GB2190944A

GB2190944A - Information-carrying road traffic cone

Info

Publication number: GB2190944A
Application number: GB08711087A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Thomas Pearse Mcgoldrick
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1986-05-23
Filing date: 1987-05-11
Publication date: 1987-12-02
Also published as: GB8612702D0; GB8711087D0

Abstract

A road traffic cone carries road traffic information. The information may be printed onto said cone or may be integrally moulded therein. Alternatively said information may be contained on a sleeve which fits over the cone. The cone may be provided with internal illuminating means.

Description

SPECIFICATION Notification means This invention relates to notification means and in particular to means for notifying information to a motorist. Such notification means may provide directional information whereby the motorist is directed either along or away from a particular path or area, and explanatory information whereby the motorist is provided with the reasons for the directional information and/or the person or company responsible for such directional information.

Heretofore such directional information has generally been provided by notification means wholly separate from the notification means (e.g. sign boards) providing the explanatory information. This requires the motorist to be notified with two forms of information from two separate locations and thus tends to reduce safety at precisely the time when the motorist should exercise greater care in following the directional information provided.

It is therefore considered desirable to provide notification means which can overcome, or at least mitigate, the above-mentioned and/or other disadvantages of the prior art.

According to the present invention there is provided notification means for simultaneously notifying to a motorist both directional information and explanatory information, said notification means comprising a traffic cone which, by its positional location is to provide said directional information, the traffic cone being marked with the explanatory information appropriate to the circumstances, e.g. with the reasons for the directional information and/or the person or company responsible for such directional information.

It will be appreciated that traffic cones are conically shaped, portable and/or readily movable structures used primarily for delineating paths or areas of road surfaces. Conventional traffic cones are of standardised form and colour and hence, if lost or stolen and subsequently recovered, it is difficult to identify their owner. This problem can be avoided, or at least minimised, with the present invention if the explanatory information provided by the traffic cone is or includes means capable of identifying the person or company responsible for directional information who, presumably, will be the owner or permitted user of the traffic cone.

Preferably said identifying means comprises one or more of the name, address, trade mark, logo, and trading style of the said person or company. Alternatively or additionally said explanatory information may be or may include an advertisement.

Advantageously said explanatory information is printed or otherwise marked upon a frustoconical surface portion of the traffic cone. Preferably said frusto-conical surface portion is provided by a band of material, e.g. plastics material, which when flat is of substantially trapezium-like shape and which, when formed to fusto-conical shape (e.g. by being wrapped about the traffic cone), is bonded to the main body of the traffic cone. Conveniently said frusto-conical surface portion is of a colour different from and contrasting with the colour of the remainder of the traffic cone.

In one preferred embodiment the trapeziumshaped band is provided of transparent or translucent pvc plastics material, the explanatory information to be displayed is screen printed (in mirror-image lettering) on an intended rear surface of the pvc band, the printed surface is coated with adhesive and a layer of reflective beads adhered thereto, the ends of the band are brought together and solvent welded or otherwise joined to one another to form the band into a frusto-conical pvc sleeve, and the latter is fitted over the molded traffic cone and adhesively bonded to its exterior face to form the said frusto-conical surface portion of the cone.

Advantageously battery powered illumination means may be located internally (preferably within an integral base portion) of the traffic cone to illuminate the explanatory information from the rear thereof.

By way of non-limiting example, embodiments of this invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings of which: Figures 1 and 2 are front elevations of first and second embodiments of this invention, Figures 3 to 7 are schematic perspective views of additional embodiments of this invention, Figure 8 is a schematic axial cross-section through yet another embodiment of this invention, and Figure 9 is a schematic cross-sectional view taken along the line IX-IX of Fig 8.

As shown in Figure 1, a traffic cone provides notification means for simultaneously notifying to a motorist both directional information and explanatory information. The directional information is in use provided to the motorist by the positional location of the traffic cone (as is conventional). However, the traffic cone is marked with explanatory information appropriate to the circumstances. In the embodiment of Figs 1 and 2 the traffic cones would mark out, say, an area needed for the parking of undertakers' vehicles and this need is notified generally by the explanatory information marked on the traffic cone (i.e. the reasons for the directional information). As illustrated this explanatory information is provided by the emblem of a cross.

