Tactile sidewalk surface

• US 8,920,066 B1
• Filed: 01/12/2012
• Issued: 12/30/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 01/12/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: TWM IP LLC
• Original Assignee: Tuf-Tite Incorporated
• Inventors: Meyers, Theodore W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Troutman, Matthew D
• Application Number:
  US13/349,309
• Time in Patent Office: 1,083 Days
• Field of Search: 404/15, 404/18, 404/19, 404/21, 404/28, 404/33, 404/34, 404/35, 404/42
• US Class Current: 404/19
• CPC Class Codes: E01C 5/06 made of units with cement or like binders
• 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 sidewalk tile has a horizontal top surface and a horizontal bottom surface. A plurality of truncated domes project vertically from the top surface, and each of the truncated domes has a corresponding dome depression formed on the bottom surface. A sheet of tacky mounting material is applied to the horizontal bottom surface and is covered by a sacrificial release sheet until installation. According to one method of installing tactile sidewalk tile, the sacrificial release sheet is removed from the sheet of tacky mounting material, the tactile sidewalk tile is placed on an underlying sidewalk surface, pressure is applied to the horizontal top surface, and anchor holes are drilled using a plurality of fastener-receiving bores in the tactile sidewalk tile as guides.

Claims

1. A tactile sidewalk tile comprising:

a horizontal top tile surface and a horizontal bottom tile surface;

a plurality of truncated domes projecting vertically from the top tile surface, wherein each of the truncated domes has a corresponding dome depression formed on the bottom tile surface, each dome depression and a plane passing through the bottom tile surface at least partially defining a dome depression volume, wherein each dome depression is defined by an inner dome wall integrally formed with a dome bottom surface such that the inner dome wall and the dome bottom surface comprise a single, unitary part, the inner dome wall extending away from the bottom tile surface; and

a flush post disposed in at least one of the plurality of dome depressions, the flush post having a flush post undercut surface that is at least partially disposed within the dome depression volume.

2. The tactile sidewalk tile of claim 1, further comprising:

a sheet of tacky mounting material provided on the bottom tile surface; and

a sacrificial release sheet provided on an underside of the sheet of tacky mounting material.

3. The tactile sidewalk tile of claim 2, wherein the tacky mounting material is butyl mastic.

4. The tactile sidewalk tile of claim 2, wherein the sacrificial release sheet is a waxy paper.

5. The tactile sidewalk tile of claim 1, wherein the flush post comprises a flush post body and a flush post protrusion, the flush post body extending vertically from the dome bottom surface and the flush post protrusion extending horizontally from the flush post body, wherein the flush post undercut surface partially defines the flush post protrusion.

6. The tactile sidewalk tile of claim 1, wherein the flush post undercut surface extends obliquely to the flush post body.

7. The tactile sidewalk tile of claim 1, wherein the flush post protrusion includes a flush post top surface that is substantially coplanar with the bottom tile surface.

8. The tactile sidewalk tile of claim 7, wherein the flush post protrusion comprises a front protrusion wall that is substantially vertical and normal to the flush post top surface, and wherein the flush post undercut surface extends to the front protrusion wall.

9. The tactile sidewalk tile of claim 1, wherein a partially cylindrical outer surface at least partially defines the flush post body and the flush post protrusion.

10. The tactile sidewalk tile of claim 1, wherein the flush post undercut surface is disposed entirely within the dome depression volume.

11. The tactile sidewalk tile of claim 1, wherein the tactile sidewalk tile is formed from an injection molded plastic.

12. The tactile sidewalk tile of claim 11, wherein the injection molded plastic is at least one of the group of PCPBT, copolymer polyester, and PCABS.

13. The tactile sidewalk tile of claim 1, wherein the flush post comprises a flush post protrusion extending in a generally horizontal direction from an inner dome wall of the dome depression, the flush post protrusion including the flush post undercut surface, wherein the flush post undercut surface extends obliquely from an inner dome wall of the dome depression.

14. The tactile sidewalk tile of claim 1, wherein the top tile surface is bounded by an edge portion, the edge portion comprising a mitered edge.

15. The tactile sidewalk tile of claim 1, wherein a portion of the flush post body is cylindrical.

16. The tactile sidewalk tile of claim 1, wherein at least one rib extends between the flush post body and an interior surface of the dome depression.

17. The tactile sidewalk tile of claim 9, wherein a top surface of the at least one rib is substantially coplanar with the bottom tile surface.

18. A tactile sidewalk tile comprising:

a tile having a horizontal top tile surface and a horizontal bottom tile surface;

a plurality of truncated domes projecting vertically from the top tile surface, each of the truncated domes having a corresponding dome depression formed on the bottom tile surface, wherein each dome depression is defined by an inner dome wall integrally formed with a dome bottom surface such that the inner dome wall and the dome bottom surface comprise a single, unitary part, the inner dome wall extending away from the bottom tile surface;

a flush post disposed in at least one of the plurality of dome depressions, the flush post having an elongated flush post body; and

a flush post protrusion extending horizontally from the flush post body, the flush post protrusion including a substantially horizontal flush post top surface, the flush post top surface being substantially coplanar with the bottom tile surface.

19. The tactile sidewalk tile of claim 18, wherein the flush post protrusion includes a front protrusion wall that is substantially vertical and normal to the flush post top surface, and wherein a flush post undercut surface extends from the front protrusion wall to a portion of the flush post body.

20. The tactile sidewalk tile of claim 19, wherein the flush post undercut surface extends obliquely from the front protrusion wall to a portion of the flush post body, and wherein the flush post undercut surface is disposed within the one of the plurality of dome depressions.

21. The tactile sidewalk tile of claim 19, wherein a partially cylindrical outer surface at least partially defines the flush post body and the flush post protrusion.

22. The tactile sidewalk tile of claim 18, wherein the top tile surface is bounded by an edge portion, the edge portion comprising a mitered edge.