ES2831420T3 - A sound absorbing headband system - Google Patents

Abstract

A protection band system for installation on a side or median of a road (2), said protection band system comprises a series of support posts (4), which are preferably vertically oriented, at least one panel that absorbs the noise (6) that is mounted on said support posts (4), and a series of longitudinal protection bands (8) mounted on the side of the protection band system that faces the road, said panel that absorbs noise (6) comprising a noise-absorbing material (10) and an energy-absorbing material (12) provided with openings, characterized in that the energy-absorbing material (12) is an extensible metal net that encloses said material that absorbs noise (10).

Description

DESCRIPTION

A sound absorbing headband system

The present invention refers to a sound-absorbing protection band system for installation on the side of a road, said protection band system comprises a series of support posts, which are preferably vertically oriented, at least one panel that Sound absorbing mountable on such support posts and a series of longitudinal guard bands mounted on the side of the guard band system facing the road.

A protective band is provided on the side of a road in order to limit personal injury by absorbing the energy of a vehicle going off the road by grabbing and braking the vehicle. In addition to this main function, it is also attractive to equip the shield bands with noise reduction means.

Accordingly, such a sound absorbing shield band is known from US 4,358,090.

Another known protection band system is known from EP 1528 158 A1. Here, the sound-absorbing panels are made of aluminum or are transparent.

Another example of a guard band with noise reduction measures is known from WO 2010/018028 A1, where a perforated plate is provided behind the guard band beam.

To ensure road safety and reduce the risk of personal injury, a protective band is required to be able to absorb the impact of a collision without disintegrating. This requirement is also applicable to noise reduction means. This requirement is to avoid flying objects and / or sharp fractures that can cause serious personal injury in the event of a collision. In the protective bands with noise reduction measures mentioned above, the housing made of aluminum or transparent materials, such as glass or plastic, is fragile, expensive and may not withstand the impact of a vehicle without breaking.

In providing the noise reducing panels described above, the risk of disintegration of the panel during an impact is considered too high and therefore an objective of the present invention is to provide a guard band with noise reduction means that can withstand the impact of a vehicle when colliding with the protection strip.

According to the invention, this objective is achieved by means of a protection band of the type initially mentioned, wherein the sound absorbing panel comprises a plate of sound absorbing material which is lined with an energy absorbing material provided with openings. . One such energy absorbing material provided with apertures is an extensible metal net.

The invention has the advantage that the noise absorbing panel is contained in an energy absorbing material, that is, said extensible metal net by which an improved noise absorbing panel can be achieved in a band system. protection, which also meets the requirements for shock absorption and prevents disintegration in the event of an impact with a vehicle.

The sound absorbing material is preferably a mineral wool fiber board, which has very good noise absorbing characteristics. However, it is recognized that sound absorbing panels can also be made of other materials, such as foam material, integrated or partial rubber material, integrated or partial plastic material, or other weather-resistant noise absorbing material. and wear effects next to traffic lanes.

Expandable metal or expanded metal provide very good energy absorbing characteristics as the web made of stretched metal can deform to a great extent when impacted. Depending on the design of the extensible metal net, it is possible to provide a different stretching behavior in the respective stress directions. For example, it is possible to provide a higher tensile strength and therefore a higher energy absorption in an impact situation in the longitudinal direction of the traffic lane than in the vertical direction. In those directions, where the extensible metal mesh provides greater tensile strength, the meshes of the extensible metal network can provide a greater amount of deformation. In those directions where the elastic metal net has less tensile strength, the meshes of the elastic metal net deform less. This can be achieved, for example, by lozenge-shaped meshes, which have a longer diagonal in the vertical direction and a shorter diagonal in the horizontal direction. Therefore, the deformation capacity of the lozenge-formed meshes in the horizontal direction is higher than in the vertical direction. Panel braking should be avoided in any situation, particularly in a crash situation.

Furthermore, in addition to the mechanical behavior of the web made of drawn metal, in particular in a stress situation, such a material can also provide additional beneficial optical and / or mechanical effects. Drawn metal can provide a surface structure with different groups of surfaces that are intentionally oriented in a particular direction. In this way, it is possible to achieve particular optical reflection effects such that the impact light from a vehicle is reflected in preferred directions by certain groups of surfaces of the mesh material, while the impact light is scattered in other less preferred directions. . Furthermore, tilting the groups of surfaces in preferred directions can also help particular objects colliding with the web material to slide along the surface of the material with less friction in certain preferred directions, while the impacting objects from another direction they experience greater friction.

