FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to an improved barrier display. Moreover, the present invention relates to a two-part media support housing for a foldable barrier for displaying a media, such as advertising media.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Moving barriers, for example, barriers with moving arms are useful for controlling the access of vehicles and people past the barrier - for example into a car park, or onto a train platform. Before being allowed past the barrier, it is generally necessary for a user to pause in front of the barrier so that access can be authenticated - for example by feeding a ticket into a ticket machine and waiting for the barrier to move. The user therefore needs to be looking at the barrier in order to know whether and when passage is allowed via the barrier. This presents an advertising opportunity, in that advertising media can be mounted on the barrier to be observed by the user.

Generally, owners of advertising space charge advertisers for a particular time period during which advertisements occupy the advertising space. When the time period is over, it is necessary to remove the existing adverting media and replace it with another. In order to affect the changeover, it is required that a trained worker travels to the location at which the advertising space is located, removes the existing media, and replaces it with the new advertising media. This has a cost associated with it, which typically needs to be paid by the advertiser, and which is part of the production charge for the advertising campaign. As such, advertising campaigns of a short duration can be uneconomical where the overhead associated with changeover costs (e.g. material and labour costs) are not covered by the revenue generated. Therefore, advertising space owners generally impose a minimum on the cost and duration of the advertising campaign. This limits the number of advertisers to those who are prepared to accept the minimum duration and cost.

Presently, it is known to provide advertising on barriers, but such advertising material tends to be at least semi-permanent as it is integral with the barrier. Therefore, changing the media requires specialist tools and a great deal of time and materials. For example, the trained worker would typically need to remove the existing barrier (which is integral with the media) and fit a new barrier with the new advertising media.

Advertising media tends to be permanent/integral with such barriers because it is preferable to use a minimal amount of material for the movable barrier Minimising barrier material can subsequently minimise its weight and thus is a very important consideration in the movable barrier design. More specifically, if the barrier is heavy then a greater force is required to move it. If the barrier has a movable arm, which is moved by an electric motor, then a heavier barrier arm will therefore require a larger, more powerful motor to move it. This can unnecessarily increase the cost and size of the barrier. If additional weight were to be added to an existing barrier system, for example, by adding a heavier barrier arm than normal, the life of the barrier system - in terms of number of raising and lowering cycles - would be reduced. This can increase maintenance costs.

Thus there is a general prejudice against having advertising media on barrier arms at all because doing so tends not to be as cost effective as other forms of advertising, unless the advertising campaign is long term. There is also the issue that advertisers do not generally like to spend large proportions of their budgets on production costs as they feel this constricts media planning. Current production costs are approximately 52% of total media costs.

Therefore, an improved barrier is required to permit advertising space on the barrier arm to be more effectively utilised. In particular, it is desirable to reduce the production costs to around 1 1 % of total media costs.

WO 2010/007401 , filed by the applicants of the present invention, the contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference, describes a barrier system for displaying advertising media. Referring to Figure 1 , the barrier system of WO 2010/007401 comprises a single continuous barrier arm that extends across the path of a vehicle. Whilst useful, this barrier has a number of limitations associated with it. In particular, in environments having low ceilings such as multi-storey car parks, the length of the barrier arm is restricted by the ceiling space. When the barrier arm is raised to permit vehicle access, the length and movement of the arm cannot be such that leads to a collision between the barrier arm and the ceiling or the vehicle. As such, the length of the barrier arm is limited in view of the operating environment of the barrier system.

The present invention attempts to overcome the above-mentioned problems, at least in part.

SUMMARY OF THE PRESENT INVENTION

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a two-part media support housing for use with a barrier system having a foldable barrier arm which is movable to control access past the barrier system, the foldable barrier arm comprising a plurality of elongate sections which are aligned in a closed configuration of the barrier and extend in different directions in an open configuration of the barrier, each part of the two- part media support housing being arranged to support a removable media to be displayed and to be provided on a different section of the barrier arm, wherein both parts are arranged in combination to appear to provide a substantially continuous media presentation area in a viewing direction to a viewer of the removable media, when the barrier arm is in a closed configuration.

The advantage of the present invention is that in a folding barrier arm barrier system, the two-part media support housing provides a media presentation space, which maximises the available space. Also by presenting a joined up presentation space the media used on a conventional barrier can advantageously still be used in a two-part media support housing on a foldable barrier. In this case, the same media would simply have to be cut to fit the two parts. This has significant cost savings for each advertising campaign, which is a very important aspect of the present invention.

Preferably, each part of the barrier support housing is arranged to be removably mounted to a different part of the foldable barrier arm. Thus the media support housing can be changed without difficulty and also advantageously be retro fitted to existing folding barrier arm systems.

Advantageously the two-part media support housing comprises an adjustable fixing means to allow the adjustment of the media support housing when mounted to the foldable barrier arm. Such adjustment also provides flexibility in use of the media support housing in different situations. Adjustment enables the media support housing to be manipulated to best present the media in the particular location of use.

Preferably the adjustable fixing means comprises mounting brackets having a plurality of channels into which flexible attachment elements may be introduced. This way of mounting a media support housing to a foldable barrier is very cost effective. The flexible attachments may be cheap yet strong cable ties, which are fed through the channels to secure the media support housing to the barrier in a very simple yet effective manner. Each channel may comprise a plurality of apertures through which the flexible attachment elements may be selectively threaded to allow attachment to a plurality of different barrier arms having different circumferences/perimeters. This means that the media support housing can be attached to any barrier arm and adjustable fixing means is almost universal.

Each mounting bracket may have a mating surface which is shaped to match the profile of corresponding surface of a barrier arm. The greater the surface area in contact the more secure the attachment can be between the barrier and the housing. The brackets may have a mating surface with a concave profile to match a concave barrier surface profile. This enables the media support housing to be used with any barrier having a round or oval cross section.

Advantageously, each of the brackets may comprise a load-bearing formation, which is formed to enable the media support housing attached to the bracket, to be hung from the barrier arm whilst the housing is being attached thereto in use. Clearly such a formation and functionality is advantageous as it enables the media support housing to be fitted to a barrier arm relatively easily and quickly by only a single workman.

