The connection between the base and the lid is configured 1) to hold up the sign in a stable, sustainable, wind resisting manner in absence of a direct impact force, and 2) to collapse, fold, close, or break upon impact, e.g., when hit by a car. Once collapsed, folded, or closed, the overall height and the layered or curved shape enable the barricade sign to act more or less like a speed bump. Such a safety construction advantageously eliminates or otherwise significantly minimizes damages to the vehicle involved as well as surrounding traffic.  
         [0014]     Other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art upon reading and understanding the detailed description of the preferred embodiments below with reference to the following drawings. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0015]      FIGS. 1-2  show exemplary embodiments of a barricade sign according to the present invention;  
         [0016]      FIG. 3  shows exemplary embodiments of storing road safety items in the compartment of the barricade sign according to the present invention;  
         [0017]      FIG. 4  shows an exemplary embodiment of holding the lid of the barricade sign in an upright position according to the present invention;  
         [0018]      FIG. 5  shows an exemplary embodiment of a barricade sign as a base for a roll-up sign according to the present invention;  
         [0019]      FIG. 6  shows an exemplary embodiment of lights as part of the lid according to the present invention;  
         [0020]      FIG. 7  shows an exemplary embodiment of stabilizers for the barricade sign according to the present invention;  
         [0021]      FIG. 8  shows an exemplary embodiment of a packaged roll-up sign that pops out and open as a fold-up sign according to the present invention;  
         [0022]      FIG. 9  shows exemplary embodiments signs for the lid according to the present invention; and  
         [0023]      FIGS. 10-11  show exemplary embodiments of the present invention integrating a light. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
       [0024]     The present invention provides a barricade sign  100  as shown in  FIG. 1 . The barricade sign distinguishes two parts  110 ,  120 . The first part  110  is a base with a compartment  130 . The second part  120  is a lid. Dependent on the manufacturing procedure of choice, parts  110 ,  120  could either be separate parts that are connected by a joint  140  or could be an integral construction that is created by, for instance, but not limited to, injection molding or blow molding. In either case, part  120  is pivotally connected to part  110  in such a manner that it could close and store items inside compartment  130 .  
         [0025]     Lid  120  could be held closed with a closing means  150  such as, but not limited to, a latch, strap, hook, clip, click-mechanism, pin, lock, or the like. The barricade sign is preferably made out of a rubber material. It would also be preferred to avoid any type of metal to manufacture or assemble the barricade sign. The outside shape of the base could be layered as shown in  FIG. 1 . However, the base is not limited to such a shape since it could also have a curved shaped as shown by base  210  of barricade sign  200  in  FIG. 2  (barricade sign  220  is shown in closed position). The shape of the base is configured to: 
    (1) support the lid that is used as a sign;     (2) provide a compartment to store road safety items; and     (3) provide a safer construction so that a vehicle could potentially drive over (any part or all of) the base without causing damages, or at least minimizing any damages, to the vehicle. In other words, the layered or curved shape would enable the barricade sign to act more or less like a speed bump.    
 
         [0029]     Compartment  130  preferably stores one or more items related to safety cones, warning/traffic signs such as roll up signs, and the likes that can be reduced to a small volume, or any other items related to road safety. Dimensions of compartment  130  can be designed or scaled to fit items intended to be stored inside the compartment and therefore are not limiting.  
         [0030]     In one aspect, one or more non-rigid safety cones  160  could be stored in compartment  130 . Preferably, compartment  130  stores one, two, or three safety cone(s).  FIG. 3  shows two flexible safety cones  160  stored in compartment  130  in compact, small volume position. The number of safety cones depends on application and use. A preferred flexible safety cone has a flexible cone or conical part  164  that can be compressed into a small volume in a spring-loaded position. An example of such a flexible safety cone is disclosed in the above-referenced U.S. Pat. No. 6,766,760.  
         [0031]     A positioning element  170  could be included at the inside of lid  120 . Positioning element  170  preferably has a conical shape but is not limited to such a conical shape since it could also be cylindrical or square, as long as positioning element  170  removably fits inside top  162  of safety cone  160 . The positioning element  170  holds top  162  of safety cone  160  in place inside of compartment  130  and prevents top  162  from slipping or sliding away relative to lid  120 . Positioning element  170  could be assembled to the inside of lid  120  or integrally formed with lid  120 . Positioning element  170  could also be a hollow element to fit around top  162 .  
         [0032]     In some embodiments, a user places positioning element  170  inside top  162  of safety cone  160 . Once in place, the user then pushes down lid  120  and therewith the flexible cone part  162  of safety cone  160  inside compartment  130 . Flexible cone part  164  of safety cone  160  then gets into a spring-loaded position, as shown in  FIG. 2 . In case more than one safety cone is to be stored inside compartment  130 , a user stacks the safety cones first, spring loads the stacked cones at the same time, and then stores them in a similar fashion as described above.  
         [0033]     In case where one or more safety cones are stored in compartment  130  in a spring-loaded condition, once closing means  150  is released/opened, lid  120  will pop-up or at least be easily guided to an open position. Subsequently, a user can take out one or more of the stored item and hold lid  120  in a more or less upright position. A bracket, pin, hinged arm, or any type of means that will hold up the lid could be implemented to enable the lid holding position. An example of a such a support means, a bracket  400 , is shown in  FIG. 4 . The holding position could also be enabled through a click mechanism integrated with the joint as common in the art. Such a means should be strong enough to keep the lid in the more or less up-right position, especially when other road safety signs or devices, e.g., a roll-up sign shown in  FIG. 5 , are integrated with the barricade sign.  
