Pivoting Bollard Resilient Impact Absorption
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional bollards, barrier posts, and barrier rails often suffer significant damage and require costly repairs due to low to moderate impact vehicle collisions, leading to structural and hardware damage, as well as unsightly deformation and potential safety hazards.
Innovation Solution
The design incorporates a pivoting connection with resilient members between the base and post members, allowing the post to pivot and absorb impact energy, minimizing damage to the bollard, hardware, and surrounding structures, while maintaining visibility and structural integrity.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If bollards are made strong and rigid to provide adequate protection, then protection capability is improved, but damage to mounting structure and concrete is increased
Solution Approach 1:
The bollard incorporates a pivoting connection between the post and base that allows the post to rotate dynamically upon impact rather than remaining rigidly fixed. This dynamic response enables the bollard to absorb impact energy through controlled rotation, reducing the transfer of harmful forces to the mounting structure and concrete while maintaining strong rigid construction for protection capability
Solution Approach 2:
The invention changes the mechanical parameters of the bollard system by introducing a pivoting mechanism with specific friction characteristics. The pivot allows controlled movement under impact loads while maintaining stability during normal conditions, effectively changing how the system responds to forces and reducing damage to supporting structures
2Stability of the object's composition
If attachment bolts are used to secure the bollard, then stability is improved, but bolts can be ripped out or bent causing expensive repairs
Solution Approach 1:
The pivoting connection replaces rigid bolted attachments with a dynamic hinge mechanism. This allows the bollard to remain stable during normal operation while accommodating impact forces through controlled rotation, preventing bolts from being ripped out or bent and eliminating the need for expensive repairs to mounting hardware
Solution Approach 2:
The invention extracts the vulnerable bolted connection from the system and replaces it with a pivot mechanism. This removes the weak point where bolts could fail under impact, eliminating the repair burden associated with damaged fastening hardware while maintaining the necessary stability
3Reliability
If barrier posts are made rigid to prevent vehicle intrusion, then safety is improved, but posts can be bent or crushed requiring replacement
Solution Approach 1:
The barrier post incorporates a pivoting connection that allows controlled rotation during vehicle impact. This dynamic response enables the post to yield safely under extreme loads, preventing bending or crushing while maintaining safety by blocking vehicle intrusion through controlled movement rather than rigid resistance
Solution Approach 2:
The invention converts the potentially harmful rigid response into a beneficial controlled rotation. The pivot mechanism allows the post to absorb impact energy through deliberate movement, transforming what would be destructive bending or crushing forces into useful rotational motion that preserves the post structure
4Strength
If barrier rails are used to protect structures, then protection is improved, but rails are frequently marked or deformed requiring repeated repairs
Solution Approach 1:
The barrier rail system incorporates pivoting connections that allow controlled movement during impact. This dynamic response prevents the rail from sustaining permanent deformation or marking damage, as the pivot absorbs impact forces through controlled rotation rather than rigid resistance, eliminating repeated repairs
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The solution reduces the need for frequent repairs and replacements, enhances the resilience of bollards and barrier systems, and maintains their functionality and appearance by absorbing collision energy and preventing damage to supporting structures.
Implementation Method 1
the pivoting connection including one or more resilient members that are sandwiched between a bottom plate of the post member and an upper tie plate of the pivoting connection
Data Source
AI summary
Protector bollards, barrier posts and barrier bails are commonly used to protect structures from accidental collisions from vehicles operating in the area. However, they are regularly damaged by such collisions, and once they are damaged the protection they provide is much reduced, and repairs are often complex and expensive. The inventions provide bollards, posts and rails that include resilient members that are designed to absorb the energy from typical collision impacts without being permanently deformed. The use of resilient materials, and the allowance for a degree of flexure, allows the bollards, posts or rails to move to some degree while absorbing the collision loads, and then to return to their original shape or orientation without the need for expensive repairs.