GB2320274A

GB2320274A - Bollard

Info

Publication number: GB2320274A
Application number: GB9625767A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Peter John Leigh
Original assignee: PEARCE GOWSHALL Ltd
Current assignee: PEARCE GOWSHALL Ltd
Priority date: 1996-12-11
Filing date: 1996-12-11
Publication date: 1998-06-17
Anticipated expiration: 2016-12-11
Also published as: GB9625767D0; GB2320274B

Abstract

A traffic board having retroreflective strips (6) is externally illuminated by light generated by a submerged lighting arrangement (9). Rays (10) emerging from the upper region of a projecting translucent base portion (12) are scattered and some fall on the surface of the retroreflective strips at a sufficiently shallow angle to be reflected (11) in a nearly horizontal plane.

Description

BOLLARD The present invention relates to a traffic bollard.

Such bollards are normally translucent and are internally illuminated by an electric lamp arrangement located below the base of the bollard.

In our co-pending patent application GB 9624273.0 a traffic bollard is disclosed having retroreflective material on the exterior of its pedestal portion, the retroreflective material being protected against impact by being located in recesses or between projections.

Such a bollard has the advantage that it does not require internal illumination in order to be visible to drivers at night.

However we have now found that if such a bollard is provided with a translucent base projecting beyond the outer surface of the retroreflective material and is located over a conventional base lighting arrangement, sufficient light passes through the upper surface of the base and is scattered onto the exterior of the retroreflective material to enhance the visibility of the bollard.

Accordingly, the present invention provides a bollard having reflective material arranged to be externally illuminated by light emerging from an upper surface region of a projecting light-transmissive base portion of the bollard.

Preferably the reflective material is retroreflective material.

Preferably the (retro)reflective material is disposed on a pedestal portion of the bollard.

Other preferred features are defined in the dependent Claims.

A preferred embodiment of the invention is described below by way of example only with reference to Figure 1 of the accompanying drawing, wherein: Figure 1 is a front elevation of a traffic bollard in accordance with the invention.

Referring to Figure 1, the bollard, which is in the form of a hollow plastics shell mounted on a conventional traffic island 13, comprises a pedestal 1 and a generally circular flat display portion 2, on which a traffic sign 5 is formed by cutting out appropriate portions from vertical strips 3 of flexible retroreflective sheet material. Strips 3, which are 50 mm wide, are protected against minor impact by projections 4 which are formed integrally in the part of the plastics shell which forms the display portion 2. The shell material is suitably of 4 to 6 mm thickness. Projections 4 are suitably 12 mm wide, and project 7.5 mm in front of the surface of the retroreflective material strips 3.

The projections 4 thereby protect the retroreflective material against minor impact from any flat or nearly flat object having a width of greater than about 50 mm.

The pedestal portion 1 of the bollard shown in Figure 1 is in the form of a decadon, projections 7 similar to projections 4 being formed at the upright edges and serving to protect 50 mm wide strips 6 of flexible retroreflective sheet which are adhered to the faces of the octagon. The retroreflective material used for strips 3 and 6 is suitably "Diamond Grade", obtainable from 3M, having a luminance characteristic of 10 cds/m2 In accordance with the invention, the bollard has a white translucent projecting base portion 12 which is arranged to scatter light (indicated by rays 10 and 11) from a conventional submerged lighting arrangement 8. As shown, rays from fluorescent tubes 9 pass through the upper surface of box portion 12 and some of this light spills onto retroreflective strips 6 and is reflected nearly horizonally as indicated at 11.

It should be noted that the light emerging from the upper surface of base 12 impinges on retroreflective strips 6 at too shallow an angle for true retroreflection to occur, which would decrease visibility in the horizontal plane. The above described external illumination occurs around the entire periphery of pedestal 1, not just to one side as shown purely for ease of illustration.

Claims

1. A bollard having reflective material arranged to be externally illuminated by light emerging from an upper surface region of a projecting light transmissive base portion of the bollard.

2. A bollard as claimed in claim 1 wherein the reflective material is retroreflective material.

3. A bollard as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2 wherein the reflective material is disposed on the exterior of a pedestal portion of the bollard.

4. A bollard as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the luminance characteristic of the reflective material is greater than 3 cd/m2

5. A bollard claimed in any preceding claim wherein the luminance characteristic of the reflective material is greater than 5 cdim2

6. A bollard arrangement as claimed in any preceding claim, further comprising lighting means within the bollard adjacent the base portion thereof.

7. A bollard or bollard arrangement substantially as described hereinabove with reference to Figure 1 of the accompanying drawing.