Abstract
A sound absorbing guard rail system for installation at a lateral or median side of a road, the guard rail system having a series of supporting posts, that are preferably vertically oriented, at least one noise absorbing panel that can be mounted to the supporting posts, and a series of longitudinal guard rails mounted on the side of the guard rail system facing the road. The noise absorbing panel comprise a noise absorbing material which is encased in an energy absorbing material provided with openings.
Claims
1-20. (canceled)
21. A guard rail system for installation at a lateral or median side of a road, the guard rail system comprising: a series of supporting posts; at least one noise absorbing panel mounted to the supporting posts, the noise absorbing panel comprising a noise absorbing material encased in an energy absorbing material provided with openings; and a series of longitudinal guard rails mounted on a side of the guard rail system facing a road.
22. A guard rail system according to claim 21, wherein the noise absorbing material is a mineral wool fibre material provided as a board, foam material, integrated or partial rubber material, integrated or partial plastic material, or other noise absorbing material resistant in regard to weather conditions and wear effects next to traffic ways.
23. A guard rail system according to claim 21, wherein the energy absorbing material provided with openings comprises a mesh, a grid or a perforated material.
24. A guard rail system according to claim 21, wherein the energy absorbing material is a stretch-metal netting encasing the noise absorbing material.
25. A guard rail system according to claim 24, wherein the stretch-metal is a ductile metal capable of absorbing energy while being plastically deformed.
26. A guard rail system according to claim 24, wherein the stretch-metal is galvanised steel.
27. A guard rail system according to claim 21, wherein the energy absorbing material is a perforated metal sheet, a plastic netting and/or a combination thereof, encasing the noise absorbing material.
28. A guard rail system according to claim 24, wherein the noise absorbing material has main sides and a top side, and the netting is a panel which encloses at least the main sides and the top side of the noise absorbing material.
29. A guard rail system according to claim 24, wherein the encasing is made from a stretch-metal netting panel which is bent into the box-like shape around the noise absorbing material and with mounting panels provided at each of the end sides of the stretch-metal netting panel.
30. A guard rail system according to claim 24, wherein the encasing is made from a stretch-metal netting panel which is cast into an insulation material made by a wet-felt process and with mounting panels provided at each of the end sides of the stretch-metal netting panel.
31. A guard rail system according to claim 24, wherein the encasing is made from a stretch-metal netting panel and mounting panels are provided at each of the end sides of the stretch-metal netting panel, the stretch-metal netting panel being produced with non-stretched areas at each of the end sections for receiving the mounting panels at each end for mounting the noise absorbing panel to the supporting posts.
32. A guard rail system according to claim 21, wherein the noise absorbing panel is approx. 90 cm in height and in length approx. 130 cm, approx. 260 cm, approx. 520 cm, or approx. 530 cm.
33. A guard rail system according to claim 22, wherein the noise absorbing material is a mineral wool fibre board comprising stone wool and is provided with a density within the range of 60-150 kg/m.sup.3, 80-120 kg/m.sup.3, or 80-100 kg/m.sup.3.
34. A guard rail system according to claim 21, wherein the noise absorbing material is provided with a protective fabric on its road-facing side.
35. A guard rail system according to claim 34, wherein the protective fabric has a structured surface having different appearances depending on an actual line of vision.
36. A guard rail system according to claim 21, wherein the noise absorbing panel is provided in a planar configuration or a curved or polygonal configuration.
37. A guard rail system according to claim 21, wherein the noise absorbing panel is provided at the respective axial end portions with end profiles, and the end profiles have a I-, H-, U- or C-shape.
38. A guard rail system according to claim 21, wherein the guard rail is made of a steel beam having a predetermined cross-sectional shape.
39. A guard rail system according to claim 38, wherein the beam is provided with sound reducing means, comprising one or more sections of perforations.
