Surface marking assembly

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INCORPORATION-BY-REFERENCE OF MATERIAL SUBMITTED ON A COMPACT DISC OR AS A TEXT FILE VIA THE OFFICE ELECTRONIC FILING SYSTEM

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(1) Field of the Invention

(2) Description of Related Art Including Information Disclosed Under 37 CFR 1.97 and 1.98

The disclosure and prior art relates to marking assemblies and more particularly pertains to a new marking assembly for providing guidance to vehicle operators.

An embodiment of the disclosure meets the needs presented above by generally comprising first and second panels. The first panel is configured to couple to a surface, such as tarmac of a road. A plurality of solar cells is coupled to a top of the first panel. At least one battery is coupled to the first panel and is operationally coupled to the solar cells, which are configured to charge the battery. A plurality of bulbs is coupled to the first panel and is operationally coupled to the battery. The second panel, which is textured and substantially transparent, is coupled to the first panel to protect the solar cells and the bulbs. The battery is positioned to power the bulbs to provide visual direction to an operator of a vehicle proximate to the first panel. The second panel is configured to provide vibratory and auditory notifications to the operator.

There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, the more important features of the disclosure in order that the detailed description thereof that follows may be better understood, and in order that the present contribution to the art may be better appreciated. There are additional features of the disclosure that will be described hereinafter and which will form the subject matter of the claims appended hereto.

The objects of the disclosure, along with the various features of novelty which characterize the disclosure, are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this disclosure.

The disclosure will be better understood and objects other than those set forth above will become apparent when consideration is given to the following detailed description thereof. Such description makes reference to the annexed drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is an isometric perspective view of a surface marking assembly according to an embodiment of the disclosure.

FIG. 2 is a bottom view of an embodiment of the disclosure.

FIG. 3 is an exploded view of an embodiment of the disclosure.

FIG. 4 is an in-use view of an embodiment of the disclosure.

With reference now to the drawings, and in particular to FIGS. 1 through 4 thereof, a new marking assembly embodying the principles and concepts of an embodiment of the disclosure and generally designated by the reference numeral 10 will be described.

As best illustrated in FIGS. 1 through 4 , the surface marking assembly 10 generally comprises a first panel 12 and a second panel 14 . The first panel 12 is configured to couple to a surface, such as tarmac of a road. In one embodiment, the first panel 12 is elongated rectangularly shaped.

Each of a plurality of fasteners 16 is coupled to a respective opposing side 18 of the first panel 12 . The fasteners 16 are configured to couple to the surface, such as the tarmac of the road, to couple the first panel 12 to the surface. In one embodiment, each fastener 16 comprises a tab 20 that is coupled to and extends from the first panel 12 . Each tab 20 is singly holed so that each tab 20 is configured to insert hardware, such as a bolt and a spike, to couple the first panel 12 to the surface.

A plurality of solar cells 22 is coupled to a top 24 of the first panel 12 . At least one battery 26 is coupled to the first panel 12 . The at least one battery 26 is operationally coupled to the plurality of solar cells 22 . The solar cells 22 are configured to charge the at least one battery 26 . In one embodiment, a cavity 28 is positioned in the first panel 12 proximate to a respective opposing end 46 of the first panel 12 . The at least one battery 26 is positioned in the cavity 28 .

A plurality of bulbs 30 is coupled to the first panel 12 . The plurality of bulbs 30 is operationally coupled to the at least one battery 26 . The at least one battery 26 is positioned to power the bulbs 30 to illuminate an area proximate to the first panel 12 to provide visual direction to an operator of a vehicle proximate to the first panel 12 , such as a driver of an automobile. In one embodiment, each bulb 30 is positioned on the top 24 proximate to the respective opposing side 18 of the first panel 12 . In another embodiment, each bulb 30 comprises a light emitting diode 32 . In yet another embodiment, the plurality of bulbs 30 comprises bulbs 30 that emit a color of light selected from the set of colors of light that consists of white, red, green, and yellow.

A sensor switch 34 is coupled to the first panel 12 . The sensor switch 34 is operationally coupled to the plurality of bulbs 30 and the at least one battery 26 . The sensor switch 34 is configured to detect sunlight. The sensor switch 34 also is configured to selectively couple the bulbs 30 to the at least one battery 26 . The sensor switch 34 is positioned to couple the at least one battery 26 to the bulbs 30 to illuminate the area proximate to the first panel 12 to provide the visual direction to the operator of the vehicle proximate to the first panel 12 , such as the driver of the automobile. The sensor switch 34 is configured to detect the sunlight and is positioned to decouple the bulbs 30 from the at least one battery 26 .

The second panel 14 is substantially complementary to the first panel 12 . The second panel 14 is coupled to the first panel 12 so that the second panel 14 is positioned over the solar cells 22 and the bulbs 30 . The second panel 14 is configured to protect the solar cells 22 and the bulbs 30 from damage. The second panel 14 is textured and substantially transparent. The second panel 14 also is configured to provide a vibratory notification and an auditory notification to the operator of the vehicle when wheels of the vehicle rotationally contact the second panel 14 . In one embodiment, the second panel 14 comprises silicon resin.

A plurality of ridges 36 is coupled to and extends upwardly from the second panel 14 . The ridges 36 are configured to provide the vibratory notification and the auditory notification to the operator of the vehicle when the wheels of the vehicle rotationally contact the ridges 36 . In one embodiment, the ridges 36 extend from proximate to opposing edges 38 of the second panel 14 . In another embodiment, the ridges 36 are positioned in a pair of rows 40 . Each row 40 extends from proximate to opposing endpoints 42 of the second panel 14 .

Each of a pair of strips 44 is positioned between the first panel 12 and the second panel 14 adjacent to a respective opposing end 46 of the first panel 12 . The strips 44 are reflective. The strips 44 are configured to reflect light that impinges upon the strips 44 to provide visual notice to the operator of the vehicle proximate to the first panel 12 , such as the driver of the automobile.

In use, each tab 20 that is positioned on the first panel 12 is configured to insert hardware, such as the bolt and the spike, to couple the first panel 12 to the surface. The solar cells 22 are configured to charge the at least one battery 26 . The sensor switch 34 is positioned to couple the at least one battery 26 to the bulbs 30 to illuminate the area proximate to the first panel 12 to provide the visual direction to the operator of the vehicle proximate to the first panel 12 , such as the driver of the automobile. The sensor switch 34 is configured to detect the sunlight and to decouple the bulbs 30 from the at least one battery 26 . The second panel 14 is configured to protect the solar cells 22 and the bulbs 30 from damage. The ridges 36 that are positioned on the second panel 14 are configured to provide the vibratory notification and the auditory notification to the operator of the vehicle when the wheels of the vehicle rotationally contact the ridges 36 . The strips 44 that are positioned on the first panel 12 are configured to reflect the light that impinges upon the strips 44 to provide the visual notice to the operator of the vehicle proximate to the first panel 12 .

With respect to the above description then, it is to be realized that the optimum dimensional relationships for the parts of an embodiment enabled by the disclosure, to include variations in size, materials, shape, form, function and manner of operation, assembly and use, are deemed readily apparent and obvious to one skilled in the art, and all equivalent relationships to those illustrated in the drawings and described in the specification are intended to be encompassed by an embodiment of the disclosure.

Therefore, the foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the disclosure. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the disclosure to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the disclosure. In this patent document, the word “comprising” is used in its non-limiting sense to mean that items following the word are included, but items not specifically mentioned are not excluded. A reference to an element by the indefinite article “a” does not exclude the possibility that more than one of the element is present, unless the context clearly requires that there be only one of the elements.