DE20007407U1 - Collapsible warning triangle - Google Patents

Description

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PATENT ATTORNEYS EUROPEAN PATENT AND TRADEMARK ATTORNEYS

Application for registration of a utility model

Our reference: D201DE8 H/mü

(31) Priority number I Priority Application Number: 200 03 843.5

(32) Priority Date:

01.03.2000

(33) Priority Country I Priority Country:

EN

(54) Title:

Foldable warning triangle

(71) Applicant:

Ing. Gerhard Dekosy GmbH Herrenlandstr. 31

78315 Radolfzell Germany

(74) Representative I Agent:

Dipl.-Ing. Gerhard F. Hiebsch

Dipl.-Ing. Dr. oec. Niels Behrmann M.B.A. (NY)

Heinrich-Weber-Platz 1

78224 Singen

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: '.'... Perkejiijn ffajse JBnjahri: FreiWeitrfrqßeJ ;

D201DE8 - 1 -

Foldable warning triangle

The invention relates to a collapsible warning triangle with a base part -- having pivotable feet for a support surface in end bearing elements -- and side parts pivotably connected to this, which form the warning triangle with the base part in a position of use and can be guided from this to the base part in a rest position; the base part and side parts are equipped on the front with light-reflecting elements -- strips.

EP 0 342 449 A2 describes a collapsible warning triangle for motor vehicles, consisting of a metal base plate and two side strips connected to it by a joint. At each end of the base plate there is a plastic bearing body with two holes running almost parallel to the height of the base plate for receiving a pivoting base made of steel wire. This is pre-tensioned in the bearing hole in the pivoting direction by a coil spring resting in a chamber of the bearing body and can pivot automatically up to a stop. Each of the base feet is angled near its end and this angled part is provided in that bearing body. Both the metal base plate and the plastic side parts have reflective strips on the front surface, to which red fluorescent surfaces are molded towards the inside of the triangle. The structure of this device is just as complicated as the installation process is not very user-friendly.

In view of this state of the art, the inventor set himself the goal of designing a collapsible warning triangle in such a way that it is reliable in operation, simple to manufacture and easy to handle.

D201DE8

The teaching of the independent claim leads to the solution of this problem; the subclaims indicate advantageous further developments. In addition, all combinations of at least two of the features disclosed in the description, the drawing and/or the claims fall within the scope of the invention.

According to the invention, a block-like molded part is assigned to the strip-like base part at each of its two ends as a bearing element for strip-like foot webs that can be moved at one end therein, and these foot webs can be inserted with an insertion end into a receiving space as an insertion path of the bearing element and fixed in the position of use at a horizontal angle of preferably about 90° to the base part. These insertion ends can advantageously be guided from a locking position into a pivoting position in which they can then be folded onto the base part; when not in use, the foot webs rest against the base part in a manner known per se.

For this purpose, it has proven advantageous to provide two receiving spaces or insertion tracks with oppositely arranged insertion openings in each bearing element, into which two foot strips can be inserted in opposite directions; the insertion and receiving spaces are preferably delimited by parallel track floors and a - also parallel - ridge floor. The track floor of the insertion track should advantageously have a bottom groove for a knob on the insertion end that defines a joint, and the bearing element should have a pocket-like section of the receiving space for the end edge of the insertion end in the position of use. The bottom of the pocket-like space section should offer a stepped surface on at least one side of the bottom groove for guiding the foot strip.

D201DE8

According to a further feature of the invention, a side wall of the insertion or receiving space extending from one side of the insertion opening on the associated track floor of the bearing element is to be curved inwards at a distance from the insertion opening to form the narrow pocket section. The bearing element preferably has two receiving spaces one above the other with oppositely arranged pocket sections and insertion openings.

In a further embodiment of the bearing element, a raised cam surface is assigned to a bottom groove of the track floor in the insertion or receiving space - for a knob at the insertion end of the foot web that determines a joint axis; between this and the insertion opening there extends a rest strip for the described insertion end.

