MOTORCYCLIST PROTECTION SYSTEM

Abstract

 The invention relates to a motorcyclist protection system, of the type of those formed by a continuous lower rail (5) closing the space under an upper rail (3), fixed, through spacers (2), to posts (1) of anchorage to the ground. According to this system, the continuous lower rail (5) is assembled through post arms (6) and/or intermediate arms (7); each post arm (6) is formed by a single part made of sheet metal with a stepped profile having an upper expansion or pin through which each post arm (6) is directly fixed to the corresponding post (1), without having to loosen or tighten any part of the already installed barrier.

Description

Field of the Art

[0001] The present invention relates to a motorcyclist protection system and more specifically to the generically called restraint barriers which are placed on roads.

State of the Art

[0002] The project, construction and maintenance of vehicle restraint systems, known as "VRS" are being carried out according to different regulations.

[0003] Specifically, Circular Order 321/95 T and P includes a specific motorcyclist protection system.

[0004] Subsequently, and more specifically at the beginning of the year 2005, Circular Order 18/2004 came into force, in which, in addition to establishing criteria for using motorcyclist protection systems (MPS), defined in its Annex a new motorcyclist protection system developed by the General Directorate of Highways.

[0005] According to this system, the use of continuous type motorcyclist protection systems (MPS) which assure that no part of the motorcyclist surpasses the position of the system during a possible collision was proposed as a preferred solution.

[0006] To that end, the proposal was made to complement the traditional rail with a simple and continuous metal rail which is arranged thereunder, closing the access of the motorcyclist in a possible impact.

[0007] This Circular Order 18/2004 provided datasheets with the solutions proposed by the General Directorate of Highways and by business corporations.

[0008] Within the applied solutions, the most usual one consisted of fixing the simple metal rail, which closes the access under the upper rail, by means of using arms identified as post arm and intermediate arm.

[0009] Each post arm is assembled in relation to one of the vertical posts; whereas the intermediate arm is assembled between two posts, whether they have a C-shaped profile or are tubular.

[0010] In the known solutions, to assemble the post arm in already installed vehicle restraint systems it is necessary to loosen and/or tighten parts of the already installed rails.

[0011] Indeed, in the known solutions, the post arm is fixed by taking advantage of the points of anchorage of the upper rail to the part which attaches this rail to the post, called spacer.

[0012] To that end, it is necessary to unscrew the fixing screw at that point, assemble the corresponding post arm and fix it with said screw. This process, in addition to its slowness and complexity, entails handling the points of anchorage of the already installed rail, being able to cause unwanted misalignments.

[0013] European Patents EP 1,184,515 and EP 1,182,296 have already disclosed safety systems of the indicated type, i.e., of the type formed by an upper barrier which is fixed to posts through the parts called spacers, arranging a lower barrier, specifically designed for the safety of motorcyclists, which hangs from the so-called post arms which are fixed to the posts through spacers, taking advantage of the actual screws which make the upper barrier integral with these spacers.

[0014] Spanish utility model U200102936 has already disclosed a solution for assembling a protection barrier for motorcyclists, according to which the post arm securing the lower barrier is directly fixed to the post, but it is a solution for when the upper barrier is directly fixed to the post without the existence of the spacer. In any case, according to this solution, the fixing screw for fixing the upper barrier to the post is used to fix the post arm; such that it is necessary to unscrew or at least loosen said screw and, therefore, handle the already installed barrier.

Object of the Invention

[0015] Compared to these traditional solutions, the present invention proposes a post arm which is directly fixed to the post, whether it has a C-shaped profile or is tubular, without needing to loosen or tighten any part of the already installed vehicle restraint system.

[0016] In addition and in the known embodiments, each intermediate arm is formed by two parts, one which is fixed to the upper rail and another one which, being anchored thereto, is in turn fixed to the lower rail which forms part of the motorcyclist protection system.

[0017] According to the present invention, it is proposed that each intermediate arm is formed by a single part, defined by a sheet which in its upper part forms an area of anchorage to the upper rail; in its intermediate part defines a bridge area in correspondence with the location of the contiguous edges of both rails respectively; and in its lower part determines an area of anchorage to the lower rail.

[0018] Finally, it must be indicated that, according to the object of the present invention and as a result of the new design on the intermediate arms, the possibility has been provided that, for some vehicle restraint systems, the lower rail intended got the safety of the motorcyclists can be installed hanging only from such intermediate arms, i.e., without the use of post arms; such that the attachment of the lower rail is carried out between the two posts, exactly at the center of the restraint system, and not at the height thereof, as occurs in the rest of the already known solutions. A greater ease of assembly is thus achieved and the system is provided with greater flexibility.

Description of the Drawings

[0019] 

Figure 1 is a perspective and schematic view of the system object of the present invention, seen from the rear part.

Figure 2 is a view like that of Figure 1, but now given from the front part and having removed the upper rail (3) and the lower rail (5).

Figure 3 is a profile view showing how a post arm (6) is fixed to a post (1).

Figure 4 is the sectioned profile view of a post arm (6).

Figure 5 is a front view of a post arm (6).

Figure 6 is a profile view showing the assembly of an intermediate arm (7).

Figure 7 is a sectioned profile view of an intermediate arm (7).

Figure 8 corresponds to the front elevational view of an intermediate arm (7).

Figure 9 is a view like that of Figure 6, but now with a lower rail (5) with a different profile.

Figure 10 is a perspective schematic view from the rear part, showing the assembly of the lower rail (5) supported only through intermediate arms (7).

