Permanent cylindrical road sign for vertical signalling

Abstract

 A permanent cylindrical deformable road sign for vertical signalling, comprising a base (1) anchorable to the ground and a vertical body (2) made of flexible plastic that can be fastened to said base (1), so that bayonet reciprocal coupling means are formed in the base (1) and the vertical body (2), said coupling means operating in conjunction with an anti-turn locker (3) adequate to be placed between the base (1) and the vertical body (2) when the latter is fastened to the former. The anti-turn locker (3) is releasable from its blocking position with an anti-theft key (6) and is provided with an elastic arm (3.1) that, when the rotation movement for coupling the vertical body (2) and the base (1) is completed, is able to reach a position in which it is rigidly interposed in the path of the rotation movement for removing the vertical body (2) from the base (1).

Description

[0001] The present invention relates to a permanent cylindrical deformable road sign for vertical signalling, comprising a base anchorable to the ground and a vertical body made of flexible plastic that can be fastened to said base, so that reciprocal coupling means are formed in the base and the vertical body, said coupling means being bayonet rotatable and allowing the vertical body to be removed from the base.

BACKGROUND ART

[0002] There are known road signs in which the vertical body is cylindrical all along from top to bottom, the fastening between the vertical body and the base requiring screw fastening means, said screwing being effected axially with a long tool through a bore made on the top of the vertical body. It is also known a bayonet coupling between the vertical body and the base.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0003] It is an object of the present invention to provide a vertical road sign, easily assembled by the installer but not easily disassembled by an unauthorized person.

[0004] In order to achieve this object, the base and the vertical body cooperate with a third part or anti-turn locker adequate to be placed between the base and the vertical body when the latter is fastened to the former, said anti-turn locker being releasable from its blocking position with an anti-theft key. Thus no tools are needed for assembling the vertical body in the base, but a special tool (the easy to handle anti-theft key) is needed for removing the vertical body from the base.

[0005] Advantageously, the anti-turn locker is provided with an elastic arm that, when the rotation movement for coupling the vertical body and the base is completed, is able to reach a position in which it is rigidly interposed in the path of the rotation movement for removing the vertical body from the base. Thus, the elastic arm prevents the uncoupling of the vertical body from the base after they have been coupled.

[0006] In an embodiment, the elastic arm comprises an appendix that protrudes from the anti-turn locker. Said appendix cooperates with the anti-theft key for lowering the elastic arm of the anti-turn locker when uncoupling the vertical body from the base.

[0007] In an embodiment, the vertical body comprises a male terminal having two flanges, and the base comprises a cylindrical housing and two projections protruding into the cylindrical housing from the walls thereof, said projections cooperating with the flanges in order to provide the bayonet coupling.

[0008] Preferably, the male terminal is formed in a narrower lower portion of the vertical body. In this way, the elasticity of the coupling of the elastic body and the base is improved.

[0009] In an embodiment, the anti-turn locker comprises a plate that, when the anti-turn locker is placed between the vertical body and the base, rests on the bottom of the cylindrical housing. Said plate has vertical lugs that project from the lower plane of the plate, said lower plane being the rest surface on the bottom of the cylindrical housing.

[0010] Preferably, in order to remove the vertical body from the base, it is intended for the anti-theft key to have a flange that, when rotating, may contact the appendix and lower it together with the elastic arm, thus releasing the coupling of the vertical body and the base.

[0011] In an embodiment, the base comprises a passageway that allows the insertion of the anti-theft key.

[0012] Advantageously, the vertical body comprises, in its upper portion, diametrically opposed concavities, the upper walls of said concavities presenting indentations adapted to the user's fingers.

[0013] Explained in more detail, a road sign according to the invention is a vertical road sign in which the base and the vertical body are formed with reciprocal means for rotatably coupling an uncoupling them, by way of a bayonet engagement. Said reciprocal means operate in conjunction with a third piece or anti-turn locker, which is placed between the base and the vertical body. The means for rotatably coupling and uncoupling the base and the body are such that the vertical body forms, at its lower end, a male terminal which presents two opposing flat sidewalls which are related by two opposing flanges which are shaped as screw threads that, after a quarter of a turn, can be pressure-fitted under two projections facing each other. Said projections are spaced by a distance somewhat larger than the distance between the flat sidewalls of the male terminal, and enter a cylindrical housing that is formed in the base and has a diameter which exceeds a little the diameter defined by the flanges.

