Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
21 72027
PROTECTIVE WARNING POST
BACRGROUND OF THE lNv~ IoN
1. FIELD OF TEE lNv~:N~loN
The present invention relates to a guard protecting a
delicate structure from impact by motor vehicles. The guard
is in the form of a post secured to a driveway or curb located
proximate the protected structure.
2. DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART
Protective barriers for protecting a delicate structure,
such as a filling station pump, are known. These devices
generally comprise a stout pipe, embedded in a concrete base,
and reinforced, as by filling with concrete. These devices
provide an unyielding barrier. This barrier protects its
subject object, but at potential cost of severe damage to a
motor vehicle.
French Patent No. 1,026,771, dated May 1953, discloses a
traffic island for protecting pedestrians crossing busy roads.
The traffic island, which has a protective post, yieldingly
stops a vehicle colliding with the post. The post is
illuminated so that it will be conspicuous. There is no
accommodation for protecting the vehicle, and no warning alarm
in either the French reference, nor in the pipe type barriers
discussed above.
Yielding reaction to impact is illustrated in U.S. Patent
No. 4,747,725, issued to Sven R.V. Gebelius on May 31, 1988,
and U.K. Patent No. 1,391,061, dated April 1975. These patents
show traffic indicating lights of the breakaway type. The
device which is the subject of the U.K. reference includes a
warning light which is activated upon separation of the light
from its mooring. These inventions yield, but break away in
so doing, and consequently will not protect an object from
2 1 72~127
impact. They also lack warnings which operate upon light
contact.
A vertically oriented warning device which illuminates a
lamp upon contact is seen in U.S. Patent No. 5,227,785, issued
to William S. Gann on July 13, 1993. This device lacks the
strength to resist impact, being intended for use in executing
slow, deliberate parking maneuvers. It also lacks features for
protecting a motor vehicle.
U.S. Patent Nos. 2,454,896, issued to Ellis Traub on
November 30, 1948, 2,658,967, issued to Arthur L. Matschke, Jr.
on November 10, 1953, and 2,879,350, issued to Clarence A.
Howell on March 24, 1959, show feelers for detecting a vehicle
and energizing an alarm responsive thereto. Matschke's device
is rubber coated to protect the finish of the motor vehicle.
There is no structural integrity for resisting impact. In
these three devices, the lamp is remote from the feeler.
None of the above inventions and patents, taken either
singly or in combination, is seen to describe the instant
invention as claimed.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention provides a user friendly barrier for
protecting structures which have traditionally been protected
by solid barriers. The barrier accommodates incidental or
light contact by a motor vehicle, and includes features
designed to minimize damage to a vehicle.
The overall configuration is that of the familiar vertical
pole. However, a stout spring located at the ground enables
the pole to tilt without damage if contacted. This protects
both the pole and the vehicle. A further feature protecting
primarily the motor vehicle is the provision of flexible,
resilient outer materials.
The device is reinforced by sufficiently strong inner
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components to provide resistance to being demolished or pushed
aside. For one, the above-mentioned spring is strong enough
to resist breaking from its points of attachment. Also, the
body of the pole has an inner metal member, such as a pipe,
which resists deformation.
The device also includes warnings for apprising a driver
of contact therewith. Two active alarms are provided. In
response to contact, a lamp on top of the pole illuminates, and
an audible alarm is also activated. Preferably, the audible
alarm includes a synthesized voice advising the driver to stop
or back up. An additional warning is provided by indicia
disposed upon the pole. This indicia may take the form of a
cautionary word, or may include readily recognizable symbols,
such as striping in appropriate colors.
Where desired, the latter protection is omitted, there
being commercial or other identifying indicia instead.
The novel arrangement encourages hesitant drivers to
approach and maneuver with greater confidence, knowing that
damage will not ensue if a slight miscalculation is made.- This
will encourage some people who otherwise might be intimated to
use the protected facilities. It may also hasten the necessary
maneuvers of others, thus saving time for those users and those
who must wait for the latter users to complete their activities
or transactions.
The nature of the alarms is reassuring to drivers. An
audible alarm which is not extreme in its characteristics will
not induce a panic reaction in an unsure driver. The visible
alarm precisely locates the object being contacted by the motor
vehicle. This combination in particular, especially
considering the yielding nature of the post, will mitigate
excessive caution and still assist most motorists in
maneuvering into place at the facility.
