Road or street lane markers
First Claim
1. A road lane marker for use with other similar markers in defining a lane or lanes of a road;
- said marker including light directing means operable, when the marker is between a forward vehicle and a rear vehicle traveling in the same direction on the road, to receive light emitted forwardly from the headlights of the rear vehicle to said marker and direct said light forwardly from said marker for viewing from said forward vehicle, to indicate to the driver of said forward vehicle the position of said rear vehicle with respect to said marker;
said light directing means including a prism through which light from the rear vehicle passes prior to emission forwardly from the marker;
said prism having an upwardly and forwardly inclined light inlet surface through which light enters the prism from said rear vehicle, and having a downwardly and forwardly inclined light exit surface through which light leaves the prism for viewing from the forward vehicle;
there being a reflective surface at the bottom of said prism which receives light refracted downwardly by said light inlet surface and reflects said light upwardly toward said light exit surface;
said reflective surface being a generally horizontally extending internally reflective bottom surface of the prism;
said prism having vertically extending opposite side surfaces which are internally reflective to reflect light impinging thereon from the rear vehicle generally forwardly toward said light exit surface.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A lane marker which is attached to the surface of a road to define the boundary between two lanes, and which is adapted to receive light from the headlights of a rear one of two vehicles traveling in the same direction on the road and direct a portion of that light forwardly from the marker for viewing from the forward vehicle, to indicate to the driver of the forward vehicle the position of the rear vehicle with respect to the marker. The device includes a prism or other light directing unit or assembly acting by refraction and/or reflection to aim the light forwardly within a preferably limited angle assuring sufficient intensity of the light for effective viewing by the driver of the forward vehicle. The device may also reflect some of the light back to the trailing vehicle for viewing by its driver.
15 Citations
26 Claims
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1. A road lane marker for use with other similar markers in defining a lane or lanes of a road;
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said marker including light directing means operable, when the marker is between a forward vehicle and a rear vehicle traveling in the same direction on the road, to receive light emitted forwardly from the headlights of the rear vehicle to said marker and direct said light forwardly from said marker for viewing from said forward vehicle, to indicate to the driver of said forward vehicle the position of said rear vehicle with respect to said marker; said light directing means including a prism through which light from the rear vehicle passes prior to emission forwardly from the marker; said prism having an upwardly and forwardly inclined light inlet surface through which light enters the prism from said rear vehicle, and having a downwardly and forwardly inclined light exit surface through which light leaves the prism for viewing from the forward vehicle; there being a reflective surface at the bottom of said prism which receives light refracted downwardly by said light inlet surface and reflects said light upwardly toward said light exit surface; said reflective surface being a generally horizontally extending internally reflective bottom surface of the prism; said prism having vertically extending opposite side surfaces which are internally reflective to reflect light impinging thereon from the rear vehicle generally forwardly toward said light exit surface. - View Dependent Claims (2)
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3. A road land marker for use with other similar markers in defining a lane or lanes of a road;
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said marker including light directing means operable, when the marker is between a forward vehicle and a rear vehicle traveling in the same direction on the road, to receive light emitted forwardly from the headlights of the rear vehicle to said marker and direct said light forwardly from said marker for viewing from said forward vehicle, to indicate to the driver of said forward vehicle the position of said rear vehicle with respect to said marker; said light directing means including a prism having a light inlet surface through which light from the rear vehicle enters the prism and having a light exit surface through which light leaves the prism for viewing from the forward vehicle; there being reflective surfaces at opposite sides of said prism for reflecting any light impinging thereon from the rear vehicle generally toward said light exit surface.
