WO2020079543A1

WO2020079543A1 - A dissipating device and a safety barrier provided with the dissipating device

Info

Publication number: WO2020079543A1
Application number: PCT/IB2019/058649
Authority: WO
Inventors: Roberto De Carli
Original assignee: Consorzio Triveneto Rocciatori Soc. Coop. A R.L.
Priority date: 2018-10-16
Filing date: 2019-10-10
Publication date: 2020-04-23
Also published as: EP3867447A1; IT201800009493A1

Abstract

A dissipating device for safety barriers or the like having: a body (2) with a predominantly longitudinal development comprising a pair of longitudinal traction elements (3) arranged parallel to each other, a first element (5) having a first end (6) which can be coupled with a safety barrier and a second end (7) slidingly coupled to a second element (8), the latter having in turn a first end (9) which can be coupled to a support and a second end (10) slidably coupled with the first traction element (5) so that a traction effort imposed on the first ends (6) of the traction elements (5, 9) imposes the mutual approach by sliding of the second ends (7, 10); tubular elements (15) shaped to collapse when compressed at the two ends and arranged to wrap the traction elements (3), the tubular elements (15; 115; 215) shaped to vary the compressive strength they offer.

Description

A DISSIPATING DEVICE AND A SAFETY BARRIER PROVIDED WITH THE

DISSIPATING DEVICE

D E S C R I P T I O N

Field of application

The present invention is generally applicable to the sector of safety barriers and finds particular but not exclusive application in the field of rockfall barriers or soils.

More in detail, the present invention relates to dissipating devices for the aforementioned barriers.

State of the art

Numerous examples of dissipating devices are known in the field of safety barriers and, in particular, in the field of rockfall barriers.

In some cases, they are made up of devices which, subjected to traction, stretch elastically. In other cases, these are devices which, subjected to traction, experience the crushing of an element which opposes resistance. In still other cases, they are made up of a reserve of rope which goes into action with loads exceeding predefined values to allow the barrier, after impact, to stretch in order to reduce load peaks.

All such devices, although different from an executive point of view, are joined by the fact that they have a constant response to the stress to which they are subjected except at the extreme elongation when the resistance increases until failure.

In order to vary the response of the traction dissipator, it is necessary to replace the dissipator itself and this forces to provide a high number of devices both in production and in warehouse, each characterized by a predetermined energy absorption capacity.

To overcome such drawback, in some cases the dissipators are arranged in series, but it is clear that this not only leads to difficulties in installation, but also makes the overall response of the barrier not perfectly controllable.

In any case, it is often convenient to have a non-constant dissipator response not even in the central part of the elongation, but suitably sized. For example, in some cases it is good that the answer is linear, increasing or decreasing, in other cases perhaps exponential.

It is clear that the known dissipators do not allow such sizing of the response to the stresses.

Presentation of the invention

The object of the present invention is to overcome at least partially the drawbacks mentioned above by providing a dissipating device which allows to model the response to the traction stresses as desired.

Another object of the present invention is that the device allows the modification of such characteristic even during the use of the dissipating device.

Accordingly, a further object of the invention is to provide a dissipating device which allows to simplify not only the execution phase of the same, but also its warehouse management.

It is clear from what has been said that another object is to provide a rockfall barrier whose dissipating devices have a non-constant response to traction stresses even in the central part of the response itself and can be sized according to the needs.

Said objects, as well as others which will become clearer in the following, are achieved by a dissipating device for safety barriers according to the claims that follows which are to be considered as an integral part of the present patent.

In particular, the device has a body with a predominantly longitudinal development which comprises at least a pair of longitudinal traction elements arranged parallel to each other. A first one of such traction elements has a first end which can be coupled to a safety barrier and a second end slidably coupled with a second one of such traction elements. The latter, in turn, has a first end which can be coupled with a support and a second end slidably coupled with the first traction element. In this way, a traction effort imposed between the first end of the first traction element and the first end of the second traction element requires the mutual approach by sliding of the second end of the first traction element and of the second end of the second traction element.