Accordingly, it is a principal object of the invention to
21 72û27
provide a vertical post for protecting a delicate facility from
contact with or impact from a motor vehicle.
It is another object of the invention to cause the post
to yield to incidental contact with a motor vehicle.
It is a further object of the invention to provide a
visual alarm warning of incidental contact with a motor
vehicle.
Still another object of the invention is to provide an
audible alarm warning of incidental contact with a motor
vehicle.
An additional ob~ect of the invention is to avoid damage
to a motor vehicle in the event of incidental contact with the
post.
It is again an object of the invention to provide a self-
contained electrical power source.
It is an object of the invention to provide improved
elements and arrangements thereof in an apparatus for the
purposes described which is inexpensive, dependable and fully
effective in accomplishing its intended purposes.
These and other objects of the present invention will
become readily apparent upon further review of the following
specification and drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic, side cross-sectional view of the
novel protective post, illustrating contact with a motor
vehicle; and
Fig. 2 is a diagrammatic, side elevational view of the
post, showing an alternative embodiment of the invention,
including a battery power source and indicia disposed upon the
post.
Similar reference characters denote corresponding
features consistently throughout the attached drawings.
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DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
Fig. 1 shows the novel protective warning post 10 being
incidentally contacted by a motor vehicle. In this context,
incidental contact will be understood to signify contact
wherein a motor vehicle touches and moves the upper portion of
post 10, continuously and at low speeds, as frequently
encountered during maneuvering.
Post 10 has a body 12 including a rigid internal
structural member 14, such as a suitably sized section of pipe,
for maintaining the elongated and generally cylindrical outer
configuration of body 12. Surrounding member 14 to the
exterior is a protective resilient member 16, which may be made
from foam rubber or the like. Member 14 will maintain a
constant outer configuration when undisturbed, but will yield
resiliently to incidental contact, as shown in the depiction
of Fig. 1. Member 14 thus prevents damage to the finish of a
motor vehicle. A rubber boot 18 is preferably disposed about
member 16, to exclude dust, water, and similar environmental
elements, while retaining the resilient characteristics of
member 16.
Body 12 thus generally maintains a characteristic,
predetermined configuration, despite localized and temporary
deformation. This configuration is maintained in part due to
the following hinging arrangement. A stout coil spring 19, of
strength and elastic memory capable of withstanding incidental
contact by temporarily bending but not deforming, is attached
to body 12 and also to a rigid base 20. Spring 19 enables body
12 to return to its original configuration after a vehicle
contacting post 10 moves out of contact therewith. Base 20 is
anchored to an environmental surface, which will in most cases
be concrete or asphalt 22.
Post 10 includes a visible alarm 24 and an audible alarm
26. Alarms 24 and 26 are actuated by a tilt switch 28, such
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as a switch making electrical contact when moved from the
original orientation. Switch 28 closes electrical circuitry
30 extending from a power source (not shown) to alarms 24,26.
Electrical circuitry 30 will be understood to encompass all
individual electrical conductors operably connecting the
various electrical alarm components and extending to a
connection (not shownj to the external power source. Visible
and audible alarm elements are located atop post 10, as shown.
Visible alarm 24 comprises a lamp 32 covered by a lens 34.
A flasher 36 is disposed in circuit 30 to cause lamp 32 to
light intermittently.
Audible alarm 26 comprises a voice synthesizer 38 and a
speaker 40. A preferred form of audible signal includes a
synthetic voice message advising the driver of proximity to
post 10 or to the facility protected thereby, and further
advising the driver to back away therefrom. A voice message
is preferred to a buzzer or siren, since it will more likely
provoke an intentional response, rather than a panic response.
Turning now to Fig. 2, an alternative émbodiment of the
invention is shown. In this embodiment, indicia 42 is located
on the exterior of boot 18. This indicia 42 may be cautionary
or warning in nature, as shown, or may be related to the
identity of the owner of the protected facility.
In contrast to the embodiment of Fig. 1, wherein
electrical circuitry 30 is connected to AC power from an
electrical utility, post 10 may have a battery power source 44
contained integrally therewith. Battery power source 44 is
located at any convenient protected location, in this case
within structural member 14.
It is to be understood that the present invention is not
limited to the embodiments described above, but encompasses any
and all embodiments within the scope of the following claims.
