SE528049C2 - Crash barrier - Google Patents

Abstract

The disclosure relates to a road crash barrier for retaining or returning a vehicle on a carriageway in the event of a collision. The road crash barrier (1) has a unit (2) with catchment devices (3) and a series of posts (4). Between each catchment device (3), there are disposed fittings (7) which hold together units (2) in the event of a collision. The unit (2) is disposed on a post (4) which is fixedly mounted in the ground. The catchment devices (3) give way on collision and may, for example, be beams, sheet metal profiles or wires. On a collision, the unit (2) is released from the post (4), for example the wires being held together in a unit at a first, lower stress loading in the event of a collision in the longitudinal direction of the road crash barrier (1) and at a second, higher stress loading on collision in the transverse direction of the road crash barrier (1).

Description

528 049 2 A fairly common solution so far has been that strong posts at a distance from the roadway "hold out" deformable sheet metal profiles or wires on transverse arms, so that a deformation zone is created between the sheet metal profile and the posts. A problem with these railings is that they are very bulky and material-intensive. In addition, they must be doubled to function as a center railing, ie a set of sheet metal profiles or wires must be held out against the respective carriageway.

This makes the construction even more skimming. Thus, it is hardly usable as a center railing on existing roads that are not widened. In addition, the material consumption and assembly time increase.

Another way to reduce the risk of injury is to directly adapt the design of the posts. One way is to use a small dimensioning throughout the post, but this drastically increases the need for repairs in the event of an impact other than on runs. In addition, a consistently small dimensioning does not help to control the direction of the deflection of the post in the event of a collision. Such a control is, however, desirable for achieving optimal collision characteristics of the road barrier. Another method of reducing the risk of injury is to provide the post with a series of perforations at its base. Even with such constructions, it is difficult to control the deflection direction of the impacted post.

A further disadvantage is that neither consistently small constructions nor posts with perforations are strong enough to withstand a lateral collision of heavy vehicles at the same time as they have to give way when colliding straight ahead of small passenger vehicles.

TROUBLESHOOTING It is thus desired to provide a less bulky and material-free railing, which can be used both as a center railing and as a side railing, and which has good properties when hitting both heavy and light vehicles. 25935 TROUBLESHOOTING The object underlying the invention is achieved if the road barrier initially indicated is characterized in that the connection between the respective pole and the catchment unit is releasable at a first, lower load -ZE _40 in the event of a collision in the road barrier. longitudinal direction and at a second, higher load .If in the event of a collision in the transverse direction of the road barrier .. 10 15 20 25 30 528 049 Further advantages are obtained if the road barrier is additionally given one or more of the features according to claims 2-8.

COMPILATION OF DRAWING FIGURES The invention will now be described on the basis of the accompanying drawings. These show: Fig. 1 is a cross-sectional view of an upright railing according to the invention; 2 g 2 a straight side view of the road barrier in the event of a collision substantially in the longitudinal direction of the roadway; and fi g 3 a view corresponding to that in fi g l where the shrimp is shown when approaching substantially in the transverse direction of the roadway. fi g 4 is a detail view of a connecting member included in the road rail according to the invention; Fig. 5 is a straight sectional view of the lower portion of the post and its attachment across the direction of travel on the adjacent roadway; fi g 6 an exploded view of the attachment; Fig. 7 is a perspective view of a support member included in the fixture; 8 g 8 a sectional view along the line A-A in fi g 5 above the river; and 9 g 9 is a view corresponding to the lower portion of fi g 1 of an alternative embodiment of the invention.

PREFERRED EMBODIMENT The purpose of a road barrier l according to the invention is to keep or return a vehicle on its correct lane next to which the railing l is arranged. In this way, vehicles are avoided driving off the roadway and into the surrounding terrain, which can be full of obstacles and objects that are extremely unsuitable to collide with. The road barrier may be arranged next to a steep or next to a watercourse. The handrail 1 can also be arranged to separate carriageways with oncoming traffic and therefore helps to prevent frontal collisions between two oncoming vehicles.

