Portable Bollard Rotational Offset Redirects Vehicle Impact
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional barricades are unsuitable for preventing vehicle attacks in 90-degree impacts and require costly and time-consuming excavation or attachment to the roadway surface for deployment.
Innovation Solution
A portable bollard system comprising a post, base plate, top plate, and tapered member with a series of ribs, designed for rapid deployment without excavation, featuring a rotational offset and anchoring system for connecting multiple bollards in an array to arrest vehicle motion.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional barricades (walls, fences, concrete barriers) are used to stop vehicle attacks, then they provide adequate stopping power, but they require excavation or attachment to roadway surface which is costly and time-consuming
Solution Approach 1:
The barricade system is divided into multiple individual bollards that can be independently deployed and positioned. Each bollard is a separate unit with its own base plate and post, allowing for modular deployment without requiring continuous excavation or attachment work across the entire barricade line.
Solution Approach 2:
The bollards are pre-assembled with base plates and posts before deployment. The base plates are designed to be pre-positioned on the ground surface without excavation, and the posts are pre-attached or ready for rapid attachment, eliminating the need for on-site construction or foundation work.
2Reliability
If conventional barricades are used to stop vehicle attacks, then they provide adequate stopping power, but they require excavation or attachment to roadway surface which is costly
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses individual modular bollards that can be manufactured separately and deployed independently, reducing the need for expensive continuous foundation work or roadway attachment infrastructure.
Solution Approach 2:
The bollards use base plates that can be positioned on the ground surface without permanent attachment, and the posts can be removed and relocated if needed. This temporary, non-permanent installation method significantly reduces deployment costs compared to concrete barriers requiring excavation and curing.
3Reliability
If the top plate is rotationally offset from the base plate, then the bollard can rotate under impact to redirect vehicle momentum, but the structural complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The top plate is intentionally rotated at an angle (e.g., 45 degrees) relative to the base plate, creating an asymmetric configuration. This asymmetry allows the bollard to rotate under impact force and redirect vehicle momentum effectively, while the asymmetric design itself becomes the primary mechanism rather than requiring additional complex components.
Solution Approach 2:
The rotational offset between the top and base plates creates a dynamic response to impact forces. When a vehicle strikes the bollard, the offset configuration allows the structure to rotate and pivot, converting the static barrier into a dynamic system that actively redirects vehicle momentum rather than simply absorbing force.
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 portable bollard system effectively stops vehicles by rotating under impact, redirecting momentum and preventing further movement, and can be rapidly deployed on various surfaces without the need for excavation, providing a cost-effective and efficient solution for vehicle barricades.
Implementation Method 1
a tapered member extending from a surface of the top plate facing the base plate to the post. The tapered member tapers from a wider end at the surface of the top plate to a narrower end at the post
Implementation Method 2
A center of gravity of the portable bollard may be above a midpoint of the post
Data Source
AI summary
A portable bollard for arresting motion of a vehicle includes a post, a base plate coupled to the post, a top plate coupled to the post and spaced apart from the base plate along a length of the post, and a tapered member extending from a surface of the top plate facing the base plate to the post. The tapered member tapers from a wider end at the surface of the top plate to a narrower end at the post. The top plate is rotationally offset from the base plate.