EP0280102A1 - Process and apparatus for the production or renewal of a horizontal marking on roads, and horizontal marking produced according to the process - Google Patents

Abstract

During the laying of a marking line with the aid of at least one paint spray gun (2), profile particles (5) are introduced by means of a profile particle dispenser (4) into the marking composition (3) and thereby enveloped all round by the latter. The dimension of the profile particles (5), which are preferably reflective beads, is greater than the layer thickness of the bare painted line, so that profile elevations are formed. Subsequently, reflective beads (8) which also adhere to the profile elevations are scattered onto this profiled painted line (6), which beads thus ensure a good night visibility in wet conditions and when a water film is present, from which they project. The profile particles (5) can either be directly introduced into the jet of paints emerging from the paint spray gun (2) or, subsequent to the application of a painted line, be scattered thereon and then completely covered with marking composition by means of renewed spraying of a thin film of paint.

Description

The invention relates to a method for producing or renewing a horizontal marking on roads, in particular boundary, guiding and warning lines, according to the preamble of claim 1, to a road marking vehicle for carrying out this method and to a horizontal marking produced using this method.

The production of such horizontal markings with reflex beads embedded in the marking compound has been known for a long time and is described, for example, in EP-A-0 124 946. These road markings are generally well recognizable due to the reflective beads visible in the headlights of the car, even in the dark when the road is dry. However, they do their job insufficiently or not at all when it is raining or when the road is damp for other reasons, because the retroreflection of road markings that are partially or completely covered by a film of water is greatly reduced or practically no longer exists. The headlight light emanating from a vehicle is namely reflected in a reflective manner on the water surface and is not retroreflected towards the driver of the vehicle. As is known, retroreflection is understood to mean the retroreflection of the incident light that is largely independent of the direction of illumination from refractive or reflecting parts.

The sharp reduction in the visibility of the markings in the rain plays a decisive role in night accidents.

Previous attempts to increase the night visibility in wet and rain, which is important for traffic safety, have concentrated on profiling road markings in a suitable manner so that the water film creates outstanding ridges with surface areas that are as steeply oriented as possible to the incident headlights. As a result, the specular reflection is reduced and the retroreflection is increased at those surface areas from which the water runs off.

For this purpose, EP-A 0 124 946, which has already been mentioned, essentially proposes laying a thin-layer marking as a trace of paint, which remains plastically deformable for a long time after application, sprinkling glass beads, a certain proportion of which, on the fresh trace of paint consists of floatation pearls, which have undergone a surface treatment to reduce their sinking depth, and to deform the color trace by pressing in a surface profile before the marking compound has completely hardened. Such profiles stamped after the marking has been applied, on the one hand, require a further, separate operation and can therefore only be produced with a considerable amount of work, on the other hand they are generally subject to relatively rapid abrasion or are leveled after a short time.

Similar disadvantages apply to known thick-film markings, which can be provided with thicker profiles than thin-film markings, but generally have a curing or pot life of only a few minutes and are therefore no longer permanently deformable shortly after installation. The profile of a freshly laid thick-film marking must therefore be pressed in immediately after it has been applied, although this work is very delicate because of the short time available of a few minutes.

It is also known, when laying thick-film markings, which are hot or hard plastic materials and which cannot be sprayed but have to be applied, for example, with a laying shoe, to form profiles in the form of buttons or bead-like transverse ribs arranged at a distance from one another .

All hot or hard plastic markings have the disadvantage in common that the equipment required for their laying is quite complicated and expensive and that the laying work can be carried out only slowly, so that the daily output is low compared to the quickly implementable processing of sprayable marking compounds. This applies above all to the laying of the bead-shaped profiles mentioned, which are produced intermittently and, on the one hand, are slightly deformed and abraded during snow removal due to their relatively high and steep edges, and on the other hand hinder snow removal themselves because the snow plow hits the profile edges and thereby can even be damaged. Further perfect postmarking, i.e. the renewal of a profiled thick-film marking by the same method as it was produced, is practically not possible, so that the maintenance of such markings is also made more difficult and expensive.

