GB2512075A

GB2512075A - Safety barrier connector

Info

Publication number: GB2512075A
Application number: GB1305019.0A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Mark Williams; Clive Johnstone
Original assignee: JSP Ltd
Current assignee: JSP Ltd
Priority date: 2013-03-19
Filing date: 2013-03-19
Publication date: 2014-09-24
Anticipated expiration: 2033-03-19
Also published as: GB2512075B; GB201305019D0; HK1202316A1

Abstract

The connector includes: first 112A and second 112B receiving arrangements, a locking arrangement 114 and an elongate conduit 124. The receiving arrangements receive portions of respective first 300A and second 300B safety barriers. The locking arrangement locks at least one of the receiving arrangements and prevents removal of the portion of the respective barriers. The conduit allows access to part of the locking arrangement to allow release of the locking arrangement. Also claimed is a connector with first and second receiving arrangements, a locking arrangement 114 and a formation 140. The formation restricts contact between an inner pereimeter of a receiving arrangement and a portion of a barrier. Also claimed is a connector with first and second receiving arrangements, a locking arrangement 114 wherein the first arrangement has a different inner perimeter to the second receiving arrangement.

Description

Safety Barrier Connector The present invention relates to safety barrier connectors.

It is known to use safety barriers in construction environments and the like in order to try to prevent unauthorised access to areas, such as ones containing holes, which are potentially dangerous. In some cases the areas are large and require more than one barrier and it is known to connect barriers in such situations. A basic method is to tie two or more barriers together using string or the like; however, this can be unsatisfactory because it can be difficult to untie, or can be cut by members of the public. There are also stability issues with such informal methods of connecting barriers.

Custom-made connecting devices have therefore been devised. Some of these include clips that can be locked and unlocked by hand. However, these can also be easily undone by members of the public. Another known solution is to provide a safety barrier connector that requires a special/custom tool in order to unscrew/unlock it from its locked state. However, it has been found that this can be problematic because if the special tool is unavailable (which is often the case with construction sites that remain in place for many days and involve many different workers) then the connector cannot be undone without damaging or breaking it.

Another problem associated with connecting safety barriers is flexibility.

In situations such as uneven ground, having an inflexible connection (or an over-flexible connection) between barriers means that stability is compromised.

Although it may be possible to angle/rotate one barrier with respect to another to which it is connected, if the connected barriers are not on the same ground level, this can lead to full or partial lack of contact with the ground. Further, different barriers have different dimensions and/or shapes. Therefore, having a connector that is capable of only receiving one certain style of barrier can be problematic.

Embodiments of the present invention are intended to address at least some of the abovementioned problems.

According to a first aspect of the present invention there is provided a safety barrier connector including or comprising: a first receiving arrangement adapted to, in use, receive a portion of a first safety barrier; a second receiving arrangement adapted to, in use, receive a portion of a second safety barrier; a locking arrangement for, in use, locking at least one of the first and/or the second receiving arrangements, thereby preventing removal of the portion of the first and/or the second safety barrier from the connector, and an elongate conduit that, in use, provides access to part of the locking arrangement to allow release of the locking arrangement.

The elongate conduit may be dimensioned so as to allow the release mechanism to be accessed by a tip of a flat, elongate instrument, such as a standard screwdriver. An opening of the elongate conduit may have at least one dimension of no more than 1.0 cm. The elongate conduit may have a length of at least 2.0 cm. The elongate conduit may include a portion that tapers, or a step or other restriction, that reduces at least part of its inner dimension.

An opening of the elongate conduit remote from the accessible part of the locking arrangement may be a recess on a surface of the connector.

The elongate conduit may be at least partially dimensioned so as to prevent the release mechanism being accessed by an average human finger.

The locking arrangement may be released by a lateral (not rotational) movement of an instrument, in use, positioned within the elongate conduit. The locking arrangement may be released, in use, by at least laterally pushing/moving a portion of the locking arrangement out of engagement with a portion of the connector.

A said locking arrangement may comprise a barb. The connector may further include at least one slot arrangement for, in use, receiving the barb. The slot arrangement may include a step or protrusion. In use, a surface of the barb may engage the step/protrusion of the slot arrangement, thereby locking the locking arrangement. The part of the locking mechanism accessible via the elongate conduit may include a part, e.g. at least a tip, of the barb. To release the locking arrangement, the barb may be moved so as to disengage from the step/protrusion.

