GB2031755A

GB2031755A - Reflective adhesive tape

Info

Publication number: GB2031755A
Application number: GB7840679A
Authority: GB
Original assignee: LIANG CHUNG CHEN
Current assignee: LIANG CHUNG CHEN
Priority date: 1978-10-16
Filing date: 1978-10-16
Publication date: 1980-04-30

Abstract

The present invention relates to adhesive tape and to indicators formed thereby, the tape comprising a relatively thick layer (1) of transparent plastics material such as an epoxy or vinyl layer, a reflective layer (2), which may carry a marking such as a series of chevrons or diagonal strips, and a further protective layer (3) which carries a layer (4) of adhesive material. The tape is intended mainly to be applied to road surfaces to replace painted lines and relective means such as "cats-eyes", and should therefore be non-rigid. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Adhesive tape and indicators comprising such tape The present invention relates to adhesive tape, and particularly to indicators, such as road traffic signs, comprising such tape.

Painted road signs and road reflectors, such as cats'-eyes, are most commonly used to indicate traffic lanes. Road reflectors are usually installed at distant intervals and their relective effect may serve to indicate different road conditions. Yet the installation of either the road reflectors or the painted road signs can be inconvenient and laborious. When infrequently placed, the road reflectors often fail to demonstrate the actual condition of a road and can thus mislead a driver. Besides, if it is intended to change the road conditions, immediate wiping out of the painted road signs would seem to be difficult and inconvenient.

Though there have been some roads which adopt road reflectors alone to indicate a fast lane and a slow lane, these reflectors have not been known to display the various road signs, such as left or right turn symbols, a double yellow lined non-parking zone and a single yellow lined no-waiting zone. This has hitherto been done by the painted road signs with the aforementioned disadvantages.

It is an object of the present invention to alleviate these disadvantages and there is accordingly provided an adhesive tape having a cross-section comprising a protective layer of a transparent plastics material, a layer of light reflective material coated on the back of the said protective layer and sandwiched between said protective layer and a further protective layer, and an adhesive material on the back of said further protective layer.

Such tape can easily be used as an indicator by, for example, applying it to a roadway and shaping it, as it is stuck to the road, into any desired traffic sign, line or symbol thereby serving to upkeep a high standard of traffic safety.

One embodiment of adhesive tape in accordance with the present invention will now be described by way of example only with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a cross-sectional view of the tape; Figure 2 illustrates a roll of the tape, and Figure 3 shows one form of possible marking on the tape.

The adhesive tape shown in the drawings comprises a substantial thickness of a protective layer 1 of a transparent plastics material.

The layer 1 forms the outer layer in use of the tape and should therefore be highly resistant to radiation from the sun, high and low temperatures, impact and shear, and chemical corrosion. Suitable materials are known to be epoxy plastics materials and sheets of vinyl materials. When the layer 1 has sufficient thickness to provide the required protection, in the order of 3 mm, the above materials remain sufficiently flexible and malleable. The back surface of the layer 1 is coated with a reflective material 2 in the colour and design required. Thus the reflective layer may have diagonal stripes of black and white or red and white as shown in Fig. 3, or, for example, it may be totally white, red or yellow. A further protective layer 3 is applied to the back of the reflective material 2, for example by painting, to alleviate deterioration of and damage to the reflective coating 2.The further protective layer 3 may be transparent and conveniently comprises the same material as that of the first protective layer 1. Coated on the back of the further protective layer is a thick layer of adhesive material 4 which may comprise a resinous compound.

Conveniently, and as shown, a layer of paper 5, such as Kraft paper, is applied to the adhesive material to be removed, by peeling off, before use of the tape. The paper layer 5 permits the tape to be stored in rolls as shown in Figs. 2 and 3. After the paper layer 5 has been removed, the tape can be applied to the intended surface, such as a road surface, which should be clean, after which the tape is pressed to the surface. Thus, when the tape is applied to the road surface to form an indicator, a road roller may be used to apply the pressure. Alternatively when the reflective layer 2 depicts, for example, a series of chevrons, the tape may be applied to a substantially rigid backing sheet (not shown) which may be erected on a bend in well-known manner.

CLAIMS (16 Oct 1978) 1. An adhesive tape having a cross-section comprising a protective layer of a transparent plastics material, a layer of light reflective material coated on the back of the said protective layer and sandwiched between said protective layer and a further protective layer, and an adhesive material on the back of said further protective layer.

2. An adhesive tape as claimed in claim 1 in which the transparent plastics material of the first-mentioned protective layer is selected from an epoxy plastics material or vinyl material.

3. An adhesive tape as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2 in which the said first-mentioned protective layer has a thickness of approximately 3mm.

4. An adhesive tape as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 3 in which the further protective layer is applied to the reflective layer by painting.

