GB2027780A

GB2027780A - Collapsible Road Marker

Info

Publication number: GB2027780A
Application number: GB7927455A
Authority: GB
Original assignee: Glasdon Ltd
Current assignee: Glasdon Ltd
Priority date: 1978-08-10
Filing date: 1979-08-07
Publication date: 1980-02-27
Also published as: GB2027780B

Abstract

A collapsible road marker 10 which can be erected to form a truncated pyramid has sides 11, 12, 13 and 14 and a base 15. The sides 12 and 14 have triangular cut-out portions 16, 17 extending upwardly from the base 15 and fold-lines 18, 19 extending from the apex of their respective cut-out portion 16, 17 to the top edge of the respective side. The base 15 is provided with a central fold-line 20, which is co-planar with lines 18 and 19. The upwardly extending edges of the sides are foldably connected to the adjacent edges of their adjacent sides. A flexible elongate element 22 is connected to the base at fold-line 20 and extends upwardly through the structure 10 to project from its top. The structure can be collapsed by lifting the element 22 in a sense to draw it out of the structure 10. When collapsed the structure 10 is substantially flat. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATlOhl Collapsible Structures This invention relates to collapsible structures and in particular, but not exclusively, to collapsible structures for use as road hazard markers.

According to the present invention there is provided a collapsible structure comprising a body having three or four sides and a base, the body being erectable to form a truncated pyramid, wherein each side is foldably connected along its upwardly extending edges to the respective adjacent edges of its adjacent sides, wherein a pair of opposite sides are foldably connected along their bottom edges to the base, and wherein the or each of the sides, which is not connected to the base, and the base are foldable along respective central fold-lines such that all of the fold-lines are co-planar whereby the body may be collapsed about the foldable connections and fold-lines to form a substantially flat structure.

The or each of the sides, which is not connected to the base, may have a cut-out portion adjacent the base, in which case, the base may be foldable inwardly along its fold-line.

In either of the above cases the body may have three sides, in each case the base apex from which the base fold-line extends is truncated.

In any of the above cases the collapsible structure may further comprise an elongate element having one end connected to the base at its fold-line and extending through the top of the structure whereby the structure may be collapsed by lifting the structure merely by means of the element.

In any of the above cases the base may be weighted.

Any of the above structures may constitute a road hazard marker.

Specific embodiments of the invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a perspective view of a collapsible structure in its erected position; Figure 2 is a perspective view on a different scale, of the structure of Figure 1 in a partially collapsed state; and Figure 3 is a perspective view of an alternative form of collapsible structure.

Figure 1 shows a collapsible structure, generally indicated at 10, which in its erected position as shown in Figure 1 , forms a truncated pyramid. The collapsible structure 10 comprises four sides 1 1, 12, 13 and 14 and a base 15. Each side 11, 12, 13, 14 is foldably connected along its upwardly extending edges to the respective adjacent edges of its adjacent sides. Thus side 1 2 is connected to sides 11 and 13.

Sides 12 and 14 are foldably connected to the base 1 5 along their bottom edges.

Sides 12 and 14 each have a triangular cut-out portion (16, 17 respectively) extending upwardly from the base. Each of sides 12 and 14 is foldable along fold-lines (1 8, 19 respectively) which extends from the apex of the respective cut-out portion 16, 1 7 to the top edge of the respective sides 12, 14. The base 1 5 has a fold-line 20 extending parallel to the bottom edges of sides 11 and 1 3 and co-planar with fold-lines 1 8 and 1 9.

Weights 21 are afixed to the base on either side of the fold-line.

A flexible elongate element 22 is attached to the base 1 5 at the fold-line 20 and extends upwardly through the structure 10 to project out of the top of the structure 10. The flexible elongate element 22 is provided with a ring 23 at its free end. The structure 10 may be made of any rigid or semi-rigid material and if it is made of cardboard, fibre-board or plastics material the foldable connections and fold-lines may be formed merely by thinning or creasing of the material. Alternatively with any material conventional hinges may be used. In this case sides 12 and 14 will be formed from two separate elements connected together by the hinge constituting fold-line 1 8. Similarly the base 1 5 would be of two-part construction.

