Patent Application
20210363713
This application relates in general to a system for providing a road construction safety device, and more specifically, to a system for providing a portable road speed bump for deployment around road construction sites.
Many road or highway workers are injured or lose their lives in accidents caused by motorists every year. Many drivers travel through work zones while not reducing their speed. Current industry standards require the creation of traffic barriers, often placing workers in further danger while creating and removing the barriers once the roadway returns to normal traffic flow.
Therefore, a critical need exists for a simple, safer way to slow the speed of drivers, helping them to be more aware of the construction hazard and people working in the area. A portable, easy-to-place series of speed bumps will cause motorists to slow their speed and encourage attention to their surroundings. If the bump is portable, it can easily be removed and stored when work is completed and returned to the road when construction recurs.
This Summary is provided to introduce a selection of concepts in a simplified form that is further described below in the Detailed Description. This Summary is not intended to identify key features or essential features of the claimed subject matter, nor is it intended to be used as an aid in determining the scope of the claimed subject matter. The present invention is defined by the claims.
In accordance with the present invention, the above and other problems are solved by providing a system for a portable road speed bump that can be deployed in a series around road or highway construction sites according to the principles and example embodiments disclosed herein.
The foregoing has outlined rather broadly the features and technical advantages of the present invention in order that the detailed description of the invention that follows may be better understood. Additional features and advantages of the invention will be described hereinafter that form the subject of the claims of the invention.
It should be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the conception and specific embodiments disclosed may be readily utilized as a basis for modifying or designing other structures for carrying out the same purposes of the present invention. It should also be realized by those skilled in the art that such equivalent constructions do not depart from the spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the appended claims. The novel features that are believed to be characteristic of the invention, both as to its organization and method of operation, together with further objects and advantages, will be better understood from the following description when considered in connection with the accompanying figures. It is to be expressly understood, however, that each of the figures is provided for the purpose of illustration and description only, and is not intended as a definition of the limits of the present invention.
The present invention is described in detail below with reference to the attached drawing figures, wherein:
Some embodiments of the present invention are described with specificity herein to meet statutory requirements. However, the scope of the invention is not intended to be defined by the description itself. The claimed subject matter may be embodied as to include different features, elements, components, steps, or combinations of steps, similar to those described herein, and in combination with other existing or future technologies. Moreover, although the term “step” might be used to connote different elements of the methods employed, this term should not be interpreted as implying any particular order among or between various steps herein disclosed unless and except the order of individual steps is explicitly described or required.
This application relates in general a system for providing a safety device used at road and highway construction sites, and more specifically, to a system for providing a portable speed bump for deployment around road and highway construction sites according to the present invention.
Various embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings, wherein like reference numerals represent like parts and assemblies throughout the several views. Reference to various embodiments does not limit the scope of the invention, which is limited only by the scope of the claims attached hereto. Additionally, any examples set forth in this specification are not intended to be limiting and merely set forth some of the many possible embodiments for the claimed invention.
In describing embodiments of the present invention, the following terminology will be used. The singular forms “a,” “an,” and “the” include plural referents unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. Thus, for example, reference to “a needle” includes reference to one or more of such needles and “etching” includes one or more of such steps. As used herein, a plurality of items, structural elements, compositional elements, and/or materials may be presented in a common list for convenience. However, these lists should be construed as though each member of the list is individually identified as a separate and unique member. Thus, no individual member of such list should be construed as a de facto equivalent of any other member of the same list solely based on their presentation in a common group without indications to the contrary. As used herein, the singular forms “a,” “an,” and “the” are intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise.
It further will be understood that the terms “comprises,” “comprising,” “includes,” and “including” specify the presence of stated features, steps or components, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, steps or components. It also should be noted that in some alternative implementations, the functions and acts noted may occur out of the order noted in the figures. For example, two figures shown in succession may in fact be executed substantially concurrently or may sometimes be executed in the reverse order, depending upon the functionality and acts involved.
Concentrations, amounts, and other numerical data may be expressed or presented herein in a range format. It is to be understood that such a range format is used merely for convenience and brevity and thus should be interpreted flexibly to include not only the numerical values explicitly recited as the limits of the range, but also to include all the individual numerical values or sub-ranges encompassed within that range as if each numerical value and sub-range is explicitly recited. As an illustration, a numerical range of “50-250 micrometers” should be interpreted to include not only the explicitly recited values of about 50 micrometers and 250 micrometers, but also include individual values and sub-ranges within the indicated range. Thus, included in this numerical range are individual values such as 60, 70, and 80 micrometers, and sub-ranges such as from 50-100 micrometers, from 100-200, and from 100-250 micrometers, etc.
