Impact dissipation guardrail

Abstract

An impact dissipation bollard system includes a vertical support column and a composite energy-absorbing deformable core located in a foundation. The foundation includes a rigid core containing support column receiving holes and multiple flanges. An energy-absorbing elastic sheath covers the rigid core and the flanges. The bollard system transfers impact energy to the composite energy-absorbing deformable core through the vertical support column, causing it to deform. A second portion of the vertical support column and the composite energy-absorbing deformable core constitute 35% of the total height of the impact dissipation bollard system and extend less than 80 cm below the foundation, thus making the impact dissipation bollard system suitable for environments with dense underground infrastructure.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to impact dissipating bollards (IDBs), and more specifically, to impact dissipating bollards with shallow bases, making them more suitable for use in dense urban areas with high density of underground facilities. Background Technology

[0002] In certain locations, bollards are commonly used as barriers to ensure vehicular road safety, such as on highways near densely populated pedestrian areas, and on sidewalks near public buildings like bus stops and schools. Existing bollard systems typically extend as deep as possible underground to enhance impact resistance and stability. However, in densely populated urban areas, the presence of numerous underground utilities such as power lines, fiber optic cables, and water pipes makes deep-foundation bollards unsuitable. Conversely, reducing the depth of bollard foundations significantly diminishes the safety performance of traditional bollards.

[0003] Traditional bollards protect pedestrians in the event of a vehicle collision due to their large size or deep foundation. Many are high-strength steel pipes or concrete pillars buried in deep concrete foundations, or integrated onto steel platforms. This rigid design also means that the energy generated by a vehicle collision is absorbed by the vehicle, causing it to deform, rather than the bollard deforming to absorb the collision energy. This vehicle deformation can endanger the driver and passengers, and sometimes even nearby pedestrians.

[0004] Prior art has disclosed bollards that can absorb the impact energy of vehicle collisions through deformation. US 7901156 discloses a plate-mounted bollard with an internal impact-absorbing mechanism, enabling it to absorb greater impact forces than conventional plate-mounted bollards. Specifically, the bollard transmits the impact force to its core rod, which absorbs the force through its elasticity. US2014 / 0154007A1 also describes an impact-absorbing bollard including a shock absorber located within the bollard member, which has fasteners extending into the ground. While the bollards described in these patents can dissipate impact energy, their relatively complex design leads to expensive manufacturing, installation, and maintenance; therefore, these bollards are less practical for areas with high demand (such as sidewalks).

[0005] US2004 / 0265055A1 discloses an alternative to safety bollards, in which the bollard is embedded in a sand base with an annular collar. As the bollard tilts, the annular collar gradually increases its resistance. However, this bollard requires a large underground area because the base of the bollard has a depth almost equal to its height, making it unsuitable for densely populated urban areas. Similar commercial bollards exist in Australia, called "Energy Absorbing Bollards (EABs)," which are claimed to be superior to traditional rigid iron or concrete bollards. When a vehicle impacts the bollard, it absorbs impact energy through polyurethane (PU) foam surrounding the bollard in the foundation. However, its foundation requires a depth of 1000 mm, which is also unsuitable for densely populated urban areas.

[0006] Therefore, there is a need in the art for improved bollards that can absorb vehicle energy and are suitable for areas with dense underground facilities, and the present invention solves this need. Summary of the Invention

[0007] This invention provides an impact dissipation bollard system with a shallow base, which overcomes construction limitations caused by the large number of buried pipelines and cables in urban centers. Furthermore, the bollard system includes energy-absorbing structures to enhance driver and pedestrian safety.

[0008] In one aspect, the present invention provides an impact dissipation bollard system comprising a vertical support having a first portion extending above a foundation and a second portion extending below the foundation, wherein the foundation contains a composite energy-absorbing deformable core. The composite energy-absorbing deformable core includes a rigid core portion containing support receiving holes and a first and second protrusion extending from the rigid core portion, the first and second protrusions forming a dumbbell shape together with the rigid core portion. The rigid core portion is encased in an energy-absorbing elastic material and located within recesses of the first and second protrusions. In this bollard system, the vertical support can transmit impact energy to deform the composite energy-absorbing deformable core. Furthermore, the foundation of the bollard system includes a reinforcing frame embedded in concrete and having a strength of at least 30 MPa.

[0009] On the other hand, the composite energy-absorbing deformable core can be surrounded by a frame.

[0010] On the other hand, the energy-absorbing elastic material includes foam.

[0011] On the other hand, the vertical support includes a hollow reinforcing structure.

[0012] On the other hand, the hollow reinforced structure includes a network of interconnected support members.

[0013] On the other hand, the interconnecting support is an interconnected hollow polygon or cylinder.

