Pavement marking pattern and method

• US 7,645,503 B1
• Filed: 04/02/2004
• Issued: 01/12/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 04/02/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Flint Acquisition Corp.
• Original Assignee: Flint Trading, Inc.
• Inventors: Greer, Robert, Mantek, Robert
• Primary Examiner(s): Hess; Bruce H.
• Assistant Examiner(s): AMAKWE, TAMRA L
• Application Number:
  US10/816,635
• Time in Patent Office: 2,111 Days
• Field of Search: 404/93, 428/195.1, 428/44, 156/71, 524/031, 522/63, 526/521, 526/531, 523/37, 523/34, 523/19, 264/220
• US Class Current: 428/195.1
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 3/10 characterised by a discontinuous layer, i.e. formed of separate pieces of material
• CPC Class Codes: E01F 9/512 Preformed road surface markings, e.g. of sheet material; Methods of applying preformed markings
• CPC Class Codes: E01F 9/518 formed in situ, e.g. by painting, by casting into the road surface or by deforming the road surface
• CPC Class Codes: E01F 9/576 Traffic lines
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/16 Two dimensionally sectional layer
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/24802 Discontinuous or differential coating, impregnation or bond [e.g., artwork, printing, retouched photograph, etc.]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/24826 Spot bonds connect components

Abstract

The invention herein pertains to pavement marking patterns and the application thereof to roads, streets, walkways and the like. Various pattern designs for the markings are available to replicate layers of bricks, cobblestones, horizontal signage, logos and other components. The marking patterns are composed of two or more independent sections, the first section is a grid representing for example, the mortar joints in a brick wall. The second sections or inserts, for example represent bricks which are contained within the grid. As the first and second sections are generally formed from different colored, preferably thermoplastic materials, a hot melt adhesive spray is utilized on the bottom surface of the marking pattern to bridge the intersections between the first and second sections to maintain the integrity of the marking pattern for convenience during handling and application to a substrate. Preferably the hot melt spray adhesive has approximately the same softening point range as the pattern sections to accommodate heat treatment of the marking pattern during application of the marking pattern to the substrate.

Claims

1. A pre-bonded pavement marking grid and insert pattern comprising:

an independent thermoplastic grid section, and an independent thermoplastic insert section, wherein said insert section resides within said grid section and each said insert section is coplanar, and wherein said grid section and said insert section both comprise a planar top surface and a planar bottom surface and coplanar to each other, such that said grid section is in direct contact with and adjacent to said insert section thereby forming an intersection between said grid section and said insert section,

and

further comprising an adhesive backing layer on said coplanar bottom surface, said adhesive backing layer bridging and bonding said coplanar bottom surface to form a unified pavement marking pattern thereby preventing dislodging or separation of said pavement marking pattern during handling, movement, transportation before application of said pre-bonded pavement marking to the top of a pavement surface by application of heat.

2. The pre-bonded pavement marking grid and insert pattern of claim 1 wherein said adhesive comprises a thermosetting adhesive.

3. The pre-bonded pavement marking grid and insert pattern of claim 1 wherein said adhesive comprises a thermoplastic adhesive.

4. The pre-bonded pavement marking grid and insert pattern of claim 1 wherein said adhesive is sprayable allowing for bridging said intersections on said planar bottom surfaces of said grid section and said insert section forming said unified pavement marking pattern and wherein said adhesive is ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA) based hot melt or other hot melt polyamide resin.

5. The pre-bonded pavement marking grid and insert pattern of claim 1 comprising said grid and a plurality of inserts, each of said inserts separated by said grid.

6. The pre-bonded pavement marking grid and insert pattern of claim 1 wherein said adhesive has a softening point in a range of 90 degrees C. to about 210 degrees C. and more preferably in a range of 90 degrees C. to about 120 degrees C.