Embedment plate for pedestrian walkways with reinforced projections

• US 9,027,290 B2
• Filed: 09/27/2013
• Issued: 05/12/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 09/27/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: MetaDome, LLC
• Original Assignee: MetaDome, LLC
• Inventors: Sippola, Duane F.
• Primary Examiner(s): KATCHEVES, BASIL S
• Application Number:
  US14/039,798
• Publication Number:
  US 20140099164A1
• Time in Patent Office: 592 Days
• Field of Search: 521/77, 521/80, 405/84, 116/202, 116/205
• US Class Current: 52/177
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 3/066 Installations on the floor, e.g. special surfaces, to guide blind persons
• CPC Class Codes: E01C 11/16 Reinforcements as anchoring elements between layers E01C7/145, E01C7/185, E01C7/325 ; for building in general E04C
• CPC Class Codes: E01C 15/00 Pavings specially adapted for footpaths, sidewalks or cycle tracks
• CPC Class Codes: E04F 15/02172 Floor elements with an anti-skid main surface, other than with grooves

Abstract

An embedment tile for producing a tactilely detectable surface in a pedestrian walkway. The tile includes a pattern of upwardly extending projections on its upper surface forming a tactilely detectable pattern, and the projections have reinforcing ridges to protect the projections from lateral forces such as those applied by snow plows.

Claims

1. An embedment tile for producing a tactilely detectable surface in a pedestrian walkway, the embedment tile comprising:

a tile member having an upper surface;

a tactile projection extending upwardly from the upper surface of the tile member, and including a plurality of reinforcing ridges extending outwardly from a top surface and a side surface of the tactile projection and micro-texturing extending upwardly from the top surface of the tactile projection.

2. The embedment tile of claim 1, wherein:

the tactile projection is a substantially truncated dome in shape, and defines a lower perimeter adjacent to the top surface of the top plate; and

wherein at least one of the reinforcing ridges includes;

a side reinforcing ridge portion extending between the lower perimeter and the top surface of the tactile projection.

3. The embedment tile of claim 1, wherein at least one of the reinforcing ridges includes a continuous ramp directed radially outwardly from the projection.

4. The embedment tile of claim 1, wherein:

the tactile projection includes an outer inclined and substantially annular surface and a center of the top surface; and

at least one of the reinforcing ridges extends outwardly above the outer inclined and substantially annular surface and the center of the top surface of the tactile projection.

5. The embedment tile of claim 1, wherein the plurality of reinforcing ridges are spaced apart at substantially equal distances around the tactile projection, and at least one of the reinforcing ridges includes a discontinuous ramp portion oriented radially outwardly from the projection.

6. An embedment tile for producing a tactilely detectable surface in a pedestrian walkway, the embedment tile comprising:

a tile member having an upper surface;

a plurality of tactile projections extending upward from the upper surface of the tile member, each tactile projection includes a top surface and an inclined side surface; and

each tactile projection includes a plurality of reinforcing ridges having at least a portion that extends outwardly from the top surface and the inclined side surface of the tactile projection; and

at least one tactile projection includes a substantially horizontal top surface with micro-texturing extending upwardly from the top surface.

7. The embedment tile of claim 6, wherein at least one reinforcing ridge includes a first portion that extends along and outwardly from the inclined side surface of the tactile projection and a second portion that extends outwardly from the top surface of the tactile projection, and the first portion and the second portion are spaced apart.

8. The embedment tile of claim 6, and the plurality of reinforcing ridges are spaced apart at substantially equal distances.

9. The embedment tile of claim 6, wherein at least one reinforcing ridge on at least one tactile projection extends between a lower base perimeter and the top surface of the tactile projection.