WO2009116703A1

WO2009116703A1 - A road stud

Info

Publication number: WO2009116703A1
Application number: PCT/KR2008/002480
Authority: WO
Inventors: Youngtaek Cho
Original assignee: Youngtaek Cho
Priority date: 2008-03-17
Filing date: 2008-05-01
Publication date: 2009-09-24
Also published as: KR101067811B1; KR20090099158A

Abstract

The present invention relates to road studs including an elevating body (10) having on an upper portion thereof an inclined guide surface and an outer casing having a holding space(21) and coming into close contact with the elevating body and an edge of an upper surface of the elevating body is positioned lower than a circumference of the outer casing, wherein the elevating body further comprises a reflector(12) for reflecting light, a central wall(14) having a space into which the reflector is inserted, a vent hole(11) formed at a predetermined position on the central wall and a urethane rubber elastic body (30) having a water inlet hole(31) and a pin support hole(32)

Description

Description A ROAD STUD

Technical Field

[1] The present invention relates, in general, to road studs which are arranged at regular intervals along a lane-dividing line to reflect the lights of vehicles at night, thus guiding the vehicles and, more particularly, to a novel road stud which includes a urethane rubber elastic body to impart flexibility, so that the road stud is moved downward into a road when external impact is applied to the road stud by the wheels of a vehicle, thus preventing damage to the road stud.

[2] Particularly, when the road stud is subjected to side impact by the plow of the snowplow vehicle, the present invention relates to novel road studs which can be minimized side impact. Background Art

[3] Generally, road studs to which reflective plates are attached are installed on a curved road which is inclined or on a center line which does not distinctly divide lanes from each other, in such a way that the road studs protrude from a road surface. Thereby, the road studs help vehicles to safely proceed in the darkness of night along a lane boundary which is

[4] clearly demarcated by the road studs. However, the conventional road stud is problematic in that the reflective plate protrudes out from the road surface, so that impact with the wheels is directly transmitted to a vehicle, thus hindering the safe operation of a vehicle. Further, in the case where a heavy vehicle such as a large truck or trailer drives on the road stud, the road stud may be easily broken or damaged by the weight of the vehicle, and a rollover accident occurs often because the caterpillar of heavy equipment or the plow of the snowplow vehicle is caught by a road stud.

[5] Further, when a snowplow vehicle performs snow-removing work in winter, because the plow of the snowplow vehicle contacts with the road surface, the road stud is frequently broken by a snow-removing plow. For this reason, in the mountainous areas where there is heavy snow, the general road stud is useless.

[6] In order to solve the problems, Korean Pat. No. 10-639364 which was invented by the inventor of the present invention and is entitled "Road Stud using Urethane Rubber Elastic body" is disclosed. According to this invention, the road stud includes an outer casing, an elevating body, and a urethane rubber elastic body. The outer casing has at least one receiving hole and is installed in a road. The elevating body is air-tightly installed in the receiving hole and includes a central wall, a fluid passage, a

[7] plurality of pairs of reflective plates and guide surfaces. The central wall has vent holes which make the air in the receiving hole communicate with an exterior as the elevating body moves up and down. The fluid passage is coupled with the vent holes. The reflective plates are installed to the front and rear portions of the central wall. The guide surfaces are provided between the reflective plates and are inclined so that a snow-removing plow is not caught by the elevating body. The urethane rubber elastic body is disposed in the receiving hole to elastically support the elevating body and is coupled to the outer casing and the elevating body. The urethane rubber elastic body includes a fluid passage which communicates with the fluid passage of the elevating body, and a water inlet hole which is coupled to the fluid passage.

