Patent Application
20250179746
A roadway barrier system includes a first end barrier, a spaced-apart second end barrier, and a plurality of intermediate barriers positioned therebetween. Each pair of adjacent barriers is rotatably coupled to one another with a hinge.
Embodiments of the current invention provide a collapsible hinge for use with a roadway barrier system that includes components which buckle or bend when a vehicle impacts the system from the front. The collapsible hinge broadly comprises a first hinge assembly, a second hinge assembly, and a pin. The first hinge assembly is connected to an end wall of a first barrier and includes a first base and a second base. The first base includes upper and lower surfaces and an opening extending from the upper surface to the lower surface. The second base includes upper and lower surfaces and an opening extending from the upper surface to the lower surface. The second hinge assembly is connected to an end wall of a second barrier and includes a first base and a second base. The first base includes upper and lower surfaces and an opening extending from the upper surface to the lower surface. The second base includes upper and lower surfaces and an opening extending from the upper surface to the lower surface. The first base or the second base of the second hinge assembly is positioned between the first base and the second base of the first hinge assembly. The pin is positioned in the opening of each base of each hinge assembly.
Another embodiment of the collapsible hinge broadly comprises a first hinge assembly, a second hinge assembly, and a pin. The first hinge assembly is connected to an end wall of a first barrier and includes a first base, a first left arm, a first right arm, a second base, a second left arm, and a second right arm. The first base includes an upper surface, a lower surface, and a front surface. The first left arm and the first right arm are each connected to the front surface of the first base. The second base includes an upper surface, a lower surface, and a front surface. The second left arm and the second right arm are each connected to the front surface of the second base. The second hinge assembly is connected to an end wall of a second barrier and includes a first base, a first left arm, a first right arm, a second base, a second left arm, and a second right arm. The first base includes an upper surface, a lower surface, and a front surface. The first left arm and the first right arm are each connected to the front surface of the first base. The second base includes an upper surface, a lower surface, and a front surface. The second left arm and the second right arm are each connected to the front surface of the second base. For each hinge assembly, the first left arm, the first right arm, the second left arm, and the second right arm each buckle or bend during a front impact to the roadway barrier system. The pin is coupled to each base of each hinge assembly.
Yet another embodiment of the collapsible hinge broadly comprises a first hinge assembly, a second hinge assembly, and a pin. The first hinge assembly is connected to an end wall of a first barrier and includes a first base, a first left arm, a first right arm, a second base, a second left arm, a second right arm, a left arm connector, and a right arm connector. The first base includes an upper surface, a lower surface, a front surface, an opening extending from the upper surface to the lower surface, and a first bushing positioned in the opening. The first left arm and the first right arm are each connected to the front surface of the first base. The second base includes an upper surface, a lower surface, a front surface, an opening extending from the upper surface to the lower surface, and a second bushing positioned in the opening. The left arm connector connects the first left arm to the second left arm, and the right arm connector connects the first right arm to the second right arm. The second hinge assembly is connected to an end wall of a second barrier and includes a first base, a first left arm, a first right arm, a second base, a second left arm, a second right arm, a left arm connector, and a right arm connector. The first base includes an upper surface, a lower surface, a front surface, an opening extending from the upper surface to the lower surface, and a first bushing positioned in the opening. The first left arm and the first right arm are each connected to the front surface of the first base. The second base includes an upper surface, a lower surface, a front surface, an opening extending from the upper surface to the lower surface, and a second bushing positioned in the opening. The left arm connector connects the first left arm to the second left arm, and the right arm connector connects the first right arm to the second right arm. The first base or the second base of the second hinge assembly is positioned between the first base and the second base of the first hinge assembly. For each hinge assembly, the first left arm, the first right arm, the second left arm, and the second right arm each buckle or bend during a front impact to the roadway barrier system. The pin is positioned in the first bushing and the second bushing of each hinge assembly.
This summary is provided to introduce a selection of concepts in a simplified form that are further described below in the detailed description. This summary is not intended to identify key features or essential features of the claimed subject matter, nor is it intended to be used to limit the scope of the claimed subject matter. Other aspects and advantages of the current invention will be apparent from the following detailed description of the embodiments and the accompanying drawing figures.
Embodiments of the current invention are described in detail below with reference to the attached drawing figures, wherein:
The drawing figures do not limit the current invention to the specific embodiments disclosed and described herein. The drawings are not necessarily to scale, emphasis instead being placed upon clearly illustrating the principles of the invention.
The following detailed description of the technology references the accompanying drawings that illustrate specific embodiments in which the technology can be practiced. The embodiments are intended to describe aspects of the technology in sufficient detail to enable those skilled in the art to practice the technology. Other embodiments can be utilized and changes can be made without departing from the scope of the current invention. The following detailed description is, therefore, not to be taken in a limiting sense. The scope of the current invention is defined only by the appended claims, along with the full scope of equivalents to which such claims are entitled.
