Restorable Crash Cushion Attenuator System

This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application, Ser. No. 63/572,877 filed Apr. 1, 2024.

The invention described herein relates generally to the use of polyether urethane within a crash cushion attenuator (CCA) system to allow for a quickly restorable crash cushion.

Crash Cushion Attenuation systems, also known as impact attenuators or crash cushions, are highway safety devices designed to absorb the kinetic energy of a vehicle collision, reducing damage and protecting lives. They are typically placed in front of fixed structures or in work zones to mitigate the impact of errant vehicles. Crash cushions are designed to deform gradually on impact, dissipating the vehicle's kinetic energy and reducing the impact acceleration. They help to reduce the damage to vehicles, structures, and most importantly motorists involved in a collision. Most CCA's are installed in front of fixed structures like bridge piers or overpass supports.

Most CCA's are designed to absorb the impact of a vehicle collision, while protecting the lives inside the vehicle. CCA's are made in all shapes and sizes, and from many types of material. Some are made from collapsible aluminum. In some of these systems, aluminum rods are used that increase in protective strength based on the force of the collision, ultimately to restrict a colliding vehicle from hitting an immovable barrier, while protecting the occupants within the colliding vehicle. In other CCA systems, barrels of water are used as the collapsable medium to absorb the energy of the colliding vehicle. What should be appreciated is that regardless of the medium used for energy absorption within a CCA system, the ultimate goal is to protect the lives of the occupants within the colliding vehicle, before they hit an immovable barrier (such as a cement support post for a bridge).

While Crash Cushion Attenuation systems are extremely effective at protecting lives, their design, much like the structures of vehicles, are single use. That is, they are built to absorb energy, once. And, when they have been hit, they must be rebuilt before they can effectively absorb another crash. An unfortunate circumstance arises after a CCA has been hit. More specifically, the CCA must be repaired. And, depending on the materials used, the design, etc., the delay in the repair is often weeks, or even months long. It is not uncommon for another vehicle to hit the CCA before it has been repaired. When this happens, the objective of saving lives is thwarted. Regular occurrences of severe injuries, including death, have been reported when vehicles collide into a CCA that has not yet been repaired. The purpose of this invention is to provide a crash cushion absorption design with elastomeric properties than can be readily reset, thereby saving lives of the next vehicle that collides with it.

In one embodiment, the present invention provides a Crash Cushion Attenuation system including a plurality of attenuation sections, each coupled to another section, at least one of the plurality of attenuation sections including: a plurality of springs for attenuating a collision by compressing, the springs capable of being reformed when released by a mechanism thereof; wherein each of the plurality of springs are elastic; and wherein by utilizing the mechanism for releasing the springs after a collision, the at least one of the plurality of attenuation sections is restored.

In an alternative embodiment, the present invention provides a Crash Cushion Attenuation system including a first attenuation section that includes a first front plate; a first rear plate; and a first plurality of polyurethane springs, coupled between the first front plate and the first rear plate, the first plurality of polyurethane springs for compressing the first attenuation section when a vehicle collides into the Crash Cushion Attenuation system.

In yet another embodiment, the present invention provides a restorable Crash Cushion Attenuation system including a first attenuation section including: a first front plate; a first rear plate; and a first plurality of polyurethane springs, coupled between the first front plate and the first rear plate, the first plurality of polyurethane springs for compressing the first attenuation section when a vehicle collides into the Crash Cushion Attenuation system; and a second attenuation section, coupled to the first attenuation section, the second attenuation section behind the rear plate of the first attenuation section, the second attenuation section including a second front plate; a second rear plate; and a second plurality of polyurethane springs, coupled between the second front plate and the second rear plate, the second plurality of polyurethane springs for compressing the second attenuation section when a vehicle collides into the Crash Cushion Attenuation system. This embodiment may further include a ratchet system, mounted at the bottom of the first attenuation section and coupled thereto; and a release system, coupled to the ratchet system; wherein as the polyurethane springs are compressed from a collision, the ratchet system holds the polyurethane springs in a compressed position; and wherein the release system causes the ratchet system to release the polyurethane springs to reform into their original shape.

Referring to, an overhead view of a forked roadis shown, having two roads,and. On each of the roadsandare carsand. Carhas taken the right fork, and carhas taken the left fork. In the middle of the forked roadis a Crash Cushion Attenuation (CCA) System. The systemincludes a painted areato help guide the carsandto their respective roads. Then, at the front of the CCAis a hazard platethat is coupled to the CCA. The purpose of the hazard plateis to both alert drivers, visually, of the impending danger of hitting the CCA. It is coupled to the remainder of the CCA, and will begin the attenuation of a vehicle that hits it.