         [0034]     Another consideration for the connection between the lid and the base, including the support means that holds up the lid, is to enable the lid and/or the support mean to collapse, fold, or possibly break upon impact, e.g., when a car hits or overrides the barricade sign. This feature would add to road safety and minimizes, possibly prevents, any damages to the vehicle.  
         [0035]     The strength of the material for parts  110 ,  120  is important in cases where flexible safety cones are to be stored in the compartment in a spring-loaded position. Bending of parts  110 ,  120  due to the extension force of the spring-loaded cone part, should preferably be avoided or minimized. It might be necessary for parts  110 ,  120  to be reinforced, for instance, a change in thickness, in certain places or structural points.  
         [0036]     Compartment  130  could also store a roll-up sign  300  as shown in  FIG. 3 . A de-assembled roll-up sign, for instance, in folded form, could be stored in compartment  130 . The poles that are typically used to span the roll-up sign could also be stored in compartment  130 . The poles could be telescopic poles, folded poles, interconnecting poles, or the like, as they are common in the art.  
         [0037]     Lid  120  could include an opening  180  that could be used to insert and hold in place the vertical pole of a roll-up sign  500 , as shown in  FIG. 5 . The barricade sign would then serve as a base for the roll-up sign. The type of roll-up sign to be used in combination with the barricade sign could be any type of conventional roll-up sign as they are known in the art.  
         [0038]     In another embodiment, the roll-up sign could be improved by having a mesh-like material with or without reflective material. The mesh-like material would be advantageous to allow wind, rain or potentially sand or dirt from a wind gusts or a storm to pass through. The roll-up sign would then less likely act like a sail since such a sail action would jeopardize the stability of the barricade sign.  
         [0039]     In another aspect, the lid of the barricade sign  600  could include one or more lights  610  to alert or warn traffic as shown in  FIG. 6 . The lights could be battery operated or solar powered. The lights could be removably placed in a recess in the lid or removably placed on the outside of the lid. The lid could also include a fog light. The lights could automatically turn on when the lid opens, could be manually operated, or could be operated through a sensor that sense changes in visibility. The lights could also be stored inside the lid and pop up, pop out or slide out when the lid is opened to a more or less vertical position.  
         [0040]     The weight of the base should be sufficient enough to sustain 40 mph wind without moving away from the intended location and/or without falling over. In one aspect, the base of the barricade sign  700  could include stabilizers  710  in case where additional stability is necessary, as shown in  FIG. 7 . Stabilizers could be extended by pushing them from the inside of compartment  130  where they could be stored outward relative to the base though openings in the sides of the base. Stabilizers could be single elements or elements that could be extended through telescopic means.  
         [0041]     In another aspect, a user could add weight to the compartment to provide more friction and potentially more stability. In yet another aspect, the bottom surface of the base could provide enough friction to avoid sliding away from its desired position and placement on the road or support surface. Friction could be established by a roughness or a pattern created to the bottom surface of the base. The barricade sign with or without a roll-up sign could be placed on the road, shoulder or even on a vehicle that is in a stand still or driving.  
         [0042]     The base of the barricade sign could include a handle  190  so that it can be carried by a person. Handle  190  could be fixed to base  110 . In one embodiment, handle  190  could be manufactured as an integral part of base  110 . In another embodiment, handle  190  could be manufactured as a separate element and preferably pivotally connected to base  110 .  
         [0043]     The present invention has now been described in accordance with several exemplary embodiments, which are intended to be illustrative in all aspects, rather than restrictive. Thus, the present invention is capable of many variations in detailed implementation, which may be derived from the description contained herein by a person of ordinary skill in the art. For instance, a new type of roll-up sign could be used which could be folded up to a small package  810  that can be stored at the inside of the lid of the barricade sign  800  as shown in  FIG. 8 . When lid is in closed position  820 , the folded roll-up sign is stored, but when lid opens up, either by hand or by means of a spring-loaded safety cone(s), the folded roll-up sign pops-open like some of the tents that are known in the art of tents and develops like a spread out roll-up sign  830 .  
         [0044]     Another variation is that the shape of the lid is not limited to an octagon  910 , but could be any type of shape that is related to common traffic signs, such as a circle  920 , a triangle (up  930  or down  940 ), square  950  or a diamond  960 . Examples of other signs could be obtained from e.g. the Federal Highway Administration (FHA, See e.g. their www site at www.fhwa.dot.gov). Yet another variation is to use different types of recyclable materials for the barricade signs.  
         [0045]     Still another variation is to have a light placed near the end of a bar element. The light and bar element could be stored in a recess in the lid. FIGS.  10 A-B show an example, in closed and open positions, respectively, of a halogen lamp  1010  integrated on a bar  1020  storable in a recess in the outer surface of lid  1030 .  FIG. 11  shows the barricade sign of FIGS.  10 A-B with its lid  1030  in an upright holding position and the bar  1020  in an upwardly tilted position  1100  such that the light source  1010  could be directed in a manner that alerts traffic.  
         [0046]     The barricade sign can be used in combination with a roll-up sign to provide additional signage and warning to traffic. The barricade sign would improve road safety through its design (i.e. shape and material). Many other variations may be derived from the description contained herein by a person of ordinary skill in the art without departing from the spirit of the present invention. Accordingly, the scope of the present invention should be determined by the following claims and their legal equivalents.

Technology Category: e