Temporary Flexible Pavement Marker with Angled Shield
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Solution Overview
Problem
During highway construction and repair, temporary lane markings are often needed to prevent accidents due to unclear traffic lane edges, especially between subsurface laying and final asphalt application, and existing solutions require multiple steps and are costly to install and maintain.
Innovation Solution
A temporary flexible pavement marker system comprising a reflective stand and protective shield, where the shield is angled to prevent materials like asphalt from obscuring the reflective surface, allowing for single-step installation and easy maintenance, using materials like plastics and metals with reflective tape or paint, and designed for one-way or two-way traffic.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If temporary pavement markers are used to delineate traffic lanes during highway construction, then safety is improved by preventing accidents due to unclear lane edges, but installation and maintenance costs increase and require multiple steps
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the reflective stand and protective shield into a single integrated temporary pavement marker unit. The shield is attached to the stand at an angle to form one cohesive structure that can be installed in a single step, eliminating the need for separate installation of protective components while maintaining both safety and cost-effectiveness
2Illumination intensity
If the protective shield is added to prevent materials from obscuring the reflective surface, then visibility is maintained, but device complexity and installation cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The protective shield is positioned at an angle relative to the reflective stand, creating a three-dimensional configuration that deflects sprayed materials away from the reflective surface. This angular arrangement in a different spatial dimension effectively protects visibility without adding complex multi-component structures
3Ease of manufacture
If traditional temporary markers are used without protective shields, then installation is simpler, but the reflective surface becomes obscured by sprayed materials reducing visibility
Solution Approach 1:
The protective shield acts as an intermediary element between the sprayed materials and the reflective stand. It intercepts and deflects the harmful sprayed materials before they can contact and obscure the reflective surface, thereby maintaining visibility while keeping the overall structure relatively simple
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The solution provides clear lane delineation at night and reduces installation and maintenance costs by allowing single-step installation and easy cleaning, enhancing safety and efficiency in highway construction and repair operations.
Implementation Method 1
at least part of the stand is reflective
Data Source
AI summary
A temporary flexible pavement marker comprising a base, a stand and a protective shield wherein at least part of the stand is reflective and the protective shield is configured to prevent materials sprayed down upon the temporary flexible pavement marker from obscuring the reflective part of the stand may be employed in the construction or repair of roads. Since the protective shield prevents asphalt from obscuring the reflective part of the stand during spraying operations there is no need for a technician to remove a protective layer from the markers after a spraying operation.