Half Barrel Traffic Barricade Nesting Design
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Solution Overview
Problem
Traditional nestable/stackable plastic traffic delineators are costly to manufacture and often become stuck or jammed during storage and transportation, requiring significant effort to separate and are prone to rolling or movement.
Innovation Solution
A half barrel traffic barricade design featuring a stepped vertical wall with convex front and concave rear faces, reflective surfaces, stacking flanges, and a foot extension, allowing for easy nesting and stacking while preventing jamming, and utilizing an annular weighted base for stability.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Volume of moving object
If traditional nestable/stackable plastic barrels are used, then storage compactness is improved, but the barrels become stuck/wedged/jammed together requiring significant effort to separate
Solution Approach 1:
The invention divides the traditional single-piece barrel into two separate components: an upper barrel section and a lower base section. This segmentation allows the components to nest together compactly while the open bottom design of the upper barrel prevents jamming, as the components can be easily separated by lifting the upper section out of the lower section.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention applies nesting by placing the upper barrel section inside the lower base section for compact storage and transportation. The open bottom end of the upper barrel allows it to be inserted through the lower base, creating a nested configuration that reduces storage volume while maintaining ease of separation.
2Volume of moving object
If traditional nestable/stackable plastic barrels are used, then storage efficiency is improved, but the barrels must be stored upright preventing horizontal stacking
Solution Approach 1:
The invention changes the storage orientation from vertical (upright) to horizontal by designing the upper barrel with an open bottom end that can be inserted through the lower base. This dimensional change allows the nested barrels to be stored horizontally on their sides, eliminating the constraint of requiring upright storage and improving storage efficiency.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If lightweight plastic material is used for barrels, then driver and pedestrian safety is improved, but wind and air movement cause barrels to slide or tip over
Solution Approach 1:
The invention applies the counterweight principle by using a lower base section made of heavier, ballast material such as rubber or recycled automobile tires. This heavier base acts as a counterweight that anchors the lightweight upper barrel, preventing it from sliding or tipping over due to wind or air movement from passing vehicles, while maintaining the safety benefit of lightweight plastic.
Data Source
AI summary
A half barrel traffic barricade for use with an annular traffic barricade base includes a half tube-shaped vertical wall having a top end and a bottom end. A top panel is provided at and closing the vertical wall top end. The annular traffic barricade base is adapted to be received over the vertical wall and engages the bottom end thereof for supporting the traffic barricade in a vertical position. Preferably, the vertical wall further includes a convex front face, a concave rear face, and vertical wall edges. Stacking flanges can be provided extending along the vertical wall edges and a nesting/stacking pocket is defined between the concave rear face and the top panel. The traffic barricade is nestable/stackable with other traffic barricades by inserting the front face thereof into the nesting/stacking pocket of an adjacent traffic barricade with the stacking flanges of adjacent traffic barricades being placed against/abutting one another.