US20150132055A1 - Lane separator - Google Patents

Lane separator Download PDF

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Publication number
US20150132055A1
US20150132055A1 US14/398,797 US201314398797A US2015132055A1 US 20150132055 A1 US20150132055 A1 US 20150132055A1 US 201314398797 A US201314398797 A US 201314398797A US 2015132055 A1 US2015132055 A1 US 2015132055A1
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US
United States
Prior art keywords
block
recesses
protrusions
blocks
locking pin
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Abandoned
Application number
US14/398,797
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English (en)
Inventor
Nils-Johan Tufte
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Opd Group As
Original Assignee
Opd Group As
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Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Opd Group As filed Critical Opd Group As
Publication of US20150132055A1 publication Critical patent/US20150132055A1/en
Abandoned legal-status Critical Current

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    • E—FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
    • E01—CONSTRUCTION OF ROADS, RAILWAYS, OR BRIDGES
    • E01F—ADDITIONAL WORK, SUCH AS EQUIPPING ROADS OR THE CONSTRUCTION OF PLATFORMS, HELICOPTER LANDING STAGES, SIGNS, SNOW FENCES, OR THE LIKE
    • E01F15/00—Safety arrangements for slowing, redirecting or stopping errant vehicles, e.g. guard posts or bollards; Arrangements for reducing damage to roadside structures due to vehicular impact
    • E01F15/02—Continuous barriers extending along roads or between traffic lanes
    • E01F15/08—Continuous barriers extending along roads or between traffic lanes essentially made of walls or wall-like elements ; Cable-linked blocks
    • E01F15/088—Details of element connection
    • E—FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
    • E01—CONSTRUCTION OF ROADS, RAILWAYS, OR BRIDGES
    • E01F—ADDITIONAL WORK, SUCH AS EQUIPPING ROADS OR THE CONSTRUCTION OF PLATFORMS, HELICOPTER LANDING STAGES, SIGNS, SNOW FENCES, OR THE LIKE
    • E01F15/00—Safety arrangements for slowing, redirecting or stopping errant vehicles, e.g. guard posts or bollards; Arrangements for reducing damage to roadside structures due to vehicular impact
    • E01F15/02—Continuous barriers extending along roads or between traffic lanes
    • E01F15/04—Continuous barriers extending along roads or between traffic lanes essentially made of longitudinal beams or rigid strips supported above ground at spaced points
    • E—FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
    • E01—CONSTRUCTION OF ROADS, RAILWAYS, OR BRIDGES
    • E01F—ADDITIONAL WORK, SUCH AS EQUIPPING ROADS OR THE CONSTRUCTION OF PLATFORMS, HELICOPTER LANDING STAGES, SIGNS, SNOW FENCES, OR THE LIKE
    • E01F15/00—Safety arrangements for slowing, redirecting or stopping errant vehicles, e.g. guard posts or bollards; Arrangements for reducing damage to roadside structures due to vehicular impact
    • E01F15/02—Continuous barriers extending along roads or between traffic lanes
    • E01F15/08—Continuous barriers extending along roads or between traffic lanes essentially made of walls or wall-like elements ; Cable-linked blocks
    • E01F15/081—Continuous barriers extending along roads or between traffic lanes essentially made of walls or wall-like elements ; Cable-linked blocks characterised by the use of a specific material
    • E01F15/086—Continuous barriers extending along roads or between traffic lanes essentially made of walls or wall-like elements ; Cable-linked blocks characterised by the use of a specific material using plastic, rubber or synthetic materials

