Classifications

• • E—FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
  • E01—CONSTRUCTION OF ROADS, RAILWAYS, OR BRIDGES
  • E01F—ADDITIONAL WORK, SUCH AS EQUIPPING ROADS OR THE CONSTRUCTION OF PLATFORMS, HELICOPTER LANDING STAGES, SIGNS, SNOW FENCES, OR THE LIKE
  • E01F7/00—Devices affording protection against snow, sand drifts, side-wind effects, snowslides, avalanches or falling rocks; Anti-dazzle arrangements ; Sight-screens for roads, e.g. to mask accident site
  • E01F7/04—Devices affording protection against snowslides, avalanches or falling rocks, e.g. avalanche preventing structures, galleries

Definitions

• the invention relates to an impact absorbing device and to a slope
• Impact absorbing devices must first assure continuity of the screen or fence and thus prevent the screen or fence to be broken in two or more parts.
• impact absorbing devices must be able to absorb various levels of energy, since it is not known in advance how big the impact may be.
• a third requirement is that the impact absorbing devices must be resistant to severe weather conditions. They should be resistant to corrosion, continue working under humid conditions or under varying temperatures.
• a last and fourth requirement is that the impact absorbing devices must have a long life time since they are in general installed and used on locations that are not easy to reach.
• Patent application KR-A-20150031259 discloses an impact absorbing mechanism where a rope is encircling a tube. Upon impact the released energy is transformed into deformation energy of the tube and in heat due to friction between the rope and the tube. The deformation of the tube is only locally in the region of the encircling rope.
• Patent applications KR-A-20120083874 and KR-A-201 10130077 disclose a rockfall protection fence. Upon impact the tension on the rope is transferred to a device with a tube shaped part that can deform to absorb the transferred impact energy. This impact absorbing device needs to be located on a post.
• Patent application US-A-2010 0327244 discloses another rockfall
• Rope members go through posts in opposite directions and energy absorbers are provided to hold the ends of the ropes in place.
• Absorbers included in this patent are friction-resistant type. When tensile force overcomes their friction resistance, ropes slide through the absorber Posts does not deform, but act as a lock.
• Yet another object of the invention to provide an impact absorbing device that can be installed at various locations in a dynamic barrier against rockfalls.
• an impact absorbing device with at least one tube.
• This tube or these tubes have a wall that is provided with two holes at a first side and two holes at a second side.
• the device further comprises a first rope and a second rope.
• the first rope passes through the tube or tubes starting from a first hole at the first side and going to a first hole at the second side of a first tube, and so on until all tubes have been passed through.
• the first rope is provided at its one end with a first thickening element such as a sleeve that prevents the first rope from slipping back or being pulled back through the tube or tubes.
• the first thickening element is fixed to the first rope and unable to slide along the first rope.
• the second rope passes through the tube or tubes starting from a second hole at the second side and going to a second hole at the first side of a first tube and so on until all tubes have been passed through.
• the second rope is provided at its one end with a second thickening element such as a sleeve that prevents the second rope from slipping back or being pulled back through the tube or tubes.
• the second thickening element is fixed to the second rope and unable to slide along the second rope.
• this impact absorbing device allows to transform impact energy into energy needed to deform the tube or tubes, into energy needed to plastically elongate both ropes and into heat energy caused by friction of the ropes in the holes and with the stiff elements.
• the tubes are preferably made of steel, aluminium or of another metallic alloy with a high level of deformation potential. These tubes or any of the rest of the parts can be made of neoprene, gum or other plastic material with similar properties. By selecting the proper tube material, by determining the number of tubes (one, two, three or more) and by designing the thickness of the tubes, one may obtain a large range of impact energy that can be absorbed.
• first rope and the second rope are
• the first hole at the first side is positioned diametrically vis-a-vis the first hole at the second side.
• the second hole at the first side is positioned preferably diametrically vis-a-vis the second hole at the second side.
• the tube or tubes may have a circular cross-section, a rectangular cross- section or a rhombic cross-section.
• the tubes do not have irregularities in the material that may cause weakening of the tubes and decrease in the deformation energy. More particularly, the tubes do not have welds.
• the thickening element at the end of the ropes may work together in combination with a stiff element.
• Stiff elements e.g. stiff plates, are positioned between the first and/or the second thickenings and the at least one tube.
• the thickening at the rope end and the stiff element must work together such that after complete compression of the tube or tubes, the ropes still do not slip back through the tubes. The ropes must be blocked so that ultimately plastic elongation of the ropes can occur until fracture of the ropes. Fracture of the thickened rope ends is to be avoided.
• the first and/or said second thickenings transmit a compression force to the at least one tube and transform the impact energy into energy needed to deform the at least one tube by compression.
