1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to street signs. More specifically, street signs made from a composite material and having an integral electrical system.
2. Background & Description of the Related Art
Street signs or street name signs usually consist of rectangular panels mounted on a vertical post, each panel having a street name, either in full or a variation thereof, printed on at least one side of the panel. The sign panels may also have graphics or other ancillary notations printed on them. Street signs are commonly found at street intersections and may share mounting posts with traffic signs such as stop signs.
Street signs are often constructed of metal to provide the strength and durability necessary to withstand harsh outdoor weather conditions. Specifically, the panels are usually made out of painted aluminum and the post from painted or unpainted aluminum or steel. However, use of aluminum for street sign panels has certain drawbacks when compared to other materials. Drawbacks include increased risk of theft due to the material value, glare from unpainted or chipped surfaces, and maintenance costs. Because of these concerns, fiber reinforced polymer (also called fiber reinforced plastic) has become a popular alternative material for fabricating street sign panels.
Fiber reinforced polymer (FRP) is a durable composite material comprising a polymer material reinforced by glass, carbon, aramid or other types of fibers. FRP products are formed using a variety of manufacturing methods including a pultrusion process. Pultrusion involves pulling reinforcing fibers or matting through a vat of resin and then through a heated die where the resin undergoes polymerization encasing the fibers.
A problem with many of the street signs made and used today, whether they are made of aluminum, FRP, or some other material, is that they are difficult to read in the dark, specifically at night. For this reason street signs typically use reflective material to make their words or graphics more visible in the dark. This can be done by adding reflective vinyl or reflective paint with glass beads to the sign panels.
Relying solely on reflectivity to make a street sign visible in the dark has an obvious and significant drawback, which is that an exterior light source is required to activate the reflective element and make the sign visible. Not only must there be an exterior light source but the light must be directed at the sign and the light must be of sufficient intensity to be reflected off of the sign. There are situations where this type of light may not be available, for example pedestrians walking without a light source or inclement weather such as rain causing the intensity of light hitting the sign to decrease due to refraction by the raindrops.
What is needed in the industry is a street sign made of durable material such as FRP having an integral means for illuminating the indicia on the sign. It is known in the art to mount LED lights to a traffic sign in a manner that overlaps the sign's indicia so that the lights outline or form the shape of the indicia. A company named Sollitech (www.sollitech.com) located in Amman, Jordan currently manufactures such a product. A problem with using lights to form the shape of the indicia rather than illuminating the indicia is that characteristics of the indicia such as color will not appreciable in the dark. A better method of using lights on a sign would be to illuminate indicia with lights set away from the indicia. Also, the lights in the Sollitech signs overlay the indicia, which detracts from the aesthetics of the sign during the daytime. What is needed is a durable street sign having integral lighting that illuminates indicia rather than simply outlining or forming the shape of the indicia.