In addition to the fact that mineral wool fiber board, and more preferably a rock wool material, has very good noise absorption characteristics, another advantage of rock wool in particular as a material is that this material is fire resistant. The energy absorbing material, that is, the extensible metal net provides protection to the mineral wool and can further contribute to the absorption of energy in the event of an impact due to a collision in the protection strip and the material absorbing the energy, that is, the extensible metal net also ensures the sound-absorbing panel does not disintegrate on such impact. This synergy between the mineral wool fiber board and the energy absorbing material, that is, the extensible metal is advantageous and results in an improved noise absorbing panel in a protection band, which also meets the related requirements. with shock absorption and prevents disintegration in an impact with a vehicle.

The term extensible metal net refers to an expanded metal sheet, which is manufactured by a process of cutting and stretching. The process may involve a precision die that cuts and stretches the sheet material in a single operation. Expanded metal is made by cutting and expanding a solid sheet of metal on special machines. The machines cut and stretch the metal, expanding it to a seamless mesh without joints. The production does not contain weld seams or woven threads, which contributes to the unique qualities of expanded metal. The mesh that is produced after the expansion of the cut metal gives the material excellent load-bearing capacity.

The material is then processed through a set of rollers, which adjusts the final thickness. The extensible metal in the web is a ductile metal capable of absorbing energy while plastically deforming.

Preferably, the extensible metal is galvanized steel. This is advantageous in that it is weather resistant and inexpensive to produce and very ductile and deformable by deforming the mesh structure of the elastic metal net when impacted. When galvanizing the stretched metal, the sharp edges will also be rounded. However, the invention contemplates that other types of protective coatings can be used, such as plastic coating, paint, or the like.

As a complement to the stretched metal, the energy absorbing mesh could be a perforated metal sheet, a plastic net or the like and / or a combination thereof, which encloses said plate of noise absorbing material.

In one embodiment, the net is a panel that encloses at least the main sides and the top side of the mineral wool fiber board. Preferably, the liner is manufactured from the extensible metal net panel that folds into a box around the mineral wool fiber board and with mounting panels provided on each of the end sides.

From the invention it is understood that the extensible metal mesh panel can be produced with unstretched areas at each of the end sections to receive the mounting panels at each end to mount the sound absorber to the support posts. In this way, any sharp edges or pointed ends on the net structure can be avoided, thus reducing any risk of personal injury to persons when handling the noise absorbing panel or during a collision with the guard strip. Furthermore, since the noise absorbing panel can be installed in cities, for example on parapets, this feature of the invention avoids the risk of injuring pedestrians or cyclists.

The sound absorbing panel is preferably about 90 cm high and about 260 cm long. This means that the panels can fit between the posts in common guard band structure designs. Alternatively, the panels can be placed behind the post, viewed from the traffic lane, where a pair of two consecutive posts can be placed at a distance of approximately 1m, 1.3m, 2m, or 4m, respectively. However, the present invention finds any sizing of the panel that absorbs noise. In particular, it is preferred to provide noise absorbing panels in predetermined standardized dimensions that match the usual prefabricated shield band assemblies for different applications. From the invention it is understood that the panels can also alternatively be mounted in front of the posts, that is, between the posts and the guard strip. According to one embodiment of the invention, the panels are not directly interconnected nor mechanically fixed to each other. Instead, they are mounted on the posts or on the guard band and placed side by side without mutual fixation. In other cases, the panels can be connected mechanically.

In preferred embodiments, the mineral wool fiber board can also be provided with a density within the range of 60-150 kg / m3, preferably 80-120 kg / m3, more preferably 80-100 kg / m3. Noise absorbing pads are provided in a size that is easy to handle during assembly.

In one embodiment, the board is preferably provided with a protective fabric on its side facing the road. In this way, the mineral fiber plate is protected from road salt, dirt and the like. The fabric can be a fleece, that is, a non-woven fabric, which is resistant to weathering and UV rays, ensuring a long service life of the sound absorbing panel.

