WO2015103665A1

WO2015103665A1 - A sign assembly

Info

Publication number: WO2015103665A1
Application number: PCT/AU2015/000004
Authority: WO
Inventors: Ian Stevenson
Original assignee: Ian Stevenson
Priority date: 2014-01-07
Filing date: 2015-01-07
Publication date: 2015-07-16
Also published as: EP3242974A1; AU2015204416A1; US20180258597A1; EP3242974A4

Abstract

A sign assembly (2) for use on a road (8) has a support (6) arranged to be secured to the road (8) and a sign (6) configured to be detachably coupled to the support (6). The sign (6) has a non-planar portion is received in a slot (26) formed in the support (6). The assembly (2) is arranged so that the sign (4) returns to a standing position after impact while the support remains secured to the road and the sign (4) remains coupled to the support (6).

Description

A SIGN ASSEMBLY

Technical Field The present disclosure relates to a sign assembly and in particular but not limited to a sign assembly for use on a road.

Background Art Road signs play an important part in traffic control by conveying information to road users, especially vehicle drivers. Such information may for example be: speed limits, 'stop' signs, 'give way' signs, details of downstream traffic congestion and delays, detours, and street/road names. Often the road signs are placed off the road at a location that is generally in the field of view of a road user coming towards the sign so that the sign itself does not obstruct traffic. Nevertheless a road user may temporarily turn their attention towards the road sign and away from the road while driving in order to read the information. This can be dangerous particularly at faster speeds where circumstances of the road can change in an instant. Further, road signs placed off the road can sometimes become covered for example by overgrown tree branches which obscure a driver's view of the road sign. Likewise, this can be dangerous since the driver's attention may be away from the road for a longer period of time. Summary of Disclosure

The present disclosure relates to a sign assembly for use on a road. In broad terms, the sign assembly is arranged to be secured at a location on the road where it is visible to an approaching road user and more particularly in the normal forward looking field of view. The sign assembly may be arranged to be in the driving lane(s) on a road on the road or along road marking lines between lanes. As such the sign assembly may, and indeed is likely to, be impacted by road vehicles. The sign assembly is configured to be resilient such that any portion of the assembly that is bent or otherwise distorted by vehicle impact is capable of returning to its pre-impact configuration.

In one aspect there is disclosed a sign assembly for use on a road, comprising: a support arranged to be secured to the road;

a sign configured to be detachably coupled to the support;

the assembly being arranged such that the sign returns to a standing position after impact while the support remains secured to the road during impact and the sign remains attached to the support after impact.

In one embodiment the sign has a non-planar feature that is received within a slot formed in the support, and the sign has a planar display portion that protrudes from the slot and is capable of bearing indicia.

In one embodiment the slot is open on a side surface of the support that is

perpendicular to the planar display portion.

In one embodiment the slot opens onto two different surfaces of the support such that the two openings are in respective planes that are perpendicular to each other.

In one embodiment slot opens onto two different surfaces of the support such that the sign can be engaged with and can be subsequently removed from the support by moving the sign in the same direction through the slot.

In one embodiment the sign protrudes from the support from both of the openings.

In one embodiment one of the openings opens onto a surface on which a wheel of a vehicle approaching the assembly from a direction substantially perpendicular to the planar display portion can travel over to impact the sign in the plane.

In one embodiment the two different surfaces are orientated relative to each other such a wheel of a vehicle approaching the assembly from a direction substantially perpendicular to the planar display portion can travel over each of the two surfaces to impact the sign in a plane parallel to planar display portion.

In one embodiment the non-planar feature is a bend of at least 90 degrees.

In one embodiment the non-planar feature is a bend of about 180 degrees.

In one embodiment the non-planar feature has a portion that extends from the one opening and is configured to abut the surface on which a wheel of a vehicle approaching the assembly from a direction substantially perpendicular to the planar display portion travels to impact the sign. In one embodiment the non-planar feature is a bead formed along the sign.

In one embodiment the support has a base surface to be placed in contact with the road, and a top surface which faces away from the road, the base surface having a larger area than the top surface.