In the embodiment of Fig 1, the traffic cone 11 is molded of black plastics material integrally with the cross emblem 12, the latter being outlined or covered with a white paint or other coating.

Alternatively, and as is preferred, the black molded traffic cone is covered with a transparent band 23 of polyvinyl-chloride (pvc) plastics material upon which the cross emblem 22 and the overall white background have been printed. Preferably the band, when flat, is of substantially trapezium-like shape and the desired explanatory information (i.e. the cross emblem 22 in the Fig 2 embodiment), that is to be displayed is screen printed (in mirrorimage form) on the intended rear surface of the band 23.The printed surface is coated with adhesive, a layer of reflective beads is adhered to the adhesive coating, the ends of the band are brought together and solvent welded or otherwise joined to one another to form the band 23 into a frusto-conical pvc sleeve, and the latter is fitted over the molded traffic cone and adhesively bonded to its exterior face to form the illustrated frusto-conical surface portion of the cone.

In each of the embodiments of Figs 3-7, the explanatory information (provided by the band 33, 43, 53, 63, or 73 wrapped around and bonded to the traffic cone 31, 41, 51, 61, or 71) is or includes means capable of identifying the person or company responsible for providing the directional information, i.e.

for placing the traffic cones in that particular use location to provide necessary directional information to the motorist. Generally, the person or company identified will be the owner or permitted user of the traffic cone, and the identifying information may thus comprises one or more of the name, address, trade mark, logo, trading style, and advertisement of that person or company.

Thus in the embodiment of Fig 3, the emblem 32 is that of British Rail and the traffic cone 31 is for use by personnel of British Rail to provide directional information to motorists by the positional location of such traffic cones and simultaneously inform such motorists that the directional information is provided under the aegis or otherwise connected with the British Railways Board.

Similarly, in the embodiment of Fig 4, the emblem 42 is that of Eastern Electricity Board and the traffic cone 41 is for use by personnel of Eastern Electricity to provide directional information to motorists by the positional location of such traffic cones and simultaneously inform such motorists that the directional information is provided under the aegis or otherwise connected with the Eastern Electricity Board.

In the embodiment of Fig 5, the emblem 52 is that of London Transport and the traffic cone 51 is for use by personnel of London Transport to provide directional information to motorists by the positional location of such traffic cones and simultaneously inform such motorists that this directional information is provided under the aegis or otherwise connected with the London Regional Transport.

In the embodiment of Fig 6, the emblem 62 is that of British Telecommunications PLC and the traffic cone 61 is for use by personnel of that Corporation to provide directional information to motorists by the positional location of such traffic cones and simultaneously to inform such motorists that the directional information is provided under the aegis or otherwise connected with the British Telecommunications PLC.

In the embodiment of Fig 7, the emblem 72 is that of Jet Petroleum Ltd and the traffic cone 71 is for use by personnel of that company to provide directional information to motorists by the positional location of such traffic cones and simultaneously inform such motorists that this directional information is provided by that company or by one of its agents. It thus also serves as an advertisement for the company.

In this last embodiment, the band 73 is of the same colour, e.g. yellow, as the body of the traffic cone 71. However, in other embodiments it may well be preferred for the band n3 to be in a different colour, ideally a strongly contrasting colour, to the main body of the traffic cone n 1.

It will be appreciated that, apart from the emblems 22, 32, 42, 52, 62 and 72 illustrated in the drawings, many other forms of explanatory information may be provided on the traffic cones.

It will also be appreciated that where a band n3 is provided, the band width (between the parallel sides of its trapezium outline) may be of any dimension considered suitable. For example, for a 45 cm high cone the band width may be between, say, 15 to 20 cms, and for a Im high cone the band width may be between 30 to 40 cms.

In one preferred construction, the main body of the traffic cone (n1) is a one-piece molding incorporating a hexagonal base 4 which has an underneath selvage strip (not shown) all round the base perimeter. The interior edge of this selvage strip may be provided with upstanding wall portions spaced from the outer wall portions of the base. Closed polythene bags containing sand or other ballast material may be inserted into the spaces between inner and outer wall portions of the base 4 to stabilise the traffic cone and reduce the possibility of its being blown away in the wind.

