Hinge Plate with Wedge

This continuation patent application claims priority benefit, with regard to all common subject matter, to U.S. patent application Ser. No. 18/317,566, entitled “HINGE PLATE WITH WEDGE”, and filed May 15, 2023. Application Ser. No. 18/317,566 is hereby incorporated by reference, in its entirety, into this continuation patent application.

Traffic barrier systems are often placed on roadways to create barriers between opposing traffic lanes or between traffic lanes and roadside hazards. To that end, traffic barrier systems often include rigid barricades such as large concrete blocks to prevent lateral vehicle encroachment. Traffic barrier end treatments often precede leading barricades so that vehicles heading toward the leading barricades impact and are arrested by the traffic barrier end treatments instead.

Unfortunately, traffic barrier end treatments introduce other hazards to the occupants of impacting vehicles and nearby vehicles. For example, many traffic barrier end treatments launch impacting vehicles into the air or redirect them into adjacent lanes. The traffic barrier end treatments also buckle and burst into several fragments, which may damage nearby vehicles and harm their occupants.

Furthermore, some traffic barrier systems are moveable by barrier transfer machines (BTM) to create temporary barriers or to reconfigure the lanes. Many traffic barrier end treatments are not compatible with BTMs, while BTM-compatible traffic barrier end treatments have limited impact mitigation performance.

Embodiments of the invention solve the above-mentioned problems and other problems and provide a distinct advance in the art of traffic barrier end treatments. More particularly, the invention provides an anchorless crash cushion apparatus with an improved nose assembly and crash and hinge plate assemblies that prevent an impacting vehicle from lifting off the ground, minimizes fragmentation, and is compatible with BTMs without compromise to impact mitigation performance.

An embodiment of the anchorless crash cushion apparatus broadly comprises a transition component, a number of crash cushion elements, a number of stabilizing members, a number of hinge plate assemblies, and a nose assembly. Elements of the anchorless crash cushion apparatus are configured to lift upwards when the anchorless crash cushion apparatus is impacted by a vehicle so that a center of gravity of the anchorless crash cushion apparatus remains above a center of gravity of the vehicle.

The transition component pivotably connects the anchorless crash cushion apparatus to a traffic divider. The transition component is similar to other hinge components described herein for allowing the anchorless crash cushion apparatus and the traffic divider to be fed through a BTM.

The crash cushion elements are positioned in-line with each other and are substantially identical to each other and thus only a first (forward-most) crash cushion element will be described in detail. The first crash cushion element includes a forward end, a rearward end, left and right stabilizer indentations, and left and right BTM indentations. The first crash cushion element is empty (i.e., filled with air, while subsequent crash cushion elements are filled with water, sand, or other energy-absorbing material.

The left and right stabilizer indentations extend longitudinally along sides of the first crash cushion element and include upper and lower stabilizer indentations. The left and right stabilizer indentations receive stabilizing members therein.

The left and right BTM indentations extend longitudinally along sides of the first crash cushion element and are configured to receive and guide rollers or other components of the BTM. The left and right BTM indentations are configured to align with BTM indentations of other crash cushion elements and the nose assembly so that the anchorless crash cushion apparatus can be fed through the BTM.

The stabilizing members extend longitudinally between the forward end and rearward end of the first crash cushion element in the left and right stabilizer indentations. The stabilizing members are configured to stabilize the crash cushion element, help keep crash cushion elements aligned and together during and after an impact event, and reduce an amount of debris and debris range due to the impact event.

The hinge plate assemblies support the crash cushion elements and connect the crash cushion elements together end-to-end. The hinge plate assemblies are substantially similar and thus only the first (forward-most) hinge plate assembly will be described in detail. The first hinge plate assembly includes a forward structure, a rearward structure, and a wedge incline.

The forward structure supports a front end of the first crash cushion element and includes a forward hinge component and an incline surface defining an incline recess. The forward structure is positively attached to the forward end of the corresponding crash cushion element.

The forward hinge component pivotably connects the hinge plate assembly to the nose assembly. Importantly, the forward hinge component is configured to move upward relative to the nose assembly so that the hinge plate assembly can be driven upward during an impact event. The forward hinge component is connected to corresponding hinge components via a pin or similar component.

The incline surface is configured to engage a wedge incline of the nose assembly (described in more detail below). The incline surface forms an incline recess for accommodating the wedge incline of the nose assembly.

The rearward structure includes a rearward hinge component and an incline surface defining an incline recess. The rearward structure is positively attached to the rearward end of the corresponding crash cushion element.

The rearward hinge component pivotably connects the hinge plate assembly to a subsequent (i.e., aft adjacent) hinge plate assembly. Importantly, the rearward hinge component is configured to move downward relative to the corresponding hinge component of the subsequent hinge plate assembly so that the subsequent hinge plate assembly can be driven upward relative to the hinge plate assembly.

The incline surface is configured to engage the wedge incline of the corresponding hinge plate assembly as the first crash cushion element collapses. The incline surface forms an incline recess for accommodating the wedge incline of the corresponding hinge plate assembly.

The wedge incline includes left and right angled sides and defines an incline recess. The wedge incline extends diagonally upward toward the forward structure.

