Patent Grant
9770383
This disclosure relates generally to an embedded sidewalk tile and, more particularly, to a tactile sidewalk tile for detection by visually impaired pedestrians.
The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) requires the installation of tactile warning surfaces in certain location to alert blind and other visually impaired pedestrians of potential hazards. Common locations for tactile warning surfaces include hazardous vehicular areas (e.g., intersections, street corners, and uncurbed transitions between pedestrian and vehicular areas) and areas having sudden drop-offs (e.g., train platforms and loading docks).
A tactile warning surface is typically formed by one or more tactile sidewalk tiles having a pattern of raised truncated domes and smaller pointed nubs. The tactile sidewalk tiles are placed over wet concrete so that an underside of the tactile sidewalk tile bonds to the concrete underlayer. The raised truncated domes and smaller pointed nubs provide tactile cues (e.g., through a sole of a shoe, through a sweeping cane, through a wheelchair wheel, or through a walker wheel) that alert the visually impaired pedestrian of the hazardous area ahead. The tactile sidewalk tile may also provide a visual cue (e.g., color contrast with the surrounding concrete) and/or an audio cue (e.g., sound attenuation caused by dissimilar materials used for the tactile sidewalk tile and the sidewalk).
While many intersections have sidewalks that meet a road surface at a single edge, for which a linear array of two or more rectangular (e.g., square) tactile tiles is appropriate, a rounded sidewalk corner, such as one that serves two perpendicular cross-walks or permits pedestrians to walk diagonally across an intersection, presents a situation for which an arcuate tactile warning surface that follows the inside of the rounded sidewalk corner would be appropriate. Conventional tactile sidewalk tiles typically have a rectilinear shape (e.g., square or rectangular). Many installers of tactile warning surfaces when faced with rounded sidewalk corners opt to arrange a plurality of rectangular tactile tiles along the curve of the sidewalk, but this undesirably leaves wedge-shaped gaps between the tactile tiles, which gaps are occupied by cementitious material or asphalt, and are free of any raised truncated domes. Such an arrangement also prevents the installer from pre-connecting a plurality of tactile tiles prior to installation, instead requiring that each tactile tile be installed independently.
Some have offered labor-intensive solutions to providing a more continuous arrangement of raised truncated domes along such rounded-corner sidewalks, involving providing a rectangular tactile tile with score lines that can be used to facilitate removal of portions of the rectangular tile until only a wedge-shaped region of the tactile tile remains. Such cut-down wedge-shaped tactile tiles are arranged between rectangular tactile tiles such that the array of rectangular and wedge-shaped tiles can then more closely mimic the rounded corner of the sidewalk. Therefore, to construct an arcuate tactile warning surface, it may be necessary to cut or otherwise modify one or more rectilinear tactile sidewalk tiles to form an arcuate shape. Re-shaping a tactile sidewalk tile in this manner is time-consuming and may require the use of a utility knife or even a motorized saw tool, particularly if the tactile sidewalk tile is made of metal or another strong material. In some cases, it may be necessary to cut the rectilinear tactile sidewalk tile at the installation site, without the assistance of measuring tools. As a result, it can be difficult to form an array of tactile sidewalk tiles with the proper curvature.
One aspect of the present disclosure includes an arcuate tactile sidewalk tile arrangement including a connector tactile sidewalk tile, a first rectilinear tactile sidewalk tile, and a second rectilinear tactile sidewalk tile. The connector tactile sidewalk tile may include a wedge-shaped main body and first and second connector flanges that adjoin opposite sides of the wedge-shaped main body. The first rectilinear tactile sidewalk tile may overlap the first connector flange, and the second rectilinear tactile sidewalk tile may overlap the second connector flange. A plurality of truncated domes may project upwardly in a vertical direction from an upper surface of the first rectilinear tactile sidewalk tile, an upper surface of the first rectilinear tactile sidewalk tile, and an upper surface of the second rectilinear tactile sidewalk tile.
