GB2433085A

GB2433085A - Road hazard warning device

Info

Publication number: GB2433085A
Application number: GB0525246A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Ferid Hickmet
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2005-12-09
Filing date: 2005-12-09
Publication date: 2007-06-13
Also published as: GB0525246D0

Abstract

The road hazard warning device comprises a self-starting vertical axis windmill 11 of the Savonius type, the stator part 13 of which incorporates elements by which the windmill may be secured, with the longitudinal axis of the windmill vertical, to a stationary object or hazard. At least one of the windmill vanes V preferably has a surface area A with enhanced reflectivity, which may be formed from a pellicle composed of a material of high light reflectivity. The windmill stator part preferably comprises a cone attachment part 15 adapted to releasably attach, preferably via a bracket and or lock 25, the device to the vertex of a traffic cone 17 so that the axes of the cone and windmill are aligned. The stator is preferably formed from a shaft 29 with a chamber 29' at its upper end in which a first ball bearing 33a is received, with the rotor 35 comprising a tube 37 which encompasses and has a rotational running fit with the stator shaft. A cap part is preferably adapted to be secured to the upper end of the tube which contains a chamber with a second ball bearing 33b designed to contact the first ball bearing in point-to-point contact.

Description

* 2433085

ROAD HAZARD WARNING DEVICE

Field of the Invention

This invention relates to road hazard warning devices.

Background to the Invention

A well known hazard warning device is the ubiquitous road cone, a plastic cone of distinctive appearance. being commonly formed or decorated with a series of spaced, usually red coloured, circumferentially extensive bands. Road cones have proved to be of great service in warning drivers of vehicles of a hazard present at or adjacent to the site of the cone. Whilst in conditions ol good visibility the standard, passive, road cone has been assessed as generally satisfactory in alerting persons of an impending hazard, by virtue of light reflected from the cone itself, in less favourable conditions, particularly, though not exclusively, at night, and notwithstanding the presence of distinctive bands as aforementioned, the presence of a standard road cone or a sequence of linearly spaced such cones, may not suffice to provide the desired warning.

Recognising this, in an alternative design warning device, an electric light source carried by the road coiie at its apex is connected in circuit by way of ambient light source sensor switch means to an electric storage battery arrangement housed within the lantern affixed to the top of the cone. Such active attention-attracting road cones, being reliant UOfl light source emitted from the electric lamp as well as upon light source reflected from the cone itself, are commonly positioned at regular intervals along a series of otherwise passive cones.

Clearly, whilst an adequate charge remains in the electric storage battery arrangement of such active attention-attracting cone an adequate warning signal may he transmitted to approaching lerso11s whether on foot or in a vehicle. Use, however, of the COflC in providing a warning light source over extended periods results in the not infrequent requirement for servicing of the battery arrangement of the lantern, such servicing involving visits to inactive lanterns for the removal and replacement of disposable batteries, or the removal and transport of lanterns to a remote battery re-charging station, if re-chargeable batteries be used, and the subsequent transport at the lime of their reinstallation, in a re-activated state, at a desired site.

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Summary of the Invention

According to the invention a road hazard warning device comprises a self-starting vertical axis windmill of the Savonius type (hereinafter sometimes referred to as "Savonius windmill"), the stator part of which incorporates means by which the windmill may he secured, with the longitudinal axis of the Savonius windmill vertical, to an object such as may he present adjacent to the site of, or as may, itself, constitute a hazard to he avoided by persons, whether on lot or as drivers of moving vehicles.

The windmill stator part comprises means adapted to secure the Savonius windmill to a cone at the vertex thereof in such manner that, so secured, the axis of symmetry of the cone is collinear with the longitudinal axis of the windmill.

The aforesaid windmill stator part has a stator base portion formed with a skirt wall the inner surface of which is of a conical form and size complementary to that of a cone to the apex of which the windmill is adapted to be secured.

Flie stator part may, however, comprise means by which the windmill stator part may he secured with the longitudinal axis of the windmill vertically offset with respect to a stationary object which itself constitutes said hazard.

The aforesaid stator part securing means may comprise a bracket arrangement sideways outstanding from said windmill stator part. Conveniently, there may be an adaptor part which is received within and which is of such conical shape and size as to form a snug fit with the conical inner surface of the base portion, the bracket arrangement having a rigid connection with the adaptor part.

in both of the hereinafter described embodiments the stator base portion incorporates a movable lock part, constructed, arranged, and adapted to co-act with a surface portion of a cone to which the hazard warning device may be engaged such as to preclude casual separation of the warning device from said cone.

