Directional highway buoy

Abstract

An improved highway barricade light, with increased visibility and operational life span that can be installed on a common traffic channelizer, without preventing the stacking of the channelizer. A base with hand-hold features is attached to the top of a traffic channelizer. The base holds a rechargeable power supply, control circuitry, switch, solar cell and a photoresistor. A reflector ring attaches to the base and holds an array of light emitting diodes (LED) circumferentially around the device. The LED's can be controlled to create a variety of flashing patterns to direct motorists, including, but not limited to, constant burn, flashing, clockwise, counter-clockwise, upward, downward and random. A transparent or translucent cover attaches to the base to protect the components, and may be flat, conical or dome shaped.

Description

RELATED APPLICATIONS [0001] The present application is a continuation-in-part application of U.S. provisional patent application, Ser. No. 60 / 661,561, filed Mar. 14, 2005, for DIRECTIONAL HIGHWAY BUOY, by Steven J. Frey, included by reference herein and for which benefit of the priority date is hereby claimed.FIELD OF THE INVENTION [0002] The present invention relates to construction barricade lights and, more particularly, to light emitting devices that provide motorists with information regarding speed, direction and avoidance of hazards. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0003] Traffic channelizing devices (channelizers) are used at the present time to warn and alert drivers of roadway hazards created by work activity in or near the traveled way and to direct traffic along a desired route and safely past these hazards. A series of traffic channelizers may be positioned one after another along the roadway to channel traffic in a construction zone from one or more lanes into fewer lanes....

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0021] In accordance with the present invention, there is provided an improved highway barricade light, with increased visibility and operational life span that can be installed on a common traffic channelizer, without preventing the stacking of the channelizer. A base with hand-hold features is attached to the top of a traffic channelizer. The base holds a rechargeable power supply, control circuitry, switch, solar cell and a photoresistor. A reflector ring attaches to the base and holds an array of light emitting diodes (LED) circumferentially around the device. The LED's can be controlled to create a variety of flashing patterns to direct motorists, including, but not limited to, constant burn, flashing, clockwise, counter-clockwise, upward, downward and random. A transparent or translucent cover attaches to the base to protect the components, and may be flat, conical or dome shaped.

Problems solved by technology

Current barricade lights, although familiar to most drivers, are not without their flaws.

Since these batteries must be replaced after every 250 hours of service (for steady burn lights) or 1000 hours of service (for flashing lights), considerable expenses are incurred for both the purchase of new batteries, and the maintenance labor costs, not to mention the physical danger to maintenance workers in active construction zones.

When incinerated, hazardous heavy metals vaporize into the air and pollute lakes and streams.

In either case, poisonous compounds make their way into the food chain, causing serious health risks to humans and animals.

Mild symptoms of poisoning by these compounds can be coughing, headaches, and vomiting.

In addition to the health risks to the population, the use of common barricade lights are not enough to safeguard motorists.

Although barricade lights are required by law at nearly every road construction work zone, more than 40,000 people are injured each year as a result of motor vehicle crashes in work zones, according to the U.S. Department of Transportation Federal Highway Administration.

Additionally, physiological studies show that flashing lights draw attention more than steady state lights, however a number of flashing warning lights when used in conjunction with channelizers, flash randomly or indiscriminately presenting a confusing fire-fly type scene to the approaching driver and do not provide any direction or delineation, and may actually create additional distractions and danger to motorists.

The average life of an incandescent bulb used under ideal conditions is only 400 hours and the bulbs tend to burn out at different and very unpredictable rates.

Everyday environmental conditions such as variations in temperature, voltage, shock and vibrations shorten the bulb's life span.

The combination of consumable batteries and light bulbs limit the life span of each barricade light to but a few months.

Additionally the very use of these lights negate the benefits of using plastic channelizers, by preventing the stacking of the channelizer with the light attached, and as a result, many channelizers are put into service on the road without the installation of a barricade light, even though they are required by law in most situations.

The configuration shown, which is similar to other solar powered devices, may be prone to accumulation of dirt and moisture when exposed to the elements resulting in decreased solar efficiency due to the flat horizontal upper surface of the solar cell array, which is exposed to the environment, thus significantly reducing its effectiveness.

To address this specific issue, devices such as the one disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,772,990 place the solar cells inside the body of the device, but due to the limitation of the overall package space of such an arrangement, the size of the solar cells must be kept at a minimum, thus drastically reducing their potential electrical output and effectiveness.

Although more cost effective and environmentally friendly than common barricade lights, solar-powered devices using LED's, like the one disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,841,278 only address longevity, and do not increase, nor provide nearly enough, visibility or information to properly guide motorists through construction work zones.

From a driver's perspective, the visual stimulus of an entire lane of barricade lights turning on and off at the same time could potentially cause a hypnotic or distracting effect, and actually do more harm than good.

Although an improvement, this system only provides motorists with improved depth perception, and does nothing to provide direction or speed information.

Images