PANIC BARRIER FOR MODULAR FENCES

Abstract

A panic barrier for containing pedestrians on the occasion of big events. Said barrier is such as not to overturn whenever the crowd presses against the parapet, thanks to the presence of a fulcrum element integral with the lower portion of the parapet on the side opposite to that of the footboard on which pedestrians walk. Advantageously numerous variants of modular fences can be created by combining a plurality of panic barriers with each other.

Claims

1-9. (canceled)

10. A panic modular barrier comprising: a footboard having an outer edge and an inner edge which is in contact with a ground, wherein a parapet raises off the inner edge, wherein the parapet comprises a lower portion; at least one fulcrum element which is integrally connected to the lower portion of the parapet, wherein further the fulcrum element projects from said parapet that is proximal to the inner edge of said footboard; and at least one wheel, the at least one wheel comprising an axis of rotation, wherein the axis of rotation is parallel to the inner edge of said footboard, wherein further the wheel is rotationally connected to said at least one fulcrum element, wherein the panic modular barrier rotates around the axis of rotation between a first operating position and a second position where the panic modular barrier is tilted with respect to the ground on the side of the panic modular barrier opposite to said footboard, wherein further said at least one wheel remains in a position raised off the ground whenever the panic modular barrier is in the first operating position, wherein further said lower portion of said parapet defines at least one opening suitable for receiving a wheel of a second panic modular barrier that is stacked above a first panic modular barrier.

11. The barrier according to claim 10 wherein said at least one wheel touches the ground whenever the panic modular barrier is in the second position.

12. The barrier according to claim 10 wherein said footboard is inclined and its inner edge is raised off the ground when the panic modular barrier is in the first operating position.

13. The barrier according to claim 12 further comprising a cross bar having a cross-bar lower portion, wherein the cross-bar lower portion is in contact with the ground when the panic modular barrier is in the first operating position, which cross-bar lower portion is integrally connected to a lower portion of said inner edge of said footboard.

14. The barrier according to claim 13 wherein said cross bar is rectilinear.

15. The barrier according to claim 13 wherein said parapet is inclined with respect to the ground on the side of said footboard.

16. The barrier according to claim 15 wherein the fulcrum element comprises a rounded foot, wherein the rounded foot is in contact with the ground when the panic modular barrier is in the first operating position.

17. The barrier according to claim 15 additionally comprising means for connecting a plurality of panic modular barriers.

18. The barrier according to claim 12 additionally comprising a cross bar, the cross bar having a cross-bar lower portion, wherein the cross-bar lower portion is in contact with the ground when the panic modular barrier is in the first operating position, which cross-bar lower portion is integrally connected to a lower portion of said inner edge of said footboard.

19. The barrier according to claim 18 wherein said cross bar is rectilinear.

20. The barrier according to claim 18 wherein said parapet is inclined with respect to the ground on the side of said footboard.

21. The barrier according to claim 18 wherein the fulcrum element comprises a rounded foot, wherein the rounded foot is in contact with the ground when the panic modular barrier is in the first operating position.

22. The barrier according to claim 18 additionally comprising means for connecting a plurality of panic modular barriers.

23. The barrier according to claim 10 wherein said parapet is inclined with respect to the ground on the side of said footboard.

24. The barrier according to claim 10 wherein the fulcrum element comprises a rounded foot, wherein the rounded foot is in contact with the ground when the panic modular barrier is in the first operating position.

25. The barrier according to claim 10 additionally comprising means for connecting a plurality of panic modular barriers.

26. A modular fence comprising a plurality of panic modular barriers according to claim 10, each of which additionally comprises means for connecting a plurality of panic modular barriers.

27. A modular fence according to claim 26 wherein said footboards of each of the plurality of modular panic barriers are inclined and their inner edges are raised off the ground when the plurality of panic modular barriers is in the first operating position.

28. A modular fence according to claim 26 wherein each of the plurality of modular panic barriers additionally comprises a cross bar having a cross-bar lower portion, wherein the cross-bar lower portion is in contact with the ground when the panic modular barrier is in the first operating position, which cross-bar lower portion is integrally connected to a lower portion of said inner edge of said footboard.