The mounting brackets preferably comprise secure attachment formations arranged to receive a plurality of fixing elements, which enable secure attachment to the media support housing. Typically, the attachment formations are screw apertures, the fixing elements are screws and the housing and brackets are secured together securely.

Preferably the mounting brackets and the housing in general consist of a lightweight plastics material. The weight of the housing has a significant effect on motor wear as has been described previously. Preferably the housing is comprised of a lightweight durable plastics material. The housing may further comprise one or more spacer elements to be used for mounting of one of the parts of the media support housing to the barrier arm, the one or more spacer elements enabling a differential spacing to be created between the first part of the media support housing and the barrier arm and the second part of the media support housing and the barrier arm. Providing the differential spacing is one way in which the problem of how to have the two parts of the media appear to be co-joined to provide a seamless presentation area and yet still be providable on a folding barrier arm. The spacers enable portion of the different parts of the barrier to be misaligned such that relative rotation for example between them does not cause them to disruptively engage each other.

The first part of the media support housing may comprise an overlapped portion, the overlapped portion being hidden in the viewing direction when the two parts of the media support housing are aligned in a closed configuration of the barrier, and the overlapped portion being at least in part visible in the viewing direction when two parts of the media support housing extend in different directions in an open configuration of the barrier. The advantage of providing the overlapped portion is to prevent a possibility of the two parts of the housing from disruptively engaging each other during rotation of the foldable barrier arm. Whilst the parts may be spaced apart, there is still a possibility for movement and catching of ends of the parts of the media support housing. Provision of the underlying portion (overlapped part) means that such undesired movement will not happen.

The overlapped portion of the first part of the media support housing comprises a semi-circular shaped portion. Advantageously, this is the optimal solution to providing a minimal amount of material to provide continuous underlying support and also to provide an aesthetic connection of the media presentation space when the barrier arm is in open (retracted position).

The plurality of elongate sections of the foldable barrier arm may be connected to one another at joints and may be arranged to be moveable relative to one another about the joints, and the media support housing may be positioned on the barrier arm such that the overlapped portion of the first part of the media support housing is in a region adjacent to a joint of the barrier arm. This not only covers the join of the barrier but also makes the presentation space appear to be continuous.

The first part of the media support housing may comprise an alignment feature, which assists in the correct positioning alignment of the first and second parts of the media support housing in order to provide the substantially continuous media presentation area. This advantage has been described later in the specific description, but effectively ensures correct positioning of the two parts of the media support housing so that when they have media inserted, they will present to the viewer in the viewing direction the two parts of the media as being continuous. Preferably one of the parts of the two-part media support housing has a differently sized media presentation area than a media presentation area of the other media support housing. This advantageously enables the person assembling the media into the two parts to know which media part goes into which part of the media support housing.

Preferably, each of the parts of the housing comprises a substantially planar profile. This not only minimises weight, but also makes the size of any spacer and underlying portions, which may be present to be smaller in thickness.

The media support housing may comprise a frame, which defines an opening through which an inserted media is substantially visible, the opening being arranged to facilitate manual manipulation of media during media insertion and/or removal. A person installing new media can do so without the need for expensive tools and with minimal training. The opening can also allow the media to be easily cleaned without any specialist knowledge or equipment - for example a car park attendant can be employed to wipe the surface of a displayed media in the event of a build up of dirt. Another advantage associated with the opening is the fact that the media can be manually manipulated through the opening and so removes the need for tools or moving parts during the installation and removal of media from the barrier.

The support housing may define a media-receiving path along which the media is movable to an inserted position in which the media is displayed.

This arrangement permits the advertising media to be quickly manually inserted and removed into the media support means without the use of special tools, or under the direction of a skilled worker. For example, a car park attendant could be provided with a simple set of instructions and the replacement media, and attend to the media changeover without any further help. This allows for a quick and easy changeover. In this way, shorter advertising campaigns become economically viable, thereby maximising the number of advertisers prepared to advertise on the advertising space provided by the barrier arm.

Furthermore, the media changeover process involves a simple manual operation, without the need to manoeuvre any moving parts. The lack of need for moving parts makes the barrier resistant to mechanical failure. Furthermore, there are no parts to go missing (e.g. screws), and no tools are necessary to implement the changeover. The support means allows for the interchange to take place merely by moving the media along the media-receiving path.

It will be understood that the term media used herein is intended to include a singular advertising medium as well as plural advertising media.

The media-receiving path is non-linear, at least in part. This has the advantage of frictionally engaging a flexible media in the path, acting to retain an inserted media within the media support means, preventing unwanted removal.

The media support means may comprise a slot allowing media to be inserted into and/or removed from the media-receiving path from an exterior of the support means. This has the advantage of the frictional engagement being localised in an area close to the media entry and/or exit point, and so acts to prevent unwanted removal of the media.

The slot may be shaped to incorporate a recess for facilitating manual manipulation of an inserted media to be removed, the recess being of a different proportion to that of the cross section of a media to be inserted, and being sized to permit a finger of a user to grasp an inserted media for facilitating removal of said inserted media. Advantageously, this allows the media to be inserted easily, but minimises the chance of the media being unintentionally removed from the support means.

Preferably, the media support housing comprises a media receiving cavity which is, at least in part, occupied by an inserted media after the inserted media has been moved into the inserted position by movement along the media receiving path, the media receiving cavity comprising a media capture portion for capturing a trailing edge of an inserted media. Advantageously, the recess of different proportions allows, for example, a user to remove the media easily, whilst at the same time, acting to retain the media against unintentional removal.

The present invention extends to a media support housing kit comprising a media support housing as described above and a media suitable for advertising for support by the media support housing.

The media may be made from a flexible, elongate, weatherproof material. For example, the media could be laminated, for example with a plastic laminate. Advantageously, in the case that the media is exposed to the elements (thereby maximising the visual impact of the media) the weatherproofing promotes the integrity of the material, and the media can be easily cleaned. Also the kit may comprise a plurality of interchangeable media suitable for advertising.

According to another aspect of the present invention there is provided a barrier system comprising a media support housing or media support housing kit as described above, the barrier system having a foldable arm and being operable to move the barrier to control access past the barrier arm.

