DESC:FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The invention relates to curbstones/kerbstones that are installed along a boundary of sidewalk, highways, tunnels, gardens etc. and more particularly to curbstones that are deliverable in kits such that various parts of the kits are assembled to form curbstones to make a predefined configuration of a curbstone row.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
In large urban roads, concrete blocks are arranged side by side between roadway and the sidewalk to define the boundary of the roadway. These concrete blocks are called curbstones and are laid end to end with others to form a curb. These curbstones when installed along the sidewalks, separate the road from the roadside and discourage drivers from parking or driving on sidewalks and lawns. The curbstones also provide structural support to the pavement edge.
These curbstones are generally unnoticeable after they are installed. It is observed that it becomes difficult for a person to differentiate between the sidewalk and the road especially during the night. As a result, such persons may end up with accidents. This problem is aggravated during the rainy season or when the rods are wet. The problem lies in the failure of identification of curbstones and people hit them if it is unnoticed.
There have been attempts to color the curbstones so that they can be identified by human eye. Another way of addressing this problem which is found in the prior art is to put lights in the curbstone. The lights help pedestrian distinguish the pavement from the road.
Chinese Patent CN202416115U discloses a curbstone with a side ditch. In this curbstone, water is effectively prevented from being generated on the road surface. This patent failed to properly distinguish the pavement from the roadway especially at night. This may lead to accidents as pedestrians unknowingly walk on the roads.
Some curbstones have been known in the prior art in which curbstones are generally painted with fluorescent paint for making curbstones more visible. Chinese Patent CN102107177A discloses a method to spray paint patterns on curbstone to increase visibility to the pedestrians. But such spray treatments generally fade over time and people with color blindness may be unable to see the paint. Furthermore, these types of curbstones are made of concrete or cement which are heavy and require skilled labor to be installed which increases the cost of operation.
In the recent past, illuminated curbstones have successfully drawn attention instead of painted curbstones. The curbstones are installed with light emitting devices which make the sidewalk noticeable. Conventional curbstones can be wound with light emitting devices that make the sidewalk distinguishable from the road. But there is a chance of theft as the lights can easily be cut from the curbstones. Another drawback of this type of illuminated curbstones is that they may fail during rainy seasons and there is also a chance of electric shocks as wires are in the open.
U. S. Patent US5160202A discloses a concrete curbstone with internal illuminated housing for projecting light on the sidewalk. The drawback with this type of curbstones is that the light emitting devices are installed permanently in the curbstones and the entire curbstone has to be replaced to replace the light emitting devices or for maintenance of light emitting devices.
There is a need of luminescent curbstones that acts as a warning sign and guides to the pedestrians against accidents. Also, there is a need for modular curbstone deliverable in a kit that facilitates easy installation.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is a curbstone kit including various parts for forming an illuminable curbstone. The curbstone kit includes a curbstone body, a plug, a bellow, a pair of bars, a LED strip, a cable kit and a casing. The curbstone body is defined to position selective parts of the curbstone kit at predefined locations on the curbstone body to define illuminable curbstone. The plug, bellow and bars are insertable in the body in predefined manner. The LED strip is insertable in the body through the plug. The cable kit connects the LED strip with a power source.
The curbstone has two orientations. In the first dissembled orientation casing provides a housing to the parts of the curbstone kit. The second assembled orientation is a usable configuration of the curbstone.
The rear surface of curbstone body includes a rib, a pair of protrusions and a pair of pockets. The pair of protrusions is positioned approximately above the pockets such that rib is positioned in between the pair of protrusions.
The bottom surface of curbstone body includes a pair of legs such that each of the leg include a pair of adjacent holes. The bars have square cross section that are insertably positionable through holes on legs. The protrusions and legs are concealable in the pavement side surface during while insertably positioning the curbstone body into the wet concrete to define the curbstone.
