CONTROL BARRIER FOR ACCESS OF ONE USER AT A TIME,

MAINLY FOR MEANS OF PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION SUCH AS

BUSES, TRAMS AND THE LIKE

Technical Field The present invention relates to a control barrier for access of one person at a time, mainly for means of public transportation such as buses, trams and the like.

Background Art

Control barriers for the passage of one user at a time are known and are visible in many accesses to subways, stadiums, ascent facilities for skiers, et cetera.

Access can occur for example by validating a ticket or optically reading a chip or is free and the device only has a people counting or flow steadying function. These known devices are shaped like a tripod that rotates about an axis that is substantially parallel to the ground and allows the access of a single user at a time because it is shaped so that the space between two contiguous bars of the tripod is sufficient for the passage of one person only. These types of barrier, also known as turnstiles, have however a very rigid structure and can cause access difficulties to people carrying luggage, large-bodied people, or the handicapped.

Further, they can cause severe problems for the safety of passengers in the case of sharp maneuvers or sudden braking of the public vehicle. Moreover, in case of emergency they constitute a severe safety problem indeed because of the way they are structured, and in fact are installed if other emergency exit routes exist.

For this reason, they are scarcely used in buses, trolleybuses, city buses and other means of public transportation. Other types of device for controlling the access of one person at a

time are also used which comprise one or two rotating arms (also known as swing gates) and are adapted to be used as an exit route in case of emergency.

This type of device is present for example in the entrances of roadside catering facilities (known by the trademark Autogrill) or in supermarkets.

However, barriers of this kind have substantial dimensions and therefore cannot be used in accesses with limited space, such as for example inside buses or trams, where the entrances and the transit corridors have a width of approximately 80-90 centimeters which is regulated by the law. Further, in devices of this type the access time increases considerably due to the return stroke that the swing gate is forced to perform after each access of the user, with consequent drawbacks for users and with the risk that the passage of several people at once might be possible. For these reasons, such barriers are not deemed adapted to be installed in public transportation lines.

Barriers with panels that can slide on a plane that is normal to the floor are known. This kind of barrier, which is very expensive, however does not allow simple and straightforward exit forcing, with all the consequent problems, which can constitute a source of risk in the case of sharp braking.

There are also other types of known device which provide for access controlled by a bar, barrier and the like. Devices of this type, which have very simple operation, however have evident problems of space occupation and are not a good deterrent for any users not entitled to pass who nonetheless wish to gain access. Further, due to the mechanism of its operation, a barrier of this kind is not used in means of public transportation, since it has many risks during its normal operation, is very slow to remove and is dangerous in case of emergency. Disclosure of the Invention The aim of the present invention is to eliminate the above-mentioned

drawbacks of known types of barrier for controlling the access of one person at a time, which allows the passage of one and only one passenger at a time, acts as a deterrent for users not entitled to pass, and ensures maximum safety in case of panic or in emergency situations. Within this aim, an object of the invention is to provide a barrier that allows users in difficulty, such as for example large-bodied individuals, or people with bulky baggage, or handicapped people, to achieve easy access independently.

Another object of the invention is to provide a barrier for controlling the access of one person at a time that can be installed in small spaces or arranged in places that have operating problems, such as buses, trams and other public vehicles.

Another object of the invention is to eliminate risks for the safety of users in case of sharp maneuvers and sudden braking, especially if the barrier is installed in buses, trams and other means of transportation.

Another object of the invention is to allow the device to be forced into a panic situation and to leave the passage free in case of emergency.

Another object of the invention is to act as a deterrent for any craftiness for example on the part of passengers who have no travel tickets and to not allow easy forcing in normal operation.