This cam surface is used instead of the pocket sections. When the foot bar is opened, the insertion end runs along the inner surface of the partially circular curved side wall, the outline of which describes an angle of around 90°. The insertion end runs up over the cam surface, which is preferably 0.5 mm high and has a gently rising slope. In the opened position, the foot falls down a steep (45°) slope and locks into place in a defined manner. When closed, the movement sequence is reversed accordingly.

According to a further feature of the invention, the cam surface is a partial circular surface and, towards the insertion opening, merges into a cam region inclined thereto. This rising slope lies between the edge of the high cam surface pointing against the locking direction and the cam region pointing diagonally downwards. According to a further feature of the invention, the edge defines an angle of approximately 3.5 to 5.0° with the longitudinal axis of the base groove.

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D201DE8

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According to the invention, a lateral passage of the receiving space for the foot bridge in the base part in a parallel locking position can be connected to one side of the insertion opening at approximately a right angle. For better handling, an angle attachment protrudes approximately at a right angle from the section of the side wall of the receiving space bordering the lateral passage as a stop element for the foot bridge.

None of the complex joints available on the market are required to store these feet; each foot strip can be rotated from the rest position described into the position of use and fixed in this position by sliding it along the slide-in track.

It has proven to be advantageous for the free length of the footbridge to correspond approximately to the clear distance between the bearing elements and for a support block with insertion slots for the footbridges to protrude approximately in the middle of this distance from the lower edge of the base strip, so that these are held in the rest position.

A pair of slots on each side of the receiving block is preferred.

It is within the scope of the invention that the base strip contains an outer strip field with a groove-shaped cross-section adjacent to the lower edge and an inner strip field, the latter of which is stepped in two steps longitudinally; the two steps should run at an angle near the end miter edges and with these delimit surface areas of the inner strip field, one of which is parallel to the front of the base strip and the other parallel to its back. These stepped surface areas form the joint sections; hollow cylinders are formed from the two surface areas as joint elements, into which bolt formations or narrow hollow rods are inserted as counter elements.

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·

·

D201DE8

Of particular importance for the stability of this lightweight warning triangle is that a receiving chamber is formed in the groove bottom of the outer stripe on the back, which accommodates additional weight(s).

The side strip should also be divided into an outer strip field with a groove-shaped cross-section and an inner strip field; the groove-shaped cross-section of the outer strip field of the base strip or the side strip serves to accommodate at least one reflective element, preferably a reflective strip.

In addition, the inner strip field should have a surface area delimited by a step at a mitred edge, whereby the stepped surface area of the side strip rests against a stepped surface area of the base strip and is hinged to it.

· ■

D201DE8 - 6 -.:<

Further advantages, features and details of the invention will become apparent from the following description of preferred embodiments and from the drawing, which shows in

Fig. 1: the front view of a collapsible warning triangle folded into its position of use;

Fig. 2: a side view of the warning triangle

of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3, 8: each an enlarged section of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4, 5: enlarged -- crossing

Sections through a corner area of Fig. 1 along line IV-IV or V-V;

Fig. 6: the vertical section through Fig. 1

according to their line VI-VI;

Fig. 7: a joint as an enlarged

Detail from Fig. 6 according to its detail field VII;

Fig. 9: one of the representation in Fig. 4

approximately corresponding section through a further embodiment according to line IX-IX in Fig. 15;

Fig. 10: an enlarged section of

Fig. 9 according to arrow X;

Fig. 11, 12: Sections through Fig. 8 after their

Line XI-XI or XII-XII;

D201DE8 - 7 -·!·· ····

Fig. 13: one of the representations in Fig. 8 approximately

corresponding reproduction of a further embodiment;

Fig. 14, 15: Cross sections through Fig. 13 along line XIV-XIV and XV-XV respectively;

Fig. 16, 17: Oblique views of the front and back of a base bar of another version of the warning triangle;

Fig. 18, 20: Top views of the front and rear of the base bar according to Fig. 16, 17;

Fig. 19: the top view of the lower

outer edge of the base bar;

Fig. 21: the front view of Fig. 18 after

whose arrow XXI;

Fig. 22 to

Fig. 25: Sections through Fig. 18 after their

Line XXII-XXII to XXV-XXV.