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4. A road lane marker for use with other similar markers in defining a lane or lanes of a road;
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said marker including light directing means operable, when the marker is between a forward vehicle and a rear vehicle traveling in the same direction on the road, to receive light emitted forwardly from the headlights of the rear vehicle to said marker and direct said light forwardly from said marker for viewing from said forward vehicle, to indicate to the driver of said forward vehicle the position of said rear vehicle with respect to said marker; said light directing means including a prism having a light exit surface through which light from the rear vehicle leaves the prism for delivery forwardly to said forward vehicle, said light exit surface being formed to reflect some of the light from said rear vehicle back to the rear vehicle for viewing by the driver thereof. - View Dependent Claims (5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. A road lane marker for use with other similar markers in defining a lane or lanes of a road;
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said marker including light directing means operable, when the marker is between a forward vehicle and a rear vehicle traveling in the same direction on the road, to receive light emitted forwardly from the headlights of the rear vehicle to said marker and direct said light forwardly from said marker for viewing from said forward vehicle, to indicate to the driver of said forward vehicle the position of said rear vehicle with respect to said marker; said light directing means being constructed to distribute light from one of the headlights of said rear vehicle within a smaller angle vertically than laterally as the light is emitted forwardly from the marker. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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19. A road lane marker for use with other similar markers in defining a lane or lanes of a road;
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said marker including light directing means operable, when the marker is between a forward vehicle and a rear vehicle traveling in the same direction on the road, to receive light emitted forwardly from the headlights of the rear vehicle to said marker and direct said light forwardly from said marker for viewing from said forward vehicle, to indicate to the driver of said forward vehicle the position of said rear vehicle with respect to said marker; said light directing means including an optical element formed of a light passing material through which light from the rear vehicle passes before delivery forwardly to said forward vehicle;
said light passing material having a surface which is partially reflective and partially light transmissive to pass some of the light from the rear vehicle through said surface to the forward vehicle and reflect some of the light from the rear vehicle back toward the rear vehicle at said surface;said surface of the optical element being a light exit surface through which light from the rear vehicle leaves the element for delivery forwardly to said forward vehicle; said light exit surface having facets of a first type distributed across its area and shaped to pass light from the rear vehicle forwardly toward the forward vehicle within a limited area, and having facets of a second type distributed across its area and constructed to reflect at least some of the light from the rear vehicle back to the rear vehicle for viewing by the driver thereof.
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20. A road lane marker for use with other similar markers in defining a lane or lanes of a road;
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said marker including light directing means operable, when the marker is between a forward vehicle and a rear vehicle traveling in the same direction on the road, to receive light emitted forwardly from the headlights of the rear vehicle to said marker and direct said light forwardly from said marker for viewing from said forward vehicle, to indicate to the driver of said forward vehicle the position of said rear vehicle with respect to said marker; and a hollow rigid housing through the interior of which light from the headlights of said rear vehicle is directed by said means before emission forwardly from the housing toward the forward vehicle; said housing having a rear light entrance opening and a forward light exit opening, and having two rigid opposite side walls and a rigid top wall extending therebetween above the path of light between said openings and of a strength to support the weight of an automobile on the housing; said top wall of the housing having flanges near said light entrance and light exit openings projecting downwardly a short distance and assisting in retaining said light directing means in the housing. - View Dependent Claims (21, 25, 26)
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22. A road lane marker for use with other similar markers in defining a lane or lanes of a road;
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said marker including light directing means operable, when the marker is between a forward vehicle and a rear vehicle traveling in the same direction on the road, to receive light emitted forwardly from the headlights of the rear vehicle to said marker and direct said light forwardly from said marker for viewing from said forward vehicle, to indicate to the driver of said forward vehicle the position of said rear vehicle with respect to said marker; said light directing means including an optical element formed of a light passing material through which light from the rear vehicle passes before delivery forwardly to said forward vehicle;
said light passing material having a forwardly facing light exit surface through which light leaves said optical element for delivery forwardly to said forward vehicle, and which light exit surface is partially reflective and partially light transmissive to pass some of the light from the rear vehicle through said light exit surface to the forward vehicle and reflect some of the light from the rear vehicle at said light exit surface back toward the rear vehicle. - View Dependent Claims (23, 24)
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Specification