[0014] On its part, the anti-turn locker is a plate that has an outline reciprocal to the outline defined by the edges of the projections and the curved portions of the wall of the cylindrical housing, said curved portions extending between these projections. Said plate leans on the bottom of the cylindrical housing and, in one of the walls of the latter not having any projection, is provided with an elastic arm that extends upwards and has a lateral edge arranged next to the position that is occupied by one of the flat sidewalls of the male terminal when the quarter of turn of its engagement with the base is completed. The elastic arm has an appendix that is located in a cavity formed in the wall of the cylindrical housing and is communicated with the periphery of the base around the cylindrical housing by means of a passageway that allows to insert an anti-theft key.

[0015] For the assembly of the road sign, the male terminal is inserted into the cylindrical housing of the base by having its flat sidewalls to go through the projections that enter the housing. When the male terminal reaches the bottom of the cylindrical housing, it also presses down the elastic arm of the anti-turn locker, pushing it down to the bottom; then the vertical body is rotated and the flanges of the male terminal are pressure-fitted under the projections, so that the vertical body stops pressing the elastic arm and the latter returns to its raised position in which its lateral edge lays next to the corresponding flat sidewall of the male terminal, thus preventing it to be rotated in the opposite sense and, therefore, granting the safety of the coupling against possible attempts of disassembly by way of fun or vandalism.

[0016] When it is desired to proceed with disassembly, transfer or substitution of a damaged vertical body, the process is carried out by the insertion of the anti-theft key, or a similar tool, into the passageway in order to push down the appendix of the elastic arm, so that the latter goes down and releases the possibility of carrying out a rotation opposite to the assembly rotation.

[0017] In order to facilitate the gripping of the vertical body when assembling or disassembling the road sign, the vertical body is provided with diametrically opposite concavities with a section in the form of a "C", said concavities having in their upper wall indentations ergonomic with respect to the fingers of the user. Also ergonomically, these concavities are at a distance from the upper end of the vertical body that is suitable for laying the palms of both hands of the user when the corresponding fingers are well placed in the indentations.

[0018] In this way, the coupling of the vertical body into the ground-anchored base does not require any tool, and their disassembly requires only to easily and quickly employ the anti-theft key.

[0019] The operative fastening of the anti-turn locker to the base is made by mere assembly, without the need of using neither tools nor special means. For effecting it the plate of the anti-turn locker comprises vertical lugs that project from its inferior plane, where the plate leans on the bottom of the cylindrical housing, and face each other at a distance a little larger than the distance between vertical walls formed at the bottom of this cylindrical housing.

[0020] Another particular feature of the invention is that the male terminal is formed in a narrower lower portion of the vertical body and determines a neck in conjunction with the base. This configuration helps the vertical body to be elastically deformed when it is kicked down by a vehicle, in contrast to other known solutions in which the vertical body is uniformly cylindrical all along from top to bottom.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0021] Some particular embodiments of the present invention will be described in the following, only by way of non-limiting example, with reference to the appended drawings, in which:

figure 1 is a perspective view which shows a road sign according to the invention where base 1 is represented cut in half; this figure includes an enlarged detail which refers to the housing of the end of vertical body 2 in base 1;

figure 2 is a perspective view which shows an anti-turn locker 3 from above;

figure 3 is an orthogonal projection which shows the final assembled position of the road sign, there being seen just the rear half of base 1;

figure 4 is a perspective view which shows the anti-turn locker 3 placed in a male terminal 4, according to figure 3;

figure 5 is perspective view similar to the one in figure 4, but rotated a quarter of turn counter clockwise;

figure 6 is a front view of the road sign, which shows a concavity 2.1 of vertical body 2, the latter being sectioned in its lower portion;

figure 7 is a left side view of the upper portion of the vertical body 2 of figure 6;

figure 8 is an enlargement of detail VIII of figure 6;

figure 9 is a view from below of the object of figure 8;

figure 10 is a section X-X as indicated in figure 8;

figure 11 is a view from above of base 1;

figure 12 is a broken section XII-XII as indicated in figure 11;

figure 13 is a section XIII-XIII as indicated in figure 11;

figures 14 to 16 are perspective views which illustrate the sequence of coupling the vertical body 2 to the base 1;

figure 17 is a view from above of base 1, including an enlarged detail of an insertion passageway 1.3 and its lateral passage 1.3a;

figure 18 is a section XV-XV as indicated in figure 17;

figure 19 is a section XVI-XVI as indicated in figure 17; and

figures 20 to 22 are perspective view which illustrate the sequence of inserting the anti-theft key 6 in the passageway 1.3.