Unless otherwise indicated, all numbers expressing quantities of ingredients, properties such as molecular weight, percent, ratio, reaction conditions, and so forth used in the specification and claims are to be understood as being modified in all instances by the term “about,” whether or not the term “about” is present. Accordingly, unless indicated to the contrary, the numerical parameters set forth in the specifications and claims are approximations that may vary depending upon the desired properties sought to be obtained by the present disclosure. At the very least, and not as an attempt to limit the application of the doctrine of equivalents to the scope of the claims, each numerical parameter should be construed in light of the number of reported significant digits and by applying ordinary rounding techniques.
Notwithstanding that the numerical ranges and parameters setting forth the broad scope of the disclosure are approximations, the numerical values set forth in the specific examples are reported as precisely as possible. Any numerical value, however, inherently contains certain errors necessarily resulting from the standard deviation found in the testing measurements.
As used herein, the term “about” means that dimensions, sizes, formulations, parameters, shapes, and other quantities and characteristics are not and need not be exact, but may be approximated and/or larger or smaller, as desired, reflecting tolerances, conversion factors, rounding off, measurement error and the like, and other factors known to those of skill. Further, unless otherwise stated, the term “about” shall expressly include “exactly,” consistent with the discussion above regarding ranges and numerical data.
The term “invention” or “present invention” refers to the invention being applied for via the patent application with the title “Port-A-Bump Road Construction Safety Device.” Invention or present invention may be used interchangeably with “Port-A-Bump.”
In general, the present disclosure relates a system for a portable road speed bump that can be deployed in a series around road or highway construction. To better understand the present invention,
These devices, unfortunately, do not provide an effective way to reduce the speed of a vehicle 110 as it enters into a work area. In other instances, motorists are encouraged to reduce their speed with the use of speed bumps constructed on a roadway. These speed bumps are typically permanently constructed into a roadway. This type of speed bump, however, is not an effective method to encourage vehicles to slow down that is meant to be a temporary device that may be removed without damaging the roadway when the construction has been halted or completed.
One solution to this problem is to place temporary speed bumps 101a-d down onto the roadway 105 across the path of travel for vehicles 110. These temporary speed bumps 101a-d are transported to a worksite using a device carrier 102 and unrolled as they are placed down to create an obstacle for motorists to traverse at a slowed speed. These portable speed bumps 101a-d are made of rubber or a hard synthetic material that is strong enough for vehicles to drive over without damage to the speed bumps and vehicle tires. When the construction is completed, either for a day or a job, the portable speed bumps 101a-d may be rolled up onto the carrier 102 and easily removed from the worksite.
Each of the center elements 203a-n may also possess a reflective surface 207a-b on top of the element directed into the expected path of travel for a vehicle as it crosses the portable speed bump 201. These reflective surfaces 207a-b may present alternating colors such that the portable speed bump 201 is visible to drivers approaching them when the speed bumps are located across the roadway 105. The number, location, and color of these reflective surfaces may be arranged as desired to best provide visual clues to drivers for the need to slow down their vehicles.
The two end center elements 202a-b may also possess a series of connecting elements 205a-c and 206a-c toward their outer edges on a side opposite from a center element 202a. These connecting elements may permit one portable speed bump 201 to be connected to a second speed bump to create a longer speed bump. The speed bump 201 may also be connected to another speed bump to permit multiple speed bumps to be rolled onto a carrier 102.
While the described arrangement of center and side elements shown herein represents one of many possible arrangements for these interconnected and modular speed bump elements that may be possible with the present invention, other arrangements, such as a similar one shown in
While the reflective surfaces 207a-b are shown being located on the front surfaces of the center elements, one of ordinary skill in the art will recognize that these reflective surfaces may be located on the front sides of the side elements as well as, in addition to or instead of being located on the center elements. The tires of the vehicle 110 will drive up the front surfaces of the side elements 204a-e and then the front surfaces of the center elements before crossing the remaining portion of the center elements and down the other side of the portable speed bump 201.
Even though particular combinations of features are recited in the present application, these combinations are not intended to limit the disclosure of the invention. In fact, many of these features may be combined in ways not specifically recited in this application. In other words, any of the features mentioned in this application may be included in this new invention in any combination or combinations to allow the functionality required for the desired operations.
No element, act, or instruction used in the present application should be construed as critical or essential to the invention unless explicitly described as such. Further, the phrase “based on” is intended to mean “based, at least in part, on” unless explicitly stated otherwise.
Embodiments of the present invention have been described, as required by statute, to be illustrative, but should not be interpreted to be restrictive. One having skill in the art will recognize that many different arrangements of the various components depicted are possible without departing from the scope of the claims below, as well as arrangements including components not explicitly shown.
One having skill in the art will understand that certain combinations and/or sub-combinations of elements and features are of utility and may be employed without reference to other combinations and/or sub-combinations and are contemplated within the scope of the claims. Not all steps listed in the various figures need be carried out in the specific order described.
This application claims the benefit of provisional application No. 63/9029,456 entitled PORT-A-BUMP ROAD CONSTRUCTION SAFETY DEVICE, filed May 27, 2020. The provisional application is incorporated in its entirety by reference.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 63029456 | May 2020 | US |