Because of the difficulties mentioned and the high costs, hot or hard plastic markings are only relatively rarely used; about 90% to 95% of all markings are thin or middle-layer markings, which can be produced quickly and inexpensively by spraying, but have so far not been able to be provided with profiles in a rational and effective manner.

Furthermore, it is known to produce films with a surface structure, for example in the form of a pyramid, and to fasten them to the street surface, but this is cumbersome and expensive.

Achieving good night visibility in the wet therefore represents a problem that has not yet been satisfactorily solved, so that traffic safety in the dark and rain has not yet been increased to the extent that it is desirable by clearly visible marking lines.

The invention has for its object to provide a method with which a horizontal marking provided with surface profiles can be produced in a relatively simple and cost-saving manner, which has good visibility even when wet, and also high stability against abrasion and leveling and thus an economic life and also without difficulty by tightening can be renewed.

To achieve this object, the method according to the invention is characterized by the features specified in claim 1.

This method according to the invention makes it possible to generate the surface profiles during the laying of the color track, that is to say in a common work step with only one trip on the route to be processed with an appropriately equipped marking vehicle; small profiles completely covered with marking mass are produced in the manner of colored nubs, on which the subsequently scattered reflective beads adhere as small, retroreflective beads. A profiled horizontal marking produced in this way is particularly cost-effective because, as normal thin or middle layer marking, it can be drawn continuously by spraying as part of the customary, mostly used marking work, without the need for a second operation to produce the surface profiles. Thin and middle layer markings have wet film thicknesses of approximately 0.3 to approximately 1.5 mm and shrink by 20% to 40% during drying, so that the dry film thicknesses are correspondingly lower.

Another important advantage is that the profile particles, which protrude from the actual color track due to their size, are completely covered by the marking compound and are therefore firmly anchored in the color track, so that the risk of these profile particles being torn out by traffic rolling over them is greatly reduced. In addition, they do not hinder snow removal because the snow plow is always there rests on a large number of profiles and therefore always works in the tangential plane at the apex of the profiles without bumping into the edges of the profile. Therefore, the risk is very low that the profiles themselves are damaged when snow is cleared and the profile particles are pressed out.

Another advantage is that worn profiled markings can be easily replaced by retightening, which is generally not readily possible with previously known profiled markings.

If appropriately dimensioned reflective beads or other reflective, at least approximately spherical particles are preferably used as the profile particles, there is the further advantage that the areas of the profile particles which protrude from the color track themselves contribute to reflection or retroreflection as soon as the color layers adhering to these areas pass through the Traffic has been rubbed off. Such a horizontal marking according to the invention therefore still retains its good night visibility in the wet when it is considerably worn out, provided there are still enough profile particles.

The invention thus achieves significantly better and longer-lasting night visibility of road markings in rainy weather than was previously possible; this applies in particular to road boundary lines as well as guideline or warning lines, the recognizability of which is particularly important for traffic safety.

The method according to the invention can be carried out in such a way that the profile particles are laid at the same time as the marking compound is sprayed on, by being sprinkled or shot into the sharpened color jet or in the immediate vicinity of the point of impact of the jet. However, it can also be done in such a way that a trace of paint is first sprayed, the profile particles are then sprinkled directly on it and then marking compound is applied again in order to completely encase the profile particles.

A road marking vehicle for performing the method according to the invention is characterized by the features specified in claim 8.

Appropriate configurations of the method and the device result from the dependent patent claims.

• Figur 1 ein erstes Beispiel eines nur angedeuteten Markierungsfahrzeugs mit einer Farbspritzpistole, in deren Strahl Profilteilchen eingebracht werden,
• Figur 2 ein zweites Beispiel mit zwei eine Farbspur spritzenden Farbspritzpistolen, die quer zur Fahrtrich­tung nebeneinander angeordnet sind,
• Figur 3 ein drittes Beispiel, bei dem zwei eine Farb­spur erzeugende Farbspritzpistolen in Fahrtrichtung hintereinander angeordnet sind,
• Figur 4 ein viertes Beispiel eines Markierungsfahr­zeugs, mit dem Profilteilchen auf die zunächst verlegte Farbspur aufgestreut und dann mit Markierungsmasse be­deckt werden, und
• Figur 5 und 5b einen schematischen Schnitt durch eine mit Oberflächenprofilen versehene Horizontalmarkierung nach der Erfindung vor und nach dem Aufstreuen kleiner Reflexperlen.

