GB2338501A

GB2338501A - A tactile stud

Info

Publication number: GB2338501A
Application number: GB9913855A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Gregory John Carter
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1998-06-15
Filing date: 1999-06-15
Publication date: 1999-12-22
Anticipated expiration: 2019-06-15
Also published as: GB9913855D0; GB9812752D0; GB2338501B

Abstract

A tactile stud for incorporation into a paved area has a head 10 with a recess 15 in it's upper surface and a stem 12, which projects downwardly from the central region of the underside of the head 10. Granular material e.g. granite or silicon carbide is bonded into the recess 15 in the head so that the upper surface region of the granular material is just above the material of the head 10 around the recess 15. Granular material 16 may be bonded to a carrier sheet 21 which is die-cut to the shape of the recess and is then bonded therein. The carrier sheet 21 and the adhesive bonding the granular material 16 thereto may be coloured to enhance visibility of the stud. The head and stem may be made of stainless steel, brass, bronze, aluminium or plastic.

Description

Ref. 11799sp 2338501 A TACTILE STUD This invention relates to a tactile

stud, and also to paving whenever including an array of such tactile studs.

It is known to incorporate in a paved area upstanding elements which can be detected by feel through the soles of the feet of persons walking or standing on that area, whereby information concerning the area may be imparted to such persons. For example, ribs are sometimes provided along a platform edge at a railway station, so that persons standing adjacent the platform edge will be made aware of the danger of the platform edge. Also, upstanding elements are sometimes provided in a pavement to each side of a roadway, in the region of a pedestrian crossing so that people and particularly the visually impaired - will be made aware of the location of the crossing through the soles of the feet. Often, there are associated with such tactile warnings as have been described above various means to give a visual warning, for those having normal vision.

Frequently, yellow paint is used for this purpose but there can be an improvement in noticeability merely by providing areas of high contrast.

It is an aim of the present invention to provide means whereby a paved area may impart both a tactile and visual warning to persons walking on that area, as to the presence of some hazard or danger such as a platform edge, a pedestrian crossing over a roadway, or the like.

According to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a tactile stud for incorporation in a paved area, comprising a head having a recess in its upper surface, a stem projecting downwardly from the underside of the head, and granular material bonded into the recess in the head, the upper Ref. 11799sp surface region of the granular material being in the plane of or upstanding above the material of the head around the recess therein.

It will be appreciated that the tactile stud of this invention is mounted in a paved area by providing a vertical bore into the area, in which the stem may be located. Generally, the underside of the head will rest on the upper surface of the paved area so that the head will wholly upstand above the normal surface of that paved area. However, it would be possible to provide a counter-bore for the head of the stud, in which case the head will be partially recessed into the paved area. Either way, at least the upper part of the head should upstand above the normal surface of the paved area so that a person walking on that area will be able to feel, through the soles of his feet, the presence of the tactile studs. This will impart the required warning to such a person.

Both for convenience in manufacture and for aesthetic reasons, it is preferred that the head of the stud is of circular configuration. The stem may project downwardly from the central region of the underside of the head, and preferably is of circular cross-sectional shape so that it may be located in a simple circular bore in the paved area. A stud of this configuration may be held in position in the paved area for example by means of a high-strength synthetic resin material, used to bond the stud into a bore furnished in the paved area.

Such a recess may be under-cut around the periphery, to assist the adhesive in retaining the granular material in the recess. Conveniently, and especially where the head of the stud is of circular configuration, the recess also is of circular shape.

The granular material located in the recess preferably comprises discrete pieces of a relatively hard and hard-wearing mineral, such as fine granite or Ref 11799sp stone particles, or a synthetic material such as silicon carbide, usually known as carborundum, or aluminium oxide. Advantageously, such pieces are in the form of irregular shaped particles typically of around 24 mesh. Such materials will impart anti-slip properties to the tactile stud as well as giving it a long life. The granular material may be bonded in the recess with any suitable high- strength adhesive, such as a synthetic resin - for example an epoxy or acrylic resin.

As an alternative, the granular material may be pre-bonded to a carrier sheet, which sheet is then cut to the required profile and is bonded in the recess. In such a case, the granular material may be similar to that described above, and may be bonded to the carrier sheet with a high -strength adhesive. In turn, that sheet may be bonded into the recess with another high-strength adhesive. Such an arrangement has the advantage that it is easier accurately to control the thickness of the carrier sheet and granular material adhesive mix when manufactured in sheet form, and so the upstand of the upper surface of the granular material above the stud may be precisely controlled.

With either form of tactile stud, the adhesive bonding the granular material may be suitably coloured to assist visibility of the stud, when installed in a paved area. In the case of the granular material being bonded to a carder, that carrier may also be similarly coloured, to give greater depth to the colour.

Colour-coded studs may be let into a paved area for other purposes, besides the principal use discussed above. For example, the studs may be used as direction indicators, or to mark out routes to different destinations, by a walker with normal sight following a particular coloured trail marked by the studs.

When silicon carbide is employed as the granular material, this generally has a very dark or black colour, and so gives the tactile stud a distinct visual Ref. 11799sp appearance, contrasting significantly with a surrounding paved area. Moreover, by making both the head and stem of metal, the colour contrast will be increased. Stainless steel is the preferred material for the head and stem, and this has a silvery and shiny appearance which surrounds and contrasts with the silicon carbide particles bonded into the recess in the head. The head and stem could be made of other materials besides stainless steel, such as brass, a bronze, aluminium or even a durable and hard-wearing plastics material.

This invention extends to a paved area carrying an array of tactile studs of this invention, as described above.