[0014] On the other hand, the interconnecting support is an interconnected polygon, which can be a triangle, square, rectangle, pentagon or hexagon.

[0015] On the other hand, the hollow reinforcing structure includes a filling material.

[0016] On the other hand, the filler material is selected from polymers, foams, carbon fiber composites, glass fiber composites, shear-thickening fluids, or filler particles.

[0017] On the other hand, the vertical support is made of metal, plastic, rubber, fiber-reinforced polymer, or fiber-reinforced metal.

[0018] On the other hand, the rigid core of the composite energy-absorbing deformable core includes metal, polymer, fiber-reinforced composite material or ceramic.

[0019] On the other hand, the foam can be ethylene-vinyl acetate foam, polyethylene terephthalate foam, polyvinyl chloride foam, polystyrene foam, or polyurethane foam.

[0020] On the other hand, the foam comprises a shear-thickening fluid.

[0021] On the other hand, the shear-thickening fluid comprises a dialkylsiloxane polymer with hydroxyl-terminated ends or a dialkylsiloxane copolymer with hydroxyl-terminated boronic acid ester crosslinked ends.

[0022] On the other hand, the flange is a horizontal extension flange.

[0023] On the other hand, the protrusion has an approximately circular cross-section.

[0024] On the other hand, the partition wall of the protrusion forms a deformable folded area to create an internal void for dissipating impact energy.

[0025] On the other hand, the foam has an expanding foam structure with a negative Poisson's ratio, which makes the foam expand when stretched and harden when compressed. Attached Figure Description

[0026] The invention can be further understood through the following description of non-limiting embodiments and with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein:

[0027] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of an impact dissipation guard post system according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0028] Figure 2 This shows an example of the internal structure of the pillars of the impact dissipation guard pillar system.

[0029] Figures 3A-3J show schematic diagrams of the core configuration; Figure 3A shows a configuration related to the prior art. Figure 3B-3J This pertains to the configuration of the present invention.

[0030] Figure 4 A surface view of each core within the foundation, showing the same diameter and height.

[0031] Figure 5 This shows the stress distribution and energy density distribution of different core configurations compared to existing technologies.

[0032] Figures 6A-6D The diagram schematically shows a core without fins or flanges to demonstrate the rigid core and resilient sheath.

[0033] Figures 7A-7D A schematic diagram of a core with a horizontal fin at the bottom is shown. Figure 7A ), and its top view ( Figure 7B ), side view ( Figure 7C ) and cross-sectional view ( Figure 7D (See diagrams for examples.)

[0034] Figures 8A-8C The rigid portion of the core shown in Figure 7 has the same structure (shape and arrangement) as the polymer portion of the core. Figure 8A It is a schematic diagram. Figure 8B It is a top view. Figure 8C It is a side view.

[0035] Figures 9A-9C The core shown has a horizontal flange in the middle, in which Figure 9A It is a schematic diagram. Figure 9B It is a top view. Figure 9C It is a side view.

[0036] Figures 10A-10B Figure 9 shows the rigid portion of the core, which has the same structure (shape and arrangement) as the polymer portion of the core. Figure 10A It is a schematic diagram. Figure 10B It is a top view.

[0037] Figure 11A-11C The display shows a core with two horizontal flanges, in which Figure 11A It is a schematic diagram. Figure 11B It is a top view. Figure 11C It is a side view.

[0038] Figures 12A-12C show Figure 11A-11C The rigid portion of the core, wherein the rigid portion of the core has the same structure (shape and arrangement) as the polymer portion of the core, wherein Figure 12AIt is a schematic diagram. Figure 12B It is a top view. Figure 12C It is a side view.

[0039] Figures 13A-13C The display shows a core with three horizontal flanges, in which Figure 13A It is a schematic diagram. Figure 13B It is a top view. Figure 13C It is a side view.

[0040] Figures 14A-14C show Figures 13A-13C The rigid portion of the core, wherein the rigid portion of the core has the same structure (shape and arrangement) as the polymer portion of the core, wherein Figure 14A It is a schematic diagram. Figure 14B It is a top view. Figure 14C It is a side view.

[0041] Figures 15A-15C The display shows a core with four horizontal flanges, in which Figure 15A It is a schematic diagram. Figure 15B It is a top view. Figure 15C It is a side view.

[0042] Figures 16A-16B show Figures 15A-15C The rigid portion of the core, wherein the rigid portion of the core has the same structure (shape and arrangement) as the polymer portion of the core, wherein Figure 16A It is a schematic diagram. Figure 16B It is a top view.

