Safety barrier

Abstract

To provide a safety fence for on-site installation that allows temporary passage without cutting the wire mesh and can be easily restored to its original state. [Solution] An opposing frame 11 is provided on one support column 10, and a movable frame 12 is provided on the other support column 10, with mesh reinforcement 4 fitted into them. The opposing frame 11 has two parallel rails 11a and 11b fixed to it. On the other hand, the movable frame 12 has a fixed rail 13 and a swinging rail 14 arranged in parallel, with the fixed rail 13 fixed to the support column 1 and the swinging rail 14 swinging. Spacers 19 and 20a define the distance between the fixed rail 13 and the swinging rail 14 when their surfaces are in a parallel position. The fixed rail 13 and the swinging rail 14 are each provided with female screw holes and are connected by bolts 17. At this time, the bolts 17 pass through the grid of mesh reinforcement fitted into the movable frame 12.

Description

Technical Field

[0004] , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

[0005]

[0001] The present invention relates to a safety fence for preventing entry, and particularly to a safety fence for preventing entry into a management area provided for equipment / machinery, etc. installed within the premises of a factory or within factory facilities.

Background Art

[0002] A safety fence is installed on the boundary line of a management area that restricts people from entering the vicinity of equipment / machinery, etc. Usually, a door is installed on the safety fence, and when performing general inspections / maintenance work on the equipment / machinery, etc., entry into the management area is made through the door.

[0003] As an anti-entry fence, a fence with a wire mesh attached between columns is described in, for example, Patent Document 1. Patent Document 2 describes a wire mesh fence with a door. Further, Patent Document 3 discloses a technique that enables easy installation of an access door to cope with the case where the installation position of the door is far from the access position.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Patent Document 2

Patent Document 3

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] Conventional safety fences are designed on the premise that entry by climbing over the fence from anywhere other than the gate is not permitted. Patent Document 3 describes a method that allows for the removal of the fence's wire mesh and the installation of a new gate at low cost and in a short construction period, even in places without gates. However, the size of the newly installed gate was only enough to allow workers to crawl through, by removing only a portion of the wire mesh.

[0006] On the other hand, safety fences installed on factory grounds or inside factory buildings are intended for areas where access is restricted to specific individuals, and are not intended for an unspecified number of people or animals like conventional safety fences. Furthermore, safety fences installed on factory grounds or inside factory buildings, like general safety fences, are equipped with doors for maintenance and inspection, allowing for periodic access. However, during partial equipment upgrades, there may be cases where the replacement equipment brought in through the existing door cannot be maneuvered within the controlled area and cannot reach the installation site, or where it is more efficient to bring the replacement equipment to the work area through a location other than the door.

[0007] With conventional safety fences, if it was difficult to bring in replacement equipment through the gate, it was necessary to demolish part of the fence. This prolonged the construction period required for partial equipment replacement, reducing the factory's operational efficiency.

[0008] This invention solves the above-mentioned conventional problems and provides a safety fence that allows temporary passage from areas without doors without cutting the wire mesh, and that can be easily restored to its original state. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] The present invention relates to a safety fence for preventing entry into a controlled area, A pair of adjacent support columns are provided with an opposing frame on one side and a movable frame on the other side, and the ends of opposite sides of a rectangular mesh reinforcement are fitted into the opposing frame and the movable frame. The opposing frame is constructed by arranging two strip-shaped rails parallel to each other along the side of one of the support columns and fixing them to that side. The movable frame has a strip-shaped fixed rail and a swinging rail arranged parallel to the side surface of the other support column, the fixed rail being fixed to the side surface of the other support column, while the swinging rail swings relative to a vertical swing axis. When the surfaces of the swinging rail and the fixed rail are in parallel positions, a spacer is provided to define the distance between them. The rocking rail and the fixed rail are each provided with female screw holes, and when the surfaces of the rocking rail and the fixed rail are in parallel opposing positions, a bolt screwed into the female screw hole on the rocking rail side penetrates the rocking rail and is screwed into the female screw hole on the fixed rail side, thereby the bolt penetrating the grid at the end of the mesh reinforcement fitted into the movable frame. [Effects of the Invention]

