WO2010063058A1

WO2010063058A1 - Speed limit indicators

Info

Publication number: WO2010063058A1
Application number: PCT/AU2009/000273
Authority: WO
Inventors: Tiimothy John Hayward
Original assignee: Tiimothy John Hayward
Priority date: 2008-12-04
Filing date: 2009-03-09
Publication date: 2010-06-10
Also published as: AU2008101215B4; AU2008101215A4; AU2008101215C4

Abstract

A delineator post (10) for use along a road or highway, the post (10) carrying speed limit indicating means (11) comprising a reflector (13) which carries numerals (14) representative of a speed limit to be observed on the road or highway. The reflectors (13) may also be colour coded in different colours corresponding to different speed limits defined by the numerals (14).

Description

SPEED LIMIT INDICATORS Technical Field

This invention relates to speed limit indicators and in particular to indicators for use in displaying speed limits of a freeway, highway, road, street or other carriageway. Background Art

Road or highway speeds are commonly indicated by means of signs placed along a roadway or highway, the sign usually comprising an enlarged panel on which a speed limit is indicated usually in a reflective paint or material. Sometimes also speed limits are indicated by painted numbers on the road or highway. Usually such signs or other indicators are only provided where a speed limit changes on a road or highway or at infrequent locations along a road or highway. Persons driving on a road or highway are thus often placed in a position where they may be unaware for some time of the particular speed limit on the road or highway. This can particularly occur when a person drives onto a road or highway after a speed limit is indicated by a sign or the like. The margins of a road or highway are also often provided with posts which delineate the sides of a road or highway. Delineator posts can be formed of timber or plastics and often include reflectors which enable the sides of the road or highway to be indicated at night by reflecting the light of a vehicle's head lights. The reflectors may be self adhesive strips of material or may be reflective members attached to the posts. Summary of the Invention

The present invention aims to provide a simple and effective means which enables the speed limit of a particular road or highway to be indicated at regular intervals along the road or highway which thereby overcomes or alleviates the above disadvantage of a person driving a vehicle being unaware of the speed limit of a road or highway. Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description.

The present invention thus provides in one preferred aspect a delineator post, for use along a road or highway characterised in that said post carries speed limit indicating means which indicates a speed limit to be observed on the road or highway.

The term road or highway as used through the specification claims includes any vehicle carriageway.

Preferably the speed limit indicating means comprises numbers or numerals which define the speed limit, e.g 80 to represent 80 Km/ hour attached to or adhered to the post.

In one embodiment, the numbers or numerals are provided in or on a reflector. The numbers or numerals may be attached to the reflector for example by being in the form of separate numbers or numerals attached such as by adhesives or fastening means to the reflector. Alternatively the numbers or numerals may be incorporated in the reflector by for example being integrally formed with the reflector. The terms "reflector" or "reflective" as used throughout the specification is to be understood to include surfaces or device which having retro reflective properties, that is surfaces or devices that reflects light back to its source with a minimum scattering of light.

The reflector may comprise a reflective member formed for example of a reflective strip or film which is adhered to or otherwise attached to the post. The reflector alternatively may be incorporated in the post.

The numbers or numerals may be formed of a reflective or non-reflective material.

It is preferred however that where the numbers or numerals are provided on or in a reflector, the numbers or numerals are of a substantially non-reflective or of minimally reflective material such that they can be clearly seen against the reflective background of the reflector which surrounds the number or numerals.

The reflector such as the reflective strip or film may have a self adhesive backing to facilitate attachment to the post.

In an alternative configuration, the reflector comprises a reflective member such as a thin planar member of metal or plastics which may be secured by fasteners or an adhesive to the post and the numbers or numerals are attached to the thin planar member such as by adhesives. The thin planar member may be inherently reflective or may be coated with a reflective material. In another alternative arrangement, the numerals or numbers in the above embodiments may be printed on the reflector.

In yet an alternative arrangement, the speed limit indicating means may be incorporated in the post for example by being integrally formed with the post.

