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(11) | EP 3 800 293 A1 |
| (12) | EUROPEAN PATENT APPLICATION |
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| (54) | BARRIER |
| (57) The invention relates to a barrier module (1) for vehicles having a weight ranging
from 15 to 100 kg comprising i) a post (2) having a length d ranging from 500 to 1200
mm; and ii) a polygon-shaped substantially flat base (3) having sides (4) in the range
from 400 to 1000 mm wherein the central portion of said base (3) is attached to an
end of said post (2), and the ratio of length d of the post (2) to the average length
of the sides (4) of the base (3) ranges from 0.5 to 2. The invention also relates to a system comprising at least two barrier modules (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 7 spaced apart to block the passage of vehicles, wherein the distance between the barrier modules (1) is adapted to be shorter than the width of the front of vehicles impacting the system. The invention also relates to the use thereof. |
[0001] The present invention relates to a barrier module for vehicles, a system comprising at least two barrier modules and the use thereof.
Background of the invention
[0002] Barriers for blocking vehicles are generally known in the art, for example to control access of vehicles in for example pedestrian zones, shopping centers, government buildings and dangerous areas such as roads under construction. Barriers may also be used to control the flow of traffic on roads and highways. Such barriers exist in various constructions and shapes including heavy concrete barriers and movable barriers in plastics. Heavy barriers such as jersey barriers cannot be easily moved and are therefore not an alternative for temporary use to restrict access of vehicles. Concrete barriers may also cause serious accidents since vehicles running into them are immediately brought to a complete stop.
[0003] Many types of movable barriers known in the art involve a complex structure rendering the installation of them time-consuming, especially for temporary use during a shorter period of time, for example during crowded events in cities.
[0004] The present invention intends to solve the problems of the prior art. In particular, the invention intends to provide a movable barrier that can readily be set up on roads or other areas to restrict access of vehicles, in particular without the use of machinery. The invention also relates to a barrier which safeguards vehicles running into such barrier are smoothly stopped without risks of serious casualties.
The invention
[0005] The present invention relates to a barrier module for vehicles having a weight ranging from 15 to 100 kg comprising
- i) a post having a length d ranging from 500 to 1200 mm
- ii) a polygon-shaped substantially flat base having sides in the range from 400 to 1000 mm
[0006] By the term "average length of the sides" of the base is meant the total length of the sides divided by the number of sides. For example in the case of a triangle-shaped base, the total length of the three sides divided by three.
[0007] According to one embodiment, the barrier module has a weight ranging from 25 to 80 kg, for example from 40 to 60 kg.
[0008] According to one embodiment, the barrier module is composed of steel or other iron-based alloy, preferably steel.
[0010] According to one embodiment, at least one side of the base is provided with at least one protrusion. According to one embodiment, three equidistantly positioned protrusions are provided along one side of the base. According to the invention, the length of said at least one protrusion is from 30 to 100, preferably from 30 to 60 mm. According to one embodiment, the post is hollow.
[0011] Of natural reasons, a hollow post compared to a solid post is more easily transported or moved and the material costs for manufacturing are reduced. According to one embodiment, the average length of the sides of the base preferably ranges from 600 to 800 cm.
[0012] According to one embodiment, the barrier module is provided with means for securing it to at least one other barrier module.
[0013] The post of the barrier module may have a shape such as cylindrical, square-shaped, conical, truncated cone or the like, preferably a cylindrical shape. Preferably, the post is provided with a lid or cover on the top portion thereof.
[0014] According to one embodiment, the length d of the post ranges from 600 to 1000, preferably from 700 to 900 mm.
[0015] According to one embodiment, the diameter of the post, typically of a cylindrical shape, ranges from 100 to 250, preferably from 100 to 200 mm. In case of a non-cylindrical post, for example a square-shaped post, the sides of the post are in the range from 100 to 250, preferably from 100 to 200 mm. In the case of a conical shape or a truncated cone, the maximal diameter preferably is as indicated above. According to one embodiment, at least one corner (X, Y, Z) of the base is angled downwards, for example 5 to 20° to the major portion of the base.