In one embodiment the sign assembly comprising one or more releasable locking components capable of releasably locking the sign to the support when coupled to the support. In one embodiment the one or more releasable locking components comprises one or more barbs.

In one embodiment the sign is retroreflective. In one embodiment the sign assembly includes one or more solar powered panels.

In embodiments of the sign assembly, the sign may be resilient and the support may be rigid, or the support may be resilient and the sign may be rigid. Alternatively, both the support and the sign may be resilient.

In one embodiment the sign may comprise a planar panel.

In one embodiment the support of the sign assembly may be a structure with a width greater than a width of the sign. Further, in one embodiment the support may be a structure having a depth greater than a width of the sign.

In one embodiment, the support may have a weight which enables the support to remain secured to the road during impact. Alternatively or additionally, the support may be secured to the road by an adhesive and/or one or more fasteners. Brief Description of the Drawings

Notwithstanding any other forms which may fall within the scope of the disclosure as set forth in the Summary, specific embodiments will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a sign assembly being used on a road;

Figure 2 is a sectional view illustrating certain features of the sign assembly;

Figure 3 is a perspective view illustrating a support and a sign in one embodiment of the sign assembly;

Figure 4a is a sectional view of the sign assembly showing the sign detachably secured to the support according to one embodiment;

Figure 4b is a perspective view of the sign assembly showing a releasable locking component incorporated in a further embodiment;

Figure 5a is a front view of the sign assembly showing the sign detachably secured to the support and a releasable locking component according to one embodiment;

Figure 5b is a sectional view of the sign assembly showing the sign detachably secured to the support and a releasable locking component according to one embodiment;

Figure 6a is a perspective view of the sign assembly according to another embodiment;

Figure 6b is a sectional view of the embodiment shown in Figure 6a; and, Figure 7 is a front view of another embodiment of the sign assembly.

Detailed Description of Specific Embodiments

The present disclosure relates to a sign assembly for use on a road. The road may for example be (but not limited to) a road on which cars, buses, motorcycles and bicycles travel. With reference to Figures 1 and 2, the sign assembly 2 comprises a sign 4 and a support 6 wherein the sign is configured to be detachably coupled to the support 6. In use, the sign assembly 2 is secured to a road 8 at a location in the path of an approaching road user 10 (in this example, a car) but may be located elsewhere such as between two lanes of the road. When the assembly 2 (and particularly the sign 4) is in a standing or upright position 12, the sign assembly 2 is visible to a driver of the car 10. Thus the standing or upright position 12 may also be termed the "viewable" position.

The sign 4 is detachably secured to the support 6 such that the sign 4 is replaceable. Furthermore, when the sign 4 is coupled to the support 6 and when impacted for example by a vehicle, the sign 4 is capable of moving to an impacted position 14a (shown in phantom) before resiliently returning to the standing position 12 after the impact. Depending on the nature and direction of the impact the sign 4 may move to impacted positions of varying degrees on either side of the standing position, such as 14b, 14c or 14d. The positions 14a-14d shown in phantom lines shown in Figure 2 illustrate several of an infinite number of possible impacted positions hereinafter referred to in general as "position 14" or "positions 14"..

The ultimate impacted position is a lay down position shown as 14d in Figure 2 where the sign is pressed by a wheel against the support 6. Depending on relative dimensions of the sign 4 and support 6, an end 16 of the sign can contact the surface of the road 8 on which the sign assembly 2 is secured. On the other hand, if the impact is small (for example due to wind) the position 14 may not be very far from standing position 12. After impact, the sign 4 might also temporarily oscillate around the standing position 12 before settling to the standing position 12. Also by suitable positioning of the sign 4 on the support 6 and/or dimensioning of the sign 4 and the support 6 it is possible that when in the lay down position 14d the end 16 contacts only the surface of the support 6 and not the road 8.

With particular reference to Figure 3, the sign 4 is in the form of or comprises a sheet or panel having a visible portion 22 and a secured portion 5 (see Figure 4a) which is received by the support 6. The visible portion 22 may be and in this embodiment is planar. A lower end of the secured portion 5 is configured to anchor the sign 4 to the support 6, which will be described in more detail below. The secured portion 5 of the sign is non planar or at least includes a non-planar feature that assists in detachably securing the sign 4 to the support 6.

