GAWKER FENCE DESIGNED AS A VISUAL SCREENING SYSTEM

Abstract

The invention concerns a visual screening system wherein the visual screening system is fabricated as a mobile barrier device made of textile material.

Claims

1. A visual screening system, wherein the visual screening system is a mobile barrier device made of textile material.

2. The visual screening system according to claim 1, wherein the visual screening system is configured to be fillable with compressed air such that the visual screening system raises itself due to an air pressure of the compressed air.

3. The visual screening system according to claim 1, further comprising a self-supporting framework as a skeleton construction, and wherein at least one part of the self-supporting framework is fabricated from tubes.

4. The visual screening system according to claim 3, wherein an upper beam and pillars are provided, and wherein textile screen areas are attached on the upper beam and are fixed between the pillars.

5. The visual screening system according to claim 1, wherein two lower beams are provided, which are held apart by braces.

6. The visual screening system according to claim 1, wherein the visual screening system is stabilized by ballast.

7. The visual screening system according to claim 1, wherein the visual screening system is provided with warning lights.

8. The visual screening system according to claim 7, wherein the warning lights are LED warning lights.

9. The visual screening system according to claim 1, wherein LED lamps are used to illuminate surroundings of the visual screening system.

10. The visual screening system according to claim 1, wherein the visual screening system is provided with zippers for removing air from the visual screening system.

11. The visual screening system according to claim 1, wherein the textile material is a ripstop material.

12. The visual screening system according to claim 11, wherein the ripstop material is a ripstop nylon material.

13. A method for operating a visual screening system according to claim 1, comprising unrolling the visual screening system on a ground surface and inflating the visual screening system with a pressure blower such that the visual screening system erects itself.

14. The method according to claim 13, further comprising switching off the pressure blower and rolling up the visual screening system, with air escaping from tubes via seams, open zippers and/or an opening at the pressure blower.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0033] The invention is described below, without restricting the general intent of the invention, based on examples with reference to the drawings; we expressly refer to the drawings with regard to the disclosure of all details according to the invention that are not explained in greater detail in the text. These show:

[0034] FIG. 1 shows a schematic sectional view through an inventive visual screening system,

[0035] FIG. 2 shows a schematic side view of part of an inventive visual screening system,

[0036] FIG. 3 shows an inventive visual screening system schematically in a three-dimensional representation,

[0037] FIG. 4 shows a schematic side view of another inventive visual screening system,

[0038] FIG. 5 shows a top view of the visual screening system from FIG. 4,

[0039] FIG. 6 shows parts of the visual screening system in a schematic, three-dimensional exploded view representation,

[0040] FIG. 7 shows a schematic three-dimensional representation of a ground strip and

[0041] FIG. 8 shows a schematic sectional view of an inventive visual screening system.

[0042] In the drawings, the same or similar types of elements or parts are provided with the same reference numbers in order to avoid the need for redundant presentation in each case.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0043] FIG. 1 shows a sectional view through an inventive visual screening system 10. A corresponding schematic side view of a section of the visual screening system 10 is shown in FIG. 2, and a three-dimensional representation is shown schematically in FIG. 3.

[0044] The visual screening system 10 has a triangular section. This is based on the arrangement of the tubular pillars 14, 14, which, as the name suggests, are pillars which are designed as tubes and are connected with the lengthwise extending beams 13, 13, 13, which are also designed as tubes. The pillars 14, 14 are arranged at an acute angle with respect to one another, preferably at an angle of 25 to 40, especially 35. In a width of 1.2 m, which can be seen in FIG. 1 from left to right, and a height of 2.1 m, and angle of about 32 results. The tubular pillars 14, 14 are communicatively connected with the tubular beams 13, 13, 13.

[0045] The pillars 14, 14 are fabricated from textile material 11 in each case, for example from ripstop, and are sewn and/or glued together with one another and with the beams 13, 13, 13 for connection. The beams, which are designed as tubular beams 13, 13, 13, are made of ripstop.

[0046] To connect the ballast 2, which can be designed as a ballast water reservoir or as heavy sheeting or as a ground strip made heavier with ballast sacks, with the rest of the visual screening system. VELCRO fasteners can be connected with the lower beams 13, 13, 13, for example. The VELCRO fasteners are not shown here. Another form of connection can also be provided.

[0047] FIG. 2 also shows an illumination 3 very schematically, which can be warning illumination or even provided with an illumination with which the area of the visual screening system can be lit. The illumination 3 can be constituted as an LED lamp.

[0048] A further embodiment in FIG. 4 shows an inventive visual screening system 10 which, as an example, can be 20 m long and have nine pairs of pillars. In this Figure, only the tubular pillars 14 are shown which lie toward the observer. A lower tubular beam 13 is shown. The other lower tubular beam 13 lies in the plane of projection behind the tubular beam 13. The upper beam 13 is also shown. The beams can consist of multiple tubes put together as shown by the two lines in beams 13 and 13in each case. However, these can also be of a single piece.

