WO2003025892A1 - Floor labelling system - Google Patents

Floor labelling system Download PDF

Info

Publication number
WO2003025892A1
WO2003025892A1 PCT/GB2001/004142 GB0104142W WO03025892A1 WO 2003025892 A1 WO2003025892 A1 WO 2003025892A1 GB 0104142 W GB0104142 W GB 0104142W WO 03025892 A1 WO03025892 A1 WO 03025892A1
Authority
WO
WIPO (PCT)
Prior art keywords
plate
indicia
floor
hole
mounting
Prior art date
Application number
PCT/GB2001/004142
Other languages
French (fr)
Inventor
Steven Schofield
Original Assignee
Footprint Systems Limited
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Footprint Systems Limited filed Critical Footprint Systems Limited
Priority to PCT/GB2001/004142 priority Critical patent/WO2003025892A1/en
Priority to GB0408652A priority patent/GB2396952A/en
Publication of WO2003025892A1 publication Critical patent/WO2003025892A1/en

Links

Classifications

    • G—PHYSICS
    • G09—EDUCATION; CRYPTOGRAPHY; DISPLAY; ADVERTISING; SEALS
    • G09F—DISPLAYING; ADVERTISING; SIGNS; LABELS OR NAME-PLATES; SEALS
    • G09F19/00—Advertising or display means not otherwise provided for
    • G09F19/22—Advertising or display means on roads, walls or similar surfaces, e.g. illuminated
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G09—EDUCATION; CRYPTOGRAPHY; DISPLAY; ADVERTISING; SEALS
    • G09F—DISPLAYING; ADVERTISING; SIGNS; LABELS OR NAME-PLATES; SEALS
    • G09F19/00—Advertising or display means not otherwise provided for
    • G09F19/22—Advertising or display means on roads, walls or similar surfaces, e.g. illuminated
    • G09F19/228—Ground signs, i.e. display signs fixed on the ground

Definitions

  • This invention is concerned with methods and apparatus for providing floor labels, particularly for barcodes on factory and/or warehouse floors.
  • a plate carrying bar code is fixed into a recess in a plastics plate fitted within a hole drilled in the floor.
  • Figure 1 illustrates diagrammatically such a plate.
  • the plate 1 is cylindrical in that it has a circular top face 2, an annular side or rim 3 and a hollow underside 4.
  • a recess 5 is formed in the upwardly facing surface of the top face to receive the bar code plate 6.
  • the plate is set into sealant 7 to "bed" the plate in the floor.
  • sealant 7 In order that the fixing process does not lead to undue interference with the operation of the warehouse etc, it is common for vehicles to drive over the plates before the sealant has cured sufficiently to take the weight of the vehicle. Consequently, all too often the plate tilts and becomes set in the tilted position. Consequently, premature wear of the plate and/or the bar code label occurs, often leading to physical failure of either or both. Replacement is then necessary and the whole cycle repeats. Accordingly, there is a need for a floor labelling system that does not suffer from the kind of disadvantages just described. Summary of the Invention
  • a substantially circular, solid plate having parallel upper and lower faces, the lower face being adapted to be fixed in a circular hole drilled in a floor and the upper face having a recess adapted to receive a member carrying indicia.
  • the indicia comprise one or more bar code(s).
  • the member carrying the indicia may be releasably or fixedly mounted in the recess.
  • the underside of the plate is preferably provided with means providing a key for adhesive, sealant or the like used to fix the plate in the hole in the floor.
  • the keying means may consist of grooves, ribs, striations, dimples, blind bores, recesses or merely one or more roughened areas.
  • the plate is installed in a floor by a method in which a circular hole is drilled or otherwise formed in the floor of a depth substantially the same as a plate as previously defined, the plate is fixed in the hole and a member carrying indicia is inserted into the recess in the upper face of the plate.
  • the method may also include the step of placing sealant, adhesive or the like in the hole prior to placing the plate in the hole, whereby to set the plate in the hole. In this way, the tendency of the plate to tilt before the adhesive, sealant etc is cured.
  • the plate may be fixed in the hole by sealant, adhesive or mechanical means such as screws, bolts or the like or by any combination of such means or methods.
  • the plate may be of any suitable material. Suitable materials may include plastics such as ABS, nylon, nylon/glass fibre composites, acetyl, polypropylene or polyure- thane-based materials. However, the invention is not limited to those materials alone but encompasses any suitable material capable of withstanding the kind of traffic encountered in the environment where the plates are provided. Brief Description of the Drawings
  • Figure 1 is a diagrammatic illustration of a prior art floor labelling device
  • Figure 2 is a cross-sectional side view of a device according to the invention
  • Figure 3 is a plan view of the device shown in Figure 2.
  • the plate 1 consists of a solid, non-hollow, circular body. Its upper surface 2 is provided with a recess 5 to receive the barcode plate 6 or other indicia.
  • One or more depressions 9 are provided, as in the prior art plate of Figure 1 , in order to accommodate a screwdriver or the like to prise the plate 6 out of the recess 5 when it is desirable or necessary to replace it.
  • depres- sions such as those shown at 10 in Figure 3 may be provided for the same purpose.
  • the lower face 4 is, unlike the prior art plate, substantially flat and parallel with the upper surface 2.
  • the underside face 4 may alternatively be formed with striations, grooves, ribs, dimples, blind bores or other recesses to act as the key.
  • the underside may alternatively be dished but not to such an extent that it becomes a hollow cylinder with a rim.
  • the plate may be of any suitable material that will withstand traffic. Suitable plastics include nylon/ glass fibre composites, acetyl, polypropylene or polyurethane- based materials.
  • the plate according to the invention is more able to withstand traffic. It is- sup- r.r>M-f*H ovpr mnrp of its underside than the orior art device and can be thicker since there is little practical difference in the size of hole created to accommodate the inventive plate as compared to what has to be created in practice to accommodate the prior art plate.