The visible portion 22 has indicia 18 on a surface 20; however it is also contemplated that the sign 4 may additionally bear indicia on an opposite surface 24. When located on the road 8 the assembly 2 is positioned such that the surface 20 of the visible portion 22 faces the direction that road users are expected to come from. The visible portion 22 of the sign 4 extends upwards of the support 6 from an opening or slot 26 situated intermediate opposite ends 28 and 30 of the support 6. In one embodiment the slot 26 is situated at a location M which is about midway of depth D of the support 6. In other embodiments the slot 26 may be situated offset from the midway M location. The visible portion 22 may extend vertically upwards from the support 6 or upwards at an inclined angle from the support 6.

In a preferred embodiment, the sign 4 is resilient and the support 6 is rigid, thus enabling the sign 4 to move from the standing position 12 to the impacted position 14 and resiliently return to the standing position 12. In this regard, the sign 4 comprises material which is durable and strong enough to bear the impact from a vehicle without undergoing substantial damage. At the same time, the material ought to be resilient to the extent that the sign 4 will not be damaged by the vehicle impact. Examples of suitable material for the sign 4 include, but are not limited to spring steel, plastics or other synthetic materials such as polypropylene, polyethylene, and aramid fibre including Kevlar ® aramid fiber; and composite materials such as, fiber glass, and carbon fiber composites.

The nature of the support 6 is such that when the assembly 2 is impacted, the support 6 remains secured to the road 8 and the secured portion 5 remains anchored or otherwise coupled to the support 6. The support 6 is fixed on the road 8, for example by a suitable adhesive and/or one or more fasteners. The adhesive may for example be a hot melt adhesive or an epoxy adhesive. Alternatively, the support 6 may be of such weight and/or dimensions, which enables the support to remain secured to the road 8 during impact, without being fixedly attached to the road 8.

The support 6 has a depth D, thickness T and a width W. The sign 4 has a width S while its visible portion 22 has a height H. In this embodiment:

D≥ S

W≥ S, and

Furthermore, if in the event that the height H the visible portion 22 of the sign 4 is significantly greater than its width S, it may be desirable to increase the depth D and width W of the support 6 to provide for greater stability of the assembly 2. In this manner, the support 6 has a footprint substantial enough to support the sign 4, which corresponds to the dimensions of the sign 4. However, a person skilled in the art will appreciate that in other embodiments the support 6 may not exactly correspond to the dimensions of the sign 4 in the above manner; nevertheless stability of the assembly 2 is maintained. For example, the support 6 may be configured to have a width W less than the width of the sign 4, but the depth D of the support 6 and the manner in which it is secured to the road 8 ensures stability of the assembly 2.

In the embodiment shown in Figure 3, the support 6 is configured to be generally symmetrical on either side of the location M. The support 6 has depths D1 and D2 extending from location M to distal end 28 and proximal end 30 (respectively) of the support 6 to contribute to the stability and security of the assembly 2 to the road 8. More particularly, if during impact the sign 4 is forced towards distal end 28 of the support 6, the depth D1 allows for a force F1 to push up from the surface of the road 8. Thus the support 6 a longer depth D1 may provide for greater stability of the assembly 2 when impacted. In addition, the support 6 may also be of significant weight so that if the sign 4 is forced towards distal end 28 during impact a downwards force F2 contributes to maintaining the assembly 2 in place. The same applies in reverse in the event the sign 4 is forced towards proximal end 30 during impact.

In one embodiment, the support 6 has a base surface 32 to be placed in contact with the road, and a top surface 36 which faces away from the road, and ramped front and back surfaces 34a and 34b (collectively 34) between the top and base surfaces 36 and 32. When the assembly 2 is in use the base and top surfaces will lie substantially parallel to the road surface. The front ramped surface 34a is on a side of the support 6 that faces oncoming traffic and is inclined to act as ramp up for a wheel of an oncoming vehicle from the road to the top surface 36. The back ramped surface 34b is inclined to act as ramp down from the top surface 36 to the road of the same wheel.

