Reflective road markings

Abstract

This invention discloses a reflective road traffic marking, belonging to the field of road maintenance technology. The reflective road traffic marking disclosed in this invention includes several marking lines, each comprising paint and reflective beads; the marking lines are spaced apart on the road surface along the length direction of the reflective road traffic marking, with the length direction of the marking lines forming an angle with the length direction of the reflective road traffic marking; a spacer band exists between any two adjacent marking lines along the length direction of the reflective road traffic marking; the marking lines and spacer bands are alternately arranged. Compared to existing markings, the reflective road traffic marking provided by this invention has higher visibility in rainy weather.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to a reflective road traffic marking, belonging to the field of road maintenance technology. Background Technology

[0002] Road traffic markings are primarily applied to road surfaces, enduring sun, rain, wind, snow, ice, and the impact and wear of vehicles. Therefore, their performance is subject to strict requirements. Firstly, they must have a short drying time and be easy to apply to minimize traffic disruption. Secondly, they must have strong reflectivity, bright colors, and high gloss to ensure good visibility both day and night. Thirdly, they should possess anti-skid and wear-resistant properties to guarantee driving safety and service life. Road traffic markings are categorized as follows: hot-melt markings, cold-painted markings, colored anti-skid markings, vibrating anti-skid reflective markings, and pre-formed markings. Hot-melt markings are the most widely used type of reflective road traffic marking in my country. They offer short construction time, high wear resistance, and low cost.

[0003] Hot-melt road marking paint mainly consists of synthetic resin, coloring pigments, extender fillers, and additives. Utilizing the thermoplasticity of synthetic resins, hot-melt paints exhibit fast drying. The thermal adhesion of synthetic resins ensures a strong bond between the markings and the road surface. Additives increase the coating's plasticity, making the film resistant to settling, pollution, and discoloration. Road marking paints are available in yellow and white. White paint primarily uses titanium dioxide, zinc oxide, and zinc barium white, while yellow paint mainly uses heat-resistant yellow lead. The fillers in the paint affect the mechanical strength, abrasion resistance, and hue of the coating film. Particle size affects flowability, sedimentation, and surface finish.

[0004] To improve the visibility, brightness, and durability of road markings, glass microspheres are added to hot-melt road marking paint as reflective beads. Glass beads are colorless, transparent spheres that refract, focus, and directionally reflect light. Mixing glass beads into the paint or sprinkling them on the paint surface can reflect car headlights back to the driver's eyes, significantly improving the visibility of the road markings. However, existing hot-melt road markings have the following problems during use: their visibility is greatly reduced in rainy weather. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The purpose of this invention is to overcome the aforementioned shortcomings of the prior art and provide a reflective road traffic marking. The reflective road traffic marking provided by this invention maintains its visibility even in rainy weather, exceeding the visibility of existing thermoplastic markings in rainy conditions.

[0006] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention adopts the following technical solution:

[0007] Reflective road traffic markings include several marking lines, each marking line comprising paint and reflective beads; the marking lines are spaced apart on the road surface along the length direction of the reflective road traffic markings, the length direction of the marking lines forming an angle with the length direction of the reflective road traffic markings, and a space interval is provided between any two adjacent marking lines along the length direction of the reflective road traffic markings, the marking lines and the space interval are alternately arranged.

[0008] The reflective road traffic marking includes a first marking; the leftward extension direction of the first marking forms a first angle with the direction of vehicle travel, the first angle being less than 90°; the first marking is located on the right side of the lane and there are no other reflective road traffic markings between it and the lane. The first angle is greater than or equal to 60° and less than or equal to 85°, greater than or equal to 70° and less than or equal to 80°, or greater than or equal to 74° and less than or equal to 78°.

[0009] Reflective road markings include a second marking; the extension of the second marking to the right forms a second angle with the direction of vehicle travel, the second angle being less than 90°, and the second marking is located on the left side of the lane with no other reflective road markings between it and the lane. The second angle is greater than or equal to 60° and less than or equal to 85°, greater than or equal to 70° and less than or equal to 80°, or greater than or equal to 74° and less than or equal to 78°.

[0010] The first included angle and the second included angle are equal.

[0011] Reflective road traffic markings consist of a first marking and a second marking arranged side by side, with the first marking located to the left of the second marking.

[0012] The marking lines are in the shape of a parallelogram, including a first side and an equal second side; the first side is parallel to the second side; the line connecting the first sides of a plurality of the marking lines is a straight line or a smooth curve.

[0013] The width of the marking line is 15-45cm; such as 15cm, 20cm, 45cm.