In addition to this feature, it is possible to provide the protective fabric with a structured surface that has different appearances depending on the perspective. Thus, it is possible to provide optical effects depending on an actual line of sight. For example, the fleece and therefore the noise absorbing panel can reflect incident light with greater or less intensity depending on the actual angle of incidence. It is also possible to provide the protective fabric with particular light absorption effects, so that it has a different color depending on the actual angle of incidence of the light or the line of sight. Therefore, the fleece can reflect light when illuminated from one driving direction of a traffic lane and absorb or partially or totally deflect light when illuminated from the other driving direction of said traffic lane. In addition to the design features, this feature can also provide functional benefits when the sound absorbing panel is installed next to the traffic lane.

From the present invention, it is advantageous that the noise absorbing panel is provided in a flat configuration or in a curved configuration. Another advantage of the extensible metal mesh overlying the mineral fiber plate is also that the extensible metal mesh is manually deformable so that the noise panel can be bent into a preferred curved shape. Alternatively, if more rigid and less flexible panels are used, shorter panels can be used and arranged in a polygonal course for installation on curved traffic lanes.

In one embodiment of the invention, the guard band is made of a beam, preferably made of a steel profile in a predetermined cross-sectional shape. The beam may be provided with sound reducing means, such as one or more perforation sections.

As an alternative to a profiled beam, the protection strip could be a tube or a cable.

According to a further embodiment of the present invention, the noise absorbing panel may be provided at the respective axial end portions with end profiles. Said end profiles can have an I, H, U or C shape. The use of I, H shaped end profiles allows the connection of two panels that absorb consecutive sound that can be inserted into the respective holes provided by this shaped profile. . The U-shaped or C-shaped profiles can be used as end profiles of the respective noise absorbing panels in case no other noise absorbing panels are to be connected.

According to a further embodiment of the invention, the end portions of the noise absorbing panels may be at least partially covered by covering elements. These cover elements can be formed of material that is elastically deformable and has good noise-absorbing characteristics, for example rubber material. It is possible to fix said singular elements to the energy absorbing mesh material on both sides of the noise absorbing panel, respectively. Alternatively, it is possible to provide cover elements that cover an end part of the noise absorbing panel by surrounding or encompassing this end part partially or completely. The cover element can be fixed by additional fixing means or it can be attached to the sound absorbing panel. Friction-increasing or form-fitting ribs may be formed to the cover members to engage the noise absorbing panel, particularly the end portions of the energy absorbing mesh material. The cover member may provide an elastically deformable structure, preferably rounded, in the center of the end face that can contact the corresponding elastically deformable structure on an opposite cover member of a rough noise absorbing panel. The elastically deformable structure can be formed by a rounded protrusion formed integrally within the cover, for example, with a rounded protrusion surface. This makes it possible to compensate for tolerances when mounting or assembling the system and, in addition, provides additional noise-absorbing characteristics also at the interfaces between two panels that absorb approximate noise.

The invention is described in more detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a schematic perspective view of a sound absorbing guard band system according to a first embodiment of the invention;

Figure 2 is a schematic front view of said protection band system of the first embodiment of the invention,

Figure 3 is a side view thereof, and

Figure 4 is a top view thereof;

Figure 5 is a schematic perspective view of a sound absorbing headband system according to a second embodiment of the invention, and

Figure 6 is a schematic front view thereof;

Figure 7 a) -c) is a series of cross-sectional views illustrating the absorption of an impact by a protection band system according to the invention;

Figures 8 to 10 are cross-sectional views of three embodiments of a noise absorbing panel in accordance with the invention;

Figures 11-14 are cross-sectional views of elements of each of said three embodiments;

Figure 15 is a detailed front view of a preferred embodiment of an extensible metal net in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the invention. Y

Figure 16 is a side view of the extensible metal net of Figure 15;

Figure 17 is a schematic perspective view of a mounting profile for use between two adjacent noise absorbing panels;

Figure 18 is a front view of a guard band beam according to an embodiment of the invention with areas of perforations;

Figure 19 is a detailed perspective view of the beam of Figure 18; Y

Figure 20 is a cross-sectional view thereof;

Figures 21 and 22 are views of a second embodiment of a guard band beam; and Figures 23 and 24 are views of a third embodiment of a guard band beam;

Figures 25 and 26 are two cross-sectional shapes of guard band beams;

Figures 27 to 30 are schematic views of different perforation patterns for perforations in the beams of the protective band of the invention; Y

Figures 31 to 39 show different embodiments for end member designs covering end surfaces of noise absorbing panels.