Definitions

  • This invention relates to a movable block for use in a lane separator.
  • Lane separators consisting of blocks positioned after another in a row is often used to separate vehicular traffic from oncoming traffic, pedestrians and road workers and for other applications where it is desirable to prevent a vehicle ending up in a place where it can do harm.
  • U.S. Pat. No. 6,413,009 B1 is an example of lane separators which is composed of blocks which are hinged at their ends. Such blocks may be made of reinforced concrete.
  • U.S. Pat. No. 6,413,009 B1 describes blocks that are V-shaped towards the ends to prevent corner damage on impact, i.e. when the hinged elements turn relative to each other. The blocks are further equipped with shock absorbers on the separator to reduce the shock on impact. Concrete blocks requires heavy load tool when deployed, and it is unclear to what degree a shock absorber, such as an elastic element or a deformable metal structure, absorb energy in the event of a collision.
  • U.S. Pat. No. 5,387,049 discloses a lane separator that have a row of containers filled with water or another shock-absorbing medium, and can be deployed and then filled with water. Longitudinal steel wires are stretched and secured in the blocks after deployment, so that the road blocks as a whole yield on impact and directs the car back into the correct lane. Disadvantages of this lane separator are that it requires tools and work to stretch the steel wire at installation, and long sections of steel wire must be replaced after a collision.
  • U.S. Pat. No. 6,913,415 B1 discloses a modular lane separator wherein each block has a first end with a protrusion that has a rotationally symmetrical end and a second end with a corresponding rotationally symmetrical recess.
  • a locking pin may be inserted in vertical bores through protrusions and recesses in two adjacent blocks so that the blocks are locked pivotally against one another.
  • the blocks may be made of rotational molded polyethylene, and is filled with for instance water.
  • the blocks can also be secured with straps, e.g.
  • Lane separator in U.S. Pat. No.6,913,415 has an inclined lower edge. If a car hits the edge, it will climb up onto the lane separator and possibly pass over the block.
  • the blocks in the lane separator is also joined by hard bolts.
  • the collision energy will therefore not go to deform the bolts, but instead deform the loops. This increases the risk that the blocks slide apart on impact.
  • the task to be solved by the present invention is to provide an improved block for the lane separator that solves at least one of the problems in the prior art.
  • the locking pin When the locking pin is formed of a hollow, deformable tube, a part of the vehicle's kinetic energy by such a collision is spent to deform the tube. Thus, there is less energy available to break loose protrusions with holes from the block, and the lane separator can therefore absorb more kinetic energy from the vehicle than previously known lane separators before the blocks are broken apart.
  • Each pair of neighboring blocks is preferably pivotally connected about their common locking pin.
  • a number of blocks are deployed at an angle between the longitudinal axes of adjacent blocks. If a vehicle with a velocity component in the length direction of the block hit the block, the block will move laterally and pull the neighboring blocks along with it.
  • the blocks will be connected as described above, to form a curve that directs the vehicle back to the correct lane.
  • the block is preferably hollow and has an inlet at the top and an outlet at the bottom. If the block is made of PE and filled with air, it will be sufficiently light so that it can be handled by one or two persons without lifting tools. When the block is in place, it can be filled with water, sand, gravel, concrete, antifreeze solution, foam or something else through the inlet. Thus, the block mass increase, so it does not move too much laterally on impact. Increased mass also causes the force of the block perpendicularly on to the ground, and thus the friction, to increase. During a collision a larger part of the vehicle's kinetic energy is consequently spent to overcome friction between the block and the substrate, so that there is less energy available for deformation of lane separator and vehicle.
  • the block also has at least one through-hole along the width axis.
  • the block side walls is held together by the walls of these holes, so that the block side walls do not bulge when the block is filled.
  • the block may further have baluster fastenings attached to the top portion.
  • Baluster fastenings may be sleeves or holes adapted to receive vertical fence posts.
  • the baluster fastenings may be brackets with screw attachments for vertical posts which, for example in turn, may be fastenings for safety fences, wire or other known means used to separate traffic.
  • the blocks can also be placed individually or in rows and form the foundation for noise barriers, road signs, billboards, bus shelters and more.
  • Lane separators may be equipped with a fence and/or a crash barrier at the top to prevent cars or car parts from passing the separator.
  • FIG. 1 shows an embodiment of a lane separator seen in perspective.
  • FIG. 2 shows a series of lane separator assembled into a row.
  • FIG. 3 shows the embodiment of FIG. 1 seen from above.
  • FIG. 4 shows the embodiment of FIG. 1 seen from the side.
  • FIG. 5 shows the embodiment of FIG. 1 , viewed from one end.
  • FIGS. 6 a - d show a preferred locking pin
  • FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a preferred embodiment of a block 100
  • the block has a base portion 110 and a top portion 120 As shown in FIGS. 1 and 5 , the base portion is wider than the top portion 120 when the block 100 is seen from one end.
