Safety-notice cone

Abstract

A safety-notice cone 100 has a conical cone body 10 made of a thermoplastic resin. A plurality of vertically elongated elliptical holes 11-13 are formed in the cone body 10 in the circumferential direction and in the vertical direction. Due to this configuration, the shape of the safety-notice cone can be maintained without losing shape due to heat, impact, or the like, while maintaining excellent visibility and fluid passage performance.

Description

Safety Cone

[0001] The present invention relates to a safety sign cone that is widely used as a road safety sign, an advertising sign, a guide sign, etc.

[0002] Conventionally, generally conical safety cones made of plastic or the like have been used to indicate the limits of road widths such as roadways at road construction sites, or to guide vehicles at various event venues. The specific configuration of such safety cones is such that a base plate with an outward flange and a generally square shape in plan view is attached to the lower end of the cone-shaped main body, and this base plate allows the cone to be kept stably upright.

[0003] Such safety cones are usually used outdoors, and the cone body is thin-walled to reduce overall weight, but the cone body has a sufficient diameter to increase visibility and provide a large wind resistance area. Therefore, if a safety cone is simply placed on the ground, it may move or tip over in strong winds.

[0004] To prevent tipping, a cone bed (weight) weighing about 2 kg is sometimes used. Such a cone bed is generally made of hard rubber, and is ring-shaped or rectangular in shape with a circular through-hole in the center, through which the main body of the cone is inserted to press down on the base plate.

[0005] However, when using such a cone bed, it is necessary to quickly cover the safety sign cone after it has been installed. Also, if the safety sign cone is knocked over due to contact with a vehicle or the like, the cone bed may come off. Furthermore, since the cone bed itself is heavy, the installation and retrieval work is difficult, which presents other issues.

[0006] For example, in Patent Documents 1 and 2 below, multiple holes are drilled in the cone body to allow air to pass through the holes, thereby reducing wind pressure and preventing the cone from falling over. Also, in Patent Document 3 below, a vertically long hole is formed on the underside of the cone body, making the inside of the cone body visible from the outside, making it easy to check for the presence of suspicious objects.

[0007] Japanese Utility Model Application Publication No. 64-045882 Japanese Utility Model Application Publication No. 55-123017 Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2006-146105

[0008] The safety cones described above are made of a relatively flexible thermoplastic resin, such as polyvinyl chloride (PVC), to prevent them from being easily damaged by the impact of a vehicle or person hitting them. Therefore, drilling multiple holes in the cone body, as in Patent Documents 1 to 3, significantly reduces its strength, making it more susceptible to damage from the impact of a person or vehicle hitting it. Furthermore, when installed on surfaces where the ground temperature can reach 50°C, such as asphalt or concrete in the summer, the heat can cause the cone to soften and lose its shape, resulting in a serious problem of it being unable to perform its intended function. Furthermore, in addition to being affected by wind pressure, cones can also be washed away by floodwaters when roads are flooded.

[0009] SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a novel safety sign cone that exhibits excellent wind and water pressure resistance and can maintain its shape without being distorted by impact, heat, etc.

[0010] To solve the above problems, the first invention is a safety cone having a conical cone body made of thermoplastic resin, characterized in that the cone body has a plurality of vertically elongated oval holes formed in the circumferential direction and in the vertical direction. With this configuration, the safety cone exhibits excellent wind and water pressure resistance and can maintain its shape without being distorted by heat or impact.

[0011] The second invention is a safety sign cone characterized in that, in the first invention, the cone body is divided into three regions in the height direction, and the plurality of holes are formed in the upper region of the cone body along the circumferential direction, and the plurality of holes are formed in the middle region of the cone body so that they are offset from each of the holes in the upper region, and the plurality of holes are formed in the lower region of the cone body so that they are offset from each of the holes in the middle region.

[0012] With this configuration, the holes in the upper region of the cone body allow air to pass through, preventing the cone body from tipping over due to wind pressure. Similarly, the holes in the middle region of the cone body allow air to pass through, preventing the cone body from tipping over and allowing the interior of the cone body to be easily seen from the outside through the holes.

[0013] Furthermore, the holes in the lower region of the cone body not only allow for easy viewing of the inside of the cone body from the outside, but also prevent the cone body from being swept away by water when the road on which it is installed is flooded, as water flows through the holes in the lower region and passes through the inside and outside of the cone body. Furthermore, because the holes in each region are offset from each other, the load is not concentrated in one area, maintaining the strength of the cone body. This allows the cone body to maintain its shape without losing its shape even when subjected to impacts or heat.

[0014] The third invention is a safety cone according to the first or second invention, characterized in that the holes are formed in pairs at each height on either side of the central axis of the cone body. With this configuration, wind and water flowing into the cone body through one hole flows straight out to the other hole, reducing wind and water pressure on the cone body. This increases resistance to wind and water pressure and prevents the cone body from tipping over or being swept away.