The windmill stator part may comprise: a shaft formed, at its upper end, with a cavity, said shaft and cavity sharing a common longitudinal axis coincident with said windmill longitudinal axis; and, within said shaft cavity, a first of two bearing balls; and, the rotor part of the windmill then comprises: tube means encompassing said shaft, being tube means from which the several vanes of the windmill radially project. said tube means having a rotational running lit with said shaft; a cap part having a cavity the longitudinal axis of which is coincident with said shaft longitudinal axis and being adapted to be secured to said tube means at the upper end thereof; and, within said cap part cavity, the second of said bearing balls; said shaft and said cap part being constructed, adapted and arranged such that said first and second hearing balls are in point to point contact with one another at a position contained in said windmill longitudinal axis. The cap part and the upper tubular portion may be constructed, arranged and adapted such that said cap part is releasedly secured to said tubular portion.

The invention also comprises a road hazard warning device as claimed in any preceding claim and an object to which said warning device is attached.

Road hazard warning devices as above stated are, by their very nature, adapted to provide a dynamic attention attracting signal to all approaching and passing road users. The hazard warning device has the further virtue of being substantially self-cleaning, matter deposited on the vanes of the windmill being impelled from the vanes under centrifugal fbrce arising during rotation of the windmill rotor under air movement due not only to wind but to the passage of vehicles. Such self-scouring of the rotating windmill vanes is, of course, much enhanced by incidence of rain and other precipitation thereon.

Brief Description of the Drawin

A hazard warning device in accordance with the invention is hereinafter described with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Fig. 1 shows a longitudinal section through a two-vane Savonius windmill and a road cone to which the windmill is lockedly secured; Fig.2 shows the top end of the rotor of the windmill of Fig.l, in plan; Fig.3 shows, to an enlarged scale, a longitudinal section through a stator base portion of the stator of the windmill of Fig. I Fig.4 shows an end view of the locking component of the stator base portion of Fig.3; Fig.4 shows the component of Fig.4 in plan; Fig.4c shows a side elevation of the component of Fig.4i; Fig.5 is an exploded view, in longitudinal section, of the top part of the windmill assembly; Fig.5k shows, in longitudinal section, the windmill top part of Fig.5, in the assembled state; Fig.6 shows, in plan, a cutaway portion of the windmill rotor; Fig.7a shows, in side elevation, one of the parts at the top end of the windmill; Fig.7 shows in plan, from above, the part of Fig.7; Fig.7c shows in plan, from beneath, the part of Fig.7; and, Fig.8 shows a longitudinal section through a two-vane Savonius windmill identical to that of Fig. I hut incorporating means whereby the windmill may be secured offset with respect to a hazardous object, not being a road cone.

Description of Characteristic Features of Road hazard Warning Devices in Accordance with Invention A road hazard warning device comprises: a self-starting vertical axis windmill 11 of the Savonius type, the stator part 13 of which incorporates means 15 by which the windmill may he secured, with the longitudinal axis A---A of the windmill vertical, to a stationary object 1 7 posing or indicating the presence of a hazard as aforesaid, the object being, in the embodiment of Figs.l, a road cone 19. 1' he windmill vanes V each have an individual surface area A which is occupied by a substance of enhanced light reflectivity, in the example, the area A is occupied by a highly light reflective pellicle adherent to the vane V. The windmill stator part 13 is fitted with a stator base portion 21 having a skirt wall 21' the inner surface 21 of which is of a conical form and size complementary to that of the cone 19.

An enlarged portion 23 of the skirt wall 21' has a cavity 23' within which is located a movable lock part 25. Commonly the cone already has circumferentially extensive groove 27 and the movable lock part 25 is constructed, arranged, and adapted such as, by rotational movement, to move from a position at which the stator part 1 3 and its stator base portion 21 are removable from the cone 19 to a position at which the movable lock part 25, protruding into the groove 27, is enabled to co-act with the cone 19 such as to preclude casual separation of the windmill 11 from the cone 19. Operation of the rotationally movable lock part 25 of the stator base portion 21 is, in the design depicted, effected using a key (not shown) of shape and size appropriate to the triangular aperture provided.

As may be seen, with the stator base portion 21 50 engaged with the cone 19, the axis of symmetry of the cone and the longitudinal axis A---A of the windmill 11 are collinear.

In the windmill design depicted, the windmill stator part 13 comprises a shaft 29 formed, at its upper end 31, with a cavity 29', the shaft 29 and its cavity 29' sharing a common longitudinal axis coincident with said windmill longitudinal axis A---A; and within the shaft cavity 29', there is the first 33a of two bearing balls 33a, 33b The rotor part 35 of the windmill comprises tube means 37, in two spaced portions, encompassing said shaft 29, being tube means from which the several vanes V of the windmill radially project. The bipartite tube means 37 has a rotational running fit with said shaft 29.