A collapsible hinge 10, constructed in accordance with various embodiments of the current invention, is shown in
The first end barrier 102 and the second end barrier 104 are each coupled to a separate intermediate barrier 106, and the intermediate barriers 106 are coupled to one another in pairs to form a chain. Shown in
The collapsible hinge 10 broadly comprises a first hinge assembly 12, a second hinge assembly 14, and a pin 16, as shown in isolation in
The upper plate 34A, 34B, 42A, 42B is spaced apart from, and in alignment with, the lower plate 36A, 36B, 44A, 44B with the lower surface of the upper plate 34A, 34B, 42A, 42B facing the upper surface of the lower plate 36A, 36B, 44A, 44B. The front surface of each of the upper plate 34A, 34B, 42A, 42B and the lower plate 36A, 36B, 44A, 44B is connected to a successive portion of the back surface of the front plate 38A, 38B, 46A, 46B.
The bushing 40A, 40B, 48A, 48B has a generally hollow cylindrical shape and is positioned in the opening of each of the upper plate 34A, 34B, 42A, 42B and the lower plate 36A, 36B, 44A, 44B.
The first left arm 22A, 22B, the second left arm 26A, 26B, the first right arm 24A, 24B, and the second right arm 28A, 28B each have a generally planar quadrilateral shape with a front surface, a back surface, an upper surface, a lower surface, a left surface, and a right surface. For the first base 18A, 18B, the first left arm 22A, 22B is connected to a left side of the front plate 38A, 38B, and the first right arm 24A, 24B is connected to a right side of the front plate 38A, 38B. For the second base 20A, 20B, the second left arm 26A, 26B is connected to a left side of the front plate 38A, 38B, and the second right arm 28A, 28B is connected to a right side of the front plate 38A, 38B.
The left arm connector 30A, 30B and the right arm connector 32A, 32B each have a generally planar quadrilateral shape with a front surface, a back surface, an upper surface, a lower surface, a left surface, and a right surface. The left arm connector 30A, 30B is connected to the first left arm 22A, 22B and the second left arm 26A, 26B such that a portion of the back surface of each arm 22A, 22B, 26A, 26B is in contact with a successive portion of the front surface of the left arm connector 30A, 30B. The right arm connector 32A, 32B is connected to the first right arm 24A, 24B and the second right arm 28A, 28B such that a portion of the back surface of each arm 24A, 24B, 28A, 28B is in contact with a successive portion of the front surface of the right arm connector 32A, 32B.
The pin 16 has a generally cylindrical structure that tapers to a point at a lower end and is attached to a disc shaped cap 50 at an upper end. The pin 16 further includes an opening or a hole adjacent to the lower end through which a cotter pin or similar locking component is positioned.
The collapsible hinge 10 has a structure as follows. Referring to
The first hinge assembly 12 is coupled to the second end wall 110A at a location that is vertically offset from a location where the second hinge assembly 14 is coupled to the first end wall 108B, as shown in
Given that the first base 18A, 18B, the first left arm 22A, 22B, and the first right arm 24A, 24B are spaced apart from the second base 20A, 20B, the second left arm 26A, 26B, and the second right arm 28A, 28B, respectively, each base-left arm-right arm combination acts like a “knuckle” of a traditional hinge. And, since the first hinge assembly 12 is vertically offset from the second hinge assembly 14 as described above, the first base 18B of the second hinge assembly 14 is positioned between the first base 18A and the second base 20A of the first hinge assembly 12. The second base 20A of the first hinge assembly 12 is positioned between the first base 18B and the second base 20B of the second hinge assembly 14. The pin 16 is positioned in the first bushing 40A, 40B, 48A, 48B and the second bushing 40A, 40B, 48A, 48B of the first hinge assembly 12 and of the second hinge assembly 14.
The barriers 102, 104, 106 further include a plurality of bumpers which play a role when there is a frontal impact to the roadway barrier system 100, as shown in
Each left bumper 112A, 112B includes an outer wall 116A, 116B, an inner wall 118A, 118B, and a center wall 120A, 120B coupled to the outer wall 116A, 116B and the inner wall 118A, 118B at opposing side edges. Each right bumper 114A, 114B includes an outer wall 122A, 122B, an inner wall 124A, 124B, and a center wall 126A, 126B coupled to the outer wall 122A, 122B and the inner wall 124A, 124B at opposing side edges. The outer wall 116A, 116B, 122A, 122B and the inner wall 118A, 118B, 124A, 124B are each rigidly attached to, such as by welding, the outer surface of the first end wall 108B or the second end wall 110A, and extend outward therefrom at an angle between 0 degrees and 90 degrees. Each inner wall 118A, 118B, 124A, 124B includes a cutout roughly midway along the vertical length thereof.
