ANTI-SKID SURFACE

Abstract

A device to slow down and/or stop means of transport on pavement, in particular a road pavement. The device includes a series of lamellar elements substantially parallel to each other, and provided with upper edges protruding from the upper part of the pavement, or substantially flush with the pavement.

Claims

1. A device to slow down and/or stop means of transport on a pavement, in particular a road pavement, said device comprising a series of lamellar elements substantially parallel to each other, and provided with upper edges protruding from the upper part of, or substantially flush with, said pavement, wherein said upper edges define an anti-skid profile.

2. The device as in claim 1, comprising cross pieces disposed inclined by an angle with respect to said lamellar elements to form a grid-type structure.

3. The device as in claim 2, wherein said cross pieces have upper edges that define an anti-skid profile, said anti-skid profiles of said upper edges together defining an anti-skid surface.

4. The device as in claim 2, wherein said cross pieces have notches mating in slot-in manner with respective notches present on said lamellar elements.

5. The device as in claim 1, wherein said anti-skid profiles of the lamellar elements are made from a series of trapezoidal teeth disposed one after the other.

6. The device as in claim 3, wherein said anti-skid profiles of the cross pieces are made from a series of square teeth disposed one after the other.

7. An anti-skid pavement comprising at least one device to slow down and/or stop a means of transport as in claim 1, inserted in a seating made in the road pavement and partly covered by a covering layer.

8. The anti-skid pavement as in claim 7, wherein the lamellar elements of the device are inclined with respect to the road surface by an angle comprised between 10° and 20°.

9. The anti-skid pavement as in claim 7, wherein the anti-skid profiles of said device protrude with respect to a covering layer and are flush with the road pavement.

10. A method to lay a device to slow down and/or stop means of transport as in claim 1, said laying method comprising: making a seating in a road pavement; inserting said device in said seating; covering said device with a covering layer, wherein said laying method provides to: spread a sheet of plastic material over said device and said covering layer; compress and level the sheet of plastic material in order to compact said covering layer and to insert at least said anti-skid profile inside said sheet of plastic material; remove said sheet of plastic material so that said anti-skid profile is flush with said road pavement and protrudes by a height from said covering layer.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0048] These and other characteristics of the present invention will become apparent from the following description of some embodiments, given as a non-restrictive example with reference to the attached drawings wherein:

[0049] FIG. 1 is a cross-section view of a device in its condition of use;

[0050] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a variant of the device of FIG. 1 according to the present invention;

[0051] FIG. 3 is a view from above of the device of FIG. 2;

[0052] FIG. 4 is a lateral view of the device of FIG. 2 from a first angle;

[0053] FIG. 5 is a further lateral view of the device of FIG. 2 from a second angle;

[0054] FIG. 6 is a section view taken along the section line VI-VI of the device of FIG. 3;

[0055] FIG. 7 is a partial section view of the device in FIG. 2 in its condition of use.

[0056] To facilitate comprehension, the same reference numbers have been used, where possible, to identify identical common elements in the drawings. It is understood that elements and characteristics of one embodiment can conveniently be incorporated into other embodiments without further clarifications.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF SOME EMBODIMENTS

[0057] We will now refer in detail to the various embodiments of the present invention, of which one or more examples are shown in the attached drawings. Each example is supplied by way of illustration of the invention and shall not be understood as a limitation thereof. For example, the characteristics shown or described insomuch as they are part of one embodiment can be adopted on, or in association with, other embodiments to produce another embodiment. It is understood that the present invention shall include all such modifications and variants.

[0058] A device 10 to slow and/or stop a means of transport, according to the present invention, comprises a series of lamellar elements 12 substantially parallel to each other.

[0059] According to a possible embodiment of the invention, the device 10, in addition to the lamellar elements 12, can also comprise connection elements or cross pieces 13.

[0060] The cross pieces 13 can be disposed inclined at an angle α with respect to the lamellar elements 12 to form a grid-type structure 11.

[0061] Advantageously, the angle α can be about 90°, so as to produce a grid-type structure 11 with regular rectangular cells.

