Cable Barrier Partial-Loop Retention for Safer Vehicle Redirection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Cable barrier systems face challenges in maintaining effectiveness during vehicle impacts, as posts are often bent and cables can be pulled downward, reducing the system's ability to redirect vehicles safely without causing harm to occupants, and existing release mechanisms may not fully address these issues.
Innovation Solution
The cable barrier system incorporates a design with line posts and cables where each line post has fewer cable retention features than the number of cables, allowing for partial loops that limit radial motion and a method for releasably connecting cables to posts, ensuring cables remain above ground level and unrestrained in certain directions to maintain system effectiveness during impacts.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If cables are fully restrained to all line posts, then the barrier system has high strength and stability, but the system becomes too rigid and causes extraordinary harm to vehicle occupants during impact
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies partial restraint by providing fewer cable retention features than cables, so not all cables are fully restrained at each post. This allows the barrier to maintain sufficient strength while permitting controlled cable movement that reduces impact severity on occupants.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a dynamic system where cables can move relative to posts during impact. The partial restraint arrangement allows cables to shift and redistribute forces, transforming the rigid static system into a dynamic one that adapts to impact conditions and reduces harmful forces.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If release mechanisms are added to release cables from post restraint upon impact, then the system reduces harm to occupants, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the complex release mechanism from the system and replaces it with a simpler partial restraint configuration. By not fully restraining all cables at all posts, the system achieves automatic cable release behavior without requiring mechanical release devices, thus reducing complexity while maintaining safety.
3Strength
If posts are made sturdier to redirect vehicles effectively, then the barrier redirect capability improves, but the system becomes more rigid and pulls cables downward during impact
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies partial restraint where the number of cable retention features at each post is less than the total number of cables. This allows posts to be sturdy for effective vehicle redirection while permitting some cables to remain unrestrained or partially restrained, preventing downward pulling and maintaining cable position stability during impact.
Data Source
AI summary
A cable barrier assembly or system can include line posts extending along a barrier section. Cables can extend along the line posts. In addition, each line post can have a total number of cable retention features that is less than a total number of the cables. Each cable retention feature can include at least a partial loop that limits a range of radial motion of a cable extending through an eye of the partial loop, relative to an axis of the cable.