Embodiments may include a first said locking arrangement associated with the first receiving arrangement and a second said locking arrangement associated with the second receiving arrangement.

According to another aspect of the present invention there is provided a safety barrier connector including or comprising: a first receiving arrangement adapted to, in use, receive a portion of a first safety barrier; a second receiving arrangement adapted to, in use, receive a portion of a second safety barrier; a locking arrangement for, in use, locking at least one of the first and/or the second receiving arrangements, thereby preventing removal of the portion of the first and/or the second safety barrier from the connector, wherein each of the receiving arrangements has an inner perimeter and at least one of the receiving arrangements includes at least one formation on its said inner perimeter that, in use, restricts contact between the barrier portion and the inner perimeter.

The inner perimeter of the receiving arrangement may include a set of said formations that, in use, limit or prevent lateral movement of the barrier portion with respect to the inner perimeter. The set of formations may still allow angular and vertical movement of the barrier portion with respect to the inner perimeter.

A said formation may project inwardly into a space defined by the receiving arrangement. An inner surface of a said formation may be formed to assist with angular movement of the barrier portion with respect to the inner perimeter. The inner surface of the formation may include a peak or ridge, which may run along a central line of the inner surface. At least one flat surface may slope towards the inner perimeter from the peak or ridge. The at least one flat surface may be angled by around 80° with the respect to the central line.

In some embodiments, there may be a set of four said formations, each said formation located at, or adjacent, a corner of the receiving arrangement.

Surfaces of the inner perimeter and the set of formations may define a generally hexagonal shape that can be contacted by the barrier portion in use.

According to yet another aspect of the present invention there is provided a safety barrier connector including or comprising: a first receiving arrangement adapted to, in use, receive a portion of a first safety barrier; a second receiving arrangement adapted to, in use, receive a portion of a second safety barrier; a locking arrangement for, in use, locking at least one of the first and/or the second receiving arrangements, thereby preventing removal of the portion of the first and/or the second safety barrier from the connector, wherein the first receiving arrangement has a different inner perimeter to the second receiving arrangement.

According to yet another aspect of the present invention there is provided a kit including at least one safety barrier and at least one connector substantially as described herein.

Whilst the invention has been described above, it extends to any inventive combination of features set out above or in the following description.

Although illustrative embodiments of the invention are described in detail herein with reference to the accompanying drawings, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to these precise embodiments. As such, many modifications and variations will be apparent to practitioners skilled in the art.

Furthermore, it is contemplated that a particular feature described either individually or as part of an embodiment can be combined with other individually described features, or parts of other embodiments, even if the other features and embodiments make no mention of the particular feature. Thus, the invention extends to such specific combinations not already described.

The invention may be performed in various ways, and, by way of example only, embodiments thereof will now be described, reference being made to the accompanying drawings in which: Figures 1A to 1D are isometric, plan, front and back views, respectively, of one example of the connector in an unlocked configuration; Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view through line X -X' of Figure 1D, but showing the connector in a locked configuration, and Figures 3A -3G show various views of how the connector can receive example barrier sections.

Referring to Figures 1A to 1D, an example connector 100 is shown. The example is formed of a single piece of rigid plastic with a degree of flexibility, such as Polypropylene Co-Polymer, by means of a moulding process, but it will be understood that other suitably rigid materials, e.g. metal, such as steel, and manufacturing processes could be used. In some cases the connector can be formed of more than one component fixed together. It will also be appreciated that many variations to the general shape and dimensions of the connector are possible.

The example connector comprises a main body having a central rear wall portion 102, either side of which receiving arrangements 112A, 112B are formed. The left-hand (in Figures 1A -1C) receiving arrangement 112A comprises a first straight elongate portion 104A that extends from the left-hand side of the central rear wall potion. A first side portion 1 06A extends roughly at a right angle from the remote end of the first portion towards a front of the connector, with a curved corner connecting them. A second portion 108A extends from the side portion, roughly at a right angle so that it is parallel with the first portion 104A, and a corner portion 11OA then extends from that, back towards the rear wall portion. The right-hand receiving arrangement 112B comprises portions 104B, 10GB, 108A and 11OA, which are mirror-images of their left-hand counterparts.