[8] Unlike the conventional road stud, the road stud is advantageous in that the elevating body can be moved downwards and sunk into the road by the operation of the urethane rubber elastic body when the road stud is subjected to external impact from the wheels of a vehicle or the like, so that there is little possibility of damaging the road stud. However, when a snowplow vehicle passes by, the plow of the snowplow vehicle contacts the side of the road stud, so that the plow is caught by the wing of the outer casing, that is, a road support part. Thus, all parts of the road stud which are provided

[9] higher than the road support part are broken and damaged. Therefore, the road stud is sturdy as concerns external downward impact, but is weak as concerns side impact. Disclosure of Invention

Technical Problem

[10] Accordingly, the present invention has been made keeping in mind the above problems occurring in the prior art, and an object of the present invention is to provide a road stud, which moves downwards into the road as a result of external impact, especially an external side impact of the plow of a snowplow vehicle which contacts a road surface, so that the road stud is not broken or damaged.

[11] Another object of the present invention is to provide a method of efficiently installing the road stud in a road. Technical Solution

[12] In order to accomplish the above objects, the present invention provides a road stud, including an elastic body (30) is disposed in the holding space (21) to elastically support the elevating body (10), and an edge of an upper surface of the elevating body (10) is positioned lower than a circumference of the outer casing (20).

[13] and the road stud is positioned lower than a road surface.

Advantageous Effects

[14] According to the present invention, a road stud is advantageous in that its road attaching means is smaller than the road attaching means of an existing road stud, so that a surface area subjected to external side impact can be minimized. Thus, when the road stud of the present invention is laid along a lane in the road in an area of heavy snow, the road stud is more resistant to the plow of a snowplow vehicle in comparison with the existing road stud. Further, when the road stud is installed in the road, the edge of an elevating body is positioned slightly lower than the road. Thus, when the road stud is subjected to side impact by the plow of the snowplow vehicle, force acts along an inclined guide surface, so that the road stud moves downwards into the road. As a result, there is no possibility of damaging the road stud. Brief Description of Drawings

[15] FIG. 1 is a perspective view illustrating a road stud according to the present invention;

[16] FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view illustrating the road stud according to the present invention; and

[17] FIG. 3 is a view illustrating the state in which the road stud of the present invention is installed in a road.

[18] FIG. 4 is a partial enlarged view illustrating the state in which the road stud of the present invention contact with the road by the road attaching means. Best Mode for Carrying out the Invention

[19] The road stud includes a reflector (12) for reflecting light, a central wall (14) having a space into which the reflector is inserted, a vent hole (11) formed at a predetermined position on the central wall, an elevating body (10) having an inclined guide surface provided on each of both sides of the central wall, an outer casing (20) having a holding space to receive the elevating body, and a urethane rubber elastic body (30) disposed in the holding space to elastically support the elevating body.

[20] Preferably, an edge of an upper surface of the elevating body (10) is positioned lower than a circumference of the outer casing (20).

[21] and, three rectangular road attaching means (22) are installed. Each road attaching means is coupled to the outer casing using a rivet in such a way as to be slightly bent towards a road surface.

[22] The road studs are installed in a road along a lane at regular intervals, and an edge of an upper surface of the elevating body (10) is positioned lower than a road surface Mode for the Invention

[23] Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings

[24] FIG. 1 is a perspective view illustrating the entire construction of a road stud according to the present invention. As shown in FIG. 1, the road stud of the present invention includes an elevating body (10), an outer casing (20), and a urethane rubber elastic body (30) (not shown in FIG. 1). The elevating body includes reflectors, a central wall (14) having a space into which the reflectors are inserted, a vent hole (11) formed at a predetermined position in the central wall, and inclined guide surfaces (13) provided on both sides of the central wall in such a way as to be inclined. The outer casing (20) has a holding space (21) to receive the elevating body (10) therein. The urethane rubber elastic body is disposed in the holding space (21) to elastically support the elevating body (10).

[25] The reflectors (12) function to reflect the lights of a vehicle, thus guiding the vehicle.