The curbstone body has a pair of slits at predefined angle with rear corner of curbstone body. Each slit of the curbstone body has the opening and the opening includes a square shaped groove that facilitates insertion of LED strip into the curbstone body. The LED strip is incorporated inside the curbstone body through the groove on opening. The opening is sealed with plug and plug is further covered with bellow carrying cable kit.
The plurality of curbstones is arrangeable and installable with identical curbstones to form a straight configuration of curbstone row. The plurality of straight curb stones and a curved curb stone are installable together to form a curved configuration of curbstone row.
In one embodiment of the present invention, the curbstone body includes a top, a slope and a pocket and the curbstone body is semicircular loop shaped.
In another embodiment of the present invention, the curbstone body includes a front surface, a slope, a front wall, a plurality of openings, legs, a rib, a plurality of protrusions and the curbstone body is vertical rectangular shaped and acts as a road divider.
The illuminable curbstone includes the curbstone body, the pair of opposed plugs, the pair of opposed bellows, the pair of bars, the LED strip and the cable kit. The curbstone body includes a front surface including a slope, a front wall, the rear surface including the pair of pockets in a bottom end portion of the rear surface, the pair of hemispherical protrusions positioned adjacent to the rib in the top end of the rear surface, the opposed pair of slits and the pair of trapezoidal prism shaped openings defined on slits.
Each plug is removably insertable in the opening of curbstone body. Each bellow is removably attachable over the plug of curbstone and connects two adjacent curbstones. The bars are inserted through respective holes on legs of the curbstone body. The LED strip is removably positionable inside the curbstone body. The cable kit is removably insertable inside a cylindrical tube of the bellow.
The curbstone is installable on pavement of a road by positioning the curbstone body along with bars in predefined manner on wet concrete and then assembling plug, bellow, LED strip and cable kit at predefined positions on curbstone body.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS
The objectives and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following description read in accordance with the accompanying drawings wherein
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a curbstone kit 100 in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention;
FIG. 1A shows various parts of the curb stone kit of 100 FIG. 1 in a dissembled orientation of the curbstone;
FIG. 1B shows a curbstone that is formed by assembling various parts of the curb stone kit of FIG. 1;
FIG. 1C shows a perspective view of a plurality of curbstones being assembled to define a straight configuration of curbstone row;
FIG. 2A is a rear perspective view of curbstone of FIG.1B;
FIG. 2B is a side view of curbstone of FIG. 2A;
FIG. 2C is a front view of curbstone of FIG. 2A;
FIG. 2D is a top view of curbstone of FIG. 2A;
FIG. 3A is a front view of plug of FIG.1;
FIG. 3B is a rear view of plug of FIG. 3A;
FIG. 4A is a front view of bellow of the curb stone of FIG. 1;
FIG. 4B is a rear view of bellow of FIG. 4A;
FIG. 5A is a perspective view of first embodiment of curbstone of FIG. 2A;
FIG. 5B is a top view of first embodiment of curbstone of FIG. 5A;
FIG. 6A is a perspective view of second embodiment of curbstone of FIG. 2A;
FIG. 6B is cross sectional view of second embodiment of curbstone of FIG. 6A;
FIG. 6C is rear side view of second embodiment of curbstone of FIG. 6A;
FIG. 7 is a side view of curbstone of FIG. 2A installed on a pavement; and
FIG. 8 is a top perspective view of a curved configuration of curbstone row formed by using a plurality of straight curb stones and a curved curb stone.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
The invention described herein is explained using specific exemplary details for better understanding. However, the invention disclosed can be worked on by a person skilled in the art without the use of these specific details.
References in the specification to "one embodiment" or "an embodiment" means that particular feature, structure, characteristic, or function described in connection with the embodiment is included in at least one embodiment of the invention. The appearances of the phrase “in one embodiment” in various places in the specification are not necessarily all referring to the same embodiment.
References in the specification to “preferred embodiment” means that a particular feature, structure, characteristic, or function described in detail thereby omitting known constructions and functions for clear description of the present invention.
In general aspect, the present invention is a curbstone kit including parts arranged to be assembled to form row of luminescent curbstones that when installed directs pedestrians and vehicle drivers to avoid road accidents and fatal injuries. The present invention has curbstones that are arranged side by side at corners, fanning, curvature of roads and at road dividers to define the boundary of the roadway.
Referring to FIG. 1, a curbstone kit 100 in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention is described. The curbstone kit 100 includes a curbstone body 102, a plug 104, a bellow 106, a pair of bars 108, a LED strip 110 including a plurality of LED lights, a cable kit 112 including a plurality of cables (not seen in Fig. 1) that are positionable at predefined locations in a casing 114 of the kit 100. The cable kit 112 is positioned in the curbstone body 102. The cable kit 112 connects the LED strip 110 with a power source.
A curbstone 51 of the present invention is formed by assembling various parts in the kit 100 in a predefined fashion in accordance with the present invention. One curbstone achieved by assembling the parts in the kit 100 is attachable to another such approximately identical curbstone of the present invention to form a row of curb stones in a straight configuration of the row in practice.
Now referring to FIG. 1A and 1B, the curbstone 51 of the present invention is seen in dissembled orientation and assembled orientation respectively. FIG. 1A specifically shows various parts of the curb stone kit 100 that are removed from the curb stone kit 100 and arranged in a dissembled orientation. FIG. 1B shows the curbstone 51 that is formed by assembling various parts of the curbstone kit of FIG. 1.
The plug 104 is positionable in the opening defined on the curbstone body 102. The head of the plug 104 is further covered by bellow 106. The bellow 106 are slidingly connectable to two adjacent curbstones. The plug 104 and bellow is removably attachable to curbstone body 102. The plug 104 is removably insertable in the opening. The plug 104 is moved in a direction indicated by arrow ‘A’ to position the plug 104 in the opening. Further first end of the bellow 106 is positioned on the plug by positioning it in a direction indicated by arrow ‘A’. opening. The plug 104 and bellow 106 are removable from curbstone body 102 by moving the bellow 106 first and then the plug 204 respectively in the direction of arrow indicated by arrow ‘B’. The LED strip 110 is incorporated inside curbstone body 102 through aperture on the plug 104.
Referring to FIG. 1C, perspective view of a straight configuration is shown that is formed by assembling a number of curb stones taken from the curb stone kits and assembled according a preferred method of assembling curbstones in accordance with present invention is shown. The parts of curbstone kit 100 are assembled and adjacent curbstones are also assembled, and arranged along a straight axis to form straight curbstone row 120 as shown in FIG. 1C. It is to be noted that the curbstones 51 connected with each other by bellows 106 and that the bellows 106 receives cable kit 112.
Now referring to FIGS. 2A, 2B, 2C and 2D, curbstone body 102 of curbstone kit 100 in accordance with preferred embodiment of present invention is discussed. The curbstone body 102 includes a front surface 206, a rear rectangular surface 208, a top rectangular surface 202, a rectangular bottom surface 214 and two opposed side surfaces 210, 212. The front surface 206 is includes a slope 204 that is based on a vertical front wall 205.
The slope 204 connects top 202 and front wall 205. The top 202, the front surface 206, the rear surface 208, the first side 210, the second side 212 and the bottom surface 214 are enclosed to form hollow curbstone body 102.
The rear surface 208 of curbstone body 102 has a rib 218, a pair of hemispherical protrusions 216 and a pair of pockets 220. There is a pair of opposed slits 224 that are defined on the corners defined in the rear portion of the curbstone body 102. Slits 224 are present on respective sides of the curbstone body 102, i.e. one slit 224 is present on the first side 210 and other slit 224 is present on the second side 212. The curbstone body 102 has slits 224 at angle of 45o on both rear corners.
Each slit 224 has a trapezoidal prism shaped opening 226 having a square shaped groove 228. Each opening 226 is uniformly positioned on respective slit 224. The opening 226 includes groove 228 that facilitates insertion of LED strip 110 into the curbstone body 102.
