Tactile tile

• US 5,328,293 A
• Filed: 12/04/1991
• Issued: 07/12/1994
• Est. Priority Date: 12/20/1990
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Keefe-Dickson Corporation Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Keefe-Dickson Corporation Incorporated
• Inventors: Keefe, Robert F.
• Primary Examiner(s): Neuder, William P.
• Application Number:
  US07/802,318
• Time in Patent Office: 951 Days
• Field of Search: 404/9, 404/19, 404/32, 404/35, 404/36, 404/6, 404/12, 404/15, 404/42, 404/39, 52/177, 52/179, 52/181
• US Class Current: 404/9
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 3/066 Installations on the floor, e.g. special surfaces, to guide blind persons
• CPC Class Codes: E01C 5/20 made of units of plastics, e.g. concrete with plastics, linoleumE01C5/18 takes precedence; of textiles made of synthetic fibres E01C5/008

Abstract

A tactile tile having a flat plate with a plurality of raised areas, said plate and raised areas comprised of polyurethane.

Claims

1. In a tactile tile having a flat plate with a plurality of raised areas, said plate and raised areas comprised of polyurethane, wherein said polyurethane has a taber abrasion resistance of less than 500 milligrams per ten thousand cycles based on ASTM method D with a H-18 wheel.

2. In a tactile tile as claimed in claim 1 wherein said plate and raised area is comprised of thermo plastic polyurethane.

4. In a tactile tile as claimed in claim 2 wherein said thermo plastic polyurethane has a tear strength higher than 20 lbs. per linear inch.

5. In a tactile tile as claimed in claim 4 wherein said thermo plastic polyurethane exhibits a -40°

centigrade glass transition temperature.

6. In a tactile tile as claimed in claim 5 wherein said thermo plastic polyurethane has an elongation at break of better than 350%.

7. In a tactile tile as claimed in claim 6 wherein said thermo plastic polyurethane has a modulus of elasticity of greater than 1,000 lbs. per square inch at 100% elongation.

8. In a tactile tile as claimed in claim 7 wherein said thermo plastic polyurethane has a tensile strength of greater than 2,000 lbs. per square inch.

9. In a tactile tile as claimed in claim 8 wherein said flat plate has a rectangular peripheral edge.

10. In a tactile tile as claimed in claim 9 wherein said raised areas are spaced from one another and diagonally disposed on said flat plate.

11. In a tactile tile as claimed in claim 10 wherein said raised areas are circular.

12. In a tactile tile as claimed in claim 11 wherein said raised areas are bar shaped.

13. In a tactile tile as claimed in claim 12 wherein said flat plate presents an upper surface and a lower surface, said raised areas disposed on said upper surface.

14. In a tactile tile as claimed in claim 13 wherein said lower surface has an adhesive for adhering said tactile tile to a sidewalk or a road surface.

15. In a tactile tile as claimed in claim 14 wherein said adhesive comprises an epoxy or urethane adhesive.

3. In a tactile tile having a flat plate with a plurality of raised areas, said plate and raised areas comprised of polyurethane wherein said polyurethane exhibits a -40°

centigrade glass transition temperature.

16. In a tile for positioning on a road surface to provide direction for visually handicapped persons comprising:

(a) a flat plate having an upper surface and a lower surface;

(b) a plurality of raised areas diagonally disposed on said upper surface;

(c) an epoxy adhesive presented on said lower surface for adhering said tile to said road surface;

(d) said flat plate and plurality of raised areas comprised of thermo plastic polyurethane having a -40°

centigrade glass transition temperature so as to resist shearing of said raised areas from said flat plate in cold temperatures.

17. In a tile as claimed in claim 16 wherein said plurality of raised areas are capable of being detected through the sole of a shoe.

18. In a tile as claimed in claim 17 wherein said raised areas are spaced from one another.

19. In a tile as claimed in claim 18 wherein said raised areas are circular.

20. In a tile as claimed in claim 19 wherein said raised areas are bar shaped.