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DESCRIPTION FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The invention concerns an anti-intrusion barrier, generally used to block the passage of vehicles through entrances into selectable zones of inhabited areas which are temporarily or permanently forbidden to the transit of vehicles or to counter terrorist attacks carried out with vehicles intentionally launched against people and objects.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Devices are known which are used predominantly in historic city centers to prevent the entry of vehicles into selectable zones, known as restricted traffic zones.

Typically, these devices can be of a permanent or removable type.

A permanent type device consists of a series of mobile elements, normally in the form of cylindrical bodies, which can be housed hidden in the road surface and raised upon command to form a barrier which totally or selectively prevents the passage of vehicles.

The cylindrical bodies are hydraulically or mechanically driven and are mobile inside respective jackets which are buried in a stable manner and in a vertical position in the road by means of suitable excavations and blocked therein by cement work.

The cylindrical bodies are positioned with predetermined reciprocal distances to prevent the passage of vehicles between them, typically at distances that are less than the normal width of a vehicle.

The movements of the cylindrical bodies between the position of use and the retracted position are activated with remote controls or with the reading of magnetic cards that are provided to users who have a specific access permit to the off-limit zones, normally issued by the competent local authorities.

A removable type device typically consists of an artefact, usually made of concrete, which has sizes and weight that are considerable and commensurate to the area where it is to be located.

The artefact is located on the road in a position transverse to the direction of travel, possibly combined with other identical or similar artefacts to occupy the passage area.

The action of stopping and blocking the passage of vehicles is achieved with the weight of the artefacts which, even if hit, are able to stop the motion of a moving vehicle even if travelling at high speed.

The cement artefacts come in various shapes and sizes, according to specific needs.

Some are made in the form of elongated barriers, technically known as“Jersey barriers”, which in some cases are also colored or decorated with designs to mitigate their visual impact.

Others are made in the form of large containers that, filled with soil, can hold plants and flowers, in such a way as to make their overall appearance more pleasant, in consideration of the urban context in which they are located.

Other artefacts are made in the form of so-called“panettone” which, like the barriers, have considerable weight, even if with reduced sizes compared to the latter.

In addition to the function of selecting the vehicular traffic, these devices are also used to prevent the passage of vehicles that can be used as rams in possible terrorist actions.

This state of the art has some disadvantages.

One disadvantage relating to the permanently positioned devices is that to position them it is necessary to perform deep excavations in the road where the traffic flows, excavations that must have a depth at least equal to the overall height of the jackets in which the mobile cylindrical bodies are housed.

Another disadvantage is that it is necessary to proceed with fixing the jackets by means of cement works that are sized and structured in an appropriate manner so as to withstand any mechanical stress transmitted by the collision of a vehicle launched against one or more of the cylindrical bodies when these are in a raised position with respect to the road surface.

In this regard, it must be remembered that if a vehicle hits a cylindrical body when it is in a raised position, the impact force that stresses it has a lever arm which is defined by the height between the road surface and the point of application of the impact force and that this generates an overturning moment that tends to knock it down.

The contrast to this overturning moment is provided only by the specific mechanical resistance that the cement work fixing the jacket is able to generate.

Another disadvantage typical of removable devices consists in the fact that, in order to be made operational, they must be moved each time between a warehouse and the area of use with the use of special machines that must be able to lift them and transport them.

This requires the execution of a series of measures, typically stopping vehicular traffic during their transport and placement, and the use of the machinery itself and of the relative operators responsible for driving and maneuvering them.

Another disadvantage is that these removable devices, when not in use, must be stacked and stored in a suitable storage site and this storage site must have a suitably large area and be easily accessible in order for the transport machines to perform all the maneuvers necessary to pick them up or release them within the area.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The purpose of the invention is to improve the known state of the art.

Another purpose of the invention is to provide an anti-intrusion barrier which is effective in all conditions of use.

Another purpose of the invention is to provide an anti-intrusion barrier that has a substantially compact structure so as to not require excavations in the road for its placement or, if required, for the excavations to be of limited sizes.

Another purpose of the invention is to provide an anti-intrusion barrier which is able to generate a high contrasting force against forced intrusions, even with vehicles launched as rams at high speed.

Another purpose of the invention is to provide an anti-intrusion barrier which is modular and, therefore, can quickly be coupled with other identical ones to form anti-intrusion barriers which have sizes as required.

According to one aspect of the invention an anti-intrusion barrier is provided, in accordance with the characteristics of claim 1.

The invention allows to obtain the following advantages:

- to produce an anti-intrusion barrier that has a simple, modular structure able to withstand heavy impact stresses;

- to produce an anti-intrusion barrier that does not require excavations to be installed, or that requires excavations of limited sizes in the roads;

- to produce an anti-intrusion barrier that is equipped with reinforcement elements for the resistance to impact stresses that intervene automatically when the anti-intrusion barrier is in the active position, but which become ineffective when the anti-intrusion barrier is not in the active position;

- to produce an anti-intrusion barrier that can be equipped, if required, with devices for transmitting visual messages to users.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Further characteristics and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of a preferred, but not exclusive, embodiment of an anti-intrusion barrier, given as a non-restrictive example with reference to the attached drawings wherein:

- FIG. 1 is a schematic and longitudinal sectional view of a first embodiment of an anti-intrusion barrier according to the invention, in an active position of use and intended to be buried in a seating that can be transited by vehicles;

- FIG. 2 is a schematic and longitudinal sectional view of the anti-intrusion barrier of Fig. 1, in a non-active position;

-FIG. 3 is a schematic lateral view of an example of use of the anti-intrusion barrier according to the invention;

- FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the anti-intrusion barrier of Fig. 1 ;

- FIG. 5 is a view from below of the anti-intrusion barrier of Fig. 4;

- FIG. 6 is a schematic perspective view of a second embodiment of the anti- intrusion barrier according to the invention, intended for external positioning, on a seating that can be transited by vehicles and in an active position;

- FIG. 7 is a schematic longitudinal section view of the anti-intrusion barrier of Fig. 1, in an alternative embodiment;

- FIG. 8 is a schematic perspective view of two anti-intrusion barriers of Fig. 6, coupled with each other in a modular manner to form a barrier which has larger sizes and which can be used in transit seatings with large surfaces.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF AN EXAMPLE OF A PREFERRED

EMBODIMENT With reference to the drawings, 1 indicates as a whole a first version of an anti-intrusion barrier which comprises a base box-like element 2 which is intended to be buried and blocked in a transit seating for vehicles 3 which defines a transit surface“S”, for example a road.

The base box-like element 2 has a laying face 2A which is suitable to be buried and an opposite surface 2B which is instead intended to be put flush with the transit surface“S”, so as to constitute a portion thereof with no appreciable interruption.

The base box-like body 2 carries mounted on it a barrier element 4 which can be driven mobile with drive means 5 between an inactive position, visible in fig. 2, in which the barrier element 4 is retracted hidden on the box-like element 2, aligned and coplanar to the face 2B, and an active position visible in figs. 1, 3, 4, 5 in which it protrudes with respect to the box-like element 2.

As can be seen in the drawings, the base box-like element 2 has a parallelepiped and greatly flattened shape and the barrier-element 4 consists of a wall of the latter, typically a wall 6 that is a portion of the opposite surface 2B mentioned previously and which faces upward when the anti-intrusion barrier 1 is located in the transit seating for vehicles 3.

The wall 6 has a first end 6A which is hinged to the base box-like element 2 with respective hinges 7 and which is mobile, rotating around the hinges 7, between an inactive position visible in fig. 2, in which it is aligned and substantially coplanar with the transit surface“S”, and an active position, visible in figs. 1, 3, 4, 5, in which a second end 6B of the wall 6, opposite the first end 6 A, is raised with respect to the transit surface“S”, so that when the wall 6 is in its active position it is inclined with respect to the surface“S”.

