Claims
- 1. A self-cleaning pavement marker for use on the driving surface of a roadway, said marker providing a retroreflective signal visible from an oncoming vehicle traveling on said roadway, comprising, in combination:
- a groove formed in said driving surface;
- a resilient elastomeric marker body having no rigid or nonelastomeric portions;
- said marker body being sized and shaped to fit within and be secured in said groove such that said marker body is generally at no time positioned above the plane defined by said driving surface;
- retroreflective lens means secured to an upper portion of said marker body;
- said lens means including a front face and a rear face, said rear face having a cube-corner type retroreflective lens system thereon;
- said lens means being adapted to retroreflect light impinging on said front face from an oncoming vehicle back toward said vehicle;
- said front face of said lens means being overlaid with a material more abrasion-resistant than that material forming said retroreflective lens system;
- said upper body portion being movable between a normal reflective position wherein said lens means is positioned below the plane of said driving surface to retroreflect light impinging on said front face from an oncoming vehicle back toward said vehicle, and a depressed position caused by the force of a vehicle tire passing over said upper body portion; and
- wiping means positioned below the plane of said driving surface and adjacent to said front face,
- said wiping means being configured and arranged such that said wiping means does not interfere with the retroreflective function of said lens means when said upper body portion is in said normal position but upon movement of said upper body portion to said depressed position and return to said normal position said front face of said lens means moves past said wiping means and in direct contact therewith whereby said wiping means effects a debris-cleaning and wiping function on said front face.
- 2. The pavement marker set forth in claim 1, wherein said wiping means is integrally formed as a part of said marker body.
- 3. The pavement marker set forth in claim 1 wherein said upper body portion includes a transversely extending slot for receiving a complementary-shaped portion of said lens means therein.
- 4. The pavement marker set forth in claim 1, wherein said body is elastomeric and is generally G-shaped in cross-sectional configuration, said retroreflective lens means being secured in the upper body portion of said G-shaped body and said wiping means comprising an inwardly extending blade formed on the return portion of said G-shaped body.
- 5. The marker set forth in claim 4, wherein said body includes an integrally formed stiffening web extending transversely from said upper body portion downwardly to intersect the lower curved portion of said G-shaped body, thereby to provide a support and positioning member for said body in both the compressed and normal positions of said body, and said web defining an air pocket permitting expulsion of air upon depression of said upper body portion.
- 6. The pavement marker set forth in claim 4, wherein said elastomeric body is neoprene and has a hardness in the range of 50 to 60 durometers, Shore A.
- 7. A self-cleaning pavement marker adapted to be installed substantially entirely below the plane of the driving surface of an associated roadway while providing retroreflective signal visible from an oncoming vehicle, the marker comprising:
- a resilient elastomeric body adapted to be positioned in an associated groove provided directly in the roadway surface;
- retroreflective lens means secured to an upper portion of said body and including a front face and a cube-corner type retroreflective lens system on the rear face thereof, said lens means being adapted to retroreflect light impinging on said front face from an oncoming vehicle back toward said vehicle;
- said front face of said lens means being overlaid with a material more abrasion resistant than that material forming the cube-corner type reflective elements;
- said upper body portion being movable between a normal reflective position wherein said lens means is positioned below the plane of the associated roadway to retroreflect light impinging on said front face from an oncoming vehicle back toward said vehicle and a depressed position caused by the force of a vehicle tire passing over said upper body portion wherein said upper body portion includes a transversely extending slot for receiving a complementary shaped portion of said lens means therein;
- wiping means positioned below the plane of the associated roadway and adjacent to said front face and being configured and arranged such that said wiping means does not interfere with the retroreflective function of said lens means when said upper body portion is in the normal position but upon movement of said upper body portion to the depressed position and return to said normal position said front face of said lens means moves past said wiping means and in direct contact therewith whereby said wiping means effects a debris-cleaning and wiping function on said front face;
- said retroreflective lens means includes a generally T-shaped lens holder, said holder having a leg portion adapted to be secured within said transversely extending slot, and a cross member portion carrying said retroreflective lens means for reflecting the light impinging thereon.
- 8. The pavement marker set forth in claim 7, and further including a transversely extending cap overlying a portion of the upper surface of said cross member and said retroreflective lens, to protect said lens from damage from tires impacting upon said pavement marker.
