EP0589950B1 - Improved barrier for the protection of reserved areas against the intrusion of motor vehicles - Google Patents

Abstract

PCT No. PCT/FR92/00531 Sec. 371 Date Mar. 7, 1994 Sec. 102(e) Date Mar. 7, 1994 PCT Filed Jun. 12, 1992 PCT Pub. No. WO92/22709 PCT Pub. Date Dec. 23, 1992.A barrier for the protection of reserved areas including at least one upper element (1) rotatably mounted relative to a lower element (6) anchored in the ground (G). An elastic return spring (18) is interposed between the upper and lower elements (1,6). The upper element (1) is adapted to be displaced to either side of an upright reference position by rotating about a horizontal pin (2) provided on the lower element (6). A releasable mechanism selectively blocks rotation of the upper element in a first direction (F2) and a non-releasable mechanism blocks rotation of the upper element in the reverse direction (F1) at the end of a limited angular deflection. The elastic return spring provides a force opposing the limited deflection in the reverse direction.

Description

The present invention relates to barriers for the protection of reserved areas against the intrusion of motor vehicles.

"Reserved areas" means either parking areas for private vehicles called individual parking lots giving their owners a right of private use, or traffic areas intended for the sole use of pedestrians or authorized vehicles, such as sidewalks, driveways or paths for example. In these cases, the protective barriers are provided to prevent access to these areas by all unauthorized vehicles. The term “reserved areas” also means areas occupied by trees, poles such as signposts, electric, telephone, telegraph poles, pylons and the like and in these cases these barriers are specially made and installed to oppose any damage. from shocks or bumps caused by vehicles, vehicles or the like.

Thus, for example in the case of individual car parks or access to private alleys or paths, these barriers generally consist of devices firmly fixed to the ground which are capable of occupying two extreme positions, namely: a position standing and lying down. The standing position corresponds to the position preventing access to the area reserved for any vehicle while the lying position allows this access. These two positions are reached following pivoting movements which are imprinted on these devices and they can be blocked by any appropriate means so as to avoid inadvertently an external event or a third person coming to modify them. Holders of individual parking lots, for example, therefore have locking or blocking means that alone give them the possibility of maneuvering these barriers. However, it frequently happens that voluntarily or involuntarily shocks are carried on these devices and that as a result the latter are deteriorated to the point of become unusable and require their removal and replacement resulting in a significant investment.

The present invention aims to avoid these drawbacks and to allow these devices to withstand or withstand shocks without necessarily ensuing from having to carry out this removal and replacement.

EP-A-0 042 810 already discloses an elastic coupling device for joining end to end and coaxially two sections of tube so as to keep them aligned, while allowing relative movement in the event of impact or thrust . These could in particular be parking barriers protected by this elastic coupling against vehicle shocks, such a barrier therefore included in all cases at least one section of tube anchored in the ground and an upper section elastically maintained as an extension of the previous one. .

The invention in turn provides the arrangement defined in claim 1.

According to a possible embodiment suitable for the protective barriers of individual parking lots or reserved circulation areas, the element articulated at its base consists of a post and it acts against said elastically deformable means with which it is associated when it is biased in the direction opposite to the normal tilting direction to a lowered position of rest and means are provided for limiting the amplitude of the movement resulting from this bias.

• la figure 1 est une vue en élévation coupe de face d'un exemple de barrière perfectionnée selon l'invention en position relevée ;
• la figure 2 en est une vue de côté ;
• la figure 3 est une vue correspondant à la figure 2, la barrière étant en position couchée ;
• la figure 4 est une vue correspondant à la figure 2, la barrière étant dans une position extrême possible sous l'effet d'une poussée antagoniste ;
• la figure 5 est une vue analogue à la figure 1 illustrant une variante de réalisation ;
• la figure 5A est une coupe suivant VA-VA de la figure 5 ;
• la figure 6 est une vue en coupe selon VI-VI de la figure 5 ;
• la figure 7 est une vue éclatée et en perspective des éléments constitutifs du dispositif figurant à la partie supérieure des figures 5 et 6.

