FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates generally to curb protection devices. More specifically, the present invention is an apparatus that can be used on a variety of curbs. The design and materialistic properties of the present invention protects the curb the present invention is being used on and prevents a vehicle from being damaged when parked against the curb.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
A curb is the edge of a raised platform that prevents a driver from leaving the road or a parking space. Additionally, curbs are used to provide structural support to the sidewalk and direct rain water into storm drains. Due to the functionality purposes, curbs have turned out to be an essential component when building a road. Similar to separating a road from a sidewalk, curbs also separate a parking space from an adjacent platform or sidewalk.
A curb is installed when constructing a road or a parking space, and thus adds to the overall cost of the road or the parking space. Depending on the height and the length of the curb, the cost for building a curb can be significant. Therefore, to prevent financial loss and maintain safety, the curbs need to be maintained on a regular basis.
Varying weather conditions and contact with motor vehicles can result in structural damage to curbs. The damage, even though minor, can be hazardous to a pedestrian and can also hinder the ability to direct rain water into a storm drain. In addition to the curb being damaged, a vehicle that is parked against the curb can also be damaged if the undercarriage contacts the curb. Various methods have been used to address damages to curbs. Filling out damaged areas and painting the curbs are some of the short-term solutions currently implemented. Having to repeat these processes can be financially disadvantageous. Therefore, a long-term solution that not only prevents a curb from impact but also prevents a vehicle from being damaged is clearly needed.
The objective of the present invention is to address the aforementioned issues. To do so, the present disclosure introduces a cover that can be mounted onto a curb. The effective design allows the present invention to be mounted onto an existing curb or a new curb. The materialistic properties ensure that a pedestrian or other user is safe when stepping on the present invention. Furthermore, the materialistic properties ensure that an undercarriage of a vehicle is not damaged when contacting the present invention.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1A is a perspective view of the present invention, wherein the impact absorbent section is in the extended configuration.
FIG. 1B is a perspective view of the present invention, wherein the impact absorbent section is in the collapsed configuration.
FIG. 2A is a side view of the present invention, wherein the impact absorbent section is in the extended configuration.
FIG. 2B is a side view of the present invention, wherein the impact absorbent section is in the collapsed configuration.
FIG. 3 is a bottom perspective view of the present invention, wherein the impact absorbent section is in the extended configuration.
FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the present invention, wherein the arbitrary longitudinal structural body is interlocked with the adjacent longitudinal structural body.
FIG. 5A is a front view of the present invention, wherein the arbitrary longitudinal structural body is detached from the adjacent longitudinal structural body.
FIG. 5B is a detailed front view of the present invention illustrating the interlocking protrusion and the protrusion receiving slot.
FIG. 6 is a perspective exploded view of the arbitrary longitudinal structural body and the adjacent longitudinal structural body.
FIG. 7 is a side view of the present invention, wherein the grit layer is illustrated.
FIG. 8 is a side view of the present invention, wherein the reflective coating is illustrated.
DETAIL DESCRIPTIONS OF THE INVENTION
All illustrations of the drawings are for the purpose of describing selected versions of the present invention and are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention.
The present invention introduces an impact absorbing non-slip curb cover that protects a curb from being damaged. The present invention also protects a motor vehicle from being damaged when contacting a curb. By utilizing the present invention, the overall maintenance cost for a curb is significantly reduced and curb longevity is increased.
As illustrated in FIGS. 1A-2B, to protect a curb from being damaged from varying weather conditions and impacts from motor vehicles, the present invention comprises a longitudinal structural body 1, an impact absorbent section 6, and a cover adhesive 7. The longitudinal structural body 1 determines the overall length of the present invention. In the preferred embodiment, the longitudinal structural body 1 is 8-feet in length. However, the overall length of the longitudinal structural body 1 can vary in other embodiments of the present invention. Generally, a curb consists of a horizontal surface and a vertical surface that are positioned perpendicular to each other in a general L-shape. As seen in FIG. 2A and FIG. 2B, to correspond to said general shape of the curb, the longitudinal structural body 1 has an L-shaped cross section. The impact absorbent section 6 absorbs the force when a motor vehicle contacts the present invention. The presence of the impact absorbent section 6 ensures that an impact from the motor vehicle does not damage the curb the present invention is used with. Furthermore, the impact absorbent section 6 ensures that the motor vehicle is not damaged when contacting the present invention. The cover adhesive 7 is used to mount the present invention along the curb. The type of the cover adhesive 7 can vary in different embodiments of the present invention.
