Patent Grant
12098511
The present application relates to bollard sleeves in general, and more particularly, embodiments of the present application relate to bollard embedment sleeves with a removable or replaceable cover or lid.
Conventional bollard embedment sleeves are inserted into the ground and designed to hold bollards upright. Typically, bollard embedment sleeves include a cover or lid that covers the hole the bollard is inserted into. The cover or lid is typically not removable from the rest of the bollard embedment sleeve. When the bollard is inserted into the bollard embedment sleeve, the cover or lid typically rests against the side of the bollard. In some cases, the cover or lid is coupled to the bollard to secure the bollard to the bollard embedment sleeve. Since bollards can be used to block cars or other vehicles, if a car or other vehicle contacts the bollard, the force may damage the cover or lid of the bollard embedment sleeve rendering the bollard embedment sleeve unusable. When the cover or lid is damaged, since the cover or lid is not removeable, the entire bollard embedment sleeve may have to be removed from the ground and replaced with an undamaged bollard embedment sleeve. Replacing the entire bollard embedment sleeve can require significant labor and material costs.
Accordingly, there is a need for an improved bollard embedment sleeve that includes a removable cover or lid that can be removed and/or replaced while the rest of the bollard embedment sleeve remains securely in the ground.
In some configurations, a bollard sleeve configured to receive a bollard can include: a top portion including a skirt and a cover rotatably coupled to the skirt; and a sleeve portion coupled to the top portion, the sleeve portion including a cover securement portion, wherein the cover securement portion includes a first position and a second position, and wherein the cover is non-removable when the cover securement portion is in the first position, and the cover is removeable when the cover securement portion is in the second position.
In some configurations, the cover can be removable when the sleeve portion is underground.
In some configurations, the sleeve portion can include a top end coupled to the top portion and a bottom end opposite the top end, and the cover securement portion can include a tab at the top end of the sleeve portion.
In some configurations, the sleeve portion can include a recess on either side of the tab, and a top of the tab is a same height as the top end of the sleeve portion.
In some configurations, the cover can include a hinge portion in contact with a bottom of the skirt, and the cover can rotate about the hinge portion.
In some configurations, the tab can be substantially parallel to a sidewall of the sleeve portion when in the first position and the tab is bent at an angle to the sidewall when in the second position.
In some configurations, the tab can be coupled to the sleeve portion when in the first position and the tab can be decoupled from the sleeve portion when in the second position.
In some configurations, the bollard sleeve can include at least one support coupled to the top portion and the sleeve portion.
In some configurations, the bollard sleeve can include at least one cavity coupled to the sleeve portion, the at least one cavity configured to receive a portion of a lock of the bollard, wherein the bollard is secured to the bollard sleeve when the at least one cavity receives the portion of the lock of the bollard.
In some configurations, the bollard sleeve can include at least one of steel, stainless steel, and/or carbon steel.
In some configurations, a bollard sleeve configured to receive a bollard can include: a top portion including a skirt and a cover rotatably coupled to a bottom surface of the skirt; a sleeve portion coupled to the top portion, the sleeve portion including a tab; and two cavities coupled to the sleeve portion, the two cavities configured to each receive a portion of a lock of the bollard, wherein the bollard is secured to the bollard sleeve when the two cavities receive the portion of the lock of the bollard, wherein the tab includes a first position and a second position, and wherein the cover is non-removable when the tab is in the first position, and the cover is removeable when the tab is in the second position.
In some configurations, the sleeve portion can include a recess on either side of the tab, and a top of the tab is a same height as a top end of the sleeve portion.
In some configurations, the tab can be substantially parallel to a sidewall of the sleeve portion in the first position, and the tab can be bent at an angle in the second position.
In some configurations, the tab can be coupled to the sleeve portion when in the first position and the tab can be decoupled from the sleeve portion when in the second position.
In some configurations, a method of replacing a bollard sleeve cover can include: moving a cover securement portion of a sleeve portion of a bollard sleeve from a first position to a second position; rotating the bollard sleeve cover about a vertical axis to release a portion of the bollard sleeve cover from a skirt portion of the bollard sleeve; removing the bollard sleeve cover through an opening configured to receive a bollard; inserting a second bollard sleeve cover through the opening; and rotating the second bollard sleeve cover to secure the second bollard sleeve cover to the skirt portion of the bollard sleeve.
In some configurations, the cover securement portion can include a tab.
In some configurations, the tab can be substantially vertical when in the first position and the tab can be bent when in the second position.
In some configurations, the method can include moving the cover securement portion from the second position to the first position.
In some configurations, the first position can include the cover securement portion coupled to the sleeve portion, and the second position can include the cover securement portion decoupled from the sleeve portion.
