Illuminated dock board system
An illuminated dock board system comprises a plurality of dock board components that each include one or more channels, each channel having a chamber beneath it. A channel cover component may be separably received into the open top of the channel to cover the channel and may be constructed from a low-opacity material to allow light to emanate. An electrical lighting subsystem comprising a light generating component (e.g., an LED strip) at least partially resides in a channel of a dock board component. And fasteners inserted through the channel and the chamber of a given dock board component operate to mechanically fix the given dock board component to a support structure (pylons, joists, stringers, etc.) such that a head of the fastener resides within the channel in contact with the bottom channel surface and a shank portion of the fastener resides within the chamber.
1. An illuminated dock board system, comprising:
a plurality of dock board components, each dock board component comprising a horizontal top surface, a pair of vertical side surfaces, and a horizontal bottom surface defining an interior space, wherein:
a channel having a bottom channel surface and a pair of sidewalls is defined within the interior space such that the channel defines an open top associated with the horizontal top surface;
a chamber is defined within the interior space and beneath the bottom channel surface of the channel; and
a channel cover component is separably received into the open top of the channel to cover the channel; and
an electrical lighting subsystem comprising a light generating component residing in the channel;
wherein a fastener inserted through the channel and the chamber of a given dock board component operates to mechanically fix the given dock board component to a support structure such that a head of the fastener resides within the channel in contact with the bottom channel surface and a shank portion of the fastener resides within the chamber.
2. The illuminated dock board system of claim 1 , wherein the light generating component comprises a strip of serially connected light emitting diodes (LEDs).
3. The illuminated dock board system of claim 1 , wherein the electrical lighting subsystem comprises a controller.
4. The illuminated dock board system of claim 3 , wherein the electrical lighting subsystem further comprises a user interface application executed on a personal communications device in wireless communication with the controller.
5. The illuminated dock board system of claim 1 , wherein the electrical lighting subsystem comprises an ambient light sensor.
6. The illuminated dock board system of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the plurality of dock board components comprises two or more of said channels.
7. The illuminated dock board system of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the plurality of dock board components comprises only a single one of said channels.
8. The illuminated dock board system of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the plurality of dock board components comprises an open-bottom horizontal bottom surface.
9. The illuminated dock board system of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the plurality of dock board components further comprises a ledge stop feature that extends perpendicularly away from one of the pair of vertical side surfaces or the horizontal bottom surface.
10. The illuminated dock board system of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the plurality of dock board components comprises a first channel associated with the horizontal top surface and a second channel associated with one of the pair of vertical side surfaces.
11. The illuminated dock board system of claim 1 , wherein at least one channel cover component is comprised of a low-opacity material.
12. The illuminated dock board system of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the plurality of dock board components comprises a plurality of drain ports associated with the horizontal top surface.
13. The illuminated dock board system of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the plurality of dock board component is constructed of aluminum.
14. The illuminated dock board system of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the plurality of dock board component is constructed of thermoplastic polymer.