With reference to Figures 1 to 4, a first embodiment of a sound absorbing headband system according to the invention is shown. The protection band system is installed on a side or median of a road 2 and comprises a series of vertically oriented support posts 4.

A series of noise absorbing panels 6 are mounted on one side of the support posts 4 facing away from the road and a series of longitudinal protection strips 8 are mounted on the other side of the posts 4 facing the road. 2. Between the noise absorbing panels 6 mounting profiles 14 are provided (see Figures 1 and 2) to ensure that the noise absorbing panels 6 are properly positioned and aligned.

The noise absorbing panel 6 comprises a plate of noise absorbing material 10 which is encased in an energy absorbing mesh 12 (see Figure 3).

Figures 5 and 6 show a second embodiment of a sound absorbing headband system according to the invention. According to this embodiment, the guard bands 8 are provided with perforated sections 81, 82 to further increase the sound absorption characteristics of the guard band system.

Figures 7 a) to c) show the absorption of an impact by a protection band system according to the invention. When the vehicle comes from the road 2 and collides with the protection band 8, as indicated by the arrow in the figures, the posts 4 deviate at ground level and the sound absorbing panel 6 is tilted backwards, i.e. , moving away from the road 2 which is deformed when the impact energy is absorbed in this deformation of the noise absorbing panel 6. As the impact energy is removed, the protection band 8 is detached from the posts 4 as shown in Figure 7 c).

Three embodiments of the noise absorbing panel are shown in Figures 8-10 6. It is common for these three embodiments that a plate of sound absorbing material 10 is encased in an energy absorbing mesh 12. The material of the plate The noise absorbing material 10 is preferably a mineral fiber wool, and in particular a rock wool material. This material has good sound absorption characteristics just as the material is fire resistant and the noise absorbing panel 6 made of rock wool can contribute to the protection band system can prevent the spread of any fire in case of the occurrence of a fire in connection with a road accident with or without vehicle impact on the protection band.

Guard profiles 16, 16 ', 16 "are provided between the noise absorbing material plate 10 and the energy absorbing mesh 12. In Figure 11, the noise absorbing material plate 10 is shown alone and in Figures 12-14 show the three different designs of the protection profiles 16, 16 ', 16 ". The protective profile 16, 16'or 16 "can be made of a transparent or non-transparent polymeric material, such as polypropylene, polycarbonate or the like.

As mentioned above, the plate of noise absorbing material 10 is wrapped in an energy absorbing mesh 12. This mesh 12 is provided as a net made of elastic metal or also called expanded metal. Such an expanded metal web is made by cutting and expanding a solid sheet of metal on special machines. The machines cut and stretch the metal, expanding it to a seamless mesh without joints. Thus, the mesh is made up of ribs 12 'and diamond-shaped openings 12 ", as shown in Figures 15 and 16.

The expanded metal mesh 12 is advantageous since this type of mesh is highly deformable without breaking and therefore can absorb a large amount of energy in the event of an impact and at the same time prevent the noise absorbing material 10 enclosed in the 12 mesh was disintegrated and spread around the crash of a vehicle of the protection band system. The expanded metal mesh is formed so that it is more deformable in the longitudinal direction along the road than in the vertical direction. The expanded metal mesh 12 is preferably bent into a shape so as to form a cover for the front and rear sides of the noise absorbing plate 10, as well as at least the top side. Preferably, the mesh 12 is also formed so that it covers at least a part of the lower side of the noise absorbing plate 10.

As mentioned in connection with Figures 1 and 2, a mounting profile 14 is provided between the noise absorbing panels 6. An embodiment of the mounting profile 14 is shown in Figure 17. The profile 14 is made as a profile. in H with two outer flanges 142 and a web flange 144 between them. Thus, two receiving slots 146 are formed on each side of web wing 144 to receive the ends of two neighboring noise absorbing panels 6. Alternatively, two U-profiles or Z-profiles can be used.