Another object of the invention is to provide a barrier for controlling the access of one person at a time with means that are easily commercially available and by using common materials, so that the device is economically competitive. This aim and these and other objects, which will become better apparent hereinafter, are achieved by a control barrier for the access of one user at a time, mainly for means of public transportation such as buses, trams and the like, according to the invention, comprising a body for supporting a control arm for access to said barrier which is pivoted on said supporting body and is connected to movement means, characterized in that

it comprises a safety wing, which is connected to said arm by way of means for rotation about a substantially vertical axis, said rotation means being controlled by means for controlling the rotation speed of said safety wing. Brief description of the drawings Further characteristics and advantages of the invention will become better apparent from the following detailed description of a preferred but not exclusive embodiment of the barrier for controlling the access of one person at a time, mainly for means of public transportation such as buses, trams and the like, illustrated by way of non-limiting example in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a sectional view of a control barrier for the access of people, taken at right angles to the direction of transit of users, during the test performed with a reference outline of the Traffic Control Authority, in the position in which the barrier is closed; Figure 2 is a sectional view of a control barrier for the access of people, taken at right angles to the direction of transit of users, during the test performed with a reference outline by the Traffic Control Authority, in the position in which the barrier is closed, with the safety panel activated and rotated through 90° with respect to the initial position; Figure 3 is a sectional view of a control barrier for the access of people, taken at right angles to the direction of transit of users, during the test performed with a reference outline by the Traffic Control Authority, in the position in which the barrier is open;

Figure 4 is a top view of a control barrier for the access of people, during the test performed with a reference outline by the Traffic Control Authority, in the position in which the barrier is closed;

Figure 5 is a top view of a control barrier for the access of people, during the test performed with a reference outline by the Traffic Control Authority, in the position in which the barrier is closed, with the safety wing activated and rotated through 90° with respect to the initial position;

Figure 6 is a top view of a control barrier for the access of people, during the test performed with a reference outline by the Traffic Control Authority, in the position in which the barrier is open;

Figure 7 is a sectional view, taken parallel to the passage direction of the user, of a detail of the barrier which shows the rotation means, the means for controlling the rotation speed of the safety wing, and the emergency means, in the position for normal operation;

Figure 8 is a sectional view, taken at right angles to the passage direction of the user, of a detail of the barrier which shows the rotation means, the means for controlling the rotation speed of the safety wing, and the emergency means, in the position for normal operation;

Figure 9 is a sectional view, taken parallel to the passage direction of the user, of a detail of the barrier, which shows the rotation means, the means for controlling the rotation speed of the safety wing, and the emergency means, in case of emergency;

Figure 10 is a sectional view, taken at right angles to the passage direction of the user, of a detail of the barrier, which shows the rotation means, the means for controlling the rotation speed of the safety wing, and the emergency means, in case of emergency. Figure 1 1 is a sectional view, taken parallel to the passage direction of the user, of a detail of the barrier, which shows the rotation means, the means for controlling the rotation speed of the safety wing, and the emergency means, when normal operation is restored;

Figure 12 is a sectional view, taken at right angles to the passage direction of the user, of a detail of the barrier, which shows the rotation means, the means for controlling the rotation speed of the safety wing, and the emergency means, when normal operation is restored. Ways of carrying out the Invention

With reference to the figures, a barrier for controlling the access of one person at a time, mainly for means of public transportation such as

buses, trams and the like, according to the invention, generally designated by the reference numeral 1 , comprises a supporting body 2 and a control arm 10 for accessing the barrier, which is pivoted on the body 2 and is connected to movement means. One of the features of the control barrier according to the invention is that it is provided with a safety wing 20, which is connected to the arm 10 by way of means for rotation about an axis that is substantially vertical with respect to the ground, such rotation means being controlled by means for controlling the rotation speed of the wing 20. The wing 20 allows the opening of the barrier 1 in case of a dangerous situation, such as for example a crowd within the means of transportation or a sharp braking action, and also ensures the accessibility of an outline 9, which is necessary in order to obtain a permit from the Traffic Control Authority. In normal operation, the barrier 1 works in two positions: the closed position, with the control arm 10 that protrudes almost completely from the supporting body 2 so as to block access, and the open position, in which instead the arm 10 is contained inside the body 2.

The oscillation of the arm 10 occurs about a hinge 1 1 , on which the arm 10 is pivoted and which is fixed to the supporting body 2.

