GB2310233A

GB2310233A - Crash barrier

Info

Publication number: GB2310233A
Application number: GB9602879A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Anthony Metcalf
Original assignee: Recticel Ltd
Current assignee: Recticel Ltd
Priority date: 1996-02-13
Filing date: 1996-02-13
Publication date: 1997-08-20
Also published as: GB9602879D0

Description

CRASH BARRIER This invention relates to a crash barrier and particularly, although not exclusively, relates to a crash barrier for use at motor racing circuits.

Known types of crash barriers used at motor racing circuits include barriers made from used tyres which are arranged to define a tyre "wall" which will absorb some impact if hit by a vehicle. Additionally, it is known to provide water filled containers which are also arranged to absorb impact if hit. The known crash barriers are relatively ineffective if hit by a vehicle at high speed and this can lead to serious injuries for the driver of the vehicle.

Some motor racing circuits are also surrounded, at least in part, by unprotected concrete walls. If a vehicle crashes into such a wall, the wall absorbs little impact of the collision and, accordingly, the vehicle and also the driver may be severely damaged.

It is an object of the present invention to address problems associated with known crash barriers.

According to the invention, there is provided a crash barrier including a stack of tyres and an impact absorbing insert arranged within at least one of the tyres.

The crash barrier is suitably for use at a motorracing circuit.

The impact absorbing insert is preferably arranged for restricting inwards collapse of said at least one tyre.

Preferably, said insert is arranged within a plurality of tyres of said stack. Preferably, said insert extends from the bottom of the stack of tyres towards the top of the stack. Preferably, said insert extends within each tyre of said stack.

Preferably, said crash barrier comprises a plurality of stacks of tyres, suitably arranged side-by-side, wherein a plurality, preferably each stack, may include an insert as described in any statement herein.

Said insert may have any suitable shape. Preferably, said insert is elongate and it preferably has a substantially regular cross-section along its extent.

Thus, preferably said insert is cylindrical, more preferably circularly cylindrical. Alternatively, said insert may have a star-shaped, castellated or square cross-section.

Said insert preferably has a maximum diameter which is greater than, preferably by a factor of at least 1.4, more preferably at least 1.8, the radius of the opening in the tyre, as measured from the centre of the tyre to a point on the tyre closest to said centre. The insert may have a diameter in the range 20 cm to 50 cm, preferably in the range 25 cm to 50 cm.

The length of the insert may be at least 30 cm, preferably at least 50 cm, more preferably at least 70 cm.

Typically, the length will be about 100 cm. The length of the insert is preferably greater than the diameter thereof.

Said insert is preferably deformable, more preferably resiliently deformable. Said insert preferably comprises a synthetic material. Said insert preferably comprises a foam material. Said foam material may be a first generation or second generation (reconstituted) foam material. Said foam material may have a density in the range 10 kg/m3 to 230 kg/m3. Said foam material may incorporate regions of different densities. For example, the insert may include an outer region of lower density than an inner region.

Preferably, said insert includes a water-resistant outer surface. This may be provided by a covering means, for example made out of plastics or fabric and which is arranged to cover a foam part of the insert.

The invention extends to an insert for a crash barrier which includes a stack of tyres, the insert being arranged to be positioned within a tyre of a stack of tyres for absorbing impact incident on said tyre.

The insert may be as described in any statement herein.

The invention extends to a method of manufacturing a crash barrier including the step of positioning an impact absorbing insert within at least one tyre of a stack of tyres.

The method preferably includes the step of positioning a said insert within a plurality of tyres of a stack of tyres. Preferably, a plurality of inserts are each respectively positioned within a plurality of tyres in respective stacks of tyres.

The invention extends to a method of modifying an existing crash barrier which includes a stack of tyres, the method comprising positioning an impact absorbing insert within at least one tyre of said stack.

Any feature of any aspect of an invention described herein may be combined with any feature of any other aspect of any invention described herein.

Specific embodiments of the invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying diagrammatic drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a schematic side view showing a part of a crash barrier during assembly; and Figure 2 shows the part shown in figure 1, partly in cross-section, and in an assembled state.

The part 2 shown in figures 1 and 2 is a part of a crash barrier in the form of a tyre wall. A tyre wall comprises a plurality of vertically extending stacks of superimposed tyres which stacks are arranged side-by-side so that adjacent stacks abut one another.

