U.S. patent application number 12/363813 was filed with the patent office on 2010-05-06 for weighted traffic cone assembly.
Invention is credited to Tzu-Feng Wang-Lee.
Application Number | 20100107964 12/363813 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 42129900 |
Filed Date | 2010-05-06 |
United States Patent
Application |
20100107964 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Wang-Lee; Tzu-Feng |
May 6, 2010 |
Weighted Traffic Cone Assembly
Abstract
A weighted traffic cone assembly for being used in occasion of
road/site construction includes a base and a conical body. The base
has an inner periphery formed with a supporting section having
slanted, upper and lower surfaces. The supporting section has a
side that is adjacent to an outer periphery of the base and formed
with a plurality of spaced holes, wherein the outer periphery has a
lower surface concavely formed with an annular groove. After the
base is place in a mold for forming the conical body, a pliable
material is introduced into the mold to wrap the supporting section
of the base, fill up each hole of the supporting section, and thus
form the pliable yet tough conical body having a predetermined
shape. The conical body has a lower end formed with upper and lower
peripheries and plural connecting portions distributed therebetween
for securely retaining the base.
Inventors: |
Wang-Lee; Tzu-Feng; (Rende
Township, TW) |
Correspondence
Address: |
KAMRATH & ASSOCIATES P.A.
4825 OLSON MEMORIAL HIGHWAY, SUITE 245
GOLDEN VALLEY
MN
55422
US
|
Family ID: |
42129900 |
Appl. No.: |
12/363813 |
Filed: |
February 2, 2009 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
116/63C |
Current CPC
Class: |
E01F 9/654 20160201;
E01F 9/688 20160201 |
Class at
Publication: |
116/63.C |
International
Class: |
E01F 9/012 20060101
E01F009/012 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Oct 30, 2008 |
TW |
097219454 |
Claims
1. A weighted traffic cone assembly, comprising a base and a
conical body, and being characterized in that: the base has an
inner periphery formed with a supporting section having slanted,
upper and lower surfaces, and the supporting section has a side
which is adjacent to an outer periphery of the base and formed with
a plurality of spaced holes, in which the outer periphery of the
base has a lower surface concavely formed with an annular groove;
wherein, upon placement of the base having a relatively large
specific gravity in a mold for forming the conical body, a pliable
material is introduced into the mold for wrapping the supporting
section of the base that has the slanted, upper and lower surfaces,
filling up each said hole of the supporting section, and thus
forming the pliable yet tough conical body having a predetermined
shape, in which the conical body has a lower end provided with
upper and lower peripheries and a plurality of connecting portions
distributed therebetween for securely retaining the base.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0001] 1. Technical Field
[0002] The present invention relates to a traffic cone for being
used in occasion of road/site construction, and more particularly,
to a weighted traffic cone assembly having a base which is
integrated in a central portion thereof with a conical body having
a lower end formed with upper and lower peripheries and a plurality
of connecting portions distributed therebetween for securely
retaining the base.
[0003] 2. Description of Related Art
[0004] Traffic cones are usually placed in occasion of road/site
construction to warn passing drivers not to hit construction
vehicles and workers. Generally, a traffic cone is integrally
formed and includes a base and a conical body. A typical traffic
cone is injection molded with plastic material so that the base and
the conical body are both lightweight. To prevent the traffic cone
from being blown away by strong wind, it has been common practice
to put a waste tire around the traffic cone, thereby forming an
assembly having a lower center of gravity. Hence, in view of the
inconvenience of such a makeshift solution, traffic cone
manufacturers have endeavored to improve the existing traffic
cones, and one example of such improvement is disclosed by U.S.
Pat. No. 7,056,055 B1, which is issued on Jun. 6, 2006 and titled
"Traffic Cone (2)". The traffic cone in the aforesaid patent
comprises a cone-shaped body and a base, wherein the cone-shaped
body has a lower end provided with an outwardly extending,
connecting circumference. The connecting circumference is provided
with a plurality of upright bars spaced apart equidistantly and a
through hole formed between every two neighboring bars. The base is
injection molded independently and then integrated with the
cone-shaped body by wrapping the connecting circumference thereof
so as to form the complete traffic cone.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0005] The present invention aims to provide an improved structure
for the existing traffic cones. It is hoped that a weighted traffic
cone assembly comprising a base and a conical body is provided,
wherein the conical body is integrated in a central portion of the
base and has a lower end formed with upper and lower peripheries
and a plurality of connecting portions distributed therebetween for
securely retaining the base.
[0006] Therefore, a primary objective of the present invention is
to provide a traffic cone assembly for being used in occasion of
road/site construction, wherein the traffic cone assembly comprises
a base and a conical body. The base has an inner periphery formed
with a supporting section having slanted, upper and lower surfaces.
