Solar Powered Safety Cone

Votes: 0
Views: 3814

I designed this flexible solar film powered highway safety cone add-on with form, fit, and function in mind. In order to be useful, it must conform to present use of safety cones. They're thrown out of trucks, stacked on top of each other on a rod support, have only 1" of open clearance between them when stacked and have no external room for power packs. The cone shown addresses all of the above. The cap is made of silicon rubber that snaps into present day safety cones of various diameter top openings. The CREE LEDs inside the cap are controlled by a COB (Chip on Board) and software to minimize current consumption. The solar film is coated with a clear epoxy coating and commercial strength fixative on the backside that attaches to any cone and flexes with the changing shape when handled. The cone requires only a few hours of sunlight to flash for a week. When stacked, each cone has an internal sensor that shuts it off until it is removed from the truck. Waterproof, impact-resistant, the power supply is embedded in the silicon cap requiring less than a 1/2" to encase it. The additional weight to a cone is less than 3 ounces including the solar films.

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  • ABOUT THE ENTRANT

  • Name:
    Lee Wainwright
  • Type of entry:
    individual
  • Profession:
    Engineer/Designer
  • Number of times previously entering contest:
    never
  • Lee's favorite design and analysis tools:
    Powerpoint
  • Lee's hobbies and activities:
    Creating light-emitting technologies
  • Lee is inspired by:
    Positive energy and the love of my life.
  • Software used for this entry:
    ppt
  • Patent status:
    pending