The invention is explained in more detail with the aid of schematically illustrated exemplary embodiments. Show it :

• FIG. 1 shows a first example of a marking vehicle, only indicated, with a paint spray gun, in the beam of which profile particles are introduced,
• FIG. 2 shows a second example with two paint spray guns spraying a paint trace, which are arranged next to one another transversely to the direction of travel,
• FIG. 3 shows a third example in which two paint spray guns producing a paint trace are arranged one behind the other in the direction of travel,
• FIG. 4 shows a fourth example of a marking vehicle, with which profile particles are sprinkled onto the initially laid color track and then covered with marking compound, and
• 5 and 5b show a schematic section through a horizontal marking provided with surface profiles according to the invention before and after the sprinkling of small reflex beads.

According to FIG. 1, a paint spray gun 2, a profile particle dispenser 4 and, seen in the direction of travel behind it, a bead spreader 7 are arranged on the only schematically indicated marking vehicle 1 which moves in the direction of the arrow. The paint spray gun 2 in a known manner injects marking compound 3 in the form of a fan-shaped jet transverse to the direction of travel onto the street surface S. The profile particle dispenser 4 mounted in the immediate vicinity of the paint spray gun 2 is directed at the somewhat inclined paint jet, so that the profile particles 5 are injected into the sprayed marking compound 3 enter before the beam hits the street surface S. In this way, the profile particles 5 are completely covered with marking compound.

The minimum dimension of the profile particles 5, which are reflex beads in the example under consideration, is greater than the dry film thickness or the layer thickness of the actual color trace. Therefore, how In FIG. 5a, the horizontal marking 6 produced produces surface profiles 9 in the form of colored knobs, which are formed by the outstanding areas of the profile particles 5 that are completely covered with marking material. Subsequently, 7 reflective beads 8 are sprinkled onto the still fresh, profiled color trace 6 by means of the pearl spreader. The finished color trace 10 thus obtained, which is illustrated in FIG. 5b, therefore has surface profiles 9 provided with reflective beads 8.

These scattered reflective beads 8 can be a usual mixture of ordinary reflective beads, the diameter of which is between approximately 0.05 and 0.8 mm and which are therefore smaller than the profile particles 5.

However, in order to increase the effect of retroreflection between the profile elevations, the scattered reflection beads can advantageously also contain large reflection beads with a diameter of at least 0.8 mm, preferably of about 1 to 2 mm, which of course improve the visibility of the marking particularly strongly. While such large reflective beads on a level marking would be torn out relatively quickly by the traffic rolling over them, in the case of a marking according to the present invention they are largely protected by the adjacent profile elevations, since the tires of the vehicles rolling over them are essentially supported on the profile elevations and the reflex beads lying in between not or only insignificantly. In order for this protective effect to work well, the profile elevations should be so high on average that they protrude slightly beyond the large beads in between. At Such a marking retroreflect, on the one hand, the usual reflex beads adhering to the profile elevations and, on the other hand, the large reflex beads located between the profile elevations.

The marking compound used is preferably a simple and rationally installable thin-layer or middle-layer marking, the solids of which are dissolved in a solvent for application and which, in the case of one-component paints, exclusively by evaporation of the solvent, in the case of multicomponent paints by evaporation of the solvent and harden through chemical drying. The wet film thicknesses are approximately 0.3 mm to 1.5 mm, which corresponds to dry film thicknesses of approximately 0.2 mm to approximately 0.8-1.2 mm.