According to an aspect of the invention, the dissipating device of the invention also comprises one or more tubular elements arranged to wrap one or more traction elements between their ends and shaped to collapse when compressed. In this way, the traction effort imposed between the first end of the first traction element and the first end of the second traction element requires, with the mutual approach by sliding of the respective second ends, a compression on the tubular elements, which, consequently, collapse. The sliding and mutual approach of such ends is therefore advantageously hindered by the compressive strength of the tubular elements, thereby dissipating at least partially the energy of the traction effort.

According to another aspect of the invention, the tubular elements are shaped to vary the compressive strength which they offer when the dissipating device is subjected to traction effort.

In this way, advantageously, it is possible to modify the response of the dissipating device to the traction efforts simply by choosing the most appropriate tubular elements.

Still advantageously, such response of the dissipating device can be sized at will by the appropriate choice of the tubular elements. For example, it is possible to provide increasing or decreasing linear traction effort strength. According to other embodiments, it is possible to provide a non-linear traction effort strength, e.g. sized as a sawtooth.

Since the aforementioned technical effect is obtained exclusively by means of the tubular elements used, it is evident the simplicity of modifying the response of the dissipator of the invention simply by replacing or modifying the number of tubular elements used also in the case of dissipating devices already installed and in use.

Moreover, still advantageously, even the production and the warehouse management of the dissipating devices of the invention is simplified with respect to what happens in the known art, the variations in dissipation being due exclusively to the tubular elements. It is therefore sufficient to produce and manage the same body having longitudinal development and produce and manage several different tubular elements.

Considering the above, it is clear that the aforementioned objects are also achieved by a safety barrier comprising at least one protective body and a plurality of ground fasteners of said barrier, dissipating devices being operatively interposed between said barrier and said ground fasteners, and which is characterized in that said dissipating devices comprise:

a body with a predominantly longitudinal development comprising at least a pair of longitudinal traction elements arranged parallel to each other, a first one of said traction elements having a first end which can be coupled with said safety barrier and a second end slidingly coupled with a second one of said traction elements, said second traction element having, in turn, a first end which can be coupled with a support and a second end slidingly coupled with said first traction element so that a traction effort imposed between said first end of said first traction element and said first end of said second traction element imposes the mutual approach by sliding of said second end of said first traction element and said second end of said second traction element;

one or more tubular elements shaped to collapse when compressed at the two ends and arranged to wrap one or more of said traction elements between said ends, said tubular elements being shaped to vary the compressive strength which they offer when said dissipating device is subjected to traction effort.

Brief description of the drawings

Further features and advantages of the invention will become more evident in light of the detailed description of a preferred but not exclusive embodiment of a dissipating device for safety barriers according to the invention, illustrated by way of non-limiting example with the aid of the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 represents a front view of a dissipating device according to the invention;

FIG. 2 represents the dissipating device of FIG. 1 in a partial sectional view;

FIG. 3 represents an operating momentum of the dissipating device of FIG. 1 in a partial sectional view;

FIGG. 4 and 5 represent embodiment variants of the dissipating device of the invention in a partial sectional view. Detailed description of some preferred exemplary embodiments

With reference to the mentioned figures, and in particular to Fig. 1 , described herein is a dissipating device 1 for safety barriers or the like. Such dissipating device 1 can be used with any type of safety barrier to dissipate, at least partially, the stresses to which the barrier is subjected. However, it finds particular application with rockfall barriers.

The device 1 has a body 2 with a predominantly longitudinal development which comprises a pair of longitudinal traction elements 3 arranged parallel to each other. The number of traction elements 3 is obviously not a limiting feature for the present invention.

In the figures it can be seen that the traction elements 3 consist of ropes which can have different lengths and diameters between dissipator 1 and dissipator 1 , but even such aspect must not be considered as limiting the invention, the traction elements 3 consisting of bars or other types of longitudinal bodies.

