Roadway barriers impact detection system

Abstract

The guardrail, which may take the form of various types of guardrails, is noteworthy in that it includes an impact detector/indicator, for indicating the location of the guardrail involved in an impact or accident and also for notifying the accident and the place where it occurred to a traffic control station or to public assistance personnel. The detector/indicator includes a convex protective plate (2) attached to the front of the guardrail (1) with which it is used, said plate (2) protecting a connection box (3) and a tube (4) so as together to create a means for detecting and communicating the impact that occurred, also having an indicator light (5) for flagging up the impact, said indicator (5) being positioned on a support plate (6) secured above the protective plate (2).

Claims

1. A roadway barriers impact detection system comprising: a body made of an impact-absorbing material having an elongated rectangular configuration with a front surface, a rear surface and lateral ends, said front surface includes an upper undulated portion, a lower undulated portion and a hollow portion positioned between said upper and lower undulated portions and being provided proximate to an upper edge of said front surface and longitudinally extending between said lateral ends, wherein an upper reinforcing solid plate is provided inside said body longitudinally extending between said lateral ends in alignment with said upper undulated portion, a lower reinforcing solid plate is provided inside said body longitudinally extending between said lateral ends in alignment with said lower undulated portion and a bottom reinforcing solid plate provided inside said body proximate to a lower edge of said front surface and longitudinally extending between said lateral ends, the hollow portion includes a junction box and at least one internal tube housing an impact detecting apparatus that detects an impact to said body and communicates said detected impact to a remote location.

2. The system of claim 1, further comprising a connecting reinforcing solid plate provided inside said body and coupled to said upper and lower reinforcing solid plates.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein said junction box and at least one internal tube are located inside said hollow portion so that the at least one internal tube longitudinally extends between lateral slits of said hollow portion provided at said lateral ends, respectively.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein said lateral ends comprise lateral plates for fixing ends of the upper reinforcing solid plate, lower reinforcing solid plate and bottom reinforcing solid plate to said lateral ends.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein said body further comprises a portion for advertisement placement.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein said body is made from rubber.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein said body is made from recycled rubber.

8. The system of claim 1, further comprising a screen showing warning information.

9. The system of claim 1, further comprising a local visual alert element.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein said local visual alert element comprises a hazard indicating alert in the form of a triangle.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein said impact detecting apparatus comprises an impact detection sensor and cabling used to bi-directionally communicate between said impact detecting apparatus and said remote location.

12. The system of claim 1, further comprising a metal connecting bracket configured to coupled said body to a roadway post.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein said metal connecting bracket is connected to a lateral end of said body.

14. The system of claim 1, wherein a plurality of bodies is connected side-by-side by a metal joining plate coupled to one lateral end of a body and another lateral end of an adjacent body.

Description

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) To complement the description being made and in order to aid a better understanding of the invention's characteristics the present specification is accompanied by, as an integral part thereof, a figure in which, in an illustrative and non-limiting manner, is shown the following:

(2) FIG. 1.Shows a side view of the traffic protection barrier provided with an impact detection-signalling device, in this case materialised in concrete.

(3) FIG. 2.Shows a front view of the assembly represented in the previous figure.

(4) FIG. 3.Shows a side detail of the protection panel that is used in the barrier's detection-signalling device, in this embodiment with a trapezoidal configuration as an alternative to the curved configuration shown in FIGS. 1 and 2.

(5) FIG. 4.Shows an elevated view of a concrete barrier with an impact detection-signalling device, made of a hollow sheet supported both laterally and in its upper part to the barrier's main structure.

(6) FIG. 5.Shows a frontal view of the application corresponding to the enveloping plate incorporating the invention's barrier mounted detection-signalling device, with the end elements as means for coupling with adjacent barriers or contiguous sections of barrier.

(7) FIG. 6.Shows a profile view of an alternative embodiment for the invention's barrier.

(8) FIG. 7Shows a rear plan view of the barrier represented in FIG. 6 without a rear joining plate between sections of barrier, without the rear support for joining with the post, or the fixing post.

(9) FIG. 8.Shows a front view of the assembly represented in FIG. 6.

(10) FIG. 9.Shows a longitudinal detail of the three splints involved in the barrier shown in FIGS. 6 to 9, to give it rigidity and the corresponding bracket for fixing these splints transversely to the post anchored to the ground.

(11) FIG. 10.Shows a rear view of the rear joining plate between barrier sections.