In section 1 a section through the handrail 1 according to the invention is shown. The railing comprises a unit 2 of catching means 3, which catches oncoming vehicles to keep them on, or return them to, the roadway. The catching unit 2 is supported by a series of posts 4, which in turn are arranged in or on a base 5, for example the ground. Between the respective post 4 and the catching unit 2 there is a connection 6, which is releasable under certain circumstances in the event of a collision. The lower part of the post 4 is lowered and anchored in the ground 5 in a fastening 13.

The trapped members 3 are arranged directly above the posts 4 so that the road railing 1 is oxygen-net and works well in a location as a railing, but also in locations as a side railing.

The catching means 3 are given a slight deflection in the event of a collision in order to brake the oncoming vehicle smoothly. As the speed of the vehicle decreases, its kinetic energy also decreases and the influence on the catching members 3 becomes smaller and also their deflection, which means that the oncoming vehicle is steered back in its original direction of travel on the roadway.

The catching means 3 can be of many different types. Some examples of useful catching means 3 are beams, plate profiles, wires or the like.

Common to the catching means 3 is that they are relatively strong, especially in relation to their own weight, and easily resilient, ie they can withstand large tensile forces without breaking in the goods or in any joints, in order to achieve a safe catch and braking of oncoming vehicles, so that they are kept on the roadway. Preferably, the joint element in the form of internal sleeves is arranged when the catching members 3 are sheet metal profiles.

The joint elements and their fastening in the sheet metal profiles are as strong as the rest of the profiles.

The catching means 3 perform the largest restorative work in the event of a collision. However, the posts 4 not only act as supporting members, but also give a certain increase in the rigidity of the handrail 1 as a whole, since they keep the capturing members 3 in a certain lateral position, at least until the catching members 3 have come loose from the upper part of the post 4. It is thus desirable that the post 4 is difficult to bend laterally, especially when colliding with very heavy vehicles, such as fully loaded trucks. Such vehicles are often so high that the posts do not cause any appreciable damage to the passages, but the essential thing is that the restorative function of the road rail 1, and in particular the catching means 3, is kept intact.

The catching unit 2 is in the preferred embodiment, shown in fi g 1, built up of one or fl your elongate plate protrusions 3. In the preferred embodiment the plate profiles 3 have a cross section which is substantially elliptical, so that the catching members 3 are both strong and light in relation to the material consumption, and that they do not cause greater damage than necessary to a possible colliding vehicle and its passengers. The catching means 3 may alternatively have other suitable cross-sections or even be wires. The essential thing is that the catching means 3, in cases where they are two or two, are connected as a single unit, which is located at the upper end of the post 4. The continuous unit 2 of catching means 3 is fastened to the post 4 in such a way that at the same time as the formed road railing 1 is not slightly bulky laterally, optimal properties of the railing 1 are achieved in the event of a collision. For this purpose, the unit 2 of catching means 3 is fastened to the post 4 in such a way that the connection 6 between them is releasable at a sufficiently large collar fi, i.e. during driving. During the collision dry run, however, the unit 2 of the catching means 3 is connected.

The catching means 3 are in the preferred embodiment connected to the unit 2 by fittings 7, which are arranged between the catching means 3. In fi g 1 an example is shown where two catching means 3 are included in the catching unit 2, but it is of course it is possible to arrange both or fewer intercepting members in the unit 2. The fittings 7 hold the intercepting members 3 together with such a strength that they are held together and function as a unit 2 in the most types of applications. The reason why the catching members 3 are held together into a unit 2 is that the catching and returning properties are better than if the catching members 3 had been movable in height relative to each other. In that case, they would have been able to move over or under the oncoming vehicle, with the result that this was not captured in an appropriate manner.