Advantageously, the foldable barrier solves the problem of unnaturally limiting the length of the barrier in environments in which there is limited space for barrier operation. In particular, the foldable barrier can be extended across an opening of a length not possible using a barrier having an arm of a fixed length. This maximises the effectiveness of the barrier - especially in situations where a prior-known fixed-length barrier may not be able to extend all the way across a path and so may be ineffective as a barrier for certain vehicle types (e.g. motorcycles). Furthermore, the increased potential length of the barrier can increase the advertising space that would otherwise be unavailable. Furthermore, from the perspective of reducing media design and production costs, it is advantageous to have standard-sized media that is compatible with all barrier types, (i.e. whether the barrier is foldable or not). As such, the media support housing of the present invention is backwardly compatible with media intended for fixed-length barriers. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Embodiments of the present invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 shows a front view of a prior art barrier system useful for understanding the present invention;

Figure 2 shows a schematic front view of a barrier of the barrier system of Figure 1 ;

Figure 3 shows a schematic cross sectional view of the barrier of Figure 2 taken from section line Ill-Ill;

Figure 4 shows a schematic cross sectional view of the barrier of Figure 2 taken from section line IV-IV;

Figure 5 shows the schematic cross sectional view of Figure 4, with a media to be displayed partially inserted into a media support means of the barrier;

Figure 6 shows the schematic cross sectional view of Figure 5, with the media to be displayed almost completely inserted into the media support means;

Figure 7 shows the schematic cross sectional view of Figure 6, with the media to be displayed completely inserted into an inserted position within the media support means;

Figure 8 shows a perspective view of the barrier with the media partially inserted into the media support means, as shown schematically in Figure 5;

Figure 9 shows a perspective view of the barrier of the barrier system of Figure 1 together with a lighting arrangement;

Figure 10 shows a front view of a barrier system according to a first embodiment of the present invention;

Figures 1 1 a and 1 1 b show an alternative barrier of a barrier system shown in Figure 10;

Figures 12a and 12b show perspective views of the barrier of Figures 1 1 a and 1 1 b;

Figures 13a to 13d, show a series of views of media support means for use with the barrier of Figures 1 1 a and 1 1 b;

Figure 14 show a rear perspective view of the barrier of Figures 1 1 a and 1 1 b;

Figures 15a and 15b shows perspective views of a bracket for use with the barrier of Figure 14;

Figures 16a and 16b shows perspective views of an alternative brackets for use with the barrier of Figure 14;

Figures 17a to 17c show front views of alternative media support means for use with a barrier of Figures 1 1 a and 1 1 b;

Figures 18a, 18b and 19 show partial enlarged views of the media support means of Figures 17a to 17c; Figures 20a to 20c show rear views of the alternative media support means of Figures 17a to 17c; and

Figures 21 a to 21 c show partial enlarged rear perspective views of the alternative media support means of Figures 17a to 17c.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF SPECIFIC EMBODIMENTS

OF THE PRESENT INVENTION

Figure 1 shows a prior art barrier system 1 that is useful for understanding the present invention. The barrier system 1 is suitable for use in a car park access system. The barrier system 1 comprises a drive unit 10; an access control means 20 and a barrier 30. The rear of a stationary vehicle 2 in front of the barrier 30 is shown in a broken outline.

The access control means 20 comprises a motion sensor 21 and a ticket dispenser 22. The motion sensor 21 is arranged to detect the presence of the vehicle 2 and, on detection, transmit a control signal. The ticket dispenser 22 is arranged to receive the control signal from the motion sensor 21 .

The drive unit 10 comprises a drive means in the form of a motor 1 1 . The motor 1 1 is connected via gearing 12 to the barrier 30. The motor 1 1 and gearing 12 are operable to raise and lower the barrier 30 by rotating it about a pivot point P so as to permit or deny access to vehicles. Although not shown in Figure 1 , the barrier 30 may be counterweighted about its pivot point P to reduce the stress on the motor 1 1.

The drive unit also comprises a safety sensor 13, which ensures a passing vehicle is clear of the barrier 30 before a raised barrier 30 is lowered.

Briefly, in operation, the vehicle 2 pulls up alongside the access control means 20 to enable a user of the vehicle 2 to operate the access control means 20. The ticket dispenser 22, on receiving the control signal, dispenses one of a number of tickets to be drawn from the ticket dispenser 22. On removal of a ticket dispensed from the ticket dispenser 22, the access control mean 20 transmits an access control signal to the drive unit 10 which, in response, operates the motor 1 1 and gearing 12 to move the barrier 30, to permit the vehicle 2 access along an access path past the barrier system 1 . The safety sensor 13 detects that the vehicle has successfully passed the barrier system 1 , and then permits lowering the barrier 30.

Further details of the barrier system 1 , in particular, the barrier 30 will now be described.

The barrier 30 comprises a barrier arm 31 and media support means 32. The barrier arm 31 supports the media support means 32. The media support means 32 is arranged to support advertising media 34 to be displayed. The media support means 32 comprises a frame 35, which defines a central opening 36 through which the media 34 is directly visible in use. A user of the vehicle 2 stationary in front of the barrier 30 therefore will be directly in front of the advertising media 34, and so would be looking at the advertising media 34, especially when pulling up to the barrier system 1 , and when waiting for the barrier 30 to rise.

Figure 2 show a schematic front view of part of the barrier 30, in particular the regions proximal and distal from the drive unit 10. The frame 35 is constructed from an integral piece of plastic shaped to define the opening 36, and also shaped to define a slot 37 through which the media 34 can be inserted and removed into the media support means 32. The size of the slot 37 is of the same shape, but slightly larger than the cross sectional area of the media 34 to be inserted. The slot 37 comprises a recess 38 shaped to facilitate insertion and removal of the media 34 in that the recess 38 facilitates manual manipulation of an inserted media 34 by a user as will be described. The frame 35 is also shaped to define a semi-circular shaped depression 39 into which a logo (for example, belonging to a manufacturer or distributor) could be mounted.