DESCRIPTION OF PARTICULAR EMBODIMENTS

[0022] A road sign according to the invention is generally configured as a deformable road sign comprising a base 1 anchored to the ground by anchoring elements operating through bores 1.5 made in the base 1, and a vertical body 2 which is fastened to the base 1 and is made of flexible plastic.

[0023] The essential object of the invention is (figure 1) that the base 1 and the vertical body 2 are formed with reciprocal means for rotatably coupling an uncoupling them, by way of a bayonet engagement, said reciprocal means operating in conjunction with a third piece or anti-turn locker 3, which is placed between the base 1 and the vertical body 2.

[0024] According to an embodiment of the invention, the means for rotatably coupling and uncoupling the base and the body are such that (figures 1 and 3 and 5) the vertical body 2 forms, at its lower end, a male terminal 4 which presents two opposing flat sidewalls 4.1 which are related by two opposing flanges 4.2 which are shaped as screw threads that, after a quarter of a turn, can be pressure-fitted under two projections 5 facing each other. In figures 11 to 13 said projections 5 are spaced by a distance somewhat larger than the distance between the flat sidewalls 4.1 of the male terminal 4, and enter a cylindrical housing 1.1 that is formed in the base 1 and has a diameter which exceeds a little the diameter defined by the flanges 4.2.

[0025] The anti-turn locker 3 is formed (figures 2 to 5) by a plate that has an outline reciprocal to the outline defined by the edges of the projections 5 and the curved portions of the wall of the cylindrical housing 1.1, said curved portions extending between these projections 5. Said plate leans on the bottom of the cylindrical housing 1.1 and, in one of the walls of the latter not having any projection 5, is provided with an elastic arm 3.1 that extends upwards and has a lateral edge 3.2 arranged next to the position that is occupied by one of the flat sidewalls 4.1 of the male terminal 4 when the quarter of turn of its engagement with the base 1 is completed. The elastic arm 3.1 has an appendix 3.3 that is located in a cavity 1.2 formed in the wall of the cylindrical housing 1.1 and is communicated with the periphery of the base 1 around the cylindrical housing by means of a passageway 1.3 that allows to insert an anti-theft key 6 (figure 3).

[0026] Figures 14 to 16, along with the previous ones, illustrate the operation and operativity of the invention as have been described above, said operation being particularly simple. It is assumed that the base 1 is anchored to the ground by anchoring means applied to holes 1.5; then the anti-turn locker 3 is inserted in the cylindrical housing 1.1 of the base 1, so that the appendix 3.3 of the elastic arm 3.1 is placed in cavity 1.2. This is feasible by virtue of the general shape of the cylindrical housing 1.1 and the elasticity of the 1.1 anti-turn locker 3.

[0027] Next, the vertical body 2 is inserted in the cylindrical housing 1.1 so that the flat sidewalls 4.1 of the male terminal 4 go (figure 14) through the projections 5, the elastic arm 3.1 of the anti-turn locker 3 being pushed down (figure 15) by the lower side of the male terminal 4 and ending at the same level than the rest of the body of the anti-turn locker 3. Then the vertical body 2 is rotated a quarter of turn until reaching the final position of assembly indicated in figure 16, where the elastic arm 3.1 is not pushed down and by its own elastic nature returns upwards to its natural position (as shown in figures 1 to 5), in which its lateral edge 3.2 lays next to one of the flat sidewalls 4.1 of the male terminal 4, preventing it from being disassembled by a rotation in the opposite sense to that of the assembly rotation.

[0028] In order to carry out the disassembly it is enough to insert the anti-theft key 6 through the passageway 1.3 in the way illustrated by figure 3, so that the appendix 3.3 is pushed down and the elastic arm 3.1 is elastically lowered to the level of the rest of the body of the anti-turn locker 3, thus releasing the possibility of carrying out the opposite rotation of disassembly.

[0029] With the purpose of facilitating these rotation movements, the vertical body 2 comprises diametrically opposite concavities 2.1, which have a section shaped as a "C" that in its upper wall form indentations 2.2 ergonomic with respect to the fingers of the user. These concavities 2.1 are, also in an ergonomic way, at a distance from the upper end of the vertical body 2 that is suitable for laying the palms of both hands of the user when the corresponding fingers are accommodated in the indentations 2.2.

