INFLATABLE WARNING DEVICE FOR ROADWAYS
First Claim
1. A warning device adapted to be disposed generally transversely of a roadway for indicating a traffic condition comprising an elongated flexible planar base means including a bottom surface adapted to frictionally engage said roadway, inflatable means on the upper surface of said base member and including a wall portion which is proportioned to extend above and along the length of said base means when said means is inflated to provide a depressible projection above the surface of said roadway in the path of vehicular traffic on said roadway and to provide a surface exposed to the view of an operator of an oncoming vehicle and creating an illusory obstruction to vehicular traffic, thereby alerting the vehicle operator to unusual attention to the traffic condition, said wall portion having a flexural rigidity less than the flexural rigidity of said base means and being adapted to lie in proximity to said base means when said inflatable means is deflated, whereby said warning device may be reduced to a geometry other than elongated for storage but said more rigid base supports said inflatable means in position on said roadway.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An elongated inflatable warning device adapted to be removably disposed transversely of a roadway during selected periods for control of vehicular traffic.
25 Citations
7 Claims
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1. A warning device adapted to be disposed generally transversely of a roadway for indicating a traffic condition comprising an elongated flexible planar base means including a bottom surface adapted to frictionally engage said roadway, inflatable means on the upper surface of said base member and including a wall portion which is proportioned to extend above and along the length of said base means when said means is inflated to provide a depressible projection above the surface of said roadway in the path of vehicular traffic on said roadway and to provide a surface exposed to the view of an operator of an oncoming vehicle and creating an illusory obstruction to vehicular traffic, thereby alerting the vehicle operator to unusual attention to the traffic condition, said wall portion having a flexural rigidity less than the flexural rigidity of said base means and being adapted to lie in proximity to said base means when said inflatable means is deflated, whereby said warning device may be reduced to a geometry other than elongated for storage but said more rigid base supports said inflatable means in position on said roadway.
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2. The warning device of claim 1 and including means adapted to aid in securing said warning device in position on said roadway.
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3. The warning device of claim 2 wherein said means securing said warning device in position on said roadway comprises at least two elongated straps secured at one of their respective ends to each of the opposite ends of said base means and adapted to be secured at their respective unattached ends at points spaced from each other and from said base means.
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4. The warning device of claim 1 and including audible signal means in said inflatable bag means whereby the passage of vehicular traffic over said warning device forces air through said audible signal means and produces an audible signal.
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5. The warning device of claim 1 wherein said exposed surface of said inflated bag includes warning indicia thereon.
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6. The warning device of claim 1 wherein said inflatable bag is formed independently of said base means and thereafter bonded thereto by adhesive means.
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7. The warning device of claim 1 and including means reinforcing said base member at least in its transverse direction.
Specification