The digits or numerals of the speed limit number may be provided one above the other, for example 8 to indicate an 80 km/H speed limit. Alternatively the numerals 0 may be provided alongside each other, for example 80

The respective reflectors and/or numerals or numbers most preferably are colour coded in different colours with different colours corresponding to different speed limits defined by the numerals such that different colours are also representative of the different speeds represented by the numerals.

The reflector may be of any size or shape and the major area of the reflector suitably forms a background to the numbers or numerals and carries the colour or comprises the colour defining the colour coding. Preferably the numerals or numbers are represented in a colour or in black or white which contrasts with the colour coded background of the reflector so that the numerals or numbers can be clearly seen against the coloured background of the reflector.

As an example, a reflector of the colour yellow may be representative of the speed limit 110 Km/H with the numerals 110 shown on the reflector in a contrasting colour such as blue or in black. Similarly a reflector of the colour red may be representative of the speed limit 130 Km/H with the numerals 130 shown on the reflector in a contrasting colour or in white or black.

The posts which carry the speed limit indicators may be formed of plastics, wood, metal, concrete or any other material.

In another aspect, the present invention provides speed limit indicating means, said speed limit indicating means comprising numerals representing a speed limit, said numerals being provided on a backing and wherein respective backings are provided in respective colours corresponding to a speed limit represented by said numerals.

Suitably respective backings are colour coded whereby different coloured backings correspond to different speed limits represented by the numerals. The speed limit indicating means according to this aspect may be secured or attached to a delineator post. The backing may be any form of member but suitably is a substantially planar member at least when attached or secured to the post. Preferably the backing comprises a reflector and the numerals are provided in or on the reflector. Alternatively, the numerals may be reflective.

Brief Description of the Drawings Reference will now be made to the accompanying drawings which illustrate a preferred embodiment of the invention and wherein:

Fig. 1 is a front view of a delineator post according to the present invention; and

Fig. 2 is an isometric view of the post of Fig. 1. Detailed Description of the Preferred Embodiment

Referring to the drawings, there is illustrated a delineator post 10 incorporating speed limit indicating means 11 according to the present invention, the delineator post 10 being adapted to be located at a side of a road with a plurality of spaced posts 10 being provided along the road to delineate the side of the road. The post 10 may be formed of any material as is known in the art such as plastics, timber or metal and has a leading substantially planar major face 12.

The face 12 of the post 10 which in use faces oncoming drivers carries the speed limit indicating means 11 which in this embodiment of the invention comprises a reflective strip or member 13 which is adhered to the face 12, the reflective strip or member 13 carrying numerals 14 in this case the numerals "8" and "0" to represent a speed limit of 80 Km/H to indicate the speed limit along that section of the road where the post 10 is positioned. In addition, the reflective strip or member 13 provides a reflective background in a particular colour 15 as represented by the shading of the strip or member 13 as shown in Figs. 1 and 2. The numbers 14 are chosen to be in a colour which contrasts with the numerals 14 and are preferably substantially non-reflective or minimally reflective.

The reflective strip or member 13 is colour coded such that different colours 15 of the strip or member 13 are representative of different speeds and correspond to different speed limits indicated by the numerals 14. For example the colour orange may represent a speed limit of 80 Km/H, the colour red a speed limit of 100 Km/H, the colour yellow may represent a speed limit of 110 Km/H etc. such that drivers will become aware not only of the speed limit represented by the numerals 14 but the colour 15 associated with those numerals 14.

In an alternative configuration, the numerals 14 may be colour coded to correspond to the speed limit represented by the numerals 14 and the reflective strip or member 13 being in one colour for all speed limits.

Posts 10 carrying the speed indicating means 11 as above may be located at regular intervals along a road or highway with the faces 12 facing oncoming drivers so that drivers along the road or, highway will be regularly reminded of the speed limit of that particular road or highway from the numerals 14 and/ or the background colour 15 of the strip or member 13. As the background colour 15 is reflective, drivers will be able to note the speed limit of a particular road or highway both in the daytime and at night with the colour of the reflective strip or member 13 being seen in the driver's headlights.

