Field of the invention

[0001] The present invention relates to lightweight barriers for protection from terrorist truck ramming attacks.

Technological background and prior art upon which the invention is based

[0002] Recent years have seen an increase in terrorist attacks in the West.

This surge in terrorist acts has also been marked by a diversification in the means used in Europe, with the emergence in particular of the use of heavy goods vehicles as a weapon of terror.

[0003] There are heavy barriers that can reduce the risk of this type of attack, such as concrete barriers or metal posts securely anchored to the ground. However, this type of barrier requires either permanent installation or heavy logistics implying the use of a lifting device. This limitation is particularly acute with regard to securing temporary events, festivals, commercial fairs, concerts, etc. Furthermore, these temporary events appear to have today become favourite targets for terrorists.

[0004] One solution to this problem is provided for example by document US

2012/0177439 which proposes a lightweight barrier that can be set up, positioned and dismantled by just a few people having little in the way of tools and no lifting device. However, although these barriers are effective against lightweight vehicles, experience shows that they are not adequate to stop heavy vehicles such as those used recently by terrorists.

[0005] In prior art documents, the distance between adjacent modular elements is fixed by horizontal cross bars connecting each adjacent element. Such a system has several drawbacks. For example, it cannot be adapted to the way width and have a predetermined truck resistance. In many cases, it also has poor resistance against lateral attack such as attack at 45° (real lateral attack are usually hindered by street width and building boarding the street or place).

Objects of the invention

[0006] The present invention aims to propose a device for protection from attacks using heavy goods vehicles, which device should be lightweight and easy to use by law enforcement having little in the way of tools.

[0007] It should also be easily adaptable to practical situation both in terms of truck resistance and in terms of lateral dimensions.

Summary of the invention

[0008] The present invention relates to an anti-ramming truck barrier element comprising:

- an essentially horizontal arresting bar ;

- an essentially vertical pivot bar comprising at least three fasteners distributed along the length of each side of said pivot bar (i.e. three fasteners are on the right side and three fasteners are on the left side of the pivot bar), the arresting bar being rigidly connected to the pivot bar; and

- connecting bars pivotably connected to the side of the pivot bar, said connecting bars being adapted to be cross-connected at different crossing angles to adjacent pivot bars by means of the at least three fasteners distributed along the length of each side of said pivot bar.

[0009] According to preferred embodiments of the invention, the anti ramming truck barrier element comprises one or an appropriate combination of several of the following features:

a first and a second connecting bar are preassembled on one side of the pivot bar, one of the extremity of the first connecting bar being fastened to one of the fasteners on the side of the pivot bar, and the second connecting bar being pivotably attached to the first connecting bar trough an axis at the centre of both connecting bars, the unconnected extremities of the connecting bars being adapted to be fastened to free side fasteners of the of the pivot bar or to free fasteners of adjacent pivot bars; the pivot bar forming, with the arresting bar, an angle of at least 100° in a vertical plane;

the device comprises anchoring means comprising essentially vertical spikes that are able to penetrate the surface of the ground when the wheel of a truck presses on the arresting bar;

the device comprises additional anchoring means comprising a spike that is able to penetrate the surface of the ground when the device pivots as a consequence of a truck hitting the pivot bar;

the pivot bar form an angle of between 100 and 135° with respect to the arresting bar;

the arresting bar, when the device is set up on a flat horizontal surface, are slightly inclined, the pivot bars forming an angle of at least 100° with respect to the horizontal, the inclination being preferably obtained by means of supports located close to the centre of gravity of the arresting bar/pivot bar assembly so as to facilitate pivoting of the assembly;

the arresting bar is removably fitted into connector into which the pivot bar is removably fitted, the connector maintaining, in use, a fixed angle of greater than 100° between the arresting bars and the pivot bars,

additional connecting bars are pivotably connected to the side of the arresting bar, the arresting bar comprising at least three fasteners distributed along the length of each side of said arresting bar, said connecting bars being adapted to be cross- connected at different crossing angles to adjacent arresting bars by means of the at least three fasteners distributed along the length of each side of said arresting bar.

[0010] A second aspect of the invention relates to an anti-ramming truck barrier comprising several anti-ramming truck device elements according to the first aspect of the invention, adjacent elements being attached together by the corresponding connecting bars connected to the said fasteners.

[0011] Additional preferred details of the general setup of such barriers can be find in document EP3378992 which is hereby incorporated by reference. Brief description of the figures

[0012] Figure 1 shows a perspective view of two exemplary anti-ramming truck barrier elements according to the invention.

[0013] Figure 2 shows a side view of an example of anti-ramming truck barrier element according to the invention.

[0014] Figure 3 shows front view of two assembled barrier elements having their maximum separating distance.

[0015] Figure 4 shows front view of two assembled barrier elements having their minimum separating distance.

Figure keys

1. anti-ramming truck barrier element

2, 3, 4, 18, 19, 20 Pivot bar fasteners for fixing connecting bars end

5. fixing stud

6, 7, 8, 21 , 22, 23 arresting bar fasteners for fixing additional connecting bars end.