Other characteristics and advantages of the invention will emerge more clearly from the description which follows, given with reference to the appended drawings which:

• Figure 1 is a front sectional elevation view of an exemplary barrier improved according to the invention in the raised position;
• Figure 2 is a side view;
• Figure 3 is a view corresponding to Figure 2, the barrier being in the supine position;
• Figure 4 is a view corresponding to Figure 2, the barrier being in an extreme position possible under the effect of an antagonistic thrust;
• Figure 5 is a view similar to Figure 1 illustrating an alternative embodiment;
• Figure 5A is a section along VA-VA of Figure 5;
• Figure 6 is a sectional view along VI-VI of Figure 5;
• FIG. 7 is an exploded perspective view of the constituent elements of the device appearing at the top of FIGS. 5 and 6.

According to the first embodiment chosen and shown in Figures 1 to 4, a barrier according to the invention consists of an upright 1 having the shape of a metal pole of rectangular section. This post is traversed at its base by a cylindrical piece 2, the ends 3 of which form pins carried by the end shields 4. This assembly can be housed in a casing 5. The latter is welded to a sole 6 which is firmly anchored to the ground G for example by bolts 7. The upper part of the casing 5 has a recess 8 for an angular movement of the post 1 between a raised (vertical) position illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2 and the lying position illustrated in FIG. 3. A return spring 9 is coupled between the axis 2 and a stud 9A provided for this purpose on a slide 10 mounted in the post 1 with freedom of translation parallel to the longitudinal axis of the post limited by a stud-buttonhole coupling 11 -12 with the stud 11 carried by said post 1 and the buttonhole cut in the slide 10. The upper part of the latter ends with hook, handle or spout 13 which can be immobilized in a desired position thanks to a key system shown diagrammatically at 14 (FIG. 1) which can be of any known type or produced in the illustrated manner and described below with reference to FIGS. 5 to 7. As for the lower part of said slide, it is extended by a piece 15 of elongated shape acting as a bolt intended to cooperate, with a keeper formed here by well 16 dug in the ground and opening into the sole 6. The width (a) of this well corresponds substantially to the width of said piece 15 while its length is established as a function of the maximum clearance that is assigned to the post 1 during a push in the direction of the arrow F1 (Figures 2 and 4) as will be seen below.

In addition, the vicinity of the lower part of the post 1 includes a heel-shaped part 17 intended to cooperate with a spring leaf 18 of high flexural strength mounted on the sole 6 by means of a shoe 19 and bolted ( or welded) on the latter.

With such an assembly, it will immediately be noted that if, after having acted on the key system 14, the slide 10 is pulled upwards, the bolt 15 is out of the well 16 in which it was previously engaged, which makes it possible to tilt the post 1 in the direction of arrow F2 to make it occupy the lying position illustrated in FIG. 3. In this position, it can be seen that the return spring 9 has been lengthened as a result of the translational movement effected by the slide 10 in the direction of arrow F3 up to the position where the lower end of the buttonhole 12 comes into abutment on the stud 11. The assembly can remain maintained in this spring tensioning position thanks to the key system 14. To return to the standing position in Figures 1 and 2 it will suffice to release the slide 10, so that it under the action of the spring 9, is biased in the direction of arrow F4. In the raised position illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2, the bolt 15 then drops back into the keeper 16 and it can be locked in this position by means of the lock formed by the key system 14. The assembly is supported on the wall of the well 16 and on the stop 16A provided on the sole 6 in extension of said wall.

It is also possible to release the slide by letting the spring 9 relax when the post is in the supine position: during the lifting movement towards the standing position the bolt 15 can come into contact with the upper face of the stop 16A, but it can go up without difficulty by tensioning the spring 9 until the arrival opposite the keeper in which it will fall automatically under the effect of the relaxation of said spring.