The profile particles 5 are at least 0.6 mm larger than the dry film thickness and, depending on the thickness of the paint layer, can have diameters between about 1 mm and 6 mm, this size of course being chosen so that the profile particles have an adequate profile height with the most stable anchoring in the color trace exhibit. This diameter range is useful for roads on which snow is regularly cleared in winter and therefore there should not be too high profiles. In special cases, especially in areas where no snow removal or is not required, profile particles with diameters of up to 8 mm or even 10 mm can be used.

In the example considered, the dry film thickness of the pure color trace at the points where there is only marking compound 3 and no profile particles is approximately 1 mm, and the diameter of the profile particles is approximately 3 mm, so that the profile elevations 9 covered with paint and small reflective beads 8 are around protrude about 2 to 3 mm from the actual color trace. Preferably, there are also large reflective beads with diameters of approximately 1-2 mm below the scattered reflective beads 8, which, protected between the elevations of the profile, further intensify the retroreflection. The maximum total layer thickness of the finished track 10, measured at the profile elevations, is then about 3 to 4 mm.

Instead of a thin-layer or middle-layer marking, a sprayable thick-layer marking can also be used.

The profile elevations at the locations of the profile particles 5, where the water runs off, are practically never completely washed over by a water film in rainy weather and therefore guarantee good night visibility even when it is raining; furthermore they prevent the formation of a continuous water film and constantly distribute the flowing water. Therefore, even in rainy weather, the profile elevations 9 covered with small glass beads 8 reflect and make the marking clearly visible through retroreflection. Especially with lane boundary lines, which are outside the lane and are therefore usually wet and covered with water for longer periods of time, this night visibility is particularly important and contributes significantly to traffic safety. Due to the only ver relatively low profile heights, on the other hand, the method according to the invention is also suitable for the production of center lines, guidelines and warning lines.

If reflective beads are preferably used as the profile particles, this has the additional advantage that the marking also fulfills its task at night and in the wet even after the paint has rubbed off the surface profiles 9 because the exposed areas of the profile particles themselves now reflect.

To improve the grip of the marking, it is recommended to use at least partially irregularly shaped mineral particles, such as grit, gravel, broken glass or the like, as profile particles, which, due to their angular shape, also adhere particularly firmly to the marking compound and thus increase the durability of the profiles , these particles preferably being mixed with reflex beads. Of course, particles of other suitable material, e.g. made of plastic, and of any shape, e.g. in the form of ellipsoids or polyhedra.

In the example according to FIG. 1, the profile particle dispenser 4, which is a pneumatic spray gun, is oriented somewhat obliquely to the likewise slightly inclined jet of the paint spray gun 2, so that the profile particles 5 are shot into this jet at an acute angle. The dispenser 4 can also be a simple scattering device and in this case is installed vertically above the inclined jet, so that the profile particles fall vertically onto and into this jet.

In the example according to FIG. 2, the paint trace 6 is generated with the aid of two paint spray guns 2a and 2b arranged next to one another at an angle and transversely to the direction of travel, each of which emits a fan-shaped jet 3a or 3b. Both fan-shaped beams lie at least approximately in one plane and overlap. The profile particle dispenser 4 is located in the middle between the two paint spray guns and scatters or shoots the profile particles 5 between the two fan-shaped color beams 3a and 3b into the marking mass before it hits the road surface S. The bead spreader 7 for applying small reflex beads 8 is located at a distance behind this arrangement. In turn, the color traces 6 and 10 shown schematically in FIGS. 5a and 5b are produced. The two color beams can also strike one another on the street surface without overlapping and each have half the line width produce.

In the example according to FIG. 3, the marking vehicle (not shown in more detail) for drawing a marking track again has two spray guns 2a and 2b oriented at an angle to one another, which in this case are oriented one behind the other in the direction of travel in such a way that the two fan-shaped paint beams 3a and 3b are at least approximately in one meet common line on the street surface S. A profile particle dispenser 4 in the form of a pneumatic gun is arranged inclined in the direction of travel in front of the two paint spray guns in such a way that the ejected profile particles 5 are thrown against and through the front paint jet 3b at a certain angle, so that they are partly from the front paint jet 3b, partly from the rear color beam 3a carried away or caught between the two color rays. Of course, the profile particle dispenser 4 can also be arranged in the middle between the two paint spray guns 2a and 2b and be oriented essentially vertically, so that the profile particles ejected pass directly between the two paint jets. In this case too, a pearl spreader 7 is provided for applying small reflex beads 8 to the color trace 6, so that the profiled color trace 10 covered with reflective pearls is again formed.