40. A guard rail system according to claim 21, wherein the guard rail is a tube or a wire.
Description
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0030] In the following the invention is described in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:
[0031] FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view of a sound absorbing guard rail system according to a first embodiment of the invention;
[0032] FIG. 2 is a schematic front view of said guard rail system of the first embodiment of the invention[[,]];
[0033] FIG. 3 is a side view of the first embodiment;
[0034] FIG. 4 is a top view of the first embodiment;
[0035] FIG. 5 is a schematic perspective view of a sound absorbing guard rail system according to a second embodiment of the invention;
[0036] FIG. 6 is a schematic front view of the second embodiment;
[0037] FIG. 7 a)-c) is a series of cross-section views illustrating the absorption of an impact by a guard rail system according to the invention;
[0038] FIGS. 8-10 are cross-section views of three embodiments of a noise absorbing panel according to the invention;
[0039] FIGS. 11-14 are cross-section views of elements of each of said three embodiments;
[0040] FIG. 15 is a detailed front view of a preferred embodiment of a stretch-metal netting according to a preferred embodiment of the invention;
[0041] FIG. 16 is a side view of the stretch-metal netting of FIG. 15;
[0042] FIG. 17 is a schematic perspective view of an assembly profile for use between two adjacent noise-absorbing panels;
[0043] FIG. 18 is a front view of a guard rail beam according to an embodiment of the invention with areas of perforations;
[0044] FIG. 19 is a detailed perspective view of the beam of FIG. 18; and
[0045] FIG. 20 is a cross-sectional view of the beam of FIG. 18;
[0046] FIGS. 21 and 22 are views of a second embodiment of a guard rail beam;
[0047] FIGS. 23 and 24 are views of a third embodiment of a guard rail beam;
[0048] FIGS. 25 and 26 are two cross-sectional shapes of guard rail beams;
[0049] FIGS. 27-30 are schematic views of different perforation patterns for the perforations in the guard rail beams of the invention; and
[0050] FIGS. 31-39 show different embodiments for designs for end elements covering end surfaces of noise absorbing panels.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0051] With reference to FIGS. 1 to 4, a first embodiment of a sound absorbing guard rail system according to the invention is shown. The guard rail system is installed at a lateral or median side of a road 2 and comprises a series of vertically oriented supporting posts 4. A series of noise absorbing panels 6 are mounted to one side of the supporting posts 4 facing away from the road and a series of longitudinal guard rails 8 are mounted on the other side of the posts 4 facing the road 2. Between the noise absorbing panels 6 assembly profiles 14 (see FIGS. 1 and 2) are provided to ensure the noise absorbing panels 6 are suitably positioned and aligned.
[0052] The noise absorbing panel 6 comprises a noise absorbing material board 10 which is encased in an energy absorbing mesh 12 (see FIG. 3)
[0053] In FIGS. 5 and 6 a second embodiment of a sound absorbing guard rail system according to the invention is shown. According to this embodiment, the guard rails 8 are provided with perforated sections 81, 82 to further increase the sound absorbing characteristics of the guard rail system.
[0054] In FIGS. 7 a) to c) the absorption of an impact by a guard rail system according to the invention is shown. As vehicle comes from the road 2 and collides with the guard rail 8, as indicated by the arrow in the figures, the posts 4 deflects at ground level and the noise absorbing panel 6 is tilted backwards, i.e. away from the road 2, as well as deformed as the energy in the impact is absorbed in this deformation of the noise absorbing panel 6. As the energy is taken out of the impact the guard rail 8 breaks away from the posts 4 as shown in FIG. 7 c).
[0055] Three embodiments of the noise absorbing panel 6 are shown in FIGS. 8-10. Common for these three embodiments is that a noise absorbing material board 10 is encased in an energy absorbing mesh 12. The material of the noise absorbing material board 10 is preferably a mineral fibre wool, and in particular stone wool material. This material has good sound absorbing characteristics just as the material is fire resistant and the noise absorbing panel 6 made of stone wool can thereby contribute to that the guard rail system can prevent any fire from spreading in case a fire occurs in relation to a road accident with or without vehicle impact in the guard rail.
