Railing block for guardrails comprising two brackets with rounded edges and a wedge with a rounded base
The rail blocker's rounded edges and U-shaped key with rounded ends address the risk of injury from sharp edges, ensuring safer operation by minimizing skin lacerations.
Patent Information
- Application Number
- FR2024004249
- Authority / Receiving Office
- FR · FR
- Patent Type
- Utility models
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Filing Date
- 2024-04-24
- Publication Date
- 2025-10-31
- Estimated Expiration
- 2034-04-24
AI Technical Summary
Existing rail blockers for guardrails have sharp edges and corners that pose a risk of bodily injury, particularly skin laceration.
The rail blocker design incorporates rounded edges and corners in the oblong slots and a U-shaped key with rounded ends to minimize the risk of injury, featuring a trapezoidal longitudinal profile and a U-shaped transverse profile with rounded angles.
The rounded design significantly reduces the risk of skin injury during the insertion and movement of the wedge relative to the cheeks, enhancing safety by preventing sharp edges from causing perforations or lacerations.
Smart Images
Figure 00000000_0000_ABST
Abstract
Description
Title of the invention: Rail locking device for guardrails comprising two cheeks with openings and rounded edges and a wedge with a base with rounded corners
[0001] The invention relates to a rail blocker for guardrails, comprising two cheeks, joined by a junction and provided with two oblong slots, inclined with respect to the junction and delimited by two perimeters, interrupted by an opening, made in the junction and a key, having a trapezoidal profile and movable between the two cheeks along the junction.
[0002] A rail block of this type is known in particular from document FR 1 599 463 or FR 2 663 355. The edges of the oblong slots form sharp corners, presenting right angles at the opening in the joint. The trapezoidal longitudinal profile of the wedge also has sharp, right-angled corners at both opposite ends, particularly on the side opposite the joint between the two sides.
[0003] The sharp edges of the oblong openings and the right angles of the trapezoidal longitudinal profile of the key may cause bodily injury by perforation or skin laceration.
[0004] One of the aims of the invention is to modify this type of rail blocker for guardrails, in order to reduce, if not eliminate, this risk.
[0005] For this purpose, the invention relates to a rail blocker for guardrails, comprising two cheeks, joined by a junction and provided with two oblong slots, inclined with respect to the junction and delimited by two perimeters, interrupted by an opening, made in the junction and a key, movable between the two cheeks along the junction, characterized in that the perimeter of each of the two oblong slots, provided in each of the cheeks, is provided with a rounded edge.
[0006] The rounded edge is preferably inward, towards the opposite side. It may also include an added metal wire.
[0007] The rounded edge of each oblong light reduces the risk of skin injury when a smooth piece is inserted through the opening in the junction and placed in the oblong lights of both cheeks.
[0008] Advantageously, the key comprises a trapezoidal longitudinal profile and a U-shaped transverse profile, the two arms of which, turned towards the junction of the two cheeks, are each provided with rounded angles at two opposite ends of the longitudinal profile and the base of which is joined to the two arms by rounded angles.
[0009] The two arms of the U-shaped transverse profile are turned towards the junction so that the trapezoidal longitudinal profile is tangent to the perimeter of the oblong slots, by the base with rounded corners, of the U-shaped transverse profile. Thus, the wedge reduces the risk of skin injury during its translational movement relative to the two cheeks, along the junction, all the better as the corners of the two arms of the U-shaped transverse profile are rounded at the two ends of the trapezoidal longitudinal profile.
[0010] Preferably, the base of the U-shaped transverse profile of the key is provided with an oblong slot, cooperating with an angled rod, fixed to one of the two cheeks and to the junction.
[0011] This cooperation makes it possible to limit the translational travel of the key relative to the two cheeks and to avoid the loss of the key.
[0012] Other advantages of the invention are described in the exposition below, illustrated by the following drawings:
[0013] [Fig-1] is a perspective view of an embodiment of the rail blocker according to the invention.
[0014] [Fig.2] is a side view of the rail blocker illustrated by [Fig. 1].
[0015] [Fig.3] is a first cross-sectional view AA of the illustrated rail blocker by the [Fig.l].
[0016] [Fig.4] is a second cross-sectional view BB of the illustrated rail blocker by the [Fig.l].
[0017] [Fig.5] is a perspective view of a post equipped with the rail blocker illustrated by the [Fig.1] and in a locking position of a rail.
[0018] With reference to the figures, a rail blocker for a guardrail comprises two cheeks 1, joined by a junction 3 and provided with two oblong slots 5. The junction 3 extends along a longitudinal direction D and the oblong slots 5 are inclined with respect to this direction and delimited by two rims 7, interrupted by an opening 9, formed in the junction 3. The opening 9 allows a rail 11 to be inserted into the oblong slots 5. The rail blocker also comprises a wedge 13, movable between the two cheeks 1, along the junction 3 in the longitudinal direction D.
[0019] According to the invention, the perimeter 7 of each of the two oblong lights 5, provided in each of the cheeks 1, is provided with a rounded edge 15. Preferably, the rounded edge is inward, in the direction of the opposite cheek.
[0020] The key 13 comprises a trapezoidal longitudinal profile and a U-shaped transverse profile. The two arms 17 of the U are oriented towards the junction 3 of the two cheeks 1 and each has two rounded corners 19, 21 at two opposite ends of the longitudinal profile. The base 23 of the U is joined to the two arms 17 by rounded corners 25.
[0021] The base 25 of the U-shaped transverse profile of the key 13 is provided with an oblong slot 27, cooperating with an angled rod 29, fixed to one of the two cheeks 1 and to the junction 3.
[0022] The rail locking device is intended to be fixed to a guardrail post 31. Its operation is well known and will not be described here. Those skilled in the art may refer to the prior art documents mentioned in the introduction. The cheeks 1 and the key 13 will preferably be made by bending and cutting a sheet of steel. The rounded edges 15 of the perimeter 7 will be obtained by stamping or machining, or by adding a metal wire.
Claims
Demands
1. Rail blocker for guardrail, comprising two cheeks (1), joined by a joint (3) and provided with two oblong slots (5), inclined with respect to the joint (3) and delimited by two perimeters (7), interrupted by an opening (9), made in the joint (3) and a wedge (13), movable between the two cheeks (1) along the joint (3), characterized in that the perimeter (7) of each of the two oblong slots (5), provided in each of the cheeks (1), is provided with a rounded edge (15).
2. Rail blocker for guardrail according to claim 1, characterized in that the rounding (15) of the perimeter (7) is re-entrant, in the direction of the opposite cheek.
3. Rail blocker for guardrail according to claim 1, characterized in that the rounding (15) of the perimeter (7) includes an added metal wire.
4. Rail blocker for guardrail according to claim 1, characterized in that the wedge (13) comprises a trapezoidal longitudinal profile and a U-shaped transverse profile, the two arms (17) of which, turned towards the junction (3) of the two cheeks (1), are each provided with two rounded corners (19, 21) at two opposite ends of the longitudinal profile and the base (23) of which is joined to the two arms (17) by rounded corners (25).
5. Rail blocker for guardrail according to claim 4, characterized in that the base (25) of the U-shaped cross profile of the wedge (13) is provided with an oblong slot (27), cooperating with an angled rod (29), fixed to one of the two cheeks (1) and to the junction (3).