The support 6 also has lateral side walls 35 and 37 that extend between the front and back surfaces 34a and 34b. The lateral side walls 35 and 37 can lie perpendicular to the top surface 36 (as shown in Fig 3) or can be inclined toward each other in a direction from the base surface 32 to the top surface 36 as shown in Fig 4b.

The above described configuration of top 36, base 32 and front 34a and back surfaces 34b provides the support 6 with a trapezoidal cross section in a plane perpendicular to that of the display surface 20. Thus, the base surface 32 has a larger area compared to the top surface 36. This differential increases when the lateral surface 35 and 37 are also inclined in the manner described above. This allows for the support 6 be better secured to the road 8. Additionally the greater this differential, for a constant support height, the greater the ability to reduce or minimize the angle of inclination of the front and back ramped surfaces, giving a smoother ride over the assembly for a passing vehicle wheel.

With reference to Figures 4-6, the feature of the sign 4 being detachably secured to the support 6 will now be described in more detail. The detachable nature of the sign 4 with respect to the support 6 allows for the support 6 to be permanently fixed to a location on the road 8 while the sign 4 can be replaced. It may be desirable to replace the sign 4 for a number of reasons, such as requiring different indicia 18 due to convey different information, or replacing a sign 4 that has been damaged. In the embodiments shown in Figures 4a and 4b, the sign 4 has a non-planar feature in the form of a beaded edge 38 at the lower end of the secured portion 5. The edge 38 is seated in an elongated groove 40 located at the bottom of the slot 26. The groove 40 has a profile which complements the profile of the secured portion 5 and the beaded edge 38. In this manner, the sign 4 may be detachably secured to the support 6 by sliding the sign 4 into the slot 26 from a side opening 42. The side opening 42 opens onto side 37 of the support 6. Thus the slot 26s is open on a side surface of the support 6 that is perpendicular to a plane of the sign containing indicia viewable to person travelling generally head on to the sign assembly. Further, the sign 4 can be inserted and attached to the support 6 by hand only, without the need for any hand tools or power tools.

Once the whole secured portion 5 of the sign 4 is received by the support 6, the sign 4 can only be removed by sliding it back out the passage 40. The narrower width of the slot 26 compared to the groove 40 prevents the beaded edge 38 from being removed in a direction upwards of the slot 26, which maintains the attachment of the sign 4 to the support when the assembly 2 is impacted. The support 6 may also have curved edges 39 where the top surface 36 transitions to the side walls 41 of the slot 26. The curved edges 39 may lessen the strain on the sign 4 if deformed to the extent that a portion of the sign 4 contacts the curved edges 39 during impact.

The assembly 2 may also be provided with one or more releasable locking components so that the sign 4 cannot be easily removed from the support 6. It is contemplated that the assembly 2 may be provided on public roads; therefore, the releasable locking mechanisms are configured to prevent passers-by from removing the sign 4 from the support 6. In the embodiment shown in Figures 4a and 4b, the releasable locking component may be provided in the form of a chain or wire extending across the opening 42. One end of the chain or wire can be embedded in or moulded into the support 6. An opposite end can be releasable retained by a locking

mechanism which can be unlocked by authorized persons. This may include for example a magnetically retractable locking pin, or a screw fastener with a tramper resistant head requiring a specialized tool of removal. Alternatively, the releasable locking component may be a gate or a latch pivotally moveable from a hinge and lockable when extending across the opening 42. In yet a further alternative a locking pin, rod or screw may extend from the back surface 34b through a hole in the support 6 and a registering hole in the secured portion 5 of the sign 4.