  • the block 100 has longitudinally a first end 130 and a second end 140 The first end 130 having a recess 132 and protrusions 131 , 133 The second end 140 having a protrusion 142 and recesses 141 , 143 When two blocks of this type are assembled, protrusion 142 fits into the recess 132 of the adjacent block, while the protrusions 131 and 133 of the adjacent block pass over and under the protrusion 142 The recesses and protrusions 131 - 133 and 141 - 143 is shown clearly in FIG. 4
  • the block 100 is produced as a hollow body of a suitable plastic material, such as polyethylene (PE).
  • PE polyethylene
  • the block When the block is hollow, it can be emptied and removed without the use of tools and filled with, for instance sand or water before use.
  • the block may be produced by conventional methods, e.g., rotational molding and/or welding. Such methods are well known to those skilled in the art and are therefore not further described here.
  • FIG. 2 shows a number of blocks 100 end to end so that protrusions and recesses are inserted into each other. Adjacent blocks are connected together by locking pins 150 inserted into bores 160 which substantially extends vertically, i.e. into the plane of the paper in FIG. 2
  • the base portion 110 side walls 111 , 112 extends vertically. They lack in other words a ramp that can guide a vehicle up onto the block and in the worst case over the block where it can be dangerous for oncoming traffic or harm people.
  • the walls 111 and 112 should be sufficiently high so that wheel of a vehicle can not climb onto the block. If a vehicle drives into a lane separator of such blocks, the blocks thus shift laterally without the vehicle climbing upon the lane separator and passing over.
  • FIG. 5 illustrates a locking pin 150 which is formed of a hollow, deformable tube. This tube is inserted through bores 160 in the protrusions and recesses of adjacent blocks, so that the two neighboring blocks are connected together.
  • the locking pin is deformable a portion of the vehicle's kinetic energy will be spent to deform the tube during a collision.
  • there is less energy available to break loose protrusions 131 , 133 and 142 from the bores of the block and lane separator can therefore absorb more kinetic energy from the vehicle than prior art lane separator before the blocks are broken apart.
  • the block's end surfaces is adapted to allow an angle between the longitudinal axis of two adjacent blocks ( 100 ), so that the lane separator 200 , which consists of connected blocks 100 may follow a turn, placed around a corner, etc.
  • protrusions and recesses 131 - 133 ; 141 - 143 have cylindrical end surfaces.
  • FIG. 3 which shows the block plan view is evident that the ends are semi-circles with center at the center of the bore 160
  • the block 100 is as mentioned preferably hollow.
  • a suitable mass could be 50-100 kg, so that one or two people can put the block in place without cranes and connect it with adjacent block in the lane separator 200
  • the mass can be increased by filling the block with a liquid or a powder material, for example water or sand.
  • An inlet 170 is arranged at the top for filling of such a medium.
  • the figures also show an outlet 180 at the bottom of the block 100 .
  • This outlet facilitates emptying of the block.
  • applications can be conceived in which the contents of the box should not be drained directly into the environment.
  • water containing glycol or other antifreeze may have been filled into the block to prevent the water freezing, expanding and damaging or destroying the block.
  • Glycol and other chemicals should not automatically be discharged directly into the environment through an outlet 180 , but instead be pumped back through the inlet 170 for recycling or disposal.
  • the outlet 180 is not used in such applications, and can therefore be omitted in some embodiments.
  • the block 100 preferably has at least one through-hole 190 along the width axis, i.e. between the side walls.
  • the through hole 190 has walls that hold the block side walls together when the block 100 is filled with liquid, sand or similar.
  • the blocks may be provided with internal ribs or struts to achieve the same effect.
  • Both holes or tunnels 190 and other stiffeners should be located and designed so that sand and other granular materials do not accumulate and hinder the distribution and filling of the block 100
  • the top portion 120 preferably has baluster fastenings 170 , 171 , 172 In FIG. 3 , these are illustrated as vertical sleeves into the plane of the paper, where it can be inserted posts for fastening for instance a fence, a crash barrier or steel wires which after assembly runs along the lane separator 200 Baluster fastenings may alternatively be clamps, or other fasteners for vertical posts or balusters, and may alternatively be attached to one or both sides of the top portion 120
  • Lane separator 200 in FIG. 2 comprises a series of blocks 100 of the type described above. Each block 100 can be deployed manually when empty, and connected to the adjacent block with a deformable locking pin 150 The block is then filled with for instance water or sand so that the mass, and hence friction against the surface increases. Finally, a fence, guard rails or steel wires (not shown) mounted on top of the lane separator 200
  • the filled blocks 100 therefore preferably have a mass that is small enough for the blocks 100 to move laterally by such a collision, but not so small that the lane separator is shifted so much that it becomes dangerous for oncoming traffic or people it was intended to protect.
  • a mass of e.g. 1-5 tons may be suitable. The actual mass that should be used depends on the friction between the block 100 and the ground, if it is installed bolts in the ground etc.
  • a fence, guard rails or steel wires that are mounted atop the lane separator 200 may further contribute to the vehicle being directed back to the correct lane so as to cause the least possible damage.

