Field of the invention

The invention relates to an assembly of a safety device intended to prevent the vehicle from going off a road or roadway, a noise barrier and an ecological screen. The invention also relates to a method for converting a guide rail into such an assembly.

Background of the invention

A safety device is known which extends along a traffic road or between roadways and which is intended to prevent a vehicle from going off the road or roadway, and for instance overturning, crossing a central reservation, finding its way onto another side of the road with oncoming traffic, falling from a height or colliding with an obstacle along the road. Damage to the vehicle and other vehicles, passenger injury and damage to objects along the road can thus be prevented or at least limited. Such a safety device placed in a central reservation between roadways is also referred to as a median barrier. The most common embodiment of such a safety device comprises a guide rail, also referred to as guard rail, a barrier in the form of a horizontal beam, usually a corrugated profile, at a distance from the ground and supported by uprights.

Also known is a noise barrier, a noise wall or an assembly thereof, structures which reflect and/or absorb noise and which are placed alongside a traffic road or a railway track in order to thus prevent or at least reduce noise nuisance for the immediate vicinity. Also known is an assembly of a guide rail and a noise barrier, for instance JP3455515B2 and W02005071166A1.

Also known is an‘ecological screen’, a structure provided with vegetation, generally placed alongside a traffic road. An ecological screen, or the vegetation, absorbs fine dust and C02 and can absorb water and heat and form a habitat for animals, and thus contributes to an improvement in the air quality and of the environment in general. The vegetation also provides for a more attractive and natural appearance, which is generally desirable. The vegetation also impedes or prevents the application of graffiti. An ecological screen is in many cases combined with a noise barrier, for instance DE8710405U1, FR2806515A1 and EP3225739A1, or already acts as noise barrier per se.

If a safety device intended to prevent a vehicle from going off the road or roadway, a noise barrier, and an ecological screen are all desired, the whole then in many cases takes up too much space along the road or between the roadways, or the whole becomes too high. It is especially alongside trunk roads and roads in built-up areas that there is often too little space, for instance due to an adjacent cycle path or service road, or due to buildings or obstacles in the immediate vicinity of the road. Furthermore, a high structure is in many cases undesirable or impossible, for instance from an aesthetic viewpoint or due to the social unsafety thereof. The present invention now provides a solution to the stated problems, and in addition has a number of specific advantages of its own.

Summary of the invention

The invention provides an assembly of a safety device intended to prevent a vehicle from going off a road or roadway, a noise barrier and an ecological screen, which assembly comprises:

- a guide rail;

- a number of holders configured and suitable for holding vegetation, which holders comprise receiving spaces configured and suitable for receiving vegetation; and

- mounting means configured and suitable for mounting the holders on the guide rail. Such an assembly can perform all the stated functions and takes up a minimal amount of space. Because the assembly can be placed close to a road or roadway, the height can be relatively small, while the sound-damping action is similar to that of a higher screen placed further away from the road or roadway. The invention also provides a method for converting a guide rail into an assembly of a safety device intended to prevent a vehicle from going off a road or roadway, a noise barrier and an ecological screen, the method comprising of:

- providing a number of holders configured and suitable for holding vegetation, which holders comprise receiving spaces configured and suitable for receiving vegetation; and

mounting the holders on the guide rail by means of mounting means provided for this purpose.

An existing guide rail can thus be easily converted into such an assembly.

Brief description of the drawings

The invention is further elucidated hereinbelow on the basis of non-limitative exemplary embodiments. In the drawings:

- figure 1 shows a perspective view of an exemplary embodiment of an assembly according to the invention; and

- figure 2 shows a cross-section thereof.

Exemplary embodiments

The exemplary embodiment shown in the drawings of an assembly (1) according to the invention comprises two guide rails (2) in the form of corrugated profiles supported by uprights and transverse beams, this all as normal. In other embodiments there may be a single guide rail or possibly more than two guide rails.

According to the invention, a number of holders (3) is now mounted on the guide rails (2) by means of mounting means (5). In the given example the holders (3) are hung on the guide rails (2) by means of hanging members (10) which are provided for this purpose with recesses (11) fitting around, in the given example the upper edges of, the guide rails (2). The holders (3) can thus be hung from the guide rails (2), after which the holders (3) are further fixed to the guide rails (2) by means of fixing members (12), in the given example pins with outer ends which can be clamped round the lower edges of the guide rails (2), as shown in the drawings. Thus hanging and fixing the holders (3) is relatively simple, and can take place without additional activities such as welding and drilling in the guide rails (2).

The holders (3) together form a continuous whole, wherein they partially overlap each other, and comprise receiving spaces (4) in which vegetation (6) is received. Also arranged in walls (7), in the given example the outward directed walls, of the holders (3) are perforations (8). Vegetation (9) has grown through the perforations (8) and to a position outside the periphery of the holders (3). The holders (3) and the vegetation (6, 9) thus together form a noise barrier and an ecological screen.

The receiving spaces (4) can be filled at least partially with a growth medium or substrate, for instance mixed with seeds. A suitable substrate is for instance a capillary foam, which can retain water. The type of vegetation, for instance grasses, mosses or herbaceous plants, can be chosen subject to the circumstances on location. If necessary, measures can be taken for a correct water supply, for instance additional perforations in walls of the holders for the purpose of allowing rainwater to pass.

In summary, an assembly according to the invention fulfils multiple functions:

- improving traffic safety (guide rail);

- sound damping (holders and vegetation);

- ecological function (vegetation); and

- aesthetic function (vegetation and design of holders).

It will be apparent that the invention is not limited to the given exemplary embodiments, but that diverse embodiments obvious to a skilled person are possible within the scope of the invention. Reference numerals used

1 assembly

2 guide rail

3 holder

4 receiving space

5 mounting means

6 vegetation (in receiving spaces)

7 wall

8 perforation

9 vegetation (outside holders)

10 hanging members

11 recess

12 fixing member