Arcuate tactile sidewalk tile arrangement and method of assembly

• US 9,814,649 B1
• Filed: 08/31/2017
• Issued: 11/14/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 03/13/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: TWM IP LLC
• Original Assignee: Tuf-Tite Incorporated
• Inventors: Meyers, Theodore W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Addie, Raymond W
• Application Number:
  US15/692,932
• Time in Patent Office: 75 Days
• Field of Search: 404 34- 36
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 3/066 Installations on the floor, e.g. special surfaces, to guide blind persons
• CPC Class Codes: E01C 15/00 Pavings specially adapted for footpaths, sidewalks or cycle tracks
• CPC Class Codes: E01C 9/00 Special pavings specially adapted for playgrounds or sports grounds E01C13/00, for footpaths, sidewalks or cycle tracks E01C15/00; Pavings for special parts of roads or airfields pavement lights E01C17/00; manholes or like covers or frames E02D29/14

Abstract

An arcuate tactile sidewalk tile arrangement includes a connector tactile sidewalk tile including a wedge-shaped main body and one or more connector flanges that adjoin one or more longitudinal sides of the wedge-shaped main body. One or more rectilinear tactile sidewalk tiles overlap the one or more connector flanges. A plurality of truncated domes projects upwardly in a vertical direction from an upper surface of the wedge-shaped main body, as well as an upper surface of each one of the one or more rectilinear tactile sidewalk tiles.

Claims

1. A tactile sidewalk tile arrangement comprising:

a connector tactile sidewalk tile including a wedge-shaped main body and a connector flange adjoining of the wedge-shaped main body;

a rectilinear tactile sidewalk tile, at least a portion of the rectilinear tactile sidewalk tile being positioned above the connector flange in a vertical direction; and

a plurality of truncated domes projecting upwardly in the vertical direction from an upper surface of the wedge-shaped main body and an upper surface of the rectilinear tactile sidewalk tile.

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

the connector flange being stepped down from the wedge-shaped main body such that an upper surface of the connector flange is offset downwardly in the vertical direction from the upper surface of the wedge-shaped main body by an offset distance.

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

the rectilinear tactile sidewalk tile having a thickness equal to the offset distance such that the upper surface of the rectilinear tactile sidewalk tile is substantially level with the upper surface of the wedge-shaped main body of the connector tactile sidewalk tile.

4. The tactile sidewalk tile arrangement of claim 1, the wedge-shaped main body having first and second longitudinal sides, the connector flange adjoining the first longitudinal side of the wedge-shaped main body, the second longitudinal side of the wedge-shaped main body being free of an adjoining connector flange.

5. The arcuate tactile sidewalk tile arrangement of claim 1, the connector flange including a plurality of tabs protruding from the wedge-shaped main body, a hole being formed in each tab of the plurality of tabs.

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

a fastener passing through a hole in the connector flange and a hole in the rectilinear tactile sidewalk tile to secure the rectilinear tactile sidewalk tile to the connector flange.

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

the rectilinear tactile sidewalk tile including a lower surface having a plurality of dome depressions, each of the dome depressions corresponding to one of the truncated domes of the upper surface of the rectilinear tactile sidewalk tile.

8. A method of assembling a tactile sidewalk tile arrangement, the method comprising:

providing a connector tactile sidewalk tile including a wedge-shaped main body, a connector flange adjoining the wedge-shaped main body, and a plurality of truncated domes projecting upwardly in a vertical direction from an upper surface of the wedge-shaped main body; and

positioning at least a portion of a rectilinear tactile sidewalk tile above the connector flange in a vertical direction, the rectilinear tactile sidewalk tile including a plurality of truncated domes projecting upwardly in the vertical direction from an upper surface of the first rectilinear tactile sidewalk tile.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

securing the rectilinear tactile sidewalk tile to the connector flange by inserting a fastener through a hole in the rectilinear tactile sidewalk tile and a hole in the connector flange.

10. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

the connector flange being stepped down from the wedge-shaped main body such that an upper surface of the connector flange is offset downwardly in the vertical direction from the upper surface of the wedge-shaped main body an offset distance.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

the rectilinear tactile sidewalk tile having a thickness equal to the offset distance such that the upper surface of the rectilinear tactile sidewalk tile is substantially level with the upper surface of the wedge-shaped main body of the connector tactile sidewalk tile.

12. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

the rectilinear tactile sidewalk tile including a lower surface having a plurality of dome depressions, each of the dome depressions corresponding to one of the truncated domes of the upper surface of the rectilinear tactile sidewalk tile.

13. A connector tactile sidewalk tile comprising:

a wedge-shaped main body;

a plurality of truncated domes projecting upwardly in a vertical direction from an upper surface of the wedge-shaped main body; and

a connector flange adjoining the wedge-shaped main body, an upper surface of the connector flange being free of any truncated domes.

14. The connector tactile sidewalk tile of claim 13, further comprising a plurality of fastener-receiving holes passing through the connector flange.

15. The connector tactile sidewalk tile of claim 13, the connector flange including a plurality of tabs protruding from the wedge-shaped main body, a fastener-receiving hole being formed in each tab of the plurality of tabs.

16. The connector tactile sidewalk tile of claim 13, the upper surface of the connector flange being planar and configured for flush engagement with a bottom surface of an adjacent sidewalk tile.

17. The connector tactile sidewalk tile of claim 13, the wedge-shaped main body having first and second longitudinal sides, the connector flange adjoining the first longitudinal side of the wedge-shaped main body, the second longitudinal side of the wedge-shaped main body being free of an adjoining connector flange.

18. The connector tactile sidewalk tile of claim 13, an outer portion of the wedge-shaped main body being wider than an inner portion of the wedge-shaped main body, the outer portion of the wedge-shaped main body having a greater number of the truncated domes per unit length than the inner portion of the wedge-shaped main body.

19. The connector tactile sidewalk tile of claim 18, the truncated domes of the outer portion of the wedge-shaped main body being arranged in at least two rows, the truncated domes of the inner portion of the wedge-shaped main body being arranged in a single row.

20. The connector tactile sidewalk tile of claim 13, each of the plurality of truncated domes having a diameter of 0.9 inches and a height of 0.2 inches.