[0062] According to possible variant embodiments of the invention, the lamellar elements 12 and the cross pieces 13 can be disposed to form a grid-like structure 11 with rhomboidal cells.

[0063] Advantageously, the grid-type structure 11 allows to make the passage of the tire over the lamellar elements 12 less tortuous, reducing the noise generated by the means of transport.

[0064] According to possible embodiments, the lamellar elements 12 and the cross pieces 13 can be overlapped, that is, they can be connected one over the other to define the grid-type structure 11. For example, the cross pieces 13 can be located above and transverse to the lamellar elements 12.

[0065] Once the grid-type structure 11 has been assembled, it can be joined at different points by welding to guarantee the solidity of the device 10.

[0066] According to variants of the invention, the device 10 can have any size or geometrical conformation corresponding to the technical characteristics of the road pavement. For example, the device 10 can have a rectangular shape, for example square.

[0067] According to some embodiments of the invention, the device 10 can be modular so that it is possible to quickly replace or add components, for example in the event of damage.

[0068] According to one aspect of the invention, the lamellar elements 12 of the device 10 are disposed substantially perpendicularly to the direction of travel.

[0069] According to a possible embodiment, the lamellar elements 12 can be slightly inclined by an angle β with respect to the road surface 27, toward the direction of origin of the means of transport, see FIG. 1, so as to guarantee a greater contrasting and load-absorbing action during the step of stopping and blocking the vehicle. For example, the angle β can be comprised between 10° and 20°, preferably about 15°.

[0070] According to possible embodiments of the invention, the lamellar elements 12 and the possible cross pieces 13 can be distanced from each other with a constant pitch P.

[0071] The lamellar elements 12 and the cross pieces 13 have respectively an upper edge 24 and 26, which, during use, are disposed flush with the road pavement 21.

[0072] The cross pieces 13 have a lower edge 25, respectively opposite the upper edge 26.

[0073] According to one aspect of the present invention, the upper edges 24 of the lamellar elements 12 define anti-skid profiles 14.

[0074] According to some embodiments of the invention, the upper edges 26 of the cross pieces 13 can define anti-skid profiles 15.

[0075] According to possible embodiments of the invention, the upper edges 24, 26 of the lamellar elements 12 and/or of the cross pieces 13 can be flat. Advantageously, the upper edges 24, 26 can have a surface roughness such as to increase the skid resistance.

[0076] According to one possible embodiment, the lamellar elements 12 and the cross pieces 13 can have a serrated upper edge 24, 26. In particular, the upper edge 24 of the lamellar elements 12 can consist of trapezoidal teeth 18 one after the other.

[0077] According to another possible embodiment, the serrated upper edge 26 of the cross pieces 13 can consist of square teeth 17 one after the other.

[0078] However, we do not exclude that the anti-skid profiles 14, 15 can be made in another way suitable for the purpose, for example with different toothing, so as to have a high skid resistance.

[0079] The succession of the anti-skid profiles 14 and of the anti-skid profiles 15 defines an anti-skid surface 16.

[0080] Advantageously, the anti-skid profile 14 has a greater skid resistance than the skid resistance of the road pavement 21, independently of weather conditions. In this way, even in the event of rain, snow or other weather conditions, the anti-skid profile 14 allows to slow down or stop the means of transport safely.

[0081] According to possible embodiments of the invention, the cross pieces 13 and the lamellar elements 12 have respectively notches 19, 20 such as to allow a secure and stable connection between the cross pieces 13 and the lamellar elements 12.

[0082] In particular, the cross pieces 13 can have notches 20 in the lower edge 25, mating in a slot-in manner with respective notches 19 present in the upper edge 24 of the lamellar elements 12.

[0083] The lamellar elements 12, see FIG. 4, can have a height H1 comprised between 2.5 cm and 3.5 cm, preferably about 3 cm, and a thickness S1 comprised between 2.5 mm and 4 mm, preferably about 3 mm.

