Related Application

[0001] This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application 60/113,790 filed November 12, 2008, which is incorporated herein in its entirety.

Field of the Invention

[0002] The field relates to guardrails used to redirect vehicles back onto a roadway, especially to guardrail blocks that act as a deflection buffer between posts set in concrete and guardrails supported by the posts.

Background

[0003] U.S. Pat Nos. 6,007,269; 6,168,346; 6,530,560; 6,758,627; 7,234,687 disclose guardrail supports, attachments and positioning blocks used for positioning of a guardrail on posts during installation and thereafter. No accomodation is made for adding of a reflector or signage to the guardrail support.

Summary

[0004] A guardrail block and reflector system includes a reflector and/or signage support having a plurality of feet extending from an upright holding member, the plurality of feet shaped to matingly engage with a channel formed in a top surface of the guardrail block.

[0005] A guardrail block may be made of an elastically deformable material and may be formed to include channels in a top side of the guardrail block such that feet extending from an upright holding member may be retained in the channels formed on the top side of the guardrail block. By supporting a reflector, the upright holding member acts as a support and improves visibility of highway guardrails at night and in bad weather conditions.

Brief Description of the Drawings [0006] The following drawings illustrate, and the detailed description describes, examples of a guardrail block and reflector system. These examples should not be considered as limiting to the claims.

[0007] Figure 1 illustrates a perspective view of an example of a reflector/signage support mounted on a top surface of a guardrail block.

[0008] Figure 2 illustrates an exploded view of the example in Figure 1.

[0009] Figure 3 illustrates a perspective view of only the guardrail block of Figure 1.

[0010] Figure 4 illustrates a top plan view of the top portion of the guardrail block of Figure 1.

[0011 ] Figure 5 illustrates a back plan view of the back of the guardrail block of Figure 1.

[0012] Figure 6 illustrates a side plan view of the side of the guardrail block of Figure 1.

[0013] Figure 7 illustrates a front plan view of an example of a guardrail block and reflector system as mounted on a post with a guardrail.

[0014] Figure 8 illustrates a top plan view of the example of Figure 7.

[0015] Figure 9 illustrates a side view of an upper portion of the example of Figure 7.

[0016] Figure 10 illustrates an exploded, perspective view of the example of Figure 7.

[0017] Figures 1 IA-I IF illustrate detailed views of an example of a support. Figure 12A illustrates a plan view of an insertable support.

[0018] Figure 12B illustrates a bottom plan view of the insertable support of Figure 12A.

[0019] Figure 12C illustrates a side plan view of the insertable support of Figure 12A.

[0020] Figure 12D illustrates a perspective view of the insertable support of Figure 12A. [0021] Figures 13A-D illustrate views of an alternative insertable support.

[0022] Figures 14A-B illustrate schematic views of a reflector mounted using an adhesive.

[0023] Figures 15A-D illustrate views of another alternative insertable support.

[0024] Figures 16A-D illustrate views of yet another alternative insertable support.

[0025] Figure 17A illustrates an end plan view of a receiving element.

[0026] Figure 17B illustrates a bottom plan view of the receiving element of Figure 17 A.

[0027] Figure 17C illustrates a side plan view of the receiving element of Figure 17A.

[0028] Figure 17D illustrates a top plan view of the receiving element of Figure 17 A.

[0029] Figure 17E illustrates a perspective view of the receiving element of Figure 17A.

[0030] Figures 18A-C disclose another example of a receiving element.

[0031 ] Figures 19A-B illustrate a support snap fit into a receiving element.

[0032] Figures 20A-B illustrate another support snap fit into a receiving element.

[0033] Figures 21 A-D illustrate views of yet another receiving element.

[0034] Figure 22 illustrates another guardrail block.

[0035] Figure 23 illustrates yet another guardrail block.

Detailed Description

[0036] In the example of Figure 1, a guardrail block 20 is illustrated with a reflector and/or signage support 12 mounted in recessed channels (not shown) that are formed in a top portion 21 of the guardrail block 20. The reflector support 12 has four retaining members 16 formed in two pairs on opposite edges of the support 12. The four retaining members 16 are capable of retaining a reflector 11 or signage, as illustrated in the exploded view of Figure 2, for example. Figure 2 shows a portion of one of a pair of recessed channels 22 formed in opposite sides 27, 28 of a top portion 21 of the guardrail block 20. In this example, four feet 14 extend from an upper portion 13 of the support 12. The four feet 14 include two pairs of feet extending outwardly in opposite directions, for example, and the two pairs of feet 14 engage the pair of channels 22 in each of the opposite sides 27 of the top portion 21 of the guardrail block 20.

[0037] Figure 3 illustrates an example of a guardrail block 20 having a top portion 21, which is illustrated in more detail in the top plan view of Figure 4. Two tab 42, 44 are integrally formed, adhesively bonded, or affixed in the top portion 21 of the block 20. The tabs 42, 44 extend outwardly from the back of the block 20, as illustrated in Figures 3-6, for example. Two post alignment members 32, 34 are integrally formed in opposite sides of the block 20 and extend outwardly from the back of the block 20, such that a post 71 fits between the post alignment members 32, 34, as illustrated in Figures 7-10, which illustrate a guardrail 73 mounted with a block 20 and support 12 on a post 71 using a pair of bolts 102 and nuts 101 as fasteners. The bolts 102 pass through holes 5 integrally formed or bored through the block 20. Preferably, the block 20 is not solid. For example, a reinforcing truss may be formed by integrally formed members 52, 54, 56, 58 forming a diamond within an upper half 57 of a shell 51. An additional truss 53 may be disposed between to opposite corners of the diamond, as illustrated in Figure 6. A middle portion 55 of the block 20 may provide two holes 5 for guiding two bolts 102 through matching holes in a post 71, for example. A lower half 59 of the block 20 may have a truss structure that mirrors the diamond truss structure of the upper half 57, symmetrically, for example.

