Motorway crash barrier structure of the guardrail type
The motorway crash barrier structure with a connecting device enables efficient and rapid attachment and detachment of guardrail sections, addressing disconnection challenges in existing barriers.
Patent Information
- Application Number
- PCT/IB2024/056642
- Authority / Receiving Office
- WO · WO
- Patent Type
- Applications
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Filing Date
- 2024-07-08
- Publication Date
- 2026-01-15
AI Technical Summary
Existing guardrail-type crash barriers face difficulties in quick disconnection due to issues like rust, dirt, or deformation, making it challenging to open the barrier for emergency access or traffic diversion.
A motorway crash barrier structure with a connecting device featuring C-shaped grouping elements and a wedge-shaped locking element that securely connects the barrier element to the support base, allowing easy and reversible attachment and detachment using hammer shots.
Facilitates quick and reliable connection and disconnection of guardrail sections, enhancing safety and efficiency during emergencies by ensuring easy access for emergency vehicles.
Smart Images
Figure IB2024056642_15012026_PF_FP_ABST
Abstract
Description
[0001] MOTORWAY CRASH BARRIER STRUCTURE OF THE GUARDRAIL TYPE
[0002] Field of the invention
[0003] The present invention relates to the field of road safety and road barriers, in particular to a motorway crash barrier of the guardrail type.
[0004] Prior art
[0005] The main function of crash barriers is to absorb as gradually as possible the stresses produced by the impact of a motor vehicle, so as to keep it on the roadway, limiting the effects of the sudden decelerations affecting the occupants of this motor vehicle as a result of its impact against the barrier.
[0006] Crash barriers of the guardrail type are one of the most common crash barriers. They comprise a plurality of posts fixed to corresponding support bases (in turn fixed to the ground), usually through bolts, and carrying the guardrails. Such crash barriers are formed as multiple elements, i.e. multiple guardrail portions supported by consecutive posts, arranged in series. In case of incident, it is necessary to quickly open the barrier (for example for deviating the traffic, or to give access to emergency vehicles), essentially by locally disconnecting some vertical posts from the corresponding support base, by unscrewing the above-mentioned bolts.
[0007] However, the disconnection of the vertical posts from the support bases can be difficult, for example due to rust, dirt or deformation of some parts as a consequence of the incident.
[0008] Summary of the invention
[0009] The object of the present invention is therefore to provide a motorway crash barrier structure of the guardrail type such as to overcome at least in part the drawbacks mentioned with reference to barriers according to the prior art.
[0010] This and other objects are achieved by a motorway crash barrier structure according to claim 1.
[0011] The dependent claims define possible advantageous embodiments of the invention.
[0012] Brief description of the figures
[0013] To better understand the invention and appreciate its advantages, some of its nonlimiting exemplary embodiments will be described below, referring to the attached figures, in which:
[0014] - Figure 1 shows a partially transparent side view of a crash barrier structure according to an embodiment of the invention;
[0015] - Figure 2 shows a partial aerial view of the crash barrier structure in Figure 1;
[0016] - Figure 3 shows a sectional view of a connecting device of the crash barrier structure according to an embodiment.
[0017] Detailed description of the invention
[0018] For the purpose of the present description and of the appended claims, except where otherwise indicated, all numbers expressing amounts, quantities, percentages, and so forth, are to be understood as being modified in all instances by the term "about". Also, all ranges include any combination of the maximum and minimum points disclosed and include any intermediate ranges therein, which may or may not be specifically enumerated herein.
[0019] For the purpose of the present description and of the appended claims, the words “a” or “an” are used to describe elements and components of the invention. This is done merely for convenience and to give a general sense of the invention. In this description and claims should be read to include one or at least one and the singular also includes the plural unless it is obvious that it is meant otherwise.
[0020] The present disclosure, in at least one of the aforementioned aspects, can be implemented according to one or more of the following embodiments, optionally combined together. In the present disclosure and in the attached claims, words like “up”, “down”, “upward”, “downward”, “vertical”, “horizontal”, “above”, below”, or the like, are referred to the normal conditions of use of the barrier structure.
[0021] With reference to the attached Figures 1-2, a motorway crash barrier structure of the guardrail type is indicated with reference 1.
[0022] The structure 1 comprises a support base 2 to be fixed to the ground by means of a plurality of anchoring elements 3. The anchoring elements 3 can be for example in the form of rods which can be anchored in corresponding seats formed in the ground for example using concrete. The support base 2 comprises a base plate 4 suitable to lie on the ground, from which the anchoring elements 3 transversally protrude downward. In the exemplary embodiment depicted in the Figures, the base plate 4 is substantially rectangular and comprises four anchoring elements 3 (in particular, two on each short side of the rectangular plate).