The fitting 7 which connects the catching members 3 to each other is advantageously angled so that it partly extends a distance along the catching member 3 and partly extends transversely thereto in order to achieve a distance between the catching members 3. The fitting 7 can be provided with a further bend, in order to provide a fastening to the adjacent catching member 3, or it may be arranged to extend into it through a slot provided for the purpose. Thus, the fitting 7 is provided with fixed ears, for anchoring the fitting 7 in the catching means 3. The post 4 is arranged to have such bending properties that it does not cause too much damage to a colliding vehicle or its passengers. , even if the vehicle is small.

The post 4 may have different properties in different directions, so that it yields particularly easily in certain types of collisions, but is more resistant in other types of collisions. It is particularly advantageous if the post 4 bends most easily when cornering in the longitudinal direction of the roadway, since the speed in that direction is typically greatest, while the post 4 is considerably stiffer in a collision in a direction transverse to the longitudinal direction of the roadway, is generally limited.

In fi g 2 and 3, two typical cases of collisions are shown. Many collisions are a combination of the two typical cases, but in general one of the typical cases is the dominant one.

In fi g 2 a collision is shown in the direction of the carriageway, ie in the direction of the arrow A.

Typically, this collision occurs with a small vehicle, which is both low and relatively light. The impact force is essentially directed in the direction of travel, since the speed in this direction is greatest. Regardless of where the oncoming vehicle first comes into contact with the handrail 1, it will sooner or later reach a post 4. The vehicle may have had time to brake slightly through the contact with the catching means 3, but the speed is typically still quite high when hitting the post 4. In order for the braking during the collision not to be too great, the post 4 is quite easy to bend in the direction of hit, which is marked with the arrow Ai in fi g 2.

Preferably, a weakening is arranged, and most preferably the weakening has a directing effect, so that the post 4 bends at the ground in the longitudinal direction of the carriageway when entering. Since the collision generally takes place a short distance down on the post 4, the connection 6 will also be subjected to a moment, which acts to dissolve the connection 6 by overcoming fi in the connection 6. However, the upright unit 2 remains substantially in its position, since it is still supported by the other posts 4 of the road rail 1. The road rail 1 will thus not bend towards the ground in its entirety together with the posts 4.

The collision of the post 4 gives a certain, limited braking of the vehicle, together with the braking effect of the catching unit. The reaction forces on the vehicle which may arise during the approach and which may lead to the vehicle driving off the roadway will be effectively absorbed by the lifting means 3, so that the vehicle is kept on the roadway, possibly by a certain deflection of the catching means 3. The speed of the oncoming vehicle will decrease, but possibly additional posts 4 will be hit. All posts 4 are so easily bendable that the braking does not become too strong, which minimizes the damage that passengers may suffer. When the speed is so low that the posts 4 are no longer bent by the oncoming vehicle, the handrail 1 will remain, and the catching means 3 will have a smaller lateral deflection, which increases their return effect towards the roadway. 10 fi g 3 shows another typical case of collision on the handrail 1. This case refers to a collision laterally. The speed straight sideways is generally not very large in relation to the speed in the longitudinal direction of the carriageway. However, the consequences of a vehicle entering an oncoming lane or driving off the road can be serious. The road barrier 1 must thus withstand these stresses, even when the impact occurs with a heavy vehicle. In such a case, where the vehicle is very heavy, such as a fully loaded truck, very high lateral speeds are not required because very large braking forces must be developed by the handrail 1. It is especially important that whole rails do not fall to a position below the ground. and then simply run over.

In fi g 3, a collision in the direction of the arrow B of a larger vehicle is shown. Such a vehicle is typically taller and heavier than a regular car. The kinetic energy is larger due to the higher weight and the point of attack on the handrail 1 is higher up.

The higher point of attack causes the catching unit 2 to bend away from the oncoming vehicle. Because the unit 2 functions as a torque arm, the stress becomes the greatest connection 6, which is subjected to a force across the longitudinal direction of the carriageway. Two washers 8, 9 included in the connection 6 tend to slide against each other when the load in the longitudinal direction of the railing becomes sufficiently large, and one bolt 12 included in the connection will rupture when the load. in the transverse direction of the railing exceeds a certain value. The posts 4 may also be subjected to impact across the longitudinal direction of the road, but they will not cause any significant damage to the vehicle as this is so large.