The media 34 has an area greater than the area of the opening 36 such that a periphery of an inserted media 34 is trapped behind the frame 35. Specifically, a media height M _H and a media length M _L are each longer than a respective height 0 _H and length 0 _L of the opening 36.

Figure 9 shows a perspective view of the media support means 32, which is shown without a media 34 inserted therein. The media support means 32 comprises a lighting arrangement 50, which comprises a translucent lens portion 41 , a reflector 42 and a plurality of LED light sources 51 . The lighting arrangement 50 will be described in more detail below.

Referring to Figure 3, a schematic cross sectional view of the media support means 32 taken from section line Ill-Ill of Figure 2 is shown. The media support means 32 comprises a rear shell portion 43 and a luminescent strip 44. The luminescent strip runs along substantially the length of the rear shell portion 43 and acts to make the rear shell portion 43 at the un-illuminated rear of the barrier 30 visible in low lighting conditions.

The rear shell portion 43 is concave in shape and sized to accommodate the reflector 42, which is of a smaller concave shape. The rear shell portion also accommodates the lens portion 41 and the media 34 to be displayed. The rear shell portion 43 comprises a projecting rim 43a, which engages with a complementary shaped sidewall 35a of the frame 35 in a push-fit arrangement. This permits easy assembly of the media support means 32. During assembly, the frame 35 is fixed to the rear shell portion 43 using epoxy glue, or other suitable fixing means. This promotes the rigidity of the assembled structure.

The frame 35 and the lens portion 41 are substantially planar and parallel and spaced from one another. Therefore, the frame 35 and the lens portion 41 together with the projecting rim 43a of the shell portion 43, define a media receiving cavity 34a in which the media 34 may be accommodated. Specifically, the media receiving cavity 34a is defined by an inside surface of the frame 35 bordering the opening 36 which faces towards the lens portion 41 , the surface of the lens portion 41 which faces toward the frame 35, and the rim 43a of the shell portion 43. The cross-sectional thickness of the media 34 is sized to be slightly smaller than the spacing between the lens portion 41 and the frame 35. Thus, there is a small amount of frictional engagement between the media 34 and the lens portion 41 and/or the frame 35 such that the media 34 is held in place during normal operation of the barrier 30 (for example, when the barrier 30 rises and falls to permit access). However, the media 34 is also free to slide along itself, along the length of the media receiving cavity 34a during manual insertion and removal as will be described below.

Referring back to Figure 9, there is shown a lighting arrangement 50 including a light source support means in the form of an LED tube 52 which supports a plurality of white light LED light sources 51. The LED light sources 51 are evenly interspaced from one another in a row within the LED tube 52 along the longitudinal axis A of the barrier 30. The LED tube 52 is positioned towards the rear of the reflector 42 spaced away from the lens portion 41 and the media 34 to be illuminated such that light from the LED light sources 51 can diffuse sufficiently so that a relatively even illumination of the media 34 is achieved. The light sources 51 face towards the lens portion 41 and the media 34 to be illuminated and are oriented substantially perpendicularly with respect to the plane of the lens portion 41 and the media 34 to be illuminated.

In this specific example, the LED light sources 51 each have a lighting angle of approximately 120 degrees, are spaced apart from one another at a distance of approximately 22mm, and are spaced from the lens portion 41 at a distance of approximately 60mm. The LED tube 52 is approximately 1 .2 metres long and comprises twenty-five LED light sources 51 surface mounted on a PCB (Printed Circuit Board) strip within the LED tube 52. However, it will be appreciated that other configurations are also possible to achieve the desired uniform illumination of the media 34.

Generally, a large number of light sources, a wide lighting angle per light source, a close interspacing between light sources and a large distance between the light sources and the media to be illuminated maximise the mixing of light from different light sources, thereby providing relatively uniform illumination of the media 34. In this arrangement, light travelling from each light source to the media has sufficient space to diverge and mix to form a diffuse backlit lighting arrangement.

The lens portion 41 is made from clear polycarbonate, which allows light transmission therethrough. Other materials, which are clear or translucent, relatively lightweight and resilient - for example plastics materials such as acrylic - may also be used.

The reflector 42 has a diffuse white coating arranged to diffuse light emitted from the light sources 51 . This together with the spatial arrangement and orientation of the light sources 51 facilitate light to be diffused in an even manner out through the lens portion 41 to the rear surface of an inserted media.

Thus the lighting arrangement 50 serves to backlight evenly a media 42 held within the media support means 32. Alternative lighting arrangements are possible, as shown in Figure 10. Here the lighting arrangement 50' comprises light sources 51 ' that are not disposed along the length of the reflector 42 and do not face towards the lens portion 41 ' (as in Figure 9) but rather have light output directed along the length of the reflector 42, along the longitudinal axis A' of the barrier 30.

This alternative lighting arrangement 50' comprises cross plates 52' which are oriented substantially perpendicularly with respect to the lens portion 41 ' and have a roughly semi-circular profile, the shape of which conforms to the portion of the reflector 42' and the lens portion 41 ' with which the cross plates 52' are fixed in contact (see Figure 3). Contact of the cross plates 52' and the lens portion 41 ' and reflector 42' promotes the structural integrity, in particular the strength, of the barrier 30'.

Light sources 51 ' are mounted roughly at the centre of each face of each cross plate. Thus, light sources 51 ' on opposing faces of the same cross plate 52' direct emitted light away from one another. The faces of the cross plates 52' are oriented in a direction substantially along the length of the barrier 30', parallel to the longitudinal axis A of the barrier 30', so that light emitted from the light sources 51 ' is directed along the length of the reflector 42'.

It will be appreciated that in an alternative embodiment, structures such as the cross-plates 52' may be used in the lighting arrangement 50 shown in Figure 9, for example to add rigidity.

Referring back to Figure 1 , the barrier system 1 , specifically the drive unit 10 and the access control means 20, is wired into an external electrical mains power source. Electrical power is supplied to the barrier 30 to power the lighting arrangement 50 via a wire 14 located close to the point at which the barrier 30 pivots relative to the drive unit 10 during movement of the barrier 30 (see Figure 1 ).

