Traffic Control Marker Pin and Stake Assembly
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing traffic control devices, such as traffic cones and flexible highway markers, are prone to displacement when struck by vehicles and require complex assembly and multiple parts, leading to wear and instability over time.
Innovation Solution
A traffic control device comprising a base, a steel U-shaped stake, a collar, and a flexible marker, where a pin secures the marker to the base, reducing the number of parts and assembly steps while maintaining stability and performance, allowing the marker to deflect and return upright after impact.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a flexible highway marker is secured within a base with multiple parts, then the marker can be held upright, but the assembly requires multiple steps and many parts which are subject to wear over time
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple separate components (marker, base, securing mechanism) into an integrated assembly where the marker is directly secured to the base through a simplified connection system. The base includes a hub with a slot that receives a stake, and the marker is attached with fewer fastening elements, merging functions into unified components that reduce overall part count while maintaining stability.
Solution Approach 2:
The base structure serves multiple functions simultaneously: it provides the foundation for upright positioning, contains the securing mechanism for the marker, and includes the stake anchoring system. This multi-functionality eliminates the need for separate components for each function, reducing the total number of parts while maintaining reliable marker positioning.
2Ease of operation
If a traffic control device is not adequately secured in place, then the device can be easily installed, but the device is often displaced from its intended location when struck by vehicles
Solution Approach 1:
The base is pre-configured with a hub containing a slot and stake receiving features before installation. The stake is inserted through the slot into the ground surface in advance of marker attachment, creating a pre-established anchoring system that simplifies subsequent marker installation while ensuring stable positioning against vehicle impacts.
3Adaptability or versatility
If the marker is made flexible to allow deflection when struck by vehicles, then the marker can return to upright position, but the marker may become detached from the base
Solution Approach 1:
The pin connection system is pre-installed through aligned holes in the stake, collar, and flange before vehicle impact occurs. This pre-established mechanical connection provides a reaction point at the pin contact with the base that prevents detachment during impact, allowing the marker to flex and return to upright position without becoming detached.
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 effectively secures the traffic control device to prevent displacement, simplifies assembly, and maintains performance by minimizing parts and steps while ensuring the marker remains upright and functional after vehicle impact.
Implementation Method 1
When struck by a vehicle, the flexible marker will deflect until the vehicle has passed over it. The pin, which has a reaction point at the point of contact with the base, holds the marker in the base to prevent it from becoming detached, thereby allowing the marker to return to a substantially upright position.
Data Source
AI summary
A traffic control assembly for marking roadways or other marking areas is shown generally having a base, a stake, a pin, a collar, and a flexible marker that extends substantially vertically from the base when in a non-impacted and non-deformed state. The pin passes through pin holes in the stake, collar, and marker when the traffic assembly is installed. The traffic control assembly has fewer parts and is thus easier to install and replace. The pin is in contact with the base to provide support to the stake and prevent it from listing when the assembly is struck by a vehicle.