The part 2 comprises a stack of tyres 4 and an insert 6 which is arranged to be inserted into hollow cylindrical internal region 8 as represented by arrow 10 in figure 1 and as shown in figure 2.

The insert 6 has a circularly cylindrical crosssection and has a diameter which is slightly less than that of the tyres 4 so that it can fit snugly within region 8. For example, where tyres of the crash barrier are car tyres, the insert may have a diameter of about 30 cm, whereas for lorry tyres, the insert may have a larger diameter. The length of the insert will be selected according to the height of a stack of tyres with which it co-operates.

The insert 6 comprises a circularly cylindrical foam inner member which is provided with a suitably waterresistant covering. The inner member may be made out of a flexible or semi-rigid polyurethane foam. The foam may have a density in the range 10 kg/m3 to 230 kg/m3 (measured according to British Standard 4443 Part 1, method 2 (1988)) and a hardness in the range 55 to 195N (measured according to British Standard 4443 Part 2, method 2 (1988)). The foam may be a first generation or second generation (reconstituted) foam. Reconstituted foam is suitably manufactured from original foam trim using a rebinding process.

The insert 6 may include foams of different densities and/or hardnesses. For example, an insert may include an outer region of relative low density foam and an inner region of higher density foam.

The water-resistant covering may comprise a plastics film which is applied to the foam inner member or, alternatively, a plastics, for example PVC, or a fabric cover may be provided around the inner member.

It will be appreciated that inserts 6 can be arranged within each stack of tyres in a tyre wall in a simple manner. When in position, the inserts 6 can absorb significant amounts of the energy associated with a vehicle colliding with the tyre wall. The inserts can deform progressively during collision and advantageously restrict collapse of the tyres.

The reader's attention is directed to all papers and documents which are filed concurrently with or previous to this specification in connection with this application and which are open to public inspection with this specification, and the contents of all such papers and documents are incorporated herein by reference.

All of the features disclosed in this specification (including any accompanying claims, abstract and drawings), and/or all of the steps of any method or process so disclosed, may be combined in any combination, except combinations where at least some of such features and/or steps are mutually exclusive.

Each feature disclosed in this specification (including any accompanying claims, abstract and drawings), may be replaced by alternative features serving the same, equivalent or similar purpose, unless expressly stated otherwise. Thus, unless expressly stated otherwise, each feature disclosed is one example only of a generic series of equivalent or similar features.

The invention is not restricted to the details of the foregoing embodiment(s). The invention extends to any novel one, or any novel combination, of the features disclosed in this specification (including any accompanying claims, abstract and drawings), or to any novel one, or any novel combination, of the steps of any method or process so disclosed.

Claims

1. A crash barrier including a stack of tyres and an impact absorbing insert arranged within at least one of the tyres.

2. A barrier according to claim 1, for use at a motorracing circuit.

3. A barrier according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein said insert is arranged within a plurality of tyres of said stack.

4. A barrier according to any preceding claim, wherein said insert extends within each tyre of said stack.

5. A barrier according to any preceding claim, wherein said insert is cylindrical.

6. A barrier according to any preceding claim, wherein said insert has a maximum diameter which is greater than the radius of the opening in the tyre, as measured from the centre of the tyre to a point on the tyre closest to said centre.

7. A barrier according to any preceding claim, wherein said insert has a diameter in the range 20cm to 50cm.

8. A barrier according to any preceding claim, having a length of at least 30cm.

9. A barrier according to any preceding claim, wherein said insert is deformable.

10. A barrier according to any preceding claim, wherein said insert comprises a foam material.

11. An barrier according to claim 10, wherein said foam material has a density in the range 10 kg/m3 to 230 kg/m3.

12. A barrier according to claim 10 or claim 11, wherein said foam material incorporates regions of different densities.

13. A barrier according to any preceding claim, wherein said insert includes a water-resistant outer surface.

14. An insert for a crash barrier which includes a stack of tyres, the insert being arranged to be positioned within a tyre of a stack of tyres for absorbing impact incident on said tyre.

15. A method of manufacturing a crash barrier including the step of positioning an impact absorbing insert within at least one tyre of a stack of tyres.

16. A method of modifying an existing crash barrier which includes a stack of tyres, the method comprising positioning an impact absorbing insert within at least one tyre of said stack.