The left bumper 112A is positioned on the second end wall 110A of the first intermediate barrier 106A such that the second left arm 26A of the first hinge assembly 12 extends through the cutout of the inner wall 118A. The right bumper 114A is positioned on the second end wall 110A of the first intermediate barrier 106A such that the second right arm 28A extends through the cutout of the inner wall 124A. The left bumper 112B is positioned on the first end wall 108B of the second intermediate barrier 106B such that the first left arm 22B of the second hinge assembly 14 extends through the cutout of the inner wall 118B. The right bumper 114B is positioned on the first end wall 108B of the second intermediate barrier 106B such that the second right arm 28B extends through the cutout of the inner wall 124B.
During a frontal impact to the roadway barrier system 100, a vehicle strikes the first end wall 108 of the first end barrier 102 (shown in
The first end barrier 102 and several of the intermediate barriers 106 closest to the first end barrier 102 each include a wedge 128 positioned on a bottom side of the barrier 102, 104, 106. When the first intermediate barrier 106A impacts the second intermediate barrier 106B, the wedge 128 of the first intermediate barrier 106A lifts the second intermediate barrier 106B from the bottom. The second hinge assembly 14A rises along with the first end wall 108B. Referring to
The forcing of one barrier 102, 104, 106 into the barrier 102, 104, 106 after it causes the collapsible hinge 10 between the two barriers 102, 104, 106 to collapse. Referring to
A solid hinge 200, constructed in accordance with other embodiments of the current invention, is shown in
The pin 206 has a generally cylindrical structure that tapers to a point at a lower end and is attached to a disc shaped cap 212 at an upper end. The pin 206 further includes an opening or a hole adjacent to the lower end through which a cotter pin or similar locking component is positioned.
The upper plate 208A and the lower plate 210A of the first hinge assembly 202 are spaced apart from one another vertically. Each plate 208A, 210A is connected to an outer surface of the second end wall 110A of the first end barrier 102, such that the first tab and the second tab of each plate 208A, 210A extends through a successive one of four openings on the second end wall 110A. The upper plate 208B and the lower plate 210B of the second hinge assembly 204 are spaced apart from one another vertically. Each plate 208B, 210B is connected to an outer surface of the first end wall 108B of the first intermediate barrier 106A, such that the first tab and the second tab of each plate 208B, 210B extends through a successive one of four openings on the first end wall 108B. The plates 208A, 208B, 210A, 210B are connected to the respective end walls 108B, 110A so as to form a stack with the upper plate 208A of the first hinge assembly 202 being positioned above, and spaced apart from, the upper plate 208B of the second hinge assembly 204. The lower plate 210B of the second hinge assembly 204 is positioned above, and spaced apart from, the lower plate 210A of the first hinge assembly 202. The pin 206 is positioned in the opening of each plate 208A, 208B, 210A, 210B.
Throughout this specification, references to “one embodiment”, “an embodiment”, or “embodiments” mean that the feature or features being referred to are included in at least one embodiment of the technology. Separate references to “one embodiment”, “an embodiment”, or “embodiments” in this description do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment and are also not mutually exclusive unless so stated and/or except as will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art from the description. For example, a feature, structure, act, etc. described in one embodiment may also be included in other embodiments, but is not necessarily included. Thus, the current invention can include a variety of combinations and/or integrations of the embodiments described herein.
Although the present application sets forth a detailed description of numerous different embodiments, it should be understood that the legal scope of the description is defined by the words of the claims set forth at the end of this patent and equivalents. The detailed description is to be construed as exemplary only and does not describe every possible embodiment since describing every possible embodiment would be impractical. Numerous alternative embodiments may be implemented, using either current technology or technology developed after the filing date of this patent, which would still fall within the scope of the claims.
Throughout this specification, plural instances may implement components, operations, or structures described as a single instance. Although individual operations of one or more methods are illustrated and described as separate operations, one or more of the individual operations may be performed concurrently, and nothing requires that the operations be performed in the order illustrated. Structures and functionality presented as separate components in example configurations may be implemented as a combined structure or component. Similarly, structures and functionality presented as a single component may be implemented as separate components. These and other variations, modifications, additions, and improvements fall within the scope of the subject matter herein.
As used herein, the terms “comprises,” “comprising,” “includes,” “including,” “has,” “having” or any other variation thereof, are intended to cover a non-exclusive inclusion. For example, a process, method, article, or apparatus that comprises a list of elements is not necessarily limited to only those elements but may include other elements not expressly listed or inherent to such process, method, article, or apparatus.
The patent claims at the end of this patent application are not intended to be construed under 35 U.S.C. § 112 (f) unless traditional means-plus-function language is expressly recited, such as “means for” or “step for” language being explicitly recited in the claim(s).
Although the technology has been described with reference to the embodiments illustrated in the attached drawing figures, it is noted that equivalents may be employed and substitutions made herein without departing from the scope of the technology as recited in the claims.
Having thus described various embodiments of the technology, what is claimed as new and desired to be protected by Letters Patent includes the following:
