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Patent Searching and Data


Title:
DEVICE FOR GUARDRAIL
Document Type and Number:
WIPO Patent Application WO/2020/058930
Kind Code:
A1
Abstract:
The device (1) for guardrail, wherein the guardrail comprises: a longitudinal barrier (21) having an outer surface (21a) facing a carriageway and delimited at the top and bottom by flaps (31); a supporting element (22) which can be anchored to the ground and connectable to the barrier (21) on the opposite side of the outer surface (21a); a visibility element (36) facing towards the carriageway, associated in a removable manner with at least one of the barrier (21) and the supporting element (22), and adapted to emit a light radiation.

Inventors:
REGGIANI RICCARDO (IT)
Application Number:
PCT/IB2019/057981
Publication Date:
March 26, 2020
Filing Date:
September 20, 2019
Export Citation:
Click for automatic bibliography generation   Help
Assignee:
FASIPOL S R L (IT)
International Classes:
E01F15/04
Foreign References:
LU86582A11987-01-22
DE202016106143U12016-12-19
US4000882A1977-01-04
DE9313389U11993-12-02
FR2460365A11981-01-23
ITMO20090257A12011-04-21
Attorney, Agent or Firm:
BRUNACCI, Marco (IT)
Download PDF:
Claims:
CLAIMS

1) Device (1) for guardrail, said guardrail comprising:

at least one longitudinal barrier (21) having an outer surface (2 la) facing a carriageway and delimited at the top and bottom by flaps (31);

at least one supporting element (22) which can be anchored to the ground and connectable to said barrier (21) on the opposite side of said outer surface (2 la);

characterized by the fact that it comprises at least one visibility element (36) facing towards said carriageway, associated in a removable manner with at least one of said barrier (21) and said supporting element (22), and adapted to emit a light radiation.

2) Device (1) according to claim 1, characterized by the fact that it comprises at least one protective body (30) associable with said barrier (21) to cover at least one portion of said barrier (21) and comprising said visibility element (36).

3) Device (1) according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized by the fact that said protective body (30) comprises a groove (40) which extends longitudinally and in which said visibility element (36) is housed.

4) Device (1) according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized by the fact that said visibility element (36) is of the type of a light strip.

5) Device (1) according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized by the fact that said protective body (30) comprises polymeric material.

6) Device (1) according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized by the fact that said polymeric material comprises expanded polyurethane.

7) Device (1) according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized by the fact that it comprises at least one retaining portion (32) associable with at least one of said flaps (31).

8) Device (1) according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized by the fact that said retaining portion (32) comprises an elastically deformable recess (33) in which at least one of said flaps (31) can be inserted.

9) Device (1) according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized by the fact that said protective body (30) comprises an inner contact surface (34) superimposable to said outer surface (21 a) and having at least one housing seat (35) in which the connecting members of said guardrail (20) can be inserted.

10) Device (1) according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized by the fact that it comprises contoured protection means (2) which are adapted to cover at least partly at least the upper portion of said supporting element (22).

Description:
DEVICE FOR GUARDRAIL

Technical Field

The present invention relates to a device for guardrail.

Background Art

As is known, guardrails are arranged on the external part of the carriageway, e.g. also in a central position, as a traffic divider on dual carriageways, in order to improve the safety of drivers by reducing the effects of accidents or skidding. In particular, guardrails are designed to withstand a collision in such a way as to keep the vehicle involved inside the protected carriageway, preventing the invading of the opposite lane or running off the road.

The guardrails known to date generally consist of a longitudinal barrier which has an outer surface facing the carriageway and holding means associated with the longitudinal barrier on the opposite side with respect to its outer surface. These holding means are mainly made up of a substantially vertical supporting element anchored to the ground and of a substantially horizontal connection element placed between the supporting element and the longitudinal barrier. Guardrails often constitute a source of danger for road users.

In poor visibility conditions, in fact, the user may not see well or be at all aware of the presence of the guardrail and its extension along the direction of flow of the road.

Moreover, the presence of the guardrail alone is a source of danger.

For example, a motorcyclist who accidentally skids on the asphalt and ends up against the guardrail could suffer more or less serious injuries due to the impact against the barrier or the holding means mentioned above.

Both the barrier and the holding means do in fact have a high number of outward-facing protrusions and edges which can be dangerously intercepted by a motorcyclist, a cyclist or a pedestrian both when travelling along the carriageway onto which the guardrail faces and when travelling along bicycle or pedestrian paths behind the guardrail itself.

In fact, lanes limited to the transit of pedestrians and bicycles built next to the main carriageways, used by cars and motorcycles, are becoming increasingly more common. The need is therefore known to make guardrails more visible to road users so that these can better follow the road and avoid colliding with the guardrail itself. The need is also known to provide the guardrail with protection elements which cushion any impacts, protecting users who, by skidding, crash into the guardrail. To date, protection elements for guardrails are known adapted to fully cover them.

These protection elements, in fact, are shaped in such a way as to completely cover the entire guardrail, i.e. both the external barrier and the relative holding means.

These protection elements do have a number of drawbacks.

In fact, they are complicated and expensive to manufacture, and difficult to fit. More precisely, this type of protection element, shaped in such a way as to fully cover a guardrail, involves the need, in order to carry out fitting, to make structural changes to the guardrail itself. The guardrail must then undergo new type-approval, in order to determine whether its mechanical properties and its ability to absorb shocks have not been altered by the structural changes made.

In addition, protective devices for guardrails are known, including elements for covering the connection means.

These known devices do have the drawback of not providing elements to cover the longitudinal barrier, so the guardrail therefore remains a source of danger. Description of the Invention

The main aim of the present invention is to provide a device for guardrails which is able to improve the visibility of the guardrail itself and the road, and to protect anyone.

Within this aim, one object of the present invention is to provide a device for all types of guardrails and which can also be fitted to already installed guardrails. One object of the present invention is to provide safe protection for the parts of the guardrail without this requiring any structural change or alteration of the guardrail itself.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a device for guardrails which is easy to fit and at the same time requires significantly lower production and fitting costs than known types of protective devices. Another object of the present invention is to devise a device for guardrail that allows overcoming the aforementioned drawbacks of the prior art in a simple, rational, easy, effective to use and low cost solution.

The aforementioned objects are achieved by the present device for guardrail comprising at least one longitudinal barrier having an outer surface facing a carriageway and at least one supporting element which can be anchored to the ground and connectable to the barrier on the opposite side of the outer surface, characterized by the fact that it comprises contoured protection means which are adapted to cover at least partly at least the upper portion of the supporting element.

Brief Description of the Drawings

Other characteristics and advantages of the present invention will become more evident from the description of a preferred but not exclusive embodiment of a device for guardrail, illustrated by way of an indicative yet non-limiting example in the accompanying tables of drawings wherein:

Figures 1 and 2 are axonometric views of the device according to the invention, Figure 3 is a side cross-sectional view of the device according to the invention applied to a guardrail;

Figure 4 is a partial exploded and side cross-sectional view of the device according to the invention applied to a guardrail;

Figure 5 is a view of a detail of the device according to the invention;

Figure 6 is a perspective view from below of the first protection element according to the invention;

Figure 7 is a perspective view of the first protection element of Figure 6 and of the second protection element applied to a guardrail;

Figure 8 is a perspective view of the first protection element of Figure 6 and of the second protection element moved away from a guardrail;

Figure 9 is a cross-sectional view along the track plane IV-IV of Figure 7;

Figure 10 is a cross-sectional view along the track plane V-V of Figure 7;

Figure 11 is a cross-sectional view along the track plane VFVI of Figure 7; Figure 12 is an axonometric view of a detail of a second embodiment of the device according to the invention; Figure 13 is an axonometric view of a detail of a second embodiment of the device according to the invention.

Embodiments of the Invention

With particular reference to these illustrations, reference numeral 1 globally designates a device for guardrail.

The device 1 is therefore associable with a guardrail, indicated in the Figures by reference numeral 20, comprising at least one longitudinal barrier 21 having an outer surface 21 a facing a carriageway.

The outer surface 21 a is delimited at the top and at the bottom by flaps 31.

The device 1 also comprises a supporting element 22 which can be anchored to the ground and connected to the barrier 21 on the opposite side of the outer surface 21a.

Advantageously, the device 1 comprises at least one protective body 30 associable with the barrier 21 to cover at least one portion of the barrier 21 itself.

The protective body 30 is conveniently associated in adhesion with the barrier

21.

Advantageously, the protective body 30 comprises polymeric material.

This characteristic gives elastic properties to the protective body 30, which are useful both for cushioning impacts and for applying the protective body itself onto the barrier 21.

In particular, the polymeric material comprises expanded polyurethane.

Solutions providing a polymeric material comprising substances other than polyurethane foam but which have elastic properties, e.g. rubber, or similar polymers cannot be ruled not.

Also solutions envisaging the use of elastic materials other than those mentioned cannot be ruled not.

Conveniently, the protective body 30 comprises at least one retaining portion 32 associable with at least one of the flaps 31.

In the embodiment shown in the figures, the protective body 30 comprises two retaining portions 32 each associable with a respective flap 31.

In particular, the retaining portion 32 comprises an elastically deformable recess 33 in which at least one of the flaps 31 can be inserted.

More particularly, the retaining portion 32 has a stem 39 and a head 38 defining the recess 33.

By applying a force onto the head 38 and pushing substantially in a direction orthogonal to the stem, the recess deforms elastically, enlarging and allowing the flap 31 to enter.

In the absence of thrust, the recess 33 returns to its initial configuration with the retaining portion 32 which, due to its elastic properties, clings to the flap 31. Retaining portions 32 with different shapes from the one shown, e.g. having an elastically deformable groove 40 or elastically deformable curved elements and defining the recess 33, cannot be ruled out.

Conveniently, the protective body 30 comprises an inner contact surface 34 which can be superimposed to the outer surface 2 la.

The inner surface 34 has housing seats 35 wherein the connecting members, such as e.g. screws, bolts or the like, of the guardrail 20 can be inserted.

This way the adherence between the protective body 30 and the barrier 21 is improved.

According to the invention, the device 1 comprises at least one visibility element 36 facing the carriageway.

The visibility element is associated in a removable manner with at least one of the barrier 21 and the supporting element 22, and adapted to emit a light radiation.

This way it is possible to make the guardrail visible to drivers and, at the same time, to light up the road.

In particular, the protective body 30 comprises the visibility element 36 facing the carriageway.

The visibility element 36 is preferably of the type of a light strip, e.g. a LED strip.

Such characteristic facilitates the visibility of the guardrail, in particular it allows drivers to understand the course of the road.

In the present embodiment, the protective body 30 comprises a groove 40 which extends longitudinally and wherein the visibility element 36 is housed. Solutions cannot be ruled out wherein the visibility element 36 is attached to the outer surface of the protective body 30, or wherein it is placed below such surface, but in any case visible.

Solutions comprising a plurality of visibility elements 36 cannot also be ruled out.

In the present embodiment, the device 1 comprises a supporting protective element 37 which can be associated with the supporting element 22.

The supporting protective element 37 has the same elastic properties as the protective body 30.

The supporting protective element 37 is also made of polymeric material, preferably comprising polyurethane foam.

As shown in the illustrations, the supporting protective element 37 wraps around the supporting element 22.

This way, any collisions against the supporting element 22 are cushioned.

The protective body 30 is fitted to the guardrail 20 in the following way.

The retaining portions 32 are deformed by means of a pushing action which tends to bend the stem 39 in such a way as to enlarge the recess 33.

Keeping the recess 33 in an enlarged configuration, the flap 31 is inserted and, subsequently, the pushing action is cancelled in order to make the stem 39 return to the home position.

Thanks to the elastic properties of the polymeric material, the recess 33 returns to its initial configuration, exerting a retaining action on the flap 31.

In the present embodiment, the device 1 comprises contoured protection means 2 which are adapted to cover at least partly at least the upper portion of the supporting element 22.

More particularly, the guardrail 20 also comprises a linking element 23 associated with the supporting element 22 at its upper portion and interposed between the inner surface 2lb of the barrier 21, opposite its outer surface 2la, and the supporting element 22.

Advantageously, the protection means 2 comprise at least a first protection element 3 adapted to cover the peripheral edges turned towards the outside of the upper portions of the supporting element 22 and of the linking element 23. More particularly, the first protection element 3 has at least one reference surface 4 intended to rest on the parts of the supporting element 22 and of the linking element 23 turned upwards.

The first protection element 3 comprises at least one covering element 5 which also has at least one protective surface 6 turned outwards and comprising an upper surface 6a adapted to cover the parts of the supporting element 22 and of the linking element 23 turned upwards and one or more lateral surfaces 6b arranged crossways to the upper surface 6a and adapted to cover the lateral parts of the supporting element 22 and of the linking element 23 adjacent to their parts turned upwards.

In the embodiment shown in the illustrations, the covering element 5 also defines the reference surface 4.

Advantageously, the first protection element 3 comprises at least one stiffening element 7, e.g. made of metallic material, locked together with the covering element 5.

More particularly, the stiffening element 7 is at least partly contained in the covering element 5.

Preferably, the stiffening element 7 is completely contained inside the covering element 5.

Appropriately, the device 1 comprises removable fixing means of the first protection element 3 to at least one of either the supporting element 22 or the linking element 23.

Advantageously, the fixing means are adapted to operate in conjunction with predefined elements on the supporting element 22 and/or on the linking element 23, such as holes, openings or protrusions.

More specifically, the fixing means comprise at least one threaded member 8 the head 8a of which is contained inside the covering element 5 and the stem 8b of which passes through an opening 10 defined in the stiffening element 7 and protrudes at least partly outside the covering element 5. The stem 8b can be inserted into a predefined hole 24 on the linking element 23, and more particularly on its part turned upwards, and is engageable by a nut 9 arranged on the opposite side of the head 8a with respect to the linking element 23. As shown in Figures 1, 2 and 3, the first protection element 3 comprises at least one connection element 11, e.g. made of metallic material, locked together with the covering element 5 and which can be associated, preferably in a removable manner, with the supporting element 22.

More in particular, the connection element 11 comprises a first portion 11a contained inside the covering element 5 and a second portion l ib protruding outside the covering element 5 and which can be associated with the supporting element 22.

Appropriately, the first portion 11a is locked together with the stiffening element 7 inside the covering element 5.

The second portion l ib has at least one slot 12 intended to house a threaded element 25 adapted to block a rear bar 26 on the supporting element 22, the second portion l ib being interposable between the rear bar 26 and the supporting element 22.

More in detail, to insert the second portion l ib between the rear bar 26 and the supporting element 22, it is necessary to loosen the bolt 27 which tightens the threaded element 25, so as to fit the slot 12 over the threaded element itself, and then tighten the bolt 27 again.

Advantageously, the covering element 5, the stiffening element 7 with the threaded member 8 inserted through its opening 10 and the connection element 11 are made in one body piece, e.g. by molding.

In the embodiment shown in the illustrations, the protection means 2 also comprise a second protection element 13, which can be fitted to the rear bar 26 to cover it externally.

Appropriately, the second protection element 13 can be elastically deformed to wrap around at least part of the rear bar 26.

More specifically, the second protection element 13 has a pair of grooves 14 defining a corresponding housing seat adapted to wrap around the extremities of the rear bar 26.

Advantageously, at least one of the covering element 5 and the second protection element 13, preferably both, are made of polymeric material.

More particularly, the polymer material used to make the covering element 5 and the second protection element 13 comprises at least some polyurethane foam.

The alternative solution wherein the device does not provide for the protection means 2 described above cannot be ruled out.

The alternative solution wherein the protection means 2 comprise a visibility element identical to that shown cannot be ruled out either.

A second embodiment of the device, shown in Figure 12 is completely identical to that described above and differs in the fact that the visibility element 36 is placed below the center line which divides the protective body 30 horizontally. In particular, the groove 40 is obtained below the center line and the visibility element 36 faces the road surface.

This way the guardrail 20 is lit up, but the light does not directly hit the eyes of drivers.

In Figure 12, the inner surface 34 has a different profile compared to the previously described inner surfaces.

The solution cannot be ruled out wherein, for this fourth embodiment as well, the inner surface 34 is identical to that shown in the previous embodiments.

In addition, in the embodiment of Figure 12, the protective body 30 comprises just one retaining portion 32.

A third embodiment, shown in Figure 13, is completely identical to those previously described and differs in the fact that the inner surface 34 is composed of a plurality of structural elements 41 on which the housing seats 35 are defined.

In addition, as shown in Figure 12, the inner surface 34 is composed of a plurality of structural elements 41 on which the housing seats 35 are defined. This feature makes it possible to lighten the protective body 30, inasmuch as less material is used.

It has, in practice, been ascertained that the described invention achieves the intended objects and, in particular, the fact is underlined that the provided device for guardrail is able to improve the visibility of the guardrail itself, lighting up the road and protecting everyone.

Furthermore, the visibility element permits improving the perception of the guardrail by road users.

In addition, the visibility element allows the road line to be defined by lighting it up from below and replacing aerial lighting devices.

This results in a mitigation of the visual and environmental impact caused by suspended luminaires.

The provided device also allows protecting road users from contact with the guardrail, attenuating any impacts.

More specifically, the device, according to the invention, can be fitted in a simple and easy way to existing guardrails and without any structural intervention being required. The use of the provided device does not therefore require any further type-approval of the guardrails on which it is fitted.

Furthermore, the provided device requires construction costs significantly lower than those of protective devices of known type.