Figure 5a shows a front view of another embodiment of the sign assembly 2. Figure 5b shows a section C-C of the sign assembly 2 depicted in Figure 5a. As in the embodiments previously described, the sign 4 comprises resilient material and the visible portion 22 of the sign 4 extends upwards of the support 6. However, the secured portion 5 of the sign 4 and the support 6 are configured differently. The support 6 comprises an open-ended slot 26a extending between a top opening 50 and a bottom opening 52. The top opening 50 extends across the top surface 36 of the support 6 at a location closer to the proximal end 30 than the distal end 28. The bottom opening 52 extends across the front surface 34a of the support 6. Thus the slot 26a opens onto two different surfaces of the support 6. In this instance the two different surfaces are orientated relative to each other such a wheel of a vehicle approaching the assembly from a direction substantially perpendicular to the planar display portion 22 can travel over each of the two surfaces (i.e. surface 34a and 36) to impact the sign 4 in a plane parallel to planar display portion 22. It should also be appreciated that the two surfaces could be surfaces 34b and 36. The slot 26a also lies inboard of both of the lateral side walls 35 and 37.

The slot 26a is configured to retain the secured portion 5 of the sign 4 in a

configuration and/or orientation different to that of the display portion 22. As the secured portion 5 has a non-planar feature, the slot 26a also has a complementary non planar portion to receive and engage with the non-planar feature. In this embodiment the slot 26a has a bend or change in direction. In the present embodiment of Figures 5a and 5b, the secured portion 5 has a bent or curved portion 58 that is received within the slot 26a. In addition the secured portion 5 of the sign 4 also has an upturned lower end 48 contiguous with the portion 58. The up turned end 48 lies outside of the slot 26a and is shaped to abut the front face 34a of the support 6 when the sign 4 is secured to the support 6.

The curved portion 58 may be pre-formed with a shape corresponding to the curved form of the slot 26a whilst being sufficiently resilient to return to the pre-formed shape if deformed (for example, by moving the curved portion 58 through the slot 26a).

Alternatively, the curved portion 58 may only take the curved form of the slot 26a when occupying the slot 26 by virtue of the sign 4 having resilient properties. The upturned end 48 is angled acutely or at most by about 90° from the curved portion 58. The upturned end 48 and curved portion 58 are connected via a bent portion 46 configured to sit at and extend across the bottom opening 52 of the support 6. The bent portion 46 may be created as a pre-formed or permanent bend in the material of the sign 4. By virtue of the curved portion 58 and the up turned end 48 the sign 4 has a non-planar portion that bends through a total of about 180 degrees with respect to the display portion 22. In effect the sign 4 in this embodiment folds back onto itself.

The sign 4 is engaged with the support 6 by inserting the visible portion 22 first through the bottom opening 52 and feeding the sign 4 through until the curved portion 58 sits in the slot 26a and the upturned end 48 abuts the front face 34a. In this manner, the bent portion 46 maintains the upturned end 48, thus preventing the sign 4 from being released out of the top opening 50 when the sign 4 is secured to the support 6.

The sign 4 may be prevented from being pulled out or removed from the bottom opening 52 by virtue of one or more releasable locking components. In this

embodiment, the locking components are in the form of one or more barbs 60 extending at an acute angle from curved portion 58 of the sign 4 and pointing away from the top opening 50 of the support 6. Alternatively, the barb 60 may be provided as an elongate strip extending substantially horizontally from one side of the curved portion 58 to the other. The barb 60 is soft enough or otherwise sufficiently resilient to be pressed inwardly so that both the barb 60 and the curved portion 58 of the sign 4 can move through the slot 26a, but rigid enough to anchor to the inner walls (not shown) of the slot 26a when the sign 4 is pulled downwards. In one example, the barb 60 is attached to a position on the curved portion 58 of the sign 4 so as to locate within the slot 26a when the assembly 2 is formed. The inner walls 41 defining the slot 26a may further comprise pockets or ledges (not shown) for receiving the barb 60, thus reinforcing the anchorage of the barbs 60 to the inner walls of the slot 26a. Alternatively, the barbs 60 may be positioned so as to hook onto the top surface 36 of the sign 4 when engaged.

Therefore, once inserted into the support 6, the sign 4 is secured to the support 6 by virtue of the knee portion 46 and upturned end 48 preventing it from being removed out of top opening 50, as well as the barbs 60 preventing it from being removed out of bottom opening 52. The sign 4 can be replaced by another suitably configured sign, by cutting the knee portion 46 thus severing the upturned end 48, and pulling the remaining part of the sign 4 out of the top opening 50. Thus in this embodiment the sign 4 is engaged with and can be subsequently removed from the support 6 by moving it in the same direction, namely in the direction of the slot 26a from the opening 52 toward the opening 50.