[0015] The fourth invention is the safety cone of the first or second invention, characterized in that the height of the cone body is 600 mm or more, and each of the oblong holes has a major axis of 70 to 100 mm and a minor axis of 45 to 60 mm. With this configuration, the strength of the cone body can be maintained without concentrating the load on one part, and the shape can be maintained without deformation even when subjected to impact or heat.

[0016] The fifth invention is a safety cone according to the first or second invention, characterized in that the cone body is made of polyvinyl chloride (PVC) or polyethylene (PE). Among thermoplastic resins, polyvinyl chloride (PVC) and polyethylene (PE) have been widely used as materials for safety cones used outdoors due to their excellent processability, weather resistance, and impact resistance. The safety cone of the present invention can achieve the above-mentioned effects even when made of polyvinyl chloride (PVC) or polyethylene (PE).

[0017] The sixth invention is a safety cone according to the first or second invention, characterized in that the bottom of the cone body is provided with a rubber base plate. By providing such a rubber base plate, the cone body can be stably held in place by being able to withstand impact forces when hit by a person or vehicle, as well as continuous forces caused by wind pressure and water pressure.

[0018] The safety sign cone of the present invention has a conical cone body with multiple elongated oval openings formed in the circumferential and vertical directions, which not only allows it to remain stable even when subjected to wind pressure or water pressure, but also provides excellent internal visibility and allows it to firmly maintain its shape even when subjected to impact or heat, without easily losing its shape.

[0019] 5 is a perspective view showing an embodiment of a safety sign cone 100 according to the present invention; FIG. 6 is a side view showing an embodiment of a safety sign cone 100 according to the present invention; FIG. 7 is a bottom view showing an embodiment of a safety sign cone 100 according to the present invention; FIG. 8 is a plan view showing a cone body 10; FIG. 9 is a plan view showing a part of the cone 100 according to the present invention; FIG. 10 is a partial enlarged view showing part X in FIG. 5; FIG. 11 is a plan view showing the base 20; FIG. 11 is a partial enlarged view showing part X in FIG. 7; FIG. 12 is a cross-sectional view taken along line X-X in FIG. 6; FIG. 13 is a cross-sectional view taken along line X-X in FIG. 14; FIG. 15 is an enlarged cross-sectional view showing the cone body 10 and the base 20 joined together; and FIG. 16 is an explanatory view showing the operation of the safety sign cone 100 according to the present invention.

[0020] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0014] The present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Figures 1 to 4 show an embodiment of a safety cone 100 according to the present invention. As shown in the drawings, the safety cone 100 is mainly composed of a cone-shaped cone body 10 and a base 20 connected to the bottom of the cone body 10.

[0021] The cone body 10 is made of a thermoplastic resin such as polyvinyl chloride (PVC) or polyethylene (PE). Its size is not particularly limited, but it may have a hollow, elongated cone shape with a height of 600 to 1000 mm or more (700 mm in the illustrated example), a base diameter of 300 to 400 mm (345 mm in the illustrated example), and a top diameter of 50 to 100 mm (80 mm in the illustrated example), as shown in Figure 2. The thickness of the cone body 10 is, for example, about 2 to 5 mm, but is not limited to this. It is also colored a conspicuous color such as red, green, or yellow.

[0022] The cone body 10 has a plurality of vertically elongated elliptical holes 11-13 formed (perforated) in the circumferential and vertical directions. More specifically, as shown in Fig. 2, the cone body 10 is divided into three regions Z1-Z3 in the height direction. In the upper region Z1, four holes 11, 11, 11, 11 are formed at equal intervals along the circumferential direction, as shown in Figs. 3 and 4. Similarly, in the middle region Z2, four holes 12, 12, 12, 12 are formed at equal intervals along the circumferential direction, but the opening positions of the holes 12 are offset from the four holes 11, 11, 11, 11 in the upper region Z1. In other words, the four holes 12, 12, 12, 12 are perforated so that they are respectively located between the holes 11, 11, 11, 11, 11 when viewed from above, as shown in Fig. 3.

[0023] Further, in the lower region Z3 below, four holes 13 are formed at equal intervals along the circumferential direction, but the opening positions of the holes 13 are offset from the four holes 12 in the middle region Z2, i.e., the four holes 13 are drilled so that they are located between the holes 12, 12, 12, 12 when viewed from above as shown in Figure 3. These holes 11, 11, 11, 11, 12, 12, 12, 13, 13, 13, 13 are formed in pairs with each other across the central axis of the cone body 10 at each height as shown in Figures 2 and 3.

[0024] As shown in Figures 5, 6 and 9, a flange 14 is formed at the lower edge of the cone body 10, extending radially outward from the lower edge. On the upper and lower surfaces of the flange 14, a plurality of (several dozens of) cylindrical or elliptical cylindrical protrusions 15, each several millimeters high, are formed along the circumferential direction.