A foldable warning triangle 10 -- for example for carrying in a motor vehicle (not shown) -- has, according to Fig. 1, a base web 12 with a length a of approximately 440 mm and a height h of 70 mm as well as two side webs 14, 14 _a , which are hinged near the two lower corners 16 of this warning triangle 10 -- forming the end regions of the base web 12 -- by a hollow cylinder 18 protruding from the base strip 12 and formed therefrom; the latter engages in a corresponding recess 19 of the associated side web 14 or 14 _a . One of the side webs 14 or 14 _a is attached to the front and back of the base web 12.

D201DE8 - 8 -.:..·!·· *··

In particular, Fig. 6 makes it clear that a bead-like, elongated chamber 25 for receiving at least one weight rod 26 is formed on the rear side 21 of the base web 12 near its lower outer edge 22. The entire body 12, 14, _14a of the warning triangle 10 consists of plastic, preferably colored red.

Both the base web 12 and the side webs 14 are divided longitudinally into two strip fields 30, 32. The outer strip field 30, which borders on the outer edge 22, _22a, has inclined miter edges 28 at its ends and, as shown in Fig. 6, is designed to be channel-like in cross-section; it accommodates a reflective strip-shaped insert 34 or - in Fig. 1 - reflective disks _34r in a channel space 31 opening towards the front side 20 of the warning triangle 10. The width b of this outer strip field 30 measures 30 mm, the width bi of the inner strip field 32 here is 38 mm. The latter is formed onto the inner leg 35 of the channel-like outer strip field 30.

In the position of use according to Fig. 1, 2, both side webs 14, _14a form a vertex 36 in the vertical axis A of the device, below which a locking pair is indicated at 38 consisting of a hollow cylinder 18a -- projecting _in front of the miter edge _28a of the upper end of the inner strip fields 32 -- and the recess _19a of a partial ring 1% provided in the area of the associated miter edge 28 for temporarily connecting the two side webs 14, _14a in the position of use. The base length ai of a triangular interior 11 of the warning triangle 10 delimited by the strips 12, 14, _14a -- and thus the free upper edge 24 of the base web 12 -- measures approximately 215 mm.

D201DE8 - 9 -.!.. ·&idigr;» "··" *

In Fig. 1, 16 bearing elements 40 for foot bars 60 which can be inserted into them are formed on the lower outer edge 22 of the base bar 12 near the corners formed by the latter and the side bars 14, _14a , which, in the position of use, protrude from the base strip 12 at a horizontal angle y of approximately 90°. When not in use, the foot bars 60 can be folded in parallel to the base strip 12 in the folding direction &khgr; and then rest with a notch-like bearing section 62 in corresponding slots _23a of a receiving block 23 which protrudes centrally from that outer edge 22 of the base strip 12.

The bearing element 40 containing two parallel track floors 42 and a ridge floor 42 _a -- the length g of 26 mm and the width i of 22 according to Fig. 16, 20 -- is a molded block inclined at an angle of inclination w of approximately 30° away from the outer or lower edge 22 of the base web 12 with two superimposed flat insertion or receiving spaces 41, 41 _a in whose track floors 42 two -- opposite to each other -- insertion tracks 44 open on one side are molded in the manner of a central bottom groove with a cross-sectionally hook-like end edge 4 6 at the insertion opening 4 8 of the receiving space 41, 41 _a for receiving a foot web 60 formed from metal with a thickness c of 3 mm, a width b2 of 11 mm and a free length e of, for example, 360 mm. Above all, Fig. 10 shows the hook-like end edge 4 6 with its desk surface 45, which is inclined outwards at an angle W ₁ of about 30°, as part of the floor surface 4 3 of the receiving space 41. On one side of the insertion opening 48 - on the left side in Fig. 12 - a side wall 47 of height hi begins, which is slightly more than the thickness c of the foot web 60. This side wall 47 is curved inwards towards the other end of the receiving space 41, 41 _a at 49 in plan view, exposing an outer section 42 _q of the outlined rectangular track floor 42 (Fig. 12) to create a type of approximately horizontal receiving pocket 50, in the apex of which there is an opening 51 of width b ₃ , which corresponds to that of the floor groove 44. On the

