Attachment system for attachment to a signaling device, and associated signaling system

Abstract

An attachment system for attachment to a signaling device includes an attachment member. The attachment member is formed of a ring-shape made of an elastic material and includes an annular base and at least one fin. The annular base includes an external peripheral edge and a central orifice defining an internal peripheral edge. The annular base also includes an annular lower face and an annular upper face. The fin projects from the external peripheral edge of the annular base. The attachment member is movable between a rest configuration in which the annular base is planar and extends in a main plane to allow insertion and positioning on the signaling device at a selected position, and a deformed configuration in which the annular base is non-planar in a deformed state in order to be able to match a peripheral area of the signaling device.

Claims

1. An attachment system for attachment to a signaling device, the attachment system comprising: an attachment member with a ring-shape made of an elastic material, the attachment member comprising: an annular base provided with an external peripheral edge and a central orifice defining an internal peripheral edge, the annular base also being provided with an annular lower face and an annular upper face; and at least one fin projecting from the external peripheral edge of the annular base, wherein the attachment member is movable between a rest configuration in which the annular base is planar and extends in a main plane to allow insertion and positioning on the signaling device at a selected position, and a deformed configuration in which the annular base is non-planar in a deformed state in order to be able to match a peripheral area of the signaling device.

2. The attachment system according to claim 1, wherein the at least one fin is laterally folded down with respect to the annular upper face of the annular base.

3. The attachment system according to claim 2, wherein the external peripheral edge of the annular base is extended by a peripheral flange laterally folded down with respect to the annular upper face of the annular base, and wherein the at least one fin comes in a continuation of said peripheral flange so that the at least one fin is laterally folded down with respect to the annular upper face of the annular base.

4. The attachment system according to claim 2, wherein the at least one fin is laterally folded down with respect to the annular upper face of the annular base at an angle between 70 and 110 degrees.

5. The attachment system according to claim 1, wherein the at least one fin comprises at least two fins, and the at least two fins are diametrically opposed.

6. The attachment system according to claim 5, wherein the at least one fin comprises four fins, and wherein a first set of two fins of the four fins are diametrically opposed and a second set of two fins of the four fins are diametrically opposed.

7. The attachment system according to claim 1, wherein the elastic material is a silicone material.

8. The attachment system according to claim 1, wherein the elastic material has an elongation rate between 300 and 900%.

9. The attachment system according to claim 1, wherein the elastic material is a transparent or translucent material.

10. The attachment system according to claim 1, further comprising at least one connector fastened to the attachment member for connecting to the attachment member an additional element.

11. The attachment system according to claim 10, wherein the at least one connector comprises a tab.

12. The attachment system according to claim 11, wherein the tab extends substantially parallel to the annular base facing the annular upper face.

13. The attachment system according to claim 10, wherein the connector comprises a clipping element.

14. The attachment system according to claim 10, wherein the external peripheral edge of the annular base is extended by a peripheral flange laterally folded down with respect to the annular upper face of the annular base, and wherein the connector is fastened on the annular base or on the peripheral flange.

15. A signaling system comprising: a signaling device; and the attachment system according to claim 1, where the attachment member is attached in the deformed configuration to the signaling device with the annular base being mounted around the peripheral area of the signaling device, the annular base being in the deformed state to have the annular lower face fully pressed against the peripheral area of the signaling device, and the annular upper face facing outwards.

16. The signaling system according to claim 15, wherein the at least one fin is laterally folded down with respect to the annular upper face of the annular base, and wherein the at least one fin protrudes from the peripheral area of the signaling device without coming into contact with the peripheral area.

17. The signaling system according to claim 16, wherein the at least one fin is laterally folded down with respect to the annular upper face of the annular base at an angle between 70 and 110 degrees.

18. An attachment method for attaching an attachment system according to claim 1 to a signaling device, the attachment method comprising the following steps: starting from the rest configuration of the attachment member, inserting the annular base around the signaling device by pulling on the at least one fin so as to stretch the annular base which remains planar in order to widen the central orifice and to displace the attachment member to a desired position; and tilting the attachment member towards the deformed configuration with the annular base which reaches the deformed state to match the peripheral area of the signaling device with the annular lower face being completely pressed against the peripheral area of the signaling device.