9. First connecting bar

10. first additional connecting bar

1 1 . arresting bar

12. pivot bar

13. stopping spike

14. second connecting bar

15. second additional connecting bar

16. axis between first and second connecting bar

17. axis between first and second additional connecting bar

24. support and tipping spike

25. retractable wheel

26. soft arresting spike protection

27. arresting spike Description of a preferred embodiment of the invention

[0016] As shown in Figures 1 to 3, the present invention relates to an anti ramming truck barrier element comprising essentially horizontal arresting bars 11 fixed to pivot bars 12 (i.e. bars causing the device to pivot around a point fixed in the ground such as the stopping spike 13) forming preferably, with the arresting bars 1 1 , an angle a of at least 100°.

[0017] Essentially horizontal is to be understood as meaning that these bars are intended to be laid on the ground, one of the two ends being laid on the ground and the other end being either laid on the ground or slightly raised.

[0018] The barrier elements 1 of the invention are adapted to be assembled together with connecting bars 9,10, 14, 15. Those connecting bars are adapted to be cross connected at different angles between adjacent barrier elements, so that the distance between elements can be varied.

[0019] One advantage of such distance variability is that the mounted barrier can be adapted to different threads levels (i.e. truck weight and speed), the barrier being stronger when the distance is minimum and weaker when the distance is maximum.

[0020] A further advantage of the invention is that by varying the distance between adjacent elements, the strength of the barrier can be fine-tuned for example by alternating wide and narrow distance between element.

[0021] Another advantage is that the mounted barrier width can be adapted to the way width easily. As a further advantage, the strength of the barrier can be varied along the width of the barrier: for example three elements in the middle of the barrier are assembled at minimum distance, and the elements on the side are assembled at maximum distance so as to cover the entire available width.

[0022] The most important connecting bars are those fastening the pivot bars

12, as they also help stabilising the vertical position of each element in a barrier. These are the connecting bars 9,10 affixed to at least one lateral side of the pivot bar of each element as seen in fig 1. Preferably, as represented in fig. 1 , when dismounted, the barrier elements have two connecting bars preassembled on one side of the pivot bar 1 1 , the bars being rotatably fixed together by an axis 16 passing through their centers. One of the preassembled bars is then rotatably fixed to a fastener 4. [0023] In order to vary the angle between cross-connected connecting bars, each side of the pivot bars comprises a plurality (at least 3) of fasteners 2,3,4,18,19,20 wherein the extremity of the connecting bars 9, 10 can be secured.

[0024] As shown in the figures 1-3, the same cross-connection system can be applied between the arresting bars 11.

[0025] In contrast with some prior art that seeks to produce a vertical barrier that is held in that position by the weight of a vehicle on a base of the barrier, or that seeks to lift up the vehicle by means of a rotational movement of the barrier, preferred embodiments of the barrier elements of the invention aims to use arresting bars 11 as stakes or spearheads that are on the one hand lodged in the ground by a spike 13 that penetrates the surface of the ground, and on the other hand lodged in the underside of the body of the vehicle by the impact of the vehicle with the elements of the device of the invention.

[0026] Indeed, in the case of a heavy goods vehicle, it is ridiculous to suggest that the hinge of the devices of the prior art can have sufficient mechanical strength to stop a truck travelling at full speed. By contrast, a stake lodged in the underside of the body, rather than lifting up the truck, allows the greatest possible amount of kinetic energy to be absorbed, and the truck to be stopped more efficiently. It is then clear that the more horizontal the stake (opposite the direction of movement) during the arresting phase, the more effective the system.

[0027] In order to arrive at this result, the device of the invention seeks to facilitate pivoting of each element of the barrier. To that end, rather than using a vertical barrier, the pivot bars 12 are fixed to the arresting bars 1 1 at an angle of at least 100°, that is to say at least 10° greater than the angle of the prior art barriers. This angle is preferably between 100 and 135°. This inclination has two consequences. First, this inclination moves the centre of gravity of the assembly backward, thus facilitating pivoting of the device; second, this angle makes it possible to increase the torque of rotation applied by the front of the truck on the system.

[0028] Advantageously, anchoring means comprising a spike 13 that is able to penetrate the surface of the ground when the device pivots as a consequence of a truck hitting the barrier are arranged at the end of or in line with the arresting bars in order to improve the stake effect thereof. [0029] Advantageously, the arresting bars 1 1 , when the device is set up on a flat horizontal surface, are slightly inclined, the pivot bars 12 forming an angle of at least 100° with respect to the horizontal, this inclination being preferably obtained by means of supports 24,25 located slightly forward of the centre of gravity of the arresting bar 1 1/pivot bar 12 assembly or assemblies so as to facilitate pivoting of the assemblies.

[0030] The said supports can be in the form of small wheels 25 facilitating the displacement of the barrier. In that case, the position of those wheels 25 are critical and should be very close to the vertical position of the center of gravity of the barrier elements, so that the rotation is easily obtained by the inertial behaviour of the barrier when hit by a fast vehicle.

[0031] Preferably, the said wheels 25 can be retracted and leave the arresting bar resting on a spike 24 protruding from the bottom side of the arresting bar 1 1. In that case, the position of the spike 24 is less critical, as the friction forces between the spike and the ground would help the rotation movement.

[0032] In addition to those aspects of the device making it effective in terms of stopping ability, the device of the invention must also be easy to set up and dismantle by a limited number of persons. To that end, the device can preferably be dismantled, the arresting bars 1 1 being removably fitted into connectors 6 into which the pivot bars 12 are removably fitted, the connectors maintaining a fixed angle of greater than 100° between the arresting bars 1 1 and the pivot bars 12.