Patent Application
20200365055
The present invention generally relates to providing flexible braille indicia signage, such as flexible braille directional identifiers for use on railings and the like.
Braille indicia signage has been widely employed to assist visually impaired persons. The Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA) has mandated the use of Braille and raised character signage for elevators to provide indications of the floors of a building which an elevator serves to assist vision-impaired persons with navigation in buildings.
The inventors have recognized that it would be beneficial to provide braille indicia signage for use on railings and the like to similarly assist vision-impaired persons with navigation in buildings via stairways. In particular, in the event of an emergency evacuation of a building when elevators are inoperable, such signage in emergency exit stairwells can serve to greatly assist in evacuations, particularly when smoke or other conditions impair the vision of normally sighted persons.
Although new railings may be manufactured with braille indicia included, the inventors have further recognized that it would be beneficial to provide braille indicia signage for use on existing railings where the braille indicia signage can readily conform to the shape of the existing railing when installed.
Flexible braille indicia signage and methods are provided. Preferably, the flexible braille indicia signage takes the form of braille directional identifiers for use on railings and the like.
In one example, the braille indicia signage is made by providing a flexible substrate and printing a first layer of ink on a first side of the flexible substrate in a pattern defining desired braille indicia. Multiple layers of ink are then printed in registration with the pattern atop of the first layer of ink such that the desired braille indicia has a height of at least 0.6 mm relative to the first side of the substrate. A sealing layer of ink is then printed atop the substrate and multiple layers of ink. The result is a braille sign with braille indicia that does not separate from the substrate on a condition that a portion of the substrate bearing the braille indicia is flexed in an arc of a 10 mm, i.e. 7/16 inch, radius circle, such as, for example, when the braille indicia sign is a braille directional identifier affixed to a railing having a 20 mm, i.e. ⅞ inch, or greater diameter.
The printing of the first layer of ink is preferably performed in a matte finish with ultra-violet curable ink. The printing the multiple layers of ink and the printing the sealing layer of ink are preferably performed with ultra-violet curable ink in an embossing finish.
In one example, the printing multiple layers of ink in registration with the pattern atop of the first layer of ink is performed in seven layers such that the braille indicia has a height of about 0.79 mm, i.e. 1/32 inch. In another example, the printing multiple layers of ink in registration with the pattern atop of the first layer of ink is performed in fifteen layers such that the braille indicia has a height of about 1.58 mm, i.e. 1/16 inch.
The substrate can be made of one of a DI-NOC™ architectural finish or a material with equivalent strength and flexibility properties. For use, the substrate is formed into a selectively sized tactile sign with the desired braille indicia thereon.
The substrate can include an adhesive on a second side covered by a removable backing further. In such case, the tactile sign can take the form of a braille directional identifier and be affixed to a railing by removing the backing and using the adhesive to affix the identifier. Other conventional manners of affixation of the tactile sign can be used where no adhesive backing is provided on the substrate.
The printing of the first layer of ink can be performed in a matte finish with ultra-violet curable ink with the printing of the sealing layer of ink performed with a clear ink and the printing of at least one of the multiple layers of ink performed with an ink of a desired color that is different than a color of the first side of the substrate. In such case, the printing multiple layers of ink in registration with the pattern atop of the first layer of ink can be performed, for example, in seven layers in an embossing finish with ultra-violet curable ink such that the braille indicia has a height of about 0.79 mm, i.e. 1/32 inch, or in fifteen layers in an embossing finish with ultra-violet curable ink such that the braille indicia has a height of about 1.58 mm, i.e. 1/16 inch.
Through the use of the above methods, selectively sized tactile signs with desired braille indicia can be made as well as respective railings having the selectively sized tactile signs affixed thereto.
In accordance with the teachings of the present invention, a selectively sized tactile sign with desired braille includes a flexible substrate and a first layer of ink printed on a first side of the flexible substrate in a pattern defining desired braille indicia. The tactile sign further has multiple layers of ink printed in registration with the pattern atop of the first layer of ink such that the desired braille indicia has a height of at least 1.58 mm, i.e. 1/16 inch, relative to the first side of the substrate and a sealing layer of ink printed atop the substrate and multiple layers of ink such that the braille indicia does not separate from the substrate on a condition that a portion of the substrate bearing the braille indicia is flexed in an arc of a 10 mm, i.e. 7/16 inch, radius circle.