Between the wall 6 and the base box-like element 2, a connection element 12 is provided which connects them, leaving them mobile with respect to each other and which, in the preferred embodiment, has the shape of a plate body 13.

The plate body 13 is interposed between a fluid dynamic assembly 8, which forms a first version of the drive means 5, and the wall 6.

The plate body 13 has a respective first end or edge 13A which is hinged to a hinging end 10 of the fluid dynamic assembly 8 and an opposite second end or edge 13B which is hinged to the wall 6 by means of further second hinges 14. It should be noted that the hinging end 10 of the fluid dynamic assembly 8 is located at the head of its rod 9 which, at the opposite end, as seen in fig. 1, supports a piston 9B which rests against a contrast helicoidal spring 9A which loads by compression when the rod 9 recalls the plate body 13 toward it.

Guided sliding means 15 are provided between the base box-like element 2 and the first end (or edge) 13 A, suitable to allow the movements of the rod 9 of the fluid dynamic assembly 8 and the rotation of the plate body 13 from a lifted position, in which it pushes and keeps the wall 6 raised, to a folded position underneath it, housed inside the base box-like element 2.

In a preferred embodiment, the guided sliding means 15 comprise respective guides 16 which are associated inside opposite and parallel sides of the base box- like element 2 and corresponding sliding blocks 17 which are mounted sliding in the guides 16.

The hinging ends 10 of the fluid dynamic assembly 8, to which the first end or edge 13 A of the plate body 13 is also hinged, are hinged to the sliding blocks 17.

In a second version, visible in fig. 7, the drive means 5 are made with a worm screw element 20 and a counter-threaded sleeve 21 which is engaged therewith and which has a hinging end 22 to which the concurrent first end (or edge) 13A of the plate body 13 is hinged.

The sleeve 21 is received sliding between the guides 16 and can slide guided therein, substantially in the same way as the sliding blocks 17.

The rotating drive of the worm screw element 20 can be achieved, for example, by means of a suitable portable motor unit, indicated schematically by 23 in fig. 7, which can be supplied to the operators assigned to moving the anti intrusion barrier 1 , both for activation and deactivation and which, after use, they can remove.

The motion provided by the motor assembly 23 can be transmitted to the worm screw element 20 with a mechanical return 24 which is connected thereto by means of a rotatable joint, for example a universal joint.

In both the versions of the anti-intrusion barrier 1 , the wall 6 is provided, at the first end 6 A, with a plurality of teeth 18 which protrude in relief from the lower face 6C thereof and which face toward the transit surface“S” or toward the bottom surface“SI” of an excavation, typically made in the transit seating for vehicles 3 to house the base box-like element 2 of the anti-intrusion barrier 1 inside it in an accurate and blocked manner.

The conformation of the teeth 18 is hooked and such as to push them to automatically enter the transit surface“S” or the bottom surface“SI” when the wall 6 rotates upward to move into its active position.

When the wall 6 rotates to return to the inactive position aligned and coplanar to the surface“S” the teeth 18 are extracted from the bottom surface“SI”.

As can be seen in fig. 4, the teeth 18, during the rotation of the wall 6, project through respective eyelets 19 which are made in a vertical wall which forms the base box-like element 2.

In the second version of the anti-intrusion barrier 1 visible in figs. 6 and 8, it can be seen that the box-like body 2 still has the flattened parallelepiped shape as in the first version.

However, this second version is intended to be rested above the transit surface “S”, that is in relief with respect thereto and without performing an excavation for its housing.

For this reason, the box-like body 2 is provided with resting feet 26 which can be adjusted in height and a pair of slides 27, 28 which connect the box-like body 2, and consequently the wall 6 and the face 2B thereof, with the transit surface “S”, so that when the anti-intrusion barrier 1 is kept in its inactive position, the wheels of the vehicle can drive and pass over it without hindrance.