Instead of hexagonal, the base 4 of the traffic cone may alternatively be of circular, square or any other suitable shape. Also it need not be of hollow form for ballast retention.

Another preferred construction for the main body of the traffic cone is illustrated in Figs 8 and 9. In this construction the underneath selvage strip extends (as before) all round the perimeter of the hexagonal base 4 but the upstanding wall portions 84 at its interior edge are bent back upon themselves to form one or more chambers 85 within the base 4.

Two diametrically opposite lamps 86 provided with reflectors 87, and two batteries 88 therefor, are provided in chamber(s) 85. The latter also accomodate(s) the closed polythene bags 89 containing sand or other ballast material to stabilise the traffic cone and reduce the possibility of its being blown away in the wind.

The disposition of the lamps and reflectors 86,87 is such as to provide appropriate illumination of all of the cone above base 4 and especially the band n3 provided with the explanatory information. The latter, as well as the main body of the traffic cone above the base are therefore molded from a translucent plastics material.

Figure 9 shows, diagrammatically, the preferred electric circuit for the batteries 88 and the two series-connected light bulbs 86. It will be noted that this circuit includes a switch 90 which, as can be seen form Fig 8, is located in a side wall of the base 4 so as to be operable from outside of the traffic cone. Optionally, one of the light bulbs 86 may incorporate a bimetal switch to provide a simple flasher unit whereby the two series-connected light bulbs are repeatedly flashed on and off together.

Claims

1. Notification means for simultaneously notifying to a motorist both directional information and explanatory information, said notification means comprising a traffic cone which, by its positional location is to provide said directional information, the traffic cone being marked with the explanatory information appropriate to the circumstances.

2. Notification means according to Claim 1, wherein said explanatory information includes the reasons for the said directional information.

3. Notification means according to Claim 1 or Claim 2, wherein said explanatory information includes means capable of identifying the person or company responsible for the said directional information.

4. Notification means according to Claim 3, wherein said identifying means comprises one or more of the name, address, trade mark, logo, and trading style of the said person or company.

5. Notification means according to any preceding Claim, wherein said explanatory information is or includes an advertisement.

6. Notification means according to any preceding Claim, wherein said explanatory information is printed or otherwise marked upon a frusto-conical surface portion of the traffic cone.

7. Notification means according to Claim 6, wherein said frusto-conical surface portion is provided by a band of material which when flat is of substantially trapezium-like shape and which, when formed to fusto-conical shape, is bonded to the main body of the traffic cone.

8. Notification means according to Claim 7, wherein said band is of plastics material.

9. Notification means according to Claim 7 or Claim 8, wherein said band is formed to frusto-conical shape by being wrapped about the traffic cone.

10. Notification means according to any one of Claims 6 to 9, wherein said frusto-conical surface portion is of a colour different from and contrasting with the colour of the remainder of the trafic cone.

11. Notification means according to any one of Claims 6 to 9, wherein the trapeziumshaped band is of transparent or translucent pvc plastics material, the explanatory information to be displayed is screen printed (in mirrorimage lettering) on an intended rear surface of the pvc band, the printed surface is coated with adhesive and a layer of reflective beads adhered thereto, the ends of the band are solvent welded or otherwise joined to one another to form the band into a frusto-conical pvc sleeve, and the latter is fitted over the molded traffic cone and adhesively bonded to its exterior face to form the said frusto-conical surface portion of the cone.

12. Notification means according to any one of the preceding Claims, wherein battery powered illumination means are located internally of the traffic cone to illuminate the explanatory information from the rear thereof.

13. Notification means according to Claim 12, wherein the battery powered illumination means are located within an integral base portion of the traffic cone.

14. Notification means for simultaneously notifying to a motorist both directional information and explanatory information, said notification means being substantially as herein described with reference to and/or as illustrated in any one of Figs 1 to 7, or in Figs 8 and 9, of the accompanying drawings.