WO2003004801A1

WO2003004801A1 - A pole

Info

Publication number: WO2003004801A1
Application number: PCT/FI2002/000599
Authority: WO
Inventors: Rolf JERNSTRÖM
Original assignee: Jerol Industri Ab
Priority date: 2001-07-06
Filing date: 2002-07-03
Publication date: 2003-01-16
Also published as: CY1109658T1; FI20011489A0; DK1415058T3; DE60233739D1; EP1415058A1; FI20011489A; EP1415058B1; ATE443191T1; ES2331910T3; PT1415058E

Abstract

The invention relates to a post,particularly a post (1), in which there is an outer shell(3,4) formed of especially two layers,and between them is at least one belt-like means(5),which is intended to prevent the post from breaking in a collision.

Description

A POLE

The present invention relates to a post and particularly to a post that will not break in an uncontrolled manner should a vehicle collide with it.

When referring to posts that are usually intended to be placed as lampposts or similar next to roads, on which vehicles travel at relatively great speeds, the conventional type of post is one that is assembled from one or several steel tubes. Wooden posts are also used to some extent, as are concrete posts.

All the posts referred to above have in common the fact that they create a very great danger, someone drives into them. If the speed is great, and the resistance created by such posts is also great, the damage will be extensive. Besides great material damage, there is also a very high risk of the driver and passengers being injured or killed. This is naturally due to the fact that the posts are, as such, too strong and massive, and also to the fact that the post often folds on top of the vehicle colliding with it, causing a violent downwards impact on the passenger compartment. The greatest danger of serious injury or death is when the post breaks at some point and the broken parts act like spears, striking the vehicle and thus the driver or passenger.

Some of the aforementioned drawbacks can be at least partially eliminated by using a post construction formed from various plastic materials, usually set in layers, so that in a collision the composite structure will break and thus cause considerably less damage to the vehicle than traditional posts. This construction works very well at lower speeds, but at higher speeds, despite its construction, the post tends to break in such a way that the post, which can be thrown into the air, may cause serious damage if it strikes the vehicle, those in it, or even other objects or people in the vicinity.

The present invention is intended to solve the aforementioned problem, which also affects a post of a lighter plastic construction. The invention is therefore intended to create a post that will not break, and will also not bend dangerously on top of a vehicle colliding with it.

The aforementioned and other advantages and benefits of the invention are created in the manner stated to be characteristic in the accompanying Claims.

The invention is examined in greater detail as one alternative, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 shows a cross-section of one embodiment of the post according to the invention; and

Figure 2 shows a simplified cross-section of the principle of the construction of the lower end of the post according to the invention.

It should be noted in this connection, that the proportions are the post are imaginary, and thus in no way refer to actual proportions or shapes, but are only drawn with the intention of illustrating.

The post 1 can comprise, for example, the type of construction shown in Figures 1 and 2. Thus, the post is particularly hollow, for reasons of weight and other properties. The hollow core is marked with the reference number 2. The outer shell can be formed of one or several layers of, for example, thermosetting plastic and/or thermoplastic. The construction can also include, as desired, reinforcing fibres - threads or similar. An especially preferred construction is created from an inner layer 3 of thermosetting plastic and an outer layer 4 of tough plastic material. As stated, if desired there can, of course, be a greater number of layers.

The post 1 usually has a conical shape, tapering upwards either evenly or else in steps. However, nothing prevents the construction from having a uniform diameter from the bottom to the top. In addition to a round post, the construction can also have another shape, for example, square or polygonal, oval, etc. According to the basic idea of the invention, at least one, particularly two, but if necessary several principally belt-like devices 5 are attached to the construction of the post 1. One preferred manner is to attach to the construction, during manufacture of the post, for example, two belts 5 at opposite sides of the post's cross-section. A natural place for the belts 6 is then a position between the layers. For example, the lamination process can be designed in such a way that, when the outer layer 4 is begun to be formed on top of the inner layer 3, the belts 5 are already attached in one way or another to the outer surface of the layer 3. This can be done especially by exploiting the materials used in the lamination.

Figure 2 shows that the lower end of the post 1 is placed inside a suitable base 8. The base can be of any known, or up until now unknown type. The lower end of the post is suitably anchored into the base. The belts 5 are left to some extent longer than the post, so that part of the belt remains free over the end of the post. This part is turned into the hollow core 2 of the post and attached inside the post in the immediate vicinity of the lower end of the post, for example, using a screw 6 or similar. This is done to secure the attachment, which, it is true is already very reliable.