With particular reference to fig. 8, it can also be seen that, in addition to the pair of slides 27 and 28, further bilateral and - if required - removable slides 29 can also be provided, when, for example, two or more coupled anti-intrusion barriers 1 need to be fixed together.

The functioning of the anti-intrusion barrier is described below.

In general, in addition to the motorization previously described, the command to activate or deactivate the anti-intrusion barrier 1 can be performed, for example, by means of a suitable“app” which can be downloaded onto an electronic device, for example a cell phone or a tablet.

Alternatively, it is also possible to provide a remote control that drives a receiver located on the anti-intrusion barrier 1 to activate or deactivate it in the event that a selected passage is allowed for a specifically authorized vehicle. In another embodiment, the anti-intrusion barrier 1 can be equipped with an automatic recognition system in which the data of vehicles authorized to pass are memorized and which, when these vehicles approach, automatically moves to the deactivated position and immediately after automatically returns to the active position.

To prepare the placement of the anti-intrusion barrier 1 in its first embodiment, an excavation is first made, limited in depth and with a width that allows to hold the box-like element 2, which is housed and fixed thereto.

The depth of the excavation can be limited to the thickness of the box- like element 2, so that when it is in the inactive position it lies flush and coplanar with the face 2B and the transit surface“S”, without appreciable interruptions.

In this configuration, visible in fig. 2, which allows the transit of vehicles 3, the plate body 13 is folded under the wall 6, parallel thereto, and occupies the inside of the base box-like element 2, while the rod 9 of the fluid dynamic actuator assembly 8 is fully extracted.

When the anti-intrusion barrier 1 needs to be used to block access to the transit of vehicles 3, the fluid dynamic actuator assembly 8 is activated, recalling the rod 9 inside it and compressing the spring 9A.

The recall of the rod 9 causes the sliding blocks 17 to slide in the respective guides 16 and, as a consequence, the plate body 13 rotates progressively, rising toward the outside of the box-like element 2.

This rising in turn forces the wall 6 to rise toward the outside, causing it to protrude in an inclined position with respect to the surface“S”, as shown in fig. 1.

In order to rise, the wall 6 rotates around the hinges 7 and is disposed in the ready-for-use position with the second end 6B raised and which, together with the plate body 13, prevents a wheel“R” of the vehicle 3 from passing.

The rotation of the wall 6 also automatically causes the teeth 18 to penetrate the bottom surface“SI”, thus increasing the overall mechanical resistance of the anti-intrusion barrier 1 against impacts, in the event a vehicle 3 launched against it were to try to pass over it, overturning it by force from the opposite side in order to then pass over it.

In an optional version, the plate body 13 can support, on a face which faces toward the outside when the wall 6 is in its active position, a display to show messages or warnings to users.

The anti-intrusion barrier 1 can be used individually, adapting the sizes of the box-like element 2 and of the components to the sizes of the installation location, or it can be used in combination with other identical examples of anti-intrusion barriers, or it can also be used in combination with other known anti-intrusion devices.

The functioning of the anti-intrusion barrier 1 in the second possible version is substantially identical to that described for the first version, with the difference that the box- like element 2 does not need to be located in an excavation made in the transit seating for the vehicles.

When the anti-intrusion barrier 1, in this second version, is in the inactive position, it appears as a normal speed bump located transverse to a road to slow down the transit speeds of vehicles 3, but which can be passed over thanks to the slides 27 and 28.

When the anti-intrusion barrier 1 is instead in the active configuration and the wall 6 is raised to oppose the passage of the vehicles 3, the functioning is identical to that described previously for the first version.

It should be noted that the action of the spring 9 A, when it is compression loaded, contributes to return the anti-intrusion barrier 1 to its inactive position.

In practice it has been found that the invention achieves the intended aims.

Modifications and variants may be made to the invention as conceived, all of which come within the inventive field.

Furthermore, all details can be replaced with other technically equivalent elements.

In practice, any other materials as well as the shapes and sizes may be used, according to needs, without departing from the field of protection of the following claims.