The movement means comprise a first electromagnet 12, which retains a toggle 13 in the position in which the barrier is closed. The toggle 13 is constituted by two levers 131 and 132, which oscillate with respect to each other by means of a first pivot 133. The lever 131 oscillate about the arm 10 by means of a second pivot

134, while the lever 132 rotates about the body 2 and is pivoted to a third pivot 135.

When the barrier 1 is in the closed position, and therefore the two levers 131 and 132 are substantially mutually aligned, forming a substantially straight angle about the first pivot 133, and the toggle 13

assumes an I-shapβd configuration.

There are also return means for the toggle 13, which are connected to the supporting body 2, such as for example a traction spring 14, in which one end is fixed to the body 2 and the other end is fixed to the first pivot 133.

When the electromagnet 12 is deactivated, the two levers 131 and 132 are free to mutually oscillate and the return action of the spring 14 moves the barrier to the open position, i.e., the angle comprised between the two levers 131 and 132 becomes acute and the toggle 13 assumes a V-shaped configuration.

In this manner, when the user validates the ticket or in any case is entitled to enter the control area where the barrier 1 is located, validation means remove the power supply to the electromagnet 12 and the traction spring 14 applies its return action, drawing the control arm 10 into the body 2, allowing access to the user.

Preferably, at the sides of the barrier 1 there are two photocells, which prevent the blocking of the access as until the user has completed transit.

If instead the user is not authorized for access, the electromagnet 12 is not deactivated and the barrier 1 remains closed. In situations of danger for the user, the safety wing 20 can rotate, leaving free a passage portion that is sufficient to allow access to a user.

When pressure or thrust is applied to one of the two surfaces of the wing 20, the wing 20 can rotate by means of a pair of pivots 21 , which are associated with the arm 10 and act on a tubular element 22 that is jointly associated with the wing 20.

The rotary motion is transmitted to the wing by a pivot 25, which is supported by a slider 23 that protrudes from a slot 261 formed on a surface of a cylinder 26; the slider 23 can perform a translational motion within the cylinder 26, prevented from rotating by at least one pin 24 (in the embodiment described here, the pins are two).

The pivot 25 slides within a track 221 that is formed on the tubular element 22 and has such a shape as to form a sort of letter V on the flat extension of the outer surface of the tubular element 22.

When the wing 20 begins to rotate, the pivot 25 pushes the slider 23 downward, with the track 221 guiding it in its sliding.

The track 221 in fact is provided in such a manner that the rotation of the wing 20 is allowed in both directions, allowing a maximum opening of the wing 20 that is equal to 180°.

Advantageously, there are means for controlling the rotation speed of the wing 20, which intervene if the thrust applied to the wing 20 is lower than a certain preset threshold limit.

These control means comprise a fluid-operated spring 27 or any other actuator connected to the slider 23: when the slider 23 slides downward, engaging a piston 271 or similar means for actuating translational motion, it acts on the spring 27, which is compressed at a rate that is determined by a gas transfer, offering a proportional resistance to rotation.

Once the pressure or thrust on the wing 20 has ended, the spring 27 returns the elastic energy that is stored, pushing the slider 23 upward and returning the pivot 25 to the initial position. Advantageously, if the pressure or thrust applied to the wing 20 exceed the limit set by design, or in dangerous conditions, emergency means intervene which allow to open the passage, allowing the free rotation of the wing 20.

These emergency means release the spring 27 from the mechanism for controlling the rotation speed, leaving the wing 20 free to rotate about the pair of pivots 21.

The mechanism comprises an eccentric disk 31 , which in normal operating conditions supports the spring 27. The disk 31 is connected, by means of a driving shaft 321, to motor means, such as for example an electric motor 32. In turn, the motor 32 is pivoted to the arm 10 by means of

a shaft 33, which is fixed on the arm 10.

