MESH PANEL AND A SAFETY BARRIER SYSTEM

Abstract

A mesh panel includes a main portion in a main plane defined by first and second directions, a top portion in a top plane defined by the first and a third direction. The main portion includes a mesh formed by a plurality of first wires in the first direction and a plurality of second wires in the second direction. At least one of the top portion and the main portion includes at least one third wire, which, if arranged in the top portion has a top portion direction which differs from the first direction and the third direction of the top plane, and which if arranged in the main portion has a main portion direction which differs from the first direction and the second direction of the main plane.

Claims

1. A mesh panel for a safety barrier system, preferably for securing a working surface, the mesh panel comprising: a main portion, extending in a main plane defined by a first direction and a second direction, which directions preferably are perpendicular to each other, a top portion, extending in a top plane, defined by the first direction and a third direction, which third direction is different from the second direction such as the top plane is angled relative the main plane by an upper bend with a first angle between the second direction and third direction, a bottom portion, extending in a bottom plane defined by the first direction and a fourth direction, wherein the main portion is arranged between the top portion and the bottom portion, and which main portion comprises a plurality of first wires arranged in the first direction and a plurality of second wires arranged in the second direction, and the first and second wires are fixed to each other at main-interactions such as the first and second wires forming a mesh, and the plurality of first wires comprises an upper wire and a lower wire, and the plurality of second wires comprises two outer side wires each arranged at a respective outer end of the mesh panel, and the top portion comprises at least one first top portion wire arranged in the first direction, wherein at least one of the top portion and the main portion comprises at least one third wire, which third wire, if arranged in the top portion has a top portion direction which differs from the first direction and the third direction of the top plane, and which third wire if arranged in the main portion has a main portion direction which differs from the first direction and the second direction of the main plane, and at least one of the third wire or the plurality of second wires of the main portion, extends past the upper bend and into the adjacent portion.

2. Mesh panel according to claim 1, wherein the top portion comprises a second top portion wire arranged in the first direction between the first top portion wire and the upper bend, and the at least one third wire extends between the top portion wire and the second top portion wire and is fixed to the first top portion wire and the second top portion wire, and the plurality of second wires of the main portion extends past the upper bend and into the top portion.

3. Mesh panel according to claim 1, wherein the top portion comprises a second top portion wire arranged in the first direction between the first top portion wire and the upper bend, and wherein the at least one third wire extends from at least one of the first and second top portion wires to at least one of the plurality of first wires of the main portion, and is fixed to these wires, and by that the at least one third wire is arranged both in the top plane and the main plane.

4. Mesh panel according to claim 3, wherein the plurality of second wires of the main portion extends past the upper bend and into the top portion.

5. Mesh panel according to claim 3, wherein the at least one third wire extends between the first top portion wire and the upper wire of the main portion and is fixed to the upper wire in a point positioned between two adjacent main-interactions of the second wires and the upper wire of the main portion.

6. Mesh panel according to claim 5, wherein the at least one third wire is fixed to the first top portion wire in a point which is in line with a respective second wire.

7. Mesh panel according to claim 2, wherein the plurality of second wires of the main portion extends to the second top portion wire and each of the second wires is fixed to the second top portion wire.

8. Mesh panel according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of second wires of the main portion extends to the first top portion wire and each of the second wires is fixed to the first top portion wire.

9. Mesh panel according to claim 1, wherein the at least one third wire is a continuous wire.

10. Mesh panel according to claim 1, wherein the bottom portion comprises at least one bottom portion wire arranged in the first direction, and the bottom plane is angled relative the main plane with a second angle, by a lower bend between the bottom portion wire and the lower wire of the main portion, wherein the second angle is the angle between the second direction of the main plane and the fourth direction of the bottom plane.

11. Mesh panel according to 10, wherein the outer side wires extends between the first top portion wire and the bottom portion wire, in such a way as the outer side wires follows the top plane, the main plane and the bottom plane.