[0010] According to the safety fence of the present invention, a movable frame is attached to one adjacent support post and an opposing frame is attached to the other. By swinging the swing rail of the movable frame, the mesh reinforcement can be removed, thus creating a large opening between support posts where no door is installed. By attaching a movable frame to one side of an adjacent support post and an opposing frame to the other side of an adjacent support post of the safety fence, the mesh reinforcement can be removed at any position on the safety fence. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0011] [Figure 1] This is a perspective view showing the controlled area with safety fences installed. [Figure 2] These are a plan view and a front view showing a magnified view of the safety fence between a pair of support posts. [Figure 3] This diagram shows how the mesh reinforcement is removed from the opposing frame and the movable frame. [Figure 4] This diagram shows the details of the opposing frame and the movable frame. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0012] Figure 1 is a perspective view showing a safety fence 1 installed in a controlled area, assuming an indoor factory environment. The safety fence 1 consists of numerous support posts 10, 21-24 erected at intervals of 1.5 to 2.0 meters, with mesh reinforcement 4 (40 x 40) stretched between them. The support posts 10 are steel pipes with a square cross-section. The height of the safety fence 1 is 1.8 to 2.0 meters. The mesh reinforcement 4 is made of horizontal reinforcement 41 and vertical reinforcement 42 (see Figure 2) arranged in a grid pattern, with the intersections welded. While typical wire mesh is stored and transported in rolls, the mesh reinforcement 4 is less flexible and is therefore stored and transported in flat stacks. The support posts 10, 21-24 are bolted to the factory floor via flange plates 5.

[0013] Among the multiple support columns 10, 21-24, a door 3 is installed between a pair of support columns 21, 22, and is openable and closable. In addition to the single-leaf door shown in Figure 1, door 3 may also be a double-leaf door, a folding door, etc. In this case, the spacing between the support columns at both ends of the door is determined according to the type of door installed.

[0014] Figure 2 shows a magnified plan view (Figure 2A) and a front view (Figure 2B) of a pair of support columns 10, 10 installed at the interval indicated by reference numeral 2 in the figure. Each support column 10 is provided with an opposing frame 11 and a movable frame 12 on their opposing vertical sides. The opposing frame 11 is fixed to the vertical side of the support column 10, with the surfaces of two strip-shaped iron plates, rails 11a and 11b, positioned opposite each other so that their surfaces are parallel. The movable frame 12 is positioned on the side of the support column 10, similar to the opposing frame 11, with the surfaces of two strip-shaped iron plates, a fixed rail 13 and a swinging rail 14, positioned parallel to each other. The difference from rails 11a and 11b is that the swinging rail 14 swings relative to a vertical swing axis c, allowing it to change from an opposing position parallel to the surface of the fixed rail 13 to a position where the surfaces intersect. Specifically, the swing rail 14 is fixed to one side of the support column 10 via a hinge 15 having a swing axis c. Nuts 16 are fixed to the swing rail 14 at predetermined intervals in the vertical axis direction. Bolts 17 are screwed into the nuts 16, and the bolts 17 pass through the swing rail 14.

[0015] The mesh reinforcement 4 is rectangular in shape, and the ends of opposite sides are fitted into the opposing frame 11 of one support column 10 and the movable frame 12 provided on the adjacent support column 10 on the other side. The fixed rail 13 is provided with female screw holes 18 corresponding to the positions of the bolts 17. The fixed rail 13 and the oscillating rail 14 can be connected by screwing the bolt 17 through the female screw hole 16 on the oscillating rail 14 side, across the fixed rail 13, and into the female screw hole 18. In the example shown in the figure, a wing nut is used as the bolt 17.

[0016] Figure 3 shows how to remove the mesh reinforcement 4 from the opposing frame 11 and the movable frame 12. Remove the bolt 17 from the female screw hole 18 of the fixed rail 13. By swinging the oscillating rail 14 in the direction sw away from the fixed rail 13, the mesh reinforcement 4 can be distorted towards the front bn, making it possible to remove it from the opposing frame 11 in the lateral direction pll (left in the drawing).