[0030] As has been previously mentioned, the assembly handling does not require any tool, and the disassembly handling only requires inserting the anti-theft key so as to push the elastic arm 3.1 through the appendix 3.3 specially designed for this function.

[0031] On the other hand, it is intended for the invention to have means that by mere assembly, without using any tools, manages the correct immobilization of the anti-turn locker 3 to the bottom of the cylindrical housing 1.1 of the base 1. These means consist in that (see figures 1 to 5 and 13) the plate of the anti-turn locker 3 comprises vertical lugs 3.4 that project from its inferior plane, where the plate leans on the bottom of the cylindrical housing 1.1, and face each other at a distance a little larger than the distance between vertical walls 1.4 formed at the bottom of this cylindrical housing 1.1.

[0032] Another particular feature of the invention is that the male terminal 4 is formed in a narrower lower portion of the vertical body 2 and determines a neck in conjunction with the base 1. This configuration helps the vertical body 2 to lie down when it is shoved by a vehicle and to recover later its upright position without enduring a significant damage, in accordance with the characteristics required by the norm of vertical signalling UNE NORM 135363:1998. As opposed to this solution, the signs having a cylindrical body with equal nominal diameter from top to bottom have a much bigger moment of inertia and, although they may recover elastically after being forcibly reclined, the damage they endure is much greater.

[0033] It is intended for the anti-theft key 6 to be made having a flange 6a that when rotating may find in its trajectory the appendix 3.3 of the elastic arm 3.1, making it to go downwards and releasing the locking of the vertical body, as can be seen in figures 20, 21 and 22.

[0034] Although only particular embodiments of the invention have been shown and described in the present specification, the skilled man will be able to introduce modifications and substitute any technical features thereof with others that are technically equivalent, depending on the particular requirements of each case, without departing from the scope of protection defined by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A permanent cylindrical deformable road sign for vertical signalling, comprising a base (1) anchorable to the ground and a vertical body (2) made of flexible plastic that can be fastened to said base (1), so that reciprocal coupling means are formed in the base (1) and the vertical body (2), said coupling means being bayonet rotatable and allowing the vertical body (2) to be removed from the base (1), characterized in that the base (1) and the vertical body (2) cooperate with a third part or anti-turn locker (3) adequate to be placed between the base (1) and the vertical body (2) when the latter is fastened to the former, said anti-turn locker (3) being releasable from its blocking position with an anti-theft key (6).

2. The road sign according to claim1, wherein the anti-turn locker (3) is provided with an elastic arm (3.1) that, when the rotation movement for coupling the vertical body (2) and the base (1) is completed, is able to reach a position in which it is rigidly interposed in the path of the rotation movement for removing the vertical body (2) from the base (1).

3. The road sign according to claim 2, wherein the elastic arm (3.1) comprises an appendix (3.3) that protrudes from the anti-turn locker (3).

4. The road sign according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the vertical body (2) comprises a male terminal (4) having two flanges (4.2), and the base (1) comprises a cylindrical housing (1.1) and two projections (5) protruding into the cylindrical housing (1.1) from the walls thereof, said projections (5) cooperating with the flanges (4.2) in order to provide the bayonet coupling.

5. The road sign according to claim 4, wherein the male terminal (4) is formed in a narrower lower portion of the vertical body (2).

6. The road sign according to claim 4 or 5, wherein the anti-turn locker (3) comprises a plate that, when the anti-turn locker (3) is placed between the vertical body (2) and the base (1), rests on the bottom of the cylindrical housing (1.1).

7. The road sign according to claim 6, wherein said plate has vertical lugs (3.4) that project from the lower plane of the plate, said lower plane being the rest surface on the bottom of the cylindrical housing (1.1).

8. The road sign according to any of claims 3 to 7, wherein, in order to remove the vertical body (2) from the base (1), it is intended for the anti-theft key (6) to have a flange (6a) that, when rotating, may contact the appendix (3.3) and lower it together with the elastic arm (3.1).

9. The road sign according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the base (1) comprises a passageway (1.3) that allows the insertion of the anti-theft key (6).

10. The road sign according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the vertical body (2) comprises, in its upper portion, diametrically opposed concavities (2.1), the upper walls of said concavities (2.1) presenting indentations (2.2) adapted to the user's fingers.

Drawing