Another aspect of the present disclosure provides a connector tactile sidewalk tile including a wedge-shaped main body and a plurality of truncated domes which project upwardly in a vertical direction from an upper surface of the wedge-shaped main body. The connector tactile sidewalk tile may also include a first connector flange and a second connector flange that adjoin opposite sides of the wedge-shaped main body. The first connector flange may be step down from the wedge-shaped main body such that an upper surface of the first connector flange is offset downwardly in the vertical direction from the upper surface of the wedge-shaped main body. The second connector flange may also be step down from the wedge-shaped main body such that an upper surface of the second connector flange is offset downwardly in the vertical direction from the upper surface of the wedge-shaped main body. The offset of the upper surface of the first connector flange from the upper surface of the wedge-shaped main body is preferably the same as the offset of the second connector flange from the wedge-shaped main body. Preferably, the first and second connector flanges have the same thickness as one another.
Yet another aspect of the present disclosure provides a method of assembling an arcuate tactile sidewalk tile arrangement. The method includes providing a connector tactile sidewalk tile including a wedge-shaped main body, first and second connector flanges that adjoin opposite sides of the wedge-shaped main body, and a plurality of truncated domes that project upwardly in a vertical direction from an upper surface of the wedge-shaped main body. The method further includes positioning a first rectilinear tactile sidewalk tile to overlap the first connector flange, and positioning a second rectilinear tactile sidewalk tile to overlap the second connector flange. A plurality of truncated domes projects upwardly in a vertical direction from an upper surface of the first rectilinear tactile sidewalk tile and an upper surface of the second rectilinear tactile sidewalk tile.
An additional aspect of the present disclosure provides a connector tactile sidewalk tile including a wedge-shaped main body and a connector flange adjoining the wedge-shaped main body. A plurality of truncated domes may project upwardly in a vertical direction from an upper surface of the wedge-shaped main body. The connector flange may be stepped down from the wedge-shaped main body, such that an upper surface of the connector flange is offset downwardly in the vertical direction from the upper surface of the wedge-shaped main body.
The present disclosure generally relates to a connector tactile sidewalk tile for constructing an arcuate tactile sidewalk tile arrangement and a method of assembling an arcuate (e.g., curved) tactile sidewalk tile arrangement. The connector tactile sidewalk tile may be used in combination with one or more rectilinear (e.g., square, rectangular, triangular, semi-circular, pentagonal, or hexagonal) tactile sidewalk tiles to form an arcuate tactile sidewalk tile arrangement that follows the inside of a rounded sidewalk corner or other arcuate structure. Fasteners may be used to secure the one or more rectilinear tactile sidewalk tiles to the connector tactile sidewalk tile, thereby facilitating on-site assembly of the arcuate tactile sidewalk tile arrangement. The connector tactile sidewalk tile advantageously allows one or more rectilinear tactile sidewalk tiles to be arranged in an arcuate configuration without having to modify the shape of the one or more rectilinear tactile sidewalk tiles.
As used herein, the term “rectilinear” is defined to mean any shape having one or more straight sides. Examples of rectilinear shapes include, but are not limited to, a square, a rectangle, a triangle, a semi-circle, a pentagon, a hexagon, etc. The term “rectilinear,” as used herein, encompasses a shape having a combination of one or more straight sides and one or more curved sides.
As used herein, the term “arcuate” is defined to mean any generally curved shape. The term “arcuate” encompasses a smooth, continuous curve, as well as, a curve defined by a combination of discrete straight segments.
Each of the foregoing components of the arcuate tactile sidewalk tile arrangement 10 and methods of assembling the arcuate tactile sidewalk tile arrangement 10 will now be described in more detail.
