Field

[0001 ] The present invention relates to protective safety caps for posts. Background

[0002] The exposed top ends of metal or plastic posts, such as star pickets (or safety pickets, Y-posts or star stakes), are safety hazards and injury risks to humans and livestock on worksites and farms. Such posts are difficult to see and their exposed top ends have sharp, jagged and deformed top edges from being struck and driven into the ground by hammers.

[0003] Existing protective caps for star pickets have several disadvantages. They typically comprise soft plastic caps fixedly mounted over the sharp, jagged and deformed top edges of the star pickets. When these capped star pickets are re- hammered into the ground, the sharp, jagged and deformed top edges cut and penetrate through the soft plastic caps to re-expose the hazardous top ends of the star pickets. Further, existing protective caps are easily knocked off by the elements of wind and rain, contact during handling on site, and contact during transport, all of which easily dislodge the cap exposing humans or livestock to the risk of injury.

[0004] In this context, there is a need for improved protective safety caps for posts.

Summary

[0005] According to the present invention, there is provided a safety cap for a post comprising external flanges, wherein the safety cap comprises:

a housing having upper and lower openings;

a lid openable and closable relative to the upper opening; pairs of internal flanges inside the housing to vertically slidably receive the external flanges of the post; and

a releasable quick-fit connector inside one pair of the internal flanges to releasably quick connect to an upper portion of one of the external flanges;

wherein the safety cap is retained:

adjacent to an upper end of the post when the lid is open; and over the upper end of the post when the lid is closed.

[0006] The quick-fit connector may comprise a snap-, press- or friction-fit connector. For example, the quick-fit connector may comprise a pair of snap-fit ribs.

[0007] The quick-fit connector may quick connect to a vertical aperture in the upper portion of one of the external flanges.

[0008] The vertical aperture may comprise a vertical slot, wherein the safety cap is vertically slidable in the vertical slot adjacent to the upper end of the post when the lid is open.

[0009] The lid may be hinged to the upper opening of the housing. The lid may be closable relative to the upper opening of the housing by a releasable quick-fit connection. For example, the quick-fit connection may comprise a snap-, press- or friction-fit connection.

[0010] A pair of horizontal recesses may be provided on opposite sides of the upper opening of the housing to horizontally receive flagging rope or parawebbing.

[001 1 ] The external flanges of the post, and the pairs of internal flanges inside the housing, may be arranged in a Y- or T-shaped cross-section. For example, the post may comprise a star picket.

[0012] The safety cap may be integrally moulded in a plastics material. The plastics material may comprise a high-visibility colour additive, a luminescent additive, a fluorescent additive, a reflective additive, or a combination thereof. [0013] The present invention also provides a system, comprising a post that comprises external flanges, and the safety cap described above releasably quick connected to an upper portion of one of the external flanges of the post.

[0014] The present invention further provides a fence or a barricade, comprising the system described above.

Brief Description of Drawings

[0015] Embodiments of the invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a protective safety cap for posts according to one embodiment of the invention;

Figure 2 is a top view of the protective safety cap;

Figure 3 is a perspective view of the protective safety cap showing a pair of frictional engagement ribs;

Figure 4 is a bottom view of the protective safety cap;

Figure 5 is a top perspective view of the protective safety cap;

Figure 6 is a perspective view of the protective safety cap in a closed position;

Figure 7 is a perspective view of the protective safety cap in an open position;

Figures 8 and 9 are perspective views of the protective safety cap slidably received on a star picket;

Figures 10 and 1 1 are perspective views of another embodiment of the protective safety cap in an open position;

Figure 12 is a perspective view of the protective safety cap in a closed position;

Figure 13 is a bottom view of the protective safety cap;

Figures 14 and 15 are exploded perspective views of the protective safety cap;

Figures 16 and 17 are perspective views of the protective safety cap in a closed position;

Figure 18 is a photograph of the protective safety cap in a closed position when fitted with flagging rope;

Figure 19 is a perspective view of a protective safety cap with recesses for receiving flagging rope; and Figure 20 is a top view of the safety cap of Figure 19. Description of Embodiments

[0016] Referring to the drawings, a protective safety cap 10 for posts according to an embodiment of the invention generally comprises an elongate hollow housing 12 comprising a lid 14 at one upper end, and an opening 16 at the other lower end. The housing 12 may have an inverted, generally conical shape. One or more pairs of internal flanges 18, may be provided inside the housing 12 to respectively slidably receive a corresponding one or more external flanges 20 of a post 22.