As further illustrated in FIGS. 1A-2B, the longitudinal structural body 1 comprises a first end 100, a second end 200, an external surface 2, and an internal surface 3. A distance between the first end 100 and the second end 200 determines the overall length of the longitudinal structural body 1. As discussed before, the overall length of the longitudinal structural body 1 can vary in different embodiments of the present invention. When the present invention is in use, the external surface 2 is the outermost surface of the present invention and is the externally visible surface. Thus, if the user intends on having marketing material with the present invention, the marketing material can be integrated into the external surface 2. As an example, a company name or logo can be printed onto the external surface 2. On the other hand, when the present invention is being used with the curb, the internal surface 3 connects the longitudinal structural body 1 to the curb. To mount the present invention onto the curb, the cover adhesive 7 is applied along the internal surface 3 from the first end 100 to the second end 200. As a result, the cover adhesive 7 establishes a connection between the curb and the internal surface 3 securing the present invention in place. The cover adhesive 7 is selected to have adhesive properties that would bond the inner surface 3 to the curb regardless of the existing moisture level on the inner surface 3.
As seen in FIG. 2A, FIG. 2B, and FIG. 3, to ensure a secure connection is established between the internal surface 3 and the curb, the present invention further comprises a plurality of gripping protrusions 8 that is distributed along the internal surface 3 from the first end 100 to the second end 200. When available, the cover adhesive 7 is applied in between each of the plurality of gripping protrusions 8 so that the internal surface 3 is firmly attached to the curb. More specifically, the plurality of gripping protrusions 8 prevents the cover adhesive 7 from being overly smooth for the internal surface 3.
As discussed before, the impact absorbent section 6 prevents the force from being transferred onto the curb when the motor vehicle strikes the present invention. Preventing damage to the motor vehicle is also an objective of the impact absorbent section 6. As seen in FIG. 1A and FIG. 1B, to do so, the impact absorbent section 6 is centrally mounted along the external surface 2 from the first end 100 to the second end 200. Thus, when the motor vehicle approaches the present invention, initial contact is made at the impact absorbent section 6. In the preferred embodiment of the present invention, the impact absorbent section 6 has an extended configuration as shown in FIG. 1A and FIG. 2A, and a collapsed configuration as shown in FIG. 1B and FIG. 2B. More specifically, the impact absorbent section 6 is configurable between the extended configuration and the collapsed configuration. The impact absorbent section 6 is in the extended configuration when the motor vehicle or other external source is not in contact with the present invention. When the motor vehicle or other external source makes contact at the impact absorbent section 6, and a considerable force is applied, the impact absorbent section 6 obtains the collapsed configuration so that the action force from contact is not transferred onto the curb. The collapsed configuration also reduces any reaction forces transferred onto the motor vehicle or other external source.
As discussed earlier and illustrated in FIG. 2A and FIG. 2B, the present invention is mounted onto the curb through the cover adhesive 7. However, over time, the adhesive properties of the cover adhesive 7 can deteriorate. As shown in FIG. 2A, FIG. 2B, and FIG. 6, to address the issue, the present invention further comprises an attachment mechanism 9 that can vary in different embodiments of the present invention. Preferably, the attachment mechanism 9 will be integrated into the longitudinal structural body 1 in between the first end 100 and the second end 200. In the preferred embodiment of the present invention, the attachment mechanism 9 comprises a plurality of screws 10 and a plurality of screw-receiving holes 11. The plurality of screw-receiving holes 11 will be distributed along a first lateral edge 4 of the longitudinal structural body 1 and a second lateral edge 5 of the longitudinal structural body 1. The first lateral edge 4 and the second lateral edge 5, which are positioned in parallel to each other, extend from the first end 100 to the second end 200 along the length of the longitudinal structural body 1. When the present invention is to be mounted onto the curb, the plurality of screws 10 is positioned into the plurality of screw-receiving holes 11 that traverse through the longitudinal structural body 1. As a result, the longitudinal structural body 1 will be pressed against the curb through the cover adhesive 7 and through the attachment mechanism 9.