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  • Business, Economics & Management (AREA)
  • Accounting & Taxation (AREA)
  • Marketing (AREA)
  • Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • General Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Theoretical Computer Science (AREA)
  • Standing Axle, Rod, Or Tube Structures Coupled By Welding, Adhesion, Or Deposition (AREA)
  • Labeling Devices (AREA)

Abstract

Labels are fixed in the floors of warehouse etc by means of a substantially circular, solid plate having parallel upper and lower faces, the lower face being adapted to be fixed in a circular hole drilled in the floor and the upper face having a recess adapted to receive a member carrying indicia. Preferably, the indicia comprise one or more bar code(s). The member carrying the indicia may be releasably or fixedly mounted in the recess in the plate. The underside of the plate is preferably provided with means providing a key for adhesive, sealant or the like used to fix the plate in the hole in the floor. The keying means may consist of grooves, ribs, striations, dimples, blind bores, recesses or one or more roughened areas. The fixing may alternatively or additionally be provided by screws, bolts or the like. The mounting is more able than prior art mountings to withstand warehouse traffic, especially during the curing stage of adhesive and/or sealant.

Description

FLOOR LABELLING SYSTEM Field of the Invention
This invention is concerned with methods and apparatus for providing floor labels, particularly for barcodes on factory and/or warehouse floors. Background to the Invention
Warehouses, factories and the like have a need to identify and locate storage locations, for example. In the past, labels or other indicia have been placed on racking where goods or other items, such as stock, spare parts etc are located. With the advent of automatic goods storage/retrieval, it "became more beneficial for labelling to be located at floor level. However, it is immediately apparent that labelling placed on the floor would be subjected to heavy traffic and consequent wear.
Various solutions have therefore been proposed for avoiding or coping with such wear. In one known system, a plate carrying bar code is fixed into a recess in a plastics plate fitted within a hole drilled in the floor. Figure 1 illustrates diagrammatically such a plate. The plate 1 is cylindrical in that it has a circular top face 2, an annular side or rim 3 and a hollow underside 4. A recess 5 is formed in the upwardly facing surface of the top face to receive the bar code plate 6.
In principle, it should be possible to drill out an annular channel 7 in the floor 8, of the correct size to receive the annular rim 3 of the plate 1. The central part of the drilled hole is then cleared out to a depth sufficient to receive the central part of the underside of the cylindrical plate 1. In practice, however, the drilling process does not necessarily produce as dean a hole as might be expected and the clearing out step does not always lead to a smooth, flat bottomed hole in which to fit the plate.
Once the hole has been properly prepared, the plate is set into sealant 7 to "bed" the plate in the floor. In order that the fixing process does not lead to undue interference with the operation of the warehouse etc, it is common for vehicles to drive over the plates before the sealant has cured sufficiently to take the weight of the vehicle. Consequently, all too often the plate tilts and becomes set in the tilted position. Consequently, premature wear of the plate and/or the bar code label occurs, often leading to physical failure of either or both. Replacement is then necessary and the whole cycle repeats. Accordingly, there is a need for a floor labelling system that does not suffer from the kind of disadvantages just described. Summary of the Invention
According to the invention, there is provided a substantially circular, solid plate having parallel upper and lower faces, the lower face being adapted to be fixed in a circular hole drilled in a floor and the upper face having a recess adapted to receive a member carrying indicia.