12. Mesh panel according to claim 1, wherein the outer side wires are flat iron bars.

13. Mesh panel according to claim 10, wherein the bottom portion wire is a flat iron bar.

14. Mesh panel according to claim 10, wherein a folded toe plate is arranged at the bottom portion and a lower part of the main portion, such as enclosing the lower bend.

15. A safety barrier system, comprising: a plurality of mesh panels according to claim 1, a plurality of safety barrier posts for carrying the mesh panels, a plurality of mesh panel holders arranged for connecting the mesh panels to the safety barrier posts, a plurality of foot members arranged for attaching the safety barrier posts to a substrate.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0023] The invention is now described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0024] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a mesh panel according to the invention.

[0025] FIG. 2 is a detailed view of a top portion of the mesh panel of FIG. 1.

[0026] FIG. 3 is a detailed view of the top portion of the mesh panel of FIG. 1 from another angle.

[0027] FIG. 4 is a front view of the mesh panel of FIG. 1.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0028] Briefly described, an improved mesh panel, designed for high safety and low weight, is disclosed. The mesh panel may have thinner dimensions of the mesh wires as well as a greater distance between them due to that a framework with an extra wire is provided at the upper part of the mesh panel.

[0029] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a mesh panel 1 according to the invention. The mesh panel 1 comprises a chain portion 20, which extends in a main plane AB defined by a first direction a and a second direction b. These directions a, b are preferably perpendicular to each other and the first direction a is, in the normal using mode of the mesh panel, a horizontal direction and the second direction b is a vertical direction. The main plane AB constitutes the main “fence” area when the mesh panel is used as a fence for fall protection. The mesh panel 1 further comprises a top portion 10, which extends in a top plane AC defined by the first direction a and a third direction c, which third direction c preferably is perpendicular to the main plane AB, for example a front direction of the mesh panel 1. A first angle α is defining the angle between the main plane AB and the top plane AC, and the first angle α is as said around 90°, but other angles are possible. The mesh panel 1 further comprises a bottom portion 30, which extends in a bottom plane AD defined by the first direction a and a fourth direction d, which fourth direction d preferably is perpendicular to the main plane AB, for example a back direction of the mesh panel 1. A second angle β is defining the angle between the main plane AB and the bottom plane AD, and the second angle β is as said 90°, but other angles are possible. The main portion 20 is arranged between the top portion 10 and the bottom portion 30.

[0030] The main portion 20 comprises a plurality of first wires 21a which are arranged in the first direction a, that is, in the horizontal direction, and further a plurality of second wires 23b, arranged in the second direction b, which is the vertical direction. The first and second wires 21a, 23b are fixed to each other for example by spot welding at main-interactions 22, 22′, 22″, and by that forming a mesh which constitutes the protecting fence. The horizontal first wires 21a comprises an upper wire 21a′ and a lower wire 21a″, and the vertical second wires 23b comprises two outer side wires 23b′, 23b″ which are arranged at respective outer end of the mesh panel 1, as a left wire and a right wire.

[0031] The top portion 10 comprises a first top portion wire 11a and a second top portion wire 12a arranged in the first direction a, wherein the first top portion wire 11a is arranged at the outer end of the top portion 10. The second top portion wire 12a is arranged near an upper bend 60, which upper bend 60 is the bend between the main plane AB and top plane AC, with the first angle α. The top portion also comprises a third wire 15, which will be further explained below in relation to FIG. 2 and FIG. 3.

[0032] The bottom portion 30 comprises a bottom portion wire 31a arranged in the first direction a, which preferably is a flat iron bar. Between the bottom portion wire 31a and the lower wire 21a″ of the main portion 20 is a lower bend 70 arranged, which lower bend 70 thereby is the bend between the main plane AB and bottom plane AD, with the, second angle β.

