Claims for Patent: 6,955,496

Summary for Patent: 6,955,496

Title:	Road marker
Abstract:	A reflective road marker (10, 48) to be mounted on a road surface to indicate the position of traffic control lines on that surface. The road marker has a base (14, 62) which can be secured to the road surface by adhesive. An resilient support (20, 50) is secured to the base and supports light reflectors (24, 68) at an acute angle to the road surface. The support allows the reflectors to be deflected resiliently towards the base in response to passage of a vehicle tyre over the road marker. To prevent damage to the reflectors means is provided to prevent ingress of solid particles between the reflector and the base. In the preferred embodiment, the support is provided by a hollow diaphragm of a resilient material.
Inventor(s):	Burchell; Shaun (Selcourt 1559, ZA)
Assignee:
Application Number:	10/477,808
Patent Claims:	1. A surface-mounted road marker comprising a rigid base having a generally flat underside which can be adhered to the surface of a road, at least one rigid light reflector and a resilient diaphragm which supports the light reflector resiliently at an acute angle to the road surface, the diaphragm being of upwardly tapering shape and having an opening in a front wall thereof in which the reflector is anchored, the diaphragm being resiliently deformable to allow pivotal deflection of the reflector towards the base in response to passage of a vehicle tire over the road marker, the base being continuous beneath the reflector and diaphragm such that the diaphragm forms, with the reflector and base, a hollow enclosure. 2. A road marker according to claim 1, wherein the diaphragm has an open bottom, spaced apart front and rear walls and spaced apart side walls, the side walls having lower edges carrying integral projections engaged with the base. 3. A road marker according to claim 2, wherein the projections are in the form of ribbed flanges which engage in undercut recesses in the base. 4. A road marker according to claim 1, wherein the opening in the front wall of the diaphragm is bounded by an edge and the reflector comprises a rigid front plate of light-transmitting material located over the diaphragm and a rigid rear plate located behind the diaphragm and connected to the front plate such that the edge of the opening is trapped between the plates. 5. A road marker according to claim 4, wherein the front and rear plates define a plurality of spaces between them each accommodating reflective material. 6. A road marker according to claim 5, wherein the front plate has a projection thereon which can pivot relative to an upstanding rib on the base when the reflector is deflected towards the base. 7. A road marker according to claim 1, wherein the front wall of the diaphragm is rebated to allow air to escape from the hollow enclosure when the reflector is deflected towards the base. 8. A road marker according to claim 7, wherein the base has a central, upstanding rib transverse to the direction of vehicle movement thereover and the marker comprises light reflectors supported by separate resilient diaphragms on either side of the rib with the reflectors facing in opposite directions. 9. A road marker according to claim 8, wherein the opening in the front wall of each resilient diaphragm is bounded by an edge and each reflector comprises a rigid front plate of light-transmitting material located over the associated diaphragm and a rigid rear plate located behind that diaphragm and connected to the front plate such that the edge of the opening is trapped between the plates.