Abstract
The present invention relates to a mounting assembly (3) for mounting a traffic barrier (1) to a surface, comprising: an attachment base (5) configured to be stationary connected with the traffic barrier; and a ground connecting element (7), configured to be stationary connected with the ground by means of fastening means, such as screws, pins or bolts. The invention further relates to a traffic barrier comprising such a mounting assembly.
Claims
1. A mounting assembly for mounting a traffic barrier to a surface, comprising: an attachment base configured to be stationary connected with respect to the traffic barrier and adapted to be integrated into the traffic barrier; and a ground connecting element, configured to be stationary connected with respect to a ground by means of fastening means, such as screws, pins or bolts; wherein the attachment base and the ground connecting element are mutually coupled by coupling means configured to allow movement between the attachment base and the ground connecting element in coupled condition, and the attachment base at least partially encloses the ground connecting element.
2. The mounting assembly according to claim 1, characterised in that the movement allowed by the coupling means is a linear movement.
3. The mounting assembly according to claim 1, characterised in that the movement allowed by the coupling means has a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the traffic barrier.
4. The mounting assembly according to claim 1, characterised in that the coupling means comprise a protrusion and a receiving space for receiving the protrusion therein and thereby coupling the attachment base and the ground connecting element.
5. The mounting assembly according to claim 4, characterised in that at least one of the protrusion and the receiving space is configured to at least partially plastically deform upon movement.
6. The mounting assembly according to claim 5, characterised in that the receiving space for receiving the protrusion is a substantially longitudinal aperture with a narrowing width.
7. The mounting assembly according to claim 1, characterised in that the attachment base and the ground connecting element are provided with cooperating abutments for limitation of the displacement of the attachment base and the ground connecting element.
8. The mounting assembly according to claim 7, characterised in that the abutments are facing edges.
9. The mounting assembly according to claim 1, characterised in that the attachment base is substantially an elongated channel.
10. The mounting assembly according to claim 1, characterised in that the ground connecting element has a longitudinal central body part that is at least partially enclosed by the attachment base.
11. The mounting assembly according to claim 1, characterised in that the ground connecting element is provided with apertures on opposite sides for cooperating with the fastening means to stationary connect the ground connecting element to the ground.
12. The mounting assembly according to claim 1, characterised in that the attachment base is an integrated part of a traffic barrier.
13. A traffic barrier comprising a mounting assembly according to claim 1.
14. The traffic barrier according to claim 13, characterised in that the traffic barrier comprises plural mounting assemblies.
15. The traffic barrier according to claim 14, characterised in that the attachment base is an integrated part of a traffic barrier and the longitudinal direction of the attachment base is perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the traffic barrier.
Description
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
(1) The invention will now be elucidated into more detail with reference to non-limitative exemplary embodiments shown in the following figures. Corresponding elements are indicated with corresponding numbers in the figures. In the figures:
(2) FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of a traffic barrier comprising a mounting assembly according to the invention,
(3) FIG. 2 shows a detailed view on the mounting assembly of the traffic barrier shown in FIG. 1,
(4) FIG. 3a-b show a perspective view of respectively the top side and the bottom side of a ground connecting element of a mounting assembly according to the invention,
(5) FIG. 4 shows a perspective view of an attachment base of a mounting assembly according to the invention, and
(6) FIG. 5 shows a top view of the attachment base shown in FIG. 4.
DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
(7) FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of a traffic barrier 1 comprising a mounting assembly 3 according to the invention. The traffic barrier 1 has an elongated shape and is at a bottom side along its length provided with multiple attachment bases 5 that may each form part of a separate mounting assembly 3. The shown mounting assembly 3 comprises an attachment base 5, as well as a ground connecting element 7. The attachment base 5 in the embodiment shown is an integrated part of the traffic barrier 1 and is therefore inherently a stationary part of the traffic barrier 1. It may however be possible that the attachment base 5 constitutes a separate part that is stationary but detachably connected to the traffic barrier 1. The attachment base 5 comprises a longitudinal channel 9, having its longitudinal axis oriented perpendicular to the longitudinal direction 11 of the traffic barrier 1. The channel 9 encloses a longitudinal central body part 13 (see FIG. 2) of the ground connecting element 7. The attachment base 5 and the ground connecting element 7 are mutually coupled by co-operating coupling means provided on the ground connecting element 7 and the attachment base 5 which will be shown in the following figures in more detail. The ground connecting element 7 is provided with apertures 15 (see FIG. 2) on opposite sides for cooperating with fastening means, such as for instance screws, bolts and/or nails, to stationary connect the ground connecting element 7 to the ground. The ground may for example be a roadbed or another artificial construction like for instance a bridge or a ramp.
(8) FIG. 2 shows a detailed view on the mounting assembly 3 of the traffic barrier 1 shown in FIG. 1, denoted as D in FIG. 1. The attachment base 5 of the mounting assembly, here provided with a longitudinal channel 9, forms a support for the traffic barrier 1. The ground connecting element 7 is coupled to the attachment base 5 such that mutual movement between the attachment base 5 and the ground connecting element 7 is allowed. Opposing sides of the ground connecting element 7 are provided with apertures 15 for passing though fastening means and stationary connecting the ground connecting element 7 to the ground.