The pair of protrusions 216 are defined on the top end portion of the rear surface 208 of the curbstone body. The pair of protrusions 216 is positioned approximately above the pockets 220 such that rib 218 is positioned in between the pair of protrusions. The rib 218 that is rectangular in shape. The pockets 220 are indentation cuts present on rear surface 208 of curbstone body 102. The preferred embodiment of the curbstone body 102 includes two protrusions 216, two slits 224 and two pockets 220. However, in another embodiment of this invention number of protrusions 216, slits 224 and pockets 220 may differ.
The bottom surface 214 of curbstone body 102 has a pair of rectangular legs 222 defined on a bottom side of the curbstone body 102. legs 222 include pair of adjacent holes 230, the holes 230 are preferably square shaped. These holes 230 on each leg 222 are preferably coaxial with each other along a common axis X. Each bar 108 is square shaped and insertable into curbstone body 102 through respective hole 230 on legs 222 along the axis X.
The legs 222 are made up preferably from plastics material, however, in another embodiment legs 222 is made up rubber or from metal, for example, steel. In this one embodiment the curbstone body 102 includes two legs 222. In another embodiment of this invention number of legs 222 may vary.
It is to be noted that in accordance with the present invention, the curbstone body 102 is hollow and transparent or translucent in nature. In the preferred embodiment, the material for making curbstone body 102 is generally engineering and non-engineering plastics. The curbstone body 102 is manufactured by various molding techniques that are well known in the art, for example, compression molding, roto molding, injection molding, blow molding etc.
In this one embodiment of the present invention, the dimensions of the curbstone body 102 are described hereinafter. The length of the curbstone body 102 is 500 mm, width of the curbstone body 102 is 229 mm and height of the curbstone body 102 is 170 mm. The distance between two protrusions 216 is of length 305 mm. The legs 222 of the curbstone body 102 has length of 90 mm, height of 34 mm and of thickness 15mm. The holes 230 on legs 222 are of dimensions 10 x 10 mm and distance between two holes 230 is of length 40 mm. However, it is understood that the dimensions of curbstone body 102 may vary in other embodiments.
Referring to FIGS. 3A and 3B, plug 104 of curbstone 51 in accordance with preferred embodiment of present invention is described. The plug 104 includes an aperture 302, a square shaped head 304 and a trapezoidal prism shaped body 306. The shape of the aperture 302 is like the symbol used for addition in mathematics i.e. ‘+’. The material for making the plug 104 is preferably plastics or rubber. The body 306 of plug 104 is removably positionable inside the opening 226 of curbstone body 102.
Referring to FIGS. 4A and 4B, bellow 106 of curbstone 51 in accordance with preferred embodiment of present invention is described. The bellow 106 includes a first end 402, a second end 406 and a cylindrical tube 404. The first end 402 and second end 406 are removably attachable on the plug 104 of respective curbstones. The tube 404 is cylindrical in shape and hollow. The bellow 106 connects two curbstones with each other and the tube 404 of bellow 106 carries the cable kit 112. In this embodiment, the bellow 106 is manufactured from flexible material such as rubber.
Referring to FIGS. 5A and 5B, second embodiment of the present invention is described. The curbstone body 102 includes a top 502, a slope 504 and a pocket 506. In this embodiment the shape of curbstone body 102 is curved like a semicircular loop. The second embodiment of curbstone body 102 includes only one pocket 506.
Referring to FIGS. 6A, 6B and 6C, one more embodiment of the present invention is described. The curbstone body 102 includes a front surface 602, a slope 606, a front wall 604, a pair of openings 608, a pair of legs 610, a rib 612 and pair of protrusions 614. In this embodiment the curbstone body 102 includes four pair of openings 608, three legs 610 and six protrusions 614.
Referring to FIG. 7, the side view of curbstone body 102 installed on a pavement is discussed. The bars 108 are inserted through the adjacent holes 230 of curbstones. The curbstone body 102 is mounted along sidewalk of a road by pressing the curbstone body 102 on wet concrete or wet cement or any other fixation means such that the protrusions 216 and legs 222 of curbstone body 102 gets concealed in the pavement side surface after installing the curbstone body 102 into the pavement. When the curbstone 51 is installed on the pavement, the front surface 206 faces the road surface side, and the rear surface 208 faces away from the road surface side.
The plug 104 is positioned in the opening 226 of curbstone body 102. The LED strip 110 is inserted into the curbstone body 102 through aperture 302 on plug 104. Then the plug 104 is further covered by bellow 106 such that the bellow 106 acts as common carrier of the cable kit 112 required for LED strip 110 between two adjacent curbstones.