In operation, the lighting arrangement 50 is arranged to receive the control signal transmitted from the motion sensor 21 and, in response, to activate the light sources 51 (i.e. turn them on, or blink them). Thus, the media 34 becomes brightly lit when the vehicle 2 approaches the barrier 30, thereby grabbing the attention of a user in the car and maximises the visual impact of the advertisement on the media 34.

The motion sensor 21 , which is shown in Figure 1 to be located on the access control means 20, may be located within the barrier arm 32 in alternative arrangements. In particular, the motion sensor 21 may be located within the semi-circle shaped depression 39 to be facing on-coming vehicles.

Manual insertion and removal of the media 34 will now be described.

Figure 4 shows a schematic cross-sectional view part of the media support means 32 as shown in Figure 2, taken from section line IV-IV. For clarity, the reflector 43 and light sources 51 of the lighting arrangement 50 are not shown. As mentioned previously, the frame 35 defines a slot 37 through which the media 34 can be inserted and removed from the media support means 32. The media 34 is not shown here in Figure 4.

As can be better seen in Figure 2, the slot 37 is elongate - defining an opening having a thickness and height sized to facilitate the media 34 to be fed through the slot. The length of the slot 37 is slightly longer than the height of the media M _H . For the avoidance of doubt the length of the slot is significantly longer than the height of the opening 0 _H of the frame 35.

Referring to Figure 4, a media 34 fed through the slot 37 can be manipulated to move the media 34 along a media-receiving path 33 (shown as a dashed line in Figures 4 to 7). The media-receiving path 33 is non-linear in that the media 34 will have to bend as it is slid past the slot 37 and into the media receiving cavity 34a between the frame 35 and the lens portion 41 .

The slot 37 is shaped to introduce the media 34 at an angle to the orientation of plane of the lens portion 41 . Specifically, the slot 37 is shaped so that the media 34 is fed through the slot 37 and into the media receiving cavity 34a at an angle to the lens portion 41. The direction of insertion is in a required direction along which the media 34 is slidable to move it towards an inserted position. The angle may be approximately 45 degrees to the plane of the lens portion, and angles between 20 and 70 degrees are also suitable. This arrangement allows the media 34 to be inserted easily, whilst at the same time preventing unwanted removal of the media.

Figure 5 shows a media 34 partially inserted into the media support means 32. As can be seen, the media 34, following the media receiving path 33 needs to bend at a region proximal to the slot in order to be slidable along the media receiving path 33.

Frictional engagement between the media 34 and surrounding structures (i.e. the lens portion 41 and the frame 35) can cause the media 34 to buckle, making entry of the media 34 to the inserted position within the media support means 32 difficult or impossible by simply feeding the media 34 by pushing it through the slot 37. The flexibility of the media 34 necessary for it to follow a curvilinear path into the media support means 32 increases the chance of buckling, especially as more and more of the media 34 is fed past the slot 37. However, the positioning of the opening 36 close to the entry point defined by the slot 37 obviates this problem.

As can be seen in Figure 8, in which there is shown a perspective view of the media 34 partially inserted (as schematically shown in Figure 5), it is possible for a user to manually manipulate the introduced fed edge of the media 34 to draw the media 34 along the media receiving path 33 towards the inserted position for display. The user's hand 60 is shown in broken outline grasping the end of the media 34.

This arrangement is particularly advantageous in respect of elongate barriers - as are typical in car park barriers. This is because the length M _L of the media 34 is significantly larger than the height M _H (the ratio M _L : M _H is approximately 8:1 ) - and so as the media 34 is being drawn though by its leading fed edge, the drawing force is far better transmitted along its length to slide the media 34 along without buckling.

Referring to Figure 6, the media 34 can be seen to have been slid along the media- receiving path 33 to a position such that only the free trailing edge of the media 34 has not passed through the slot 37. Referring to Figure 7, further sliding of the media 34 will cause the free trailing edge of the media 34, having passed through the slot, to droop down out of alignment with the media-receiving path 33 and into a media capture portion 34b. The media 34 thus is received into the media support means 32 in the inserted position in which it can be displayed. When in the inserted position, the media 34 lies flat in an orientation substantially parallel with the lens portion 41 and the frame 35. Thus, when in the inserted position, sliding the media 34 along itself will not cause the media 34 to be removed from the media support means 32 as the free trailing edge will be captured in the media capture portion 34b.

In order to remove the media from the inserted position as shown in Figure 7, a user would need to insert a finger into the recess 38 to pinch the free trailing edge of the media 34 so as to lift and guide it out through the slot 37.

As can be seen in Figure 2, the recess 38 is sized to be less elongate than the slot 37 so as to allow a finger to be inserted easily to grasp the free end (at the trailing edge) of the media 34, but at the same time preventing removal of the free end of the media 34, except when guided through the slot 37.

The media 34 is made from a flexible elongate material, and is translucent. Thus the backlighting of the media permits coloured advertising images on the media 34 to be brightly lit. Since the media 34 backs onto the lens portion 41 , the entire area of the media 34 that is visible through the opening 36 is lit. Since the media 34 is exposed through the opening 36, it is weatherproofed to maintain its integrity, and has a wipe-clean surface. This surface can, for example, comprise a thin translucent plastics laminate coating.

Thus, the barrier system 1 as described above allows advertising media 34 to be conveniently inserted and removed manually from a barrier 30 by simply moving the media 34 along the media-receiving path 33. No special tools are needed and there is no requirement to change the configuration of moving parts (e.g. screws, hinges, flap) - which can become lost or suffer mechanical failure. Furthermore, the lighting arrangement 50 and the translucent nature of the media 34 maximises the aesthetic appeal and visibility of the media 34 being displayed. The activation of the lighting arrangement 50 in response to a control signal also maximises the visual impact of the media.

