EP1073814B1 - Protective device in the form of a barrier - Google Patents

Abstract

The railing which is placed on a working (2) is constituted by two supports (3) which are placed perpendicular to the plane of the working and attached to it by fixings (4). A rail (5) ensures the rigidity of the supports. The fixing has a hole in which one end (13) of the support penetrates and which after rotation cannot exit this opening and become detached from the fixing.

Description

Subject of the invention

The present invention relates to a protection device in the form of a barrier placed on a structure in order to prevent the fall of people moving over this structure.

This protective device comprises, when assembled, at least two supports or vertical uprights interconnected by at least one rail and each fixed to the structure by means of a fixing element.

Technological background underlying the invention

Many protective devices have been proposed to increase the safety of workers on construction sites. In particular, various devices which can be fixed permanently or not on a support have been described.

The document WO95 / 34719 describes an example which allows the fixing on a rail of posts themselves connected together by healds. It should be noted that fixing is particularly complex and requires the placement of a large number of different parts. In addition, since disassembly is relatively difficult, this kind of barrier cannot be considered as a railing. provisional and will usually be placed permanently.

Patent application EP-A-0059154 describes a retractable platform railing, comprising several support uprights which are articulated at one of their ends. These amounts are arranged in a fitted stop and are immobilized in the normal position by a key secured to the articulated face.

A railing is also known in which panels or bars are held between an upper rail and a lower rail, which are themselves fixed by fasteners to vertical uprights. These vertical uprights are anchored in the ground.

It is observed that most of these devices do not always allow temporary placement.

Currently, to carry out work at height, worker safety is ensured by the use of harnesses and a lifeline. However, these lifelines are generally only designed to be able to support the weight of up to three people. They are in fact provided as a means of protection in the event of occasional site inspection and not in the event of intervention. In addition, it is observed that in certain cases, for reasons of comfort and / or negligence, certain workers do not cling to it, which makes this means of protection obsolete.

Document WO90 / 02860 describes means allowing the installation of safety barriers, among others. These means consist of a relatively large number of different parts which allow the vertical positioning of uprights which must fit into a support having an L-shaped groove. this groove, an elongated element integral with the upright is introduced therein and a slight rotational movement along a horizontal axis is carried out on the elongated element. Then, this last element is held in place using small wedges to prevent its removal or displacement. It is by no means a "self-locking" protection device.

Document US-A-5,182,889 describes a barrier system comprising uprights, each upright being fixed to the plane of the structure by a heald system. A net is placed along the uprights to create the barrier. In a particular embodiment, the uprights correspond to posts fixed to the plane of the structure, by means of a fixing element corresponding to a flat with an opening at the level of which the post is screwed. This device has the disadvantage of not being easily and quickly installable and removable.

Document FR-A- 2 680 534 describes a device for protecting people against falls consisting of two frames forming a guardrail, each frame being composed of a stringer, a sub-stringer and a plinth, the sliding on the one hand compared to the other allows adaptability of the protection to the lengths of zones to be protected.

Aims of the invention

The present invention aims first of all to propose a device which makes it possible to increase the safety of people moving and working on works or building sites, more particularly located at height, which does not have the drawbacks of the prior art .

The present invention therefore aims to provide a simple device which comprises a limited number of parts which, when assembled together, make it possible to produce a "self-locking" protection system, that is to say which makes it possible to avoid inadvertent or unexpected disassembly or separation of the parts constituting the protection device.

The present invention also aims to provide a system which is of the temporary type, that is to say which allows easy and rapid disassembly of the various components.

Main characteristic features of the invention

The present invention relates first of all to a self-blocking protection device of the guardrail type disposed on a structure, possibly temporarily, comprising at least two supports or uprights which will be placed along an axis substantially perpendicular to the plane of the structure to be fitted with protections, the uprights each being fixed using an element for fixing to the plane of the structure. The device further comprises at least one heald which secures it between the two supports or uprights, the protective device being characterized in that the fixing element has an opening which is produced so that one end of the support or amount can enter it in a first direction and cannot leave this opening and / or become detached from the fastening element after rotation about an axis parallel to the axis substantially perpendicular to the plane of the structure towards a second direction.

The heddle is held integral with said support or upright using fixing means preventing rotation of said supports or uprights after joining. This makes it possible to prevent the end of the support or upright from leaving the opening of the fixing element. These fixing means are constituted by upper cleats which have a geometry such that the heddle can only be detached from the supports or uprights after lifting and rotation.

Preferably, said support or upright has at one of its ends a nozzle capable of penetrating into the opening of the fixing element, this nozzle having in section preferably perpendicular to the first direction at least one dimension smaller than that obtained in section preferably perpendicular to the second direction.

