Inertial barrier

• US 20070110516A1
• Filed: 11/16/2005
• Published: 05/17/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 11/16/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Plastic Safety Systems Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Plastic Safety Systems Incorporated
• Inventors: Brown, Gregory, Mettler, Charles
• Granted Patent: US 8,282,309 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 404/6
• CPC Class Codes: E01F 15/146 fixed arrangements

Abstract

An inertial barrier includes a standard size plastic container and a single size insert that is supported by a ledge inside the container for supporting different amounts of sand or other dispersible granular energy absorbing material thereon to achieve different barrier weight configurations. The insert has an axially upwardly, radially inwardly extending top wall that may be generally frustoconically shaped and is made of a suitable plastic material that permits some downward flexing of the insert inside the container as the weight of the material that is placed on the insert builds up, causing the sides of the insert to expand and push radially outwardly against the container side wall, preventing the material from leaking past the insert inside the container. Axially extending ribs may be provided in the container side wall for increased strength and rigidity. At least some of the ribs may have upper ends that extend laterally inwardly in substantial alignment with the ledge to provide additional support for the insert when placed inside the container.

Claims

1. An inertial barrier for use in protecting a vehicle from roadway hazards comprising a plastic container having a bottom wall and open top and a side wall, a ledge extending laterally inwardly from the side wall in spaced relation from the bottom wall and open top, and an insert having sides sized and shaped to be supported by the ledge inside the container, the insert having an axially upwardly, radially inwardly extending top wall for supporting a dispersible granular energy absorbing material above the insert inside the container.

6. The inertial barrier of claim 1 wherein the container side wall has a plurality of circumferentially spaced, axially extending ribs to give added strength and rigidity to the container side wall.

7. The inertial barrier of claim 6 wherein at least some of the ribs have laterally inwardly extending upper ends in substantial alignment with the ledge to provide additional support for the insert when a fill of the material is placed on top of the insert inside the container.

8. The inertial barrier of claim 7 wherein at least some of the ribs progressively increase in width and depth from top to bottom.

9. The inertial barrier of claim 7 wherein at least some of the ribs extend to the bottom wall of the container.

10. The inertial barrier of claim 1 wherein the container side wall includes an upper side wall portion that is stepped laterally inwardly at discrete intervals along its height from the open top, and a lower side wall portion that tapers inwardly from top to bottom to facilitate stacking of a plurality of such containers during transit or storage.

11. The inertial barrier of claim 10 wherein the upper side wall portion has an outwardly stepped generally rectangular wall portion immediately above the lower side wall portion and a further outwardly extending cylindrical wall portion immediately above the stepped generally rectangular wall portion that forms laterally outwardly extending flanges immediately above the stepped generally rectangular wall portion.

12. The inertial barrier of claim 10 wherein the ledge extends laterally inwardly from the lower side wall portion.

13. The inertial barrier of claim 12 wherein the tapered lower side wall portion has reinforcing ribs, at least some of the ribs having laterally inwardly extending upper ends in substantial alignment with the ledge to provide additional support for the insert when a fill of the material is placed on top of the insert inside the container.

2. The inertial barrier of clam 1 wherein the insert is made of a plastic material that permits some downward flexing of the insert inside the container as the weight of the material that is placed on top of the insert builds up, causing the sides of the insert to expand and push radially outwardly against the side wall, preventing the material from leaking past the insert.

3. The inertial barrier of claim 2 wherein the top wall of the insert has a generally frustoconical shape.

4. The inertial barrier of claim 2 wherein the insert is roto-molded out of a high density polyethylene.

5. The inertial barrier of claim 2 wherein the insert has a plurality of circumferentially spaced, radially extending ribs integrally formed with the top wall to give the insert added strength and rigidity.

14. An inertial barrier for protecting an errant vehicle from roadway hazards comprising a plastic container having a bottom wall and open top, and a side wall having upper and lower side wall portions, the upper side wall portion being stepped laterally inwardly at discrete intervals along its length from the open top to a lowermost end of the upper side wall portion to provide a plurality of laterally inwardly stepped axially extending surfaces, and the lower side wall portion being axially inwardly tapered from an uppermost end of the lower side wall portion to the bottom wall, a ledge extending laterally inwardly from the lower side wall portion in spaced relation from the bottom wall, and an insert having sides sized and shaped to be supported by the ledge inside the container for supporting a dispersible granular energy absorbing material above the insert inside the container.

15. The inertial barrier of claim 14 wherein the insert has an axially upwardly, radially inwardly extending top wall for supporting the material above the insert inside the container, the insert being made of a plastic material that permits some downward flexing of the insert inside the container as the weight of the material that is placed on top of the insert builds up, causing the sides of the insert to expand and push radially outwardly against the side wall preventing the material from leaking past the insert inside the container.

16. The inertial barrier of claim 14 wherein the lower side wall portion has a plurality of circumferentially spaced axially extending ribs to give added strength and rigidity to the lower side wall portion.

17. The inertial barrier of claim 16 wherein at least some of the ribs have upper ends extending laterally inwardly in substantial alignment with the ledge to provide additional support for the insert when fitted on the ledge inside the container and a fill of the material is placed on top of the insert inside the container.

18. An inertial barrier for use in protecting an errant vehicle from roadway hazards comprising a plastic container having a bottom wall and open top and upper and lower side wall portions, the lower side wall portion tapering inwardly from an uppermost end to the bottom wall, and the upper side wall portion having an outwardly stepped generally rectangular outer wall portion immediately above the uppermost end of the lower side wall portion, and a further outwardly stepped cylindrical outer wall portion immediately above the outwardly stepped generally rectangular outer wall portion to provide laterally outwardly extending flanges between the stepped cylindrical outer wall portion and the stepped generally rectangular outer wall portion that are engageable by a generally U-shaped lifting yoke.

19. The inertial barrier of claim 18 further comprising a plurality of circumferentially spaced axially extending ribs in the lower side wall portion to give the lower side wall portion added strength and rigidity.

20. The inertial barrier of claim 19 wherein at least some of the ribs in the lower side wall portion progressively increase in width and depth from top to bottom.