[0043] Figures 17A-17C The display shows a core with four vertical fins (non-uniformly sized, one large and the other small), in which Figure 17A It is a schematic diagram. Figure 17B It is a top view. Figure 17C It is a side view.

[0044] Figures 18A-18B show Figures 17A-17C The rigid part of the core, in which Figure 18A It is a schematic diagram. Figure 18B It is a side view.

[0045] Figures 19A-19C The display shows a core with four vertical fins (of uniform size), in which Figure 19A It is a schematic diagram. Figure 19B It is a top view. Figure 19C It is a side view.

[0046] Figures 20A-20C The display shows a core with eight vertical fins (of uniform size), in which Figure 20A It is a schematic diagram. Figure 20B It is a top view. Figure 20CIt is a side view.

[0047] Figures 21A-21C show Figures 20A-20C An example of a rigid portion of a core, wherein the rigid portion of the core has the same structure (shape and arrangement) as the polymer portion of the core, wherein Figure 21A It is a schematic diagram. Figure 21B It is a top view. Figure 21C It is a side view.

[0048] Figures 22A-22C The display shows a core with twelve vertical fins (of uniform size), in which Figure 22A It is a schematic diagram. Figure 22B It is a top view. Figure 22C It is a side view.

[0049] Figures 23A-23C show Figures 22A-22C An example of a rigid portion of a core, wherein the rigid portion of the core has the same structure (shape and arrangement) as the polymer portion of the core, wherein Figure 23A It is a schematic diagram. Figure 23B It is a top view. Figure 23C It is a side view.

[0050] Figures 24A-24C The display shows a core with eight double vertical fins, in which Figure 24A It is a schematic diagram. Figure 24B It is a top view. Figure 24C It is a side view.

[0051] Figures 25A-25C show Figures 24A-24C An example of a rigid portion of a core, wherein the rigid portion of the core has the same structure (shape and arrangement) as the polymer portion of the core, wherein Figure 25A It is a schematic diagram. Figure 25B It is a top view. Figure 25C It is a side view.

[0052] Figure 26A-26L The rigid portion of the core, which features a metal energy-absorbing structure and various bottom structures, can have 0-3 base plates for fixing to the elastic sheath portion of the core.

[0053] Figures 27A-27D Examples of different metal energy-absorbing structures showing the rigid portion of the core.

[0054] Figures 28A-28D The elastic sheath portion of the display core can have different shapes, such as cylindrical, conical, and dumbbell-shaped.

[0055] Figures 29A-29E This shows an example of an impact dissipation bollard system.

[0056] Figure 30 This shows an example of an impact dissipation bollard system.

[0057] Figure 31 Displays the distance the vehicle travels relative to time.

[0058] Figure 32A-32G This shows the deformation of the components of the impact dissipation guardrail system when the impact ends.

[0059] Figure 33 This displays a graph showing the relationship between ASI and time used to verify the bollard system. Detailed Implementation

[0060] Please refer to the attached diagram for details. Figure 1 The main components of the bollard system 100 of the present invention are schematically shown. The bollard system 100 includes a vertically extending support 10; the term "support" as used herein refers to the upright, post, or frame of the bollard system, although the support is typically vertical, it may also form an angle other than 90 degrees relative to the foundation. The vertical support 10 includes a first upper portion 12 extending above the foundation 40 and a second lower portion 14 extending below the foundation 40; a composite energy-absorbing deformable core 20 located within the foundation 40, which includes a rigid core having support receiving holes and a plurality of flanges surrounding the distal end of the vertical support. Figure 1 (Not shown, see Figure 3). As used herein, "far end" includes the farthest tip of the support 10, which is located within the foundation, and includes any point along the support extending from the farthest tip, which may fall anywhere between the tip and the point 16 where the support protrudes from the foundation.

[0061] An energy-absorbing elastic sheath surrounds a rigid core and multiple flanges, which will be discussed in further detail below with reference to Figures 3 and 6-25. In this bollard system, the vertical support transmits impact energy to cause deformation of the composite energy-absorbing deformable core. The second part of the vertical support and the composite energy-absorbing deformable core account for 35% of the total height of the impact dissipation bollard system and extend less than 80 cm below the foundation, making this impact dissipation bollard system suitable for environments with dense underground facilities.

[0062] Optionally, a reinforced cage structure 30 can be used to surround the composite energy-absorbing deformable core 20, wherein the cage portion can be filled with concrete, cement, or other hardenable materials to secure the supports to the foundation 40. As will be discussed in further detail below, the reinforced cage structure 30 can have different constructions depending on the depth of the selected bollard system. In one embodiment, the cage structure is reinforced with concrete penetration and the bollard system is embedded therein; the entire structure can be installed on-site for rapid deployment of bollard arrays (i.e., protecting a specific area from vehicle intrusion with a configuration of two or more bollards).