Embodiments of the present invention will now be described. It will be understood that embodiments of the present invention have many features and advantages of the barrier system 1 as described in relation to Figures 1 to 9, and can be present in embodiments where context allows even if they are not described hereinafter for reasons of brevity. Furthermore, features and advantages of different embodiments of the present invention may be combined with one another where context allows. For reasons of clarity, similar elements and features are referred to by common reference numerals. Figure 10 shows a barrier system V according to a first embodiment of the present invention. Like the barrier system described in relation to Figures 1 to 9, the barrier system V has a barrier 30 comprising a barrier arm 31 and media support means (which in this embodiment is a media support housing) 32. However, as can be seen in Figure 10, the barrier arm 31 is divided into two sections, a first section 301 being proximal to the pivot P (shown on the left in Figure 10) and the second section 302 being distal from the pivot P (shown on the right in Figure 10). The two sections 301 , 302 can move relative to one another to fold the barrier arm 31 as it is raised, minimising the ceiling space needed to operate the barrier. The arrangement of the folding barrier arm 31 is illustrated in Figures 1 1 a and 1 1 b.

Figures 1 1 a and 1 1 b show a similar folding barrier arm 31 to that of Figure 10 in which the barrier arm 31 is arranged for pivotal attachment to the drive unit 10 at an opposite end to that shown in Figure 10. In particular, in Figures 1 1 a and 1 1 b, the pivot P and the first section 301 of the barrier arm 31 is shown on the right, and the second section 302 is shown on the left.

The barrier arm 31 comprises a joint J approximately midway between the pivot P and the end of the barrier arm 31 that allows the barrier arm 31 to fold as it is raised to allow access to a vehicle 2. This allows the use of the barrier system 1 ' to be installed in environments having low ceilings without sacrificing the overall length of the barrier arm 31 .

As can be seen in Figures 1 1 a and 1 1 b, there are two media support housings 32, each one being supported by the barrier arm 31 , on a different section of the barrier 301 , 302. In particular, a first media support housing 321 is part of the first section 301 of the barrier arm 31 , and the second media support housing 322 is part of the second section 302 of the barrier arm 31. The media support housings 321 , 322 are mounted on the barrier arm 31 so that when the barrier is in a closed position, the housings substantially align with each other and the advertising media 34 supported by each is presented substantially as one continuous item of media. However, when the barrier arm 31 is raised (open), the two media support housings partially overlap to accommodate the relative rotation of one portion with respect to the other as the folding barrier arm 31 moves. This can maximise the visual impact of the media being advertised, and is an improvement over media displayed if it were to be displayed in two spaced-apart, support housings, which presented a disjoint display to the intended viewer when the barrier arm was in a closed position. Whilst the impression that the above arrangement gives is of the first and second media support housings being hingedly connected together, they are separate but overlapping. This also simplifies the design and reduces the complexity of installation.

Figures 12a and 12b show perspective views of the barrier of Figure 1 1 a, with the first media support housing 321 attached to the barrier arm 31 and the second media support housing 322 separated from the barrier arm 31. Figure 12a shows a front perspective view showing that the first media support housing 321 comprises a spacing plate 323 in the region where the first and second media support housing 321 , 322 overlap. The spacing plate 323 is disposed on the front of the first media support housing 321 and presents a contact surface for a rear overlapping portion of the second media support housing 322. Such a spacing plate is advantageous as it allows the second media support housing 322 to be brought into contact with and/or biased toward the first media support housing 321 so as to maintain the overlap between them during movement of the barrier 30 between open and closed positions. By contrast, if the spacing plate 323 were not present, then there would be a danger that the first and second media support housing 321 , 322 would lock into alignment with one another when the barrier arm 31 was in a closed position, preventing opening of the barrier 30 and/or damage during operation of the drive unit 10. Furthermore, a spacing plate 323 at the position of overlap provides a visual cue for a worker retrofitting the two media support housings 321 , 322 onto an existing folding barrier arm. The spacing plate is formed from a plastics material integral with the frame 35 of the first media support housing 321 .

As will be noted from Figures 12a and 12b, the barrier 30 of embodiments of the present invention is a different shape to the barrier described in relation to Figures 1 to 9. In particular, the barrier of embodiments of the present invention are not backlit, in that the lighting arrangement 50 of Figure 9 is absent. This will be clear from Figures 13a to 13d (see below).

Figures 13a to 13d, show a series of views of the first and second media support housings 321 , 322 similar to that shown in Figures 4 to 7. However, Figures 13a to 13d relate to embodiments of the present invention in which media support housings 321 , 322 do not have a lighting arrangement 50. Notably, the two media support housings 321 , 322 do not have lights 51 , a lens portion 41 or a reflector 42. Furthermore, the rear portion 43 of each media support housing 321 , 322 is flat instead of being concave. However, the media receiving function as described previously in relation to Figures 1 to 9 retained.

In more detail, the rear portion 43 of each media support housing 321 , 322 comprises a projecting rim 43a (see Figures 13a to 13d), which engages with a complementary shaped sidewall 35a of the frame 35 in a push-fit arrangement. The frame 35 and the rear portion 43 are substantially planar and parallel and spaced from one another. Therefore, the frame 35 and the rear portion 43 together with the projecting rim 43a of the rear portion 43, define a media receiving cavity 34a in which the media 34 may be accommodated. Specifically, the media receiving cavity 34a is defined by an inside surface of the frame 35 bordering the opening 36 which faces towards the rear portion 43, the surface of the rear portion 43 which faces toward the frame 35, and the rim 43a of the rear portion 43. The cross-sectional thickness of the media 34 is sized to be slightly smaller than the spacing between the rear portion 43 and the frame 35. Thus, there is a small amount of frictional engagement between the media 34 and the rear portion 43 and/or the frame 35 such that the media 34 is held in place during normal operation of the barrier 30. However, the media 34 is also free to slide along the length of the media receiving cavity 34a during manual insertion and removal.

Referring to Figure 13b, media 34 fed through the slot 37 can be manipulated and moved along a media-receiving path 33 (shown as a dashed line in Figures 13a to 13d). The media-receiving path 33 is non-linear in that the media 34 has to bend as it is slid past the slot 37 and into the media receiving cavity 34a between the frame 35 and the rear portion 43. This bending requirement to traverse the non-linear path also provides the resistance to accidental removal of the media.

