Speed sensitive automatic speed bump

• US 6,241,419 B1
• Filed: 10/07/1999
• Issued: 06/05/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 11/04/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Smart Bump, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Smart Bump, Inc.
• Inventors: Bond, Michael L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lillis, Eileen D.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Hartmann, Gary S.
• Application Number:
  US09/413,097
• Time in Patent Office: 607 Days
• Field of Search: 404/6, 404/10, 404/15
• 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

An automatic speed sensitive speed bump having a base plate, a front plate hingedly connected to the base plate, and a torsion spring that biases the front plate upwardly. A rear plate is hingedly connected at its upper end to the front plate. The lower end of the rear plate is beveled and rests on a friction plate, which is hingedly connected at one end to the base plate and is biased upwardly at its other end by a friction plate spring. A strike plate having a reverse beveled end is connected to the base plate. When a vehicle exceeds a predetermined speed, the force of the tires on the front plate causes the rear plate to be driven downwardly rapidly enough and with enough force to depress the friction plate downwardly against the friction plate spring as the lower beveled end of the rear plate is received in the reverse beveled end of the strike plate, which prevents any further rearward movement of the rear plate and therefore locks the speed bump in place. However, when the vehicle is traveling below the predetermined speed, the force on the front plate causes the rear plate to be driven downwardly to a lesser degree and more slowly as the rear plate slides over the friction plate and onto the top surface of the strike plate. In this manner, the front plate and rear plate collapse to a horizontal position such that the vehicle does not experience a bump.

Claims

1. An automatic speed bump for use on a driving surface, comprising:

a base mounted to the driving surface;

a striker mounted to said base and including a leading edge;

a front pivot member hingedly connected to said base;

a spring means for biasing said front pivot member toward an inclined, raised position;

a friction element movably mounted to said base for movement between a first raised position shrouding said leading edge and a second lowered position unshrouding said leading edge;

a friction element biasing spring means for biasing at least one end of said friction element away from said base;

a rear pivot member having an upper end hingedly connected to said front pivot member, and having a lower end for slidable engagement with a surface of said friction element;

wherein when a vehicle exceeds a predetermined speed, and the vehicle'"'"'s tires contact the speed bump, the force of the tires on said front pivot member causes said lower end of said rear pivot member to drive said friction element downwardly toward said base to unshroud said leading edge of said striker, and causes said lower end of said rear pivot member to slide off of said friction element and be captured by said leading edge of said striker, thereby maintaining said front pivot member of the speed bump in an inclined position.

2. An automatic speed bump as claimed in claim 1 wherein when a vehicle is traveling below said predetermined speed, the force of the tires on said front pivot member causes said lower end of said rear pivot member to slide off of said friction element without unshrouding said leading edge of said striker, thereby allowing said front pivot member and rear pivot member to collapse to a substantially flat, horizontal configuration.

3. An automatic speed bump as claimed in claim 1 wherein said lower end of said rear pivot member is beveled.

4. An automatic speed bump as claimed in claim 1 wherein said leading edge of said striker is beveled.

5. An automatic speed bump as claimed in claim 1 wherein a trailing edge of said friction element is biased toward a position slightly above said leading edge of said striker.

6. An automatic speed bump as claimed in claim 1 wherein said spring means for biasing said front pivot member toward an inclined position comprises a torsion spring.

7. An automatic speed bump as claimed in claim 1 wherein said friction element biasing means comprises a coil spring.

8. An automatic speed bump as claimed in claim 1 wherein said spring means and said friction element biasing means are sized and selected such that said lower end of said rear pivot member is received against said leading edge of said striker when a vehicle contacts said speed bump in excess of a predetermined speed, but said lower end of said rear pivot member slides over and onto an upper surface of said striker when a vehicle contacts said speed bump below said predetermined speed.

9. An automatic speed bump as claimed in claim 1 wherein said front pivot member comprises a plate and wherein said rear pivot member comprises a plate.

10. An automatic speed bump as claimed in claim 1 wherein said friction element comprises a plate pivotally mounted to said base.