Referring to
The first rectilinear tactile sidewalk tile 14 includes an upper surface 42 facing upwardly in the vertical direction and a lower surface 44 facing downwardly in the vertical direction. The truncated domes 22 project upwardly in the vertical direction from the upper surface 42 of the first rectilinear tactile sidewalk tile 14. Each truncated dome 22 may be defined by an annular or generally annular dome wall 45 that projects from the upper surface 42. The dome wall 45 may have a generally rounded or contoured shape, such as a convex shape, when viewed in cross-section. Alternatively, the cross-sectional shape may be linear and non-contoured. A planar or generally planar dome top surface 46 may define the top surface of each of the truncated domes 22, and the overall shape of the truncated dome 22 may thus resemble that of the exterior of an inverted bowl.
Each of the truncated domes 22 may have a maximum outer diameter D defined where the dome wall 45 meets the upper surface 42. In one embodiment, the maximum outer diameter D of each of the truncated domes 22 may be approximately (e.g., ±10%) 0.90 inches, or lesser or greater. In one embodiment, a height H of each of the truncated domes 22 may be approximately (e.g., ±10%) 0.20 inches, or lesser or greater. In one embodiment, a center-to-center spacing of the truncated domes 22 may be approximately (e.g., ±10%) 2.35 inches, or lesser or greater.
The truncated domes 22 may be arrayed across the upper surface 42 to form one or more patterns. In one embodiment, the pattern may be an array of parallel, equally-spaced linear rows and columns, as illustrated in
The thickness t1 of the first rectilinear tactile sidewalk tile 14 may be defined as the distance between the upper and lower surfaces 42, 44. As discussed below in more detail, the thickness t1 may be substantially equal to a distance by which an upper surface of the first connector flange 26 is offset downwardly from an upper surface of the main body 23. In one embodiment, the thickness t1 may be approximately (e.g., ±10%) 0.14 inches, or lesser or greater.
Referring to
A plurality of conical pointed nubs 60 may project upwardly in the vertical direction from the upper surface 42 and the dome top surface 46, as illustrated in
As illustrated in
The second rectilinear tactile sidewalk tile 16 may be configured in the same manner as the first rectilinear tactile sidewalk tile 14, so the foregoing description of the first rectilinear tactile sidewalk tile 14 applies to the second rectilinear tactile sidewalk tile 16 as well. Similar to the first rectilinear tactile sidewalk tile 14, the second rectilinear tactile sidewalk tile 16 may include an upper surface 62 facing upwardly in the vertical direction and a lower surface 64 facing downwardly in the vertical direction. Each truncated dome 24 may be defined by an annular or generally annular dome wall 65 that projects upwardly in the vertical direction from the upper surface 62. A planar or generally planar dome top surface 66 may define the top surface of each of the truncated domes 24, and the overall shape of the truncated dome 24 may thus resemble that of the exterior of an inverted bowl. A plurality of dome depressions 70 may be arrayed across the lower surface 64, and each dome depression 70 may be the underside of a corresponding truncated dome 24 formed on the upper surface 62. Each dome depression 70 may be defined by an inner dome wall 65 that generally corresponds in shape to the dome wall 75 and a dome bottom surface 74 that generally corresponds in shape to the dome top surface 66. The thickness t2 of the second rectilinear tactile sidewalk tile 16 may be defined as the distance between the upper and lower surfaces 62, 64. The thickness t2 may be substantially equal to a distance by which an upper surface of the second connector flange 28 is offset downwardly from an upper surface of the main body 23, as discussed below in more detail. A plurality of conical pointed nubs 79 may project upwardly in the vertical direction from the upper surface 62 and the dome top surface 66, as illustrated in
Referring to
The connector tactile sidewalk tile 12 will now be described with reference to
As depicted in
The main body 23 includes an upper surface 100 facing upwardly in the vertical direction and a lower surface 102 facing downwardly in the vertical direction. The truncated domes 20 project upwardly in the vertical direction from the upper surface 100. Each truncated dome 20 may be defined by an annular or generally annular dome wall 105 that projects from the upper surface 100. The dome wall 105 may have a generally rounded or contoured shape, such as a convex shape, when viewed in cross-section. Alternatively, the cross-sectional shape may be linear and non-contoured. A planar or generally planar dome top surface 106 may define the top surface of each of the truncated domes 20, and the overall shape of the truncated dome 20 may thus resemble that of the exterior of an inverted bowl.