- 9. A self-cleaning pavement marker adapted to be installed substantially entirely below the plane of the driving surface of an associated roadway while providing a retroreflective signal visible from an oncoming vehicle, the marker comprising:
- an elastomeric body adapted to be positioned in an associated groove provided directly in the roadway surface;
- said body being generally G-shaped in cross-sectional configuration and having an upper body portion, a base portion and wiping means comprising an inwardly extending wiper blade formed on a return portion of said G-shaped body;
- and an integrally formed stiffening web extending transversely from said upper body portion downwardly to intersect the lower curved portion of said G-shaped body thereby to provide a support and positioning member for said body and defining an air pocket permitting expulsion of air upon depression of said upper body portion;
- retroreflective lens means secured to an upper portion of said body and including a front face and a retroreflective lens system, said lens means being adapted to retroreflect light impinging on said front face from an oncoming vehicle back toward said vehicle;
- said upper body portion being movable between a normal reflective position wherein said lens means is positioned below the plane of the associated roadway to retroreflect light impinging on said front face from an oncoming vehicle back toward said vehicle and a depressed position caused by the force of a vehicle tire passing over said upper body portion; and
- said wiper blade being positioned below the plane of the associated roadway and adjacent to said front face and being configured and arranged such that said blade does not interfere with the retroreflective function of said lens means when said upper body portion is in the normal position but upon movement of said upper body portion to the depressed position and return to said normal position said front face of said lens means moves past said wiper blade and in direct contact therewith whereby said wiper blade effects a debris-cleaning and wiping function on said front face.
- 10. The pavement marker set forth in claim 9, wherein said upper body portion includes a transversely extending slot for receiving a complementary shaped portion of said lens means therein.
- 11. The pavement market set forth in claim 10, wherein said retroreflective lens means includes a generally T-shaped lens holder, said holder having a leg portion adapted to be secured within said transversely extending slot, and a cross member portion carrying said retroreflective lens means for reflecting the light impinging thereon.
- 12. The pavement marker set forth in claim 11, and further including a transversely extending cap overlying a portion of the upper surface of said retroreflective lens means, to protect said lens means from damage from tires impacting upon said pavement marker.
- 13. The pavement market set forth in claim 9, wherein said front face of said lens means comprises a material more abrasion resistant than the material forming the balance of said retroreflective lens means.
- 14. The pavement market set forth in claim 9, wherein said elastomeric body is neoprene and has a hardness in the range of 50 to 60 durometers, Shore A.
- 15. A self-cleaning pavement marker adapted to be installed substantially entirely below the plane of the driving surface of an associated roadway while providing a retroreflective signal visible from an oncoming vehicle, the marker comprising:
- a resilient elastomeric body, generally G-shaped in cross-sectional configuration, and adapted to be positioned in an associated groove provided directly in the roadway surface;
- a retroreflective lens means secured in the upper body portion of said G-shaped body and including a front face and a cube-corner type retroreflective lens system on the rear face thereof, said lens means being adapted to retroreflect light impinging on said front face from an oncoming vehicle back toward said vehicle;
- said front face of said lens means being overlaid with a material more abrasion resistant than that material forming the cube-corner type reflective elements;
- said upper body portion being moveable between a normal reflective position wherein said lens means is positioned below the plane of the associated roadway to retroreflect light impinging on said front face from an oncoming vehicle back toward said vehicle and a depressed position caused by the force of a vehicle tire passing over said upper body portion; and
- wiping means positioned below the plane of the associated roadway and adjacent to said front face and being configured and arranged such that said wiping means does not interfere with the retroreflective function of said lens means when said upper body portion is in the normal reflective position, but upon movement of said upper body portion to the depressed position and return to said normal position, said front face of said lens means moves past said wiping means and in direct contact therewith whereby said wiping means effects a debris-cleaning and wiping function on said front face, said wiping means including an inwardly extending blade formed on the return portion of said G-shaped body.
- 16. The marker set forth in claim 15, wherein said body includes an integrally formed stiffening web extending transversely from said upper body portion downwardly to intersect the lower curved portion of said G-shaped body, thereby to provide a support and positioning member for said body on both the compressed and normal positions of said body, and web defining of said upper body portion.
- 17. The pavement marker set forth in claim 15, wherein said elastomeric body is neoprene and has a hardness in the range of 50 to 60 durometers, Shore A.
Parent Case Info
This is a continuation of application Ser. No. 322,253, filed on Nov. 17, 1981 now abd.
US Referenced Citations (15)
Foreign Referenced Citations (2)
Number |
Date |
Country |
614657 |
Dec 1948 |
GBX |
648542 |
Jan 1951 |
GBX |
Continuations (1)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
322253 |
Nov 1981 |
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