The device may possibly include a plinth, which can also be placed between at least two supports or uprights already fixed by means of the fixing element on the structure to be fitted with protections.

The present invention also relates to each of the constituent elements of the device of the invention as mentioned above.

The present invention finally relates to a method of mounting a protection device as described above, characterized in that one fixes, preferably permanently, at least two fixing elements on a structure to be protected, in that that one has (place) in an opening provided of each of the fastening elements one end of said support or amount by inserting said end into the opening of the fastening element in a first direction, in that one performs a rotation of the support or upright along an axis of rotation parallel to the positioning axis of the support or upright in a second direction, thus blocking said support or upright in the fastening element, in that one then hooks at least a heald, ensuring a connection between at least two supports or uprights arranged (placed) as described above, and possibly in that a plinth is placed, directly at the level of the structure, between the same supports or uprights arranged (placed) as described above.

Brief description of the figures

Figure 1

shows an overall perspective view of the protection device according to the present invention already mounted and placed on the structure to be fitted with protections.

Figures 2

show a view of the fastening element before and after its placement on the structure to be protected.

Figures 3

show a sectional view of the fastening element in the mounting position and in the locking position.

Figures 4 to 6

each time represent a perspective view according to the different stages of the mounting method according to the present invention allowing the placement respectively of a support or upright, of a heddle and of a plinth as shown in FIG. 1.

Detailed description of the present invention

Figure 1 shows an overview of the fixing device according to the present invention. This fixing device 1 comprises first of all at least two fixing elements 4 also called "bells" because of their particular shape which is open on their underside which will be placed directly in contact with the structure 2 to be protected. The device further comprises at least two supports or uprights 3 which will be placed vertically and between which will be fixed horizontally at least one heald 5 and possibly a plinth 9 ensuring the joining of said supports or uprights.

As it appears in FIG. 1, the device comprises two supports or uprights 3 which are placed along an axis β essentially perpendicular to the plane α of the structure 2 to be protected. The term "plane α of the structure 2" means the plane of the essential surface of the structure 2. The plane α of a structure will be determined relative to the edge of a building, the edge of the steps a staircase, the upper and lower borders of an inclined plane, etc.

The placement of the various components of the protection device is carried out as follows: firstly, provision is made for the attachment of at least two fastening elements 4 directly to the structure 2 to be fitted with protections, which can be a rail, a platform, a staircase, or any other support having a surface, substantially horizontal (with respect to the vertical axis of a plumb line).

However, it is possible to envisage using the device and the method according to the invention for establishing guardrail-type protection for an inclined structure, staircase or inclined plane type. In this case, account will be taken of the substantially horizontal surface formed by the upper and lower bearings of said inclined planes on which the above-mentioned fastening elements 4 will be fixed.

Preferably, the fastening elements 4 are permanently attached to the structure 2 by means known per se, which can simply be a weld in the case of metallic elements, or the attachment using rivets, screws, bolts and nuts.

Preferably, these various fixing elements 4 will be placed just on the edge of the structure 2, so as to allow easier introduction of the uprights or supports 3.

According to a particularly important characteristic of the present invention, this fastening element 4, which is shown in more detail in FIGS. 2 and 3, has an opening 6 which has an asymmetrical shape. More particularly, the opening 6 in the fastening element has in section preferably perpendicular to a first direction V1 at least one dimension smaller than that obtained in section preferably perpendicular to a second direction V2, the first direction V1 being called commonly the direction of introduction of the support or upright, while the second direction V2 is commonly called the locking direction.

This feature will allow a self-locking support or upright 3 placed "vertically" in the fixing element 4 and to prevent its extraction from the latter.

This self-locking (or self-locking) of the system allows it to be disassembled only by scrupulously following the sequence of disassembly operations contrary to that of assembly. By simply assembling the arm, the installation of the protection device is completed by locking the assembly.

To this end, there is an end 13 of the support or upright 3 by making it penetrate into the opening 6 of the fixing element 4 in the direction of introduction V1 (FIG. 4a), then a rotation is carried out around an axis of rotation β 'parallel to the axis β (Figure 4b) of said support or upright 3, towards a second direction V2, which is the locking direction.

In order to self-locking the support or upright 3 to the fixing element 4, it is provided that the end 13 of said support or upright 3 has a nozzle capable of penetrating into the opening 6 of the fixing element 4 and having in section perpendicular to the first direction V1 at least one dimension smaller than that obtained in section perpendicular to the second direction V2. This excludes the fact that the support or upright 3 placed vertically, when it is placed in the second direction V2, does not come out of the fixing element 4 (FIG. 4c).