As can be seen also in fig. 2, a first one 5 of the traction elements 3 has a first end 6 which can be coupled with a safety barrier and a second end 7 slidably coupled with the second rope 8.

The second traction element 8 has, in turn, a first end 9 which can be coupled with a support (e.g. a peg stuck into the ground) and a second end 10 slidably coupled with the first rope 5.

For the couplings with the safety barrier and the support, the first end 6 of the first traction element 5 and the first end 9 of the second traction element 8 comprise stable hooking means 12 typically, but not necessarily, consisting of a slot 13 made with the free end of the same traction element 5, 8.

The arrangement of the traction elements 5, 8 described above results in that a traction effort imposed between the first end 6 of the first traction element 5 and the first end 9 of the second traction element 8 requires the mutual approach by sliding of the second end 7 of the first traction element 5 and of the second end 10 of the second traction element 8.

In other words, advantageously, a traction effort at the ends of the dissipating device 1 causes, as can be seen in fig. 3, its lengthening. Consequently, a stress carried on the safety barrier to which the device 1 is coupled causes an elongation thereof which, advantageously, constitutes an absorption (and therefore a dissipation), at least partially, of the traction force.

However, it is also evident that such dissipation is constant throughout the elongation of the device 1 except in the last section where the dissipation increases till the breakage of the dissipator.

In order to modify such characteristic and model its response to the traction stress, the dissipating device 1 also comprises tubular elements 15 arranged to wrap the traction elements 5, 8 between their ends 6, 7, 9, 10. Thus arranged, a traction stress at the ends of the device 1 entails, due to the approaching movement between the second end 7 of the first traction element 5 and of the second end 10 of the second traction element 8, a compressive stress on the tubular elements 15.

In this respect, the latter are designed to collapse when compressed at both ends, as can be clearly seen in fig. 3. Therefore, such detail allows to advantageously increase the energy dissipation offered by the dissipating device 1.

According to another aspect of the invention, the tubular elements 15 are shaped to vary the resistance they offer to compression. In this way, advantageously, the dissipation capacity of the device 1 of the invention is modified.

More in detail, advantageously, the response to the traction efforts imposed on the ends of the device 1 of the invention is directly attributable to the compressive strength of the tubular elements 15. Therefore, the conformation of these latter allows the aforementioned response of the device 1 to be advantageously sized as desired.

Still advantageously, the ease with which it is possible to modify the response of the device 1 is evident, being sufficient to modify the tubular elements 15 applied.

The production of the device 1 of the invention is also advantageously simplified since different devices 1 may in any case have identical longitudinal body 2, being sufficient to modify the tubular elements 15. It is also possible to use several tubular elements 15 in combination. This advantageously allows to increase the sizing capacity of the response of the device 1 of the invention and also, still advantageously, to reduce the number of tubular elements 15 to be produced to obtain all the desired responses to the traction stresses of the device 1.

It should not be avoided to observe that, still advantageously, it is possible to modify the response capacities to the traction efforts of the device 1 at any time, even in use, being sufficient to modify the number and type of tubular elements 15 used without replacing the entire device 1.

With respect to the aforementioned tubular elements 15, they can be realised in different ways.

For example, the tubular elements 15 of figs. 1 and 2 have a frusto-conical shape in order to gradually increase the compressive strength in their length.

Other tubular elements 115, such as those shown in fig. 4, have a section with increasing thickness also in this case to increase the compressive strength according to their length. These latter can be, e.g., cylindrical with the central hole which therefore tends to shrink, such as those shown, or frusto-conical with the central hole which remains constant in terms of dimensions.

Further tubular elements, not shown in the figures, have a mixed variable thickness to size the compressive strength in a mixed way along their length.

