DESCRIPTION

The invention relates to an improved road crossing system suited to allow pedestrians and/or persons using bicycles to cross a roadway in a controlled and safe manner.

As is known, in some sections of a roadway there are erected or painted road signs and, in particular, there are pedestrian crossing signs indicating the so-called "zebra crossings", to facilitate the safe crossing of pedestrians and/or cyclists in general.

Nevertheless, considering that the safety level of a crossing depends in any case on the level of responsibility and attention of motorists, pedestrians and cyclists, accidents involving pedestrians and/or cyclists themselves are not unusual.

In order to reduce such accidents, one solution of the prior art provides for the installation of pedestrian traffic lights, which require motor vehicles to stop at the crosswalk when a pedestrian presses a request button located at the end of the walkway in question.

However, even in this case drivers may not respect the indication to stop given by the traffic lights or, as a result of negligence, pedestrians and/or cyclists may not wait for motor vehicles to be stopped by the traffic light or may even omit to press the button that serves to activate the lights.

It is known that these accidents occur more frequently in suburban areas, where the roadways are wide and straight, leading to an increase in the speed of the motor vehicles, and where, at the same time, the roadways themselves are less well-lighted.

The present invention intends to overcome the above mentioned drawbacks. In particular, it is the object of the present invention to provide a special crossing system that allows pedestrians and/or cyclists to cross a roadway only after the motor vehicles have been actually stopped at the level of the crossing area.

Accordingly, it is the object of the present invention to provide a special crossing system that is able to prevent pedestrians, cyclists and drivers from breaking the rules of the Traffic Code.

The aforementioned objects are achieved by the road crossing system having the features according to the main claim.

In particular, the crossing system that is the subject of the invention comprises a controlled crosswalk that allows access to pedestrians only when the motor vehicles on the roadway have been stopped, and comprises a further crossing for bicycles or the like configured so as to stop motor vehicles along the roadway when it detects the passage of a person moving with a bicycle along the access lane of the above mentioned type of crossing.

Further characteristics of the crossing system that is the subject of the invention are described in the dependent claims.

Advantageously, the crossing system of the invention, in addition to being constructed and used along roadways used by motor vehicles, can also be used in educational contexts, for example, added to video games, games, rides, paths and educational playgrounds, etc. in order to simulate a real situation in which there is a pedestrian or bicycle crossing, with the purpose of educating children and teenagers on the correct approach and way to cross a real roadway used by motor vehicles.

The objects and advantages illustrated above will be better highlighted in the description of a preferred embodiment of the invention that is provided below by way of a non-limiting example, making reference to the attached drawings, wherein:

- Fig. 1 shows a plan view of the crossing system of the invention according to a first preferred embodiment carried out on a two-lane roadway;

- Fig. 2 shows an axonometric view of the crossing system of the invention shown in Fig. 1 ;

- Fig. 3 shows a plan view of the crossing system of the invention according to the first preferred embodiment carried out on a four-lane roadway;

- Fig. 4 shows a plan view of the crossing system of the invention according to an alternative embodiment with respect to the preferred embodiment shown in Figures from 1 to 3;

- Fig. 5 shows a plan view of the crossing system of the invention according to a second preferred embodiment carried out on a two-lane roadway;

- Fig. 6 shows a plan view of the crossing system of the invention according to the second preferred embodiment carried out on a four-lane roadway.

The crossing system of the invention according to the preferred embodiment is represented as a whole in Figures from 1 to 3, where it is indicated by 1. Said crossing system 1 is suited to allow the safe crossing of a roadway C by pedestrians and/or cyclists.

