DEVICE REDUCING SPEED OF VEHICLES TRAVELLING ON A ROADWAY

• US 20100202830A1
• Filed: 04/23/2008
• Published: 08/12/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 07/06/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Jose Antonio Aguilera Galeote
• Original Assignee: Jose Antonio Aguilera Galeote
• Inventors: Aguilera Galeote, Jose Antonio
• Granted Patent: US 7,967,526 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 404/10
• CPC Class Codes: E01F 9/529 specially adapted for signalling by sound or vibrations, e.g. rumble strips; specially adapted for enforcing reduced speed, e.g. speed bumps

Abstract

The invention relates to a device reducing speed of vehicles travelling on a roadway, formed by at least one strip of flexible material, rubber or other similar material, made up of several hollow chambers which are interconnected by a calibrated conduit which enables the controlled passage of the fluid filling said chambers from that flattened by the wheel of the vehicle towards the adjacent chambers. The fluid contained therein is water, or a non-Newtonian fluid offering the higher viscosity, the higher the stress gradient applied thereto is, the fluid itself acting as means for controlling the resistance to deformation of the strip as the higher is the speed of impact of the vehicle in said strip.

Claims

1. A device reducing speed of vehicles travelling on a roadway, of the type of those formed by one or several parallel strips, made up of projections located transversely on the roadway, oriented towards the vehicle movement direction, such that upon having to pass over them it obliges reducing the travelling speed in the area, each of these strips being made of a flexible material, rubber or other similar material, forming at least one hollow fluid-filled chamber, characterized in that it is formed by several chambers (2) aligned or abutted at the sides and interconnected by a calibrated conduit (3) which enables the controlled passage of the fluid of the chamber on which each wheel of the vehicle is located towards the adjacent chambers, such that if the vehicle travels at a low speed the depression of the strip which is being passed over is higher and as a result forms a smaller obstacle, whereas if the speed of the vehicle is higher the depression is lower and as a result forms a step with greater height.

2. The device according to claim 1, characterized in that the fluid which fills the chambers (2) of the strip (1) forming the device is a non-Newtonian fluid, offering higher viscosity the higher the stress gradient applied thereto is, such that the fluid itself acts as a means for controlling the resistance offered by the strip to its deformation depending on the speed of impact, so that if the vehicle travels at a low speed the fluid has low viscosity and the strip is easily deformed, whereas if the speed of the vehicle is higher the viscosity of the fluid is high and as a result has great resistance to deformation, thus forming a rigid obstacle to the passage of the vehicle.

3. The device according to claim 1, characterized in that the fluid which fills the chambers (2) of the strip or strips forming the device is water.

4. The device according to claim 2, characterized in that the non-Newtonian material used is a “

dilatant”

fluid, formed by wet sand.

5. The device according to claim 2, characterized in that the non-Newtonian material used is a “

dilatant”

fluid, formed by a concentrated solution of starch or of sugars in water.

6. The device according to claim 1, characterized in that the strip or strips (1) forming it are compartmented into at least three aligned chambers (2) which are interconnected by orifices (3) with a diameter calibrated depending on the speed limit which is desired to be established in the area.

7. The device according to claim 1, characterized in that each strip (1) is formed by at least three independent elements (2a), which have at the sides a conduit (3a) calibrated depending on the speed limit which is desired to be established in the area and a coupling means abutting with one another.

8. The device according to claim 1, characterized in that each strip is complemented on both sides or at least on the side closest to the edge of the roadway, with a deposit (4) forming an expansion element complementary to the side chamber, when the vehicle passes over it.