[0033] FIGS. 2 and 3 are detailed views of the top portion 10 of the mesh panel 1 seen from different angles. As mentioned above, the top portion 10 comprises at least one third wire 15, which in the most preferred embodiment extends between the first top portion wire 11a and the upper wire 21a′ of the main portion 20, and thus passes over the upper bend 60. The third wire 15 is fixed to these wires 11a, 21a′, preferably by spot welding, and preferably also fixed to the second top portion wire 12a. The third wire 15 is by this arrangement a part of both the top plane AC and the upper part of the main plane AB and extends over the upper bend 60. The third wire 15 has a top portion wire direction e in the top plane AC which differs from wire directions of the plurality of first wires 21a and the plurality of second wires 23b, i.e. the top portion direction e of the third wire 15 differs from the first direction a and the third direction c of the top plane. In the same way, the third wire 15 has a main portion wire direction f in the main plane AB which differs from the first direction a and the second direction b of the first and second wires 21a, 23b in the main plane AB. As the third wire 15 is a part of the top plane AC and the main plane AB, it aligns with the top plane AC and with the main plane AB.

[0034] The third wire 15 is fixed to the upper wire 21a′ of the main portion 20 in a point p1 positioned between two adjacent main-interactions 22, 22′, 22″. The third wire 15 may be fixed at any point between two interactions, but most preferred is that the point p1 is positioned at the midpoint of the distance between the interactions. As said above, the third wire 15 also is fixed to the first and second top portion wires 11a, 12a, and most preferred, the third wire 15 is fixed to the first top portion wire 11a in a point p2 which aligns with a respective second wire 23b, as seen in FIG. 3.

[0035] It is to be understood that the third wire 15 may have all kinds of angles compared to the two main directions of the first and second wires 21a, 23b and any kind of patterns as a straight third wire 15 going the shortest way between fixing points, a sinus-wave third wire 15 between the fixing points etc. And further, the fixing point of the third wire 15 may be at any point p2 of the first top portion wire 11a, and/or at any point of the second top portion wire 12a and at any point p1 of the upper wire 21a′ of the main portion 20, to enabling the “framework function” to the mesh panel. It is also to be understood that the third wire 15 may be many short wire parts, a number of longer wire parts fitted together or a long continuous wire extending over the complete width of the mesh panel 1.

[0036] FIG. 4 is a front view of the mesh panel 1, where the top portion 10 is facing the viewer and the bottom portion 30 facing away from the viewer. The main portion 20 is as told arranged between the top portion 10 and bottom portion 30 and is substantially extending vertical in the normal use as a “fence”. The plurality of first wires 21a are arranged in the first direction a, i.e. in the horizontal direction, and the plurality of second wires 23b are arranged in the second direction b, i.e. the vertical direction and forming the main mesh. On respective sides of the main mesh (right and left in the figure) are the two outer side wires 23b′, 23b″ arranged. the outer side wires 23b′, 23b″ extends between the first top portion wire 11a and the bottom portion wire 31a, in such a way as the outer side wires 23b″, 23b″ follows the top plane AC, the main plane AB and the bottom plane AD. The outer side wires 23b′, 23b″ are preferably flat iron bars.

[0037] A folded toe plate 50 is arranged at the bottom portion 30 and a lower part of the main portion 20, such as enclosing the lower bend 70, which in the figure can be seen as an area without mesh at the lower part of the main portion 20, but in fact, the mesh wires 21a, 23b are arranged all the way behind the toe plate 50. The toe plate 50 prevents tools and other smaller parts to fall through the mesh panel 1, but it also adds strength to the mesh panel 1.

[0038] Although the description above contains a plurality of specificities, these should not be construed as limiting the scope of the concept described herein but as merely providing illustrations of some exemplifying embodiments of the described concept. It will be appreciated that the scope of the presently described concept fully encompasses other embodiments which may become obvious to those skilled in the art, and that the scope of the presently described concept is accordingly not to be limited. Reference to an element in the singular is not intended to mean “one and only one” unless explicitly so stated, but rather “one or more.” All structural and functional equivalents to the elements of the above-described embodiments that are known to those of ordinary skill in the art are expressly incorporated herein and are intended to be encompassed hereby.