[0063] On one hand, the total height of the support column is approximately 500 to 3000 mm, of which the portion 12 extending above the foundation 40 is approximately 325 to 1950 mm; in a particular embodiment, this height is 500 to 1800 mm. The length of the portion 14 embedded within the foundation 40 is approximately 400 to 1000 mm; in a particular embodiment, this length is 100 to 800 mm; in one embodiment, the diameter of the support column is 100 to 300 mm.

[0064] The vertically extending support 10 can be solid or hollow, depending on the selected support material and the application of the support system. For example, in some applications, the support 10 can be solid concrete or cement, solid metal, solid plastic, solid rubber, solid fiber-reinforced polymer, or solid fiber-reinforced metal; in other applications, the support 10 can be hollow, with or without a reinforcing internal structure; for hollow applications, the support can be made of metal, plastic, rubber, or fiber-reinforced composite materials.

[0065] Figure 2 Examples of reinforced internal support structures that can be used for hollow supports are shown. For example... Figure 2 As shown, the reinforcement structure includes a network of interconnected supports, which can be interconnected hollow polygons 50, interconnected cylinders 60, or combinations thereof, such as support 70, which is a central cylinder 72 with radially extending fins 74. Other polygons that can be used as supports include triangles, rectangles, squares, pentagons, hexagons (e.g., a “honeycomb” network), and combinations thereof, such as pentagon 54, which is a pentagon containing a cylinder. These structures can be symmetrical or asymmetrical, and can be perpendicular to or form an acute angle with the vertical axis. Furthermore, the supports can extend to the entire length of the strut, or occupy only one or more portions of the strut. In selected embodiments, these reinforced interconnected supports can deform upon impact, forming “folded zones” that absorb impact energy to minimize damage during a vehicle-strut collision.

[0066] In another embodiment, the hollow reinforced strut may include a filler material to further absorb impact energy. The filler material may be one or more polymers, foams, shear-thickening fluids, fiber-reinforced composites, or particle-reinforced composites, and may be a rigid filler material, soft particles, or a combination thereof. When the filler material is a shear-thickening fluid, it may include a dialkylsiloxane polymer with hydroxyl-terminated ends or a dialkylsiloxane copolymer with borate-crosslinked hydroxyl-terminated ends. The use of filler material further absorbs impact energy and minimizes vehicle damage.

[0067] Figure 3B-3JThis shows various configurations of the composite energy-absorbing deformable core 20 located at the distal end of the support column 10. For example... Figure 3B As shown, multiple horizontally extending flanges 21 extend from the central support receiving hole 22. Figure 3B In some embodiments, the horizontally extending flange is in the shape of a plate-like circle; however, it should be understood that the horizontally extending flange may have various profiles, including square, rectangular, triangular, pentagonal, hexagonal, etc., and may be symmetrically or asymmetrically arranged around the central support receiving hole 22.

[0068] exist Figure 3C In the middle, the horizontal extension flange 23 has an approximately conical shape, while Figure 3D and 3E The horizontal extension flanges 24 and 25 are plate-shaped and circular, with vertically extending protrusions 26 extending from their peripheral edges. The number of horizontal extension flanges can be selectively adjusted, with two to four flanges being a typical number.

[0069] Figure 3F-3I This shows vertically extending fins 27 extending from the central support receiving hole 22. The vertically extending fins 27 can have, for example... Figure 3G and 3H The uniform cross-section shown, or may have as shown Figure 3F The cone shape shown. (As shown in the image) Figure 3I As shown, the terminal peripheral edge of the vertically extending fin 27 may extend into a vertical protrusion 28. A variety of numbers of vertically extending fins may be included, typically ranging from 3 to 10 fins.

[0070] Figure 3J This illustrates an alternative structure for the composite energy-absorbing deformable core 20. A series of triangular protrusions 29 extend from the central support receiving hole 22. (See image.) Figure 3J As shown in the embodiments, other regular or irregular shapes may also extend from the central hole.

[0071] Using flanges, fins, or other structures can increase the contact area between the core 20 and the foundation 40. Therefore, the risk of the bollard system being knocked off the foundation during an impact is reduced. Figure 4 As shown, compared to existing technologies, the flange or finned structure increases the contact area between the core and the foundation. Compared to several core configurations in existing technologies, Figure 3B-3I The core configurations shown all exhibit higher contact area.