[0038] Figure HA illustrates a detailed, perspective view of an example of a reflector and/or signage support 12. The reflector support 12 has a plurality of retaining members 16, which may be formed in two pairs on opposite edges 121, 122 of the support 12. In the example of Figures 11A-11B, the support 12 has two opposite faces 111, 112 each having four retaining members 16, four of the retaining members 16 extending from each of the opposite faces 111, 112, such that the plurality of retaining members 16 are capable of retaining a reflector 11 or other signage on each of the faces 111, 112 of the support 12, as illustrated in Figure HC, for example. A pair of feet 14 are integrally formed with each of the faces 111, 112 and extend outwardly from a bottom portion 132 of each of the faces 111, 112. The two opposite faces 111, 112 of the support 12 may be formed in single die injection or forming process and may be folded along a top bend line or hinged portion 117 or may be adhesively bonded or snap fit 137 together, for example (Figure HD) or a combination of these. The feet 14 may each comprise a slit 114 separating two opposite toes 141, 142 of each foot 14 as illustrated in Figures HE and HF, for example. The slit 114 unexpectedly improves the durability of the feet 14 by preventing a complete failure when too much force is applied while inserting the feet 14 in opposite channels 22 of the top portion 21 of the block 20.

[0039] Other combinations and modifications to the features will be apparent to a person of ordinary skill in the art based on the examples in the drawings and the written description. All of these combinations and modifications are within the scope of the claims, which are not to be limited to only the examples provided.

[0040] In another example of a support, Figures 12A-D illustrate various views of an insertable support 120 that has four tabs 124, 125, 126, 127 each having an attachment locking portion 128, such as a hole, slot, slit, recessed region or the like capable of receiving a snap fit projecting member of a receiving element (or alternatively a projection capable of being snap fit into a recess or the like in the receiving element). Alternatively, Figures 13A-D illustrate an insertable support with only two tabs 124, 125 separated by a gap and having an attachment portion 128 and a beveled insertion edge 129. The example of Figures 13A-D better illustrate a raised edge 131 that forms a recessed surface portion 132 that is capable of receiving a adhesively-backed reflective tape 133, such as provided by the 3M Corporation, or other signage, having an adhesive 134 layer on one surface to adhere the reflective tape 130 to the support 130, such as illustrated in Fig. 14A and the partial cross sectional detail of Figure 14B, for example. The edge 131 may be dimensioned such that it is capable of protecting the adhesively bonded tape 130 from the elements, improving long term bonding of the tape 133 to the surface 132. The insertable support 150 of Figures 15A-D illustrate the same features of the support 130 of Figures 13A-D with a more elongated support surface 152, providing an elongated length of up to 10 inches (25.4 centimeters) for the reflective tape 133, for example, without changing the receiving element. In yet another alternative, Figures 16A-D illustrate an example of an insertable support 160 with a plurality of tabs 161, 162, 163 each separated from the other by a gap and projecting outwardly from one side of of the support 160. For example, three tabs 161, 162, 163 are inserted in the receiving element instead of two. The various examples of the insertable supports may be made by die injection, extrusion or stamping from a sheet of material, for example. Examples including a raised edge 131 are preferably made in a die injection process. Examples of materials include polymers, such as thermoplastic and thermoset polymers. In one example, a fiber reinforced thermoplastic polymer, such as a nylon or glass fiber impregnated thermoplastic polymer, is used providing improved rigidity and long term weathering and resistance to wear and tear.

[0041] The example of Figures 17A-E illustrate various views of a receiving element 170 capable of receiving two tabs of an insertable support. In one example, the receiving element is formed by a thermoplastic die injection process providing a one-piece, integrated receiving element 170, such as the receiving element with the features illustrated in Figures 17A-E, for example. Tab slots 172 are provided along a channel 174 formed in the receiving element 170 for receiving the tabs of an insertable support. When the tabs are inserted into the slots 172, the attachment portion 128 engages a snap fit projecting member 176 projecting from the surface of an extending member 178. As illustrated in Figures 17A, B and E, arcuately shaped support members 171 may be integrally molded into the underside of the receiving element 170 to stiffen the base 173 of the receiving element 170. In this example, no separate feet are provided. Instead, the legs 175, 177 extend to form integrally formed, snap fitting feet capable of engaging the recessed channels 22 of a guardrail block 20.

[0042] Figures 19A-B illustrates a support 120 snap fit into a receiving element 170. Figures 20A-B illustrates another support 150 snap fit into the same receiving element 170.

[0043] The example of Figures 18A-C illustrate an alternative example of a receiving element 180 having integrally formed feet 183 with preformed holes 185 for use in fastening the receiving element 180 on a guardrail block.

[0044] Figures 21 A-D illustrate various views of an extended receiving element 210 similar to the receiving element 170 in Figures 17A-E, except with an extended receiving portion 212 having a third tab slot 214 and a third projecting member 216 for snap fitting into the attachment portion 128 of a third tab 163 of a support 160, such as the one illustrated in Figures 16A-16D. [0045] In one example, such as illustrated in Figure 22, a guardrail block 200 has a third through hole 202 extending through the block for an alternative attachment arrangement using a single bolt to hold the block and guardrail on a post. In another example, such as illustrated in Figure 23, a guardrail block 220 may be elongated to fit onto a wider guardrail than the guardrail 73 illustrated in Figures 7-10. For example, an additional one-half of the length of the block may be integrally formed by repeating the extruded profile of the lower one-half 222 of the block in an block extension 224 extending below the end of the previously disclosed block 200.