The tactile sign can constructed such that the first layer of ink is an ultra-violet cured ink in a matte finish, the sealing layer of ink is a clear ultra-violet cured ink, and at least one of the multiple layers of ink is an ultra-violet cured ink of a desired color that is different than a color of the first side of the substrate. The substrate can be made of one of a DI-NOC™ architectural finish or a material with equivalent strength and flexibility properties. The substrate can include an adhesive on a second side covered by a removable backing. In such case the tactile sign may take the form of a braille directional identifier where the adhesive is used for affixing the identifier to a railing by removing the backing.
In one example, the first layer of ink is an ultra-violet cured ink in a matte finish, the sealing layer of ink is a clear ultra-violet cured ink, and at least one of the multiple layers of ink is an ultra-violet cured ink of a desired color that is different than a color of the first side of the substrate. The multiple layers of ink may, for example, consist of seven layers of ultra-violet cured in in an embossing finish such that the braille indicia has a height of about 0.79 mm, i.e. 1/32 inch. The multiple layers of ink may consist of fifteen layers of ultra-violet cured ink in an embossing finish such that the braille indicia has a height of about 1.58 mm, i.e. 1/16 inch.
Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art from the following detailed description and the accompanying drawings.
With reference to the drawings, an example flexible tactile signs with braille indicia and the use of such signage is depicted. With reference to
While two tactile signs 11, 12 are illustrated in
For example, the braille directional identifier 11 may be employed proximate an upper end 31 of a railing 30 leading to a second floor landing 35 of a stairwell 37, as depicted in
As best seen in
The substrate 14 defines the base of the tactile signs 11, 12 and is made of a flexible material of sufficient flexibility, strength and durability characteristics to withstand the wear and tear associated with handrail use by pedestrian traffic on stairwells. A material, such as vinyl, particularly the vinyl used for Di-Noc™ architectural finishes, is suitable that can be readily cut to size without sharp edges and with the ability to hold printed braille indicia and to be affixed to handrail surfaces of various composition.
The sheet 10 can be selectively scored to produce score lines 20 that define the outer edges of the tactile signs 11, 12. This enables the tactile signs 11, 12 to be peeled off of the release liner 18 of the sheet 10 so that the tactile signs 11, 12 can be readily affixed to a railing using the adhesive backing 16. Where the substrate 14 is made of vinyl or the like, scoring or otherwise cutting the substrate to size provides the tactile sign 12 with edges that are not sharp which could otherwise cause injury to persons grasping a handrail with the tactile label applied to it.
As best seen in
The height of the braille indicia 13 projecting from the top surface 17 of the substrate 14 can be controlled by the number of layers of multiple additional layers of ink PL2-PLN that are printed on top of the first ink layer PL1. Preferably. the height of the braille indicia 13 projecting from the top surface 17 of the substrate 14 is in the range of 0.025 inch-0.037 inch, i.e. 0.6-0.9 mm, although in some applications it is desirable to have a height greater than that range. As the height is increased, it becomes more difficult to assure that the raised braille indicia 13 does not separate from the substrate 14 or become damaged when the flexible tactile sign is bent.
In one example, the braille indicia 13 was formed by using multiple layers of ultra violet (UV) curable gloss ink. The first layer PL1 was printed on the substrate 14 of the tactile sign 12 with UV gloss ink, but with a matte varnish finish. Next, six layers PL2-PL7 were printed with UV gloss ink with an embossing finish in the same pattern as the first layer PL1. The six layers PL2-PL7 were printed in a single printing stage. An eighth layer PL8, the Nth layer in this case, was then printed with colored UV gloss ink in the same pattern as the first layer PL1. Finally, a sealing tenth layer PLS was printed with a clear UV gloss ink with an embossing finish over the tactile sign substrate 14 as well as the braille indicia defined by the previously applied layers PL1-PL8 of UV cured ink.