The slot 37 is shaped to introduce the media 34 at an angle to the plane of the rear portion 43. Specifically, the slot 37 is shaped so that the media 34 is fed through the slot 37 and into the media receiving cavity 34a at an angle to the rear portion 43. The direction of insertion is in a required direction along which the media 34 is slidable to move it towards an inserted position. The angle is approximately 45 degrees to the plane of the rear portion 43 in this embodiment, but angles between 20 and 70 degrees are also suitable. This arrangement allows the media 34 to be inserted easily, whilst at the same time preventing unwanted removal of the media.

Figure 13c shows a media 34 partially inserted into the media support housing 32. As can be seen, the media 34, following the media receiving path 33 needs to bend at a region proximal to the slot in order to be slidable along the media receiving path 33.

Frictional engagement between the media 34 and surrounding structures (i.e. the rear portion 41 and the frame 35) can cause the media 34 to buckle, making entry of the media 34 to the inserted position within the media support housing 32 difficult or impossible by simply feeding the media 34 by pushing it into through the slot 37. The flexibility of the media 34 necessary for it to follow a curvilinear path into the media support housing 32 increases the chance of buckling, especially as more and more of the media 34 is fed past the slot 37. However, the positioning of the opening 36 close to the entry point defined by the slot 37, obviates this problem, because the distance the media has to travel before it can be manually pulled into position is relatively short.

As already described in relation to Figure 8, it is possible for a user to manually manipulate the introduced fed edge of the media 34 to draw the media 34 along the media receiving path 33 towards the inserted position for display. The same applies in the present embodiment.

Referring to Figure 13c, the media 34 can be seen to have been slid along the media-receiving path 33 to a position such that only the free trailing edge of the media 34 has not passed through the slot 37. Referring the Figure 13d, further sliding of the media 34 will cause the free trailing edge of the media 34, having passed through the slot, to droop down out of alignment with the media receiving path 33 and into a media capture portion 34b. The media 34 thus is received into the media support housing 32 in the inserted position in which it can be displayed. When in the inserted position, the media 34 lies flat in substantially parallel orientation with the rear portion 43 and the frame 35. Thus, when in the inserted position, lateral movement of the media 34 within the media support housing will not cause the media 34 to be inadvertently come out of the media support housing 32 as the free trailing edge will be captured in the media capture portion 34b.

As mentioned, the media support housing 321 , 322 of the present embodiments do not have a lighting arrangement 50 of the prior art barrier system as described in relation to Figures 1 to 9. Therefore, the depth of each of the media support housing 321 , 322 is substantially less than that of the prior art barrier 30 shown in Figures 1 to 9. Thus, when the two media support housings 321 , 322 are overlapped (namely positionally displaced along the viewing direction), the offset between the planes of the advertising media 34 is kept to a minimum. This is beneficial for giving the user the perception that the advertising media 34 is one continuous item of media. Furthermore, by eliminating the lighting arrangement 50, a substantial weight saving is made, reducing the load on the drive unit 10.

Referring to Figure 12b, each of the media support housings 321 , 322 is attached to the barrier arm 31 via a pair of brackets 340. The first media support housing 321 is screwed directly on to brackets 340, whereas the second media support housing 322 has foam spacers 330 between the brackets 340 and the second media support housing322. The foam spacers 330 are used to achieve the offset between the two media support housings 321 , 322 when mounted to the barrier arm 31.

Referring back to Figure 12a, the barrier is shown without advertising media 34 in place, i.e. the rear portion 43 of each media support housing 321 322 is visible via central opening 36. As can be seen, each rear portion 43 defines a plurality of screw holes 341 through which screws can be mounted to attach the media support housing 321 , 322 to the brackets 340. The plurality of screw holes 341 are arranged to allow two brackets 340 to be attached to spaced locations on each of the respective portions of the media support housing321 , 322. The screw holes 341 are arranged to allow the fixing of brackets 340 to one of several predetermined fixing locations so as to allow the position of the brackets relative to the media support housing 321 , 322 to be adjusted, if required. Accordingly the first and second media support housings 321 , 322 can be adjustably positioned on the barrier arm 31. This is useful as the first and second media support housings 321 , 322 may be retrofitted to existing barrier arms of different shapes and sizes, and so the ability to position the different portions of the media support housing 321 , 322 allows the aesthetic appeal of the barrier 30 to be maximised, and can also ensure that the first and second media support housings 321 , 322 can be removably fastened to the barrier arm 31 .

Figure 15a shows a front perspective view of one of the brackets 340 and Figure 15b shows a rear perspective view of that bracket 340. The bracket 340 is made from an integral piece of plastics material that defines four bracket screw holes 342, two cable-tie receiving channels 343 and a ridge 345.

Screws that attach a media support housing 321 , 322 to the bracket 340 are received within the bracket screw holes 342 at the rear of the bracket 340. Therefore, the rear portion 43 of a media support housing 341 , 342 abuts the rear of the bracket 340 when the bracket 340 and the media support housing 341 , 342 are attached to one another. The bracket screw holes 342 are spaced and arranged to allow the variable bracket positioning as mentioned above. The channels 343 run parallel to one another from the top to the bottom of the bracket 340. A series of apertures 346 are aligned with the channels 343 and provide access to the channels 343 via the front and rear of the bracket 340. Each channel 343 is arranged to receive a cable tie (shown schematically as an arrow 348), which can be fed into the channel 343 at the top, and fed out from the channel 343 at the bottom, or out via one of the apertures 346. The ability to choose where each cable tie 348 emerges from each channel 343 allows adaptable secure fitting to barrier arms of different sizes.

Referring to Figure 14, when the first and second media support housings 321 , 322 are screwed onto the brackets 340, the brackets 340 can then be used to easily attach the media support housing 321 , 322 to respective sections 301 , 302 of the barrier arm 31. In particular, the ridge 345 of each bracket 340 can be hooked onto the top edge 31 1 of the barrier arm 31 before securing the media support housing 321 , 322 using a series of cable ties 348 (eight in the example shown in Figure 14). The ridge formations of the brackets act to hold the weight of the first and second media housings 321 , 322 on the barrier arm 31 . This arrangement means that a single worker can fit the media support housing 321 , 322 to the barrier arm 31 without needing help from another worker to hold the media support housing 321 , 322 in place whilst it is secured using cable ties. Furthermore, the ridge 345 of each bracket 340 supports the majority of the weight of the media support housings 321 , 322 instead of the cable ties 348 alone thereby promoting longevity of the media support housing and the barrier arm 31 .

