IES86654B2

IES86654B2 - A barrier

Info

Publication number: IES86654B2
Application number: IES20140282A
Authority: IE
Inventors: Joseph Walsh Bernard; Venner Walsh Patricia
Original assignee: Joseph Walsh Bernard; Venner Walsh Patricia
Priority date: 2014-11-10
Filing date: 2014-11-10
Publication date: 2016-06-01
Also published as: EP3218549B1; EP3218549A1; WO2016075167A1; IE20150397A1; IES20140282A2

Abstract

A portable temporary barrier (1) for use in cooperation with traffic cones (2). The barrier (1) has an elongate body (3) with through holes (4) intermediate the ends of the body (3) which are engagable with traffic cones (2) for mounting the barrier (1) on the traffic cones (2). Complementary interengagable formations (20) at each end (24, 25) of the body (3) are pivotally interengagable with other barriers (1) to link a number of the barriers (1) together in use. <Figure 7>

Description

This invention relates to a portable temporary barrier.

Traffic cones are widely used to direct vehicular and pedestrian traffic, for example, where works to roads or paving, road painting, hedge cutting, etc. is being carried out. However, any disturbance from vehicles or pedestrians will cause the traffic cones to move or to fall and roll around causing a hazard of themselves and exposing the hazard they were supposed to protect. instead of traffic cones larger barriers and fencing may be used to provide a more stable barrier, however, these are relatively bulky and heavy, posing problems with transport and deployment - generally requiring at least two workers to set up and remove.

The present invention is directed towards overcoming these problems.

Summagg of the Invention According to the invention there is provided a portable temporary barrier for use in cooperation with traffic cones, said barrier including an elongate barrier body having mounting means for complementary releasable engagement with a pair of spaced- apart traffic cones for mounting the barrier between said traffic cones.

Advantageously the barrier of the invention is readily easily mounted between traffic cones to provide a more secure temporary barrier at hazards and prevent the displacement of the traffic cones. in one embodiment of the invention the mounting means comprises a pair of spaced- apart through-holes in the barrier body. These conveniently allow the barrier to be quickly dropped onto the traffic cones. in another embodiment the through—holes are located intermediate the ends of the barrier body. in another embodiment each through-hole is tapered, with atop of the through-hole being narrower than a bottom of the through-hole.

In a further embodiment each through-hole has a frusto-conical bore. Conveniently the bore corresponds in taper to the tapered outside face of traffic cones.

In another embodiment each through-hole is adapted to engage a traffic cone intermediate a top and a bottom of the traffic cone. in another embodiment the barrier has complementary inter-engagable formations at each end of the barrier body which are engagable with another barrier or barriers to link the barriers together.

In another embodiment the complementary inter-engagable formations are pivotally engagable with associated formations on other barriers. in another embodiment interconnected barriers are pivotally interengagable for pivotal movement through 180°. This allows flexibility in delineating the site of a hazard.

In another embodiment the complementary interengagable formations comprise male and female connectors. Preferably a male connector and a female connector are provided at opposite ends of the barrier body. Thus, a single barrier design can be provided. However, if desired similar connectors could be provided at each end of the barrier but this would necessitate two barrier designs which is less attractive from a manufacturing point of view. in another embodiment the connectors comprise a plug and a complementary socket.

The plug and socket may be cylindrical to facilitate relative swivelling of interconnected barriers. in another embodiment each end of the barrier is stepped for overlapping stepped interengagement of the ends of interconnected barriers. in another embodiment the needs of the barriers are nestable together.

In another embodiment each end of the barrier has a rounded profile and an associated rounded concave receiver portion for nesting ends of the interengaged barriers together.

In another embodiment the barrier has means for receiving ballast. in another embodiment the ballast receiving means comprises a tray formed in the barrier body. in another embodiment the barrier has a hollow interior to receive liquid ballast.

In a further embodiment reflective strips are mounted along each side of the barrier body.

In another aspect the invention provides a barrier system comprising a plurality of traffic cones interlinked by a number of the barriers. _Brief Description of the Drawings; ' The invention will be more clearty understood by the following description of some embodiments thereof, given by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a portable temporary barrier according to the invention; Fig. 2 is another perspective view showing an underside of the barrier shown in Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is an elevational view of the barrier; Fig. 4 is a plan view of the barrier; Fig. 5 is a sectional view of the barrier taken along the line V-V of Fig. 4; Fig. 6 is an enlarged detail sectional view showing a mounting through-hole portion of the barrier; Fig. 7 is a perspective view of the barrier shown in use mounted between a pair of traffic cones; Fig. 8 is an exploded perspective view of the barrier and cones shown in Fig.

Fig. 9 is a perspective view of a barrier system comprising a number of the barriers and traffic cones; Fig. 10 is an elevational view of another barrier according to a second embodiment of the invention; Fig. 11 is a plan view of the barrier shown in Fig. 10; Fig. 12 is a sectional view of the barrier shown in Fig. 10 taken along the line xu—xn of Fig. 11; and Fig. 13 is a perspective partially cut-away view of the barrier shown in Fig. 10.