Various embodiments of guard band beams 8 are illustrated in the following Figures 18-30. Guard band beams 8 are formed from a sheet of metal that is bent into a desired cross-sectional shape. In the embodiment shown in Figures 18 to 20, the guard band beam 8 is configured with upper and lower longitudinal flange portions facing the road and a central flange portion between them. The upper and lower flange portions are provided with perforated sections 81 and the central flange portion is also provided with a perforated section 82. Mounting holes 80 are provided at least in the end portions of the beams 8.

Another embodiment of the beam design is shown in Figures 21 and 22. This second design differs from the design shown in Figures 18-20 by having unperforated sections 83 along the beam 8.

In Figures 23-24, yet another variant of the perforation design is shown, where only the areas 84 around the mounting holes 80 are not perforated.

Figures 25 and 26 show cross sections of two alternative shapes of guard band beam 8 with respect to the shape shown in Figure 20, which could be used for road-facing guard band beams 8 in a road system. protection band according to the invention.

The perforations may be provided in the beams of the guard strip 8 with different patterns. Some different perforation patterns are shown in Figures 27-30.

Figure 31 shows a detailed view of an end region of a noise absorbing panel 6 as described above. In the final region of the noise absorbing panel 6, two rubber elements 200 are attached to the edges of the energy absorbing mesh material 12. Each of the rubber elements 200 in cross section provides a profile with a receiving part. 202 U-shaped with rib-shaped projections 204 and 206. Furthermore, each of the rubber elements 200 has a hollow oval annular portion 208. The rubber elements 200 are attached to the free edge of the mesh material 12 by means of the receiving portions 202, wherein the rib-shaped projections 204 and 206 engage the mesh material 12 to retain the rubber elements 200 at the free edge of the mesh material 12. The hollow oval annular portions 208, which can be elastically deformed, protrude from the front surface 210 of the noise absorbing panel. 6. Thus, the rubber elements 200 provide a noise-damping and mechanical-damping interface to an approximate wall element or other noise-absorbing panel 6 formed with the corresponding rubber elements 200. Furthermore, tolerances can be compensated in this way.

It should be added that the noise absorbing panel 6 also exhibits an additional protective layer 212 formed between the plate of noise absorbing material 10 and the energy absorbing mesh material 12. This additional protective layer 212 can be provided to protect the plate from noise-absorbing material 10 from dirt, water or other external influences. Furthermore, it can provide optical effects, for example particular reflection effects or light absorption effects depending on certain angular ranges. This additional layer of protection can be provided in each embodiment as described above, regardless of other described structural features.

Figure 32 shows an alternative embodiment for the design of an end cover design of a noise absorbing panel 6. The noise absorbing panel 6 is free and is provided with a cover 220 formed of rubber material. The cover has bent edge regions 222 that span the free ends of the noise absorbing panel 6 and are attached by elastic deformation and friction to the end regions of the energy absorbing mesh material 12.

Figure 33 shows an embodiment for another cover 230 according to the invention which basically corresponds to the embodiment described with respect to Figure 32. Figure 35 further shows how two opposing noise absorbing panels 6 and 6 'are arranged one against the other fitted with 230 covers, respectively. Furthermore, Figure 36 further shows a perspective view of the cover 230. According to this embodiment, the cover 230 has basically the same shape as that shown in Figure 32 with respect to the cover 220 and is also formed of elastically material. deformable, eg rubber. Additionally, the cover 230 provides in its central region a rounded protrusion 232 with a hollow interior 234, which makes the rounded protrusion 232 elastically deformable. The general shape of the cover 230 conforms to the geometry of the end side of a noise absorbing panel 6, as can be seen in Figure 36. When attached to the end of two opposing noise absorbing panels 6 and 6 ', as shown in Figure 35, the two corresponding rounded projections 232 and 232' of the respective covers 230 and 230 'contact each other and under elastic deformation provide a tight engagement of the two end caps 230 and 230 '. This allows tolerances to be compensated and provides a tight connection and additional noise damping effects also at the interface between two panels that absorb approximately 6 and 6 'noise.