[0017] Further, FIG. 4 is a diagram showing details of the opposing frame 11 and the movable frame 12. The movable frame 12 will be described with reference to FIGS. 4A and 4B. In FIG. 4B, the swing rail 14 is removed and shown partially. An upper spacer 19 is provided on the upper side, and a lower spacer 20a is provided on the lower side. The upper spacer 19 and the lower spacer 20a define the interval therebetween when the surfaces of the fixed rail 13 and the swing rail 14 are in parallel. The upper spacer 19 and the lower spacer 20a may be provided on either the fixed rail 13 or the swing rail 14, but in this embodiment, they are provided on the fixed rail 13 side.

[0018] The upper spacer 19 also serves as a hook for hooking the horizontal bar 41 (FIG. 2) of the mesh bar 4. That is, when attaching the mesh bar 4 between the columns 10, 10, first, with one side of the mesh bar 4 inserted into the opposing frame 11, the other side is hooked on the hook of the upper spacer 19. This prevents the mesh bar 4 from falling forward. Thereafter, the surface of the swing rail 14 is made to face the surface of the fixed rail 13 in parallel, and the swing rail 14 and the fixed rail 13 are connected by bolts 17.

[0019] FIG. 4C shows the opposing frame 11. A stopper 20b is provided on the lower side of the opposing frame 11 so as to straddle the rails 11a and 11b. The stopper 20b is provided so that when one side of the mesh bar 4 is inserted into the rails 11a and 11b, the mesh bar 4 does not drop below the rails 11a and 11b.

[0020] Figure 4D shows the process of screwing the bolt 17 through the female screw hole 16 on the swing rail 14 side and passing it through to the female screw hole 18 on the fixed rail 13, thereby connecting the two. When the swing rail 14 is swung toward the fixed rail 13 side (step 1), the swing rail 14 comes into contact with the upper spacer 19 and the lower spacer 20a. This defines the distance between the fixed rail 13 and the swing rail 14. The bolt 17 remains screwed into the nut 16 provided on the swing rail 14. This is to prevent the bolt 17 from being lost when the swing rail 14 swings. In addition, using the nut 16 to increase the distance of the female screw hole on the swing rail 14 side also contributes to preventing the bolt 17 from being lost.

[0021] The bolt 17 is screwed into the female screw hole 18 on the fixed rail 13 side (step 2, step 3). From this point onward, the bolt 17 is screwed into both the oscillating rail 14 side and the fixed rail 13 side, so tightening the bolt will not cause the gap between the fixed rail 13 and the oscillating rail 14 to narrow against the upper spacer 19 and the lower spacer 20a.

[0022] When the bolt 17 is screwed into the female screw hole 18 (step 2, step 3), the oscillating rail 12 and the fixed rail 13 are connected in a parallel arrangement. With the end of the mesh reinforcement 4 inserted between the oscillating rail 12 and the fixed rail 13, when the oscillating rail 12 and the fixed rail 13 are connected by the bolt 17, the bolt 17 will pass through the grid located at the end of the mesh reinforcement 4. Therefore, even if one tries to pull the mesh reinforcement 4 out towards the opposing frame 11 and the movable frame 12, the bolt 17 will interfere.

[0023] According to the safety fence 1 of this embodiment, a movable frame 12 is attached to one of the adjacent support posts 10, 10 and an opposing frame 11 is attached to the other. By swinging the swing rail 14 of the movable frame 12, the mesh reinforcement 4 can be removed, so a large opening can be created between the support posts 10 and the support posts 10 that do not have doors installed.

[0024] The above describes a support column 10 in which opposing frames 11 and movable frames 12 are provided on opposite sides of the four sides of the support column. By arranging adjacent support columns so that one side has a movable frame 12 and the other side has an opposing frame 11, the mesh reinforcement 4 can be removed at any position on the safety fence 1. In Figure 1, support columns 21 to 24 are arranged so that one side has a movable frame 12 and the other side has an opposing frame 11 between adjacent support columns, and these are shown in Figures 4E to 4H.