During regular operation, the motor 32 and the disk 31 are retained in the operating position by a second electromagnet 30, which is jointly connected to the arm 10, or by other equivalent retention means. Advantageously, there are means for deactivating the spring 27 that are intended to act on such retention means, leaving the wing 20 free to rotate about the pair of pivots 21.

In the embodiment described here, the deactivation means disconnect the electromagnet 30, turning by way of its own weight the motor 32 about the shaft 33: this rotation is interrupted by the contact of the disk 31 with a surface 101 of the arm 10.

The activation of these deactivation means occurs by means of an emergency button 5 or by means of a sensor that is arranged on the tubular element 22 or on the wing 20 and is capable of detecting the thrust applied to the surface of the wing 20,

To restore the normal operating situation, the motor 32 turns the disk 31, which by leveraging against the surface 101, with the first half-turn returns the motor 32 to a horizontal position by way of its eccentricity, thus allowing it to re-engage the electromagnet 30. As it continues to rotate, during completion of the rotation, the disk

31 acts on the spring 27, which is reloaded and returned to the active position.

Advantageously, there are also emergency means, such as for example the button 5 or another emergency button, which, if operated, can deactivate the electromagnet 12.

If the button 5 activates the means for deactivating the spring 27 and at the same time acts as an emergency means, a single pressure on the button

5 causes a retraction of the arm 10 into a support 2, simultaneously leaving the wing 20 free. Once the emergency has passed, in order to return the arm 10 to the

initial position there are repositioning means, such as a gearmotor 7 that acts on the toggle 13: in the embodiment illustrated here, the gearrnotor 7 acts on the pivot 134, rotating it so as to again position the first electromagnet 12 in the retention conditions, i.e., in the position for closing the barrier 1, and thus returning the toggle 13 to the I-shaped configuration. The irreversibility of the gearmotor 7 keeps the control arm constantly in the closed position.

From what has been described it is therefore evident that the invention achieves the proposed aim and objects, and in particular the fact is stressed that a barrier for controlling the access of one person at a time, mainly for public means of transportation such as buses, trams and the like, is provided which allows controlled passage in tight or small spaces and acts as a deterrent for users not entitled to access, with immediate relocation of the arm in the closure position directly after the passage of the user, by way of the installation of the gearmotor.

In particular, the provision of the safety wing, which by rotating in one direction or the other increases the passage surface, allows the application of the barrier in narrow corridors, such as for example those inside buses and trams, ensuring the safety of users in case of panic and most of all facilitating exit in case of emergency situations.

Further, the possibility to control the rotation speed of the wing allows installation technicians to provide adequate control over passengers who do not have travel clearance.

Another advantage is constituted by the provision of the movement means with an electromagnet which ensures rapid movement of the arm to remove the barrier, which is effective in emergency situations, and safer access control without risks for users.

Another advantage is due to the provision of the safety wing with emergency means which allow to secure the entire device, making it suitable for installation in crowded spaces.

The combination of these advantageous aspects ensures rapid access of one and only one person at a time, and the retraction of the safety wing allows passage also to users with walking problems, quadriplegics, handicapped people, or people with bulky baggage. Not least, the use of commonly used materials and the easy assembly of the device, as well as its small dimensions, make it a commercially competitive product.

In practice it has been found that the device according to the invention thus described allows to provide a barrier for controlling the access of one person at a time, mainly for means of public transportation, ensuring the safety of the means of transportation on which it is installed and rapid access of users, even those with walking problems, large-bodied users or users carrying baggage.

The invention thus conceived is susceptible of numerous modifications and variations, all of which are within the scope of the appended claims.

All the details may further be replaced with other technically equivalent elements.

In practice, the materials used, as well as the dimensions, may be any according to requirements, so long as they are consistent with the state of the art.

The disclosures in Italian Patent Application No. AR2008A000024 from which this application claims priority are incorporated herein by reference. Where technical features mentioned in any claim are followed by reference signs, those reference signs have been included for the sole purpose of increasing the intelligibility of the claims and accordingly, such reference signs do not have any limiting effect on the interpretation of each element identified by way of example by such reference signs.