29. A modular fence according to claim 26 wherein said parapet of each of the plurality of modular panic barriers is inclined on the side of said footboard.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0022] FIG. 1 shows an axonometric view of an embodiment of the barrier according to the present patent application, wherein the inclined footboard (2) is shown in the foreground; this figure also shows a parapet (1), the latter comprising an upper cross member (11) and an intermediate cross member (12), besides four uprights (13, 14, 15 and 16). The two side uprights (13, 16) are rectilinear, whereas the two intermediate uprights (14, 15) are only rectilinear in that upper portion which joins the intermediate cross member (12) to the upper cross member (11); in the lower portion, each of the two intermediate uprights defines a bend which projects from the plane of the parapet on the part opposed to the footboard (2); these bends make-up fulcrum elements (4) and each of them is complemented by a rounded foot (41) which touches the ground whenever the barrier is in an operating position; a horizontal axis wheel (5) is rotationally connected to every foot.

[0023] The inner edge (22) is also connected to the intermediate cross member (12) by way of a half-upright (17). The figure also shows male connection means (18) and female connection means (19) integrally connected to the side uprights (13, 16).

[0024] FIG. 2 shows a side view of a barrier in an operating position, in particular it shows a rounded foot (41), a wheel (5), and the cross member (3).

[0025] FIG. 3 shows a barrier in a displacement position, inclined with respect to the operating position, and specifically a rounded foot (41), raised off the ground, and a wheel (5) which touches the ground in this position.

[0026] FIG. 4 shows a view of a barrier on the footboard side; the extrados of the tubular element forming the inner edge (22) of the inclined footboard (2) is clearly shown.

[0027] FIG. 5 shows a top view of a barrier.

[0028] FIGS. 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12 and 13 show different options for combining the modular barrier according to the present patent application.

[0029] FIGS. 14 and 15 show respectively a front view and a side view of an embodiment of the barrier according to the present patent application, wherein the footboard (2) is parallel to the ground in an operating position.

[0030] FIGS. 16, 17, 18 and 19 show some views of three barriers stacked on each other, wherein the lower portion of the parapet of a first barrier defines two openings (10), each of which is suitable for receiving a wheel (51) of a second barrier.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF AN EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION

[0031] The panic modular barrier according to the present patent application comprises a footboard (2) and a parapet (1); according to a preferred embodiment, the footboard (2) is inclined and the parapet (1) is also slightly inclined on the footboard (2) side, so that it is not exactly vertical. In the latter embodiment, the outer edge (21) of the footboard (2) is in contact with the ground, whereas the inner edge (22) is slightly raised off the ground and rests thereon by way of a horizontal rectilinear bar (3). The parapet (1) raises off on the inner edge (22) of the footboard (2).

[0032] In the embodiment here described, the horizontal bar (3) consists of a tubular element featuring a square cross section, whereas the remaining main parts of the barrier, such as the footboard and the parapet, are formed of properly shaped and bent metal pipes.

[0033] The footboard (2) comprises a frame formed of a metal pipe which a decking is integrally connected to, formed of a sheet-like element, usually a sheet metal with a non-slip embossing, or a metal net with sufficiently thick and sturdy meshes as to make it rigid.

[0034] The parapet (1) is formed of a metal tubular frame, having a substantially rectangular shape and wherein the top horizontal edge makes-up the upper cross member (11); the inner edge (22) of the footboard (2) also makes-up the lower horizontal edge of the parapet (1). The frame of the parapet (1) is horizontally crossed by an intermediate cross member (12) and vertically crossed by two central uprights (14, 15); the side edges of the parapet make-up the two side uprights (13, 16). In a particularly complete version, the intermediate cross member (12) is connected to the lower horizontal edge of the parapet by a vertical half-upright (17).

[0035] The lower portion of each of the intermediate uprights (14, 15) of the parapet (1) forms a bend which projects outwards, its concavity being on the side opposite to that of the footboard (2): the two bends comprise each a rounded foot (41) and are configured, as a whole, in such a way as to form two fulcrum elements (4) which project down to touching the ground in an operating position.

[0036] Furthermore the lower portion of the parapet defines at least one opening.

[0037] In the embodiment illustrated in the figures, a wheel (5) is rotationally connected to each of the two rounded feet (41) respectively; the wheel does not touch the ground whenever the barrier is in position, whereas it touches the ground only after the barrier is slightly inclined on the side opposite to the footboard (2) one. Thanks to this arrangement, the operators in charge of positioning the barriers can easily displace them, by making them slide on the wheels, without scraping them against the ground and without being obliged to lift them.

[0038] In a particularly rich embodiment, the barrier is complemented by connection means for connecting to other identical barriers, in order to form a modular barrier; in order to perform this function, male connection means (18) and female connection means (19) are integrally connected to the two side uprights (13, 16) of said parapet (1). The same connecting function might also be performed without using connection means of a fixed type, but using appropriate joints of a known type, which allow to reversibly connect the side edges of the parapets of two barriers aligned to form a fence.