Thus, it is not required that the posts 4 are particularly easily bendable in the direction across the carriageway. Rather, it is so that they to some extent contribute to an increased stability of -; - § road barrier l laterally and should therefore be quite rigid. After the connection 6 has been broken, which will take place at a higher -3 force than when driving in the longitudinal direction of the road, the catching unit 2 will be detached from the post 4. However, the unit 2 still retains its catching function, as it is held together as a single unit.

Since the morning guts between the point of attack of the impact force and the respective fastening means 7 holding together the catching means 3 are shorter than the moment arm between the point of attack and the connection 6, the forces at these points will be considerably less, and fractures will occur in the first place. in the connection 6. When this connection is broken, the stresses between the catching members 3 and the fittings 7 become less, since the catching unit has been released. At the same time, the railing will straighten up and its height will be largely maintained.

The catching unit 2 will have a certain lateral deflection, and the lateral speed of the vehicle will gradually decrease. Since it is probable that the vehicle is simultaneously moving forward along the longitudinal direction of the roadway, it is probable that your connections 6 will be loosened by breaking off the bolt 12 in the respective connection 6. The release of the catching unit 2 at one point also increases the forces on the »other bolts 12, thus increasing the probability of breakage in further bolts 12. When the lateral movement is slowed down so much that the forces acting on the catching unit 2 are no longer large enough to cause breakage in the bolts 12, a return of the vehicle will take place, since the handrail 1 is subsequently intact.

Thus, the handrail 1 works both for collisions with smaller passenger cars, especially in the longitudinal direction of the handrail, but also for collisions with larger, heavily loaded vehicles, especially for collisions in the transverse direction of the handrail 1.

Fig. 4 shows a perspective view of the connection 6. The connection includes two washers 8, 9 which are placed one on top of the other. Each of the washers 8, 9 is welded or otherwise fixed to the post 4 and the catching unit 2, respectively. The washer 9 is provided with bends in the preferred embodiment. The bends are such that your portions of the washer 9 form an angle with the rest of the washer 9. The angled portions preferably function for attachment to the lower of the catching members 3. Each of the washers 8, 9 has a slot 10 and 10, respectively. ll. The slots 10, 11 have substantially the same width, and are open towards the edge of the washer 8, 9. To function in the connection 6, the open ends of the slots 10, 11 are turned in the same direction.

The elites 10, 11 are so long that, when the washers 8, 9 are laid on top of each other with the open ends of the slots 10, 11 facing in the same direction, they overlap each other. 10 15 20 25 30 528 0249 v nu Nøunc o c n nu 19 A bolt 12 is arranged to extend through the slots 10, 11, and suitable means are provided on the bolt 12 for tightening it. When the bolt joint is tightened, the washers 8, 9 will be tightened against each other with a fairly large force.

The washers 8, 9 are thus fixed in relation to each other with a friction joint. They can thus slide in relation to each other, provided that the lafts laterally are sufficiently high. The bolt 12 will not prevent such sliding, if it takes place in the direction of the slots 10, 11, since the bolt 12, when sliding the washers relative to each other, is movable through either of the slots 10, 1 1, depending on which direction as the person heard slides between the washers 8, 9. The bolt 12 slides out through a specially arranged recess in the upper end of the post 4.

The connection 6 is arranged so that the slits 10, 11 extend in the longitudinal direction of the carriageway, ie in the direction of the arrow A. A drive substantially in the direction of the carriageway thus takes place in the direction of the arrow A. Depending on the direction of impact, the inner end of either of the slots 10 or 11 to abut against the bolt 12 while it is movable through the other of the slots 10, 11, and the connection 6 slides apart.