A cap part 39 has a cavity 39' the longitudinal axis of which is coincident with the shaft longitudinal axis A---A. The cap part 39' is adapted to be secured to the 37 tube means 37 at the upper end thereof. Within the cap part cavity 39' there resides the second 33h of the hearing halls _)_j, [he shaft 29 arid cap part 39 are constructed, adapted and arranged such that the first and second bearing halls 33, 33 are in point to point contact with one another at a position contained in said windmill longitudinal axis A---A. The cap part 39 and the upper one of the bipartite tube means 37 are constructed, arranged and adapted such that said cap part 39 is releasedly secured to said tubular portion by a pin and slot coupling arrangement. Specifically, the cap part 39 has, at diametrically opposed positions, dependant hook formations 41a, 4th, respectively, and the rotor part 35 has arcuate, correspondingly located, slots 43a, 43h, adapted.

respectively, to receive the hook formations 33a, 33k of the cap part 39.

At its lower end, the shaft 29 has been formed with a plurality of circular disc form portions 41 Some of which are lands disposed within the lower portion of the bipartite tube means 37.

others 43 of which have a machine fit within a cylindrical boss 45 upstanding from the main body of the stator base portion 21, and one 47 of which, of somewhat larger diameter, occupying a position below the lower portion of the bipartite tube means 37 is within a lower cap 49 secured to the rotor 35 at its bottom end.

In a variant embodiment (Fig.8) of a hazard warning device comprises an adaptor part 5 1 which is received within and which is of such conical shape and size as to form a snug fit with the conical inner surface 21a of the base portion 21, and a bracket arm 53 of a bracket arrangement has a rigid connection with the cone shaped adaptor part.

The bracket arrangement only the bracket arm 53 of which is shown, enables the Savonius windmill to he secured, with its longitudinal axis vertical, to an object such, for examples. as a road barrier, permanent or temporary, between adjacent carriage ways of a motorway, or a roadside skip, none of which are shown.

Whilst, in the drawings, the windmill 11 is depicted as having two vanes V, it should, ol course, be understood that the windmill may have three or even more vanes projecting outwardly at intervals around the windmill rotor 35.

Claims

CLAiMS 1. A road hazard warning device which comprises: a self-starting

vertical axis windmill of the Savonius type, the stator part of which incorporates means by which the windmill may he secured, with the longitudinal axis of the windmill vertical, to a stationary object, being an object such as may he present adjacent to the site of, or as may, itself, constitute a hazard to be avoided by persons, whether on foot or drivers of moving vehicles.

2. A road hazard warning device as claimed in claim 1 in which at least one of the windmill vanes has a surface area which is occupied by a substance of enhanced light retlectivity.

3. A road hazard warning device as claimed in claim 2 in which said surface area is occupied by a pellicle composed of a material of high light reflectivity.

4. A road hazard warning device as claimed in claim 1, 2, or 3 in which said windmill stator part comprises cone attachment means adapted releasibly to secure the windmill to a cone at the vertex thereof in such manner that, so secured, the axis of symmetry ol the cone and the longitudinal axis of the windmill are collinear.

5. A road hazard warning device as claimed in claim 4 in which said stator securing means has a stator base portion comprising a skirt wall the inner surface of which is of a conical lorm and size complementary to that of a cone to the apex of which the windmill is adapted to be secured.

6. A road hazard warning device as claimed in claim 5 in which said stator part securing means comprises a bracket arrangement sideways outstanding from said windmill stator part.

7. A road hazard warning device as claimed in claim 5 and which comprises an adaptor part which is received within and which is of such conical shape and size as to frm a snug fit with the conical inner surface of the stand part; and in which said bracket arrangement has a rigid connection with said adaptor part.

8. A road hazard warning device as claimed in claim 5 or claim 7 in which said slator base portion incorporates a movable lock part constructed arranged and adapted by movement thereof to co-act with a surface portion of a cone to which the hazard warning device is adapted to he engaged such as to preclude casual separation of the warning device from said cone.

9. A road hazard warning device as claimed in any preceding claim in which: said windmill stator part comprises: a shaft formed, at its upper end, with a cavity, said shaft and cavity sharing a common longitudinal axis coincident with said windmill longitudinal axis; and, within said shaft cavity, a first of two bearing balls; and, the rotor part of the windmill comprises: tube means encompassing said shaft, being tube means from which the several vanes of the windmill radially project, said tube means having a rotational running fit with said shaft; a cap part having a cavity the longitudinal axis of which is coincident with said shaft longitudinal axis and being adapted to be secured to said tube means at the upper end thereof; and, within said cap part cavity, the second of said bearing balls; and in which, said shaft and said cap part are constructed, adapted and arranged such that said first and second bearing halls are in point to point contact with one another at a position contained in said windmill longitudinal axis.

10. A road hazard warning device as claimed in claim 9 in which: said cap part and said upper tubular portion are constructed, arranged and adapted such that said cap part is releasedly secured to said tubular portion.

11. In combination, a road hazard warning device as claimed in any preceding claim and an object to which said warning device is attached.

12. A road hazard warning device substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figs. 1 to 7ç or with respect to Fig.8, of the accompanying drawings.