By way of example only, one specific embodiment of tactile stud of this invention will now be described in detail, reference being made to the accompanying drawings, in which:- Figure 1 is a plan view on the embodiment of stud of this invention; Figure 2 is a side elevation of the stud of Figure 1; Figure 3 is a cross-section through the stud of Figures 1 and 2, mounted in a paved area; Figure 4 is a perspective view of a part of a paved area provided with a plurality of tactile studs; Figures 5 and 6 show two alternative arrays of studs as mounted in a paved area; and Figure 7 is a crosssection through an alternative design of tactile stud.

Referring initially to Figures 1 to 3, there is shown an embodiment of tactile stud of this invention, comprising a head 10 of circular shape when viewed in plan, and from the underside 11 of which depends a stem 12 of circular cross-sectional shape. The free end of the stem 12 is given a bevel 13 Ref 11799sp to assist the insertion of the stem into a bore in a paved area, as will be described below.

The underside 11 of the head 10 is planar, with the peripheral wall 14 of the head being curved inwardly and upwardly, as shown in Figures 2 and 3. The central area of the upper surface of the head is provided with a recess 15 (Figure 3) of circular cross-sectional shape, in which are bonded particles 16 of silicon carbide. The particles are of an irregular shape and typically of about 24 mesh, and are bonded into the recess 15 for example by means of an epoxy resin or an acrylic resin. The general upper surface of the bonded particles 16 is just above the surrounding region of the head 10.

In order to incorporate a stud as described with reference to Figures 1 and 2 in a paved area, a bore 18 is provided in the material of the paved area, such as a stone stab 19 shown in Figure 3. An epoxy resin material is then lightly coated on the underside 11 of the head 10 and on the stem 12, and the stem is then pushed home into the bore 18 as shown in Figure 3. Provided the upper surface of the stone and the bore 18 is dust and powder free and has adequately been cleaned, a high-strength permanent bond can be achieved between the stud and the stone slab 19.

In order to impart the required tactile information concerning a danger or other hazard to a person walking on the paved area, a plurality of studs of this invention as described above are laid in a regular array over the required region of the paved area, such as is shown in Figure 4. Here, a simple rectangular array is provided, with the studs arranged in linear columns and rows. A plan view of such an array (but on a reduced scale) is shown in Figure 5.

Ref. 117 Figure 6 illustrates an alternative array, where the studs are provided in three rows with the studs in each row equally-spaced. The studs of the middle row are displaced by half a pitch with respect to the studs in the two outer rows. Of course, more than three rows may be provided and other arrays could be employed besides those shown in Figures 5 and 6.

When in use, the dark particles of silicon carbide bonded in the recess of a stud provide a significant contrast with the surrounding stainless steel material of the stud, which in turn contrasts with the stone material of the paved area. Thus, there is a significant visual impact which assists a person having normal vision to appreciate the presence of the hazard in the region where the studs are incorporated into the paved area. Moreover, the upstanding heads warn a person walking on the area of the presence of the hazard, in a tactile way. The use of carborundum will impart a long life to the stud, as well as giving good antislip properties, so minimising the risk of a person slipping and failing consequent upon walking on a paved area carrying the studs.

Figure 7 shows a modified form of the tactile stud of Figures 1 to 3. Here, the recess is under-cut at 20, to assist in retaining the granular material in the recess, by virtue of a mechanical lock between the adhesive and the recess. In addition, the granular material is shown in Figure 7 as being adhered to a coloured carrier sheet 21, which sheet is in turn adhered in the recess. The granular material may be pre-bonded to the carrier sheet 21 so as to have a precise ly-controlled thickness, the sheet then being die-cut into discs of fitting into the recesses of the studs.

The above form of stud will allow much higher production rates, without the need to mask off the part of the stud surrounding the recess, as would be Ref. 11799sp required in the case of the arrangement of Figures 1 to 3. There is also the possibility of providing better coloured studs, to enhance visibility of the studs when installed in a paved area.

Ref. 117995P

Claims

1 A tactile stud for incorporation in a paved area, comprising a head having a recess in its upper surface, a stem projecting downwardly from the underside of the head, and granular material bonded into the recess in the head, the upper surface region of the granular material being in the plane of or upstanding above the material of the head around the recess therein.

2. A tactile stud as claimed in claim 1, wherein the head of the stud is of circular configuration.

3. A tactile stud as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the stem projects downwardly from the central region of the underside of the head.

4. A tactile stud as claimed in any of the preceding claims, wherein the stem is of circular cross-sectional shape.

5. A tactile stud as claimed in any of the preceding claims, wherein the recess is of circular shape.

6. A tactile stub as claimed in any of the proceeding claims, wherein the peripheral wall of the recess is under cut to assist retention of the granular material therein.

7. A tactile stud as claimed in any of the preceding claims, wherein the 20 granular material comprises discrete pieces of a relatively hard and hard-wearing mineral.

8. A tactile stud as claimed in any of the preceding claims, wherein the granular material comprises discrete particles of silicon carbide.

9. A tactile stud as claimed in any of the preceding claims, wherein the granular material is bonded into the recess by means of a synthetic resin.

Ref. 11799sp

10. A tactile stub as claimed in any of claims 1 to 8, wherein the granular material comprises a carrier sheet to which discrete pieces of a relatively hard and hard-wearing material are bonded, the sheet then being cut to the profile of the recess and bonded therein.

11. A tactile stub as claimed in claim 10, wherein the carrier sheet is coloured to enhance visibility of the stub when in use.

12. A tactile stub as claimed in any of the preceding claims, wherein the adhesive bonding the granular material to the recess or the carrier sheet, as appropriate, is coloured,.

13. A tactile stud as claimed in any of the preceding claims, wherein the head and stem are of stainless steel.

14. A tactile stud as claimed in claim 1 and substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

15. A paved area including an array of spaced tactile studs as claimed in any of the preceding claims.