[0017] A releasable quick-fit connector 24 may be provided inside at least one pair of the internal flanges 18 to releasably quick connect the housing 12 to an upper portion of one of the external flanges 20. In use, the safety cap 10, may be retained adjacent to an upper end of the post 22 when the lid 14 is open, and over the upper end of the post 22 when the lid 14 is closed. The releasable quick-fit connector 24 may comprise a snap-, press- or friction-fit connector. For example, the quick-fit connector 24 may comprise a pair of snap-fit ribs. The quick-fit connector 24 may quick connect to a vertical aperture 38 in the upper portion of one of the external flanges 20. The vertical aperture 38 may comprise a vertical slot 38, wherein the safety cap 10 is vertically slidable in the vertical slot 38 adjacent to the upper end of the post 22 when the lid 14 is open.

[0018] The lid 14 may be hinged to the upper opening of the housing 12. The lid 14 may be closable relative to the upper opening of the housing 12 by a releasable quick-fit connection. For example, the quick-fit connection may comprise a snap-, press- or friction-fit connection. Referring to Figures 18 - 20, a pair of horizontal recesses 40 may be provided on opposite sides of the upper opening of the housing 12 to horizontally receive flagging rope 42, 44 or parawebbing (not shown).

[0019] In one embodiment, the pair of snap-fit ribs 24 may be provided inside at least one of the plurality of internal flanges 18 of the housing 12 to snap-fit into or onto the post 22. The pair of snap-fit ribs 24 may be a pair of opposed male ribs that vertically converge toward one another to resiliently and releasably snap-fit into or onto the post 22. The pair of snap-fit ribs 24 may snap-fit onto a vertical, horizontal or angled aperture, depression, groove, channel, ridge or rail formed on or in at least one of the plurality of external flanges 20 of the post 22. Further or alternatively, the pair of snap- fit ribs 24 may snap-fit into a vertical, horizontal or angled opening, hole or slot formed through at least one of the plurality of external flanges 20 of the post 22. Other equivalent or alternative releasable quick-connect or snap-fit arrangements may also be used.

[0020] For example, as illustrated in Figures 6, 7, 1 1 , 12, 14, and 15, the pair of snap-fit ribs 24 may snap-fit into an elongate vertical slot 38 formed through one of the plurality of external flanges 20 of the post 22 adjacent to an upper end thereof. When the lid 14 is open, the protective safety cap 10 may be retained adjacent to the upper end of the post 22 by snap-fitting of the pair of snap-fit ribs 24 inside the vertical slot 38. This may advantageously allow the protective safety cap 10 to be slid downward along the post 22 to expose its upper end to allow the post 22 to be hammered into the ground.

[0021 ] The snap-fitting of the pair of opposed ribs 24 may advantageously allow the protective safety cap 10 to be parked or positioned adjacent to the upper end of post 22 instead of freely sliding downward along the post 22 under gravity and falling to the ground. After the post 22 is hammered into the ground, the protective safety cap 10 may be snap-released from the post 22 and slid upward along the post 22 to cover its exposed top end. The lid 14 may then be closed over the exposed top end of the post 22 to safely protect and encapsulate sharp, jagged and deformed edges caused by hammering the post 22 into the ground. As such, the pair of snap-fit ribs 24 may collectively act as a snap-fit keeper mechanism to releasably secure the protective safety cap 10 to the post 22, and thereby inhibit or prevent the protective safety cap 10 from being dislodged from the post 22 during handling, transport or exposure to the elements.

[0022] The plurality of external flanges 20 of the post 22 may be arranged in a Y-, T-, I- , H-, square-, round-, or triangular-shaped cross-section. The post 22 may be made of metal, plastic or wood. The post 22 may, for example, be a star picket. Other equivalent or alternative posts may also be used. For example, the post may comprise a single external flange, to be received in a pair of internal flanges 18 of the protective safety cap 10.

[0023] The housing 12 may have an inverted, generally conical shape. The lid 14 may be integrally formed with the housing 12. The lid 14 may comprise a hinge 26 and a hollow dome. The lid 14 may further comprise a plurality of reinforcing ribs 28 inside the hollow dome.