In order to achieve this result, as seen in Figures from 1 to 3, the crossing system 1 of the invention is equipped with a pedestrian crossing of the controlled type 2 provided with pedestrian zebra crossings 3 made on a portion of the roadway C. This controlled pedestrian crossing 1 also comprises two architectural structures 4 located on both pavements B at the sides of the roadway C, at the level of the ends of the aforementioned zebra crossings 3. According to the preferred embodiment of the invention shown in Figures from 1 to 3, each one of said architectural structures 4 comprises two entryways 41, each one of which is provided with means 411 suited to control the flow of pedestrians, visible in Figure 2. Said flow control means 411 located in the entryways 41 are configured, as will be understood below, in such a way as to allow or alternatively prevent the transit of pedestrians from the pavement B, on which the architectural structure 4 is located, to the roadway C to be crossed. Preferably but not necessarily, said flow control means 411 are comprised of turnstiles. This does not exclude, however, that in different embodiments of the invention said flow control means 411 can be of a type different from turnstiles, provided that they are able to alternatively allow or prevent pedestrian access to the roadway C when there are motor vehicles circulating along the roadway C itself.

Furthermore, it is not excluded that in different embodiments of the invention the number of entryways 41 can be other than two.

Each one of said architectural structures 4 also comprises an authorization unit 42 configured in such a way as to allow pedestrians to make a request for authorization to cross the roadway C. Following this request for authorization to cross by a pedestrian, the authorization unit 42 firstly requires, in the manner clarified below, that the traffic along the roadway C be stopped, and subsequently commands the flow control means 411 of the entryways 41 to allow pedestrian access toward the roadway C, which was previously prohibited.

According to the preferred embodiment of the invention, said authorization unit 42 preferably but not necessarily comprises a button 421, installed in the vicinity of the entryways 41 , so as to allow pedestrians to make a request for authorization to cross the roadway C. The aforementioned authorization unit 42 also comprises processing means, not shown in the figures, operatively connected to said button 421 and configured so as to command the vehicles to stop after the button 421 has been pressed.

According to the preferred embodiment of the invention, each one of the two architectural structures 4 also comprises an exit 43 equipped with flow control means 431 that are configured so as to allow the transit of pedestrians coming from the opposite side of the roadway C exclusively from the crossing area of the roadway C to one of the two pavements B.

However, this does not exclude that in different embodiments of the invention said architectural structures 4 can be equipped with more than one exit 43. The crossing system 1 of the invention also comprises two bicycle crossings 5, each one of which, as shown in Figures from 1 to 3, is provided with a crossing corridor 6 made on the roadway C alongside the pedestrian zebra crossings 3 of the aforementioned pedestrian crossing 2.

Each one of the two bicycle crossings 5 is also equipped with an entry lane 7 communicating with the crossing corridor 6 and constructed along one of the two pavements B.

As can be seen in Figures from 1 to 3, the two entry lanes 7 of the two bicycle crossings 5 are located on the two opposite pavements B of the roadway C. Furthermore, the two entry lanes 7 have their accesses 71 facing the direction of travel (indicated by the arrows V in Figures from 1 to 3) defined by the corresponding pavement B, so as to facilitate the access of bicycles toward the crossing corridor 6.

Finally, the entry lanes 7 are equipped with one or more sensors 72 suited to detect the passage of bicycles and with a control unit 73 operatively communicating with said sensors 72. The aforementioned control unit 73, according to the invention, is configured in such a way as to command motor vehicles to stop, in the manner clarified below, when the sensors 72 detect the passage of a person with a bicycle along one of the aforementioned entry lanes 7.

In this way, advantageously, the person with a bicycle can safely cross the roadway C with no need to stop.

Each one of the bicycle crossings also comprises, along its entry lane 7, luminous signalling means 74 suited to warn cyclists circulating along said entry lane 7 to prudently decrease their speed and to pay attention in the vicinity of the crossing corridor 6.

According to a different embodiment of the invention shown in Figure 4, the crossing system 1 may be provided with a single bicycle crossing 5 comprising, in turn, two entry lanes 7 located on the two opposite pavements B. As can be seen in Figure 4, each one of said entry lanes 7 has its access 71 facing the direction of travel (indicated by the arrow V) defined by the corresponding pavement B on which it is constructed.

The bicycle crossing 5, preferably but not necessarily, may have a controlled access 75 also at the level of the junction and communication area between the entry lane 7 and the crossing corridor 6.

