WO1991017316A1

WO1991017316A1 - Anti glare barrier

Info

Publication number: WO1991017316A1
Application number: PCT/GB1991/000728
Authority: WO
Inventors: David Trevor Aelwyn Rees; Arwyn Hopkins
Original assignee: David Trevor Aelwyn Rees; Arwyn Hopkins
Priority date: 1990-05-05
Filing date: 1991-05-07
Publication date: 1991-11-14
Also published as: GB2243635A; AU7789491A; GB9010205D0; EP0597839A1; GB2243635B

Abstract

A glare barrier device (1) comprising a non-transparent elongate member (2) with support structures or formations (5, 6) for maintaining member (2) substantially parallel to and spaced from ground level, such that member (2) acts a barrier to the passage of vehicle headlight beams through glare barrier (1).

Description

Anti glare barrier.

This invention relates to a device for enhancing road safety, particularly on dual carriageways, motorways or the like.

When motoring at night along roads of the type just mentioned, "glare" associated with the headlights of oncoming traffic can dazzle drivers travelling in the opposite direction, causing them to be momentarily blinded to what lies in the road immediately in front of them.

This problem is exacerbated where the road is unlit, because drivers' eyes become accustomed to darkness, and oncoming traffic may well be using headlights on full beam illumination.

Furthermore, where main roads pass close by buildings such as houses or the like, the beam of headlights may pass through windows disturbing the occupants of the building.

According to the invention therefore, there is provided a glare barrier device comprising a non-transparent elongate member provided with means for supporting said member substantially parallel to and spaced from ground level, such that said member acts a barrier to the passage of vehicle headlight beams therethrough.

It is preferred that the uppermost extent of the elongate member is, in use, located at a distance above ground level greater than the legal upper limit for the height above ground of vehicle headlights. Preferably, the lowermost extent of the elongate member is, in use, at a distance above ground level approximately equal to the height above ground of the top of a conventional crash barrier.

The elongate member preferably includes opposed longitudinally extending outer faces. Such surfaces may be curved or, more preferably, they may be substantially planar.

The elongate member is preferably formed of sheet material and may, for example, be of plastics sheet. Advantageously, the sheet member may be formed such that the opposed outer faces are provided on opposed portions of the sheet member. The elongate member is, as mentioned above non- transparent (that is, translucent, which is preferred, or opaque) ; it may incorporate marker indication, such as colour variations, stripes at intervals, or the like.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the elongate member is of generally inverted 'V shaped in transverse cross section, with the upper closed longitudinal edge defining the uppermost extent of the elongate member, and the opposed outer faces being provided on opposed downwardly extending portions.

The means for supporting the elongate member may in one embodiment be one or more upright support members connected to the elongate member along the length thereof. Alternatively, and more preferably, the elongate member may be provided with means for attachment to a roadside crash barrier or the like. The elongate member may, for example, be fastened to an existing crash barrier by means of rivets.

Typically, crash barriers used on dual carriageways, motorways etc comprise two spaced barrier elements running parallel to one another. In a preferred embodiment of barrier device according to the invention, the elongate member is provided with attachment means in the form of formations arranged to be biased into complementary engagement with opposed facing elements of a roadside crash barrier.

In the preferred embodiment mentioned above, the inverted ^,V sectioned elongate element is preferably provided with respective longitudinally extending recess portions extending along the lower edge of the downwardly extending portions, which recess portions are arranged to be biased into engagement with respective upper edges of the facing elements of the crash barrier. The biasing is advantageously effected by the resilience of the downwardly extending portions, which may be compressed together and resiliently bias outwards when released.

In use, a plurality of elongate members are preferably arranged in end to end relationship providing a substantially continuous glare barrier of indefinite length. In order to facilitate the production of such a continuous barrier, it is preferred that the longitudinally opposed ends of each elongate member are formed so as to be complementarily engageable with respective ends of adjacent elongate members. The invention will now be further described in preferred embodiments by way of example only with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a schematic perspective view of a first embodiment of a glare barrier device according to the invention;

Figure 2 is a transverse cross-sectional view of the device of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a more detailed view of part of the device of Figures 1 and 2;

Figure 4 is a schematic perspective view of a second embodiment of glare barrier device; and

Figure 5 is a schematic perspective view of a third embodiment of glare barrier device according to the invention.