[0056] Protective profiles 16, 16, 16 are provided between the noise absorbing material board 10 and the energy absorbing mesh 12. In FIG. 11 the noise absorbing material board 10 is shown alone and in FIGS. 12-14 the three different designs of the protective profiles 16, 16, 16 are shown. The protective profile 16, 16 or 16 may be made of a transparent or non-transparent polymeric material, such as polypropylene, polycarbonate or the like.
[0057] As mentioned above, the noise absorbing material board 10 is encased in an energy absorbing mesh 12. This mesh 12 is provided as a netting and is preferably made of stretch-metal or also called expanded metal. Such a netting of expanded metal is manufactured through cutting and expanding a solid sheet of metal in special machines. The machines cut and stretch the metal, expand it to a seamless mesh without joints. The mesh is hereby made up by ribs 12 and rhombus-like shaped openings 12 as shown in FIGS. 15 and 16.
[0058] The mesh 12 of expanded metal is advantageous as this type of mesh is highly deformable without breaking and can therefore absorb a high amount of energy in case of an impact and at the same time prevent the noise absorbing material 10 encased in the mesh 12 from being disintegrated and scattered around the in the event of a vehicle impact of the guard rail system. The expanded metal mesh is formed such that it is more deformable in the longitudinal direction along the road than in the vertical direction. The expanded metal mesh 12 is preferably bent into shape so as to form cover for the front and back sides of the noise absorbing board 10 as well as at least the top side. Preferably, the mesh 12 is also formed so it covers at least a portion of the bottom side of the noise absorbing board 10.
[0059] As mentioned in relation to FIGS. 1 and 2, an assembly profile 14 is provided between the noise absorbing panels 6. In FIG. 17 an embodiment of the assembly profile 14 is shown. The profile 14 is made as an H-profile with two exterior flanges 142 and a web flange 144 therebetween. Hereby, two receiving slots 146 are formed on each side of the web flange 144 for receiving the ends of two neighbouring noise absorbing panels 6. Alternatively two U-profiles, or Z-Profiles can be used.
[0060] In the following FIGS. 18-30 various embodiments of the guard rail beams 8 are illustrated. The guard rail beams 8 are formed from a sheet of metal which is bent into a desired cross-sectional shape. In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 18-20, the guard rail beam 8 is shaped with upper and lower longitudinal flange portions facing the road and a central flange portion therebetween. The upper and lower flange portions are provided with perforated sections 81 and the central flange portion is also provided with a perforated section 82. Mounting holes 80 are provided at least at the end portions of the beams 8.
[0061] In FIGS. 21 and 22 another embodiment is shown of the beam design. This second design differs from the design shown in FIGS. 18-20 by having non-perforated sections 83 along the beam 8.
[0062] In FIGS. 23-24, yet another variant of the design of the perforations is shown, where only areas 84 around the mounting holes 80 are non-perforated.
[0063] FIGS. 25 and 26 show cross-sections of two alternative shapes of the guard rail beam 8 relative to the shape shown in FIG. 20, which could be used for the road-facing guard rail beams 8 in a guard rail system according to the invention.
[0064] The perforations may be provided in the guard rail beams 8 with different patterns. In FIGS. 27-30 some different perforation patterns are shown.
[0065] FIG. 31 shows a detailed view of an end region of a noise absorbing panels 6 as described above. At the end region of the noise absorbing panel 6, two rubber elements 200 are fixed to the edges of the energy absorbing mesh material 12. Each of the rubber elements 200 in cross-section provides a profile with a U-shaped receiving part 202 with rib-like projections 204 and 206. Moreover, each of the rubber elements 200 has a hollow oval ring part 208. The rubber elements 200 are fixed to the free edge of the mesh material 12 by means of the receiving parts 202, wherein the rib-like projections 204 and 206 engage the mesh material 12 in order to retain the rubber elements 200 on the free edge of the mesh material 12. The hollow oval ring parts 208, which can be elastically deformed, project from the front surface 210 of the noise absorbing panel 6. Thereby, the rubber elements 200 provide a noise damping and mechanically cushioning interface to an approximate wall element or to another noise absorbing panel 6 formed with corresponding rubber elements 200. Moreover, tolerances can be compensated thereby.