[0025] The base 20 is a rectangular plate (365 mm x 365 mm) that is integrally joined to the bottom of the cone body 10. It is made of a material that is elastic, such as natural rubber or synthetic rubber, and has a higher specific gravity than thermoplastic resins such as polyvinyl chloride (PVC). As shown in Figures 7 and 8, an opening 21 is formed in the center of the base 20 to fit the cone body 10, and the flange 14 of the cone body 10 is attached to the edge of this opening 21.

[0026] That is, as shown in Fig. 8, a plurality of fitting holes 22 are drilled along the circumferential direction at the edge of the opening 21 of the base 20, and as shown in Fig. 10, slits 23 are formed in the edge of the opening 21 so as to extend in the circumferential direction. Then, as shown in Fig. 11, the flange 14 of the cone body 10 is fitted into the slits 23, and the protrusions 15 on the flange 14 are fitted into the fitting holes 22 on the base 20, respectively, and then these are thermally welded together to integrate the cone body 10 and the base 20.

[0027] The safety cone 100 of the present invention, configured as described above, when installed on a road or floor GL as shown in Figure 12, notifies those around it and provides various benefits. Specifically, the holes 11, 11, 11, 11 in the upper region Z1 of the cone body 10 allow wind to pass through, thereby preventing the cone body 10 from tipping over due to wind pressure. The holes 12, 12, 12, 12 in the middle region Z2 of the cone body 10 also allow wind to pass through, preventing the cone body 10 from tipping over and allowing easy visibility of the interior of the cone body from outside through the holes 12, 12, 12, 12. Therefore, if a suspicious object is placed inside the cone body 10, it can be easily detected from outside.

[0028] Furthermore, the holes 13, 13, 13, 13 in the lower region Z3 of the cone body 10 not only make it easy to see the inside of the cone body 10 from the outside through the holes 13, 13, 13, 13, but also, if the road on which it is installed is flooded, water will pass through the holes 13, 13, 13, 13 in the lower region Z3 and flow inside and outside the cone body 10, preventing the cone body 10 from being swept away by water pressure.

[0029] Furthermore, because these holes 11, 11, 11, 11, 12, 12, 12, 12, 13, 13, 13, 13 are formed in pairs at each height across the central axis of the cone body 10, wind and water that flow into the cone body 10 through one hole flows straight out to the other hole, reducing wind and water pressure on the cone body 10. This increases resistance to wind and water pressure and prevents the cone body 10 from falling over or being swept away.

[0030] The holes 11-13 in each of the regions Z1-Z3 are offset from one another, preventing the load from concentrating in one area and maintaining the strength of the cone body 10. This allows the cone body 10 to maintain its shape without losing its shape even when subjected to shock or heat. Furthermore, the rubber base 20 provided at the bottom of the cone body 10 allows it to withstand the impact force of a person or vehicle hitting it, as well as continuous forces caused by wind pressure and water pressure, thereby ensuring stable support of the cone body 10.

[0031] In this embodiment, as shown in Figure 1, an opening 10a is provided at the top of the cone body 10, allowing a sign or other object to be inserted and attached thereto. However, this opening 10a may be omitted. Furthermore, affixing reflective tape 16, 17 to the cone body 10 can further enhance visibility at night or from a distance. Furthermore, depending on the material and thickness of the cone body 10, if a thermoplastic resin such as polyvinyl chloride (PVC) is used, increasing the size or total area of ​​the holes 11-13 as shown in Figures 1 and 2 will result in a product that is not durable and difficult to maintain.

[0032] 100...Safety sign cone 10...Cone body 10a...Opening 11 to 13... 14...Flange 15...Protrusion 16, 17...Reflective tape 20...Base 21...Opening 22...Fitting hole 23...Slit Z1...Upper region Z2...Middle region Z3: Lower region

Claims

1. A safety sign cone having a cone-shaped cone body made of thermoplastic resin, characterized in that the cone body has a plurality of elongated elliptical holes formed in the circumferential and vertical directions.

2. A safety sign cone as described in claim 1, characterized in that the cone body is divided into three regions in the height direction, a plurality of holes are formed in the upper region of the cone body along its circumferential direction, a plurality of holes are formed in the middle region of the cone body so as to be offset from each hole in the upper region, and a plurality of holes are formed in the lower region of the cone body so as to be offset from each hole in the middle region.

3. A safety sign cone as claimed in claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the holes are formed in pairs at each height on either side of the central axis of the cone body.

4. A safety sign cone as described in claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the height of the cone body is 600 mm or more, and the oblong hole has a major axis of 70 to 100 mm and a minor axis of 45 to 60 mm.

5. A safety sign cone according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the cone body is made of polyvinyl chloride (PVC) or polyethylene (PE).

6. A safety sign cone as claimed in claim 1 or 2, characterized in that a rubber base plate is provided at the bottom of the cone body.

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