[0016] According to one embodiment, the post is provided with at least one through-hole. The invention also relates to a system comprising at least two barrier modules as described herein spaced apart to block the passage of vehicles, wherein the distance between the barrier modules is adapted to be shorter than the width of the front of at least one vehicle impacting the system.
[0017] According to one embodiment, said at least two barrier modules are secured to one another by securing means. According to one embodiment, the securing means has a strength whereby it resists a force of at least 40 kN, preferably at least 50 kN, and more preferably at least 75 kN.
[0018] According to one embodiment, said at least two barrier modules are secured by means of securing means such as a wire, preferably made of steel, adapted to maintain said at least two barrier modules secured upon, and after, impact of a vehicle with at least one barrier module.
[0019] By the term "wire" as used herein is also meant to include any rope, wire rope, cable, chain or any other means capable of maintaining at least two barrier modules secured to one another upon and after impact of a vehicle with at least one barrier module.
[0021] According to one embodiment, the ends of the wire are provided with hooks secured to means arranged in the interior of a hollow post, for example a pipe.
[0022] The invention also relates to the use of a system wherein at least two barrier modules of the system as described herein are arranged along an imagined line substantially perpendicularly to at least one driving direction, wherein upon impact of a vehicle with at least one barrier module of the system, said at least one barrier module falls whereby at least one corner of the base will point substantially upwards and get into contact with the undercarriage of the vehicle thereby reducing the speed of the vehicle.
[0023] According to one embodiment, one single barrier module is arranged to block the passage of vehicles whereby said barrier module falls upon impact of a vehicle, wherein a corner of the base, in particular a triangle-shaped base, will get into contact with the undercarriage of the vehicle whereby the speed of the vehicle will be reduced. Plural barrier modules may also be positioned adjacent to each other such that they bases thereof are in contact.
[0024] According to one embodiment, the barrier is used in a sliding gate or a rotating gate, e.g. in a double gate arrangement.
[0025] Preferably, the barrier module is one integral piece. Preferably, the base and the post are attached to each other by welding. According to one embodiment, the post and the base may be separate parts fixed to one another, for example by means of threads or other fixing means.
[0026] According to one embodiment, the post may consist of several sections connected to each other in its axial direction to extend the length thereof, for example by means of threads in the ends of the sections to be connected. Such sections extending the length of the post may be suitable for different uses. Preferably such sections may have a length from 200 to 400 mm such as 250 to 350 mm.
[0027] According to one embodiment, the barrier module or modules when in operation are recessed in the ground, for example to such an extent the upper side of the base of the barrier module is at the same level as the surrounding ground. Such arrangement may, depending on the ground, increase the stability of the barrier modules. According to one embodiment, the upper portion of the post is provided with a lamp or a reflector to alert drivers.
[0028] According to one embodiment, the ratio of the length of the barrier post to the average length of the sides of the base ranges from 0.8 to 1.7, more preferably from 1.1 to 1.5.
[0029] According to one embodiment, the sides of the base have substantially the same length, more preferably the same length. According to one embodiment, the angle between adjacent sides form an angle in the range from 50 to 70°.
[0030] According to one embodiment, the thickness of the base ranges from 15 to 60, for example 15 to 30 mm.
[0031] The ratio between the length of the post and the average length of the sides of the base controls the stability of the barrier. The higher the post, the more instable the barrier module. The longer the sides of the base, the more stable the barrier module becomes. The ratio of the length of the post to the average length of the sides of the base is thus crucial to provide a suitable stability of the barrier module and thus the entire barrier system.
[0032] The length of the sides of the base also need to be adapted to the distance between the ground and the undercarriage of the vehicles to effectively impart contact between the undercarriage and the base as the post falls upon impact of a vehicle. As the base is contacted with the undercarriage as the vehicle runs down the barrier module, the speed of the vehicle will reduce rapidly but not momentaneously. According to one embodiment, when one barrier module falls upon impact, a securing means such as a wire securing adjacent barrier modules will become stretched from an originally non-stretched state. The securing means will ultimately cause other barrier modules to fall secured to the already fallen barrier module. Several barrier modules may of course also fall as a result of a vehicle impacting upon them before the securing means, e.g. the wire is stretched.