As regards the stopping of the motor vehicles circulating on the roadway C both by the authorization unit 42 of the pedestrian crossing 2 and by the control unit 73 of the bicycle crossing 5, the crossing system 1 of the invention is equipped, in the case of a two-lane roadway C as shown in Figures 1 and 2, with two moveable bars 8 located on both sides of the complex formed by the aforementioned pedestrian crossing 2 and bicycle crossings 5. Said movable bars 8 can move from a position which is substantially vertical and perpendicular to the roadway C to a position which is substantially horizontal and parallel to the roadway C. In particular, each one of said movable bars 8 is configured so that it can be lowered and, consequently, block the circulation of the motor vehicles on one lane of said two-lane roadway C.

In contrast, in the case of a four-lane roadway C, as shown in Figure 3, the crossing system 1 of the invention is equipped with four movable bars 8, located two by two on opposite sides of the aforementioned crossing complex. Even in this case, each one of the four bars 8 is configured so that it can lower and block the motor vehicles circulating on one lane of said four-lane roadway C.

Preferably but not necessarily, in the latter case, the two movable bars 81 located at the level of the innermost lanes of the four-lane roadway C are configured so that, if there is a request for authorization to cross or if the passage of a bicycle is detected, they can be lowered before the two movable bars 82 located at the level of the outermost lanes of the same roadway C. This characteristic is advantageous since usually along said innermost lanes, also called passing lanes, the speed of the motor vehicles in transit is higher than the speed of vehicles along the outermost lanes. In addition, the line of vision of the drivers of motor vehicles in transit along said innermost lanes towards the crossing points may be partially obscured by vehicles in transit along the outermost lanes of the roadway C. Therefore, it may happen that the drivers of motor vehicles circulating on said innermost lanes do not see a pedestrian or a bicycle in the process of crossing. The fact, therefore, that the circulation of the motor vehicles in the innermost lanes is stopped before the motor vehicles in the outermost lanes advantageously allows any such problems to be avoided.

A second embodiment of the crossing system 1 of the invention, as seen in Figures 5 and 6, in addition to the characteristics just described for the preferred embodiment of the crossing system 1 of the invention shown in Figures from 1 to 3, also provides for a reserved pedestrian crossing with controlled access 9 located alongside the controlled pedestrian crossing 2 and the two bicycle crossings 5. In particular, the embodiment shown in Figures 5 and 6 provides for a reserved pedestrian crossing with controlled access 9 which is interposed between the pedestrian crossing 2 and each one of the two bicycle crossings 5.

As can be seen in Figures 5 and 6, this reserved pedestrian crossing with controlled access 9 is provided with identification means 10 configured in such a way as to allow access to the roadway C, so as to cross it, only by authorized persons. Obviously, this access to the roadway C by authorized persons is allowed, as in the cases of said pedestrian crossing 2 and of said bicycle crossing 5, only after the motor vehicles along said roadway C have been stopped.

Also in this case, the reserved pedestrian crossing with controlled access comprises flow control means 11 which allow the transit of one person, in the moment in which that person is properly identified. Thus said flow control means 11 prevent access to the roadway C by unauthorized persons. The above mentioned type of reserved pedestrian crossing with controlled access 9 is particularly useful to allow people with disabilities, who may not be able to use the above mentioned pedestrian crossing 2, to cross the roadway C.

Therefore, on the basis of the above, it is clear that the crossing system 1 of the invention achieves all the set objects.

In particular, the invention achieves the object to provide a special crossing system that allows pedestrians and/or cyclists to cross a roadway only after the traffic of motor vehicles have been stopped at the level of the crossing area. Consequently, the invention also achieves the object to provide a special crossing system capable of preventing pedestrians, cyclists and drivers from breaking the rules of the Traffic Code.

Upon implementation, the crossing system that is the subject of the invention may be subjected to modifications which, although not represented and not described herein, must all be considered protected by this patent, provided that they fall within the scope of the following claims.