Preferably, the indicia comprise one or more bar code(s). The member carrying the indicia may be releasably or fixedly mounted in the recess. The underside of the plate is preferably provided with means providing a key for adhesive, sealant or the like used to fix the plate in the hole in the floor. The keying means may consist of grooves, ribs, striations, dimples, blind bores, recesses or merely one or more roughened areas.
The plate is installed in a floor by a method in which a circular hole is drilled or otherwise formed in the floor of a depth substantially the same as a plate as previously defined, the plate is fixed in the hole and a member carrying indicia is inserted into the recess in the upper face of the plate.
The method may also include the step of placing sealant, adhesive or the like in the hole prior to placing the plate in the hole, whereby to set the plate in the hole. In this way, the tendency of the plate to tilt before the adhesive, sealant etc is cured.
The plate may be fixed in the hole by sealant, adhesive or mechanical means such as screws, bolts or the like or by any combination of such means or methods.
The plate may be of any suitable material. Suitable materials may include plastics such as ABS, nylon, nylon/glass fibre composites, acetyl, polypropylene or polyure- thane-based materials. However, the invention is not limited to those materials alone but encompasses any suitable material capable of withstanding the kind of traffic encountered in the environment where the plates are provided. Brief Description of the Drawings
The invention will now be described with reference to the drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a diagrammatic illustration of a prior art floor labelling device; Figure 2 is a cross-sectional side view of a device according to the invention; and Figure 3 is a plan view of the device shown in Figure 2. Detailed Description of the Illustrated Embodiments
Referring to Figure 2, which uses the same reference numerals as in Figure 1 to designate the same or corresponding parts, the plate 1 consists of a solid, non-hollow, circular body. Its upper surface 2 is provided with a recess 5 to receive the barcode plate 6 or other indicia. One or more depressions 9 are provided, as in the prior art plate of Figure 1 , in order to accommodate a screwdriver or the like to prise the plate 6 out of the recess 5 when it is desirable or necessary to replace it. Alternatively, depres- sions such as those shown at 10 in Figure 3 may be provided for the same purpose. The lower face 4 is, unlike the prior art plate, substantially flat and parallel with the upper surface 2. However, it may be formed with a roughened surface to act as a key for adhesive, sealant or the like to secure it in place in the floor 8. The underside face 4 may alternatively be formed with striations, grooves, ribs, dimples, blind bores or other recesses to act as the key. The underside may alternatively be dished but not to such an extent that it becomes a hollow cylinder with a rim.
In order to fix the plate in the floor, it is merely necessary to drill out or otherwise remove a circular area 7 a little larger than the plate. The base of the hole need not be absolutely flat since the plate is normally fixed in place with sealant, adhesive or the like. This is preferably squeezed into the base of the hole and the plate pressed onto it until the top face 2 is substantially flush with the upper surface of the floor. It is readily apparent from the cross-sectional view of Figure 2, that there is little, if any, opportunity for the plate to tilt if run over by a vehicle before the adhesive, sealant etc is fully cured, unlike the prior art, where one side of the rim 3 can easily move down into the annular channel 7 if run over before curing is complete. This is especially the case if the annular channel has not been drilled carefully.
The plate may be of any suitable material that will withstand traffic. Suitable plastics include nylon/ glass fibre composites, acetyl, polypropylene or polyurethane- based materials. The plate according to the invention is more able to withstand traffic. It is- sup- r.r>M-f*H ovpr mnrp of its underside than the orior art device and can be thicker since there is little practical difference in the size of hole created to accommodate the inventive plate as compared to what has to be created in practice to accommodate the prior art plate.

