Roadway Cone Safety Augmentation Device

Abstract

A wearable alarm device warning roadway workers of approaching errant drivers. An impact sensor transmitter is removably affixed into the top of a road cone to an expanding cone adapter. Upon impact the impact sensor sends a wireless alarm/alert signal to a wireless receiver worn by a nearby road worker. The receiver may incorporated auditory, vibratory, and visual signals to alert the worker. The alarm devices may be incorporated into the receiver and/or may be incorporated into an article of clothing worn by the road worker, such as a vest, armband, hardhat or the equivalent. Preferentially, the receiver will be attached to an ANSI Class 2 and 3 safety vest that has an LED panel housed on the front and back, or an LED light tube that is located the diameter of the vest at the mid section.

1 . A roadway safety device for the protection of roadway construction workers, comprising:
 a roadway cone adapter having a head, a middle shank, an outwardly expandable lower wing section, and a bore formed therethrough, said roadway cone adapter sized for passage of its middle shank and lower wing section through a top orifice of a roadway cone;   an impact sensor transmitter having an upper section and a lower section, said lower section mechanically engageable within said bore of said roadway cone adapter to expand said lower wing section larger than said top orifice;   a wearable alert receiver in wireless communication with said impact sensor transmitter to receive signals of a cone impact and activate an alert.   
     
     
         2 . The roadway safety device of  claim 1  wherein said impact sensor transmitter has a housing body with an internal cavity that houses a battery powering a PCB with a wireless transmitter and a multi-axis accelerometer connected thereto. 
     
     
         3 . The roadway safety device of  claim 2  wherein said alert receiver has a case with an internal cavity that houses a second battery powering a second PCB with a wireless receiver and connected to at least one alert means selected from the group comprising audible alerts, visual alerts and haptic alerts. 
     
     
         4 . The roadway safety device of  claim 3  wherein said wireless transmitter is a wireless transceiver and said wireless receiver is a second wireless transceiver. 
     
     
         5 . The roadway safety device of  claim 1  further comprising a cushion space formed between said impact sensor transmitter and a side wall of said roadway cone when said lower wing section is expanded within said roadway safety cone. 
     
     
         6 . The roadway safety device of  claim 5  wherein said lower wing section has a top diameter greater than the diameter of said roadway safety cone top orifice. 
     
     
         7 . The roadway safety device of  claim 1  further comprising:
 an internal thread formed in a side wall of said bore of said cone adapter; and 
 an external thread formed on a lower section of said impact sensor transmitter; 
 wherein the threaded engagement between said internal thread and said external thread is the mechanical engagement that joins said impact sensor transmitter and said cone adapter. 
 
     
     
         8 . A method of a roadway safety cone providing a safe environment for roadway safety workers comprising the steps of:
 Installing into a roadway safety cone, a wireless impact transmitter with a multi-axis accelerometer that transmits a wireless alert signal when said cone adapter is contacted by a moving vehicle;   Arranging an array of highway cones with installed said wireless impact transmitters about a road construction site;   Providing a wearable wireless alert receiver to roadworkers at said road construction site;   Sending a wireless alert signal from said impact sensor transmitter to said alert receiver when said safety cone is contacted by a moving vehicle; and   Receiving said alert signal by said alert receiver and providing at least one alert in response thereto, said alert selected from the group consisting of audible alerts, visual alerts and haptic alerts.   
     
     
         9 . A method of a roadway safety cone providing a safe environment for roadway safety workers of  claim 8 , comprising the steps of:
 Inserting a cone adapter into a top orifice of a roadway safety cone;   Installing an impact sensor transmitter with a multi-axis accelerometer that transmits a wireless alert signal when said cone adapter is contacted by a moving vehicle into said cone adapter;   Expanding a bottom wing section of said cone adapter out to a side wall of said roadway safety cone to lock said impact sensor transmitter into said roadway cone and to create a bumper cushion between said impact sensor transmitter and a side wall of said highway safety cone;   Arranging an array of highway cones with installed said wireless impact transmitters about a road construction site;   Providing a wearable wireless alert receiver to roadworkers at said road construction site;   Sending a wireless alert signal from said impact sensor transmitter to said alert receiver when said safety cone is contacted by a moving vehicle; and   Receiving said alert signal by said alert receiver and providing at least one alert in response thereto, said alert selected from the group consisting of audible alerts, visual alerts and haptic alerts.