Each of the truncated domes 20 may have a maximum outer diameter D defined where the dome wall 105 meets the upper surface 100. In one embodiment, the maximum outer diameter D of each of the truncated domes 22 may be approximately (e.g., ±10%) 0.90 inches, or lesser or greater. In one embodiment, a height H of each of the truncated domes 20 may be approximately (e.g., ±10%) 0.20 inches, or lesser or greater. In one embodiment, a center-to-center spacing of the truncated domes 22 may be approximately (e.g., ±10%) 2.35 inches, or lesser or greater
The truncated domes 20 may be arrayed across the upper surface 100 to form one or more patterns. As illustrated in
Since the outer portion 96 of the main body 23 is wider than the inner portion 98 of the main body 23, the outer portion 96 of the main body 23 may include a greater number of truncated domes 20 per unit length than the inner portion 98 of the main body 23. As the main body 23 increases in width, the number of truncated domes 20 per unit length may also increases. This arrangement may result in a generally equally-spaced distribution of truncated domes 20 across the main body 23.
As illustrated in
A plurality of conical pointed nubs 110 may project upwardly in the vertical direction from the upper surface 100 and the dome top surface 106, as illustrated in
The upper surface 100 includes an outer edge 112 and an inner edge 114. Since the outer portion 96 of the main body 23 is wider than the inner portion 98 of the main body 23, the outer edge 112 is wider than the inner edge 114. In the embodiment illustrated in
As illustrated in
Still referring to
Referring to
As shown in
In one embodiment, the overall length of the main body 23 is approximately (e.g., ±10%) 24 inches, or lesser or greater, the width of the outer edge 112 is approximately (e.g., ±10%) 3.5 inches, or lesser or greater, and the width of the inner edge 114 is approximately (e.g., ±10%) 1.35 inches, or lesser or greater.
The tactile sidewalk tiles 12, 14, 16 may be made of any suitably durable material including polymer, plastic, metal, ceramic, etc. One or more of the tactile sidewalk tiles 12, 14, 16 may be made of an injection molded plastic, such as Nylon, PVC, polypropylene, PC/PBT, copolymer polyester, PC/ABS, etc. Furthermore, one or more of the tactile sidewalk tiles 12, 14, 16 may be made from a metal alloy such as stainless steel or cast iron. In one embodiment, the connector sidewalk tile 12 is made of cast iron, and each of the first and second rectilinear tactile sidewalk tiles 14, 16 is also made of cast iron. In another embodiment, the connector sidewalk tile 12, the first rectilinear tactile sidewalk tile 14, and the second rectilinear tactile sidewalk tile 16 are each made of an injection molded plastic.
Referring back to
This particular distribution or arrangement of truncated domes on the exposed surface of an of the embodiments of a connector sidewalk tile of the present disclosure is an aesthetic feature not dictated by function.
A method of assembling the arcuate tactile sidewalk tile arrangement 10 will now be described. The steps described below can also be used to assemble the tactile sidewalk tile arrangement 200. As a preliminary step, a construction worker or other individual may measure the curvature and/or length of the arcuate structure to be bordered by the arcuate tactile sidewalk tile arrangement 10. Based on these measurements, the individual may select an appropriate number of connector tactile sidewalk tiles 12 and conventional rectilinear (e.g., rectangular) tactile tiles 14, 16 for constructing the arcuate tactile sidewalk tile arrangement 10.
Next, the first rectilinear tactile sidewalk tile 14 may be arranged to overlap the first connector flange 26, with each of the holes 30 aligned with a corresponding one of the holes 32. Then, anchor members 80 may be inserted through aligned pairs of the holes 30, 32. Before threading the screw members 82 into the anchor members 80, the first rectilinear tactile sidewalk tile 14 may be moved slightly relative to first connector flange 26 by taking advantage of the difference in shape and/or size of between the holes 30, 32. These fine adjustments may help ensure that the arcuate tactile sidewalk tile arrangement 10 has a proper curvature when assembled. Subsequently, the screw members 82 may be inserted into their corresponding anchor members 80 to rigidly secure the first rectilinear tactile sidewalk tile 14 and the first connector flange 26.