D201DE8 - 10

On the other side of this receiving pocket 50, the side wall 47 runs parallel to the bottom groove 44 and ends at approximately half the length g of the bearing element 40 and the track floor 42 at an angled shoulder 47 _a ; this opens up a lateral passage 52 which is also parallel to the bottom groove 44 .

Fig. 4, 9, the insertion or joint end 64 of length f of about 30 mm, which is angled at a flat angle w ₂ -- which corresponds to the angle of inclination w -- to the footbridge, can be removed, from which a knob 66 is formed approximately in the middle. The latter engages in the bottom groove 44 until the rounded free end edge 68 of the insertion end 64 is inserted into the recess of the receiving space 41, 41 _a which determines the position of use -- forming the receiving pocket 50 -- and is fixed by setting a locking angle t (Fig. 5).

Fig. 11, 12 show a sectional top view of the two superimposed and - as mentioned - opposite receiving spaces 41, _41a. In addition, Fig. 12 shows the rest position _60r of the lower foot web 60, which runs parallel to the base web 12 and whose central axis is designated by M, as well as the use position described in Fig. 1 at 60g after pivoting about a pivot axis Q determined by the knob 66.

In the design of the opposing receiving spaces 41, 41 _a according to Fig. 13 to 15, the side wall 47 is not designed with a described step-like curvature to delimit a receiving pocket 50, but is curved in a part-circular cross-section with a radius r of 16.8 mm here at a bottom angle s + Si of about 90°. In the area that offers the inward curvature 49 including the outer section 42 _q of the track bottom 42 in Fig. 11, 12, in Fig. 14, within the - as mentioned - part-circularly curved side wall 47 _n , a cam surface 54 can be seen which describes approximately a quarter circle in plan view, which lies at a height hi of 0.5 mm inward above the ridge bottom (42 _a ) and

D201DE8 - 11 »&id;

rises gently in the locking direction &KHgr;&igr;. The insertion end 64 of the foot web 60 is pushed over this into its rest position 60 _r sketched in Fig. 15, in which the rounded end edge 68 is at a gap distance k of 0.6 mm from the inner surface of the side wall 47 _n .

The cam surface 54 is -- viewed in the locking direction X ₁ -- delimited by an edge 55 which defines an angle q _a of approximately 4° with the longitudinal axis B of the bottom groove 44, at which a high step region 56 -- determined by a surface angle s of approximately 75° -- begins, to which, on the other hand, a cam region 57 inclined thereto adjoins; the latter is determined by a surface angle Si of approximately 21° and inclines towards the insertion opening 48.

The width ii of the rest strip 70 - of the receiving space 41, 41 _a - extending from the inclined knob region 57 to the insertion opening 48 for the insertion end 64 of the foot web 60 measures 12 mm here.

Fig. 13, 14 show the outside of the inner leg 35 of the outer strip field 30 -- of thickness ζ of slightly more than 6 mm (see Fig. 18) -- to which the inner strip field 32 is formed; the surface _32a of the inner strip field 32 extends at a distance η of about 2 mm from the surface 34a _{of the} reflective strip insert 34.

In the inner strip field 32 of the base strip 12, two step lines 58, 58 _a can be seen, which run parallel to inclined end edges 33 of the inner strip field 32; these in turn define an angle q of approximately 140° with the miter edges 28. The surface area 32 _b provided between the step line 58 _a and the adjacent end edge 33 - right side in Fig. 13 - is flush with the surface 34 _a , the area 32 _C at the other end is flush with the rear side 30 _a of the outer strip field 30 (Fig. 14). In Fig. 17, the two

D201DE8 - 12 &mdash;

Gradations 58, 58 _a of width &eegr; are outlined. The side strips 14 and 14 _a are attached to the surfaces of the regions 32 _b , 32 _C which are aligned with the front surface 20 and the back surface 21, respectively, the latter determining their arrangement on both sides of the base strip 12.

