Method for producing detectable warnings on surfaces and products thereof

Abstract

A method for producing detectable warnings ( 16 ) on surfaces ( 14 ) includes providing a mat ( 30 ) with a top surface ( 38 ) and a bottom surface ( 36 ). The mat ( 30 ) has a pattern of truncated dome-shaped cavities ( 34 ) with a dome upper surface ( 28 ) and a dome lower surface. The mat ( 30 ) has at least one aperture ( 40 ), wherein the aperture ( 40 ) passes from the dome upper surface ( 28 ) to the top surface ( 38 ) of the mat ( 30 ). The method further includes securing the bottom surface ( 36 ) of the mat ( 30 ) to a substrate surface ( 14 ). The method also includes preparing a viscous substance ( 32 ) having the ability to cure into a solid, injecting the viscous substance ( 32 ) into each aperture ( 40 ) of the mat ( 30 ) to fill the truncated dome-shaped cavity ( 34 ), permitting the viscous substance ( 32 ) to substantially cure, and removing the mat ( 32 ) to expose raised detectable warnings ( 16 ) on the substrate surface ( 14 ).

1 . A method for producing detectable warnings on surfaces, comprising: 
 (a) providing a mat with a top surface and a bottom surface, the mat having a pattern of truncated dome-shaped cavities, said truncated dome-shaped cavities having a dome upper surface and a dome lower surface, said mat having at least one aperture, wherein the aperture passes from the dome upper surface to the top surface of the mat;    (b) securing the bottom surface of the mat to a substrate surface;    (c) preparing a viscous substance having the ability to cure into a solid;    (d) injecting the viscous substance into the apertures of the mat to fill the truncated dome-shaped cavities;    (e) at least substantially curing the viscous substance; and    (f) removing the mat to expose raised detectable warnings on the substrate surface.    
   
   
       2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the truncated dome-shaped cavities are circular in shape.  
   
   
       3 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the detectable warnings have a dome lower surface with a diameter of at least 0.9″ and no more than 1.4″, a dome upper surface with a diameter of at least 0.45″ and no more than 0.6″, and a height of at least 0.2″ and no more than 0.3″.  
   
   
       4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the truncated dome-shaped cavities are selected from shapes consisting of diamond shapes and dumbbell shapes.  
   
   
       5 . The product resulting from the method of  claim 1 .  
   
   
       6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the truncated dome-shaped cavities are arranged in a sinusoidal row, each row being in stacked relationship to another similar row.  
   
   
       7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the viscous substance is a monomer.  
   
   
       8 . The product resulting from the method of  claim 7 .  
   
   
       9 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising providing an adhesive layer on the bottom surface of the mat, such that the bottom surface of the mat may adhere to the substrate surface.  
   
   
       10 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the step of preparing the viscous substance further comprises the step of combining at least one adjunct to create a viscous blend.  
   
   
       11 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the at least one adjunct comprises glass fibers, glass spheres, glass filaments, pigments, or abrasives.  
   
   
       12 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the viscous substance is selected from the group consisting of polyester, polyethylene, polyurethane, polypropylene, polymethacrylate, polystyrene, polystyrene-acrylonitrile, polyvinylchloride, vinyl chloride acetate, nylon, rayon, acetate, acetate butyrate, rubber, methylmethacrolate, and polycarbonate.  
   
   
       13 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the step of preparing the viscous substance further comprises the step of combining at least one adjunct to create a viscous blend.  
   
   
       14 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the at least one adjunct comprises at least one of: glass fibers, glass spheres, glass filaments, pigments, or abrasives.  
   
   
       15 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising applying a final layer of viscous catalyzed material to the substrate surface and raised detectable warnings.  
   
   
       16 . A method for producing detectable warnings on substrate surfaces, using a mat with a top surface and a bottom surface, with a plurality of cavities formed in the mat from the bottom surface of the mat to form a pattern of truncated dome-shaped cavities having a dome upper surface and having an aperture extending from the dome-shaped cavity to the top surface of the mat, the method comprising: 
 (a) securing the bottom surface of the mat to a substrate surface;    (b) preparing a viscous substance having the ability to cure into a solid;    (c) infusing the viscous substance into the apertures of the mats to fill the truncated dome-shaped cavities;    (d) permitting the viscous substance to at least substantially cure; and    (e) removing the mat to expose raised detectable warnings on the substrate surface.    
   
   
       17 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the truncated dome-shaped sections are selected from a group consisting of circular, elongated ellipses, diamond-shaped and dumbbell-shaped.  
   
   
       18 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein each detectable warning has a diameter of at least 0.9″ and no more than 1.4″ along the bottom of the detectable warning, a diameter of at least 0.45″ and no more than 0.6″ along the top of the detectable warning, and a height of at least 0.2″ and no more than 0.3″.  
   
   
       19 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the viscous substance is a monomer.  
   
   
       20 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the step of preparing the viscous substance further comprises the step of combining at least one adjunct to create a viscous blend.  
   
   
       21 . The method of  claim 16 , further comprising applying a final layer of viscous catalyzed material to the substrate surface and the raised detectable warnings.  
   
   
       22 . A mat used for producing detectable warnings on substrate surfaces, the warnings composed of a curable, initially viscous, substance, the mat comprising a top surface, a bottom surface, a plurality of cavities formed in the mat extending upwardly from the bottom surface in the shape of a truncated dome, and an aperture extending downwardly from the top surface of the mat to the upper surface of the truncated dome cavity.  
   
   
       23 . The mat according to  claim 22 , wherein the bottom surface of the mat is adapted to be secured to the substrate surface so that when the viscous substance is introduced into the truncated dome cavities through the apertures, the viscous substance does not substantially leak or migrate from the mat cavity at the interface of the bottom surface of the mat cavity and the substrate surface.