Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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Title: WALKWAY SYSTEM
I=ieid of the invention
(0001] The present invention relates to walkways and more particularly
pertains to a new walkway system for providing a non-slip walkway path for
users.
Background of the invention
[0002] The use of walkways is known in the prior art. More specifically,
walkways heretofore devised and utilized are known to consist basically of
familiar, expected and obvious structural configurations, notwithstanding the
myriad of designs encompassed by the crowded prior art which have been
developed for the fulfillment of countless objectives and requirements.
Summary of the invention
[0003] The general purpose of the present invention, which will be
described subsequently in greater detail, is to provide a new walkway system
which has many of the advantages of the walkways mentioned heretofore and
many novel features that result in a new walkway system which is not
anticipated, rendered obvious, suggested, or evE:n implied by any of the prior
art walkways, either alone or in any combination thereof. The present
invention includes a plurality of trays each having bottom and side walls with
the trays being embedded in a ground surface; and also includes a plurality of
walk-upon cover members being removably arid securely locked upon the
trays and being disposed upon the ground surface; and further includes a light
assembly being disposed upon the trays; and also includes a heating
assembly being disposed upon the trays for preventing ice from accumulating
upon the walk-upon covers. None of the prior ai~t includes the combination of
the elements of the present invention.
[0004] There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, the more
important features of the walkway system 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
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features of the invention that will be described hereinafter and which will
form
the subject matter of the claims appended hereto.
[0005] In this respect, before explaining at least one embodiment of the
invention in detail, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited
in its
application to the details of construction and to the arrangements of the
components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the
drawings.
The invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced and
carried out in various ways. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology
and terminology employed herein are for the purpose of description and
should not be regarded as limiting.
[0006] It is an object of the present invention to provide a new walkway
system which has many of the advantages of the walkways mentioned
heretofore and many novel features that result in a new walkway system
which is not anticipated, rendered obvious, suggested, or even implied by any
of the prior art walkways, either alone or in any combination thereof.
[0007] Stiff another object of the present invention is to provide a new
walkway system for providing a non-slip walkway path for users.
[0008] Still yet another object of the present invention is to provide a
new walkway system that is easy and convenient to set up and use.
(0009] Even still another object of the present invention is to provide a
new walkway system that is safer to walk upon than conventional cement
slabs.
[0010] These together with other objects of the invention, along with the
various features of novelty which characterize the invention, are pointed out
with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this
disclosure. For a better understanding of the invention, its operating
advantages and the specific objects attained by its uses, reference should be
made to the accompanying drawings and descriptive matter in which there are
illustrated preferred embodiments of the invention.
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Brief descriation of the drawings
[0011] The invention will be better understood and objects ofiher 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:
[0012] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a new walkway system according
to the present invention.
[0013] FIG. 2 is a side elevational view of a tray and cover of the
walkway system of Figure 1.
[0014] FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view of a first embodiment of
a tray and cover made in accordance with the present invention.
[0015] FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view of an advanced
embodiment of a tray and cover made in accordance with the present
invention.
[001G] FIG, 5 is a schematic diagram of a master control unit made in
accordance with the present invention.
Detailed descriation of the invention
[0017] With reference now to the drawings, and in particular to FIGS. 1
through 3 thereof, a new walkway system embodying the principles and
concepts of the present invention and generally designated by the reference
numeral 10 will be described.
[0018] As best illustrated in FIGS. 1 through 3, a first embodiment of
the the walkway system 10 generally comprises a plurality of preferably
interconnected trays 11 being arranged to form a walkway, each tray 11
having bottom and side walls 12,13 with the trays 11 being embedded in a
ground surface 30.
[0019] Each of the trays 11 also includes a rim 14,15 being integrally
disposed along a top edge of the side walls 13. The rim 14,15 has a first
portion 14 which is disposed inwardly of the tray 11 and disposed generally
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parallel to the bottom wall 12. The rim 14,15 al:>o has a second portion 15
which is disposed upwardly of the tray 11 and disposed generally parallel to
the side walls 12. Each of the trays 11 further includes at least one hole 16
being disposed through one of the side walls 13 thereof.
[0020 A plurality of walk-upon cover members 17 are removably and
securely locked upon the trays 11 and are disposed above the ground surface
30. Each of the walk-upon cover members 17 includes top and side walls
18,19 with the side walls 19 interlocking with the second portion 15 of a
respective rim 14,15. Preferably a seal made of rubber or other suitable
material is provided between the side walls 19 and the vertical rim portion
15,
to reduce the possibility of water leaking into the interior of the trays 11.
The
top wall 18 has a non-slip top surface and also has a particular pattern
disposed upon the non-slip top surface. The trays 11 and the walk-upon cover
members 17 are made of sufficiently resilient plastic material, and the walk
upon cover members 17 are also transparent.
[0021 A light assembly is disposed upon the trays 11. The light
assembly includes a plurality of light-emitting members 20 being spacedly and
securely disposed upon the bottom walls 12 of the trays 11. Electrical wires
21 are also provided which connect the light-emitting members 20 to a power
supply typically in the form of a power cord 22 being disposed through the
hole 16 of the trays 11. Pressure-sensitive switches 23 are spacedly and
securely disposed in the trays 11 and being securely connected to the
electrical wires 21 for energizing the light-emitting members 20 when a user
walks thereupon. A timer switch 24 is preferably provided and operatively
coupled to the power supply 22 and to the switches, for turning off the light-
emitting members 20 after a pre-determined period of time.