As discussed before, the present invention is 8-feet in length in the preferred embodiment. However, a length of a curb is generally greater that 8-feet. Therefore, if the entire curb is to be covered, the present invention needs to be installed repeatedly over the length of the curb. As seen in FIG. 5A, FIG. 5B, and FIG. 6, to maintain a tight seal between each installation, the preferred embodiment of the present invention further comprises an interlocking protrusion 12 and a protrusion receiving slot 13. However, a different interlocking method can be used in other embodiments of the present invention. The interlocking protrusion 12 terminally extends from the first end 100 and the protrusion receiving slot 13 traverses into the longitudinal structural body 1 at the second end 200. Therefore, when an arbitrary longitudinal structural body 300 is interlocked with an adjacent longitudinal structural body 400, the interlocking protrusion 12 of the adjacent longitudinal structural body 400 is positioned into the protrusion receiving slot 13 of the arbitrary longitudinal structural body 300 at the second end 200.
When the present invention is used, a user physically contacts the external surface 2. Thus, the external surface 2 requires materialistic properties suitable for prevention of slipping for safety purposes. As seen in FIG. 7, to address the issue, the present invention comprises a grit layer 14 that is distributed along the impact absorbent section 6. The grit layer 14 is also distributed in between the impact absorbent section 6 and the first lateral edge 4. Moreover, the grit layer 14 is also distributed in between the impact absorbent section 6 and the second lateral edge 5. In addition to providing a rough texture to the external surface 2, the grit layer 14 can also be used to remove water from the external surface 2 and direct the water into a storm drain. Even though the grit layer 14 is used in the preferred embodiment, a different non-slip method can be used in other embodiments of the present invention.
As illustrated in FIG. 8, to provide additional safety, the present invention further comprises a reflective coating 15 that helps the present invention to be visible in low light conditions. To illuminate the entirety of the longitudinal structural body 1, the reflective coating 15 is layered along the impact absorbent section 6. The reflective coating 15 is also layered in between the impact absorbent section 6 and the first lateral edge 4. Moreover, the reflective coating 15 is layered in between the impact absorbent section 6 and the second lateral edge 5. The reflective coating 15 can vary in different embodiments of the present invention as long as the functionality remains unchanged. If marketing material is displayed on the external surface 2, the reflective coating 15 can be integrated into the marketing material.
A curb generally consists of a vertical portion and a horizontal portion resulting in an overall L-shape. To correspond to the overall L-shape of the curb, the longitudinal structural body 1 is manufactured from a flexible material. The material can be, but is not limited to, thermoplastic elastomer (TPE). The non-rigid nature allows the longitudinal structural body 1 to be pressed against the curb at the internal surface 3. The non-rigid nature also enables the longitudinal structural body 1 to be transported in a portable rolled configuration. In addition to the longitudinal structural body 1, the impact absorbent section 6 is also manufactured from TPE or other comparable material. As a result, the impact absorbent section 6 can conveniently switch between the extended configuration and the collapsed configuration.
When the present invention is used, the following process flow is generally followed. The cover adhesive 7 is initially applied along the internal surface 3 from the first end 100 to the second end 200. If the plurality of gripping protrusions 8 is available, the cover adhesive 7 is applied in between each of the plurality of gripping protrusions 8. Upon applying the cover adhesive 7, the longitudinal structural body 1 is mounted onto the curb and secured with the attachment mechanism 9. More specifically, the plurality of screws 10 is positioned into the plurality of screw-receiving holes 11. If the adjacent longitudinal structural body 400 is to be interlocked with the arbitrary longitudinal structural body 300, the first end 100 of the adjacent longitudinal structural body 400 is interlocked with the second end 200 of the arbitrary longitudinal structural body 300. By doing so, in the preferred embodiment of the present invention, the interlocking protrusion 12 is positioned into the protrusion receiving slot 13 so that the arbitrary longitudinal structural body 300 is pressed against the adjacent longitudinal structural body 400.
When the present invention is installed, the impact absorbent section 6 is initially in the extended configuration. However, when the motor vehicle or other external force makes contact, the impact absorbent section 6 obtains the collapsed configuration. As a result, the action force from the contact is not transferred to the curb. On the other hand, the reaction force from the contact is not transferred to the motor vehicle. Thus, no damage is caused to the curb or the motor vehicle.
Although the invention has been explained in relation to its preferred embodiment, it is to be understood that many other possible modifications and variations can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as hereinafter claimed.
Patent Application
20180187386
