WO2007086789A1

WO2007086789A1 - A supporting means for supporting of different traffic signs and signals

Info

Publication number: WO2007086789A1
Application number: PCT/SE2007/000050
Authority: WO
Inventors: Jörgen APPELKVIST
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2006-01-30
Filing date: 2007-01-22
Publication date: 2007-08-02
Anticipated expiration: 2008-07-30
Also published as: SE529245C2; SE0600180L

Abstract

The invention refers to a supporting means for supporting different traffic signs/signals (2) or shutting off boards (22), said supporting means (1) is intended to be placed on a ground (11 ) such as e.g. a working place, preferably a road way. Lower portions (5) of at least two elongated bodies (3) directed upwards are provided in a distance (7) from each other via at least each separate attachment (4) in/at at least one foot (6) for location on the ground (11), said elongated bodies (3) consist of side indicating signs (10), which in themselves and/or in the attachments (4) are springing back at the same time as the upper portions (8) of the elongated bodies (3) by at least one force are pressed and provided towards each other, whereby at least one of the elongated bodies (3) directly or indirectly supports at least one of the traffic signs/signals (2) or the shutting off boards (22).

Description

_

A supporting means for supporting of different traffic signs and signals

The present invention refers to a supporting means for supporting different traffic signs and signals and which is made visible for road users. Two elongated bodies are provided directed upwards via their separate attachment in a distance form each other in their lower end in at least one foot resting on a ground. The elongated body is in itself or in the attachments springing back, so that the upper ends of the elongated bodies are pressed by aid of a force towards each other and are lying against each other in constituting a V, turned up- and downwards, which is provided to act as at least one part of the supporting means.

Today cones are used for this type of present structures on the market, which are intended to rest on the ground in order to act as supporting means for signs and signals. These are lumbering, bulky, difficult to move and handle, since they have edges at their lower portion. They are only stackable into each other to a certain part and become of that reason in spite of this very bulky, since stacked cones take large storing place around the same. Further, they are tilting very easy by the wind, since they are too light and have too high centre of gravity and therefore must be completed by weights or larger feet against the ground, in order to stand upright steady. The cones can only be used as supporting means, since a number of those must be stored in readiness only for this purpose. They cannot be used in order to delimit the road for separating traffic from a road work, since in that case special side indicating signs be used.