In the event of a collision across the longitudinal direction of the carriageway, ie in the direction of the arrow B, the contact between the slots 10, 11 and the bolt 12 will take place at the sides of the bolt 12, when the washers 8, 9 and thus the slots 10, 11 are displaced laterally in relation to eachother. Finally, the contact forces between the slits 10, 11 sides and the bolt 12 become so large that the bolt 12 breaks. The washers 8, 9 then become completely freely movable in relation to each other, and the connection 6 is dissolved.

When hitting light vehicles, however, it is important that the laterally difficult-to-bend post 3 does not constitute a threat to the vehicle's passengers as the post 3 is hit straight from the front. Even a light vehicle, for example a small car, should be able to lower the post 3 in the event of a frontal collision, while the function of the catching means 2 remains intact. The post 3 thus has a directional weakening at the bottom, so that it can at the same time fulfill the wish that it should be difficult to bend when hit sideways but relatively easy to bend when hit from the front, in the direction of the roadway. This is realized in the preferred embodiment in that a flattened portion 8 is arranged at the lower end of the post 3. The flattened portion 8 is oriented so that its wide side faces a colliding vehicle traveling in the main direction of travel of the roadway. Fig. 5 shows the lower part of the post 4 and the attachment 13 in the ground 5. In this figure the arrangement is seen from the side, ie across the direction shown in Fig. 1. The trill plate portion 14 has different bending stiffness in the two directions shown in Fig. 1 10 15 20 25 30 n: coon n I 528 049 10 i and 5. A fairly small car traveling at normal speed will therefore be able to fold the post 4 in a collision straight from the distance. Since the bending stiffness is greater in the transverse direction of the flattened portion 14, the post 4 will be able to withstand significantly greater stresses in the event of a lateral collision, for example of a skidding truck trailer. The fixing 13 in the ground 5 comprises in the preferred embodiment a casing 15, which is buried in its entirety or for the most part in the ground 5.

In the preferred embodiment, the casing 15 has a substantially circular cross-section, but it is of course also conceivable with other cross-sectional shapes.

The flattened portion 14 of the post 4 is descendable in the liner tube 15, at least so far that the upper part of the flattened portion 14 is still above or in line with the surface of the ground 5. As a result, it is possible for the post 4 to bend in the flattened portion 14 in the event of a collision. To hold the post 3 in position, a pair of support members 16 are arranged on each side of the flattened portion 14. The support members 16 have a shape with a substantially L-shaped cross-section, where one longer leg 18 abuts against the flattened portion of the post 3 14 and the second, shorter leg 17 abuts the upper edge of the casing 15. The angle between the two legs 17, 18 included in the support member 16 therefore acts as a breaking edge when the post 4, the flat portion 14 of which is held between two support members 16, is hit.

The support means 16 are substantially as wide as the flattened portion 14 of the post 4. Since the flattened portion 14 is only slightly narrower than the casing 15, to be insertable therein, and the support means 16 are substantially as wide as the flattened portion 14, this means that the shape of the support means 16, the flattened portion 14 and the casing 15, respectively, in itself limits the possibilities of movement of the post 4 and its attachment 13.

In order to further increase the stability and make undesired disassembly impossible, the support means 16 are additionally welded in the liner tube 15 and possibly also in the flattened portion 14.

Fig. 6 shows an exploded view of the casing 15, the flattened portion 14 of the post 4 and the support members 16. The casing 15 has a substantially circular cross-section, which is used in the preferred embodiment. The advantage of a circular cross-section is that the alignment of the casing 15 when placed in the ground 5 does not have to be exact, but provides possibilities for adjusting the angle of the flattened portion '14 in relation to the adjacent carriageway, so that the desired alignment is obtained. 10 15 20 25 30 O ett !! 528 049 «'11 Fig. 7 shows a perspective view of one of the support members 16. Here the L-shaped cross-section with a shorter leg 17 is clearly visible, which abuts against the upper edge of the casing 15 and whose outer contour substantially corresponds to the outer contour of the casing 15. The longer leg 18 abuts the flattened portion 14 with its main surface, while its side edges 21 abut or are adjacent to the inside of the casing 15. This limits the ability of the support member 16 to move back and forth in the casing 15 for purely geometric reasons. There is simply no major motion disorder for this. In addition, the shorter leg 17 and its angle to the longer leg 18 will further contribute to the support members 16 remaining in position, by abutting the upper edge of the casing 15.