The same process may be repeated for the second rectilinear tactile sidewalk tile 16. The second rectilinear tactile sidewalk tile 16 may be arranged to overlap the second connector flange 28, with each of the holes 36 aligned with a corresponding one of the holes 34. Then, anchor members 80 may be inserted through aligned pairs of the holes 34, 36. Before threading the screw members 82 into the anchor members 80, the second rectilinear tactile sidewalk tile 16 may be moved slightly relative to second connector flange 28 by taking advantage of the difference in shape and/or size between the holes 34, 36. Subsequently, the screw members 82 may be inserted into their corresponding anchor members 80 to rigidly secure the second rectilinear tactile sidewalk tile 16 and the second connector flange 28.
Depending on the size and/or curvature of the arcuate structure to be bordered by the arcuate tactile sidewalk tile arrangement 10, one or more additional connector tactile sidewalk tiles may be attached to facilitate the connection of one or more additional rectilinear tactile sidewalk tiles. Finally, the arcuate tactile sidewalk tile arrangement 10 may be placed over wet concrete, with the anchor members 84 submerged in the concrete. It is recognized that the installer may choose not to pre-assemble an entire array of a plurality of rectilinear tactile sidewalk tiles 14, 16 and a plurality of intermediately-arranged connector tactile sidewalk tiles 12, but rather, can pre-assemble sub-arrays of two rectilinear tactile sidewalk tiles 14, 16 that alternate with two connector tactile sidewalk tiles 12 (in a square tile-wedge-square tile-wedge arrangement), install that sub-array into the wet concrete or asphalt, then add additional sub-arrays of one or more tiles until the arcuate tile arrangement 10 is completed.
If the arcuate tactile sidewalk tile arrangement is pre-assembled before its installation in wet concrete, one or more construction workers may manually carry the arcuate tactile sidewalk tile arrangement from its assembly site and then delicately set the arcuate tactile sidewalk tile arrangement in its desired position in the wet concrete. The heavier the arcuate tactile sidewalk tile arrangement the more cumbersome it can be for the construction workers to handle the arcuate tactile sidewalk tile arrangement and maneuver it into its desired position. If a dense material such as cast iron or other metal alloy is used to construct the connector tactile sidewalk tile and/or the rectilinear sidewalk tiles used therewith, as opposed to a lighter material such as plastic, the arcuate tactile sidewalk tile arrangement may be relatively heavy, thereby making it difficult for construction workers to handle and install arcuate tactile sidewalk tile arrangement.
Similar to the first rectilinear tactile sidewalk tile 14, the rectilinear tactile sidewalk tile 314 may include a plurality of truncated domes 320 and a plurality of conical pointed nubs 322 that project upwardly in the vertical direction from an upper surface 325 of the rectilinear tactile sidewalk tile 314. The rectilinear tactile sidewalk tile 314 may include a plurality of holes 330 which can be aligned with a plurality of holes 332 formed in the connector flange 326 of the connector tactile sidewalk tile 312 when the rectilinear tactile sidewalk tile 314 is arranged to overlap the connector flange 326. Fasteners (not illustrated in
Referring to
As depicted in
The main body 323 includes an upper surface 350 facing upwardly in the vertical direction and a lower surface facing downwardly in the vertical direction. Similar to the connector sidewalk tile 312, a plurality of truncated domes 360 and a plurality of conical pointed nubs 362 project upwardly in the vertical direction from the upper surface 350 of the main body 323.