Adjacent curbstones are installed in same fashion for getting aligned with the pavement forming curbstone assembly of the road or at corners, fanning, curved road and at road dividers.
Referring to FIG. 8, top perspective view of a curved configuration of curbstone row is discussed. The curved configuration of curbstone row 800 is formed by arranging a plurality of straight curb stones and a curved curb stone together.
Referring to FIGS. 1 to 8, operational use of the assembling and mounting parts of curbstone kit 100 is described hereinafter. The bars 108 are inserted through the adjacent holes 230 on legs 222 of curbstones along the axis X. Then curbstones 102 are mounted on pavement of a road by placing the curbstone body 102 on wet concrete or wet cement or any other fixation means. The plug 104 is positioned inside the opening 226 of the curbstone body 102.
The plug 104 is inserted in the opening 226 of the curbstone body 102. The LED strip 110 is inserted into the curbstone body 102 through aperture 302 on plug 104. The aperture 302 allows insertion and removal of LED strip 110 into the curbstone body 102. Then the plug 104 is further covered by bellow 106. The bellow 106 acts as common carrier of LED strip 110 and receives cable kit 112 through the bellows. LED strip 110 is kept inside the curbstone body 102 such that visible light rays emit from the top 202 and front surface 206 of curbstone body 102. Further the tube 404 of bellow 106 is expanded and contracted for facilitating insertion and maintenance of cable kit 112.
In accordance with an embodiment of the present invention, the curbstone 51 provides better luminescence when powered with electricity and further guides the pedestrians and vehicle drivers against accident fatal injuries.
The plug 104 and bellow 106 of the present invention advantageously facilitates replacement or maintenance of LED strip 110. However, it is to be noted that the LED strip 110 is replaceable by any other lighting strip that is illuminated using power.
The curbstone 51 achieves good strength and stability due to the rib 218 and protrusions 216 on rear surface and prevents curbstone 51 from being uprooted or stolen.
The material used for making curbstone body 102 retains its distinct color over a long duration making it more visible and luminescent especially during night time. The legs 222 are made from engineering and non-engineering plastics and get concealed in the sidewalk when mounted resulting in better stability and visibility.
The casing 114 is made to receive various parts of the curbstone. It facilitates transportation of the kit to desired locations. The case protects parts of the kits during transportation and allows to keep dissembled curbstone as and when required.
In accordance with embodiment of the present invention, the curbstone body 102 is a curved curbstone and used along curved road or sidewalk. In the second embodiment of the present invention, the curbstone body 102 acts as a road divider or fanning etc.
The embodiments were chosen and described in order to best explain the principles of the present invention and its practical application, to thereby enable others, skilled in the art to best utilize the present invention and various embodiments with various modifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated.
It is understood that various omission and substitutions of equivalents are contemplated as circumstance may suggest or render expedient, but such are intended to cover the application or implementation without departing from the spirit or scope of the present invention.
,CLAIMS:WHAT IS CLAIMED IS:
1. A curbstone kit 100 for forming a curbstone from various parts provided the curbstone kit comprising:
a curbstone body 102, the hollow body 102 is defined to position selective parts of curbstone kit that are positionable at predefined locations on the curbstone body to define a curbstone 51;
a plug 104, the plug 104 is insertable in the curbstone body 102;
a bellow 106, the bellow 106 is insertable on the curbstone body 102 through the plug 104;
a pair of bars 108, each of the bars 108 are positioned on the curbstone body 102;
a LED strip 110, the LED strip 110 is positionable at a predefined location in the curbstone body 102 for illuminating the curbstone body, the LED strip 110 is insertable in the curbstone body through the plug 104;
a cable kit 112, the cable kit 112 connects the LED strip 110 with a power source;
a casing 114, the casing 114 covers various parts of the curbstone kit 100;
a first dissembled orientation of the curbstone, in the dissembled orientation casing 114 provides a housing to the parts of the curbstone kit 100, and
a second assembled orientation of the curbstone that is a usable configuration of the curbstone 51.