[0084] The notches 19 of the lamellar elements 12 can have a width D1 comprised between 2.5 mm and 4 mm, preferably about 3 mm, and a depth T1 variable between 1.3 cm and 1.7 cm, preferably about 1.5 cm, suitable for the insertion of the cross pieces 13.

[0085] The distance between one notch 19 and the next in the lamellar elements 12 is identified by a pitch P1. In a pitch P1, there can be between two and four trapezoidal teeth 18, preferably three.

[0086] The cross-pieces 13, FIG. 5, can have a height H2 comprised between 2 cm and 3 cm, preferably 2.5 cm, and a thickness S2 substantially equal to S1.

[0087] The notches 20 of the cross pieces 13 can have a width D2 comprised between 2.5 mm and 4 mm, for example about 3 mm, and a depth T2 comprised between 0.8 cm and 1.2 cm, for example 1 cm for the insertion of the lamellar elements 12.

[0088] The distance between one notch 20 and the next in the cross pieces 13 is identified by a pitch P2. One or two, preferably one, square teeth can be made in the pitch P2, according to the size of the pitch P2.

[0089] The height of the trapezoidal teeth 18 and square teeth 17 can be comprised between 3 mm and 5 mm, for example 4 mm.

[0090] According to possible embodiments, when installed, the trapezoidal teeth 18 and the square teeth 17 can be at the same height as the road pavement 21.

[0091] Alternatively, the trapezoidal teeth 18 of the lamellar elements 12 can be, when installed, at the same height as the road pavement 21, while the square teeth 13 can be below this level.

[0092] With reference to FIG. 7, the device 10 is shown during use in a road pavement 21.

[0093] According to the invention, the device 10 is inserted in the road pavement 21 and after it has been installed it is filled with a layer generally of bituminous conglomerate, guaranteeing solidity and stability to the structure.

[0094] According to the invention, the device 10 is installed in such a way that the lamellar elements 12 are located transversely to the direction of travel of the means of transport. In this way, advantageously, the disposition of the device 10 allows to expose the largest anti-skid surface in contact, during use, with the tires of a means of transport.

[0095] The device 10 can be inserted during the making of the road pavement 21, or subsequently, following milling, cutting and/or scraping of the road pavement 21.

[0096] For example, by milling the road pavement 21, a suitable seating 22 is made, suitable to accommodate the device 10.

[0097] The seating 22 has to be deep enough for the device 10 to be installed, FIG. 7, so that it does not protrude from the road pavement 21, so as to guarantee the grip of the tire on the road pavement 21.

[0098] Furthermore, the depth of the seating 22 can be such as to reach the road surface 27, according to the thickness of the road pavement 21. The materials that the road surface 27 consists of can be cement mortar and/or bituminous conglomerate with different sizes and compositions, or similar materials.

[0099] The width and length of the seating 22 will be equal respectively to at least the transverse and longitudinal size of the device 10. Before the insertion of the device 10, it can be advantageous to level the possible irregularities of the seating 22, in particular of the road surface 27.

[0100] The depth of the seating 22 can be comprised between 4 cm and 7 cm. Preferably the depth of the seating can be greater than the height of the device 10, for example by about 2 cm, so as to consider the possible addition of layers of material to level the seating 22.

[0101] According to possible embodiments, the road surface 27 and the road pavement 21 can be inclined, for example in correspondence with mountain roads or parabolic curves. The seating 22 is therefore made taking into consideration possible inclines.

[0102] According to one embodiment of the invention, in order to guarantee greater solidity to the device 10, the latter can preferably be laid on a fiber-reinforced concrete base to which it is attached with suitable attachment means. This solution could be particularly advantageous in the case of heavy means of transport, as the fiber-reinforced concrete increases resistance to loads and impacts.

[0103] According to a further variant, a layer of bitumen emulsion could be applied in the seating 22, for example by hand or by spraying, and/or a layer of mortar or cement, in order to level the base of the seating 22.

[0104] The device 10, once positioned in the seating 22, is partly covered by a covering layer 28. The covering layer 28 is generally bituminous conglomerate.