[0072] The composite energy-absorbing deformable core 20 includes a rigid core and an energy-absorbing elastic sheath surrounding the rigid core and multiple flanges or fins. Figures 6A-6D The diagram schematically illustrates the core-sheath structure of the central support receiving hole 22 in this invention. Figures 6A-6DIn this configuration, component 82 is a rigid core made of metal, ceramic, rigid polymer, fiber-reinforced polymer, or fiber-reinforced metal, and an elastic sheath 84 surrounds and is secured to the rigid core. Although in Figures 6A-6D The image shows a conformal elastic sheath 84, but the elastic sheath can have various shapes to increase the contact area with the foundation. Figures 28A-28D The image shows exemplary non-conformal shapes, including columnar ( Figure 28A ), cone ( Figure 28B ) and dumbbell shape ( Figure 28C , Figure 28D Figure 29D and Figure 29E Based on the shape of the energy-absorbing elastic material surrounding the rigid core, the overall shape of the core can be approximated as an hourglass shape, because the outer periphery of the core gradually decreases from the protrusions to the rod / column shape between the protrusions. Figure 29E In this way, upon collision with a moving vehicle, impact energy is transferred from the vertical strut, causing the composite energy-absorbing deformable core to deform. Typically, a resilient sheath acts as a buffer, deforming upon a vehicle collision to absorb the vehicle's kinetic energy, thereby reducing damage to the vehicle and minimizing injury to passengers. The resilient sheath 84 can be a polymer or rubber material. In one aspect, the polymer or rubber can be a polymer foam or rubber foam; any foam is suitable, including but not limited to ethylene-vinyl acetate (EVA), polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polyvinyl chloride (PVC), polystyrene (PS), or polyurethane (PU); alternatively, metallic foams and honeycomb structures, such as aluminum, titanium, nickel, or alloys including these materials, can also be used; non-metallic foams such as carbon foam can also be used.

[0073] Once a foam is selected, it can be applied to a rigid core through physical or chemical processes. The sheath 84 can be prepared physically, such as using expandable beads or introducing gases like nitrogen, carbon dioxide, pentane, hexane, or other gases; or it can be prepared chemically, such as by generating carbon dioxide or nitrogen in situ using precursor chemicals like isocyanates or azo blowing agents. Additionally, surfactants, such as polydimethylsiloxane-polyoxyethylene block copolymers, silicone oils, or nonylphenol ethoxylates, can be added. These surfactants emulsify liquid components, regulate foam size, and stabilize the foam structure to prevent collapse and subsurface voids. Depending on the final placement and application of the pillar system, other additives, such as UV stabilizers, antibacterial agents, flame retardants, pigments, and other fillers, can also be added. In some embodiments, non-Newtonian additives, such as shear-thickening fluids or expanders, such as hydroxyl-terminated dialkylsiloxane polymers or boronic acid ester-crosslinked dialkylsiloxane copolymers, can be used to enhance the energy dissipation capacity of the pillar system.

[0074] The elastic sheath 84 can be prepared by hot pressing or injection molding to produce the desired density, shape, and mechanical properties. For example, a single bollard system of the present invention installed at a garage entrance for entry and exit is likely to be subjected to repeated impacts and therefore needs to be able to dissipate a greater amount of energy; in contrast, a series of bollards installed along a sidewalk is unlikely to be repeatedly impacted and therefore a bollard system with lower energy dissipation can be used.

[0075] Figures 7A-7D The diagram schematically illustrates that the resilient sheath 84 and the rigid core 82 can appear non-conformally. For example... Figure 7D As shown, the sleeve 84 can be of any shape to form the desired profile on the flange. In this way, many shapes can be configured on the rigid core and customized according to the application scenario of the final guard post system.

[0076] Figures 9A-9C , Figure 11A-11C , Figures 13A-13C , Figures 15A-15C , Figures 17A-17C , Figures 19A-19C , Figures 20A-20C , Figures 22A-22C and Figures 24A-24C The various core structures in the design show an elastic sheath 84 covering the rigid core 82. Figures 10A-10B Figures 12A-12C, 14A-14C, 16A-16B, 18A-18B, 21A-21C, 23A-23C, and 25A-25C detail the rigid core 82 of the composite energy-absorbing deformable core 20 shown in the aforementioned figures. It is worth noting that most of these configurations are embodiments of conformal sheaths; however, depending on the final application scenario of the support system, all rigid cores can be configured with non-conformal sheaths.

[0077] On the other hand, the rigid core 82 of the deformable core 20 may include one or more gaps 86, which are folded areas that dissipate impact energy. The gaps are formed by one or more straight or curved partition walls 87. By filling these gaps with an elastic sheath material 84, a considerable amount of additional impact energy can be dissipated.

