The field of the invention relates to bollards, otherwise referred to as crash pole wraps. In particular, the present invention relates to bollards made of a relatively thin gauge material that allows for lithographic printing and higher quality graphics on the surface of the bollard.
Current bollards are made from a relatively thick material, such as a 4 mm or ⅛″ corrugated plastic sheets (e.g. Coroplast™ brand), which is screen printed or digitally printed and may be either die cut, or cut using a computer numerical control (CNC) router. Corrugated plastic sheets are used for their weatherability and durability. These corrugated plastic sheets are similar to corrugated card board, but are made of plastic that has large air cells in-between the front and back surfaces formed by flutes.
One embodiment of the present disclosure generally relates to a bollard having a material with a thickness of less than 0.125″, where the material has a fixed end, a floating end opposite the fixed end, and a fixation region defined therebetween. The bollard further includes a locking system for retaining the floating end of the material adjacent to the fixation region. The bollard is configured to be assembled by folding the material such that the floating end is adjacent to the fixation region and engaging the locking system to retain the floating end adjacent to the fixation region.
Another embodiment generally relates to a method for making a bollard that includes obtaining a material having a thickness of less than 0.125″. The material has a fixed end, a floating end opposite the fixed end, and a fixation region defined therebetween. The material is non-corrugated. The method further includes incorporating a locking system for retaining the floating end of the material adjacent to the fixation region. The bollard is configured to be assembled by folding the material such that the floating end is adjacent to the fixation region and engaging the locking system to retain the floating end adjacent to the fixation region.
Various other features, objects and advantages of the disclosure will be made apparent from the following description taken together with the drawings.
The drawings illustrate embodiments for carrying out the disclosure. The same numbers are used throughout the drawings to reference like features and like components. In the drawings:
Although corrugated plastic sheets often are used for making bollards, the present inventors have identified corrugated plastic sheets have their limitations. For instance, the thickness of corrugated plastic sheets is limiting in that they can only be screen printed or digitally printed, which are lower resolution printing techniques. Specifically, corrugated plastic sheets are bulky, partially due to their corrugated flutes, which also results in higher shipping costs. Moreover, corrugated plastic sheets have limited eye appeal due to their rough corrugated plastic look, the exposed corrugated plastic edges when sheets are scored and folded, and the ribbed surface texture caused by their corrugated flutes. Examples of bollards currently manufactured and in use are illustrated in
The bollards shown in
The material 12 further extends between a top 30 and a bottom 32, as well as between a fixed end 34 and a floating end 36. The floating end 36 is configured to be fixed relative to the fixed end 34 within a fixation region 38, such as by using a locking system 40 comprising taps 44 and slots 46 configured to receive the taps 44 therein. Text 13 and/or logos are often provided on the outer surface 22, but as previously described cannot be directly printed on the material 12 due to its thickness 24. Accordingly, such text 13 may be provided as a sticker, wrap, or other label configured to be coupled to the outer surface 22 of the bollard 10.
To assist in the process of folding the bollard 10 into an assembled configuration, creases 15 are provided between the top 30 and bottom 32 of the material 12. In this manner, the bollard 10 defines an internal surface area 26 of a corresponding cross-sectional shape 28 when the bollard 10 is in the assembled state, as shown in
As shown in
Accordingly, the present inventors have identified alternative methods and materials for creating bollards 10, as shown in
Certain embodiments of the disclosed bollards utilize a tab 44 (see
Exemplary embodiments providing a plurality of locking positions 42 are shown in
Some of the advantages of the disclosed new materials 12 for preparing bollards include, but are not limited to the following. These new materials 12 can be printing using not only using one screen printing and digital printing methods, but also with lithography. When printed using lithography, the bollard 10 has a higher resolution, providing much nicer, higher quality graphics, than conventional methods for making bollards 10 via screen printing or digital printing. In contrast to prior art methods and materials, this new material 12 may be utilized to prepare round bollards 10 with no noticeable creases 15 and having a smooth curved outer surface 22 for added eye appeal, as shown in
Additionally, the bollards 10 prepared from the disclosed new materials 12 can be rolled and shipped in a tube if desired. Moreover, the new materials 12 can be made into bollards 10 having different cross-sectional shapes 28 by using scoring or creases 15. Additional scoring or creases 15 may also be incorporated to permit the bollard to be folded or assembled in different sizes, as previously discussed.
It will be readily apparent to one skilled in the art that varying substitutions and modifications may be made to the invention disclosed herein without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention. The invention illustratively described herein suitably may be practiced in the absence of any element or elements, limitation or limitations which is not specifically disclosed herein. The terms and expressions which have been employed are used as terms of description and not of limitation, and there is no intention in the use of such terms and expressions of excluding any equivalents of the features shown and described or portions thereof, but it is recognized that various modifications are possible within the scope of the invention. Thus, it should be understood that although the present invention has been illustrated by specific embodiments and optional features, modification and/or variation of the concepts herein disclosed may be resorted to by those skilled in the art, and that such modifications and variations are considered to be within the scope of this invention. Citations to a number of patent and non-patent references may be made herein. The cited references are incorporated by reference herein in their entireties. In the event that there is an inconsistency between a definition of a term in the specification as compared to a definition of the term in a cited reference, the term should be interpreted based on the definition in the specification.
This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62/550,978 filed Aug. 28, 2017, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
Number | Date | Country | |
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62550978 | Aug 2017 | US |