11. An automatic speed bump for use on a driving surface, comprising:

a base mounted to the driving surface;

a striker mounted to said base and including a leading edge;

a front pivot member hingedly connected to said base;

a spring means for biasing said front pivot member toward an inclined, raised position;

a rear pivot member having an upper end hingedly connected to said front pivot member, and having mounted thereon at least one roller mounted thereto, said at least one roller being biased toward extending from said rear pivot member for supporting a lower edge of said rear pivot member above said striker;

wherein when a vehicle exceeds a predetermined speed, and the vehicle'"'"'s tires contact the speed bump, the force of the tires on said front pivot member causes said at least one roller to retract, thereby lowering said lower edge of said rear pivot member, causing said lower edge of said rear pivot member to be captured by said leading edge of said striker, thereby maintaining said front pivot member of the speed bump in an inclined position.

12. An automatic speed bump as claimed in claim 11 wherein when a vehicle is traveling below said predetermined speed, the force of the tires on said front pivot member is insufficient to cause said lower edge of said rear pivot member to move beneath said leading edge of said striker, thereby allowing said front pivot member and rear pivot member to collapse to a substantially flat, horizontal configuration.

13. An automatic speed bump as claimed in claim 11 wherein said lower edge of said rear pivot member is beveled.

14. An automatic speed bump as claimed in claim 11 wherein said leading edge of said striker is beveled.

15. An automatic speed bump as claimed in claim 11 wherein said lower edge of said rear pivot member is biased toward a position slightly above said leading edge of said striker.

16. An automatic speed bump as claimed in claim 11 wherein said spring means for biasing said front pivot member toward an inclined position comprises a torsion spring.

17. An automatic speed bump as claimed in claim 11 further comprising a coil spring for biasing said at least one roller.

18. An automatic speed bump as claimed in claim 17 wherein said spring means and said coil spring are sized and selected such that said lower edge of said rear pivot member is received against said leading edge of said striker when a vehicle contacts said speed bump in excess of a predetermined speed, but said lower edge of said rear pivot member slides over an upper surface of said striker when a vehicle contacts said speed bump below said predetermined speed.

19. An automatic speed bump as claimed in claim 11 wherein said front pivot member comprises a plate and wherein said rear pivot member comprises a plate.

20. An automatic speed bump for use on a driving surface, comprising:

a base mounted to the driving surface;

a striker mounted to said base and including a leading edge;

a front pivot member hingedly connected at a lower end to said base;

first biasing means for biasing said front pivot member upwardly;

a rear pivot member hingedly connected at its upper end to an upper end of said front pivot member, said rear pivot member having a lower end;

second biasing means for biasing the lower end of said rear pivot member upwardly toward a position above said leading edge of said striker; and

wherein said biasing means are sized and adapted such that wherein when a vehicle engages the speed bump at a speed that exceeds a pre-determined speed, the impact of the vehicle on the speed bump causes the rear pivot member to be driven downwardly rapidly enough and with enough force to move the lower end of the rear pivot member beneath the leading edge of the strike plate, capturing the rear pivot member against the strike plate, thereby providing a hard bump to the vehicle traveling above the pre-determined speed, and wherein when a vehicle is traveling at or below the pre-determined speed, the impact of the vehicle on the front pivot member causes the rear pivot member to be driven downwardly less forcefully and more slowly as the rear pivot member moves toward the strike plate, thereby allowing the rear pivot member to slide over the strike plate and causing the front rear pivot members to flatten out whereby no bump is presented to the vehicle.

21. An automatic speed bump as claimed in claim 20 wherein said second biasing means comprises a friction element movably mounted to said base for movement between a first raised position shrouding said leading edge and a second lowered position unshrouding said leading edge and a friction element biasing spring means for biasing at least one end of said friction element away from said base.

22. An automatic speed bump as claimed in claim 21 wherein said lower end of said rear pivot member is beveled.

23. An automatic speed bump as claimed in claim 21 wherein said leading edge of said striker is beveled.

24. An automatic speed bump as claimed in claim 20 wherein said second biasing means comprises at least one roller mounted to said rear pivot member, said at least one roller being biased toward extending from said rear pivot member for supporting a lower edge of said rear pivot member above said striker.

25. An automatic speed bump as claimed in claim 24 further comprising a coil spring for biasing said at least one roller.