The supporting section further has a side that is adjacent to an
outer periphery of the base and formed with a plurality of spaced
holes, wherein the outer periphery of the base has a lower surface
concavely formed with an annular groove. After the base is placed
in a mold for forming the conical body, a pliable material is
introduced into the mold to wrap the supporting section of the base
that has the slanted, upper and lower surfaces, fill up each of the
holes of the supporting section, and thus form the pliable yet
tough conical body having a predetermined shape. The conical body
thus formed has a lower end provided with upper and lower
peripheries and a plurality of connecting portions distributed
therebetween for securely retaining the base.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS
[0007] The invention as well as a preferred mode of use, further
objectives and advantages thereof will be best understood by
referring to the following detailed description of illustrative
embodiments in conjunction with the accompanying drawings,
wherein:
[0008] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a traffic cone assembly
according to a first embodiment of the present invention;
[0009] FIG. 2 shows a perspective view and a partial, sectional
view of a base of the traffic cone assembly of the present
invention;
[0010] FIG. 3 shows a perspective view and a partial, sectional
view of a conical body of the traffic cone assembly of the present
invention;
[0011] FIG. 4 is a frontal, sectional view of the traffic cone
assembly according to the present invention; and
[0012] FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a traffic cone assembly
according to a second embodiment of the present invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0013] Referring to FIG. 1, a weighted traffic cone assembly 3
according to the present invention for being used in occasion of
road/site construction includes a base 1 and a conical body 2.
[0014] As shown in FIG. 2, the base 1 constitutes a lower part of
the traffic cone assembly 3 and is integrally formed of a material
(such as recycled material) having a relatively large specific
gravity so as to have a desired width and shape. The base 1 has an
inner periphery formed with a supporting section 11 having slanted,
upper and lower surfaces. The supporting section 11 has a side
which is adjacent to an outer periphery 13 of the base 1 and formed
with a plurality of spaced holes 12. In addition, the outer
periphery 13 of the base 1 has a lower surface concavely formed
with an annular groove 14, as shown in FIG. 4, wherein a width of
the annular groove 14 depends on a desired weight of the traffic
cone assembly 3 as required by the sites where the traffic cone
assembly 3 is to be placed.
[0015] Referring now to FIG. 3, the conical body 2 is formed of a
pliable material in a second injection molding process so as to
wrap part of the base 1 and border on the inner periphery of the
base 1, as shown more clearly in FIG. 4. To form the conical body
2, the base 1 which is made in a first injection molding process is
placed in a mold for forming the conical body 2, and then a pliable
material is introduced into the mold to wrap the supporting section
11 of the base 1 that has the slanted, upper and lower surfaces,
fill up each of the holes 12 of the supporting section 11, and thus
form the pliable yet tough conical body 2 having a predetermined
shape and integrated with the base 1. The conical body 2 has a
lower end formed with upper and lower peripheries 21, 22 and a
plurality of connecting portions 23 distributed therebetween (as
shown in FIG. 3) for securely retaining the base 1 (as shown in
FIG. 4).
[0016] Referring to FIG. 5, a traffic cone assembly 3' according to
a second embodiment of the present invention includes a base 1'
which is made in a first injection molding process and then placed
in a mold for forming a conical body 2 of the traffic cone assembly
3', so that the conical body 2 is formed in a second injection
molding process and wraps part of the base 1', wherein the base 1'
is generally rectangular to facilitate placement of the traffic
cone assembly 3' on a construction road or construction site as a
warning device. The rectangular base 1' in this embodiment has the
same structure as the base 1 in FIG. 2 for enabling formation of
the conical body 2 that wraps part of the base.
[0017] The traffic cone assembly according to the present invention
as described above has the following advantages in manufacture and
use:
[0018] 1. The base of the traffic cone assembly is integrally
formed of a material having a relatively large specific gravity so
as to have the desired width and shape. In addition, the annular
groove formed on the lower surface of the base provides enhanced
grip on the ground, so that the traffic cone assembly can stand
stably on a road or at a site under construction without being
blown away by strong wind.
[0019] 2. The base is securely retained in the traffic cone
assembly by the upper and lower peripheries at the lower end of the
conical body as well as the plurality of connecting portions
distributed between the upper and lower peripheries.
[0020] 3. The lower surface of the base of the traffic cone
assembly is concavely formed with the annular groove whose width is
determined by the desired weight of the traffic cone assembly as
required by the sites where the traffic cone assembly is to be
placed. Hence, the weight of the traffic cone assembly can be
easily controlled in the forming process.
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