Description

DELINEATOR HAVING SHOCK ABSORBING STRUCTURE

Technical Field

[1] The present invention relates to a delineator for marking a road for drivers, and more particularly, to a delineator having a shock-absorbing structure capable of withstanding external impact such as being hit by an automobile. Background Art

[2] Generally, a delineator installed on a road has a reflective body that diffusely reflects incident light at night to mark the road and obstacles, thereby preventing automobile accidents. The delineator is installed at a guardrail formed at sides or a median strip formed in the center of a road and includes a head part, a support part, and a frame part.

[3] The reflective body is installed in the head part.

[4] However, in the conventional delineator, since a circular head to which the reflective body is fixed and a support member are formed of steel or plastic, the delineator is easily damaged by impact from vehicles or roadwork.

[5] Since conventional delineators are easily broken or damaged by impact, rather than absorbing impact, they require costly maintenance. Disclosure of Invention Technical Problem

[6] In order to solve the foregoing and/or other problems, it is an aspect of the present invention to provide a delineator having a shock-absorbing structure installed between a head part and a support part to protect a reflective body from external impact, prevent separation of the delineator from the shock-absorbing structure due to external impact, and rapidly recover its original function to enhance road safety. Technical Solution

[7] The foregoing and/or other aspects of the present invention may be achieved by providing a delineator having a shock- absorbing structure including: a head part for fixing a reflective body; a shock-absorbing part extending from a lower part of the heat part; and a support frame extending from the shock-absorbing part and installed at a guardrail formed at sides or a median strip formed in the center of a road, using fastening means. Brief Description of the Drawings

[8] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a delineator in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention;

[9] FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of a delineator in accordance with an

embodiment of the present invention;

[10] FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along line A-A of FIG. 1; and

[11] FIG. 4 is a side view showing deformation of the delineator having a recovering function in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.

[12] *Description of Major Reference Numerals

[13] 1, 1 : Reflective body 10: Head part

[14] 11: Through-hole 20: Shock-absorbing part

[15] 30: Support frame 31 : Rib

[16] 40, 40 : Back plate 41: Bolt

[17] 42: Nut

Best Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[18] Reference will now be made in detail to exemplary embodiments of the present invention illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

[19] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a delineator in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of a delineator in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along line A-A of FIG. 1, and FIG. 4 is a side view showing deformation of the delineator having a recovering function in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.

[20] Referring to FIGS. 1 to 4, a delineator having a shock-absorbing structure in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention includes a head part 10, a shock-absorbing part 20, and a support frame 30.

[21] The head part 10, to which reflective bodies 1 and 1 are attached, has a through- hole 11 at its center part. The reflective bodies 1 and 1 are attached to front and rear surfaces of the head part 10 through a plurality of back plates 40 and 40' The back plates 40 and 40 have a bolt 41 passing through the through-hole 11 and a nut 42, formed by insert molding.

[22] The shock- absorbing part 20 extends from a lower part of the head part 10 and has a tapered hollow oval structure, its lower part wider than its upper part.

[23] The support frame 30 extending from the shock-absorbing part 20 is installed at a guardrail formed at sides or a median strip formed in the center of a road through the medium of fastening means, and has a reinforcement rib 31 formed at its inner part.

[24] As described above, the delineator in accordance with the present invention includes the support frame 30 having the reinforcement rib 31, and the shock- absorbing part 20 having the tapered hollow oval structure wider at its lower part than its upper part, which are integrally formed with each other. In addition, the head part 10 having the through-hole at its center part is integrally formed with an upper part of

the shock- absorbing part 20, and the reflective bodies 1 and 1' are attached to the head part 10 through the plurality of back plates 40 and 40'

[25] The plurality of back plates 40 and 40' have the bolt 41 and the nut 42, which are formed by insert molding.

[26] When the bolt 42 passes through the through-hole 11 to be threadedly engaged with the nut 42, the plurality of back plates are fastened to each other at the front and rear surfaces of the head part 10.

[27] Then, the reflective bodies 1 and 1' are fitted in the plurality of back plates 40 and

40', and the support frame 30 is installed at the guardrail or the median strip, thereby completing installation of the delineator.

[28] That is, after positioning the support frame 30 of the delineator at an upper part of the guardrail or the median strip, the support frame 30 is fixed by fastening means (not shown) such as a bolt (or a screw).

[29] When an impact is applied to the head part 10 of the delineator to which the reflective bodies 1 and 1' are attached, the shock- absorbing part 20 is bent by the impact and a resilient force thereof can recover the shock-absorbing part 20 to its original position.

[30] That is, the shock-absorbing part 20 absorbs the external impact to the head part 10 to which the reflective bodies 1 and 1' are attached to recover the heat part 10 to its original position. Therefore, immediately after impact, the reflective bodies 1 and 1' attached to the head part 10 through the back plates 40 and 40' can continue to perform their function of marking the road for drivers.

[31] Here, since the support frame, integrally formed with the lower part of the shock- absorbing part 20 and fixed on the guardrail or the median strip by the fastening means, has the reinforcement rib 31 formed therein, the shock-absorbing function of the shock-absorbing part 20 can be smoothly performed by means of a strong support force of the support frame 30.

[32] The forgoing description concerns an exemplary embodiment of the invention and should not be construed as limiting the invention. The present teachings can be readily applied to other types of devices and apparatuses. Many alternatives, modifications, and variations within the scope and spirit of the present invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art. Industrial Applicability

[33] As can be seen from the foregoing, a delineator having a shock-absorbing structure in accordance with the present invention includes a shock-absorbing part having a recovering force between a head part and a support frame, thereby preventing degradation of basic functions of the delineator, i.e., the functions of protecting a

reflective body from external impact, preventing separation of the delineator from the shock-absorbing part due to external impact, and rapidly recovering its original function to enhance road safety.