PREFERRED EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION

(12) As can be seen in the aforementioned figures the traffic protection fence (1) that is the object of the invention can be of concrete as represented in FIGS. 1 and 2, or of plastic, wood, metal or any other type of traffic protection fence, it incorporates a detection-signalling device that is formed from a curved plate (2) fixed by a suitable means to the front of the barrier (1), and whose protection plate (2) houses inside a sealed junction box (3) with an interior tube (4) to protect the cabling and establish the detection should an impact to the barrier occur, particularly an impact to the protection plate (2).

(13) That is, the whole assembly forms an impact detector, where the junction box (3) in combination with the interior tube (4) establish a communication means with a traffic centre, the emergency services or any other entity, as well as activating a signal light (5) located on a support plate (6), fixed above the protection plate (2) and attached, as shown in FIG. 1, to the surface or upper part of the barrier (1), and where the plate (6) supporting the signal light (5) is made with an angled profile with a upper, horizontal section that is located above the upper edge of the barrier (1), and it has holes that are referenced with (7) and that are clearly shown in FIG. 2.

(14) A signal light (8) is also planned for the protection plate (2), as can also be seen in FIG. 2.

(15) The signal light (5) indicates that an accident or impact against the fence (1) has occurred and it can be a triangle-shaped hazard signal for the motorists, motorcyclists, etc. that may be approaching the impact or crash site at that moment.

(16) Optionally, and as shown in FIG. 3, the protection plate, instead of being curved as represented in FIGS. 1 and 2 is a protection plate (2) with a trapezoidal configuration with the same function as previously described but with a different configuration, although this is not crucial as the configuration can be variable, although it must always have a curved or polygonal configuration or other form to protect the junction box (3) and the interior tube (4) containing the means for detection, monitoring and communication.

(17) In the alternative embodiment shown in FIGS. 4 and 5 it can be seen that the invention's detection-signalling device has been applied to a concrete barrier (1), in this case the invention is made of a plate (2) that envelops the side and top surface of the barrier (1), this plate (2) is hollow to house the corresponding impact detector, while the exterior includes the corresponding signal light (5).

(18) The means for other devices are also provided within the plate (2), such as a signal light (9) and others.

(19) In any case, the ends of the plate (2) have coupling elements (10) for connecting the plates (2) of the concrete blocks (1) corresponding to the barrier in a continuous disposition, as shown in FIG. 5.

(20) In one of the invention's alternative embodiments, as shown in FIGS. 6 to 10, the barrier may be configured with a rubber body made of recycled tyres and other similar materials (11), and contain a pair of longitudinal undulations (12) along its upper half, whose form and design may be that described in those figures or vary depending on location and on the degree of danger for vehicles or the required level of containment.

(21) This main body is reinforced internally by a metal structure, particularly visible in FIG. 9.

(22) The body of the fence-barrier incorporates some internal ducts (14) necessary for incorporating the designed monitoring technology.

(23) Three splints (15) are provided that are fixed using screws and other conventional means to their respective supports (16) provided at the ends of the barrier's body (11), for which the ends of these splints (15) have holes (17) for screws and other appropriate fixing elements. The upper splints are joined to form an assembly using a connecting splint (18).

(24) The join between sections of fence-barrier are made using a metal plate (21), as shown in FIG. 10, whose shape and design can be that described in the accompanying figures or the design may vary in relation to the installation site depending on how dangerous it is for vehicles or the required level of containment.

(25) The joint between the fence-barrier and the post that acts as a vertical support is performed by a metal connecting piece, anchored to the post using a shear bolt (20).

(26) The fence-barrier is anchored to the ground or edge of the roadway by inserting a post that acts as a vertical support for the fence-barrier (19), forming a C type profile, but not ruling out other shapes or measures for the section and profile type.

(27) The fence-barrier is designed to be able to house impact monitoring systems, bidirectional communication with a traffic control centre, signal light systems. As well as materials or substances for efficiently obtaining a suitable reflectance and/or phosphorescence for night driving. A slit (13) is made in the ends of the rubber to house the box containing the control systems, the box being protected by the rear plate as shown in FIG. 10.

(28) The fence-barrier is designed to be able to include the materials or substances necessary to obtain the tones and colours required.

(29) The fence-barrier is designed to be able to include the materials or substances necessary to efficiently obtain the required levels of resistance or friction depending on how dangerous a siting location is for vehicles or the required level of containment.

(30) Two of the splints are embedded within the body (11) of the barrier, corresponding to the troughs of the two upper undulations in the barrier's body, while the lower splint is located at a level close to the lower edge.