Referring to the drawings, and initially to Figs. 1 to 8 thereof, there is illustrated a portable temporary barrier according to the invention indicated generally by the reference numeral 1 for use in cooperation with traffic cones 2. The barrier 1 has an elongate barrier body 3. Mounting means, comprising a pair of spaced-apart through- holes 4 in the barrier body 3 are realeasably engagable with a pair of spaced—apart traffic cones 2 (as shown in Fig. 7) for mounting the barrier 1 between the traffic cones The barrier body 3 has a flat top face 6 and a bottom face 7 which are substantially parallel. The top face 6 and bottom face 7 are interconnected by a flat front face 8 and rear face 9.

The through-holes 4 are located intermediate the ends of the barrier body 3, in this case being positioned approximately one quarter of the length of the barrier 1 inwardly from each end of the barrier 1.

Each through—hole 4 extends through the barrier body 3 between the top face 6 and bottom face 7 and has a frusto-conical tapered bore 10. The taper is approximately 8° as shown in Fig. 6 with the bore 10 being narrower at the top than at the bottom. This bore 10 is adapted to engage and snugly seat the barrier 1 on the traffic cones 2 as shown in Fig. 7 intermediate a top and a bottom of each traffic cone 2.

A reflective strip 15 (Fig. 7 and Fig. 8) is mounted along each of the front face 8 and rear face 9 of the barrier body 3 to provide a hazard warning.

A ballast receiving tray 16 is formed in the centre of the barrier body 3 between the through-holes 4 and open at the top face 6 of the barrier body 3. A sandbag or possibly a metal ballast weight can be mounted in the tray 16 to increase the stability of the barrier 1 in use.

The barrier 1 has complementary interengagable formations, indicated generally by the reference numeral 20, at each end of the barrier body 3 which are engagable with another barrier 1 or barriers 1 to link the barriers 1 together as shown in Fig. 9. Thus, conveniently an extended interlinked barrier around a hazard such an opening in the ground for example may be provided. Conveniently also the interengagable formations 20 are pivotally engagable allowing pivotal interconnection of adjacent barriers 1 through 180°. In this case the interengagable formations 20 comprise a cylindrical male plug 22 and a complementary cylindrical female socket 23 at opposite ends 24, 25 of the barrier body 3. it will be noted also that each end 24, 25 of the barrier body 3 has a stepped configuration for overlapping stepped nesting interengagement of the ends 24, 25 of the barrier body 3 when two barriers 1 are interconnected as shown in Fig. 9 so that the top faces 6 and bottom faces 7 of the barriers 1 are essentially flush. Each end 24, 25 of the barrier body 3 has a rounded profile and an associated rounded concave receiver 26 for nesting the ends 24, 25 of the interengaged barriers 1 together. in use, it will be appreciated that the barriers 1 are readily portable and can easily be handled by a single individual. They are also relatively compact and therefore easily transportable. On site, dropping the barrier 1 onto a pair of cones 2 is readily easily and quickly carried out to establish a more rigid and secure perimeter at a hazard for example. in this regard also the interlocking of the ends of the barriers 1 greatly assists in that a continuous barrier block access to this hazard can be provided. As the interlocked barriers swivel relative to each other, various configurations surrounding a hazard can be set up as required with a number of the cones 2 and the barriers 1. it required, ballast can be mounted on the barriers 1 by way of a Sandbag or the like mounted in the ballast tray 16 on each barrier 1.

Advantageously the barriers 1 when set up as illustrated in Fig. 9 provide a continuous visible line for motorists and pedestrians alike. The reflective strips 15 provide a clear indication of the barrier system. it will also be appreciated that the barrier system can be readily easily and quickly dismantled and reassembled as required around different hazards. Furthermore, the barriers 1 are readily compatible with conventional traffic cones which are in widespread use.

Referring now to Figs. 10 to 13 there is shown another barrier according to the invention indicated generally by the reference numeral 30. Parts similar to those described previously are assigned the same reference numerals. This barrier 30 is essentially the same as the barrier 1 described previously with the exception that in this case, the through-holes 4 are formed by cylindrical bores 32 extending between the top face 6 and bottom face 7 of the barrier body 3.

The invention is not limited to the embodiments hereinbefore described which may be varied in both construction and detail.

M7214—2.spec.oct31—14

Claims

1. CLAIMS A portable temporary barrier for use in cooperation with trafﬁc cones, said barrier including an elongate barrier body having mounting means for complementary releasable engagement with a pair of spaced-apart trafﬁc cones for mounting the barrier between said trafﬁc cones, characterised in that the mounting means comprises a pair of spaced-apart through—holes in the barrier body located intermediate the ends of the barrier body. The portable temporary barrier as claimed in claim 1 wherein the barrier has complementary inter-engagable formations at each end of the barrier body which are engagable with another barrier or barriers to link the barriers together, the complementary inter-engagable formations being pivotally engagable with associated formations on other barriers. The portable temporary barrier as claimed in claim 2 wherein the complementary interengagable formations comprise male and female connectors, a male connector and a female connector being provided at opposite ends of the barrier body. The portable temporary barrier as claimed in any preceding claim wherein each end of the barrier is stepped for overlapping stepped interengagement of the ends of interconnected barriers. A barrier system comprising a plurality of trafﬁc cones interlinked by a number of the barriers as claimed in any preceding claim.