Recessed Reflective Road Marker With Sloped Face for Visibility
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional reflective road markers recessed below the roadway surface are less visible and more vulnerable to damage from vehicle impacts, necessitating a solution that enhances visibility and impact resistance.
Innovation Solution
A reflective road marker with a sloped face and a reflector positioned below the roadway surface, supported by a housing or a single-piece base, designed to withstand vehicle impacts and maintain visibility.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a reflective road marker is recessed below the roadway surface, then it is protected from some surface damage, but visibility and reflectance are reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a sloped face dimension that angles upward from the recessed base, allowing the reflector to be positioned lower while still presenting a visible profile to approaching vehicles. This dimensional change resolves the contradiction by maintaining visibility through the sloped geometry while keeping the reflector recessed for protection.
Solution Approach 2:
The marker employs an asymmetric profile with a sloped face rather than a symmetric vertical or horizontal design. This asymmetry allows the top surface to extend upward for visibility while the base remains recessed for protection, simultaneously addressing both visibility and damage resistance requirements.
2Reliability
If a reflective road marker is recessed below the roadway surface, then it may be protected from some damage, but it becomes more vulnerable to impact damage from vehicle wheels
Solution Approach 1:
The sloped face creates a curved or angled surface that deflects impact forces from vehicle wheels rather than presenting a flat, vulnerable surface. This curvature helps distribute and redirect impact energy, reducing the vulnerability to wheel impact while maintaining the recessed protective position.
Solution Approach 2:
The sloped face acts as a preliminary protective element that intercepts and deflects potential impact forces before they reach the vulnerable reflector and base components. This preliminary action reduces the direct impact on critical elements.
3Ease of manufacture
If a reflective road marker uses a narrow housing width, then it reduces material usage and installation space, but it may be more susceptible to damage
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs composite construction with a base, sloped face, and reflector assembly that combines different material properties. This composite structure achieves high strength-to-weight ratio, providing impact resistance while maintaining narrow dimensions and material efficiency.
Solution Approach 2:
The marker is segmented into distinct functional components (base, sloped face, reflector) that can be optimized independently. This segmentation allows each component to be sized and shaped for its specific function, achieving overall efficiency and strength without requiring excessive material throughout the entire structure.
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 increased visibility and durability, extending the marker's lifespan and reducing replacement frequency while maintaining effective road marking.
Implementation Method 1
A reflective road marker with a sloped face and a reflector positioned below the roadway surface
Data Source
AI summary
A road marker disclosed herein includes a single piece of material having a width of approximately three inches or less. The piece includes a top surface, a bottom surface, and a sloped face disposed between the top surface and the bottom surface. The bottom surface is configured to enable the bottom surface to be connected directly to a floor of a channel of a roadway. The road marker further includes a reflector disposed on the sloped face. Another road marker disclosed herein includes a reflecting member including a reflective surface. The road marker also includes a housing configured to support at least a portion of the reflecting member below a surface of a roadway.