Figures 1A -1D show the receiving portions in an open/unlocked configuration: side portions 1OGA, 10GB at least have a degree of flexibility and can function as hinges that allow the corner portions 11OA, 11OB to be moved back and forth with respect to the central rear wall portion 102 (thereby allowing portions of safety barriers to be inserted into/removed from the receiving arrangements 112A, 112B, as will be described below). As best seen in Figure 1 B, part of a locking arrangement 11 4A extends from the inner tip of the corner portion 11OA towards the rear wall portion 102. The locking arrangement includes a base portion 11GA (having a depth (in the dimension into the page of Figure 1B) of around 2.4 cm; a width (side-to-side across the page) of around 0.3 cm, and a length (top to bottom of the page) of around 0.3 cm) from which extends an elongate portion 11 8A (having a depth tapering from around 2.4 cm to about 2.0 cm; a width of around 0.2 cm, and a length of around 1.0 cm). The elongate portion is angled at around 12° to the left with respect to the base portion and straight wide wall of corner portion 11 OA. The elongate portion has a barbed tip 120A that includes an engaging surface 122A. A locking arrangement 114B (including base portion 116B and elongate portion 118B having barbed tip 120B and engaging surface 122B), which is a mirror image of arrangement 1 14A, is located in a corresponding manner on the inner tip of the corner portion 11 OB of the other receiving arrangement 11 2B.

The total depth/height of the example connector 100 is around 7.5 cm.

When in the locked configuration (as described below), the width of the connector is around 15.7 cm and its length at the centre around 4.7 cm. As best seen in Figure 1B, the central rear side wall portion 102 includes an inner block portion 125. The inner surface of the block portion has a width of around 2.3 cm and a length of around 2.3 cm. The inner surface of the block portion includes a pair of parallel, spaced-apart elongate conduits. Each conduit in the example has an opening on the inner surface of the block portion 125, each opening being generally oblong in shape. The upper extreme of each oblong opening is located 2.4 cm from the upper edge of the connector (the lower extremes are located by about the same distance from the lower edge of the connector). The opening of the left-hand conduit 1 24A is located about 0.2 cm apart from the left-hand edge of the block portion and has a length of around 3.0 cm and a width of about 0.5 cm. The opening of the right-hand conduit 124B has identical dimensions and is spaced apart from the left-hand opening by around 0.3 cm.

There are a set of three upper ribs 130 (each having a thickness of around 0.2 cm and being spaced apart by around 0.8 cm) that extend from the edge of the front portion 1 08A all around the connector 100 to the adjacent edge of the front portion 108B. There are also a similar set of lower ribs 132. These ribs can add strength to the connector. As best seen in Figures 1A and 1C, an inner central part 133B of the front surface of the connector, between the upper and lower sets of ribs, curves inwardly and generally follows the contour of the curved inner surface of the corner portion 11 OB. An inner central part 1 33A also has a similar shape, but further includes an indentation corresponding to one of the restricting formations that will be described below.

As shown in Figure 1D, the rear of the connector 100 also includes similar inwardly curving parts 133A', 133B'. A left-hand, generally vertical rib 135A is located at the inmost end of the left-hand curving part 133B' and extends between the lowermost of the upper 130 and the uppermost of the lower horizontal ribs 132. The rib has a width of around 0.2 cm and a height of around 3.0 cm. The left-most vertical rib 135A is located about 6.1 cm away from the left-hand side edge of the connector 100 in the Figure. There is a gap of around 1.2 cm between the left-most vertical rib and a central vertical rib 1 35B and also a gap of around 1.2 cm between that rib and a right-most rib 1 35C. A left-hand horizontal rib 137B extends across from the left-most vertical rib to a flat section of the rear surface of the connector beyond the curved part 1 33B'. There is also a right-hand horizontal rib 137A, which extends from the right-most vertical rib 135C to a flat section of the rear surface of the connector beyond the curved part 133A'. The outermost surfaces of all the vertical and horizontal ribs 130, 132, 135, 137 are all substantially flush. The intermediate, flat sections of the rear/front surfaces of the connector are inset by around 0.2 cm with respect to the adjacent portions of the ribs, but from the inner edges of the curved parts 133 gradually meet about the side corners of the connector so that the intermediate surface and the ribs are flush at the sides of the connector.