[0014] The width of the spacer band is 5cm, 7cm, 9cm, 10cm, 12cm, or 15cm.

[0015] This invention, through research, reveals that existing hot-melt road markings are all continuous, even the dashed lines, which are continuous within a certain length. Road surfaces have a certain slope from the center to the sides. On rainy days, rainwater flows from the center to the sides. Continuous road markings are perpendicular to the direction of water flow, obstructing the flow and causing water accumulation near the markings. The standard thickness of the road markings is 1.5-1.8 mm. On rainy days, the accumulated water on the road surface can easily reach over 1.8 mm, submerging the markings. When the water submerges the markings, a large amount of light is emitted from the water surface, with only a very small amount refracted to reflective beads and reflected by them. The marking's visibility primarily depends on the reflected light from the reflective beads. The reduced reflected light from the reflective beads thus decreases the marking's visibility.

[0016] The reflective road markings of this invention are discontinuous, with intervals between them. The openings of these intervals are aligned with or nearly aligned with the direction of water flow, acting as guide channels for the water. As rainwater flows from the center of the road to the sides, it follows these intervals, preventing water accumulation near the markings and significantly reducing the likelihood of the markings being submerged and losing their visibility. Under the same rainfall conditions, the visibility of the markings of this invention is significantly higher than that of existing markings.

[0017] The marking effectiveness of reflective road markings is determined by the amount of reflected light reaching the driver's eyes; the more reflected light, the stronger the marking effectiveness. The reflected light entering the driver's eyes is primarily generated by the reflective beads of the road markings. The incident light source for these beads comes partly from natural light and partly from vehicle headlights. Changes in the size of the first and second angles cause changes in the angle of incidence and the angle of reflection between the vehicle headlights and the reflective beads, thus altering the reflected light reaching the driver's eyes. Therefore, the size of the first and second angles significantly affects the marking effectiveness of reflective road markings. This invention, through extensive experimental research, further determined the angles of the first and second angles that significantly improve the marking effectiveness of reflective road markings (relative to a 90° angle).

[0018] When incident light rays strike the lane markings, the reflective beads within the markings reflect and refract the light, with some of the reflected light entering the driver's eyes. According to... Figure 1 The light emission diagram shows that, under the same incident light and the same reflection and refraction effect of the reflective beads, compared with existing marking lines, the angle of the reflected light emitted by the marking lines of the present invention is more biased towards the driver. That is, the marking lines of the present invention can reflect more light that can enter the driver's eyes.

[0019] The beneficial effects of this invention are:

[0020] First, compared to existing road markings, the reflective road traffic markings provided by this invention have higher visibility in rainy weather. With a road inclination angle of 1.05, the visibility of existing continuous road markings is almost zero when the daily rainfall is ≥25mm, while the reflective road traffic markings provided by this invention remain clearly visible and are almost unaffected by rain. Second, compared to reflective road traffic markings composed of horizontally arranged lines, reflective road traffic markings composed of lines at specific angles have significantly improved visibility even under normal lighting conditions, extending the time before fatigue driving occurs (fatigue driving occurs after longer driving hours) and reducing the traffic accident rate. Attached Figure Description

[0021] Figure 1 These are schematic diagrams illustrating the light reflection of reflective road traffic markings according to Embodiments 1-6 of the present invention;

[0022] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the first marking structure provided in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0023] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the second marking structure provided in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0024] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the planar structure of the marking strip of the first marking line provided in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0025] Among them, 1 is the marking line, 2 is the spacer strip, 3 is the first included angle, 4 is the second included angle, and 1-1 is the reflective bead. Detailed Implementation

[0026] The present invention will be further described below with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments.

[0027] The structures, proportions, and sizes illustrated in the accompanying drawings are solely for illustrative purposes and to aid those skilled in the art in understanding and reading the invention. They are not intended to limit the scope of the invention and therefore have no substantial technical significance. Any modifications to the structure, changes in proportions, or adjustments to size, provided they do not affect the effectiveness or purpose of the invention, should still fall within the scope of the disclosed technical content. Furthermore, the terms "upper," "lower," "left," "right," "middle," and "one" used in this specification are merely for clarity and not intended to limit the scope of the invention. Changes or adjustments to their relative relationships, without substantially altering the technical content, should also be considered within the scope of the invention. The terms "upper," "lower," "left," and "right" are all determined from the driver's perspective.