The nose assembly includes a forward component and a rearward component. The nose assembly is configured to engage a vehicle and transfer impact forces to the crash cushion elements.

The forward component includes a vertical section, and a wedge incline. The forward component is the forwardmost element of the anchorless crash cushion apparatus and hence is configured to be contacted by a vehicle head-on.

The vertical section includes a lower protrusion, an upper protrusion, and left and right BTM indentations. The lower protrusion and upper protrusion are configured to vertically bracket the front of the vehicle to ensure the vehicle remains in engagement with the nose assembly and hence the anchorless crash cushion apparatus through the duration of the impact event.

The left and right BTM indentations extend longitudinally along sides of the vertical section and are configured to receive and guide rollers or other components of the BTM. The left and right BTM indentations are configured to align with BTM indentations of the rearward component and the crash cushion elements so that the anchorless crash cushion apparatus can be fed through the BTM.

The wedge incline includes left and right rails. Alternatively, a wedge incline similar to the wedge inclines of the hinge plate assemblies may be used. In one embodiment, a lateral guide may be positioned above the wedge incline to maintain lateral alignment of the forward component and the rearward component.

The rearward component includes a rearward hinge component, left and right BTM indentations, and wedge cross members. The rearward component is configured to facilitate substantially rearward motion of the forward component and effect lifting motion to the crash cushion elements.

The rearward hinge component pivotably connects the nose assembly to a first one of the hinge plate assemblies. Importantly, the rearward hinge component is configured to stay grounded relative to the corresponding hinge component of the first hinge plate assembly. Said another way, the corresponding hinge component of the first one of the hinge plate assemblies can be driven upward relative to the nose assembly when the nose assembly is driven toward the hinge plate assemblies.

The left and right BTM indentations extend longitudinally along sides of the rearward component and are configured to receive and guide rollers or other components of the BTM. The left and right BTM indentations are configured to align with BTM indentations of the forward component of the nose assembly and the crash cushion elements so that the anchorless crash cushion apparatus can be fed through the BTM.

The wedge cross members extend laterally between sides of the rearward component. The wedge cross members are configured to engage the wedge incline of the forward component to lift the rearward component of the nose assembly.

The anchorless crash cushion apparatus arrests a vehicle impacting the forward component. The forward component vertically brackets the vehicle to prevent the vehicle from being catapulted above the anchorless crash cushion apparatus. The forward component is urged rearward, thereby driving the rearward component up the wedge incline of the forward component. The rearward component is in turn driven rearward toward a first one of the crash cushion elements. Upward movement of the rearward component does not disconnect the rearward component from the first crash cushion element. Rather, the first crash cushion element is driven upward via the wedge incline of the forward component.

The first crash cushion element (and subsequent crash cushion elements) collapses longitudinally from impact forces. This drives the forward structure and the wedge incline of the first hinge plate assembly toward the rearward hinge component of the first hinge plate assembly. The wedge incline of first hinge plate assembly thereby drives the rearward structure (and hence a rearward portion of the first crash cushion element) upward. Subsequent crash cushion elements may be driven upward in the same manner.

The anchorless crash cushion apparatus provides several advantages. For example, when impacted by a vehicle, the nose assembly elevates its rearward component and the first one of the crash cushion elements while the forward component of the nose assembly remains in contact with the ground/road surface. Similarly, the wedge inclines of the crash cushion elements elevate subsequent crash cushion elements. This keeps the impacting vehicle from being catapulted or lifted off the ground/road surface.

The anchorless crash cushion apparatus is also compatible with a BTM. Specifically, the nose assembly and the crash cushion elements are pivotably connected via hinges and include left and right BTM indentations for engaging rollers of the BTM.

This summary is provided to introduce a selection of concepts in a simplified form that are further described below in the detailed description. This summary is not intended to identify key features or essential features of the claimed subject matter, nor is it intended to be used to limit the scope of the claimed subject matter. Other aspects and advantages of the current invention will be apparent from the following detailed description of the embodiments and the accompanying drawing figures.

The drawing figures do not limit the current invention to the specific embodiments disclosed and described herein. The drawings are not necessarily to scale, emphasis instead being placed upon clearly illustrating the principles of the invention.

The following detailed description of the invention references the accompanying drawings that illustrate specific embodiments in which the invention can be practiced. The embodiments are intended to describe aspects of the invention in sufficient detail to enable those skilled in the art to practice the invention. Other embodiments can be utilized and changes can be made without departing from the scope of the present invention. The following detailed description is, therefore, not to be taken in a limiting sense. The scope of the present invention is defined only by the appended claims, along with the full scope of equivalents to which such claims are entitled.

In this description, references to “one embodiment”, “an embodiment”, or “embodiments” mean that the feature or features being referred to are included in at least one embodiment of the technology. Separate references to “one embodiment”, “an embodiment”, or “embodiments” in this description do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment and are also not mutually exclusive unless so stated and/or except as will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art from the description. For example, a feature, structure, act, etc. described in one embodiment may also be included in other embodiments, but is not necessarily included. As used in the specification and in the claims, ordering words such as “first” and “second” are used to distinguish between similar components and do not imply specific components. Thus, the current technology can include a variety of combinations and/or integrations of the embodiments described herein.