One object of the present invention is to solve these problems existing with the structures mentioned above in providing two elongated bodies in a distance from each other having their lower end in each separate attachment in at least one foot resting on the ground, the upper ends of said elongated body are pressed towards each other and at that point are lying against each other, so that a V, turned up- and down has been created to constitute said supporting means. Thanks to the invention a simple, handsome and cheap supporting means has been provided for supporting different traffic signs and signals shutting off boards, which are warning the road users when they are placed in position on a ground such as a working place, a road way or a road working place. According to the invention two elongated bodies are provided vertically directed in each separate attachment in a distance from each other having their lower portion in at least one foot resting on the ground. The elongated bodies are in their self spring back or spring back in the attachments, so that the upper portions of the elongated bodies are with a certain force pressed towards each other and are thus lying against each other, so that a V, turned up and down is created to constitute said supporting means. According to the invention the upper portions near each other in order to avoid that they are springing back by a connecting element such e.g. a fitting, an elastic rubber loop, a locking function, a hook function, a hold function, a casing, a male- and female portion. Side indicating signs are used in another connection to be arranged alone in an upright position in each separate foot, where a number of such signs are arranged in a row on the ground in order to delimit the traffic. Such signs can easy be changed to a supporting means according to the invention in providing at least two of these, the upper portion of which are arranged lying against each other and which at their lower portions are arranged in each separate or in the same foot in a distance from each other. In order to support the different traffic signs, the signals and the shutting off boards, on the elongated bodies a supporting device is needed in the form of e.g. a fitting, an elastic rubber loop, a locking function, a hook function, a casing, a male- or female portion. The attachment in the foot consists of two openings in the form of two elongated, parallel grooves, which extend from its upper surface and downwards into or totally through the foot in a direction towards the ground, so that the openings in some place have a smaller width than in any place of the elongated body's thickness across the same in creating of an increased friction for retaining and guiding of the elongated body in the direction upwards, when its lower portion is provided in said opening. In a variant of the invention the elongated body is formed such as a sheet formed board, the width of which essentially exceeds its thickness and which is provided with elongated projections extending in parallel with the longitudinal direction of the board and is directed from the sheet formed board, preferable in its edge area, in creating a stiffer elongated body and a stronger attachment in said opening in the form of elongated flanges along its whole length. The elongated body can, viewed as a cross section across the same, be formed in different formations such as e.g. an I-, L-, U-, V-, O-, T-formation or combinations of these. The elongated body can be manufactured by e.g. plastic, wood, metal or by different composites with or without different fibres such as glass fibres, carbon fibres. The foot is provided with an outer limiting surface having a bottom surface and an edge formation between the upper surface and the bottom surface. The largest high measure of the foot is much lower than its largest width measure. The whole bottom surface of at least 5 dm² is resting against the ground and the weight is at least 3 kg. The foot comprises a box formation having mainly smooth limiting surfaces at the same time as the edge formations and the upper surface are met with rounded edges. The foot is totally or partly manufactured as a housing surrounding at least one space, which can be filled with ballast of the type sand, gravel, rubber, metal, concrete. The foot can also be made massive with or without open spaces, which are turned towards the ground. According to another variant of the invention two or several supporting means act together in a distance from each other via the supporting device of each supporting means in supporting a shutting off board across the elongated bodies, which are extending between the supporting means, so that when it is required the shutting off board can be completed with additional different traffic signs/signals and shutting off boards. The most important advantages with the invention will thus be that a simple, handsome, cheap, steady supporting means has been provided, the consisting components of which takes a small place to store and which can be used for other purposes than a supporting means and can have different appearance, size and qualities.

The invention is described closer below with help of some preferable embodiment examples in view of the drawings enclosed, in which Fig. 1 shows a side view of a supporting means according to the present invention,

Fig. 2 shows a side view of two supporting means, which support an intermediate shutting off board,

Fig. 3 shows a perspective view of a portion of an elongated body made like a sheet formed board having projections in the form of protruding flanges, and

Fig. 4 shows a translucent perspective view of a foot having two openings.

As can be seen from Fig. 1 a supporting means 1 is illustrated, which via a supporting device 12, supports different traffic signs/signals 2. Two elongated bodies 3 in the form of side indicating signs 10 are provided in an upwards direction having their lower portions 5 into attachments 4 in a distance 7 from each other in a foot 6 resting on a ground 11 at the same time as the upper portions 8 of the elongated bodies 3 are provided towards each other by aid of a connection element 9.

As can be seen from Fig. 2 two supporting means 1 are illustrated having an intermediate shutting off board 22 provided at the elongated bodies 3.

As can be seen from Fig. 3 an elongated body 3 is illustrated, which can be used as a side indicating sign 10 and shutting off board 22. This is formed as a sheet formed board 16, the width 15 of which essentially exceeds its thickness 18. The sheet formed board 16 is provided with elongated projections 20 formed like flanges 17.

As can be seen from Fig. 4 a foot 6 is illustrated having two openings 13 in the form of two elongated grooves 21 having a width 14. The foot 6 has outer limiting surfaces 19 constituting an upper surface 23, a bottom surface 24 and an edge formation 25 and the highest height measure 27 of the foot 6 is essentially lower than its largest width measure 26.