[0028] A reflective road traffic marking, as shown in the figure, includes several marking lines 1, each marking line 1 comprising paint and reflective beads 1-1; the several marking lines 1 are spaced apart on the road surface along the length direction of the reflective road traffic marking, the length direction of the marking lines 1 forms an angle with the length direction of the reflective road traffic marking, and there is a space interval 2 between any two adjacent marking lines 1 along the length direction of the reflective road traffic marking; the marking lines 1 and the space interval 2 are alternately arranged.

[0029] The length direction of line 1 forms an angle with the length direction of the reflective road traffic marking; that is, the length direction of line 1 is not parallel to the length direction of the reflective road traffic marking. The reflective road traffic marking consists of several line 1s arranged horizontally in sequence, with gaps between adjacent line 1s, making it a non-continuous type of marking.

[0030] The two ends of several lines 1 that make up the reflective road traffic marking can be aligned; specifically, the lines 1 have two ends in the length direction, a first end and a second end, the line connecting the first ends of several lines 1 forms one edge of the reflective road traffic marking, and the line connecting the second ends of several lines 1 forms the other edge of the reflective road traffic marking; the first ends of several lines 1 can be aligned so that the line connecting the first ends is a straight line or a smooth curve; when the first ends of the lines 1 are aligned, the second ends can also be aligned accordingly.

[0031] The shapes and dimensions of the several reflective road traffic marking lines 1 that make up the reflective road traffic markings can be the same or different; for ease of construction, the shapes and dimensions of the several marking lines 1 can be set to be the same. The shapes and dimensions of the several spacer strips 2 can be the same or different; for ease of construction, the shapes and dimensions of the several spacer strips 2 can be set to be the same. The length of the marking line 1 is designed according to the width of the reflective road traffic markings and can be equal to the width of the reflective road traffic markings. To ensure that the reflective road traffic markings appear continuous from the driver's perspective and within the driver's normal field of vision, the width of the marking line 1 can be designed to be 15-45cm (e.g., 15cm, 20cm, 45cm), and the width of the spacer strip 2 can be designed to be 5-15cm.

[0032] The marking line 1 can be a long strip. To ensure that the line connecting one end of the marking line 1 is a straight line or a smooth curve, the marking line 1 can be set as a parallelogram shape, with its two parallel short sides being the first side and the second side; the first side of several marking lines 1 is set along one edge of the reflective road traffic marking. At this time, the line connecting the first sides of several marking lines 1 is one edge of the reflective road traffic marking, which is naturally a straight line or a smooth curve.

[0033] When marking lanes, one reflective road marking is required on each side of a lane. From the driver's perspective, the reflective road marking on the right side of the lane is designated as the first marking, and the reflective road marking on the left side of the lane is designated as the second marking. The first marking is located on the right side of the lane and there are no other reflective road markings between it and the lane. The extension direction of the first marking 1 to the left forms a first angle 3 with the direction of vehicle travel (e.g., ...). Figure 2 As shown), the first included angle 3 is less than 90°. The second marking is located on the left side of the lane and there are no other reflective road traffic markings between it and the lane. The extension of the second marking line 1 to the right has a second included angle 4 with the direction of vehicle travel (as shown). Figure 3 As shown), the second included angle 4 is less than 90°.

[0034] To further improve the visibility of reflective road markings, the first included angle 3 can be designed as follows: greater than or equal to 60° and less than or equal to 85°, greater than or equal to 70° and less than or equal to 80°, or greater than or equal to 74° and less than or equal to 78°. Among these, the visibility of reflective road markings is best when the first included angle 3 is greater than or equal to 74° and less than or equal to 78°.

[0035] To further improve the visibility of reflective road markings, the second included angle 4 can be designed as follows: greater than or equal to 60° and less than or equal to 85°, greater than or equal to 70° and less than or equal to 80°, or greater than or equal to 74° and less than or equal to 78°. Among these, the visibility of reflective road markings is best when the second included angle 4 is greater than or equal to 102° and less than or equal to 106°.

[0036] A reflective road marking can be placed on either side of lanes traveling in the same direction or lanes traveling in opposite directions. Therefore, when two adjacent lanes are traveling in opposite directions, only one first marking is needed between them as a reflective road marking; in this case, from the driver's perspective, the first marking is located on the right side of both lanes. When two adjacent lanes are traveling in the same direction, both a first marking and a second marking are needed between them as reflective road markings; the first marking and the second marking are adjacent and side-by-side, with the first marking to the left of the second marking. In other words, when two adjacent lanes are traveling in the same direction, the reflective road markings between them consist of one first marking and one second marking side-by-side. When reflective road traffic markings consist of a first marking and a second marking side by side, the first included angle 3 of the first marking and the second included angle 4 of the second marking can be equal, and the right end of the marking line 1 of the first marking can contact the left end of the marking line 1 of the second marking.