If desired, a longer part of the belt 5 can be left outside the post and this part, which in Figure 2 is marked with the reference number 5' and a broken line, is attached, for example by means of a bolt, further up the post. This attachment can be, for example, at a point above that at which a vehicle would strike in a collision. It is entirely obvious that this safeguards the construction of the post at precisely the critical point. On the other hand, the extension 5' of the belt in no way needs to be one and the same belt that is placed between the layers, but can be a separate part of the belt or even a different belt. In such a case, one end of the separate extension is attached to the outer shell of the post 1 by means of the bolt 6 and the other end by means of the bolt 7.

It is obvious that the belt 5 or similar must be made from an extremely strong material. Suitable belts for this purpose are nowadays manufactured industrially for many purposes. Belts are made, for example, for securing loads and many other purposes. Suitable alternatives for the purpose of the invention can be found from manufacturers' ranges. Often, the manufacturing material is polypropylene or polyester.

Practical collision tests have shown the basic idea of the invention to be is highly functional. When using two belts, it seems to be expedient to set them on opposite sides of the post's cross-section and to set the post in place in such a way that the belts are located laterally to the probable direction of the collision. In the tests it was observed that the belts, the plane of which was parallel to the direction of travel of the colliding vehicle, indeed turned due to the collision and the deformation of the post, through more or less right angles, so that, in the final stage of the collision, the plane of the belts was transverse.

In any event, the collision tests proved the functionally of the belts. The post remained unbroken and the risk of injury or death was significantly reduced. Another surprising aspect was the fact that, with the aid of the solution according to the invention, excellent results were obtained at all collision speeds. Thus, tests were carried out a speed of 35 km/h, at which the post was regularly able to completely stop a vehicle like a private car. Generally in a collision it is more than probable that the driver will receive neck injuries. In this case, the measurements showed that neck injury was not probable.

Tests were also carried out at speeds of 70 km/h and 100 km/h. At a speed of 70 km/h, the collision reduced the speed of the vehicle relatively rapidly. At this speed, the post according to the invention acted as a brake, reducing the speed of the vehicle rapidly, so that after the collision the vehicle continued to travel for only a few tens of metres and then stopped. This is of great significance in the events after a collision. There is also great significance in the fact that at this speed the vehicle could still be steered in all situations after the tests. Thus, damage to external parties will, in all probability, be avoided. At a speed of 100 km/h, the post usually broke, but its breaking point was very low. Thus, the force of the collision made the post slide along the structure of the vehicle, after which it dropped to the ground. Because, in practice a speed of 100 km/h is only reached outside built-up areas, behaviour of this kind will not cause substantial damage to the vehicle or to its driver/passengers, and for that reason is the best possible behaviour. At all of the test speeds, damage to the vehicle itself was relatively slight, except for the point of impact of the front of the vehicle, indicating that there was little risk to the driver/passenger in the collision.

Many adaptations are possible, while remaining within the scope of the inventive idea and the accompanying Claims. Thus, for example, though reference is made above to a belt-like solution to the problems described at the start of the specification, it should be understood that belts of materials other than plastic or similar are also appropriate. It is essential, however, for the reinforcements described to be very flexible. Thus, a rigid bar-like solution does not form part of this invention. On the other hand, it is certainly possible to use, for example, braided metal wire, which can be like a belt or even a cable.

Claims

1. A post, particularly a post (1), in which there is an outer shell (3, 4) and a hollow core (2) inside the shell and means (5) for preventing the breaking of the post, or for reducing the risk of breaking, characterized in that the device (5) is formed of at least one flexible, mainly belt-like component, attached to the outer shell construction of the post (1).

2. A post according to Claim 1 , characterized in that there are at least two belt- like components (5).

3. A post according to Claim 1 , characterized in that the outer shell component of the post comprises two layers (3, 4), and that the belt or belts (5) are located between the layers.

4. A post according to any of the above Claims, characterized in that the belts (5) or similar extend essentially over the entire length of the post.

5. A post according to Claim 1 , characterized in that the belt or belts (5) extend outside the post at its lower end and that the free end of the belt is turned around the outer shell component of the post (1) into the hollow core (2) and secured (6) there.

6. A post according to Claim 5, characterized in that the belt or belts (5) extend considerably outside the post at its lower end and that the free end of the belt is turned around the outer shell components of the post (1) into the hollow core (2) and is secured (6) there in the immediate vicinity of the lower end of the post and, in addition, secured (7) above the area of the assumed collision point.

7. A post according to Claim 1 , characterized in that the belt or belts (5) are attached to the layered construction of the post during manufacture, by exploiting materials naturally used in the manufacture of the post.

8. A post according to Claim 1 , characterized in that the belts (5) are conventional belts, for example, belts manufactured from polypropylene or polyester and used to secure loads.

9. A post according to any of the above Claims, characterized in that the beltlike components (5) are formed of cable or braided-belt type metal materials.