Description

DRAWINGS

(1) In order that the disclosure may be well understood, there will now be described various forms thereof, given by way of example, reference being made to the accompanying drawings, in which:

(2) FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an attachment system according to the principles of the present disclosure with an attachment member in a rest configuration and with a connector provided with a clipping element;

(3) FIG. 2 is a perspective top view of the attachment system of FIG. 1 with the attachment member in the rest configuration and with the connector provided with its clipping element;

(4) FIG. 3 is a perspective side view of the attachment system of FIG. 1 with the attachment member in the rest configuration and with the connector provided with its clipping element;

(5) FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the attachment system of FIG. 1 with the attachment member in the rest configuration and with the connector provided with its clipping element;

(6) FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the attachment system of FIG. 1 with the attachment member in a deformed configuration and with the connector provided with its clipping element;

(7) FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the attachment system of FIG. 1 with the attachment member in a deformed configuration and with the connector devoid of its clipping element;

(8) FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the attachment system of FIG. 1 with the attachment member in the deformed configuration and with an electronic case fastened to the clipping element of the connector;

(9) FIG. 8 is a perspective top view of the attachment system of FIG. 1 with the attachment member in the deformed configuration and with the electronic case fastened to the clipping element of the connector;

(10) FIG. 9 is a perspective view of a signaling system according to the principles of the present disclosure comprising a signaling beacon of the signaling cone type and comprising the attachment system shown in FIGS. 7 and 8 with the attachment member in the deformed configuration and with the electronic case fastened to the clipping element of the connector; and

(11) FIG. 10 is a perspective side view of the signaling system of FIG. 9.

(12) The drawings described herein are for illustration purposes only and are not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure in any way.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

(13) The following description is merely exemplary in nature and is not intended to limit the present disclosure, application, or uses. It should be understood that throughout the drawings, corresponding reference numerals indicate like or corresponding parts and features.

(14) With reference to FIGS. 1-10, an attachment system 1 according to one form of the present disclosure is provided for attachment to a signaling device 9 such as for example a signaling beacon (FIGS. 9 and 10) such as a signaling beacon of the signaling cone or cylindrical signaling beacon type. For the rest of the description, the signaling device 9 will be described as being a signaling beacon (bearing the same reference “9”) of the signaling cone type as illustrated in FIGS. 9 and 10 with a frustoconical shaped hollow body 90 (possibly provided with reflective strips) terminating in a support base 91 on the ground.

(15) The attachment system 1 comprises an attachment member 10 with a ring-like general shape and made, in one piece, of an elastic material in particular of an elastomer such as a silicone material having an elongation rate comprised between 300 and 900% and a shore-A hardness comprised between 10 and 90, and in particular between 20 and 50.

(16) The attachment member 10 comprises an annular base 11 provided with an external peripheral edge 12 and a central orifice 13 defining an internal peripheral edge 14. The annular base 11 is in the form of a disk with its cylindrical (or circular) external peripheral edge 12 and with the central orifice 13 which is circular so that the internal peripheral edge 14 is cylindrical (or circular).

(17) The annular base 11 is thin, to the extent that it has a small thickness compared to the diameters of the external peripheral edge 12 and of the internal peripheral edge 14. The annular base 11 is provided with two opposite annular faces, namely an annular lower face 19 (shown in FIGS. 3, 4, 6 and 7) and an annular upper face 15.

(18) In a rest configuration of the attachment member 10, as illustrated in FIGS. 1-3 and 5, the annular base 11 is planar and extends in a main plane.

(19) The external peripheral edge 12 of the annular base 11 is extended by a peripheral flange 16 laterally folded down with respect to the annular upper face 15 of the annular base 11 according to an angle AN between 70 and 110 degrees (FIG. 3).

(20) Moreover, the attachment member 10 comprises several fins 17 which come in the continuation of the peripheral flange 16, so that the fins 17 are laterally folded down with respect to the annular upper face 15 of the annular base 11, according to an angle between 70 and 110 degrees.

(21) Also, the fins 17 project from the external peripheral edge 12 of the annular base 11, further project from the peripheral flange 16, and the fins 17 further protrude upwards from the annular upper face 15 of the annular base 11 in the rest configuration of the attachment member 10.

