GB2346403A

GB2346403A - Collapsible road cone

Info

Publication number: GB2346403A
Application number: GB9926959A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Leslie Richard Pinnell
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1999-11-16
Filing date: 1999-11-16
Publication date: 2000-08-09
Anticipated expiration: 2019-11-16
Also published as: GB9926959D0; GB2346403B

Abstract

A collapsible road cone has two flat legs, 1, each with a weight, 2, and joined together by a hinge, 7, at the weighted end. Each leg is joined approximately half way along its length to one end of a flat strut, 3, by a hinge, 5. Each strut is joined to the other by a hinge, 6. Two opposite sides of of foldable material 4, are fixed to the struts. The collapsed cone is opened by holding the struts at the top. The weights cause the legs, and therefore the struts to open the unfixed sides of the foldable material open and stretch across the openings between the struts. The movement is stopped by the material reaching its maximum length across the strut/leg opening. The cone is collapsed by either bringing the two legs/struts together or by holding up-side down.

Description

This invention relates to Collapsible Road Cones.

For some time there has been a requirement by the emergency and utility services, and sundry others, for a road cone that will be lighter and take up less room in a vehicle than a conventional road cone but still be stable, safe and reliable in use.

According to the present invention there is provided two flat panels, the legs, moulded or shaped as required, each weighted and hinged at one end and hinged to the legs are two flat panels, the struts, moulded and shape4 as required and hinged together at one end. To the struts is attached the cone cover, rnanufactured in the materials and colours required to conform to the Department of Transport Regulations, Chapter 8.

The construction and design of this invention allows for adjustment and design prior to manufacture to ensure that the final erected shape conforms to the Department of Transport Regulations, Chapter 8.

The opening and closing action relies solely on gravity and requires no mechanical devices to hold the cone open when in position on a reasonably flat surface and erects a cone with one angle and dimension with a base qf different angle and dimension.

According to the present invention there is provided a self-erecting road cone that is self erecting from a flat position by having two flat legs hinged together each with a weight incorporated and hinged to two flat struts also hinged together and with a covering of foldable material in the shape of a four sided pyramid attached on two opposite sides to the struts allowing the two unattached sides of the material to stretch across the opening formed by the opened struts when the cone open, preventing the cone from opening any further and forming a four equal sided pyramid qf one square dimension and a base of a larger dimension and allowing the angle of the base to be greater than the angle of the pyramid.

A specific embodiment of the invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the following diagrams: Fig 1. Shows a diagrammatic three-quarter view of the invention in the open position with the legs, 1, the weights, 2, the struts, 3, and the cone cover, 4, the legs to struts hinge positions, 5, the strut to strut hinge position, 6, the leg to leg hinge, 7, and the cone material stretched across the gap caused by the open struts, 8. The distance, X, across the bottom of the struts is equal to the distance between the open struts. The distance, Y, across the base of the legs is equal to the distance across the legs in the open position.

Fig 2. Shows a diagrammatic side section view of the invention in the open position with the legs, 1, the weights, 2, the struts, 3, and the cone cover, 4, the legs to struts hinge positions, 5, the strut to strut hinge position, 6, and the leg to leg hinge position, 7.

Fig 3. Shows a diagrammatic side section view of the invention in the closed position with upper part of the legs, 1, and the weights, 2, contained within the struts, 3, the cone cover, 4, the legs to struts hinge positions, 5, the strut to strut hinge position, 6, and the leg to leg position, 7.

Fig 4. Shows a diagrammatic three-quarter view of the invention in the closed position the legs, 1, the struts, 3, and the folded cone cover, 4, and the strut to strut hinge position, 6.

Claims

CLAIM 1. A self erecting road cone that is self erocting from a flat position by having two flat legs hinged together each with a weight incorporated and hinged to two flat struts also hinged together and with a covering of foldable material in the shape of a four sided pyramid attached on two opposite sides to the struts allowing the two unattached sides of the material to stretch across the opening formed by the opened struts when the cone opens preventing the cone opening any further and forming a four equal sided pyramid of one square dimension and a base of a larger square dimension and allowing the angle of the base to be greater than the angle of the pyramid.

Amendments to the claims have been filed as follows CLAIM A self erecting road cone having two panels forming flat struts pivoted together at one end, each strut being pivotally connected to further panel, forming a flat leg, at its free end intermediate the ends of the leg, the legs being pivotally connected at one end and each leg incorporating a weight, and a covering of foldable material is connected to the outer side of each strut so that when the cone is opened the material becomes stretched across openings formed by the struts to limit opening of the cone, and wherein when open the angle between the legs is greater than the angle between the struts