[0023] The barrier structure 1 further comprises a barrier element 5 connected to the support base 2 and supporting at least one portion of a guardrail 6. In a motorway, a plurality of consecutive structures according to the invention can be provided, supporting consecutive portions of guardrail 6 which are connected together to form a continuous guardrail. In the embodiment depicted in the Figure 1, two opposite portions of guardrail 6 are provided on two opposite sides of the barrier element 5 (for example to be used when the barrier divides the motorway in two lanes). However, in other embodiments, only one portion of guardrail 6 can provided on one side of the barrier element 5 (for example when the barrier delimits the motorway).
[0024] The barrier element 5 comprises a barrier plate 7 connectable to the base plate 4 of the support base 2 (preferably with same shape and dimension and positioned such that the barrier plate 7 overlaps the base plate 4 in assembled condition of the structure 1) and can further comprise a vertical post 8 vertically protruding upward from the barrier plate 7. Reinforcing ribs 9 can be provided for reinforcing the connection between the vertical post 8 and the barrier plate 7. The vertical post 8 can be formed for example by folding a metal sheet and can be closed on the upper side by a closing plate 11. The vertical post 8 supports the guardrail portions 6. According to a possible embodiment, spacers 10 can be provided between the guardrails 6 and the post 8.
[0025] The barrier structure 1 defines three directions as depicted in the Figures 1-2, namely:
[0026] - a longitudinal direction L, corresponding for example to the development direction of the guardrail 6;
[0027] - a vertical direction V, orthogonal to the longitudinal direction L, corresponding for example to the development direction of the vertical post 8 and also of the anchoring elements 3;
[0028] - a transversal direction T, orthogonal to a plane where both the longitudinal L and the vertical V direction lie, which can correspond to the direction of a frontal impact of a vehicle against the guardrail 6.
[0029] The barrier structure 1 comprises at least one connecting device 12 for reversibly connecting the barrier element 5 and the support base 2, in particular the base plate 4 and the barrier plate 7, which, to this purpose, comprise respective coupling openings 13, 14 for the insertion of the connecting device 12. The coupling openings 14 and 13 are at least partially overlapped and preferably have same shapes and dimensions (for example rectangular shape), so to allow the passage of the connecting device 12, as will be described in detail below.
[0030] For the description of the connecting device 12, reference is made to a section orthogonal to the transversal direction T of the structure 1, or, in other words, a section on a plane where the vertical V and the longitudinal L directions lie (see Figure 3).
[0031] The connecting device 12 comprises two opposite grouping elements 15 inserted in the coupling openings 13, 14 on two opposite sides thereof, each configured to locally envelope the base plate 4 and the barrier plate 7, in particular at their ends delimiting the openings 13 and 14, so to keep them grouped. The grouping elements 15 are positioned at a distance in the coupling openings 13, 14, so to delimit a through passage 16 extending along the vertical direction V, preferably having parallel walls 17 extending along the vertical direction V. For example, the coupling elements 15 are substantially C-shaped, such that the concavity of the C locally envelopes the base plate 4 and the barrier plate 7, where they delimit the coupling openings 13, 14, as said above.
[0032] The connecting device 12 further comprises a locking element 18 insertable into the through passage 16. The locking element 18 is wedge-shaped, i.e. it has two opposite inclined walls 19 converging downward, i.e. towards the ground, along the vertical direction V and respectively destined to be in contact with the parallel walls 17 of the grouping elements 15. In this maimer, when the locking element 18 is forcedly inserted into the through passage 16 from above, it is locked inside the same due to its walls 19 inclined configuration, thereby locking the barrier plate 7 and the base plate 4 together since the grouping elements 15 can be no longer moved. This can be done for example by proper hammer shots along the vertical direction V on an upper wall 22 of the locking elements 18 to force it in the through passage 16. On the other hands, the locking element 18 can be unlocked by proper hammer shots for example in longitudinal direction L and then pulled upward outside the through passage 16. In an embodiment, the locking element 18 comprises an eyelet 20 for inserting a proper tool helping the above- mentioned pulling from the through passage 16.
[0033] To ensure the above-described wedge effect, the greatest distance among the locking element 18 inclined walls 19 (on the upper side) is greater than the distance among the opposite grouping elements 15 parallel walls 17, whereas the shortest distance among the locking element 18 inclined walls 19 (on the lower side) is less or equal than the distance among the opposite grouping elements 15 parallel walls 17.
[0034] In an embodiment, the inclined walls 19 of the locking element 18 form an angle a with the vertical direction V (or with the walls 16, see the enlarged detail in Figure 3) which is 1° at most, preferably less than 0.6°.
[0035] In an embodiment, the dimension of the locking element 18 along the vertical direction V is longer than the dimension of the through passage 16 along the same direction, such that, the locking element 18 protrudes outside the through passage 16 at least on the upper side thereof, in order to make easy the extraction of the locking element 18 from the through passage 16, as described above.