[0049] However, the visual screening system 10 can also be extendable length-wise in a modular fashion, so that, for example, in each case parts of a visual screening system consisting of an upper tubular beam 13, to lower tubular beams 13 and 13 and three pairs of tubular pillars in each case are connected with each other at the beams or respectively, via the beams. In FIG. 4 that would then be three modules connected to one another. Connection can be made, for example, with VELCRO fasteners. However, this is only one of the conceivable variations of the inventive visual screening system 10.

[0050] The visual screening system 10 is inflated using a compressed air blower 23, which is linked communicatively with both lower beams 13 and 13 via corresponding tubes. This is represented better in FIG. 5, which shows an inventive visual screening system 10 in a schematic top view.

[0051] The screen areas were left out for the previous visual screening systems 10 to simplify the representation. These screen areas 15 are shown in FIG. 6. FIG. 6 shows a schematic three-dimensional exploded view of the components of an inventive visual screening system 10, comprising an upper beam 13, two lower beams 13 and 13 and three pillars 14 and 14 in each case. Together these comprise the framework 12 of the visual screening system 10. The beams and also the ground strip 32, on which the lower beams 13 and 13 are placed, are shown in a truncated manner in the back area of FIG. 6, so that the visual screening system will in fact ultimately be somewhat longer.

[0052] The framework 12 is placed on the ground strip 32 using a VELCRO strip 30, for example. A counterpart to the VELCRO fastener is also provided for this, but is not shown. Furthermore, braces 16 are placed on the ground strip or respectively, incorporated into it, said braces being oriented cross directional to the lengthwise extension of the ground strip 32 and also to the visual screening system 10, in particular perpendicular to it. These ensure that the two lower beams 13 and 13 are kept spaced apart. The braces 16 thus provide stability. In order that the visual screening system not fall over during a corresponding wind, sandbags 20 are provided as ballast, which are preferably placed on the ground strip 32.

[0053] The ground strip 32 can, for example, be made of high strength PVC sheeting or of high strength PVC textile with a weight of 650 g/m.sup.2. The braces 16 can be made of fiberglass-reinforced plastic, and have dimensions of 1000 mm40 mm20 mm. The sandbags can be waterproof, made of PVC for example and be filled with dry gravel or stone chips and have a weight of 10 to 12 kg. The bottom strip or ground strip 32 with the framework 12 or respectively, bearing skeleton preferably made of airtight ripstop (of 60 bis 70 g/m.sup.2 nylon), in particular sewn with highly tear resistant thread, and the screen areas 15, which can be made of textile permeable to air, for example with 110 g/m.sup.2, and preferably colored individually with printing, can be rolled together on a transport spool and winder or a spool and unrolled from it. The spool 34 can be a PVC pipe with a dimension of 100 mm1000 mm. Plastic bushings are preferably provided. The spool 34 can be welded to the ground strip so that they are always connected to one another. Furthermore, a bracket 35 is provided in the form of an aluminum tube system which can be pulled out or telescoped for simple transport of the rolled-up visual screening system.

[0054] The screen areas 15 can be connected to the ground strip 32 below with VELCRO fasteners 31 and the attached at the top in a corresponding manner between the pillars 14 and/or on the lower part of the upper beam 13.

[0055] FIG. 7 shows a ground strip 32 once again, on which the braces 16 are placed. VELCRO strips 31 are placed on the braces 16 to hold the corresponding VELCRO strips 30 attached under the lower beams 13 and 13.

[0056] FIG. 8 shows a schematic sectional view through an inventive visual screening system in which one screen area 15 is also now shown, which is provided with a VELCRO fastener 30 that can be connected to the ground strip 32. A corresponding weight 2 or sandbag 20 is also shown, which in this case comprises the significant part of the ballast to in order to ensure that the visual screening system 10 does not fall over even with corresponding wind 33. Preferred dimensions are a height of 2.1 m and a width of 1 m from the middle of the lower beams 13 and 13 with respect to one another. Furthermore, a preferred length for the visual screening system is 20 m, with a longitudinal axial spacing for the pillars of 2.3 m. In the packaged condition, the visual screening system can be designed with a length of 104 cm and a spool diameter of 35 to 38 cm with a weight of 27 kg. The compressed air blower can be from the company Gibbons and have a power rating of 1.4 kW. A funnel diameter of 20.5 cm can be provided and a maximum air throughput of approximately 2600 m3/h. The sandbags should preferably be arranged on the side from which the wind blows.

[0057] All features described, including those found only in the drawings and as well as individual features which are disclosed in combination with other features, are considered by themselves and in combination as important for the invention. Individual features or a combination of multiple features can be achieved by embodiments in accordance with the invention.

DRAWING REFERENCE LIST

[0058] 1 Compressed air

[0059] 2 Ballast

[0060] 3 Illumination

[0061] 10 Visual screening system

[0062] 11 Textile material

[0063] 12 Framework

[0064] 13, 13, 13 Tubular beam

[0065] 14, 14 Tubular pillar

[0066] 15 Screen area

[0067] 16 Brace

[0068] 20 Sandbag

[0069] 23 Compressed air blower

[0070] 30 VELCRO strip

[0071] 31 VELCRO strip

[0072] 32 Ground strip

[0073] 33 Wind

[0074] 34 Spool

[0075] 35 Bracket