Likewise, in the inner strip field 32 of the two side strips 14, 14 _a , at the end thereof near the base strip 12, there is a step line 58 which delimits a stepped surface area 32 _d ; this lies against the corresponding surface area 32 _h or 32 _C of the base strip 12 and is connected to it by the joint pair 18/19.

Claims (29)

1. Collapsible warning triangle ( 10 ) with a base part ( 12 ) having pivotable feet ( 60 ) for a support surface and side parts ( 14 , 14a ) pivotably connected to the base _part , which form the warning triangle with the base part in a position of use and can be moved from this position to the base part in a rest position, the base part and side parts being equipped with reflective elements ( 34 , 34a ) on the front, characterized in that the strip-like base part ( 12 ) is assigned a block-like molded part at its two ends ( 16 ) as a bearing element ( 40 ) for two rod-like foot webs ( 60 ) which can be moved _at one end therein and these foot webs can be inserted with an insertion end ( 64 ) into an insertion or receiving space ( 41 , 41a ) of the bearing element and in the position of use at an approximately horizontal angle (y) to the base part. 2. Warning triangle according to claim 1, characterized in that the bearing element ( 40 ) determining a locking position for the position of use and a pivoting position for the stowing process of the foot bridges ( 60 ) is formed on the base part ( 12 ) consisting of plastic at an angle (w) opening towards the respective end of the base part ( 12 ). 3. Warning triangle according to claim 2, characterized in that the angle (w) measures approximately 30°. 4. Warning triangle according to claim 1 or 2, characterized by two insertion or receiving spaces ( 41 , 41a ) provided in the bearing element ( 40 ₎ in opposite directions with oppositely arranged insertion openings ( 48 ) for one insertable flat foot bridge ( 60 ) each, wherein the insertion or receiving spaces are delimited by parallel track floors ( 42 ) and an upper ridge floor ( 42a ) _. 5. Warning triangle according to one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the track floor ( 42 ) of the insertion space ( 41 , 41a ₎ has a floor groove ( 44 ) for a knob ( 66 ) defining a joint axis (Q) at the insertion end ( 64 ) of the foot web ( 60 ). 6. Warning triangle according to one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the bearing element ( 40 ) has a pocket-like space section ( 50 ) for the end edge ( 68 ) at the insertion end ( 64 ) of the foot bar ( 60 ) in the position of use. 7. Warning triangle according to claim 5 or 6, characterized in that the bottom of the pocket-like space section ( 50 ) has a stepped bottom section ( 42 ) on at least one side of the bottom groove ( 44 ). 8. Warning triangle according to claim 6 or 7, characterized in that a side wall ( 47 ) of the insertion or receiving space ( 41 , 41a ) extending from one side of the insertion opening ( 48 ) on the associated track floor ( 42 ) of the bearing element ( 40 ) is curved inwards at _a distance from the insertion opening to form the narrow pocket section ( 50 ). 9. Warning triangle according to one of claims 6 to 8, characterized in that the bearing element ( 40 ) has two receiving spaces ( 41 , 41a ₎ one above the other with oppositely arranged pocket sections ( 50 ) and insertion openings ( 48 ). 10. Warning triangle according to one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that in the insertion or receiving space ( 41 , 41a ₎ of a floor groove ( 44 ) of the track floor ( 42 ) for a knob ( 66 ) defining a joint axis (Q) at the insertion end ( 64 ) of the foot web ( 60 ) a raised cam surface ( 54 ) is assigned and between this and the insertion opening ( 48 ) a rest strip ( 70 ) for the insertion end ( 64 ) extends. 11. Warning triangle according to claim 10, characterized in that the cam surface ( 54 ) adjoins a plan view of a partially circular side surface ( 47 _n ) of radius (z) of approximately 15 to 20 mm. 12. Warning triangle according to claim 10 or 11, characterized by a side _wall ( 47n ) which is bent in a part-circular manner in a region of approximately 90°. 