Fig. 8 shows a sectional view substantially along the line AA in fi g 5. The section is seen from above,, and the elliptical cross-section of the flattened portion 14 is visible between the support members 16. Also in this figure it can be sensed how the longer leg 18 on the support member 16 abuts the broad side of the flattened party.

The flattened portion 14 has a cross section which is elliptical with a small axis 19 and a major axis 20. In the desired orientation of the post, the minor axis 19 is thus parallel to the adjacent carriageway, while the major axis 20 is transverse to it.

As indicated in fi g 1, the flattened portion 8 is wider than the rest of the post 3, at least in the direction of the major axis 20. This is because the material in an originally cylindrical tube is carried out to the sides when it is flattened. If the pipe had originally been narrower, for example conical, at the end where the flattening takes place, a different result could possibly be obtained. In that case, this is a purely dimensioning issue.

ALTERNATIVE EMBODIMENTS Fig. 9 shows an alternative embodiment of the invention. In this embodiment, the flattened portion 14 has been made shorter and is welded at its lower end to a transverse plate 22. In the plate 22, in turn, fastening means 23 are arranged for framing in the ground 5 or some other substrate, such as a concrete foundation. . In the groove, the fasteners 23 are shown as elongate bolts.

In the alternative embodiment, the desired bending properties 1 are maintained in the different directions, while the installation does not require deep holes to be dug for the casing 15. Thus, the alternative embodiment can be used in places where the ground is not suitable for the preferred embodiment.

The invention can be further varied within the scope of the appended claims. . . ~. . . »~ _ ~ - - ~ _ _ _ O I I. U z I O Ü Ö I II

Claims (8)

10 '15 20 25 30 35 40 528 049' 13 PATENT CLAIMS 1.; Road rail comprising a series of posts (4) and an elongate unit (2) directed transversely to the posts (4) by catching means (3), which are bump-supported by the posts (4), a connection (6) between the respective post (4) 4) and the catch unit (2) is releasable in the case of a first, lower load in the event of a collision in the longitudinal direction of the road barrier (1) and in the case of a second, higher load in the case of collision in the transverse direction of the road barrier (1), characterized in that the connection (6) comprises an ection bandage. Road barrier (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that the connection (6) comprises a bolt (12) and two washers abutting each other with friction (8, 9), which are arranged in each of the catching unit (2) and the post (4), a slot (10, 1 1) being arranged in the respective washer (8,9) and the bolt (12) extending through the slots (10, 11). Road railing (1) according to claim 2, characterized in that the slots (10, 11) are arranged to extend substantially in the longitudinal direction of the road by which the road railing (1) is arranged so that the bolt (12) is releasable at a displacement of the washers (S, 9) relative to each other in the event of a collision in the longitudinal direction of the road barrier (1). r Road barrier (1) according to Claim 2 or 3, characterized in that the bolt (12) is dimensioned to rupture at a predetermined load on the edges of the slots (10, 1 1) on the bolt (12) in the event of a collision in the road rail (1). ) transverse direction. Road railing (1) according to one of Claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the catching rail (2) is arranged vertically above the posts (4) in order to minimize the width of the road railing (1). 6. V6. Road barrier (1) according to any one of claims 1-5, characterized in that the catching unit (2) comprises a single elongate catching means (3) - ' Road railing (1) according to any one of claims 1-5, characterized in that the catching unit (2) comprises two or more elongate catching means (3), which are connected to each other to a continuous unit (2). 528 049 A14 Road railing (1) according to one of Claims 1 to 7, characterized in that each post (4) has a weakening at its lower end for maximizing the deflection of the post (4) at its upper end when approaching and thus maximizing the torque in the connection (6) between the posts (4) and the catchment unit (2).