[0105] The covering layer 28 can also be of another material, such as for example concrete or other stabilizing material, suitable to guarantee the stability of the device 10.

[0106] In the event that the device 10 comprises a grid-type structure 11, the lamellar elements 12 and the cross pieces 13 can be disposed with respect to each other according to their different heights, as well as to the depth of the corresponding notches 19, 20.

[0107] In other words, the cross pieces 13 can be raised by a distance X comprised between 3 mm and 6 mm, advantageously 5 mm, from the lower edge 25 of the lamellar elements 12. In this way, channels 29 are defined between the cross pieces 13 and the road surface 27, to allow the covering layer 28, such as cement or bitumen, to transit between the lamellar elements 12.

[0108] Afterwards, the covering layer 28 is compacted so as to fix the device 10 in the seating 22.

[0109] The covering layer 28 of the device 10 is disposed so as not to cover the upper edges 24, 26, so as to also guarantee the anti-skid functional characteristic which characterizes the present invention.

[0110] Advantageously, following the laying of the covering layer 28, it can be provided to lay a sheet of plastic material, in particular made of rubber.

[0111] According to a possible variant embodiment of the present invention, a method to lay a device 10 to slow down and/or stop means of transport can comprise: [0112] making a seating 22 in a road pavement 21, [0113] inserting the device 10 in the seating 22, [0114] covering the device 10 with a covering layer 28.

[0115] According to one aspect of the present invention, the laying method further comprises spreading a sheet of plastic material over the device 10 and the covering layer 28; [0116] compressing and leveling the sheet of plastic material in order to compact the covering layer 28 and to insert at least the anti-skid profile 14 in the sheet of plastic material; and—removing the sheet of plastic material so that the anti-skid profile 14 is flush with the road pavement 21 and protrudes by a height Z from the covering layer 28.

[0117] In this way, when the sheet of plastic material is removed, the anti-skid profiles 14 and possibly the anti-skid profiles 15 can protrude by height Z from the covering layer 28 and be flush with the road pavement 21, in order to guarantee the grip of the means of transport, see FIG. 7.

[0118] With reference to FIGS. 1 and 7, according to the present invention, only the anti-skid profiles 14 protrude with respect to the covering layer 28 and are flush with the road pavement 21.

[0119] According to a variant, in the case of teeth 17, 18, these can be inserted in the sheet of plastic material during the compression step.

[0120] According to some embodiments, the trapezoidal teeth 18 and the square teeth 17 can protrude from the covering layer 28 by a height Z comprised between 1 mm and 4 mm, preferably between 2 mm and 3 mm and remain flush with the road pavement 21. In this way, the device 10 in the seating 22 produces an anti-skid pavement 23 with a series of small obstacles in the direction of travel with a greater skid resistance than the skid resistance of the road pavement 21.

[0121] According to a possible variant embodiment, the height Z corresponds to the thickness of the sheet of plastic material.

[0122] Advantageously, the upper edge 24 and possibly the upper edge 26 are flush with the surface of the road pavement 21 so as not to cause loss of grip of the means of transport.

[0123] Consequently, the high skid resistance of the anti-skid pavement 23 allows, advantageously, to slow down and/or stop the means of transport in a short time and in a small space, independently of their mass and/or their sizes. Furthermore, the grip that is maintained with the remaining road pavement 21 ensures that the means of transport stop in substantial safety.

[0124] According to possible embodiments, the anti-skid pavement 23 can be advantageously colored with phosphorescent, fluorescent or similar colors, and combined with suitable vertical and/or horizontal signs to make it suitably visible.

[0125] It is clear that modifications and/or additions of parts may be made to the device 10 to slow down and/or stop means of transport as described heretofore, without departing from the field and scope of the present invention.

[0126] It is also clear that, although the present invention has been described with reference to some specific examples, a person of skill in the art shall certainly be able to achieve many other equivalent forms of device 10, having the characteristics as set forth in the claims and hence all coming within the field of protection defined thereby.