[0033] According to one embodiment, the securing means, e.g. wire securing barrier modules to one another has a length from 800 to 3500, preferably from 800 to 1200 mm, and most preferably from 900 to 1100 mm. Preferably, before a vehicle collides with at least one barrier module, the wire of the barrier system is unstretched and rest on the ground between two adjacent barrier modules.
[0034] According to one embodiment, the barrier post is provided with at least one through hole in the lower portion. Preferably, a pipe, e.g. a hollow pipe is attached to the interior of the barrier post at e.g. the through hole, preferably by means of welding. Any suitable means for securing the barrier modules may be used such as wires provided with hooks secured to e.g. a pipe or loop arranged on the barrier modules or by means of any other securing means.
[0035] According to one embodiment, the barrier post is provided with at least one through hole in the upper portion. This hole may be utilized to carry the barrier post by passing a carrying means such as a metallic rod through the hole which may be held on either side thereof.
[0036] According to one embodiment, the system of barrier modules is arranged to block vehicles such as cars, trucks, buses or any other kind of vehicles.
[0037] According to one embodiment, when setting up the system of barrier modules, the barrier modules are positioned at a distance ranging from 300 to 3000, for example 300 to 100, such as from 300 to 600 mm from one another.
[0038] The system of barrier modules may be set up in various configurations depending on the needs to block passage of vehicles.
[0039] According to one embodiment, the system of barriers is arranged to form a gate to allow controlled passage of vehicles. Such gates or gate systems may be set up in different ways.
[0040] According to one embodiment, the gate is a sliding gate or a rotating gate, for example arranged as a double gate.
[0041] According to one embodiment, barrier modules are positioned on a support as closely as possible to one another. The support may be controlled to rotate or slide by any conventional means. Arrangements for moving the support carrying the barrier posts may be positioned on e.g. either side of a road or other area.
Example
[0042] A test was performed whereby a vehicle having a weight of 2500 kg was accelerated to a speed of 45 km/h when impacting on 20 barrier modules having a height of 801 mm, a triangle-shaped base with sides of 521 mm, and a weight of 50 kg. The distance the vehicle continued from the point of impact until it stopped was 10 m (breaking distance).
Brief description of the drawings
[0043] Figure 1 shows a barrier module in a position for use. Figure 2 shows a system of two barrier modules secured by a wire. Figures 3a-c show a rotating double gate in different modes. Figure 4 shows one portion of a rotating double gate and a mechanism for opening and closing the gate. Figures 5a-b show a sliding double gate.
Detailed description of the invention
[0044] The invention will now be described in more detail with reference to the enclosed figures. Fig. 1 shows a barrier module 1. The height of the barrier module 1 is typically 800 mm - essentially corresponding to length d of the barrier post 2 which in figure 1 has a cylindrical shape. The cylindrical post typically has a diameter of about 150 mm. The sides 4 of the base 3 which is triangle-shaped is 500 to 600 mm. One of the sides 4 is provided with protrusions (5a, 5b, 5c) which are angled downwardly with respect to the major portion of the base. This angle imparts a more steady position to the barrier module 1, for example if positioned on a soft ground such as a lawn or on e.g. asphalted area with gravel, sand or other material present on the ground causing unevenness. The angle between base side 4 with length c and the protrusions with length a can be in the range from 135 to 170°. Figure 1 shows equidistant protrusions 5a, 5b, 5c having lengths a of typically 30-50 mm. The triangle-shaped base sides 4 with lengths c extending from corner X may also have an angled corner X to further increase the steadiness of the barrier module 1 which equally may have an angle ranging from 135 to 170°. The angled portion may have a length b of about 50 mm. The post 2 may further be provided with through holes 6 in the lower and upper portions thereof. The hole 6 in the lower portion of the post 2 may be used for the arrangement of a pipe (not shown) in the interior of a hollow post 2 at which pipe a hook connected to a wire securing two adjacent barriers modules may be secured. The hole 6 in the upper portion of the post 2 may be used to carry the barrier module 1, for example by passing carrying means through the hole 6 whereby it may more easily be transported by lifting the barrier module 1 on either side of the hole 6.