Claims

1. A supporting means for supporting different traffic signs/signals (2) or shutting off boards (22), said supporting means (1) is intended to be placed on a ground (1 1) such as e.g. a working place, preferably a road way, characterized in that lower portions (5) of at least two elongated bodies (3) directed upwards are provided in a distance (7) from each other via at least each separate attachment (4) in/at at least one foot (6) for location on the ground (11), said elongated bodies (3) consist of side indicating signs (10), which in themselves and/or in the attachments (4) are springing back at the same time as the upper portions (8) of the elongated bodies (3) by at least one force are pressed and provided towards each other, whereby at least one of the elongated bodies (3) directly or indirectly supports at least one of the traffic signs/signals (2) or the shutting off boards (22).

2. A supporting means according to claim 1 , characterized in that the upper portions (8) owing to the springing back properties of the elongated body (3)/attachment (4), are springing back from each other, the upper portions (8) are connected together by at least one connecting element (9) such as e.g. a fitting, an elastic rubber loop, a locking function, a hook function, a hold function, a casing or a male- and female portion.

3. A supporting means according to claiml , characterized in that only one side indicating sign (10) directed upwards is provided in each foot (6) and that a number of such signs are placed in a row on the ground (11 ) in order to delimit the traffic at the same time as at least two such signs are easy to reconstruct for the supporting means (1) in providing that their two upper portions (8) are lying against each other in order to constitute the whole or parts of the supporting means (1) together with the foot (6).

4. A supporting means according to claim 1 , characterized in that it comprises in at least one place a supporting device (12) in the form of e.g. at least one a fitting, an elastic rubber loop, a locking function, a hook function, a hold function, a casing or a male- and female portion for supporting the different traffic signs/signals (2) and the shutting off boards (22).

5. A supporting means according to claim 1 , characterized in that the attachment (4) consists of at least two openings (13) made in the form of two elongated grooves (21), of which the longest are mainly in parallel with each other, said openings extend at least a bit from its upper surface (23) downwards into or totally through the foot (6) in a direction towards the ground (11), so that the openings (13) in at least some place have a smaller width (14) than in any place of the elongated body's (3) thickness across the same preferably in its lower portion (5) in creating of an increased friction for retaining and guiding of the elongated body (3) preferably in the direction upwards, when its lower portion (5) is provided in said opening (13).

6. A supporting means according to claim 1, characterized in that the elongated body (3) is formed such as a sheet formed board (16), the width (15) of which essentially exceeds its thickness (18) and that at least one elongated projection (20) is extending in parallel and along the same in a direction outwards from the sheet formed board (16) in the form of flanges (17) in creating of a stiffer, elongated body (3) and a stronger attachment in said opening (13).

7. A supporting means according to any of the claims 1,3 or 5, characterized in that the foot (6) is provided with an outer limiting surface (19) consisting of at least one bottom surface (24) and at least one edge formation (25) between the upper surface (23) and the bottom surface (24) and that the largest high measure (27) of the foot (6) is much lower than its largest width measure (26) and that mainly the whole bottom surface (24) of at least 5 dm² is resting against the ground and with a weight of at least 3 kg, said foot (6) being totally or partly manufactured like a housing surrounding at least one space, which is filled with ballast of the type sand, gravel, rubber, metal, concrete and/or that the foot (6) mainly being massive with or without open spaces turned towards the ground.

8. A supporting means according to claim 5 or 6, characterized in that the elongated projection (20) together with the sheet formed board (16) in a cross section across the elongated body (3) constitute a formation such as e.g. an I-, L-, U-, V-, O-, T-formation or combinations of these, whereby said cross section looks like the formation of the opening (13) viewed straight form above towards the foot (6).

9. A supporting means according to any of the claims 1-8, characterized in that at least two supporting means (1) act together in a distance from each other via the supporting device (12) of each supporting means (1) in supporting at least one shutting off board (22) across the elongated bodies (3), which are extending between the supporting means (1), so that when it is required the shutting off board (22) is completed with additional different traffic signs/signals (2) or shutting off boards (22).

10. A supporting means according to claim 7, characterized in that the foot (6) comprises a box formation having mainly smooth limiting surfaces (19), the edge formations (25) and the upper surface (23) being met with rounded edges.