Wound Cable Road Barrier Preventing Sliding
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing road safety barriers with metal cables fail to prevent vehicles from passing beyond the impact zone due to excessive deformation and distancing of metal cables, posing a risk to occupants.
Innovation Solution
The metal cables are wound around the poles, preventing sliding and lengthening, thereby reducing deformation and maintaining cable distance, with additional slab-shaped elements to further constrain vehicle movement and absorb impact stresses.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of energy
If metal cables are allowed to slide through through-holes in poles, then the barrier can absorb impact energy through cable lengthening and deformation, but the cables distance from one another causing vehicles to pass beyond the barrier
Solution Approach 1:
The metal cable is segmented into multiple sections by the poles it winds around. Each section between adjacent poles acts as an independent energy absorption unit that can deform and lengthen during impact, while the winding configuration ensures cables remain constrained and cannot distance from one another, preventing vehicle passage through the barrier.
Solution Approach 2:
The cable-pole interaction is transformed from a linear sliding motion (one-dimensional) to a three-dimensional winding configuration. The cable winds around the pole in a helical or circular path, creating multiple contact points and constraint planes that prevent the cable from sliding away and distancing from adjacent cables during impact.
2Stability of the object's composition
If metal cables are fixed rigidly to poles, then cable positioning is stable, but the barrier cannot deform sufficiently to absorb impact energy
Solution Approach 1:
The cable-pole connection exhibits different mechanical properties at different locations and under different conditions. During normal conditions, the winding provides stable positioning. During impact, the cable can locally deform and lengthen by unwinding or sliding in a controlled manner around the pole, allowing energy absorption while maintaining overall structural stability.
Solution Approach 2:
The cable-pole connection transitions from a static fixed state to a dynamic state during impact. The cable can slide and unwind around the pole when subjected to impact forces, enabling deformation and energy absorption, then returns to a stable positioned state after the impact event.
3Loss of energy
If poles are knocked down during impact, then the barrier deforms to absorb energy, but cables slide along poles facilitating vehicle passage
Solution Approach 1:
The cable is pre-configured to wind around the pole in a manner that creates friction and mechanical interlocking before impact occurs. This preliminary winding arrangement ensures that when the pole is knocked down during impact, the cable remains gripped to the pole and cannot slide away, preventing vehicle passage even as the barrier deforms to absorb energy.
Solution Approach 2:
The potential harm of pole displacement during impact is converted into a benefit. The pole knocking down motion, which could allow cable sliding and vehicle passage, instead causes the wound cable to grip the pole more firmly through friction and mechanical interlocking, preventing cable escape and maintaining barrier effectiveness.
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
Significantly reduces the risk of vehicles passing beyond the barrier by minimizing cable deformation and providing additional impact absorption, enhancing safety and allowing installation in constrained spaces.
Implementation Method 1
gripping the poles about which they are wound, and preventing any sliding of the metal cables along the poles
Implementation Method 2
the metal cables (104) are placed in traction and deform by lengthening
Implementation Method 3
designed for absorbing a part of the kinetic energy possessed by the vehicle during the impact step, as it deforms
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3~4
Figure 5~6
AI summary
A road safety barrier (1) with a plurality of metal cables (4), arranged along the side of a carriageway, for re-directing a vehicle in a case of impact, comprising: a plurality of poles (2), fixed to the ground (3), which are distanced from one another and which are arranged one following another along the side of a carriageway; a plurality of metal cables (4) which are supported by the poles (2) of the plurality of poles (2), so that each metal cable (45) is parallel to and at a predefined distance from the remaining metal cables (4) of the plurality of metal cables (4) in order to re-direct a vehicle in a case of impact. Each metal cable (5) of the plurality of metal cables (4) is fixed to each pole (2) of the plurality of poles (2), and is wound at least once about the lateral surface (12) of the pole (2).