If in its standing position the post 1 is subjected to a push or a shock (arrow F1) in the opposite direction to that tending to bring it into the lying position (arrow F2), the heel 17 presses strongly on the leaf spring 18 which flexes while absorbing the force exerted. To limit the movement of the post under the action of such a thrust, two elements will act as stop means, namely on the one hand the full support of the heel 17 on the leaf spring 18 and on the other hand the stop of the bolt 15 on the transverse wall of the keeper 16 which is opposite to its normal support. This avoids the violation of the parking area by total tilting of the pole in the direction of the push F1. The consequence of such a tilting limitation is to leave mechanical parts above the ground at a height at least equal to the height of a chassis of a vehicle relative to the ground: this results in a risk of catching and damage to the detriment of a vehicle which seeks to force the passage. This is the reason why the post in question will be made with a height such that even inclined at 45 ° for example (as illustrated in Figure 4) this chassis height is found.

The above description concerning the production of the lower part of a parking barrier already highlights the advantage and the advantage of the improvement thus provided. A post which has been subjected to stress or shock can return to its original raised position and continue to play its protective role against an attempt at inadvertent access without requiring systematic replacement.

This improvement is complemented by that also provided to the upper part of a barrier of the post type as described above and comprising projecting and laterally elements constituting the desired volumes or overall dimensions.

In the embodiment illustrated here, these overall dimensions or volumes are represented by the two lateral handles 20, 21. These handles can be made of any material preferably of tubular shape and, in accordance with the invention, they are connected to the post 1 by means of sections of appropriate lengths of helical springs 22 and 23 passing freely through this post. These springs have a part fitted into the tubular elements 20 and 21 and their fixing is ensured there by stamped points such as 24, 25. To perfect such an assembly, it is possible to provide reinforcing plates such as 26 which may for example be welded or riveted.

With such an arrangement, any shock or thrust affecting the handles results in a deflection, generally avoiding any damage which may require replacement of the barrier.

It is thus seen that a barrier according to the invention receiving a shock or supporting a frontal or lateral thrust is able to withstand and absorb this shock or this thrust without damage given the flexibility and the ability to non-deteriorating deformation which are given to the barriers according to the invention equipped with the means described.

According to one possible embodiment, the cavity 16 can be eliminated by stopping the part 15 at the level of the base 6, the part 16A, possibly raised, sufficient to serve as a stop.

Furthermore, for more comfortable use, it may be preferable to place the lock 14 at the top of the post 1. An advantageous embodiment implementing such developments will be described below with reference to FIGS. 5 to 7.

In these figures, we find: a post 1A, a sole 6A, a casing 5A, a hinge pin 2, a leaf spring 18A, the bolts 7 for fixing the sole to the ground G, the recess 8, the return spring 9, slide 10A with the terminal part 15 forming a bolt, a stop 16A. A lock 27 formed at the top of the post forms a security assembly (which will be described below) above two lateral handles 20, 21 which are found with their 22, 23 passing through said post 1 and their stamped points. 24, 25.

In this embodiment, the keeper 16 to be dug into the ground is avoided. Furthermore, the deflection of the spring leaf 18A is obtained here in the event of a thrust exerted in the opposite direction of the arrow F1, by the arrangement at the lower end of the post 1 of a curved support segment 17A for playing the role played in the variant previously described by the support heel 17.

A simplification of execution also resides in the ease of assembly and assembly the leaf spring in the sense that it is held at one of its ends by a simple and easy device to make and assemble: in the vicinity of the one of the ends, the leaf spring 18 comprises two studs 18B, 18B (FIG. 5A) designed to fit into corresponding recesses 18C, 18C, formed in a part 18E supported by side walls 5B, 5B by a system of the type mortise-tenon bearing the reference 5C-5D. This leaf spring also rests on a cross member 19A of the sole also inserted between the walls 5B, 5B by the same means of the tenon-mortise type 19B-19C. The side walls 5A, 5B have come here in one piece with the sole 6A, which is another simplification eliminating any need for welding in the housing.