The application of the eight layers PL1-PL8 of ink resulted in the braille indicia having a height of 0.79 mm, i.e. 1/32 inch, with respect to the top surface 17 of the substrate 14, which relative height was maintained with the application of the sealing layer PLS. A braille indicia height of at least 0.79 mm, i.e. 1/32 inch, is preferably the minimum height for the tactile signs in the form of braille directional identifiers.
Clear ECO-UV, EUV-GL Ver. 2 printing ink commercially available from Roland DGA Corporation of Japan was used in the example for the first seven layers PL1-PL7 and the sealing layer PLS. In that example, a Di-Noc™ architectural finish having a grey top surface 17 was used for the substrate 14 and black ECO-UV, EUV-BK Ver. 2 printing ink commercially available from Roland DGA Corporation of Japan was used in the example for the eighth layer PL8. Since clear ink was employed for the sealing layer PLS, the black UV gloss ink of the sixteenth layer PL16 provided color contrast with the grey substrate to enable the braille indicia 13 to be readily apparent to sighted persons. In general, the printing of at least one of the multiple layers of ink can be performed with an ink of a desired color that is different than a color of the top surface of the substrate to provide the color contrast function when color contrast is desired.
In another example, the braille indicia 13 was also formed by using multiple layers of ultra violet (UV) curable gloss ink. The first layer PL1 was printed on the substrate 14 of the tactile sign 12 with UV gloss ink, but with a matte varnish finish. Next, fourteen layers PL2-PL15 were printed with UV gloss ink with an embossing finish in the same pattern as the first layer PL1. Due to the limitations of the printing equipment, the fourteen layers PL2-PL15 were printed in two stages of seven layers each. A sixteenth layer PL16, the Nth layer in this case, was then printed with colored UV gloss ink in the same pattern as the first layer PL1. Finally, a sealing seventeenth layer PLS was printed with a clear UV gloss ink with an embossing finish over the tactile sign substrate 14 as well as the braille indicia defined by the previously applied layers PL1-PL16 of UV cured ink.
The application of the sixteen layers PL1-PL16 of ink resulted in the braille indicia having a height of 1.58 mm, i.e. 1/16 inch, with respect to the top surface 17 of the substrate 14 which relative height was maintained with the application of the sealing layer PLS.
Clear ECO-UV, EUV-GL Ver. 2 printing ink commercially available from Roland DGA Corporation of Japan was used in the example for the first fifteen layers PL1-PL15 and the sealing layer PLS. In that example, a Di-Noc™ architectural finish having a grey top surface 17 was used for the substrate 14 and black ECO-UV, EUV-BK Ver. 2 printing ink commercially available from Roland DGA Corporation of Japan was used in the example for the sixteenth layer PL16. Since clear ink was employed for the sealing layer PLS, the black UV gloss ink of the sixteenth layer PL16 provided color contrast with the grey substrate to enable the braille indicia 13 to be readily apparent to sighted persons.
In both the 0.79 mm, i.e. 1/32 inch, high braille indicia example and the 1.58 mm, i.e. 1/16 inch, high braille indicia example above, the flexible tactile signs were able to be affixed to a 20 mm, i.e. ⅞ inch, diameter shaft without any separation of the braille indicia from the substrate or other damage to the signage. In other words, the tactile signs are made such that the braille indicia does not separate from the substrate on which the braille indicia is printed when the braille indicia is flexed in an arc of a 10 mm, i.e. 7/16 inch, radius circle. Accordingly, the flexible tactile signs in the form of braille directional identifiers are usable with virtually any type of conventional stairwell railings.
Example usage of the flexible tactile signs is illustrated in
Although the invention was disclosed with respect to particular examples, the examples are non-limiting. The number and type of tactile signs printed on a sheet may vary in accordance with the needs of a particular installation site. The manner of affixation of the tactile signs may vary. Additionally, the use of the disclosed tactile signage is not limited to stairway railings or the like.