5. An adhesive tape as claimed in any one of the preceding claims in which the further protective layer is transparent.

6. An adhesive tape as claimed in claim 5

**WARNING** end of DESC field may overlap start of CLMS **.

Claims

**WARNING** start of CLMS field may overlap end of DESC **. SPECIFICATION Adhesive tape and indicators comprising such tape The present invention relates to adhesive tape, and particularly to indicators, such as road traffic signs, comprising such tape. Painted road signs and road reflectors, such as cats'-eyes, are most commonly used to indicate traffic lanes. Road reflectors are usually installed at distant intervals and their relective effect may serve to indicate different road conditions. Yet the installation of either the road reflectors or the painted road signs can be inconvenient and laborious. When infrequently placed, the road reflectors often fail to demonstrate the actual condition of a road and can thus mislead a driver. Besides, if it is intended to change the road conditions, immediate wiping out of the painted road signs would seem to be difficult and inconvenient. Though there have been some roads which adopt road reflectors alone to indicate a fast lane and a slow lane, these reflectors have not been known to display the various road signs, such as left or right turn symbols, a double yellow lined non-parking zone and a single yellow lined no-waiting zone. This has hitherto been done by the painted road signs with the aforementioned disadvantages. It is an object of the present invention to alleviate these disadvantages and there is accordingly provided an adhesive tape having a cross-section comprising a protective layer of a transparent plastics material, a layer of light reflective material coated on the back of the said protective layer and sandwiched between said protective layer and a further protective layer, and an adhesive material on the back of said further protective layer. Such tape can easily be used as an indicator by, for example, applying it to a roadway and shaping it, as it is stuck to the road, into any desired traffic sign, line or symbol thereby serving to upkeep a high standard of traffic safety. One embodiment of adhesive tape in accordance with the present invention will now be described by way of example only with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a cross-sectional view of the tape; Figure 2 illustrates a roll of the tape, and Figure 3 shows one form of possible marking on the tape. The adhesive tape shown in the drawings comprises a substantial thickness of a protective layer 1 of a transparent plastics material. The layer 1 forms the outer layer in use of the tape and should therefore be highly resistant to radiation from the sun, high and low temperatures, impact and shear, and chemical corrosion. Suitable materials are known to be epoxy plastics materials and sheets of vinyl materials. When the layer 1 has sufficient thickness to provide the required protection, in the order of 3 mm, the above materials remain sufficiently flexible and malleable. The back surface of the layer 1 is coated with a reflective material 2 in the colour and design required. Thus the reflective layer may have diagonal stripes of black and white or red and white as shown in Fig. 3, or, for example, it may be totally white, red or yellow. A further protective layer 3 is applied to the back of the reflective material 2, for example by painting, to alleviate deterioration of and damage to the reflective coating 2.The further protective layer 3 may be transparent and conveniently comprises the same material as that of the first protective layer 1. Coated on the back of the further protective layer is a thick layer of adhesive material 4 which may comprise a resinous compound. Conveniently, and as shown, a layer of paper 5, such as Kraft paper, is applied to the adhesive material to be removed, by peeling off, before use of the tape. The paper layer 5 permits the tape to be stored in rolls as shown in Figs. 2 and 3. After the paper layer 5 has been removed, the tape can be applied to the intended surface, such as a road surface, which should be clean, after which the tape is pressed to the surface. Thus, when the tape is applied to the road surface to form an indicator, a road roller may be used to apply the pressure. Alternatively when the reflective layer 2 depicts, for example, a series of chevrons, the tape may be applied to a substantially rigid backing sheet (not shown) which may be erected on a bend in well-known manner. CLAIMS (16 Oct 1978)

1. An adhesive tape having a cross-section comprising a protective layer of a transparent plastics material, a layer of light reflective material coated on the back of the said protective layer and sandwiched between said protective layer and a further protective layer, and an adhesive material on the back of said further protective layer.

6. An adhesive tape as claimed in claim 5 in which the material of the first-mentioned and further protective layers is identical.

7. An adhesive tape as claimed in any one of the preceding claims in which the adhesive material comprises a resinous compound.

8. A method of presenting information to the public as claimed in claim 1 and substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

8. An adhesive tape as claimed in any one of the preceding claims in which a protective layer of paper is applied to the adhesive material, to be removed before use of the tape.

9. An adhesive tape substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

10. An indicator comprising adhesive tape as claimed in any one of the preceding claims when applied to backing means.

11. An indicator as claimed in claim 10 in which the backing means comprises a substantially rigid backing sheet.

12. An indicator substantially as herein described.

CLAIMS (23 Nov 1979)

1. A method of presenting traffic information to the public by fixing adhesive tape to a road surface, the tape having a cross-section comprising a protective layer of transparent plastics material, a layer of light reflective material coated on the back of the protective layer and sandwiched between the said protective layer and a further protective layer, and an adhesive material on the back of the further protective layer, the tape being cut to a suitable size or shape and arranged on the road surface to present the information desired.

2. A method as claimed in claim 1 in which the transparent plastics material of the first-mentioned protective layer is selected from an epoxy plastics material or vinyl material.

3. A method as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2 in which the said first-mentioned protective layer has a thickness of substantially 3 mm.

4. A method as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 3 in which the further protective layer is painted on to the reflective layer.

5. A method as claimed in any one of the preceding claims in which the further protective layer is transparent.

6. A method as claimed in any one of the preceding claims in which the first-mentioned and further protective layers are made from similar material.

7. A method as claimed in any one of the preceding claims in which the adhesive material comprises a resinous compound.