As long as the reflectors have the function of reflecting light, any material or shape is possible. According to the present invention, in consideration of the convenience of a manufacturing process, good appearance, manufacturing cost and reflecting effect, reflectors comprising spherical glass beads are used. However, those skilled in the art will understand that the reflectors are not limited to the spherical glass beads and may be appropriately changed

[26] The upper surface of the elevating body (10) is formed to have a predetermined inclination angle, so that the elevating body can be moved downwards into a road by external side impact of the plow of a snowplow vehicle or the like. The central portion of the upper surface of the elevating body (10) defines a space into which the reflectors comprising glass beads are inserted, and the inclined guide surfaces are provided on both sides of the central wall. The inclination angle of each inclined guide surface preferably ranges from about 20° to 25°so that the elevating body moves downwards into the road when it is subjected to the side impact of the plow of the snowplow vehicle. However, the inclination angle is not limited to the above-mentioned angular range.

[27] The holding space in the outer casing (20) is coated with graphite, and a road attaching means (22) is attached to the upper surface of the outer casing. Preferably, three rectangular road attaching means (22) are installed. Each road attaching means is coupled to the outer casing using a rivet in such a way as to be slightly bent towards a road surface.

[28] The elevating body is installed to be in close contact with the outer casing. Here, the edge of the upper surface of the elevating body is positioned to be lower than the upper surface of the outer casing, especially, the portion of the outer casing to which the road attaching means (22) are riveted. Such a construction guides external side impact of the plow

[29] of a snowplow vehicle to the inclined surfaces of the elevating body, thus allowing the road stud to be moved downwards into the road in case of a side impact.

[30] FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view illustrating the road stud according to the present invention. As shown in FIG. 2, a plurality of grooves is formed in the sidewall of the elevating body, and a urethane rectangular ring is fitted over each groove in such a way as to be in close contact with the holding space of the outer casing. The urethane rectangular ring further increases the contact of the elevating body with the outer casing, thus preventing impurities such as water or soil from entering a gap between the elevating body and the outer casing, and absorbing the external impact of the wheels of a vehicle or the plow of a snowplow vehicle. To this end, the urethane rectangular ring coated with graphite is used. Further, the urethane rubber elastic body (30) is formed to have the urethane hardness of about (70), so that the urethane rubber elastic body elastically withstands the external impact of the wheels of a vehicle or the plow of a snowplow vehicle. The lower portion of the urethane rubber elastic body is formed to have the urethane hardness of about (90), thus withstanding external impact.

[31] In order to more firmly fasten the elevating body to the urethane rubber elastic body

(30), they are integrally coupled to each other via a washer (50) and a snap ring (60). Further, a water inlet hole (31) and pin support holes (32) are formed in the lower portion of the urethane rubber elastic body (30), and an outlet (64) is formed in the center of the urethane rubber elastic body. The water inlet hole (31) sucks the surrounding water, and the water is discharged through the central outlet (33) and the vent hole (11) of the elevating body.

[32] FIG. 3 is a view illustrating the state in which the road stud of the present invention is installed in the road. As shown in FIG. 3, the elevating body is integrally coupled with the urethane rubber elastic body, and the integrated structure is fastened to the outer casing in such a way as to be in close contact therewith. A hole formed in the bottom of the urethane rubber elastic body is closed using a stopper (80). This prevents epoxy resin which is applied to a hole dug in a road when the road stud is installed in the road from entering the road stud.

[33] Further, the outer casing is attached to the road surface via the road attaching means

(22) which are provided on the upper edge of the outer casing. The road attaching means are slightly bent towards the ground, and the edge of the upper surface of the elevating body is positioned to be slightly lower than the inner surface of the outer casing with which the elevating body is in close contact.

[34] FIG. 4 is a partial enlarged view illustrating the state in which the road stud of the present invention contact with the road by the road attaching means.