Figure 34 shows another embodiment which is based on the embodiment according to Figure 33. The end cover 240 corresponds in shape to the end cover 230 as described above, that is, it also has a rounded protrusion 242 with a hollow interior 244. Within the boss 242 is provided a dividing wall 246 that extends from the interior surface of the boss 242 to the plate of sound absorbing material 10. The dividing wall 246 further stabilizes the structure of the boss 242.

Figure 37 shows a further embodiment that is also based on the embodiment according to Figure 33. In this embodiment, in the central area of the lid 250 the projection is formed by a closed annular structure 252 as can be seen in the cross section with a hollow interior 254. The cover 250 is plugged into the end portion of the noise absorbing panel 6 such that a portion, in the example approximately one quarter of the circumference, of the inner portion 256 of the closed annular structure 252 is it engages the front surface of the plate of noise absorbing material 10 and protrudes therein to some extent. This further stabilizes the tire 250 and allows for tolerances to be compensated. As can be seen in Figure 39, the shape of the cover 250 is similar to the shape already described with respect to Figure 36.

Finally, as can be seen in Figure 38, this embodiment provides a similar interface between two opposite or approximate noise absorbing panels 6 and 6 'wherein the two ring-shaped structures 252 contact each other under a demanded elastic deformation. to provide a fit with beneficial damping and noise damping characteristics.

Above, the invention is described with reference to some currently preferred embodiments. However, it is understood that other embodiments can be provided without departing from the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

Claims (17)

1. A protection band system for installation on a side or median of a road (2), said protection band system comprises a series of support posts (4), which are preferably vertically oriented, at least one sound absorbing panel (6) that is mounted on said support posts (4), and a series of longitudinal protection bands (8) mounted on the side of the protection band system that faces the road , said noise-absorbing panel (6) comprising a noise-absorbing material (10) and an energy-absorbing material (12) provided with openings, characterized in that the energy-absorbing material (12) is a network of extensible metal that encloses said noise-absorbing material (10). 2. A headband system according to claim 1, wherein the noise absorbing material (10) is a mineral wool fiber material preferably provided as a plate, foam material, integrated or partial rubber material , integrated or partial plastic material, or other sound absorbing material resistant to weather conditions and the effects of wear and tear along the traffic lanes. 3. A protection band system according to claim 1, wherein the extensible metal is a ductile metal capable of absorbing energy while plastically deforming. 4. A guard band system according to claim 1 or 3, wherein the extensible metal is galvanized steel. 5. A protection band system according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the net is a panel that encloses at least the main sides and the top side of the noise absorbing material (10). A guard band system according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the liner is made of an extensible metal mesh panel, which is folded in a box shape around the plate of sound absorbing material. (10) and with mounting panels (14) provided on each of the end sides of the extensible metal net panel (12). 7. A protection band system according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the cladding is made of an extensible metal mesh panel, which is fused into an insulating material manufactured by a wet felt process and with panels of mounting (14) provided on the end sides of the extendable metal net panel. A guard band system according to claim 6 or 7, wherein the extensible metal mesh panel is produced with unstretched areas in each of the end sections to receive the mounting panels (14) at each end to mount the noise absorbing panel (10) to the support posts (4). A guard band system according to any of the preceding claims, wherein said sound absorbing panel (10) is approximately 90 cm high and approximately 130 cm long, approximately 260 cm or approximately 520 cm long or approximately 530 cm. 10. A protection band system according to any one of claims 2 to 9, wherein the mineral wool fiber plate is rock wool and is provided with a density within the range of 60-150 kg / m3, preferably 80-120 kg / m3, more preferably 80-100 kg / m3. A protection strip system according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the noise-absorbing material (10) is preferably provided with a protective fabric (212) on its side facing the road. 12. A guard band system according to claim 11, wherein the protective fabric (212) has a structured surface that has different appearances depending on an actual line of sight. A guard band system according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein said noise absorbing panel (10) is provided in a flat configuration or a curved or polygonal configuration. A guard band system according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the noise absorbing panel (10) is provided at the respective axial end portions with end profiles, wherein the end profiles can be I-, H-, U- or C- shaped. 15. A guard band system according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein each guard band is made of a beam (8), preferably made of steel with a predetermined cross-sectional shape. 16. A guard band system according to claim 15, wherein the beam (8) is provided with sound reduction means, such as one or more perforation sections (82). 17. A guard band system according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein each guard band is a tube or a wire.