The boundary defined by the left-most rib 135A, the central rib 135B and the corresponding portions of innermost upper 130 and lower ribs 132 forms the opening/end of the elongate conduit 124B remote from the oblong-shaped opening shown in Figure l.A. The boundary defined by the central rib 135B, the right-most rib 135C and the corresponding portions of innermost upper 130 and lower ribs 132 forms the opening/end of the elongate conduit 124A remote from the oblong-shaped opening shown in Figure 1A.

The left-most 135A and the right-most 135C vertical ribs are angled inwardly (by around 5°) towards the central rib 135B and forms part of the left-hand wall of the elongate conduit 124B. The total distance/depth between the surface of the block 125 on which the oblong openings are formed and the outer surface of the vertical ribs (i.e. the total length of each elongate conduit) is around 2.5 cm. However, about 1.0 cm from the outer surface, at the inner end of the left-most rib 135A, there is a step/surface 136B, which extends out from the left-hand wall by around 0.3 cm and forms part of the left-hand will of the elongate conduit 124B. Also, about 1.0cm from the outer surface, at the inner end of the right-most rib 135C, there is another step/surface 136A, which is a mirror image of the first and forms pad of the right-hand wall of the elongate conduit 124A. Also visible in Figure 1D, are the tips 120A, 120B of the barbed section of the locking arrangements 114A, 114B.

The interior surfaces of the first receiving arrangement 11 2A include a set of four formations that, as will be described below, are intended to restrict movement of a portion of the safety barrier held within the receiving arrangement. The first restricting formation 140 is located around 2 cm away from both the upper and lower edges of the connector 100. It projects inwardly into the space defined by the first receiving arrangement and when viewed from the side has a quadrilateral outline. The base of the quadrilateral extends from the internal surface of the connector (generally from the interface between the portions 104A and 106A) and has a depth of around 3cm. The opposite surface of the quadrilateral, which can be thought of as the tip of the formation, has a depth of around 1 cm. The two opposed side edges of the quadrilateral gradually taper from the base to the tip, with the upper corners being curved.

The side surface 140' of the formation adjacent the portion 1 06A is generally flat; however, the opposed side surface (facing the centre of the first receiving arrangement) has two facets 141, 141', which divide the quadrilateral shape into two via a notional central line 141" that runs along the width of the connector.

The first facet 141 is angled by around 80° to the left above the notional central line. The second facet 141' is angled by around 800 to the left below the notional central line. Thus, the interface of the two facets forms a peak that faces the interior of the first receiving formation. As seen in Figure 1 B, when viewed from above, the tip of the formation is curved and is spaced apart from the adjacent surface of the portion 106A by around 0.5 cm.

A second restricting formation 142 has its base extending from a region of the interface between portion 106A and portion 108A of the first receiving arrangement 11 2A generally opposed to the base of the first restricting formation 140. It is a mirror image (with respect to a horizontal plane in Figure 1B) of the first restricting formation 140.

A third restricting formation 144 has its base extending from a region of the interface between portion 104A and the rear wall inner block portion 125.

There is a gap of around 0.5 cm between the tip of the formation and the adjacent side surface of the block portion. The third formation is a mirror image (with respect to a vertical plane in Figure 1 B) of the first formation 140.

A fourth restricting formation 146 has its base extending from a region of the interface between portion 108A and portion 11OA of the first receiving arrangement 112A. There is a gap of around 0.5 cm between the tip of the formation and the adjacent side surface of portion 11 OA. The fourth formation is a mirror image (with respect to a vertical plane in Figure 1 B) of the second formation 142.

As can be seen in Figures 1C and 1D, the restricting formations 140 - 146 are moulded as hollow members that protrude into the first receiving arrangement 11 2A and are generally located between the upper 130 and lower 132 sets of ribs, spaced apart from the four corners of the first receiving arrangement. However, it will be appreciated that the number, positions and design of the restricting formations can vary.