(9) FIG. 3a shows a perspective view of the top side of a ground connecting element 17 of a mounting assembly according to the invention. The ground connecting element 17 is at a bottom side provided with elongated protrusions 19 that constitute part of coupling means that are configured to couple the ground connecting element 17 to an attachment base and at the same time allow limited and controlled mutual movement between the attachment base and the ground connecting element 17. The protrusions 19 are configured to be received in a corresponding receiving space (see FIGS. 4 and 5) provided on an attachment base. Note that although the shown ground connecting element 17 is provided with multiple protrusions 19, as an alternative it also possible to use a only a single protrusion 19. It is moreover equally possible that the ground connecting element 17 is provided with one or more receiving spaces for receiving corresponding one or more protrusions provided on an attachment base. The protrusions 19 are elongated in the direction of elongation 21 of the longitudinal central body part 23 of the ground connecting element 17, the latter being configured to be enclosed by a longitudinal channel of an attachment base. The elongated shape allows a protrusion 19 to perform a linear movement relative to a receiving space having a width substantially equal to the width of the protrusion 25. In order to increase the structural rigidity, and specifically the stiffness of the ground connecting element 17, the ground connecting element is formed as a hollow beam-like element. It can furthermore be again seen that opposing sides of the ground connecting element are provided with apertures 27 for passing though fastening means (not shown) and stationary connecting the ground connecting element 17 to the ground.
(10) FIG. 3b shows a perspective view of the bottom side of a ground connecting element 17 of a mounting assembly according to the invention. Again, the above-discussed protrusions 19 are shown, that co-operate with form-fitting receiving spaces for coupling the ground connecting element 17 to an attachment base and at the same time allowing mutual movement between said attachment base and the ground connecting element 17. Opposing edges 29 on the bottom side of the ground connecting element 17 form abutments for co-operating abutments provided on an attachment base and function to limit the mutual displacement of the attachment base and the ground connecting element 17. The edges 29 of the ground connecting element 17 are provided with profiles complementary to the profile of an abutment provided on an attachment base to increase the contact surface between cooperating abutments. Although the shown profile is formed by castellations 31, the application of any other profile that is complementary to the profile of an abutment provided on an attachment base is possible as well.
(11) FIG. 4 shows a perspective view of an attachment base 33 of a mounting assembly according to the invention, wherein the attachment base 33 is an integral part of a support structure 35 of a traffic barrier (not shown in this figure). The attachment base 33 shown is formed as an elongated channel 37 for enclosing a corresponding ground connecting element. The channel's longitudinal direction 39 is hereby perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the traffic barrier. The end sides 41 of the channel 37 form abutments that are configured to cooperate with abutments provided on a ground connecting element. The edges of the attachment base 33 are herewith provided with profiles (castellations 43) complementary to the profile of an abutment provided on a ground connecting element to increase the contact surface between cooperating abutments. The attachment base 33 is moreover provided with receiving spaces 45, which are discussed in more detail in the following figure (FIG. 5).
(12) FIG. 5 shows a top view of the attachment base 33 shown in FIG. 4. The end sides 41 of the channel 37 form abutments for corresponding abutments provided on a ground connecting element. Also shown are four receiving spaces, formed by longitudinal apertures 45, having a narrowing width at the longitudinal end sides 47 thereof. The apertures 45 are configured to receive corresponding protrusions of the same coupling means. The maximum width 49 of the apertures 45 is therefore preferably chosen to correspond to the width of the protrusions of said same coupling means. The apertures 45 shown in this embodiment of the coupling means are continuous and progressively narrowing (tapered) towards their longitudinal end sides 47. As a result, upon relative movement of the aperture 45 and the protrusion, the width of the protrusion will at an end side 47 of the aperture 45 exceed the width of the aperture upon which the aperture mayin case of substantial impact onto the traffic barrierdeform to accommodate the protrusion. As a consequence of the progressive narrowing, the experienced resistance as well as the amount of energy dissipated during the mutual movement will progressively increase. Note that although the shown apertures 45 are continuous and progressively narrowing towards their longitudinal end sides 47, it is also possible that the narrowing may not be progressive but has a constant width smaller than the width of a corresponding protrusion being received therein. Moreover, the narrowing width of the aperture 45 may be achieved by one or more protrusions situated along the peripheral edge of the aperture 45. These protrusion may increase in size towards the longitudinal end sides 47 of the aperture 45 to achieve a progressive narrowing of the aperture.
(13) It will be apparent that the invention is not limited to the exemplary embodiments shown and described here, but that within the scope of the appended claims numerous variants are possible which will be self-evident to the skilled person in this field. It is possible here to envisage that different inventive concepts and/or technical measures of the above described embodiment variants can be wholly or partially combined without departing from the inventive concept described in the appended claims.
