Barrier support for a queue management system

Abstract

A barrier support for a queue management system that includes a post having an upright portion adapted to support at least one barrier device and having at its bottom end a foot and a floor plate. A lower portion of the foot and an upper portion of the floor plate are cooperatively shaped such that the lower portion of the foot can securely fit into and/or over the upper portion of the floor plate and thereby locate the post and one or more magnets are located in the foot and/or the floor plate such that the post can be magnetically secured to the floor plate. The barrier support allows a post to be properly positioned on a floor plate without danger of misalignment and then be held in that position magnetically. The floor plate is circular and has a single centrally located circular aperture faulted therein and the foot is circular and has a single centrally located cylindrical portion that is sized to securely locate in the aperture.

Claims

1. A barrier support for a queue management system comprising: a post having an upright portion adapted to support at least one barrier device and having at its bottom end a foot; and a floor plate; wherein: a lower portion of the foot and an upper portion of the floor plate are cooperatively shaped such that the lower portion of the foot can securely fit over the upper portion of the floor plate and thereby locate the post, the lower portion of the foot being formed of injection moulded plastic; six or more magnets equally circumferentially spaced in the lower portion of the foot such that the post can be magnetically secured to the floor plate; an upper surface of the floor plate has a single aperture formed in an upper surface thereof, the single aperture being circular and centrally located within the floor plate; and a lower surface of a lower portion of the foot has one protruding part formed at said surface, the protruding part being cylindrical and centrally located on the lower surface and being positioned and shaped to engage with the single aperture in the floor plate and thereby locate securely locate the post in the floor plate.

2. The barrier support according to claim 1, wherein the floor plate is formed of a ferromagnetic material.

3. The barrier support according to claim 2, wherein the floor plate is formed of cast metal.

4. The barrier support according to claim 1, wherein each of the one or more magnets are bolted in position in the barrier support.

5. The barrier support according to claim 1, wherein an upper edge of the single aperture of the floor plate is chamfered to allow easy location of the post in the floor plate.

6. The barrier support according to claim 1, wherein the floor plate and the lower portion of the foot are circular.

7. The barrier support according to claim 1, wherein a lower surface of the foot is shaped to match an upper surface of floor plate such that when in use the foot completely covers but does not extend beyond the upper surface of the floor plate.

8. The barrier support according to claim 1, wherein the foot has an outer downwardly extending rim shaped to extend around an outer circumference of the floor plate when the post is positioned on the floor plate such that the floor plate is not visible when the post is positioned thereon.

Description

DRAWINGS

(1) FIG. 1 is a schematic of a post of a barrier support according to the prior art;

(2) FIG. 2 is a vertical cross-section of a barrier support according to the prior art;

(3) FIG. 3 is a vertical cross-section through a barrier support according to an embodiment of the present invention;

(4) FIG. 4 shows a floor plate of the barrier support of FIG. 3;

(5) FIG. 5 shows a lower portion of a post of the barrier support of FIG. 3; and

(6) FIG. 6 is a plan view of the lower end of the post of FIG. 5.

(7) Details of a barrier support 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention are shown in FIGS. 3 to 6. The barrier support 1 of the Figures consists of a post 2 having a substantially cylindrical foot 4 formed at a lower end of an upright portion 3 and a floor plate 5. The upright portion 3 is bolted to the foot 4. The foot has an outer metal cover 7 surrounding an injection moulded plastic body 8. Six magnets 6 are bolted in position in the body 8. The magnets 6 are equally circumferentially spread around the body 8. The body 8 has a central cylindrical portion 9 that extends downwards from its lower surface. An upper end of the upright portion 3 has a cassette (not shown) attached thereto. The cassette contains a length of retractable webbing that can be attached to an adjoining barrier support 1 to form a queueing system.

(8) The floor plate 5 is formed of steel plate. The floor plate 5 is substantially circular and has a circular central aperture 10 that is sized to match the cylindrical portion 9 of the body 8. In particular, the central aperture 10 is sized such that when the post 2 is positioned on the floor plate 5 the cylindrical portion 9 of the body 8 is located in the central aperture and this properly locates the post 2 on the floor plate 5 such that the post 2 cannot be moved horizontally with respect to the floor plate 5. In order to allow cylindrical portion 9 of the body 8 to be easily located in the central aperture 10, the upper edge 11 of the central aperture 10 is chamfered.

(9) The barrier support 1 can be used in the following manner. First, the floor plate 4 is positioned in an appropriate position on a floor and fixed in position. The post 2 is then positioned on top of the floor plate 4. This is done by positioning the central cylindrical portion 9 of the foot 4 in the central aperture 10 of the floor plate 4. The chamfered edge 11 of the central aperture allows the cylindrical portion 9 to be easily located in the central aperture 10. When placed in position the magnets 6 will act to hold the post 2 to the floor plate 4. The webbing can then be extended from the cassette of the upper portion 3 to an adjoining barrier support to form a queueing system. In this manner, a barrier support 1 for a queueing system can be easily, securely, and accurately located in position on a floor plate 4 and magnetically held in position on said floor plate 4.