Additional security is obtained by mounting the lock system at the top of the post (see Figures 5, 6 and 7). In this case, the slide 10A to which the upper end of the return spring 9 is hung (in 9A), is coupled to the lock 14 by a rod 9D ending in a hook-shaped element 9E on which one can act as previously by pulling up. The slide 10 forming the bolt 15 is guided here by a plate 9C fixed on an internal face of the post 1 with a marginal part raised for the guide in question and a hook 9B being formed at the bottom of this raised part for hooking the lower end of the return spring 9.

The lock 27 (see FIG. 7) is installed in a zone reserved for this purpose at the top of the post 1 by means of a casing 28 fitted and fixed by riveting. The lock itself housed inside this case is made practically inviolable because inside the case 28 receiving the rivets in R is fitted the barrel holder 29 in which the barrel 30 is mounted by a screw 31 crossing it at 31A. This barrel holder has flats 32 adapted to be flush with the upper edge of the post and to be joined by welding with a cover 33 forming a protective plate. It will be understood that thus mounted this lock does not offer any possibility of disassembly to access the operation of the slide except by fracturing the entire upper part inside which said lock is housed. The rotation of a key brings about the rotation of a tooth (30B) of the movable part 30A of the barrel which acts to lift for example the hook 9E and, therefore, the slide 10.

It goes without saying that the present invention has been described for purely explanatory and in no way limitative and that any useful modification may be made without departing from its scope. An essential advantage of the invention remains in any case the fact that the elastic deformations which occur in the event of impacts allow the seal formed by a single block (reference G in the drawings) not to be torn off, as this risks being produce with previous rigid systems.

Claims (9)

1. Protective barrier for reserved areas, adapted to resist impacts and bumps from motor vehicles, of the type having at least one top member (1) movable with respect to a bottom member (6) anchored in the ground (G) and an elastic return means (18) interposed between the said members (1, 6), characterised in that, the top member (1) being adapted to move in rotation about a horizontal shaft (2) provided on the bottom member (6) on each side of an upright reference position, there is provided a releasable means (15, 16) for locking its rotation in a first direction (F2) in order to cause it to occupy its prone position and a rigid means (8, 15, 16) for locking its rotation in the reverse direction (F1) at the end of a limited angular movement, the elastic return means (18) acting in the limited movement having at least one spring blade (18) extending between an end zone (19) secured to the said sole plate (6) and a zone in engagement with the said top member (1).
2. Barrier according to Claim 1, characterised in that the base of the said top member (1) is mounted so as to rotate about the said horizontal shaft (2) whose ends constitute pivots (3) supported by bearings provided in a shoe or casing (5) carried by the said sole plate (6), and the said base of the said post (1) is adapted to act directly in compression on the said spring blade (18).
3. Barrier according to Claim 2, characterised in that the base of the said top member (1) has a piece in the form of a heel (17) designed to cooperate with the said spring blade (18).
4. Barrier according to any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the said releasable locking means comprises a bolt (15) provided at the base of the said top member (1) cooperating with a keeper (16) provided in the said sole plate (6).
5. Barrier according to Claim 4, characterised in that the said rigid locking means comprises the abutment of the bolt (15) on a transverse wall of the said keeper (16).
6. Barrier according to any one of Claims 3 to 5, characterised in that the said rigid locking means comprises the abutment of the said top member against the edge of a recess (8) provided in the casing (5).
7. Barrier according to any one of Claims 4 to 6, characterised in that the said rigid looking means comprises the full bearing of the heel (17) on the spring blade (18).
8. Barrier according to any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that, when the said top member (1) is in the position of maximum angular movement, the height of the barrier is at least equal to the height of the chassis of a vehicle with respect to the ground.
9. Protective barrier according to any one of the preceding claims, characterised by a top member (1) in the form of a post having, at the top, handles (20, 21) projecting laterally and connected to the said post by means of spring sections (22, 23) passing through the said post and nesting in the said handles.

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