Referring initally to Figures 1 and 3, an elongate glare barrier generally designated l is in the form of a translucent plastics sheet deformed so as to have a generally inverted 'V shaped transverse cross section (see Figure 2) . Along the lower longitudinal edge of the barrier, the opposed outer faces 3,4 are provided with longitudinally extending lips 5,6 which in use are biased into engagement with the uppermost edges 7,8 of the opposed crash barrier elements 9,10.

This outward biasing results from the resilience of th opposed portions 11,12 about the longitudinal upper edge 13, and serves as a means of attachment of the glare barrier device to the crash barrier. Referring to Figure 3, an end portion 14 of each glare barrier has a recessed surface 15 which is arranged to slidingly locate in the end 16 of an adjacent barrier.

The barrier 1 is preferably translucent to prevent passage of a beam of light therethrough, and since the faces 3,4 are inclined towards one another, at least some of the light which impinges on the barrier is reflected upwards and not back into the path of oncoming traffic. The translucency ensures that the barrier will be visible to oncoming drivers, without causing dazzling.

The barrier shown in Figures 1 to 3 is intended for use along the central reservation of a dual carriageway or motorway, hence the provision of the opposed inclined faces 3,4.

The glare barrier 1 shown in Figure 4 is intended for use on a kerbside crash barrier 17. In this embodiment the barrier comprises an upwardly extending plastics sheet having an inclined barrier surface 18. The glare barrier is fixed to the crash barrier 17 by means of fixing screws or rivets 19 passing through the crash barrier and a lip 20 provided along the bottom edge of the glare barrier.

Referring lastly to Figure 5, in which the glare barrier includes longitudinally spaced support posts 21,22 capable of mounting the barrier at the required height above ground level. Again, the glare barrier 1 has a recessed end portion 23 for locating and engaging with an adjacent glare barrier (not shown) . Various modifications of the illustrated embodiment are possible. For example, in the embodiment of Figures 1 to 3, the lips 5,6 of the opposed outer faces may be secured to the respective barrier by means of screws, bolts, rivets or the like. The sheet constituting the barrier need not necessarily be of inverted 'V section , and may for example be substantially circular in cross-section, substantially triangular in cross- section, or any other suitable shape.

In one embodiment of the invention, the barrier according to the invention may be provided with photocells or the like, which can be arranged such that they provide power for illumination means provided along the length of the barrier. The barrier device may further be provided with reflecting strips or the like on its outer surface.

Claims

Claims:

1. A glare barrier device comprising a non-transparent elongate member provided with means for supporting said member substantially parallel to and spaced from ground level, such that said member acts a barrier to the passage of vehicle headlight beams therethrough.

2. A device according to claim 1, wherein the uppermost extent of the elongate member is, in use, located at a height above ground level greater than the legal upper limit for the height above ground of headlights present on a vehicle.

3. A device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the lowermost extent of the elongate member is, in use, located at a height above ground level approximately equal to the height above ground of the top of a crash barrier alongside a road.

4. A device according to any of claims 1 to 3, wherein the elongate member comprises opposed longitudinally extending outer faces, which elongate member is preferably formed of sheet material.

5. A device according to claim 4, wherein the member of sheet material is formed such that the opposed outer faces are provided on opposed portions of the sheet member.

6. A device according to any of claims 1 to 5, wherein the elongate member is of generally inverted "V" shape in transverse section, with the upper closed longitudinal edge defining the uppermost extent of the elongate member, and the opposed outer faces being provided on opposed downwardly extending portions.

7. A device according to any of claims 1 to 6, wherein said supporting means comprises one or more upright support members connected to the elongate member along the length thereof, or comprises means for attachment of said device to a roadside crash barrier.

8. A device according to claim 7, wherein said attachment means comprise formations provided on said elongate members and arranged to be biased into complementary engagement with opposed facing elements of said barrier.

9. A device according to claim 8 as appendant to claim 6, wherein said inverted "V" sectioned elongate element is provided with respective longitudinally extending recess portions extending along the lower edge of the downwardly extending portions, with recess portions are arranged to be biased into engagement with respective upper edges of the facing elements of said crash barrier.

10. A device according to any of claims 1 to 9, wherein longitudinally opposed ends of each elongate member are formed so as to be complementarily engageable with respective ends of adjacent elongate members.