BE1008980A6 - Safety barrier for controlling access to a traffic lane - Google Patents

Abstract

Under a gantry (1) is moored a vehicle capture component (3) mounted toslide along the gantry uprights, the aforementioned vehicle capture component(3) being connected to a braking device, the vehicle capture component (3)being furthermore held in the up position by strippable holding means. Acontrol device (4) responds to an electrical signal in order to release thevehicle capture component (3) and to lower it to the down position by gravityso as to stop a vehicle whose arrival has been detected.

Description

       

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  SAFETY BARRIER TO CONTROL
The present invention is in the field of security systems for motorways. It concerns a new device to prevent a vehicle from using a motorway exit or a bypass in the opposite direction.



  It is common for vehicles to travel on a highway in the wrong direction, which often causes very serious or even fatal collisions with frontal collisions with vehicles traveling normally on the highway.



  To remedy this dramatic situation, the invention aims to prevent vehicles from even having access to a highway in the opposite direction. To this end, it offers a safety barrier intended to be installed at motorway exits in order to stop vehicles that approach them against the grain.



  The safety barrier according to the invention is defined in the claims. In short, it includes a vehicle capture element which is stored at the top of a gantry spanning the track and which falls on the track in response to an electrical signal emitted by a radar control system which has detected the passage of '' a vehicle so as to stop it.



  The device according to the invention is of simple construction, it is efficient and reliable and does not involve the risk of accidents for stopped vehicles.

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 The invention is explained in more detail below with the aid of the accompanying drawings.



  FIG. 1 shows an exemplary embodiment of the barrier according to the invention in the raised position.



  Figure 2 shows the barrier of Figure 1 in the lowered position.



  As the drawings show, the barrier according to the invention comprises a gantry 1 intended to span a highway exit lane. Between the uprights 2 of the gantry is suspended a vehicle capture element 3 consisting for example of a net 3 of polyamide or other material resistant both to stresses and to bad weather. At its ends the net 3 is retained at the top of the gantry by tearable textile retaining means which connect the capture net to an anchor point.



  The net is connected to a braking device via straps. The braking device consists of textile brake modules anchored on small concrete blocks placed on the sides of the track. This type of brake module is used on airstrips to brake military aircraft. The brake modules are designed to take up, for example, a braking force of approximately 1800 kg.



  The arrival of a vehicle in the opposite direction is detected by a radar device placed at a certain distance from the gantry 10. The signal emitted by the radar activates a control unit 4 to cause the net to fall on the track in front of the vehicle ( figure 2). The energy dissipated by the braking force causes tearing of the

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 textile retaining means and the net 3 slides along the uprights 2 to come to be placed in the low position under the effect of gravity thanks to weights.



  When it is thus lowered, the net 3 energized and stops the vehicle which has entered the prohibited lane, thereby preventing this vehicle from reaching and using the highway in the opposite direction.



  To be put into service, the barrier according to the invention is supplemented with traffic signs to alert motorists arriving on the prohibited lane that they will meet the aforementioned barrier. The gantry is equipped with signaling lights 5.



  In order to avoid the net being lowered unnecessarily when a vehicle has passed the first signal but the driver, having realized his error, backs up, the signaling device can advantageously be stepped so as to achieve signaling with several successive phases, the lowering of the net being effectively commanded only when the last signaling phase or a determined number of signaling phases has been completed. Various organizational methods are possible and fall within the normal competence of those skilled in the art.



  The device according to the invention can obviously be accompanied by a global computerized management which can for example memorize the events and the levels of infringement of the offenders.


    

Claims (3)

CLAIMS 1. Safety barrier to control access to a traffic lane, characterized in that it comprises a gantry (1) under which is stored a vehicle capture element (3) mounted to slide along the uprights of the gantry, the aforementioned vehicle capture element (3) being connected to a braking device, the vehicle capture element (3) being also held in the high position by tearable retaining means, and a control device (4) responding to an electrical signal in order to release the vehicle capture signal (3) and lower it to the low position by gravity so as to stop a vehicle whose arrival has been detected. 2. Device according to claim 1, characterized in that the braking device consists of brake modules arranged on either side of the track, and connected to the vehicle capture element (3) via of straps. 3. Device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the capture element (3) are attached weights to make it slide under the effect of gravity.