[0078] A composite energy-absorbing deformable core 20 surrounding the distal portion of the support column 10 is embedded within a foundation 40. The foundation may be made of cement, gravel, or other bonding materials, wherein the total depth of the foundation is 200 to 800 mm, and the width / diameter is 300 to 2500 mm. Optionally, a frame 30 may be provided within the foundation to protect the support column and reinforce the foundation, wherein the frame may be made of metal, alloy, or a composite material of metal and other non-metallic materials.

[0079] When a pillar is impacted, it first undergoes elastic deformation, followed by plastic deformation (such as buckling). Therefore, the vehicle's kinetic energy is first transferred to the pillar 10 and then to the deformable core 20. The pillar system absorbs impact energy at the site of the impact event through multiple stages of deformation and fracture processes in each pillar system component. The foundation 40 absorbs energy during pillar collapse and core deformation.

[0080] Example 1

[0081] Core of the pillar system

[0082] As mentioned above, see Figure 3B-3J The core 20 of the bollard system can be configured in various ways, including with horizontally extending flanges or vertically extending fins. These structures increase the contact area of ​​the core relative to the total height of the bollard system, thereby minimizing the core depth of the entire bollard system 100. As mentioned above, shallow-base core sections are required in dense urban areas due to underground structures such as pipes, cables, and optical fibers.

[0083] As shown in Figures 3 and 4, several structures for increasing the contact area between the core and the retaining post system along its axis were evaluated. Compared to the prior art design in Figure 3A, commercially available existing products require installation to a depth of 1000 mm and an underground surface area of ​​0.64 square meters within the foundation, while Figure 3B-3J The configuration requires only a shallow depth of 500mm, while providing comparable or better protection.

[0084] like Figure 4 As shown, Figure 3B-3J The underground surface area of ​​the configuration in the figure is significantly larger than that of the prior art shown in Figure 3A.

[0085] Figures 29A-29E An exemplary bollard system is shown. The bollard system 100 includes a bollard 10, a core 20, a frame 30, and a foundation 40. Figure 29B-29D The display shows a rigid core 82 including a flange 21 with a rigid energy-absorbing portion. The energy-absorbing portion includes a gap 86 forming a pleated area. Figure 29C The folded area deforms to absorb impact energy, and the energy-absorbing structure also includes multiple fins 87 welded within the flange 21; in certain embodiments, the composite energy-absorbing deformable core can be dumbbell-shaped or hourglass-shaped. As used herein, the term "dumbbell-shaped" refers to a rod or column with a protrusion at either end, forming a shape similar to a weightlifting dumbbell; hourglass-shaped approximates the shape of an hourglass, similar to having a protrusion at either end of the rod / column, but gradually tapering towards the central structure of the rod / column. As shown in the invention, see Figure 29B and Figure 29EThere is a protrusion / flange 21 with a rigid energy-absorbing portion, the energy-absorbing portion including a gap 86 forming a folded area. Figure 29C The folded area deforms to absorb the energy of the impact. The fin 21 may have a curved shape and extend in a direction perpendicular to the flange. Figure 29E The foundation 40 is a concrete structure with a frame 30, which is made of steel bars with a diameter of at least 6 mm erected in the horizontal and vertical directions. In the test, the average compressive strength of the foundation concrete is at least 30 MPa. Figure 30 The image further shows the pleated area 86 configuration available in the bollard system 100, wherein straight partitions form pleated areas, while horizontally extending partitions form pleated areas 86.

[0086] Example 2

[0087] Pillar system testing

[0088] Several different embodiments of the bollard system were tested to compare their performance under stress and to analyze the relationship between their behavior, stress, and energy distribution through simulation. Finite element analysis (FEA) software was used to analyze Figure 3A (prior art). Figure 3B and Figure 3C The mechanical properties of the three designs were analyzed, and the results are as follows: Figure 4 As shown. The finned and flanged core of this invention can withstand higher stresses. Although the depth of extension in the foundation is shallow, the added side structure in the impact dissipation guard post system effectively reduces stress and distributes energy more evenly.

[0089] A vehicle crash simulation was conducted to evaluate the pillar system with creases shown in Figure 29. According to PAS 68:2013, this system is designed to withstand an impact from a 7500 kg two-axle N2 vehicle at 48 km / h, with the impact angle at 90 degrees to the front of the pillar system. During and after the collision, no component of the pillar system must penetrate the “A” pillar / leading edge of the vehicle load platform as defined in PAS 68:2013. The vehicle must also not roll over (including sideways) during or after the collision.

