Inlay system for concrete

• US 7,992,360 B2
• Filed: 03/11/2010
• Issued: 08/09/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 12/03/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Steve Day
• Original Assignee: EZ Set Tile, Inc.
• Inventors: Driscoll, Joe
• Primary Examiner(s): A, PHI DIEU TRAN
• Application Number:
  US12/661,172
• Publication Number:
  US 20100170192A1
• Time in Patent Office: 516 Days
• Field of Search: 527/471.1, 527/471.2, 521/77, 521/81, 523/92, 523/91, 523/15, 521/80, 404/15.9, 404/19, 404/28, 404/29, 404/32, 404/33, 404/35, 404/36
• US Class Current: 52/747.11
• CPC Class Codes: E01C 5/00 Pavings made of prefabricated single units specially adapted for playgrounds or sports grounds E01C13/04, for footpaths, sidewalks or cycle tracks E01C15/00; making artificial stones C04B; building stones E04C; flooring E04F
• CPC Class Codes: E01C 5/001 on prefabricated supporting structures or prefabricated foundation elements except coverings made of layers of similar elements

Abstract

The present invention discloses a tactile warning panel inlay system and method. Such system is comprised of a panel formed with an exposed surface having a plurality of tactile warning protrusions and a support surface configured to contact a substrate matrix. The panel includes a plurality of apertures extending from the exposed surface to the support surface. Further, a plurality of fasteners are configured to extend individually through an aperture included in the plurality of panel apertures to secure the panel to the substrate matrix. Each fastener includes a head conformed to the shape of the tactile warning protrusion and a body for extending the fastener through the panel and into the substrate matrix.

Claims

1. A method of placing a tactile warning device for the sight impaired onto a substrate matrix, comprising:

providing a tactile warning panel having an upper surface and a lower surface with the upper surface having a plurality of spaced-apart tactile warning protrusions extending upwardly therefrom and a plurality of fastener apertures formed therein between the protrusions with the upper surface of the panel being continuous and devoid of any other openings except for the fastener apertures;

placing the panel on the substrate matrix;

providing a plurality of loose fasteners with each of the loose fasteners having a head portion and a body portion extending downwardly therefrom, each of the head portions of the fasteners having a diameter greater than the diameters of the fastener apertures and with each of the head portions having the same height and diameter and configuration as the tactile warning protrusions;

extending the body portions of the loose fasteners downwardly through the fastener apertures into the substrate matrix to anchor the panel to the substrate matrix and so that the head portions of the fasteners also function as tactile warning protrusions for the sight impaired.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the panel is at least partially recessed into the substrate matrix.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the tactile warning protrusions include truncated dome structures.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the body of each of the loose fasteners includes a plurality of vertically spaced ribs for anchoring the fastener to the substrate matrix.