In use, the corner/front portions 108, 110 of one of the receiving arrangements 112 is pulled forward to allow a portion of a safety barrier (typically an elongate portion of circular or oblong cross-sectional shape) to be inserted into the receiving arrangement. The corresponding locking arrangement 114 may be engaged at this stage, or may be engaged after the other safety barrier has been received on the other receiving arrangement. The receiving operation may then be repeated with the other receiving arrangement so that the connector 100 flexibly connects together two safety barriers. The corresponding locking arrangement 114 may then be engaged as described below.

For brevity, the operation of the locking arrangement 114A will now be detailed, but it will be understood that substantially the same operation can be performed using the other locking arrangement 1 14B. As shown in Figure 2, when the locking arrangement 114A is pushed towards the block portion 125 of the connector 100, the barb portion 120A enters the opening of the elongate conduit 124A. As the locking arrangement continues to be pushed inside, the engaging surface 122A moves past the step/surface 136A and then abuts it.

Contact between these two surfaces prevents the locking arrangement from being withdrawn (in the opposite direction) out of the elongate conduit. In order to release the locking arrangement 114A, the barbed portion 120A must be moved so that the engaging surface 122A breaks contact with the step/surface 136A. This can be done by inserting an elongate instrument (not shown), preferably one with a flat end, into the elongate conduit (from the rear surface of the connector shown in Figure 1 D). A flat-blade/straight/slot-head screwdriver is an example of a readily-available, non-specialised instrument that is suitable for the task. The user can push the barbed portion of the locking arrangement with the tip of the screwdriver (sideways/along the width of the connector), thereby disengaging the surface 122A from the step 136A. The user can then pull the portion 1 08A, for example, forwards, thereby withdrawing the locking arrangement from the elongate conduit so that the barbed portion 120A rests on the outer surface of the block portion 125.

The portion of the safety barrier typically inserted into a receiving arrangement will be circular or oblong in cross-section. The receiving arrangement 112B, when the locking arrangement 114B is engaged, is generally oblong in shape (when viewed from above). Thus, a portion of the safety barrier that is generally oblong in cross-section and has similar dimensions to the receiving arrangement will have little/no room to manoeuvre within the receiving arrangement. A portion of the safety barrier that is generally circular in cross-section and has a diameter no more than the length of the receiving arrangement will be able to tilt left or right within the receiving arrangement, allowing the safety barrier to be angled, e.g. if positioned on an uneven surface.

The range of the tilt angle can be around 20.5° to vertical and about 41° total range inside the receiving arrangement 108A. Figures 3F and 3G demonstrate this. The left-hand diagram in each Figure 3A -3G shows a front view of the connector 100, with a portion 300A of a safety barrier being fitted in receiving arrangement 11 2A, or a portion 300B of another safety barrier being fitted in the receiving arrangement 112B. The right-hand diagram shows the same view as the left-hand diagram, but without the receiving arrangement portion 108A or 108B). The range of the tilt angle can be around 20.5° to vertical and about 41° total range inside the receiving arrangement 1 08B.

Also, the oblong cross-section of the receiving arrangement 11 2B allows lateral movement of the cylindrical safety barrier portion within the receiving arrangement: see Figures 3D and 3E, which show the portion 300B moved flush against the inner/left-hand and outer/right-hand inner perimeter, respectively, of the connector 100. If needed, the portion can slide vertically within the receiving arrangement, allowing the safety barrier to stand on a step/uneven surface at a different level to the other connected safety barrier, if needed.

The inner perimeter of the receiving arrangement 11 2A is also generally oblong, but the restricting formations 140 -146 mean that the space within which the portion of the safety barrier can be received is generally hexagonal in cross-section (when viewed from above). This means that the cylindrical portion 300A of a safety barrier, having similar shape/dimensions to the portion 300B shown in Figures 3D -3G, can still tilt to the left and/or right (see Figures 3A and 3B). The range of this tilt angle can be around 18.25° to vertical and about 36.5° total range the inside receiving arrangement 108A. However, lateral movement of the portion within the receiving arrangement is restricted, so that the portion can be moved in an upright configuration against the outer/left-hand (generally portion 106A) or inner/right-hand (generally portions 11OA, 125) edge of the receiving arrangement; thus, the vertical portion of the safety barrier is held substantially centrally within the receiving arrangement -see Figure 2C.