As previously stated, moreover, according to some embodiment variants, an example of which is shown in fig. 5, some tubular elements 230 are arranged in a concentric way to wrap other tubular elements 231 and, typically but not necessarily, have a shorter length. In this way, the compressive strength is increased in the section wherein the tubular elements 215 superimpose, which is the sum of the contributions of the superimposed tubular elements 215.

Considering the above, it is clear that the subject of the invention is also a safety barrier which uses the dissipating devices 1 of the invention.

Although not shown in the figures, such a barrier typically comprises a protective body and a plurality of ground fasteners.

The protective body, according to the use of the barrier, can consist of, e.g., a panel, one or more ropes, one or more bars without any limit for the present invention.

The dissipating devices 1 described above are operatively interposed between the barrier and the ground fasteners. In this sense, a further description of the barrier is not carried out herein since it would be repetitive of what has already been said for the individual dissipating devices 1.

In light of the foregoing, it is understood that the dissipating device and the safety barriers of the invention achieve all the prefixed purposes.

Particularly, the dissipating device allows the response to the traction stresses imposed on it to be modelled as desired.

The same device allows the modification of such feature even during use.

On close examination, the dissipating device of the invention makes it possible to simplify the execution phase thereof.

Furthermore, it is evident that the safety barrier using it has a variable response to traction stresses and can be sized according to the needs.

The invention might be subject to many changes and variants, which are all included in the appended claims. Moreover, all the details may furthermore be replaced by other technically equivalent elements, and the materials may be different depending on the needs, without departing from the protection scope of the invention defined by the appended claims.

Claims

C L A I M S

1. A dissipating device for safety barriers or the like having:

a body (2) with a predominantly longitudinal development comprising at least a pair of longitudinal traction elements (3) arranged parallel to each other, a first one (5) of said traction elements (3) having a first end (6) susceptible to be coupled to a safety barrier and a second end (7) slidingly coupled to a second one (8) of said traction elements (3), said second traction element (8) having, in turn, a first end (9) susceptible to be coupled to a support and a second end (10) slidingly coupled to said first traction element (5) so that a traction effort imposed between said first end (6) of said first traction element (5) and said first end (9) of said second traction element (8) imposes the mutual approach by sliding of said second end (7) of said first traction element (5) and said second end (10) of said second traction element (8);

one or more tubular elements (15) shaped to collapse when compressed at both ends and arranged to wrap one or more of said traction elements (3) between said ends (6, 7, 9, 10), said tubular elements (15; 115; 215) having the cross-sectional area variable along the axial direction of said tubular elements (15; 115; 215) so as to has at least two longitudinal sections having different compressive strength and thus sizing the response curve to the compression efforts of said tubular elements (15; 115; 215) to differentiate it from a constant.

2. Device according to claim 1 , wherein one or more of said tubular elements (115) have at least partially a frusto-conical shape with variable thickness.

3. Device according to claim 1 , wherein one or more of said tubular elements (15) have at least partially a frusto-conical shape with constant thickness.

4. Device according to one or more of the preceding claims, wherein one or more of said tubular elements have, at least partially, a cylindrical shape with variable thickness.

5. Device according to one or more of the preceding claims, wherein at least one (230) of said tubular elements (215) is arranged in a concentric way to wrap at least another (231) of said tubular elements (215) and having a length different from said at least one other (231) of said tubular elements (215).

6. Device according to one or more of the preceding claims, wherein said first ends (6, 9) of said traction elements (3) have stable hooking means (12) to the barrier or to the support.

7. Device according to any one of the previous claims, wherein said traction elements (3) are ropes (4).

8. A safety barrier comprising at least one protective body and a plurality of ground fasteners of said barrier, between said barrier and said ground fasteners being operatively interposed dissipating devices (1 ; 101 ; 201), characterized in that said dissipating devices (1 ; 101 ; 201) include:

9. Safety barrier according to claim 8, characterized in that said protective body consists of a panel.

10. Safety barrier according to claim 8, characterized in that said protective body consists of one or more ropes.