Coupled to the hazard plateis a first attenuation section. Within the first attenuation sectionare aluminum rods. The rodsare designed to compress, thereby absorbing the energy from a vehicle that crashes into the CCA.

Behind the first attenuation sectionis a second attention section having aluminum rods. The aluminum rodsmay have attenuation properties similar to those of rods. Alternatively, the rodsmay have higher tensile properties for increased attenuation. One skilled in the art will appreciate that there are a variety of vehicle sizes on the road today, having varying weight and size. It is typical for the first attenuation sectionto have aluminum rodsappropriate for attenuating a crash from a small to large passenger vehicles. If a larger vehicle, such as a truck, or truck and trailer, or a large van collides with the first section, it may compress the aluminum rods, and continue into the second section having aluminum rods. In many cases, if the rodsare designed to attenuate larger vehicles, then section two will compress and completely attenuate the vehicle.

The CCAalso has a third attenuation section having aluminum rods. It is known for these rodsto have even higher attenuation properties than the rodsof section two. These may be designed to attenuate the largest of road vehicles, such as 18 wheelers carrying many tons of cargo. If a large vehicle crashes into the barrier, both of the first and second attenuation sections may collapse, leaving the remaining attenuation to occur in the third section with the rods.

It should also be appreciated by one skilled in the art that a CCAmay use rods of similar attenuation in each of the three sections. That is, rather than utilizing rods of differing tensile strength in each of the sections, the designer may use rods of similar tensile strength, but simply use more rods in each section. For example, the first sectionmay contain N rods. The second section may contain 2N rods. And the third section may contain 4N rods.

Also, in addition to aluminum rods, many other attenuation means may be used such as aluminum beams, steel beams, metal cushions, rubber cushions, and in many cases, water barrels. There are many manufacturers of CCA's, and all attempt to save lives by attenuating vehicular collisions in a manner that stops the vehicle before hitting the protected immovable structure while protecting the lives inside the vehicle. The choice of attenuation means is often governed by the anticipated vehicle speed of the roadway, the distance available between the collision and the immovable structure, and the cost and repairability of the CCA. The above is well known in the art.

Referring now to, a forked roadis shown illustrating a collision by a vehicleinto a CCA. In this example, the aluminum rodsin sectionhave been significantly compressed, while the aluminum rodsin sectionhave been moderately compressed. Thus, the CCAhas successfully attenuated the progress of the vehicle, to preserve the lives of the passengers within the vehicle, while preventing the vehiclefrom reaching the immovable object at the end of the CCA.

Referring now to, a forked roadis shown having a CCA, after it has been collided into by the vehicle of. In this example, the first section, and the second sectionhave been collapsed as a result of the collision. What should be appreciated byis that, while the CCAhas been successful in attenuating the vehicle of, the CCAis now damaged and must be repaired.

A problem to which the present invention is directed recognizes the problem of a CCA that has been hit, and must be repaired. More specifically, the inventor of the present invention recognizes that when a CCA has been hit, it will no longer function as intended until the CCA is repaired. In some cases, the repair may occur within days. Unfortunately, in many instances, the repair may take weeks, or even months, due to material shortages, repair crew schedules, etc. And, until the CCA is repaired, if another collision with the CCA occurs, it may result in fatalities to the passengers inside the colliding vehicle. That is, since the CCA has been damaged from a prior collision, it no longer has the attenuation features of the original design. Therefore, a colliding vehicle will not receive the protection of the multiple stage CCA, and may very well create an impact force within another colliding vehicle that is too severe for the passengers to survive. This has become a reality in many cities where the number of accidents is great, due to weather, or simply vehicle density. Or, in instances where repair crews are insufficient to provide quick repair of the CCA's, the CCA's will sit in disrepair. It is well known that fatalities result when vehicles collide with CCA's that have not yet been restored to their original design.

What is needed is a Crash Cushion Attenuation (CCA) System that after collision, may quickly be restored to its original design. Further, what is needed is a CCA system that utilizes components that can be compressed, for the purpose of attenuating a colliding vehicle, and then expanded back to their original form, easily and without delay.

Referring now to, a polyurethane springaccording to the present invention is provided. In one embodiment, the polyurethane springis a cylinderthat hollowand has endsand. The polyurethane springis made of Polyether Urethane which offers excellent impingement abrasion resistance that makes it the choice for products that get hit head-on. The use of Polyether Urethane is known to be used for vibration isolation, such as for use in bridge and structural bearings, to isolate the physical structures from earth movement, such as during an earthquake. In this instance, they are called seismic isolation bearings. What is known is that polyether urethane can be manufactured in a variety of densities (soft or hard), and with varying elasticity (i.e., the ability to rebound and conform to its original shape, after being compressed. However, what is new in the art is the use of Polyether urethane as a springwithin a Crash Cusion Attenuation system.