13. Warning triangle according to one of claims 10 to 12, characterized in that the cam surface ( 54 ) is a partial circular surface and merges towards the insertion opening ( 48 ) into a cam region ( 57 ) inclined thereto. 14. Warning triangle according to one of claims 10 to 13, characterized in that the edge ( 55 ) of the high cam surface ( 54 ) pointing against the locking direction (x ₁ ) defines an angle (q ₁ ) of approximately 3.5 to 5.0° with the longitudinal axis (B) of the bottom groove ( 44 ). 15. Warning triangle according to claim 13 or 14, characterized in that the cam surface ( 54 ) rises gently from its edge ( 55 ) to the oppositely inclined cam region ( 57 ). 16. Warning triangle according to one of claims 10 to 15, characterized by a cam surface height (h ₁ ) of approximately 0.5 to 1.0 mm. 17. Warning triangle according to one of claims 4 to 16, characterized in that on one side of the insertion opening ( 48 ) a lateral passage ( 52 ) of the receiving space ( 41 , 41a ₎ for the footbridge ( 60 ) adjoins at approximately a right angle. 18. Warning triangle according to claim 17, characterized in that an angle projection ( 4%) as a stop element for the foot bridge (60) projects approximately at a right angle from the section of the side wall (47 ) of the receiving space (41, 4%) bordering the lateral passage ( 52 ). 19. Warning triangle according to one of claims 1 to 18, characterized in that the free length (e) of the foot web ( 60 ) corresponds approximately to the clear distance between the bearing elements ( 40 ) and a receiving block ( 23 ) with insertion slots ( 23a ) for the foot webs projects approximately in the middle of this distance from the lower edge ( 22 ) of the base strip ( 12 ). 20. Warning triangle according to claim 19, characterized by a pair of insertion slots (2%) on each side of the receiving block ( 23 ). 21. Warning triangle according to one of claims 1 to 20, characterized in that the base strip ( 12 ) contains an outer strip field ( 30 ) of groove-shaped cross-section adjacent to the lower edge ( 22 ) and an inner strip field ( 32 ), the latter being doubly stepped in longitudinal section. 22. Warning triangle according to claim 21, characterized in that the two steps (58, 5%) run at an incline near the end mitre edges ( 33 ) and delimit with these surface areas ( 32b _, 32c ) of the inner strip field ( 32 ), one of which _is parallel to the front side ( 20 ) of the base strip ( 12 ) and the other parallel to its rear side. 23. Warning triangle according to claim 22, characterized in that hollow cylinders ( _{18 )} are formed as joint elements from the two surface areas ( 32b , 32c ). 24. Warning triangle according to one of claims 21 to 23, characterized in that a receiving chamber ( 25 ) for additional weights ( 26 ) is formed in the groove bottom of the outer strip field ( 30 ) on the rear side. 25. Warning triangle according to one of claims 1 to 24, characterized in that the side strip ( 14 , 14a ₎ is divided into an outer strip field ( 30 ) of groove-shaped cross-section and an inner strip field ( 32 ). 26. Warning triangle according to claim 21 or 25, characterized in that the groove-shaped cross-section of the outer strip field ( 30 ) of the base strip ( 12 ) or the side strips ( 14 , 14a ₎ accommodates at least one reflective element ( 34 , 34a ₎ . 27. Warning triangle according to claim 25, characterized in that the inner strip field ( 32 ) has a surface area ( 32d ) delimited by a step ( 88 ) on a mitred edge ₍ 33 ). 28. Warning triangle according to claim 25 or 27, characterized in that the stepped surface region ( 32 _d ) of the side strip ( 14 , 14 _a ) rests against a stepped surface region ( 32 _b or 32 _c ) of the base strip ( 12 ) and is hinged thereto. 29. Warning triangle according to claim 28, characterized by a distance between the main regions of the side strip ( 14 , 14a ₎ and the base strip ( 12 ) corresponding to the height (n) of two steps.