The weights 21 may comprise thin galvanized steel plates. Alternatively the weight 21 can be dispensed with by constructing the base from a heavy material.

Referring to Figure 2 the structure of Figure 1 can be collapsed by pulling the element 22 upwardly. As is shown in Figure 2 as the element 22 is lifted it pulls the base 1 5 upwardly causing it to fold inwardly about its fold-line 20. The upward movement of the base causes sides 12 and 14 to fold inwardly about their respective fold-lines 18 and 1 9.

It will be appreciated that if the upward movement of the element 22 is continued from the position shown in Figure 2 the portions of sides 12 and 14, which lie either side of their respective fold-lines 18, 1 9 will lie face-to-face, except adjacent the bottom of the structure 10, where the two collapsed halves of base 1 5 will lie between the portions of walls 12 and 14.

Thus the structure 10 can be collapsed into a structure, the maximum thickness of which is the sum of twice the thickness of the base and the thickness of side wall 11 and side wall 13.

When it is desired to erect the structure 10 the simplest way of doing this is to hold the structure by the tops of the side walls so that the weight of the base 1 5 will cause its two halves to drop downwardly, which movement reverses the collapsing movement of the structure 1 0 and hence erects the structure into the position shown in Figure 1.

It is envisaged that structures such as the structure 10 will be particularly useful as road hazard markers, when the storage volume of such markers is at a premium, for instance when markers are carried in motor vehicles of the emergency services. It will be appreciated that the traditional stackable cone takes up considerably more space than structure 10 in its collapsed position.

When the structure is to be used as a road hazard marker it should be brightly coloured and preferably carries light reflective panels, signs or symbols, such as panels 24, indicated on Figure 1. It will be appreciated that the nature of the panels or markings, will depend on the purpose to which it is intended the marker should be put.

Figure 3 shows an alternative form of the structure 10. It is identical in principie to that shown in Figure 1, but when erected forms a truncated pyramid of triangular cross-section. The structure of Figure 3 thus has a triangular base 25 and three walls 26, 27 and 28. As before the upwardly extending edges of the walls are foldably connected to the adjacent edge of the adjacent- wall and walls 26 and 28 are foldably connected to the base 25 along their bottom edges.

Wall 27 has a triangular cut-out portion 29 and a fold-line 30 which extends from the apex of the triangular cut-out portion to the top of the structure 10. The base has a central fold-line 31, which lies co-planar with fold-line 30. The base apex of the structure lOfrom which the fold-line 31 extends truncated, as shown at 32. Weights 33 are mounted on the base 25.

The structure of Figure 3 can be erected and collapsed in an identical manner to that of Figure 1, the trunction at 32 being provided to stop the sides 26 and 28 locking up.

In either of the above embodiments one or more of the hinges may be demountable.

It will be appreciated that elongate element 22 may be rigid.

Claims

1. A collapsible structure comprising a body having three or four sides and a base, the body being erectable to form a truncated pyramid, wherein each side is foldably connected along its upwardly extending edges to the respective adjacent edges of its adjacent sides, wherein a pair of opposite sides are foldably connected along their bottom edges to the base, and wherein the or each of the sides, which is not connected to the base, and the base are foldable along respective central fold-lines such that all of the fold-lines are co-planar whereby the body may be collapsed about the foldable connections and fold-lines to form a substantially flat structure.

2. A collapsible structure as claimed in Claim 1 wherein the or each of the sides, which is not connected to the base, have a cut-out portion adjacent the base and wherein the base is foldable inwardly along its fold-line.

3. A collapsible structure as claimed in Claim 1 or Claim 2 wherein the body has three sides and wherein the base apex from which the base foldline extends is truncated.

4. A collapsible structure as claimed in any one of the preceding claims further comprising an elongate element having one end connected to the base at its fold-line and extending through the top of the structure whereby the structure may be collapsed by lifting the structure merely by means of the element.

5. A collapsible structure as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein the base is weighted.

6. A road hazard marker comprising a structure as claimed in any one of the preceding claims.

7. A collapsible structure substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as illustrated in Figures 1 to 4 or Figure 5 of the accompanying drawings.

8. A road hazard marker substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as illustrated in Figures 1 to 4 or Figure 5 of the accompanying drawings.