Referring to, a CCAis shown having three attenuation sections,and. Within sectiona plurality of springsare shown, supported with rods. In one embodiment, the springsare made from Polyether urethane such as described above with respect to. Also, in one embodiment, the polyurethane springshave the following chemical specifications:

However, as described above with respect to, each section of a CCA may be designed with attenuation devices of similar tensile characteristics, while varying the number of devices within each section. Or alternatively, each section of a CCA may be designed with attenuation devices of differing tensile characteristics. What is described above is simply one embodiment of the springswithin a sectionwithin a CCA.

Referring now to, a CCAis shown having three sections, each with a plurality of springs,and, respectively. Within each section, the size, properties, etc. of the springsvary, depending on the design standards within each section. For purposes of illustration, section one has two long springs. Section two has four medium sized springs. Within section three, six springsare shown. The number of springs, and their individual specifications may vary depending on the design of the CCA.

Referring now to, a CCAis shown having three sections. Section one has springsthat are designed to have the least attenuation of the three sections. Springswithin section two have more attenuation than springs. And, springsof section three have the most attenuation of the three sections. What should be appreciated is that a CCA designed using the polyether urethane springs of the present invention, as presented in, can utilize a varying number springs within each section, all with the same attenuation properties. Or alternatively, each section may be designed utilizing springs according to the present invention, with differing attenuation properties. In either case, CCA's may utilize polyether urethane as springs within their attenuation sections to provide quickly recoverable sections.

In one embodiment, when a section of a CCA is impacted, the polyurethane springs compress, according to their attenuation specifications, thereby attenuating the force of impact of the vehicle, and protecting the lives of the passengers within the vehicle. In addition, a mechanism within each section of the CCA is used to prevent the polyurethane springs from rebounding, as they are designed to do. That is, if the springs were allowed to rebound immediately, they could launch the vehicle back into oncoming traffic. Therefore, a mechanism is used to hold the springs to their compressed state to prevent such rebound. One skilled in the art will appreciate that many different mechanisms may be used such as a ratchet system within each section, a single ratchet in the 3rd section, or a roller mechanism that may be compressed, but must be manually released, to allow the springs to reform to their original shape. The exact mechanism used to keep the springs compressed, after being collided with, is not a function of the present invention. Rather, what is important is the use of a polyurethane spring, within the structure of a crash cushion attenuation system, that may be easily reformed to effect a repair after collision.

Referring now to, a CCA systemis shown, having a sectionthat has been compressed by a collision. Within the sectionare polyurethane springs according to the present invention, that have been compressed. In this embodiment, after the collision, and compression of the springs, a mechanism is holding the springs in a compressed condition until a workerobserves the compression, and repairs the sectionby using a leverto release the ratchet (if that is the mechanism used to maintain the compression), or crank the rollers (if that is the mechanism used to maintain the compression). In either instance, a workercan readily restore the sectionto its original condition, within minutes after a collision occurs.

What should be appreciated by one skilled in the art is that by utilizing a reformable material within a section of a crash cushion attenuator, that can be held in position after a crash, and that can be released and readily reformed after a crash, allows for a CCA to be quickly restored to its original design. And, by quickly restoring a CCA to its original design, lives may be saved.

What has been described above, and in the drawings and appended claims, is an apparatus for providing a restorable Crash Cushion Attenuation (CCA) system utilizing reformable polyurethane springs within sections of the CCA. The springs allow for attenuation of collisions with the CCA, which are quickly restored after the colliding vehicle is removed from proximity to the CCA. And, the restoration of the CCA utilizing the springs of the present invention can be quickly restored for use again.

It should be understood—especially by those having ordinary skill in the art with the benefit of this disclosure—that the various operations described herein, particularly in connection with the figures, may be implemented by other hardware components utilizing telecommunications, whether towers, satellites, or wifi. Additionally, the order in which each operation of a given method is performed may be changed, unless otherwise indicated, and various elements of the systems illustrated herein may be added, reordered, combined, omitted, modified, etc. It is intended that this disclosure embrace all such modifications and changes, and, accordingly, the above description should be regarded in an illustrative rather than a restrictive sense.

Similarly, although this disclosure refers to specific embodiments, certain modifications and changes can be made to those embodiments without departing from the scope and coverage of this disclosure. Moreover, any benefits, advantages, or solutions to problems that are described herein with regard to specific embodiments are not intended to be construed as a critical, required, or essential feature or element.

Further embodiments, likewise, with the benefit of this disclosure, will be apparent to those having ordinary skill in the art, and such embodiments should be deemed as being encompassed herein. All examples and conditional language recited herein are intended for pedagogical objects to aid the reader in understanding the disclosure and the concepts contributed by the inventor to furthering the art and are construed as being without limitation to such specifically recited examples and conditions.