[0037] Example 1

[0038] Line 1 is a parallelogram: dimensions: long side 20cm, short side 5cm. The distance between two adjacent line 1s is 5cm. Following the above construction method, line 1 is drawn on the right side of the lane, making the angle between line 1 and the direction of vehicle travel 74°, thus forming a reflective road traffic marking.

[0039] Example 2

[0040] Line 1 is a parallelogram: dimensions: long side 20cm, short side 5cm. The distance between two adjacent line 1s is 7cm. Following the above construction method, line 1 is drawn on the right side of the lane, making the angle between line 1 and the direction of vehicle travel 78°. It is a reflective road traffic marking.

[0041] Example 3

[0042] Line 1 is a parallelogram: dimensions: long side 20cm, short side 5cm. The distance between two adjacent line 1s is 9cm. Line 1 is marked on the right side of the lane according to the above construction method, so that the angle between line 1 and the direction of vehicle travel is 80°. It is a reflective road traffic marking.

[0043] Example 4

[0044] Line 1 is a parallelogram: dimensions: long side 20cm, short side 10cm. The distance between two adjacent line 1s is 10cm. Following the above construction method, line 1 is drawn on the right side of the lane, making the angle between line 1 and the direction of vehicle travel 85°. It is a reflective road traffic marking.

[0045] Example 5

[0046] Line 1 is a parallelogram: dimensions: long side 20cm, short side 10cm. The distance between two adjacent line 1s is 12cm. Following the above construction method, line 1 is drawn on the right side of the lane, making the angle between line 1 and the direction of vehicle travel 70°. It is a reflective road traffic marking.

[0047] Example 6

[0048] Line 1 is a parallelogram: dimensions: long side 20cm, short side 10cm. The distance between two adjacent line 1s is 15cm. Following the above construction method, line 1 is drawn on the right side of the lane, making the angle between line 1 and the direction of vehicle travel 90°. It is a reflective road traffic marking.

[0049] The driver's visibility distance is 30m. The reflective road traffic markings of Examples 1-6 were illuminated with lights from the same incident position and in the same direction. The maximum visibility distances of the reflective road traffic markings of Examples 1-6 were 35m, 36m, 40m, 49m, 55m, and 63m, respectively.

[0050] While the specific embodiments of the present invention have been described above in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, this is not intended to limit the scope of protection of the present invention. Those skilled in the art should understand that various modifications or variations that can be made by those skilled in the art without creative effort based on the technical solutions of the present invention are still within the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. Reflective road traffic markings, characterized in that, It includes several road marking lines, each including paint and reflective beads; the road marking lines are spaced apart along the length direction of the reflective road traffic markings, the length direction of the road marking lines forms an angle with the length direction of the reflective road traffic markings, and there is a space between any two adjacent road marking lines along the length direction of the reflective road traffic markings, with the road marking lines and the spacer alternating. The reflective road traffic markings include a first marking; the leftward extension direction of the marking line of the first marking forms a first angle with the direction of vehicle travel, the first angle being less than 90°; the first marking is located on the right side of the lane and there are no other reflective road traffic markings between the first marking and the lane. The reflective road traffic markings include a second marking; the extension of the second marking line to the right has a second angle with the direction of vehicle travel, the second angle being less than 90°, and the second marking line is located on the left side of the lane and there are no other reflective road traffic markings between the second marking line and the lane. The marking lines are in the shape of a parallelogram, including a first side and a second side; the line connecting the first sides of a plurality of the marking lines is a straight line or a smooth curve; Reflective road traffic markings consist of a first marking and a second marking arranged side by side, with the first marking located to the left of the second marking.

2. The reflective road traffic markings according to claim 1, characterized in that, The first included angle is greater than or equal to 60° and less than or equal to 85°, greater than or equal to 70° and less than or equal to 80°, or greater than or equal to 74° and less than or equal to 78°.

3. The reflective road traffic markings according to claim 1, characterized in that, The second included angle is greater than or equal to 60° and less than or equal to 85°, greater than or equal to 70° and less than or equal to 80°, or greater than or equal to 74° and less than or equal to 78°.

4. The reflective road traffic markings according to claim 2 or 3, characterized in that, The first included angle and the second included angle are equal.

5. The reflective road traffic markings according to claim 1, characterized in that, The width of the marking line is 15-45cm.

6. The reflective road traffic markings according to claim 1, characterized in that, The width of the spacer band is 5-15cm.

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