The indicating means 11 whilst preferably being manufactured of a plastics flexible film material may be manufactured of any other suitable material such as metal for example aluminium, plastics or combinations of materials and of course may be in configurations other than that illustrated.

In another form, the strip or member 13 may be a backing of a non-reflective material and of a colour corresponding to the speed limit represented by the numerals 14. In this form, the numerals 14 may be reflective for example by being formed of a reflective material or carrying a reflective coating or layer.

In a simplified form, the numerals or numbers 14 may be of different colours corresponding to the different speed represented by the numerals or numbers 14. In this embodiment, the numerals or numbers 14 may be formed of a reflective material or provided with a reflective coating or layer. Alternatively the numerals or numbers 14 of different colours may be provided on or in a reflective strip or backing of the one colour or shading for each speed limit.

Whilst the speed limit indicating means 11 are preferably used in combination with a delineator post, they also may be used in other applications to indicate the speed limit along a road. Thus reflective strips or films carrying appropriate numerals representing a speed limit with or without colour coding as described above may be applied to guard rails at regular intervals or fixed to any other members along a road.

The reference to prior art herein is not to be taken as acknowledgement that such prior art constitutes common general knowledge in the art. The terms "comprising" or "comprises" as used throughout the specification and claims are taken to specify the presence of the stated features, integers and components referred to but not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other feature/s, integer/s, component/s or group thereof.

Whilst the above has been given by way of illustrative embodiment of the invention, all such variations and modifications thereto as would be apparent to persons skilled in the art are deemed to fall within the broad scope and ambit of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

Claims

1. A delineator post, for use along a road or highway characterised in that said post carries speed limit indicating means which indicates a speed limit to be observed on the road or highway.

2. A delineator post as claimed in claim 1 wherein said speed limit indicating means comprises numerals which define the speed limit and are provided on or in a reflector.

3. A delineator post as claimed in claim 2 wherein said numerals are attached to or incorporated in the reflector.

4. A delineator post as claimed in claim 2 or claim 3 wherein said reflector is attached to or incorporated in said post.

5. A delineator post as claimed in any one of claims 2 to 4 wherein said reflector comprises a reflective strip, film or member.

6. A delineator post as claimed in claim 5 wherein said reflective strip, film or member is adhered to said post.

7. A delineator post as claimed in claim 6 wherein said reflective strip, film or member has a self adhesive backing to facilitate attachment to the post.

8. A delineator post as claimed in any one of claims 2 to 7 wherein said numerals are substantially non-reflective or minimally reflective.

9. A delineator post as claimed in any one of claims 2 to 8 wherein said reflector comprises a thin planar member of metal or plastics and wherein said numerals are attached to said planar member.

10. A delineator post as claimed in any one of claims 2 to 8 wherein said numerals are printed on the reflector.

11. A delineator post as claimed in any one of claims 2 to 10 wherein said numerals are represented in a colour or in black or white which contrasts with the colour of the reflector.

12. A delineator post as claimed in any one of claims 2 to 11 wherein respective reflectors are colour coded in different colours and wherein different colours correspond to different speed limits defined by the numerals in or on a reflector.

13. A delineator post as claimed in claim 1 wherein said speed limit indicating means are incorporated in the post.

14. A delineator post as claimed in claim 1 wherein said numerals are colour coded in different colours, and wherein different colours correspond to different speed limits defined by the numerals.

15. Speed limit indicating means comprising numerals representing a speed limit, said numerals being provided on a backing and wherein said backing is provided in a colour corresponding to a speed limit represented by said numerals.

16. Speed limit indicating means as claimed in claim 15 wherein respective backings are colour coded whereby different coloured backings correspond to different speed limits represented by said numerals.

17. Speed limit indicating means as claimed in claim 15 or claim 16 wherein said numerals are reflective.

18. A delineator post including speed limit indicating means as claimed in any one of claims 15 to 17.