The skilled person will appreciate that there many variations can be made to the example connector 100 described above. For example, a single locking arrangement could provided to unlock both the receiving arrangements 112A, 112B. Further, the form of the single/double locking arrangement could vary from the barb described, e.g. a different engaging surface, or pivotable or movable locking member that is accessible via the elongate conduit. The dimensions and design of the elongate conduit can also vary, e.g. it could be angled differently, have different shape openings, etc. Generally, the elongate conduits will be at least partially dimensioned so as to prevent the part of the locking arrangement being accessed by an average human finger in use, e.g. it can have at least one dimension of no more than 1.0 cm and/or a length of at least 2.0 cm. The elongate conduit(s) can includes a portion that tapers, or a step or other restriction, which reduces at least part of its inner dimension to further restrict access to fingers, but not a tool similar to a screwdriver.

The connector described herein can be easily manufactured at relatively low cost. It is strong, relatively lightweight and convenient to use. It allows multiple safety barriers to be easily connected and released, allowing variation in the type of barriers connected, as well as allowing them to be positioned over different surfaces/levels.

Claims

CLAIMS1. A safety barrier connector (100) including: a first receiving arrangement (112A) adapted to, in use, receive a portion of a first safety barrier (300A); a second receiving arrangement (112B) adapted to, in use, receive a portion of a second safety barrier (300B); a locking arrangement (114) for, in use, locking at least one of the first and/or the second receiving arrangements, thereby preventing removal of the portion of the first and/or the second safety barrier from the connector, and an elongate conduit (124) that, in use, provides access to part of the locking arrangement to allow release of the locking arrangement.
2. A connector according to claim 1, wherein the elongate conduit (124) is dimensioned so as to allow the part of the locking arrangement to be accessed by a tip of a flat, elongate instrument, such as a standard screwdriver.
3. A connector according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the elongate conduit (124) has an at least partially rectangular cross-section.
4. A connector according to claim 2 or 3, wherein an opening of the elongate conduit (124) has at least one dimension of no more than 1.0cm.
5. A connector according to any one of claims 2 to 4, wherein the elongate conduit (124) has a length of at least 2.0 cm.
6. A connector according to any one of claims 2 to 5, wherein the elongate conduit (124) includes a portion (136) that tapers, or a step or other restriction, that reduces at least part of its inner dimension.
7. A connector according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein an opening of the elongate conduit (124) remote from the accessible part of the locking arrangement (114) comprises a recess on a surface of the connector (100).
8. A connector according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the elongate conduit (124) is be at least partially dimensioned so as to prevent the part of the locking arrangement (114) being accessed by an average human finger in use.
9. A connector according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein each of the first (11 2A) and the second (11 2B) receiving arrangements has an inner perimeter and at least one of the receiving arrangements includes at least one formation (142) on its said inner perimeter that, in use, restricts contact between the barrier portion (300A) and the inner perimeter.
10. A connector according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the locking arrangement (114) is released by a lateral (not rotational) movement of an instrument, in use, positioned within the elongate conduit (124).
11. A connector according to claim 10, wherein the locking arrangement (114) is released, in use, by at least laterally pushing/moving a surface (122) of the locking arrangement out of engagement with a surface/portion (136) of the connector (100).
12. A connector according to claim 11, wherein a said locking arrangement (114) includes a barbed portion (120).
13. A connector according to claim 12, where, in use, a surface (122) of the barb (120) engages the surface/portion (136) of connector (100), thereby locking the locking arrangement (114).
14. A connector according to claim 12 or 13, wherein the part of the locking mechanism (114) accessible via the elongate conduit (124) includes a part, e.g. at least a tip, of the barbed portion (120).
15. A connector according to claim 14, where, in use, to release the locking arrangement (114), the barbed portion (120) is moved so as to disengage from the surface/portion (136).
16. A connector according to any one of the preceding claims, including a first said locking arrangement (1 14A) associated with the first receiving arrangement (112A) and a second said locking arrangement (114B) associated with the second receiving arrangement (11 2B).