In some configurations, the bollard sleeve can be underground.
These and other features, configurations, and advantages of the present disclosure are described with reference to the drawings of certain embodiments, which are intended to schematically illustrate certain embodiments and not to limit the disclosure.
These and other features, configurations, and advantages of the present disclosure are described with reference to the drawings of certain embodiments, which are intended to schematically illustrate certain embodiments and not to limit the disclosure.
The cover 108 can include a hinge portion 116 and a latch portion 120. The cover 108 can be substantially the same shape as the single opening or cut out in the skirt formed by the opening 112, the latch opening 126 and the hinge opening 128. The cover 108 can be rotatably coupled to the skirt 106 via the hinge portion 116. The cover 108 can rotate from an open position and a closed position. When the cover 108 is in the open position and a bollard is within the opening 112 and within the sleeve portion 104, a bollard can be coupled to the cover 108 via an opening 122 on the latch portion 120. A lock or other securement mechanism can be inserted through the opening 122 and coupled to a portion of the bollard. When the cover 108 is in the closed position, the cover 108 can cover substantially the entire opening 112, latch opening 126 and hinge opening 128. In some cases, the cover 108 can be coupled to a nut 124 or any other securement mechanism. The nut 124 can be coupled to the sleeve portion 104 such that when a bolt is inserted through the opening 122 and the latch opening 126, the bolt can be coupled to the nut 124, and the bolt and the nut 124 can secure the cover 108 in the closed position.
The sleeve portion 104 can be a tube-shaped piece of material with substantially a same cross-section as a cross-section of the bollard. In some cases, sleeve portion 104 can have a circular cross-section. In some cases, a top end 110 of the sleeve portion 104 can be coupled to the top portion 102 such that when the bollard is inserted into the opening 112, the bollard extends into an inner volume 132 of the sleeve portion 104. A sidewall 130 of the sleeve portion 104 can contact the bollard when the bollard extends into the inner volume 132 to hold the bollard substantially vertically. The sidewall 130 of the sleeve portion 104 can form a border 131 between the opening 112 and the latch opening 126, and the opening 112 and the hinge opening 128. The sleeve portion 104 can be configured to be inserted underground or into a hole such that the top portion 102 is substantially planar with a surface of a road, sidewalk, or other surface.
In some cases, the cover 208 can be rotatably coupled to the skirt 206 via a hinge portion 216. The hinge portion 216 can include a hinge 218. As best shown in
The tab 202 can be repositioned from a first position to a second position when the bollard is not in the bollard sleeve 200. As shown in
When the bollard is not in the bollard sleeve 200 and the tab 202 is in the second position the hinge 218 can be unobstructed by the border 231 and the tab 202, and the hinge 218 and the cover 208, as shown best is
When the bollard sleeve 200 is supporting a bollard, the bollard may be hit by a vehicle or another heavy object damaging the cover 208. If the cover 208 is damaged or unusable, the cover 208 of the bollard sleeve 200 can be replaced with a new cover 208 that is undamaged, without removing the bollard sleeve 200 from the ground. To remove the cover, the cover can be moved to an open position, as shown in
The hinge portion 216 of a new cover 208 can be inserted into the inner volume 232 through the opening 212. The new cover 208 can be rotated about the vertical axis 209 in a first direction and translated across the border 231 so the new cover 208 can be inserted into the hinge opening 228. The new cover 208 can be rotated in a second direction about the vertical axis 209 such that the hinge 218 contacts the bottom surface 222 of the skirt 206 and the new cover 208 is in the open position as shown in
If the tab 202 was bent to the second position, as shown in
In some cases, as best shown in
In some cases, the bollard sleeve 200 can include one or more supports 238 as shown best in
In some cases, the sleeve portion 204 and the top portion 201 can include steel. In some cases, the sleeve portion 204 and the top portion 201 can include carbon steel and/or stainless steel. In some cases, the sleeve portion 204 and the top portion 201 can include schedule 10-1.180″ stainless steel. In some cases, the entire bollard sleeve 200 can include one material. In other embodiments, the sleeve portion 204 and the top portion 201 can include different materials.
Although this disclosure has been described in the context of certain embodiments and examples, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that the disclosure extends beyond the specifically disclosed embodiments to other alternative embodiments and/or uses and obvious modifications and equivalents thereof. In addition, while several variations of the embodiments of the disclosure have been shown and described in detail, other modifications, which are within the scope of this disclosure, will be readily apparent to those of skill in the art. It is also contemplated that various combinations or sub-combinations of the specific features and configurations of the embodiments may be made and still fall within the scope of the disclosure. For example, features described above in connection with one embodiment can be used with a different embodiment described herein and the combination still fall within the scope of the disclosure. It should be understood that various features and configurations of the disclosed embodiments can be combined with, or substituted for, one another in order to form varying modes of the embodiments of the disclosure. Thus, it is intended that the scope of the disclosure herein should not be limited by the particular embodiments described above. Accordingly, unless otherwise stated, or unless clearly incompatible, each embodiment of this invention may comprise, additional to its essential features described herein, one or more features as described herein from each other embodiment of the invention disclosed herein.