Turning to the drawing figures, an anchorless crash cushion apparatusconstructed in accordance with an embodiment of the invention is illustrated. The anchorless crash cushion apparatusbroadly comprises a transition component, a plurality of crash cushion elements, a plurality of stabilizing members, a plurality of hinge plate assemblies, and a nose assembly.

The transition componentpivotably connects the anchorless crash cushion apparatusto a traffic divider. The transition componentmay be similar to other hinge components described herein for allowing the anchorless crash cushion apparatusand the traffic dividerto be fed through a BTM.

The plurality of crash cushion elementsmay be positioned inline with each other and may be substantially identical to each other. In some embodiments, several crash cushion elementsnear the nose assemblymay have truncated lower ends, while several crash cushion elementsnear the transition componentmay have a relatively fuller volume, as seen in. Each crash cushion elementincludes a forward end, a rearward end, left and right stabilizer indentationsA,B, and left and right BTM indentationsA,B. The plurality of crash cushion elementsmay be rigid or semi-rigid containers configured to enclose a liquid, sand, air, or the like. To that end, one or more of the crash cushion elementsnear the nose assemblymay be empty (i.e., full of air) while several of the crash cushion elementsaft of the air-filled crash cushion element(s)may be filled with water, sand, or the like.

The left and right stabilizer indentationsA,B extend longitudinally along sides of the crash cushion elementand may include an upper stabilizer indentation and a lower stabilizer indentation (so that there are two stabilizer indentations on each side of the crash cushion element). The left and right stabilizer indentationsA,B receive stabilizing memberstherein.

The left and right BTM indentationsA,B extend longitudinally along sides of the crash cushion elementand are configured to receive and guide rollers or other components of the BTM. The left and right BTM indentationsA,B are configured to align with BTM indentations of other crash cushion elements and the nose assemblyso that the anchorless crash cushion apparatuscan be fed through the BTM.

The plurality of stabilizing membersextend longitudinally between the forward endand rearward endof the crash cushion elementin the left and right stabilizer indentationsA,B. The plurality of stabilizing membersare configured to stabilize the crash cushion element, help keep crash cushion elements aligned and together during and after an impact event, and reduce an amount of debris and debris range due to the impact event.

The plurality of hinge plate assembliessupport the crash cushion elementsand connect the plurality of crash cushion elementstogether end-to-end. The hinge plate assembliesare substantially similar and thus the forward-most hinge plate assemblywill be described in detail. The hinge plate assemblyincludes a forward structure, a rearward structure, and a wedge incline.

The forward structuresupports a front end of the corresponding crash cushion elementand may include a forward hinge componentand a complementary incline surfacedefining an incline recess. The forward structuremay be positively attached to the forward endof the corresponding crash cushion elementvia fasteners, interlocking geometry, or the like, or may cradle or bracket the corresponding crash cushion elementvia a friction fit, approximate fit, or the like.

The forward hinge componentpivotably connects the hinge plate assemblyto the nose assembly(or to a preceding hinge plate assembly). Importantly, the forward hinge componentmay be configured to move upward relative to the noise assembly(or a hinge component of a preceding hinge plate assembly) so that the hinge plate assemblycan be driven upward during an impact event. The forward hinge component(and other hinge components) may be connected to corresponding hinge components via a pin or similar component.

The incline surfacemay be configured to engage a wedge incline of the nose assembly(described in more detail below) or a wedge incline of a preceding (i.e., forward adjacent) hinge plate assembly. The incline surfacemay form an incline recessfor accommodating the preceding wedge incline. Other structures such as a cross-beam could be used in place of the incline surface.

The rearward structuremay include a rearward hinge componentand an incline surfacedefining an incline recess. The rearward structuremay be positively attached to the rearward endof the corresponding crash cushion elementvia fasteners, interlocking geometry, or the like, or may cradle or bracket the corresponding crash cushion elementvia a friction fit, approximate fit, or the like.

The rearward hinge componentpivotably connects the hinge plate assemblyto a subsequent (i.e., aft adjacent) hinge plate assembly. Importantly, the rearward hinge componentmay be configured to move downward relative to the corresponding hinge component of the subsequent hinge plate assembly so that the subsequent hinge plate assembly can be driven upward relative to the hinge plate assemblywhen the hinge plate assemblyis driven toward the subsequent hinge plate assembly.

The incline surfacemay be configured to engage the wedge inclineof the corresponding hinge plate assemblyas the corresponding crash cushion elementcollapses. The incline surfacemay form an incline recessfor accommodating the wedge inclineof the corresponding hinge plate assembly. Other structures such as a cross-beam could be used in place of the incline surface.

The wedge inclinemay include left and right angled sidesA,B and defines an incline recess. The wedge inclineextends diagonally upward toward the forward structure. The left and right angled sidesA,B may be shaped to fit in incline recesses of a subsequent hinge plate assembly. As a related matter, the incline recessmay be configured to receive a wedge incline of a preceding hinge plate assembly. The wedge inclinemay be substantially triangular when viewed from the side.