[0036] In an embodiment, the locking element 18, in a section orthogonal to the vertical direction V, or in other words, on a plane where the directions L and T lie, is rectangular- or square- shaped, like the coupling openings 13, 14 (see Figure 2). The walls on two sides (those parallel to the transversal direction T) of the square / rectangle have the above-mentioned wedge conformation, whereas the walls on the other two sides (those parallel to the longitudinal direction L) preferably not, i.e. the walls on this two sides are parallel.
[0037] Where two opposite portions of guardrail 6 are provided on two opposite sides of the vertical post 8, the barrier structure 1 can comprise two connecting devices 12 on two opposite sides of the vertical post 8. To this regard, see in particular Figure 2, showing two opposite coupling openings 14 in the barrier plate 7. If, however, just one guardrail on one side of the vertical post 8 is provided, just one connecting device 12 may be sufficient.
[0038] In an embodiment, since the grouping elements 15 protrude below the base plate 4, the structure 1 can further comprise a box 21 to be positioned in the ground for accommodating these protruding portions of the grouping elements 15, below the overlapping coupling openings 13, 14. The grouping elements 15 and the locking element 18 can be made of a steel, whereas the parts of the support base 2 and of the barrier element 5 can be made in the standard materials used in guardrail barriers, such as steel.
[0039] To the described embodiments of the guardrail barrier structure the skilled person, in order to meet specific contingent needs, may make numerous additions, modifications, or substitutions of elements with functionally equivalent ones, without, however, departing from the scope of the attached claims.
Claims
Claims1. A guardrail barrier structure (1) comprising:- a support base (2) suitable to be fixed to the ground, comprising a base plate (4) having at least one coupling opening (13);- a barrier element (5) configured for supporting at least one portion of a guardrail (6), comprising a barrier plate (7) having at least one coupling opening (14) at least partially overlapping the coupling opening (13) of the base plate (4);- at least one connecting device (12) configured for reversibly connecting the barrier element (5) and the support base (2), said at least one connecting device (12) comprising:• two opposite grouping elements (15) insertable at a distance in the coupling openings (13, 14) to partially envelope the base plate (4) and the barrier plate (7) at two opposite sides of the coupling openings (13, 14) and to delimit a through passage (16);• a wedge-shaped locking element (18) insertable into said through passage (16) to be locked therein.
2. The guardrail barrier structure (1) of claim 1, wherein the support base (2) comprises a plurality of anchoring elements (3) transversally protruding downward from the base plate (4).
3. The guardrail barrier structure (1) of claim 1 or 2, wherein the barrier element (5) further comprises a vertical post (8) vertically protruding upward from the barrier plate (7), said vertical post (8) being suitable to support the at least one guardrail portion (6).
4. The guardrail barrier structure (1) of any of the preceding claims, wherein the barrier plate (7) at least partially overlaps the base plate (4).
5. The guardrail barrier structure (1) of any of the preceding claims, wherein the barrier plate (7) and the base plate (4) have same shapes and dimensions.
6. The guardrail barrier structure (1) of any of the preceding claims, wherein said coupling openings (13, 14) have same shapes and dimensions.
7. The guardrail barrier structure (1) of any of the preceding claims, wherein said coupling openings (13, 14) are rectangular.
8. The guardrail barrier structure (1) of any of the preceding claims, wherein said coupling elements (15) are substantially C-shaped.
9. The guardrail barrier structure (1) of any of the preceding claims, wherein said opposite coupling elements (15), when inserted in the coupling openings (13, 14), have opposite parallel walls (17) extending along a vertical direction (V) and delimiting said through passage (16).
10. The guardrail barrier structure (1) of claim 9, wherein said locking element(18) has two opposite inclined walls (19) converging downward along the vertical direction (V) and intended to be forced in contact with said parallel walls (17) of the grouping elements (15).
11. The guardrail barrier structure (1) of claim 10, wherein the greatest distance among the inclined walls (19) on the upper side of the locking element (18) is greater than the distance among the opposite parallel walls (17) of the grouping elements (15), and the shortest distance among inclined walls (19) on the lower side of the locking element (18) is less or equal than the distance among the opposite parallel walls (17) of the grouping elements (15).
12. The guardrail barrier structure (1) of claim 10 or 11, wherein the inclined walls(19) of the locking element (18) form with the parallel walls (17) of the grouping elements (15) an angle (a) which is 1° at most.
13. The guardrail barrier structure (1) of any of claims 10-12, wherein the dimension of the locking element (18) along the vertical direction (V) is longer than the dimension of the through passage (16) along the same direction, such that the locking element (18) protrudes outside the through passage (16) at least on the upper side.
14. The guardrail barrier structure (1) of any of claims 10-13, wherein the locking element (18) comprises an eyelet (20) for inserting a tool for the extraction from the through passage (16).