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  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Architecture (AREA)
  • Civil Engineering (AREA)
  • Structural Engineering (AREA)
  • Refuge Islands, Traffic Blockers, Or Guard Fence (AREA)
US14/398,797 2012-05-04 2013-05-02 Lane separator Abandoned US20150132055A1 (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (3)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
NO20120513 2012-05-04
NO20120513A NO20120513A1 (no) 2012-05-04 2012-05-04 Blokk til veideler og veideler
PCT/NO2013/000020 WO2013165254A1 (en) 2012-05-04 2013-05-02 Lane separator

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
US20150132055A1 true US20150132055A1 (en) 2015-05-14

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Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
US14/398,797 Abandoned US20150132055A1 (en) 2012-05-04 2013-05-02 Lane separator

Country Status (5)

Country Link
US (1) US20150132055A1 (no)
EP (1) EP2844800A4 (no)
CA (1) CA2872610A1 (no)
NO (1) NO20120513A1 (no)
WO (1) WO2013165254A1 (no)

Cited By (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US20200149235A1 (en) * 2018-11-09 2020-05-14 Fiedor Bis Barrier Systems and Methods

Families Citing this family (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
CN110670513B (zh) * 2019-11-18 2020-06-09 浙江恩利交通设施有限公司 一种可自动防止行人翻越的智能分隔护栏

Citations (10)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US5080523A (en) * 1989-03-02 1992-01-14 Waldormills Company Establishment Connecting stone for forming road edges
US6428237B1 (en) * 2000-10-06 2002-08-06 Barrier Systems, Inc. Non-redirective gating crash cushion apparatus for movable, permanent and portable roadway barriers
US6474904B1 (en) * 2001-09-24 2002-11-05 Barrier Systems, Inc. Traffic barrier with liquid filled modules
US20040057790A1 (en) * 2000-11-29 2004-03-25 Tagg Richard Leach Modular barrier
US20040096273A1 (en) * 2001-10-18 2004-05-20 Yodock Leo J. Barrier device with foam interior
US6913415B1 (en) * 1999-12-01 2005-07-05 Richard Leach Tagg Modular barrier
US20060013650A1 (en) * 2002-03-14 2006-01-19 Yoram Meidan Crash barriers for roads and method for assembling same
US20070098490A1 (en) * 2005-10-31 2007-05-03 Off The Wall Products, Llc Low profile barriers
US20090003931A1 (en) * 2007-06-28 2009-01-01 Off The Wall Products, Llc Control barrier with light assembly
US8808600B1 (en) * 2009-12-23 2014-08-19 Off The Wall Products, Llc Methods for manufacturing barrier systems having a retained coupling pin

Family Cites Families (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
FR2005200A1 (no) * 1969-05-20 1969-12-12 Beaujean Robert
WO2009021290A1 (en) * 2007-08-15 2009-02-19 Industrial Galvanizers Corporation Pty Ltd Barrier construction, joining and orientation system

Patent Citations (12)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US5080523A (en) * 1989-03-02 1992-01-14 Waldormills Company Establishment Connecting stone for forming road edges
US6913415B1 (en) * 1999-12-01 2005-07-05 Richard Leach Tagg Modular barrier
US6428237B1 (en) * 2000-10-06 2002-08-06 Barrier Systems, Inc. Non-redirective gating crash cushion apparatus for movable, permanent and portable roadway barriers
US20040057790A1 (en) * 2000-11-29 2004-03-25 Tagg Richard Leach Modular barrier
US6474904B1 (en) * 2001-09-24 2002-11-05 Barrier Systems, Inc. Traffic barrier with liquid filled modules
US20040096273A1 (en) * 2001-10-18 2004-05-20 Yodock Leo J. Barrier device with foam interior
US20060013650A1 (en) * 2002-03-14 2006-01-19 Yoram Meidan Crash barriers for roads and method for assembling same
US20070098490A1 (en) * 2005-10-31 2007-05-03 Off The Wall Products, Llc Low profile barriers
US20090003931A1 (en) * 2007-06-28 2009-01-01 Off The Wall Products, Llc Control barrier with light assembly
US8808600B1 (en) * 2009-12-23 2014-08-19 Off The Wall Products, Llc Methods for manufacturing barrier systems having a retained coupling pin
US20140328620A1 (en) * 2009-12-23 2014-11-06 Off The Wall Products, Llc Barrier systems with interlocking flag
US8939675B2 (en) * 2009-12-23 2015-01-27 Off The Wall Products, Llc Barrier systems with interlocking flag

Cited By (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US20200149235A1 (en) * 2018-11-09 2020-05-14 Fiedor Bis Barrier Systems and Methods

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
CA2872610A1 (en) 2013-11-07
EP2844800A4 (en) 2015-12-16
NO20120513A1 (no) 2013-11-05
EP2844800A1 (en) 2015-03-11
WO2013165254A1 (en) 2013-11-07

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