Instead of mixing the profile particles directly with the marking compound emerging from the paint spray guns, it is also possible to proceed as shown in FIG. 4. In this case, a paint trace is first sprayed with a first paint spray gun 11, the layer thickness of which is somewhat less than the desired final layer thickness. With a profile particle dispenser 12 installed behind this paint spray gun 11, profile particles 5 are then sprinkled onto the fresh paint trace, and then, using a second paint spray gun 13, marking compound 3 is again sprayed onto the paint trace covered with profile particles 5, so that the profile particles are completely covered with a paint film. Finally, reflective beads 8, which preferably also contain the large reflective beads mentioned, are scattered. Instead of drawing the paint trace with only one paint spray gun 11, two paint spray guns can also be used for this purpose, similar to that shown in FIG. 2 or 3.

All mentioned devices for the production of the complete profiled marking are installed on a common marking vehicle, which is the one time Driving on the route to be machined allows this marking to be produced and renewed quickly and economically.

Claims (11)

1. A method for producing or renewing a horizontal marking on roads, in particular of boundary, guideline and warning lines, after which a color trace is applied by spraying a marking compound and then sprinkled on the still fresh color trace reflex beads, characterized in that before the reflective beads are sprinkled on Profile particles, the minimum dimension of which is greater than the dry film thickness of the newly applied color trace, are introduced into the color trace and are completely encased with marking compound, so that a marking with profile elevations is produced. 2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that during the application of the color trace profile particles are introduced into the jet of the sprayed marking compound or are scattered in the immediate vicinity of the point of impact of the beam, with the use of two paint spray guns which simultaneously draw a trace, the fan-shaped, at least emit approximately incident rays on a common line of the road surface, the profile particles are preferably introduced into the marking mass between the two rays. 3. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that a trace of paint is first sprayed, that the profile particles are then applied to the still fresh trace of paint and that, before the reflective beads are scattered, marking mass is again sprayed onto the trace of paint covered with profile particles, so that the profile particles with a color film be covered. 4. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that profile particles are used, the minimum dimension of which is at least 0.6 mm larger than the dry film thickness of the applied color trace. 5. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that at least partially those with an at least approximately spherical shape, preferably reflective beads, are used as profile particles. 6. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that at least partially irregularly shaped particles, in particular grit, gravel, broken glass or the like, are used as profile particles, preferably mixed with glass beads. 7. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that when scattering the reflective beads onto the color track provided with profile elevations, at least partially reflective beads with a diameter of at least 0.8 mm, preferably of 1 to 2 mm, are used. 8. Marking vehicle for performing the method according to claim 1, with at least one paint spray gun and at least one reflex bead spreader arranged behind it in the direction of travel, characterized in that a profile particle dispenser (4, 12) is arranged in front of the reflex bead spreader (7). 9. Marking vehicle according to claim 8, characterized in that for drawing a paint trace at least two fan-shaped spray guns (2a, 2b) are provided and aligned so that their rays (3a, 3b) hit the road surface at least approximately on a common line , wherein the two paint spray guns (2a, 2b) are arranged transversely to the direction of travel of the marking vehicle or one behind the other, and that the profile particle dispenser (4) is oriented such that the emerging profile particles (5) at least for the most part between the two fan-shaped jets into the marking mass reach or hit a fan-shaped jet at an acute angle. 10. Marking vehicle according to claim 8, characterized in that in the direction of travel behind at least one drawing paint spray gun (11) of the profile particle dispenser (12) and behind it another paint spray gun (13) are arranged. 11. Horizontal marking produced by the method according to claim 1 with reflecting profile elevations covered by marking mass.

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