[0066] It is to be added that the noise absorbing panel 6 also shows an additional protection layer 212 formed between the noise absorbing material board 10 and the energy absorbing mesh material 12. This additional protection layer 212 can be provided for protecting the noise absorbing material board 10 from dirt, water, or other external influences. Moreover, it can provide optical effects, e.g. particular reflection effects or light absorbing effects depending certain angular ranges. This additional protection layer can be provided in each embodiment as described above, independent from other structural features described.
[0067] FIG. 32 shows an alternative embodiment for the design of an end cover design of a noise absorbing panel 6. The noise absorbing panel 6 at its free and is provided with a cover 220 formed from rubber material. The cover has bent edge regions 222 which encompass the free ends of the noise absorbing panel 6 and are held by elastic deformation and friction to the end regions of the energy absorbing mesh material 12.
[0068] FIG. 33 shows an embodiment for another cover 230 according to the invention which basically corresponds to the embodiment as described in regard to FIG. 32. FIG. 35 additionally shows how two opposing noise absorbing panels 6 and 6 are arranged against one another equipped with covers 230, respectively. Moreover, FIG. 36 additionally shows a perspective view of the cover 230. According to this embodiment, the cover 230 has basically the same shape as shown in FIG. 32 in regard the cover 220 and it is also formed from elastically deformable material, e.g. rubber. Additionally, the cover 230 provides in its central region a rounded projection 232 with a hollow interior 234, which makes the rounded projection 232 elastically deformable. The general shape of the cover 230 is adapted to the geometry of the end side of a noise absorbing panel 6, as can be seen in FIG. 36. When fixed onto the end of two opposing noise absorbing panels 6 and 6, as shown in FIG. 35, the two corresponding rounded projections 232 and 232 of the respective covers 230 and 230 contact one another and under elastic deformation provide a tight engagement of the two end covers 230 and 230. This allows to compensate tolerances and provides a tight connection and additional noise damping effects also in the interface between two approximate noise absorbing panels 6 and 6.
[0069] FIG. 34 shows another embodiment which is based on the embodiment according to FIG. 33. The end cover 240 corresponds in its shape to the end cover 230 as described above, i.e. it also has a rounded projection 242 with a hollow interior 244. In the interior of the projection 242 a partition wall 246 is provided extending from the inner surface of the projection 242 into the noise absorbing material board 10. The partition wall 246 additionally stabilizes the structure of the projection 242.
[0070] FIG. 37 shows a further embodiment which is also based on the embodiment according to FIG. 33. In this embodiment, in the central area of the cover 250 the projection is formed by a closed ring-like structure 252 as can be seen in the cross-section with a hollow interior 254. The cover 250 is plugged onto the end portion of the noise absorbing panel 6 such that a part, in the example about one fourth of the circumference, of the inner portion 256 of the closed ring-like structure 252 engages the front surface of the noise absorbing material board 10 and protrudes into it to a certain degree. This further stabilizes the cover 250 and allows to compensate tolerances. As can be seen in FIG. 39, the shape of the cover 250 is similar to the shape as already described in regard to FIG. 36.
[0071] Finally, as can be seen in FIG. 38, this embodiment provides a similar interface between two opposing or approximate noise absorbing panels 6 and 6 wherein the two ring-like structures 252 contact each other under a demanded elastic deformation in order to provide a tight fit with beneficial noise dampening and cushioning characteristics.
[0072] Above, the invention is described with reference to some currently preferred embodiments. However, it is realised that other embodiments may be provided without departing from the scope of the invention as defined in the accompanying claims.