[0045] Figure 2 shows a barrier system comprising two barrier modules 1 secured to one another by a wire 7. One of the modules 1 has been turned over following impact of a vehicle (not shown). The wire 7 having hooks at its ends is secured to pipe 8 in the interior hollow space of the module 1. As can be noted, one corner (X, Y, Z) of module 1 will point upwards towards the undercarriage of the vehicle thereby contacting the vehicle and slowing down the speed thereof.
[0046] Figures 3a-c show a double gate arranged in closed position (3a), semi-open (3b), and open position (3c).
[0047] Figure 4 shows an arrangement of the rotating gates of fig.3a-c for changing the position of the gate comprising the barrier modules. Means 9, preferably a motorized means, is adapted to rotate a support 10 on which the barrier modules are arranged so as to open and close the gate. Preferably, support 10 is provided by means such as rolls or wheels (not shown) to facilitate a rotating movement of the support 10 from its modes in open and closed position respectively. When the gate is in open position to allow for passage of vehicles, the gate is positioned in housing 11.
[0048] Figures 5a and 5b illustrate a double sliding gate arranged. Each gate comprises a predetermined number of barrier modules arranged on a support 10. Means for moving the gate from opened and closed positions can involve any suitable means such as guiding rails along which support 10 is moved. Preferably, such sliding gate is provided with wheels, rolls or the like to facilitate the movement thereof.
1. Barrier module (1) for vehicles having a weight ranging from 15 to 100 kg comprising
i) a post (2) having a length d ranging from 500 to 1200 mm
ii) a polygon-shaped substantially flat base (3) having sides (4) in the range from 400 to 1000 mm
wherein the central portion of said base (3) is attached to an end of said post (2), and the ratio of length d of the post (2) to the average length of the sides (4) of the base (3) ranges from 0.5 to 2.2. Barrier module (1) according to claim 1, wherein the base (3) is triangle-shaped.
3. Barrier module (1) according to claim 1 or 2, wherein at least one side (4) of the
base (3) is provided with at least one protrusion (5a, 5b, 5c).
4. Barrier module (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the post (2) is
hollow.
5. Barrier module (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the barrier module
(1) is provided with means for securing it to at least one other barrier module (1).
6. Barrier module (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein at least one corner
(X, Y, Z) of the base (3) is angled downwards.
7. Barrier module (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the barrier module
(1) is composed of an iron-alloy.
8. System comprising at least two barrier modules (1) according to any one of claims
1 to 7 spaced apart to block the passage of vehicles, wherein the distance between
the barrier modules (1) is adapted to be shorter than the width of the front of vehicles
impacting the system.
9. System according to claim 8, wherein said at least two barrier modules (1) are secured
to one another by securing means.
10. System according to any one of claims 8 or 9, wherein said at least two barrier modules
(1) are secured by means of a wire adapted to maintain said at least two barrier modules
(1) secured upon and after impact of a vehicle with at least one barrier module (1).
11. System according to any one of claims 8 to 10, wherein the wire is made of steel.
12. System according to any one of claims 8 to 11, wherein the ends of the wire is provided
with hooks secured to means arranged in the interior of a hollow post (2).
13. Use of a system according to any one of claims 8 to 12 wherein at least two barrier
modules (1) of the system are arranged along an imagined line substantially perpendicularly
to at least one driving direction, wherein upon impact of a vehicle with at least
one barrier module (1) of the system, said at least one barrier module (1) falls whereby
at least one corner (X, Y, Z) of the base (3) will point substantially upwards and
get into contact with the undercarriage of the vehicle thereby reducing the speed
of said vehicle.
14. Use of a system according to any one of claims 8 to 12, wherein said barrier module
(1) is arranged to block the passage of vehicles whereby said barrier module (1) falls
upon impact of a vehicle, and wherein a corner (X, Y, Z) of the base (3) will get
into contact with the undercarriage of the vehicle whereby the speed of the vehicle
will be reduced.
15. Use of a barrier according to any one of claims 1 to 7, in a sliding gate or a rotating
gate.