The upper surface 350 includes an outer edge 372 and an inner edge 374. Since the outer portion 396 of the main body 323 is wider than the inner portion 398 of the main body 323, the outer edge 372 is wider than the inner edge 374. In the embodiment illustrated in
In one embodiment, the overall length of the main body 323 is approximately (e.g., ±10%) 24 inches, or lesser or greater, the width of the outer edge 372 is approximately (e.g., ±10%) 3.5 inches, or lesser or greater, and the width of the inner edge 374 is approximately (e.g., ±10%) 1.35 inches, or lesser or greater.
The holes 332 may extend through the connector flange 326 and may have a different shape and/or dimension than the holes 330. For example, the holes 332 illustrated in
Still referring to
As shown in
The tactile sidewalk tile 314 may be made of any suitably durable material including polymer, plastic, metal, stainless steel, cast iron, ceramic, etc. In one embodiment the tactile sidewalk tile 314 may be made of an injection molded plastic, such as Nylon, PVC, polypropylene, PC/PBT, copolymer polyester, PC/ABS, etc. The connector sidewalk tile 312 may be made from a metal alloy such as stainless steel or cast iron. In one embodiment, the connector sidewalk tile 12 is made of cast iron, and the rectilinear tactile sidewalk tile 314 is made of cast iron. In another embodiment, the connector sidewalk tile 312 and the rectilinear tactile sidewalk tile 314 are each made of an injection molded plastic.
Some applications may require an arcuate tactile sidewalk tile arrangement having a radius of curvature that is difficult or impossible to achieve by positioning a single connector tactile sidewalk tile between each pair of rectilinear tactile sidewalk tiles. Also, some applications may require an overall length of the arcuate tactile sidewalk tile arrangement that cannot be achieved with the standard sizes commonly employed by the rectilinear tactile sidewalk tiles. Furthermore, in some instances, the construction crew responsible for installing the arcuate tactile sidewalk tile arrangement may not have, at their convenient disposal, a connector tactile sidewalk tile having the dimensions necessary to create a desired radius of curvature. In these situations, and others, it may be useful to arrange two or more connector tactile sidewalk tiles between each pair of rectilinear tactile sidewalk tiles, as illustrated in
As shown in
While the embodiment illustrated in
The foregoing embodiments generally describe installing the arcuate tactile sidewalk arrangement in wet concrete or another settable material. However, the present disclosure is not limited to such implementations. It is possible to install an arcuate tactile sidewalk arrangement constructed in accordance with principles of the present disclosure in any surface, including a rigid surface that has already hardened from a settable material. In such implementations, the arcuate tactile sidewalk arrangement may be considered “surface-mounted,” and in some cases, the arcuate tactile sidewalk arrangement may protrude substantially above the mounting surface. To reduce the likelihood that snow plow strikes to the edges of the arcuate tactile sidewalk arrangement will cause damage to any tiles of the tactile sidewalk arrangement, the upper surface of each of the rectilinear and connector tactile sidewalk tiles may be constructed with a chamfered outer peripheral edge, as discussed in more detail below.
The connector tactile sidewalk tiles of the present disclosure facilitate the assembly of an arcuate tactile sidewalk tile arrangement from one or more rectilinear tactile sidewalk tiles. Since the arcuate tactile sidewalk tile arrangement can be assembled without modification to the shape of the rectilinear tactile sidewalk tiles, special tools for cutting the rectilinear tactile sidewalk tiles may not be required. Additionally, the relative simplicity of the assembly facilitates on-site construction of the arcuate tactile sidewalk tile arrangement, which is particularly beneficial in situations where the exact curvature of the structure to be bordered by the arcuate tactile sidewalk tile arrangement is unknown beforehand. Accordingly, the present disclosure provides a low cost and efficient means for creating an arcuate tactile sidewalk tile arrangement.
While the present disclosure has been described with respect to certain embodiments, it will be understood that variations may be made thereto that are still within the scope of the appended claims.
The priority benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62/132,913, filed Mar. 13, 2015, is claimed, and the entire contents thereof are expressly incorporated herein by reference.
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