(22) In the illustrated example, the fins 17 are four in number, and they are distributed 90 degrees from each other, therefore with two diametrically opposed fins 17 and two other diametrically opposed fins 17, thus conferring on the fins 17 a cross-like shape.

(23) The attachment system 1 further comprises at least one connector 2 fastened to the attachment member 10 to connect to the attachment member 10 an additional element, such as an electronic case 3 (FIGS. 7 to 10).

(24) The connector 2 comprises a tab 20 which extends substantially parallel to the annular base 11 facing the annular upper face 15 in the rest configuration of the attachment member 10. The tab 20 is integrally made with the attachment member 10 and is therefore also made of an elastic material. The tab 20 is fastened to and protrudes from the peripheral flange 16, between two fins 17.

(25) The connector 2 is provided with a clipping element 21 which is fastened to the tab 20, in particular in a hole 22 (FIG. 6) formed in the tab 20. The clipping element 21 is a rigid element, for example made of a thermoplastic material, which may form a male or female clipping element.

(26) Thus, the electronic case 3 is provided with a clipping element complementary to the clipping element 21, for a clip-on fastening of the electronic case 3 on the connector 2 and therefore on the attachment system 1. The attachment system 1 being itself ultimately attached to the signaling beacon 9.

(27) The mounting of the attachment system 1 on the signaling beacon 9 is carried out as follows, starting from a rest configuration of the attachment member 10. In the rest configuration, the annular base 11 is flat, and thus the operator holds the attachment system 1 at the level of the fins 17 and he pulls on the fins 17 to stretch the annular base 11 and thus widen the central orifice 13. The operator then inserts the annular base 11 around the signaling beacon 9 by introducing the top of the signaling beacon 9 into the central orifice 13, and lowers the attachment member 10, which is easy because the friction between the annular base 11 is then limited to the contact surface offered by the internal peripheral edge 14.

(28) Once the suitable position has been reached on the signaling beacon 9, the operator releases the fins 17 (by pulling slightly downwards where desired) so that the annular lower face 19 of the annular base 11 is pressed against a peripheral area of the signaling beacon 9.

(29) Thus, upon completion of mounting, the attachment member 10 is in a deformed configuration with the annular base 11 which is in a deformed state to match the peripheral area of the signaling beacon 9, with its annular lower face 19 being fully pressed against the peripheral area and with its annular upper face 15 facing outwards. In the case of a signaling cone 9, the annular base 11 therefore finds itself in this deformed state with a frustoconical general shape. In the case of a cylindrical signaling beacon, the annular base 11 would therefore find itself in this deformed state with a cylindrical general shape.

(30) The contact surface between the annular lower face 19 and the peripheral area of the signaling beacon 9 combined with the elastic tightening together contribute to a stable and effective fastening with a very reduced or zero risk of unhooking in the event of a fall or throwing of the signaling beacon 9.

(31) Moreover, the fins 17 being laterally folded down with respect to the annular upper face 15 of the annular base 11 protrude from the peripheral area of the signaling beacon 9 without coming into contact therewith, and these fins 17 extend horizontally, at more or less 20 degrees.

(32) Furthermore, the tab 20 has followed the deformation of the annular base 11 and this tab 20 finds itself pressed against the signaling beacon 9, so that the connector 2 and the electronic case 3 are both pressed against the signaling beacon 9.

(33) Unless otherwise expressly indicated herein, all numerical values indicating mechanical/thermal properties, compositional percentages, dimensions and/or tolerances, or other characteristics are to be understood as modified by the word “about” or “approximately” in describing the scope of the present disclosure. This modification is desired for various reasons including industrial practice, material, manufacturing, and assembly tolerances, and testing capability.

(34) As used herein, the phrase at least one of A, B, and C should be construed to mean a logical (A OR B OR C), using a non-exclusive logical OR, and should not be construed to mean “at least one of A, at least one of B, and at least one of C.”

(35) The description of the disclosure is merely exemplary in nature and, thus, variations that do not depart from the substance of the disclosure are intended to be within the scope of the disclosure. Such variations are not to be regarded as a departure from the spirit and scope of the disclosure.