In another embodiment, the support 6 may be configured to allow the sign 4 to be removed sideways out of slot 26a. In this case, the slots26a may be extended in a lateral direction to open onto lateral side wall 37 in a similar manner as shown in Figure 4b. In this event the sign 4 can be releasably retained in the support 6 in the same manner as described above for the embodiment shown in figure 5b. Figures 6a and 6b illustrates another embodiment of the sign assembly 2, which has predominantly the same features as the embodiment shown in Figure 5, except that instead of the upturned end 48 there is a tab 62. The tab 62 functions to prevent removal of the sign 4 form the slot 26a in a direction from the bottom opening 52 towards the top opening 50. This may be achieved in a number of ways. In one example the tab 62 can be made to have a thickness greater than the thickness of the bottom opening 52 and remainder of the sign 4. Thus, when the sign 4 is inserted the visible portion 22 is first fed through the bottom opening 52 and subsequently thought the remainder of the slot 26a, the tab 62 which cannot fit into the opening 52 due to its thickness, remains outside. In an alternate or indeed additional arrangement a peg (not shown) can be driven into the road through a slot 63 in the tab 62. In each of the above examples the tab 62 functions to prevent or at least reduce the risk of unintentional or unauthorized removal of the sign 4 in a direction upwards of the support 6. The sign 4 may also be configured with one or more barbs 60 to locate in or in close proximity to the slot 26a once the sign 4 is secured to the support 6, as in the embodiments shown in Figure 5. The sign 4 may be removed by cutting the tab 62 and pulling the sign 4 in an upwards direction out of the top opening 50.

In a further embodiment, the support 6 may comprise one or more solar powered light panels 64, which may be useful for improving visibility of the sign 4 at night. The solar powered panels 64 may for example be arranged on the front face 34a of the support 6, beneath the indicia 18 of the sign 4. Instead of or in addition to the solar powered light panels 64 the sign 4 may comprise a retroreflective surface 20 positioned to reflects light back towards a light source such as vehicle headlamps, thus improving visibility particularly at night time. In the embodiments described above the sign 4 and the support 6 may be provided in a number of different sizes suitable for use on a road and satisfying the requirements that the sign 4 be visible to a driver in an approaching vehicle, and the size of the assembly 2 not likely to damage a vehicle running over it at an expected speed. In one example, the height of the support does not exceed 10cm above the road 8, and the height of the assembly 2 altogether does not exceed 40cm above the road 8. In the embodiment shown in Figures 4a and 4b, the support has a width W of 1 16 mm, a depth D of 80mm and a thickness T of 16.5mm; while the visible portion 22 of the sign 4 stands a height H1 of 64mm from the base surface 32, has a width S of 80 mm and a material thickness T1 of 1 .5mm. In this example, the display indicia 18 comprises two digits "6" and "0" to display the number "60". It is also contemplated that the assembly 2 is made with larger dimensions to improve visibility of the sign 4.

In a further embodiment, there may be a plurality of sign assemblies 2, having the same dimensions, secured to the road 8 side-by-side. The plurality of sign assemblies 2 may display the same or different indicia. For example, one sign 4 may display the number "6" and an adjacent sign 4 may display "0" to indicate a speed limit of "60". In such an embodiment the supports 6 may be provided with different configurations to enable side by side abutment or closely spaced juxtaposition of their respective signs 4. For example some supports 6, as shown in Figure 7, are provided with a lateral surface 35 that is inclined as per Figure 4b, and an opposite lateral surface 37 which is vertical. Other supports 6 (not shown) can be provided with their lateral surface 35 vertical and lateral surface 37 inclined. If it is desired to add more intervening signs/indicia, some of the supports 6 may be made with both lateral sides 35 and 37 vertical. This may be used for example to display a speed limit of 1 10 Km/h using three individual sign assemblies 2. In another embodiment, the support 6 can be made wider, for example, 30cm, to accommodate a wider sign 4 capable of displaying indicia having multiple digits, letters or other symbols. Alternatively, a plurality of signs 4 may be detachably secured to the same support 6.