Figure 11 is a view like that of Figure 10, but now given from the front and having removed the upper rail (3) and the lower rail (5) in order to be able to observe that there are only intermediate arms (7) to support the latter.

Figure 12 is a perspective and exploded view showing the assembly of a post arm (6) in a tubular post (1).

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0020] Vehicle restraint systems, identified as "VRS" are conventionally formed by a rail (3) which, by means of screws (4), see Figure 3, is fixed to spacers (2) which are in turn integrally fixed to vertical posts (1) embedded in the ground.

[0021] The rail (3) has a double-wave profile and forms a metal safety barrier. The vertical posts (1) are also made of metal and can both have a C-shaped profile and be tubular.

[0022] These "VRS" vehicle restraint systems can have a motorcyclist protection system, identified as "MPS", which can be incorporated both in new vehicle restraint systems which are installed and in those which are already assembled, thus adapting the metal safety barriers existing in the highway network.

[0023] This motorcyclist protection system is essentially formed by a lower rail (5) made in sheet steel which defines a continuous metal barrier under the upper rail (3); such that this barriers closes the access of the motorcyclist in an possible impact, assuring that no part of the motorcyclist surpasses the position of the system during said possible collision.

[0024] In an already known manner, this lower rail (5) is assembled in the system by means of elements called post arms and intermediate arms, the former being located in connection with the corresponding posts (1); whereas the intermediate arms are located between every two contiguous posts (1), see Figures 1 and 2.

[0025] According to the solution now proposed, each post arm (6) is formed by a single part of sheet metal, which, as is observed in Figures 4 and 5, determines a slightly inclined lower plane (6.1) which, in accordance with bends (6.3, 6.4 and 6.5), is continued by a ramp plane (6.11), followed by a plane (6.10) which is vertical or close to the vertical and by a plane (6.6) which is horizontal or close to the horizontal.

[0026] The upper horizontal plane (6.6), after a bend (6.7), extends in at least one pin (6.8) provided with at least one hole (6.9).

[0027] Likewise, the lower vertical plane (6.1) has at least one hole (6.2).

[0028] The post part (6) is directly anchored in the corresponding vertical post (1), whether it is of type of C-shaped profile or tubular, through the hole (6.9) of the pin (6.8), see Figures 1 and 12.

[0029] Thus, in the case of barriers which are already installed in the highway network and which are to be completed with the "MPS" motorcyclist protection system, the post arms (6) are assembled without needing to loosen or tighten any part of the already installed barrier.

[0030] Once the post arm (6) has been assembled, through the hole (6.2) and by means of the corresponding screw and nut set, the lower rail (5) is anchored exactly in the area of the end of one of the sections defining this lower rail (5), which end usually has four holes for anchoring the other end of the corresponding contiguous section of lower rail (5), both being ends being superimposed on one another.

[0031] Figures 7 and 8 show how each intermediate arm (7) is formed according to the object of the present invention, according to which it is formed by a single part made of metal configuring an upper plane (7.1) close to horizontality, the free edge of which is supported against the rear part of the upper rail (3).

[0032] This upper plane (7.1) is continued, after a bend (7.2), in an inclined section (7.3) provided with at least one hole (7.11).

[0033] After the section (7.3), there are four bends (7.4, 7.5, 7.6 and 7.7) configuring a central bridge section (7.10) and, after the latter, a lower section (7.8) provided with at least one hole (7.9).

[0034] The intermediate arm (7) is fixed to the upper rail (3) through the hole (7.11) and by means of the corresponding screw and nut set.

[0035] In this arrangement, the bridge section (7.10) is located in correspondence with the contiguous edges of the upper rail (3) and lower rail (5), thus duly spanning them.

[0036] The lower rail (5) is fixed through the hole (7.9) and by means of the corresponding screw and nut set.

[0037] This fixing of the lower rail (5) can be carried out at any point of one of the sections forming it or exactly in the overlapped part of the ends of two contiguous sections.

[0038] As can be observed in Figures 6 and 9, the lower rail (5) can have different profiles without this altering the essence of the invention at all.

[0039] Finally, it should be indicated that, due to the peculiar design of the intermediate arms (7), they enable assembling the lower rail (5) such that the latter is hanging from such intermediate arms (7), thus dispensing with the post arms (6), as observed in Figures 10 and 11.

[0040] With this solution, the incorporation of a new design in the attachment of the different sections of the lower rail (5) is furthermore achieved; such that such sections have the possibility of being attached between every two posts (1); whereas in the rest of the known solutions it was always carried out at the height of the post (1).

Claims

1. A motorcyclist protection system, of the type of those formed by a continuous lower rail (5) closing the space under an upper rail (3), fixed, through spacers (2), to posts (1) of anchorage to the ground, characterized in that according to such system, the continuous lower rail (5) is assembled through post arms (6) and/or intermediate arms (7); in that each post arm (6) is formed by a single part made of sheet metal with a stepped profile having an upper expansion or pin (6.8) through which each post arm (6) is directly fixed to the corresponding post (1), without having to loosen or tighten any part of the already installed barrier.

2. The motorcyclist protection system according to the previous claim, characterized in that each intermediate arm (7) is formed by a single metal part determining an upper plane (7.1), the free edge of which is supported against the rear part of the upper rail (3), respective sections (7.3 and 7.8) of anchorage to the upper rail (3) and to the lower rail (5) respectively and a central bridge area (7.10) in correspondence with the contiguous edges of said rails (3 and 5).

3. The motorcyclist protection system according to claims 1 and 2, characterized in that it has been provided that in some vehicle restraint systems the lower rail (5) hangs only from intermediate arms (7).

Drawing