Preferably, the supports or uprights 3 placed vertically are cantilevered relative to the structure 2 to be protected, so as to further facilitate the placement of these in the corresponding fastening elements 4 and therefore the introduction of the end 13 of said support or upright 3 in the opening 6 of the corresponding fixing element 4.

The device will only be fully self-locking if the rotation of the different supports or uprights 3 placed vertically is prevented. This is achieved by placing at least one heald 5 between at least two consecutive supports or uprights 3.

According to an embodiment more particularly shown in Figures 5, there is a heald 5 between two adjacent supports or uprights 3 by placing it in tabs 15 provided on each of the supports or uprights 3 placed vertically (Figure 5a).

Preferably, the upper side of the heald 5 is placed on the cleats 15 by tilting the latter at a certain angle in order to allow the edge of the heald 5 to be introduced into said cleats 15 (FIG. 5b). Then, said smooth 5 is folded towards the supports or uprights 3 and it is allowed to move vertically downwards quite simply by gravity (FIG. 5c).

In this way, the rotation of said supports or uprights will be prevented. To disassemble the boom, it is necessary to lift and rotate around a horizontal axis to release it from its support. This sequence prevents inadvertent disassembly. It is only after this series of operations that rotation along a vertical axis is possible.

According to a more preferred embodiment shown in more detail in Figures 6, one can provide for the placement of a plinth 9 at the edge of the structure 2 to be protected. The procedure for placing said heald 5 is substantially similar by inserting the upper edge of said plinth 9 in cleats 16 provided for this purpose on each of the supports or uprights 3 placed vertically (FIG. 6a). We fold again then said plinth 9 so that it rests on the supports or uprights 3 (FIG. 6b). The space between the plinth 9 and the structure to be fitted with protections is such that it is not possible to slide the foot there.

It is observed that an incorrect positioning of the heald or the plinth, for example in engagement only on the upper cleats, will nevertheless ensure the self-locking (self-locking) of the uprights or supports, even if the positioning of the heald or plinth in the the longitudinal axis is not correct.

It is understood that one can easily envisage the placement of several protective elements as described above, in order to constitute a greater protective barrier.

One can possibly also consider the placement of supports or uprights placed vertically intermediate between the supports or end uprights, in order to further strengthen the entire protective device.

Claims (5)

1. A railing-type self-locking protective device (1) arranged on a structure (2), possibly temporarily, comprising at least two supports or posts (3) each having two ends, which will be arranged along a substantially perpendicular axis (β) relative to the structure plane (α) to be provided with protections and which will be each attached to the latter by means of an attachment element (4), said device additionally comprising at least a handrail (5) for ensuring interlocking between the two supports or posts (3), characterized in that the attachment element (4) has an opening (6) arranged so that one end (13) of said support or post (3) having a tip (14) enters said opening (6) by means of said tip (14) in one direction (V1) and is not able to get out of this opening (6) and/or separate from the attachment element (4) after rotation about an axis (β') parallel to the axis (β) substantially perpendicular to the structure plane (α) towards a second direction (V2), said tip (14) having in section perpendicular to the first direction (V1) at least one dimension (D1) smaller than the dimension (D2) achieved in section perpendicular to the second direction (V2).
2. The device according to claim 1, characterized in that the handrail (5) is attached to the supports or posts (3) with means allowing the interlocking of said handrail and of the supports or posts (3) preventing the rotation of said supports or posts (3) about their rotation axis (β') and thereby preventing the support or post (3) tip from leaving the attachment element (4) inside which it is arranged.
3. The device according to claim 2, characterized in that the handrail (5) is arranged in wedges (15) placed in the upper part of the supports or posts (3), said wedges having a geometry such that the handrail can be dismantled only after lifting and rotation.
4. The device according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that it comprises a skirting (9) which is arranged between said two supports or posts (3) already fixed in wedges (16) provided in the bottom part of the supports or posts (3).
5. A mounting method for a protective device (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that at least two attachment elements (4) are fixed, preferably permanently, on a structure (2) to be provided with protections, in that an end (13) of said support or post (3) is arranged in an opening (6) provided in each of the attachment elements (4), by introducing said end (13) into the opening (6) of the attachment element (4) along a first direction (11), in that a rotation is carried out along a rotation axis towards a second direction (12), thereby locking said support or post (3) in the attachment element (4), in that subsequently a handrail (5) is connected, for ensuring interlocking between at least two supports or posts (3) so as to prevent the rotation of said supports or posts (3) and consequently their dismantling and optionally in that a skirting (9) is arranged directly on the structure (2) between said supports or posts (3).