Features, materials, characteristics, or groups described in conjunction with a particular aspect, embodiment, or example are to be understood to be applicable to any other aspect, embodiment or example described in this section or elsewhere in this specification unless incompatible therewith. All of the features disclosed in this specification (including any accompanying claims, abstract and drawings), and/or all of the steps of any method or process so disclosed, may be combined in any combination, except combinations where at least some of such features and/or steps are mutually exclusive. The protection is not restricted to the details of any foregoing embodiments. The protection extends to any novel one, or any novel combination, of the features disclosed in this specification (including any accompanying claims, abstract and drawings), or to any novel one, or any novel combination, of the steps of any method or process so disclosed.
Furthermore, certain features that are described in this disclosure in the context of separate implementations can also be implemented in combination in a single implementation. Conversely, various features that are described in the context of a single implementation can also be implemented in multiple implementations separately or in any suitable subcombination. Moreover, although features may be described above as acting in certain combinations, one or more features from a claimed combination can, in some cases, be excised from the combination, and the combination may be claimed as a subcombination or variation of a sub combination.
Moreover, while operations may be depicted in the drawings or described in the specification in a particular order, such operations need not be performed in the particular order shown or in sequential order, or that all operations be performed, to achieve desirable results. Other operations that are not depicted or described can be incorporated in the example methods and processes. For example, one or more additional operations can be performed before, after, simultaneously, or between any of the described operations. Further, the operations may be rearranged or reordered in other implementations. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that in some cases, the actual steps taken in the processes illustrated and/or disclosed may differ from those shown in the figures. Depending on the embodiment, certain of the steps described above may be removed, others may be added. Furthermore, the features and attributes of the specific embodiments disclosed above may be combined in different ways to form additional embodiments, all of which fall within the scope of the present disclosure. Also, the separation of various system components in the implementations described above should not be understood as requiring such separation in all implementations, and it should be understood that the described components and systems can generally be integrated together in a single product or packaged into multiple products.
For purposes of this disclosure, certain configurations, advantages, and novel features are described herein. Not necessarily all such advantages may be achieved in accordance with any particular embodiment. Thus, for example, those skilled in the art will recognize that the disclosure may be embodied or carried out in a manner that achieves one advantage or a group of advantages as taught herein without necessarily achieving other advantages as may be taught or suggested herein.
Conditional language, such as “can,” “could,” “might,” or “may,” unless specifically stated otherwise, or otherwise understood within the context as used, is generally intended to convey that certain embodiments include, while other embodiments do not include, certain features, elements, and/or steps. Thus, such conditional language is not generally intended to imply that features, elements, and/or steps are in any way required for one or more embodiments or that one or more embodiments necessarily include logic for deciding, with or without user input or prompting, whether these features, elements, and/or steps are included or are to be performed in any particular embodiment.
Conjunctive language such as the phrase “at least one of X, Y, and Z,” unless specifically stated otherwise, is otherwise understood with the context as used in general to convey that an item, term, etc. may be either X, Y, or Z. Thus, such conjunctive language is not generally intended to imply that certain embodiments require the presence of at least one of X, at least one of Y, and at least one of Z.
Language of degree used herein, such as the terms “approximately,” “about,” “generally,” and “substantially” as used herein represent a value, amount, or characteristic close to the stated value, amount, or characteristic that still performs a desired function or achieves a desired result. For example, the terms “approximately”, “about”, “generally,” and “substantially” may refer to an amount that is within less than 10% of, within less than 5% of, within less than 1% of, within less than 0.1% of, and within less than 0.01% of the stated amount. As another example, in certain embodiments, the terms “generally parallel” and “substantially parallel” refer to a value, amount, or characteristic that departs from exactly parallel by less than or equal to 15 degrees, 10 degrees, 5 degrees, 3 degrees, 1 degree, 0.1 degree, or otherwise. Additionally, as used herein, “gradually” has its ordinary meaning (e.g., differs from a non-continuous, such as a step-like, change).
The scope of the present disclosure is not intended to be limited by the specific disclosures of preferred embodiments in this section or elsewhere in this specification and may be defined by claims as presented in this section or elsewhere in this specification or as presented in the future. The language of the claims is to be interpreted broadly based on the language employed in the claims and not limited to the examples described in the present specification or during the prosecution of the application, which examples are to be construed as non-exclusive.
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