[0090] When the vehicle finally came to a stop, the penetration distance was 516mm. The relationship between the vehicle's penetration distance and time is as follows: Figure 31 As shown. In Figure 32A-32GThe image shows the impact on the pillar system, revealing damage to both the core and the top concrete layer. The final tilt angle of the pillar is 45.36 degrees. The impact severity level was assessed using two indices to evaluate the impact on vehicle occupants: Acceleration Severity Index (ASI) and Theoretical Head Impact Velocity (THIV). Impact severity level A (ASI ≤ 1.0) provides a higher level of safety for vehicle occupants than impact severity level B (1.0 < ASI ≤ 1.4), while level B provides a greater level of safety than level C (1.4 < ASI ≥ 1.9). According to PAS 68 and BS EN 1317 standards, there are no verification standards for ASI and THIV in this simulation. The maximum ASI value during the collision was 1.63, calculated by measuring the changes in ASI and THIV over time. The THIV value was 29 km / h. The ASI versus time curve is shown below. Figure 33 As shown.

[0091] Example 3

[0092] The polyurethane sheath used in the core of the pillar system

[0093] The core sleeve 84 of the guard post system 100 is made of a material that provides energy absorption and protection. The sleeve 84 surrounds the guard post 10 and absorbs the vehicle's kinetic energy as a buffer when the vehicle collides with the guard post through its deformation. The deformation of the sleeve reduces damage to the vehicle and its occupants.

[0094] As an example of a core sheath using polymer foam, viscoelastic polyurethane exhibits greater energy absorption capacity compared to other elastic foams. The viscoelastic property stems from the phase separation of hard copolymer and soft copolymer segments in the polymer, inhibiting the plastic flow of the polymer chains. For instance, hard segments formed by isocyanates and chain extenders are rigid and immobile, while soft segments formed by high molecular weight polyols are mobile and typically exist in a coiled form. Therefore, the viscoelasticity of polyurethane foam can be easily adjusted by regulating the use of isocyanates, chain extenders, polyols, and other additives such as catalysts.

[0095] The isocyanate can be selected from several commercially available isocyanates, such as methylenediphenyl diisocyanate (MDI) isomers, toluene diisocyanate (TDI) isomers, hexamethylene diisocyanate (HDI) or isophorone diisocyanate (IPDI), or combinations of these isocyanates. Prepolymers with different rigid and mobile chains can also be used. The short-chain polyols or polyamines used as chain extenders can be bifunctional, such as ethylene glycol, 1,4-butanediol, ethanolamine, hydrazine, and ethylenediamine; or trifunctional, such as glycerol and triethanolamine; or polyfunctional, such as pentaerythritol, sorbitol, and sucrose. Long-chain polyols can be bifunctional or polyfunctional polyether polyols or polyester polyols, or other special polyols with various internal repeating units, such as polybutadiene polyols, polysulfide polyols, and polysiloxane polyols. Furthermore, polyamines can be added as additional long-chain polymers, such as polyether polyamines, polyester polyamines, polybutadiene polyamines, polysulfide polyamines, and polysiloxane polyamines, which can be used alone or as mixtures. Long-chain monoamines or monoamines can also be added to adjust the viscoelasticity of the resulting foam.

[0096] Catalysts can be used to accelerate reactions and can be organic and / or inorganic catalysts. Organic catalysts can be amines, such as 1,4-diazabicyclo[2.2.2]octane (DABCO), N,N,N',N'-tetramethyl-1,4-butanediamine (TMBDA), triethylamine, N-ethylmorpholine, etc.; inorganic catalysts can be metal carboxylates, such as stannous acetate, dibutyltin dilaurate, etc.

[0097] Other additives with non-Newtonian properties can be used to improve energy absorption and protective performance, including shear-thickening fluids or expanders. The shear-thickening fluid can be a hydroxyl-terminated dialkylsiloxane polymer or a dialkylsiloxane copolymer with hydroxyl-terminated borate crosslinked groups. Exemplary expanders are polyborondimethylsiloxanes (PBDMS) and any siloxane-containing borate-modified polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS). In some embodiments, the expander is polyborondimethylsiloxane (PBDMS) prepared from a hydroxyl-terminated dialkylsiloxane polymer with a Dalton range of 2000 to 4000 or 2000 to 3500.

[0098] The polyurethane foam can be further processed to create an expanded foam structure with a negative Poisson's ratio, which expands when stretched and hardens when compressed to provide greater energy absorption capacity. The polyurethane foam can be uniaxially, biaxially, or triaxially compressed in a mold under appropriate pressure and temperature, and then cooled to form the desired expanded foam. Furthermore, the process can be accelerated by using compressed gases such as CO2 or water vapor.