[0024] The lid 14 may be releasably lockable to the one end of the housing 12 by a snap-fit locking mechanism. The snap-fit locking mechanism may comprise a lip 30 and a groove 32 respectively integrally formed inside the lid 14 and the upper end of the housing 12. Alternatively, the snap-fit locking mechanism may comprise locking protrusions 34 and complementary locking recesses 36 respectively integrally formed on the lid 14 and the housing 12. Other equivalent or alternative releasable quick- connect or snap-fit locking mechanisms may also be used.

[0025] The housing 12 and the lid 14 may be integrally moulded together in a rigid or semi-rigid plastic material. The rigid or semi-rigid plastic material may, for example, be selected from polypropylene, polyethylene or nylon.

[0026] The protective safety cap 10 may be one or more of reflective, luminescent, fluorescent or illuminated to have a high visibility. The high-visibility reflectiveness, luminescence or fluorescence may be provided by incorporating luminescent, fluorescent or reflective additives into the rigid or semi-rigid plastic material used to form the high-visibility protective safety cap 10. Further or alternatively, the high-visibility reflectiveness, luminescence or fluorescence may be provided by coating the high- visibility protective safety cap 10 with a luminescent, fluorescent or reflective layer of coating, paint or tape.

[0027] The high-visibility illumination of the high-visibility protective safety cap 10 cap may be provided by light source (not shown) and a power source (not shown) positioned on or in the lid 14. The light source may, for example, be an LED, and the power source may, for example, be a solar cell and/or a battery. Other equivalent or alternative sources of illumination may also be used.

[0028] Embodiments of the present invention provide a protective safety cap that is useful for removing or reducing the risk of injury to humans and animals from accidental contact with exposed jagged, sharp top ends of posts, such as star pickets. Star pickets are widely used in the mining, construction, agriculture industries and in domestic gardening to provide temporary and long-term fencing and/or barricading solutions in conjunction with other products. They are also used to support formwork for concrete slabs. With occupational health and safety practices in these industries being a primary focus of every company, risks posed by the use of pickets are required to be controlled, this is to prevent injury to personnel, but also to livestock in agriculture applications. As described above, steel star pickets are manufactured from steel and present a cut, abrasion and impalement hazard on all sites, and they frequently cause serious injuries to people and animals. Currently industry uses push-on plastic safety caps to mitigate these hazards, however the designs and functionality of current products cause them to be dislodged either by wind or by contact, and this then exposes the hazard to personnel once dislodged. Once the plastic safety cap is dislodged it no longer serves its purpose and requires further work to reinstate the safety cap resulting in increased labour costs. Embodiments of the present invention make the safety cap and the picket one integrated system. The cap is releasably fixed to the picket by inclusion of a vertical slot on the picket ensuring it will not be dislodged when engaged at the top of the picket by contact or the wind. The inclusion of the vertical slot allows the cap to be disengaged and slide vertically down the picket to enable the use of a post rammer or hammer to install the picket into the ground. The design further ensures that during transport or whilst in storage the picket and cap remain as a complete system. The safety picket design has the added benefit that the cap when engaged fixes flagging rope and parawebbing at the top of the safety picket ensuring it stays erected. Embodiments include a high-visibility strip around the perimeter of the cap to increase visibility of fence lines and barricaded hazards at night. This means personnel in the mining, construction and agriculture industries will now be able to clearly identify fence lines and barricaded hazards at night under illumination by a torch or vehicle headlight. [0029] For the purpose of this specification the word "comprising" means "including but not limited to", and the word "comprises" has a corresponding meaning. The description above includes relative placement or orientation words such as "top," "bottom," "up," "down," "lower," "upper," "horizontal," "vertical," "above," "below," as well as derivative terms such as "horizontally," "downwardly," and the like. These and other terms should be understood as to refer to the orientation or position then being described, or illustrated in the drawings, and not to the orientation or position of the actual elements being described or illustrated. These terms are used for convenience in description and understanding, and do not require that the apparatus be constructed or operated in the described position or orientation. Terms concerning mechanical attachments, couplings, and the like, such as "connected," "attached," "mounted," "coupled," refer to relationships in which structures are secured or attached to one another either directly or indirectly through intervening structures, as well as both movable and rigid attachments or relationships, unless expressly described otherwise.

[0030] The above embodiments have been described by way of example only and modifications are possible within the scope of the claims that follow.