[0025] In the posts 23 and 24 shown in Figures 4E and 4F, the movable frame 12 and the opposing frame 11 are provided on adjacent sides. Figures 4G and 4H show posts 21 and 22 positioned at the ends of the safety fence (including both ends of the gate). Posts 21 and 22 have either a movable frame 12 or an opposing frame 11. By constructing the safety fence 1 using posts 10, 21-24, it is possible to place the movable frame 12 on one side and the opposing frame 11 on the other side between all the posts, thereby obtaining a safety fence 1 that can be easily accessed by removing the mesh reinforcement 4 from any position.

[0026] Furthermore, movable frames may be provided on two of the four sides of the support column and opposing frames on one side, or movable frames may be provided on one side and opposing frames on two sides.

[0027] Furthermore, in this embodiment, a wing nut was used as the bolt 17, but a hexagonal bolt or a bolt that cannot be turned without the use of a special jig may also be used. If such a bolt is used, improper entry into the safety fence 1 can be suppressed.

[0028] Furthermore, in this embodiment, an example was described in which a nut 16 is fixed to the oscillating rail 14 and a bolt 17 is screwed into the female screw hole of the nut 16. However, a floating nut as shown in Figure 4K may be used as the nut 16. A floating nut has a nut body 16b housed in a cage 16a without being fixed, allowing the nut body 16b to move within the cage 16a. This nut body 16b is used as the female screw hole on the oscillating rail 14 side. A clearance hole 14a larger than the bolt 17 is drilled on the oscillating rail 14 side, and the cage 16a is fixed to the position indicated by the dashed line 14b on the fixed rail 13. The bolt 17 is screwed into the female screw hole of the nut body 16b. Even if the position of the female screw hole 18 on the fixed rail 13 side is slightly misaligned, the nut body 16b can move, allowing for adjustment of the bolt 17's position and improving the efficiency of the assembly work.

[0029] The above describes a safety fence for preventing entry into a controlled area surrounding equipment / machinery installed on factory grounds or within factory facilities. However, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, and various other modifications are possible. With the safety fence of the present invention, no trace of intrusion into the safety fence is left except from the door. If necessary, a sealing measure can be added to indicate whether the swinging rail has swung. For example, when installing outside a controlled area, sealing measures such as attaching sealing stickers to the bolts 17 can be considered. [Explanation of symbols]

[0030] 1 Safety fence 3 doors 4 Mesh muscle 5 Flange plate 10, 21-24 pillars 11 Opposing slot 11a, 11b rails 12 movable frames 13 Fixed Rail 14. Swivel rail 15 Hinge 16 nuts 17 volts 18 female screw hole 19 Upper spacer 20a Lower spacer 20b Stopper 21, 22 pillars 41 Horizontal reinforcing bars 42 Vertical reinforcement bars

Claims

1. In safety fences that prevent entry into controlled areas, A pair of adjacent support columns are provided with an opposing frame on one side and a movable frame on the other side, and the ends of opposite sides of a rectangular mesh reinforcement are fitted into the opposing frame and the movable frame. The opposing frame is constructed by arranging two strip-shaped rails parallel to each other along the side of one of the support columns and fixing them to that side. The movable frame has a strip-shaped fixed rail and a swinging rail arranged parallel to the side surface of the other support column, the fixed rail being fixed to the side surface of the other support column, while the swinging rail swings relative to a vertical swing axis. When the surfaces of the swinging rail and the fixed rail are in parallel positions, a spacer is provided to define the distance between them. A safety fence characterized in that the swinging rail and the fixed rail are each provided with female screw holes, and when the surfaces of the swinging rail and the fixed rail are in parallel opposing positions, a bolt screwed into the female screw hole on the swinging rail side penetrates the swinging rail and is screwed into the female screw hole on the fixed rail side, thereby the bolt passing through the grid at the end of the mesh reinforcement fitted to the movable frame.

2. A safety fence according to claim 1, characterized in that the fixed rail is provided with hooks for catching the horizontal reinforcing bars of the mesh reinforcement.

3. The safety fence according to claim 1, characterized in that the female screw hole provided on the swing rail side is the female screw hole of the nut body housed in the cage of the floating nut attached to the swing rail.

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