[0099] This disclosure has been described and illustrated through specific embodiments described above, but the foregoing description and illustration are not limiting. Those skilled in the art will understand that various changes and substitutions with similar substances can be made without departing from the true spirit and scope defined by the claims of this disclosure. Furthermore, the drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale, and due to preparation methods and tolerances, the technical presentation in this disclosure may differ from actual equipment. The specification and drawings should be considered illustrative rather than limiting, and there may be other embodiments of this disclosure not specifically shown. Therefore, modifications can be made to this disclosure to bring particular circumstances, materials, compositions, methods, or processes into line with the purpose, spirit, and scope of this disclosure, and all such modifications should fall within the scope of the appended claims. Although the disclosed methods are described in this disclosure with specific operations performed in a particular order, it should be understood that these operations can be combined, subdivided, or reordered to form equivalent methods without departing from the teachings of this disclosure. Therefore, unless specifically indicated herein, the order and grouping of operations are not limiting.

[0100] As used herein, the terms “approximately,” “substantially,” “essentially,” and “about” are used to describe and explain small variations. When used in conjunction with an event or situation, the term can refer to the exact occurrence of the event or situation, or approximately the occurrence of the event or situation. As used herein with respect to a given value or range, the term “about” generally refers to a range of ±10%, ±5%, ±1%, or ±0.5% of a given value or range. This range can be indicated herein as from one endpoint to another or between two endpoints. Unless otherwise specified, all ranges disclosed in this disclosure include endpoints. The term “substantially coplanar” can refer to two surfaces spaced a few micrometers (μm) apart along the same plane, for example, surfaces spaced 10 μm, 5 μm, 1 μm, or 0.5 μm apart along the same plane. When referring to “substantially” identical numerical values ​​or properties, the term can refer to values ​​within ±10%, ±5%, ±1%, or ±0.5% of the average of the values.

Claims

1. An impact dissipation guard post system, characterized in that, include: A vertical support having a first portion extending above the foundation and a second portion extending below the foundation; A composite dumbbell-shaped energy-absorbing deformable core, located in the foundation, comprising: A rigid core containing a support receiving hole; A first protrusion and a second protrusion extend from the rigid core, and the first protrusion and the second protrusion together with the core form a dumbbell shape; An energy-absorbing elastic material, wherein the energy-absorbing elastic material covers the rigid core and is located within the recesses of the first and second protrusions, and the energy-absorbing elastic material comprises a foam, wherein the foam has a negative Poisson's ratio inflated foam structure such that the foam expands when stretched and hardens when compressed; The guard post system transfers impact energy to the composite energy-absorbing deformable core through the vertical pillars, causing it to deform; and The foundation includes a reinforcing frame embedded in concrete and having a strength of at least 30 MPa; wherein the second portion extends less than 80 cm beneath the foundation and accounts for 35% of the total height of the vertical support.

2. The impact dissipation support pillar system according to claim 1, wherein the vertical support pillar comprises a hollow reinforced structure.

3. The impact dissipation guard post system according to claim 2, wherein the hollow reinforcement structure comprises a network of interconnected support members.

4. The impact dissipation guard post system according to claim 3, wherein the interconnecting support is an interconnected hollow polygon or cylinder.

5. The impact dissipation guard post system according to claim 4, wherein the interconnecting support is an interconnected polygon selected from triangles, squares, rectangles, pentagons or hexagons.

6. The impact dissipation guard post system according to claim 2, wherein the hollow reinforcement structure includes a filling material.

7. The impact dissipation guard post system of claim 6, wherein the filler material is selected from polymers, foams, shear-thickening fluids, or filler particles.

8. The impact dissipation support pillar system according to claim 2, wherein the vertical support pillar comprises metal, plastic, rubber or fiber-reinforced composite material.

9. The impact dissipation guard post system according to claim 1, wherein the rigid core of the composite energy-absorbing deformable core comprises metal, polymer, fiber composite material or ceramic.

10. The impact dissipation guard post system according to claim 1, wherein the foam is selected from metal foam, honeycomb metal, ethylene-vinyl acetate foam, polyethylene terephthalate foam, polyvinyl chloride foam, polystyrene foam or polyurethane foam.

11. The impact dissipation guard system of claim 1, wherein the foam comprises a shear-thickening fluid.

12. The impact dissipation guard system of claim 11, wherein the shear thickening fluid comprises a dialkylsiloxane polymer with hydroxyl-terminated ends or a dialkylsiloxane copolymer with borate ester crosslinked hydroxyl-terminated ends.

13. The impact dissipation guard post system of claim 11, wherein the protrusion has an approximately circular cross-section.

14. The impact dissipation guard post system according to claim 13, wherein the protrusion is a deformable folded area.

15. The impact dissipation guard post system of claim 14, wherein the deformable folded area includes an internal void formed by the partition wall of the protrusion to dissipate impact energy.

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