Now that various embodiments of the sign assembly have been described in detail, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that numerous modifications and variations may be made without departing from the basic inventive concepts. For example, in one embodiment the support 6 as well as the sign 4 may also comprise resilient material, such as (but not limited to) rubber. In another embodiment the sign 4 may be rigid and the support 6 may be resilient, for example, the support 6 may have a flexible clamping portion which clamps and secures a rigid sign. In another embodiment, both the sign 4 and the support 6 may be rigid, and the assembly 2 may be configured such that the sign 4 moves to the impacted position by pivotal motion which is biased (for example by a spring) to the standing position. Also in instances where the sign 4 include portions that extend form both slot openings 50 and 52, the opening 52 can open on the back surface 34b rather than the front surface 34a. In such a variation the slot 26 is reconfigured to provide a path for the insertion of the sign between the back and top surfaces 34b and 36. All such modifications and variations and others that would be obvious to those skilled in the art are deemed to be within the scope of the invention, the nature of which is to be determined from the above description and the appended claims.

In the claims which follow and in the preceding description of the invention, except where the context requires otherwise due to express language or necessary implication, the word "comprise" or variations such as "comprises" or "comprising" is used in an inclusive sense, i.e. to specify the presence of the stated features but not to preclude the presence or addition of further features in various embodiments of the sign assembly.

Claims

CLAIMS:

1. A sign assembly for use on a road, comprising:

a support arranged to be secured to the road;

a sign configured to be detachably coupled to the support;

the assembly is arranged such that the sign returns to a standing position after impact, while the support remains secured to the road during impact and the sign remains coupled to the support after impact.

2. The sign assembly according to claim 1 wherein the sign has a non-planar feature that is received within a slot formed in the support, and the sign has a planar display portion that protrudes from the slot and is capable of bearing indicia.

3. The sign assembly according to claim 2 wherein the slot is open on a side surface of the support that is perpendicular to the planar display portion.

4. The sign assembly according to claim 2 wherein the slot opens onto two different surfaces of the support such that the two openings are in respective planes that are perpendicular to each other.

5. The sign assembly according to claim 2 wherein the slot opens onto two different surfaces of the support such that the sign can be engaged with and can be subsequently removed from the support by moving the sign in the same direction through the slot.

6. The sign assembly according to claim 4 or 5 wherein the sign protrudes from the support from both of the openings.

7. The sign assembly according to any one of clams 4 to 6 wherein one of the openings opens onto a surface on which a wheel of a vehicle approaching the assembly from a direction substantially perpendicular to the planar display portion can travel over to impact the sign in the plane.

8. The sign assembly according to any one of clams 4 to 6 wherein the two different surfaces are orientated relative to each other such a wheel of a vehicle approaching the assembly from a direction substantially perpendicular to the planar display portion can travel over each of the two surfaces to impact the sign in a plane parallel to planar display portion.

9. The sign assembly according to any one of claims 2 to 8 wherein the non- planar feature is a bend of at least 90 degrees.

10. The sign assembly according to any one of claims 2 to 8 wherein the non- planar feature is a bend of about 180 degrees.

1 1 . The sign assembly according to claim 7 wherein the non-planar feature has a portion that extends from the one opening and is configured to abut the surface on which a wheel of a vehicle approaching the assembly from a direction substantially perpendicular to the planar display portion travels to impact the sign.

12. The sign assembly according to any one of claims 1 to 3 wherein the non- planar feature is a bead formed along the sign.

13. The sign assembly according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the support has a base surface to be placed in contact with the road, and a top surface which faces away from the road, the base surface having a larger area than the top surface.

14. The sign assembly according to any one of the preceding claims, the sign assembly comprising one or more releasable locking components capable of releasably locking the sign to the support when coupled to the support.

15. The sign assembly according to claim 14 wherein the one or more releasable locking components comprises one or more barbs.

16. The sign assembly according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the sign is retroreflective.

17. The sign assembly according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the sign assembly includes one or more solar powered panels.