17. A connector according to claim 16, wherein the inner perimeter of the receiving arrangement (112A) includes a set of said formations (140-146) that, in use, limit or prevent lateral movement of the barrier portion (300A) with respect to the inner perimeter.
18. A connector according to claim 17, wherein the set of formations (140 - 146) still allow angular and vertical movement of the barrier portion (300A) with respect to the inner perimeter.
19. A connector according to claim 17 or 18, wherein a said formation (140) projects inwardly into a space defined by the receiving arrangement (11 2A).
20. A connector according to claim 19, wherein an inner surface of a said formation (140) is formed to assist with angular movement of the barrier portion (300A) with respect to the inner perimeter.
21. A connector according to claim 20, wherein the inner surface of the formation (140) includes a peak or ridge (141").
22. A connector according to claim 21, where in the peak or ridge (141") runs along a central line of the inner surface.
23. A connector according to claim 21 or 22, wherein at least one flat surface (141) slopes towards the inner perimeter from the peak or ridge (141").
24. A connector according to claim 23, wherein the at least one flat surface (141) is angled by around 80° with the respect to the peak or ridge (141").
25. A connector according to any one of claims 18 to 24, including a set of four said formations (140, 142, 144, 146), each said formation located at, or adjacent, a corner of the receiving arrangement.
26. A connector according to claim 25, wherein surfaces of the inner perimeter and the set of formations (140, 142, 144, 146) define a generally hexagonal shape that can be contacted by the barrier portion (300A) in use.
27. According to another aspect of the present invention there is provided a safety barrier connector (100) including: a first receiving arrangement (112A) adapted to, in use, receive a portion (300A) of a first safety barrier; a second receiving arrangement (112B) adapted to, in use, receive a portion (300B) of a second safety barrier; a locking arrangement (114) for, in use, locking at least one of the first and/or the second receiving arrangements, thereby preventing removal of the portion of the first and/or the second safety barrier from the connector, wherein each of the receiving arrangements has an inner perimeter and at least one of the receiving arrangements includes at least one formation (140) on its said inner perimeter that, in use, restricts contact between the barrier portion and the inner perimeter.
28. A connector according to claim 27, wherein the inner perimeter of the receiving arrangement (112A) includes a set of said formations (140-146) that, in use, limit or prevent lateral movement of the barrier portion (300A) with respect to the inner perimeter.
29. A connector according to claim 28, wherein the set of formations (140 - 146) still allow angular and vertical movement of the barrier portion (300A) with respect to the inner perimeter.
30. A connector according to claim 28 or 29, wherein a said formation (140) projects inwardly into a space defined by the receiving arrangement (11 2A).
31. A connector according to claim 27, wherein an inner surface of a said formation (140) is formed to assist with angular movement of the barrier portion (300A) with respect to the inner perimeter.
32. A connector according to claim 31, wherein the inner surface of the formation (140) includes a peak or ridge (141").
33. A connector according to claim 32, where in the peak or ridge (141") runs along a central line of the inner surface.
34. A connector according to claim 32 or 33, wherein at least one flat surface (141) slopes towards the inner perimeter from the peak or ridge (141").
35. A connector according to claim 34, wherein the at least one flat surface (141) is angled by around 800 with the respect to the peak or ridge (141").
36. A connector according to any one of claims 27 to 35, including a set of four said formations (140, 142, 144, 146), each said formation located at, or adjacent, a corner of the receiving arrangement.
37. A connector according to claim 36, wherein surfaces of the inner perimeter and the set of formations (140, 142, 144, 146) define a generally hexagonal shape that can be contacted by the barrier portion (300A) in use.
38. A safety barrier connector (100) including: a first receiving arrangement (112A) adapted to, in use, receive a portion (300A) of a first safety barrier; a second receiving arrangement (112B) adapted to, in use, receive a portion (300B) of a second safety barrier; a locking arrangement (114) for, in use, locking at least one of the first and/or the second receiving arrangements, thereby preventing removal of the portion of the first and/or the second safety barrier from the connector, wherein the first receiving arrangement has a different inner perimeter to the second receiving arrangement.
39. A kit including at least one safety barrier and at least one connector (100) according to any one of the preceding claims.
40. A safety barrier connector substantially as described herein and/or with reference to the accompanying drawings.