[0022] A heating assembly is securely disposed upon the trays 11 for
preventing ice from accumulating upon the walk-upon cover members 17. The
heating assembly includes a plurality of tubular support members 25 being
securely disposed upon the bottom walls 12 of the trays 11, and also includes
heating elements 26 being securely attached to the tubular support members
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25, and further includes wire members 31 being securely attached to the
heating elements 26 and being adapted to be connected to a power supply for
the energizing of the heating elements 26. Each of the heating elements 26 is
a bar having an elongate main portion 27 and angled end portions 28,29
which are securely disposed in the tubular support members 25.
[0023 In a more advanced embodiment, shown as 10' in Figure 4,
preferably, a controller 60, such as a suitably programmed central processing
unit (CPU), is also provided (and which may replace the timer switch 24).
The controller 60 is operatively coupled to the power supply 22 and to the
heating elements 26 and to the light emitting members 20. The controller 60
may also include a rheostat (not shown) or similar mechanism for controlling
the power supply provided to the heating elements 26. The controller 60 is
preferably suitably programmed to regulate the power supplied to the heating
elements 26 and to the light emitting members 20 in accordance with control
signals it receives. Preferably one or more support members 65 may also be
mounted to the bottom wall 12 of the tray 11 for providing structural support
to
the cover 17 when the cover 17 is stepped on by a user.
[0024 Means for interconnecting trays 11, for supplying power, and
preferably for sharing control signals as well, are also provided. At least
one
port 70 is preferably provided which is electrically coupled to both the
controller 60 and the power supply cord 22. The port 70 is designed to
operatively engage the plug end of a power supply cord 22 from an adjacent
tray 11. As will be understood, a rubber sleeve or other sealing means should
be provided to minimize the possibility of ground water interacting with the
electrical connection between the plug end of tine power supply cord 22 and
the port 70 of an adjacent tray 11.
[0025] Preferably, too, the power cord 22 is adapted for transmitting
control signals to and from the controllers 60. While control signals may be
sent along the same copper cable transmitting the electrical power,
alternatively, this may involve the addition of at least one control wire to
the
power cord 22 for transmitting control signals.
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[0026] As shown in Figure 5, a master control unit 90 may be provided,
which includes a suitably programmed master controller (CPU) 92, a power
cord 22 and a port 70. The master control unit 90 will preferably include
control switches 94 or knobs which are operatively coupled to the master
controller 92, and generate appropriate control signals to allow a user to
turn
on all of the light emitting elements 20 in the walkway 10 until switched off,
or
for a desired period of time, or on and off at pre-set times of the day.
Corresponding light control signals are then appropriately transmitted by the
master controller 92 to other controllers 60 in the walkway 10'. The control
switches or knobs 94 will also preferably be configured to generate control
signals corresponding to desired regulation of the heating elements 26. The
master controller 92 transmits corresponding heating control signals through
the power cord 22, to each of the controllers 60 in the walkway 10'.
[0027] With the first embodiment of the walkway 10, in use, the user
connects the power cord 22 to an electrical outlet for energizing the light-
emitting members 20, and also connects the wire members 31 to a thermostat
for energizing the heating elements 26 when a certain temperature is reached
as set by the thermostat. The light-emitting members 20 are turned on when a
user steps upon the walk-upon cover member 17 and upon the pressure-
sensitive switches 23. The light-emitting members 20 illuminate the walk-upon
cover members 17 so that the user can easily see where helshe is walking.
After a period of time, the timer switch 24 wiill turn off the light-emitting
members 20.
[0028] With the more advanced embodiment of the walkway 10', a
series of trays 11 may be electrically coupled together, the plug end of a
power cord 22 from one tray 11, being inserted into the port 70 of an adjacent
tray 11, with a master control unit 90 connected at one end of the series. The
cord 22 from the master control unit may then be connected to an electrical
outlet for supplying power to the series of trays 11. In use, a user may
manipulate the control switches 94, causing the master controller 92 to
generate corresponding control signals. These control signals are then
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transmitted to each of the controllers 60 in the walkway system 10,
appropriately causing the light emitting members 20 to emit light andlor
causing the heating elements 26 to generate heat.
[0029, As well, when a person steps onto the upper surface 18 of one
of the tray covers 17, this will be detected by one or more of the switches 23
for that tray 11. A corresponding control signal will be received by the
controller 60 from the switches) 23 for that tray 11. The controller 60 will
generate a corresponding control signal which will be transmitted through the
cords 22 in the series of trays 11 to each of the controllers 60 and to the
master controller 90. The controllers 60 may then cause their corresponding
light emitting members 20 to emit light, thereby lighting up the entire
pathway
10, for a pre-determined period of time.
[0030 As to a further discussion of the manner of usage and operation
of the present invention, the same should be apparent from the above
description. Accordingly, no further discussion relating to the manner of
usage
and operation will be provided.
[0031, With respect to the above description then, it is to be realized
that the optimum dimensional relationships for the parts of the invention, 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 the present invention.
[0032, Therefore, the foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the
principles of the walkway system. Further, since numerous modifications and
changes will readily occur to thase skilled in the art, it is not desired to
limit the
invention 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 invention.