2. The curbstone 51 as claimed in claim 1, wherein a rear surface 208 of curbstone body 102 includes a rib 218, a pair of protrusions 216 and a pair of pockets 220, the pair of protrusions 216 is positioned approximately above the pockets 220 such that rib 218 is positioned in between the pair of protrusions 216.

3. The curbstone 51 as claimed in claim 1, wherein a bottom surface 214 of curbstone body 102 includes a pair of legs 222 such that each of the leg 222 include a pair of adjacent holes 230.

4. The curbstone 51 as claimed in claim 1, wherein curbstone body 102 has a pair of slits 224 at predefined angle with rear corner of curbstone body, each slit 224 of the curbstone body 102 has the opening 226 and the opening 226 includes a square shaped groove 228 that facilitates insertion of LED strip 110 into the curbstone body 102.

5. The curbstone 51 as claimed in claim 1, wherein the bars 108 have square cross section that are insertabley positionable through holes 230 on legs 222.

6. The curbstone 51 as claimed in claim 1, wherein the protrusions 216 and legs 222 are concealable in the pavement side surface during while insertably positioning the curbstone body 102 into the wet concrete to define the curbstone 51.

7. The curbstone 51 as claimed in claim 1, wherein the LED strip 110 is incorporated inside the curbstone body 102 through the groove 228 on opening 226, the opening 226 is sealed with plug 104 and plug 104 is further covered with bellow 106 carrying cable kit 112.

8. The curbstone 51 as claimed in claim 1, wherein a plurality of curbstones 51 are arrangable and installable with identical curbstones to form a straight configuration of curbstone row 120.

9. The curbstone kit 100 as claimed in claim 1, wherein plurality of straight curbstones and a curved curb stone are installable together to form a curved configuration of curbstone row 800.

10. The curbstone 51 as claimed in claim 1, wherein curbstone body 102 includes a top 502, a slope 504 and a pocket 506, curbstone body 102 is semicircular loop shaped.

11. The curbstone 51 as claimed in claim 1, wherein curbstone 102 includes a front surface 602, a slope 606, a front wall 604, a plurality of openings 608, legs 610, a rib 612, a plurality of protrusions 614, curbstone body 102 is vertical rectangular shaped and acts as a road divider.

12. An illuminable curbstone 51 comprising:
the curbstone body 102, the curbstone body 102 includes a front surface 206 including a slope 204, a front wall 205, the rear surface 208 that includes the pair of pockets 220 in a bottom end portion of the rear surface, a pair of opposed sides 210, 212, the pair of hemispherical protrusions 216 positioned adjacent to the rib in the top end of the rear surface, the opposed pair of slits 224 and the pair of trapezoidal prism shaped openings 226 defined on slits 224;
the pair of opposed plugs 104, each plug 104 is removably insertable in the opening 226 of curbstone body 102;
the pair of opposed bellows 106, each bellow 106 is removably attachable on the plug 104 of curbstone and connects two adjacent curbstones;
the pair of bars 108, the bars 108 are insertable through respective holes 230 on legs 222 of the curbstone body 102;
the LED strip 110, the LED strip 110 is removably positionable inside the curbstone body 102; and
the cable kit 112, the cable kit 112 is removably insertable inside a cylindrical tube 404 of the bellow 106.

13. The curbstone 51 of claim 13, wherein the curbstone is installable on pavement of a road by positioning the curbstone body 102 along with bars 108 in predefined manner on wet concrete and then assembling plug 104, bellow 106, LED strip 110 and cable kit 112 at predefined positions on curbstone body 102.

Dated this 16th day of January 2020

FOR KSN INNOTECH LLP

ANAND MAHURKAR
IN/PA-1862 (Agent for Applicant)