Claims

Claims
1. An indicia mounting comprising a substantially circular, solid plate having parallel upper and lower faces, the lower face being adapted to be fixed in a circular hole or recess drilled in a floor and the upper face having a recess adapted to receive a member carrying indicia.
2. An indicia mounting as claimed in Claim 1 , wherein said indicia comprise one or more bar code(s) or other data.
3. An indicia mounting as claimed in Claim 1 or 2, wherein the member carrying the indicia is releasably mounted in the recess^
4. An indicia mounting as claimed in Claim 1 or 2, wherein the member carrying the indicia is fixedly mounted in the recess.
5. An indicia mounting as claimed in any of the preceding claims, wherein the underside of the plate is provided with means providing a key for adhesive, sealant or the like used to fix the plate in the hole in the floor.
6, An indicia mounting as claimed in Claim 5, wherein the keying means comprises grooves, ribs, striations, dimples, blind bores, recesses or one or more roughened areas.
7. An indicia mounting as claimed in any of the preceding claims, wherein the plate is provided with holes to receive means, such as screws, bolts or the like, by which the plate may be fixed in the hole in the floor.
8. A method of fixing an indicia mounting in a floor, the said mounting comprising a plate having parallel upper and lower faces, the upper face having a recess adapted to receive a member carrying indicia, the method comprising drilling or otherwise forming a circular hole in the floor to a depth substantially the same as said plate, fixing the plate in the hole and a inserting a member carrying indicia into the recess in the upper face of the plate.
9. A method as claimed in Claim 8, further comprising the step of placing sealant, adhesive or the like in the hole prior to placing the plate in the hole, whereby to set the plate in the hole.
10. A method as claimed in Claim 8 or 9, further comprising the step of fixing the plate in the hole by mechanical means such as screws, bolts or the like.
11. An indicia mounting as claimed in any of Claims 1 to 7, wherein the plate is made of a plastics material selected from ABS, nylon, nylon/glass fibre composites, acetyl, polypropylene or polyurethane-based materials.
12. A method as claimed in any of claims 8 to 10, wherein the plate is made of a plastics material selected from ABS, nylon, nylon/glass fibre composites, acetyl, polypropylene or polyurethane-based materials.
13. A floor, for example in a warehouse or the like, provided with at least one indicia mount as claimed in Claim 1.
14. A floor, for example in a warehouse or the like, provided with at least one indicia mount by the method as claimed in Claim 8.
PCT/GB2001/004142 2001-09-17 2001-09-17 Floor labelling system WO2003025892A1 (en)

Priority Applications (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
PCT/GB2001/004142 WO2003025892A1 (en) 2001-09-17 2001-09-17 Floor labelling system
GB0408652A GB2396952A (en) 2001-09-17 2001-09-17 Floor labelling system

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
PCT/GB2001/004142 WO2003025892A1 (en) 2001-09-17 2001-09-17 Floor labelling system

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
WO2003025892A1 true WO2003025892A1 (en) 2003-03-27

Family

ID=9909115

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
PCT/GB2001/004142 WO2003025892A1 (en) 2001-09-17 2001-09-17 Floor labelling system

Country Status (2)

Country Link
GB (1) GB2396952A (en)
WO (1) WO2003025892A1 (en)

Cited By (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US8323956B2 (en) 2001-06-01 2012-12-04 Colorado State University Research Foundation Distal tip of biosensor transducer comprising enzyme for deamination

Citations (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
GB2040534A (en) * 1979-01-17 1980-08-28 Villard J P Illuminated Sign
BE899948A (en) * 1984-06-18 1984-10-15 Princen Pierre Publicity display on ground or wall - has advertisement removably embedded into ground or wall slab and covered by transparent sheet
GB2317262A (en) * 1996-09-16 1998-03-18 Jeffrey Walter Humphries Floor labelling system
EP0973144A1 (en) * 1998-06-12 2000-01-19 Kuperus, Louis Device with a visually perceptible image in a position incorporated into a floor

Patent Citations (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
GB2040534A (en) * 1979-01-17 1980-08-28 Villard J P Illuminated Sign
BE899948A (en) * 1984-06-18 1984-10-15 Princen Pierre Publicity display on ground or wall - has advertisement removably embedded into ground or wall slab and covered by transparent sheet
GB2317262A (en) * 1996-09-16 1998-03-18 Jeffrey Walter Humphries Floor labelling system
EP0973144A1 (en) * 1998-06-12 2000-01-19 Kuperus, Louis Device with a visually perceptible image in a position incorporated into a floor

Cited By (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US8323956B2 (en) 2001-06-01 2012-12-04 Colorado State University Research Foundation Distal tip of biosensor transducer comprising enzyme for deamination

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
GB0408652D0 (en) 2004-05-19
GB2396952A (en) 2004-07-07

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