It will be understood that barrier arms 31 may come in different shapes and sizes. A barrier arm may not have a top edge 31 1 onto which a ridge 345 of the bracket may be hooked. For example, the barrier arm onto which the media support housing 321 , 322 is to be attached may be round or oval in cross section. Accordingly, in alternatives, different brackets may be used to accommodate different types of barrier arms. For example, referring to Figures 16a and 16b in which an alternative bracket is shown, the front of the bracket 340 intended for contact with the barrier arm can be concavely-shaped to conform to a convexly-shaped contact profile of a barrier arm. In addition, in this embodiment, each bracket 340 has two simple open cable-tie channels, which only have entry and exit apertures. This type of bracket is simpler is design as it is not adjustable for different sizes of barrier arm.

Referring to Figures 17a to 17c there are shown alternative first and second media support housings 321 , 322 in isolation from a barrier arm 31 , with advertising media 34 inserted into each media support housing 321 , 322. In particular, Figure 17a shows the second media support housing 322 arranged to be mounted on to a barrier arm remote from the pivot P, and Figure 17b shows the first media support housing 321 arranged to be mounted proximal to the pivot P. The part of the first media support housing which underlies the second media support housing in use can clearly be seen as a semi-circle shaped portion on the left-end of the first portion of the housing. Figure 17c shows how the first and second media support housings are married up to one another so that the advertising media 34 supported by them is displayed as a substantially continuous item of media, when the barrier arm is in a closed position.

Each of the portions of the media support housings321 , 322 of Figures 17a to 17c comprises a rubber strip 326 on its underside. This runs along the bottom edge of the media support housings 321 , 322 and is provided to prevent damage to the media support housings 321 , 322 and to a vehicle 2 in the event that the barrier is lowered in error whilst a vehicle is positioned underneath.

It will be understood that the advertising media 34 that is used in the barrier system 1 described in relation to Figures 1 to 9 can also be readily used in the barrier system of embodiments of the present invention merely by dividing the original advertising media 34 into two pieces. In particular, the advertising area taken up by the media, visible through the opening 36 in the frame(s) 35, is in both cases approximately 150mm in height by 1400mm in length for an advertising media which is 1420mm x 170mm [Graeme - please insert exact values which are greater than the window or opening sizes of 1400mm x 150mm]. This simplifies the design and production of media for both barrier types (i.e. folding and straight) in that the same advertising media can be used in both. However, in the case of the folding barrier according to embodiments of the present invention - and as shown in Figures 17a and 17b - the advertising media is not divided into two equal parts. In particular, the first media support housing 321 is arranged to accommodate advertising media that is shorter in length than that accommodated by the second media support housing 322. This arrangement ensures that when a worker is fitting advertising media to each of the media support housing 321 , 322, there is no confusion as to which unequally sized part of the advertising media 34 is intended for which media support housing 321 , 322. Specifically, the first media support housing 321 - closest to the drive unit 10 - has an opening 36 (media-viewing window) which has a length of 600mm and the second media support housing furthest from the unit has an opening 36 which has length of 800mm. For the avoidance of doubt, the media size is larger than the opening so as to ensure that the media is trapped behind the frame 35 of each media support housing 321 , 322 as described above in relation to Figures 1 to 9.

Referring to Figures 18a and 18b, the first media support housing 321 , comprises a spacing plate 323 that is semi-circular in shape. Adjacent to and parallel with the straight edge of the semi-circular spacing plate 323, and in line with an edge of the opening 36, there are two alignment grooves 324. The alignment grooves 324 provide a visual indication to a worker installing the first and second media support housings 321 , 322 of the extent to which the second media support housing 322 is to be overlapped with the first media support housing 321 . The positioning of the alignment groves is important as in installation of the media support housing need to be correctly laterally aligned. In particular, when a worker is installing the first and second media support housings 321 , 322, the media may not necessarily be inserted into the media support housings 321 , 322, especially if access is required to the screw holes 341 to mount the brackets 340. The alignment grooves 324 allow the relative positioning of the media support housing 321 , 322 to be such that when advertising media 34 is inserted into the first and second media support housings 321 , 322, the two parts of the media are displayed in a continuous, seamless manner when the barrier arm 31 is in a closed position.

Referring to Figure 19, for the avoidance of doubt, the frame 35 of each of the media support housings 321 , 322 is shaped to define a slot 37 through which the media 34 can be inserted and removed in the same way as described in relation to Figures 1 to 9. The slot 37 comprises a recess 38 to facilitate manual manipulation of an inserted media 34. In particular, a user can insert a finger into the recess 38 to pinch the free trailing edge of the media 34 so as to lift and guide it out through the slot 37. The recess 38 is sized to be less elongate than the slot 37 so as to allow a finger to be inserted easily to grasp the free end (at the trailing edge) of the media 34, but at the same time preventing removal of the free end of the media 34, except when guided through the slot 37.

Referring to Figures 20a to 20c, there is shown the rear of the first and second media support housings 321 , 322 of Figures 17a to 17c. The rear portion 43 of each of the media support housings 321 , 322 has brackets 340 mounted thereto of the type shown schematically in Figure 16. As can be clearly seen in the figures, these brackets 340 are adapted to be attached to a barrier arm 31 of circular or oval cross section. Spacers 350 are sandwiched between each of the brackets 340 and the barrier arm 31 . Also the brackets 340 are positioned at spaced apart locations along the length of the media support housing to improve the stability of the attachment of the portions of the media support housing to the barrier arm 31.

Referring to Figures 21 a to 21 c, the spacers 350 that are sandwiched between the first media support housing321 and the bracket 340 are thinner than the spacers 350 that are sandwiched between the second media support housing 322 and the bracket 340. This is so that when the first and second media support housings are attached via the brackets 340 to a straight barrier arm 31 , the offset between the first and second media support housings321 , 322 is such that the second media support housing 322 overlaps with the first media support housing 321 , the second media support housing 322 being mounted slightly further from the barrier arm 31 than the first media support housing 321.