[35] When a downward impact is applied to the road stud by the wheels of a vehicle, the impact is elastically absorbed by the urethane rubber elastic body installed in the elevating body, and the elevating body is moved downwards into the road. The impact absorbing operation and downward movement as a result of the downward impact may be realized by even a conventional road stud using a urethane rubber elastic body disclosed in Korean Pat. No. 10-639364.

[36] However, the road stud installed in a region where there is a lot of snow must withstand the plow of a snowplow vehicle. The plow of the snowplow vehicle does not apply downward impact but applies side impact while coming into close contact with the road surface, unlike the wheels of a vehicle. Even though the conventional road stud has high elasticity to efficiently absorb external impact and moves downwards, the plow of the snowplow vehicle

[37] applies impact to a part contacting the road surface, that is, a part having the road attaching means in the present invention, so that the part is broken, and all parts which are positioned above the road attaching means and have no inclined surfaces are broken. Thus, in the conventional road stud, a road attaching means has the shape of a wing integrated with an outer casing. When the lower portion of the wing is impacted by the plow of the snowplow vehicle which is being in close contact with the ground, the elevating body positioned above the wing will inevitably be broken.

[38] Unlike the conventional road stud, the road attaching means of the road stud according to the present invention are slightly bent towards the ground, as described above. In this case, part of the road attaching means which

[39] are in close contact with the road surface may be broken by the plow of a snowplow vehicle. However, part of the road attaching means provided on the bent portion, that is, the portion riveted to the outer casing is positioned slightly lower than the bottom of the plow of the snowplow vehicle, so that it is possible to avoid impact with the plow of the snowplow vehicle. Further, the edge of the upper surface of the elevating body is positioned slightly lower than the inner surface of the outer casing which is in close contact with the elevating body. Thus, the plow of the snowplow vehicle directly faces the inclined guide surfaces provided on the upper portion of the elevating body, so that the inclined guide surfaces are subjected to side impact, and thus the elevating body is moved downwards. Therefore, the present invention provides a road stud which can easily withstand several impacts transmitted from the road surface as well as the snowplow vehicle. Industrial Applicability

[40] The present invention relates to road studs which are arranged at regular intervals along a lane-dividing, and when a snowplow vehicle performs snow-removing work in winter, the road studs is not broken by a snow removing plow.

[41] Paricularly, the present invention can be used widely in installing field of artificial facilities of a road construction.

[42]

Claims

[1] A road stud including an elevating body (10) having on an upper portion thereof an inclined guide surface, and an outer casing (20) having a holding space (21) and coming into close contact with the elevating body, wherein an elastic body (30) is disposed in the holding space (21) to elastically support the elevating body (10), and an edge of an upper surface of the elevating body (10) is positioned lower than a circumference of the outer casing (20).

[2] The road stud according to claim 1, wherein the elevating body (10) further comprises: a reflector (12) for reflecting light; a central wall (14) having a space into which the reflector is inserted; and a vent hole (11) formed at a predetermined position on the central wall.

[3] The road stud according to claim 2, wherein the elastic body is a urethane rubber elastic body having a water inlet hole (31) and a pin support hole (32).

[4] The road stud according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein a plurality of grooves (15) is formed along a circumference of the elevating body (10), and a plurality of urethane rectangular rings (40) is attached to the grooves so as to more firmly couple the elevating body (10) with the outer casing.

[5] The road stud according to claim 4, wherein the elevating body (10) and the urethane rubber elastic body are coupled to each other via a washer (50) and a snap ring (60).

[6] The road stud according to claim 5, wherein road attaching means (22) is provided along a circumference of the outer casing (20).

[7] The road stud according to claim 6, wherein the road attaching means (22) has a rectangular shape, is bent towards a ground, and is secured to the circumference of the outer casing (20) through a rivet.

[8] A method of installing road studs described in claims 1 to 7 in a road along a lane at regular intervals.

[9] The method according to claim 8, wherein each of the road studs is installed in the road such that a circumference of an outer casing (20) of the road stud is positioned lower than a road surface, as shown in FIG. 3.