• the impact energy can also be partially transformed into energy needed to plastically elongate the ropes and into heat energy caused by friction of the ropes in the holes and with the possible stiff elements.
• a slope protection system as a dynamic barrier against rockfalls that comprises an impact absorbing device according to the first aspect of the invention.
• the impact absorbing devices can be also used for mudflow barriers, debris barriers or snow barriers as different dynamic barriers for several applications.
• the dynamic barrier may have several posts and nets, screens or fences positioned and installed between the posts at the dynamic barrier.
• Perimeter ropes are hanging the nets, screens or fences to the posts. Supporting ropes are connecting the posts to anchors in the ground.
• the impact absorbing device may be positioned on one or more of the perimeter ropes, or on one or more of the supporting ropes or on both types of ropes, thus giving flexibility to locate the impact absorbing device at the positions where the needs may be the highest.
• Figure 1 is a perspective view of an impact absorbing device according to the invention.
• Figure 2 is a perspective view of a tube used in an impact absorbing
• Figure 3 is a perspective view of a preferable embodiment of the impact absorbing device according to the invention.
• Figure 4 is a schematic view of a dynamic barrier equipped with several impact absorbing devices according to the invention. Mode(s) for Carrying Out the Invention
• Figure 1 is a perspective view of an impact absorbing device 100
• the device 100 has one tube 102.
• This tube 102 has a first hole 104 and a second hole 106 at a first side and a first hole 108 and a second hole 1 10 at a second side.
• a first rope 1 12 passes through the first hole 104 at the first side and through the first hole 108 at the second side. Further on, the first rope also passes through a solid stiff block 1 14.
• the first rope 1 12 is provided with a sleeve 1 16. The sleeve 1 16 transmits the force exercised on the first rope 1 12 to the solid stiff block 1 14.
• the stiff block 1 14 prevents the first rope 1 12 from slipping back.
• a second rope 1 18 passes through a hole in the stiff block 1 14 at the second side, through a second hole 1 10 at the second side, through a second hole 106 at the first side, and finally through a hole of a stiff block 120 at the first side.
• the second rope 1 18 ends with a sleeve 122.
• FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a further improvement of a tube 200 used in an impact absorbing device according to a first aspect of the invention.
• the tube 200 has a first hole 202 and a second hole 204 at a first side and a first hole 206 and a second hole 208 at a second side.
• Hole 202 is positioned diametrically vis-a-vis hole 206.
• hole 204 is positioned diametrically vis-a-vis hole 208.
• the presence of the holes 202, 204, 206, 208 may weaken section A-A in the tube 200 to such an extent that deformation starts only in section A-A.
• the energy absorbable by the tube could be doubled by increasing somewhat the diameter D and the thickness T.
• FIG 3 is a perspective view of a preferable embodiment of an impact absorbing device 300 according to a first aspect of the invention.
• the impact absorbing device 300 has two tubes 302 and 304.
• a first rope 306 passes through the two tubes 302, 304 and comprises a sleeve 308 at its one end at one side.
• This sleeve 308 has an external diameter that is larger than the hole through a stiff, solid plate 310 where the first rope 306 passes through.
• a second rope 312 passes through the tubes 302, 304 and ends with a sleeve 314 in contact with a stiff solid plate 316 at the other side.
• Test speed was set at the value that is recommended by the ETAG for static tests on energy dissipators. .
• the outer diameter D of the two tubes and the thickness T of the tubes determined The displacement of the tubes, the displacement of the ropes and the displacement of the clamps in the test that were all recorded
• this third part can be derived by subtracting the first part and the second part from the total energy .
• Figure 4 is a schematic view of how impact absorbing devices according to the first aspect of the invention are used and integrated into a dynamic barrier against rockfalls 400.
• a dynamic barrier against rockfalls 400 comprises a number of poles 402, 404, 406 between which fences, nets or screens 408, 410 are hung.
• These fences 408, 410 may preferably be chain link fences.
• the fences 408, 410 are stretched and attached to the poles 402, 404, 406 with the help of perimeter ropes 412, 414, 416 and 418.
• supporting ropes 420, 422 attach the left most pole 402 to a support or anchor 424.
• supporting ropes 426, 428 connect the right most pole 406 to a support or anchor 430.
• the poles in-between may also be connected or attached to a support. Since the invention impact absorbing devices do not need to be connected to a post, there is quite some freedom to position them in the dynamic barrier against rockfalls 400.
• Impact absorbing devices 434, 436 may be positioned on the upper perimeter ropes 412 and 414.
• impact absorbing devices , 438 may be positioned on the supporting ropes 420, 428.

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• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Architecture (AREA)
• Civil Engineering (AREA)
• Structural Engineering (AREA)
• Devices Affording Protection Of Roads Or Walls For Sound Insulation (AREA)
• Fluid-Damping Devices (AREA)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Publications (2)

Family

ID=58772765

Family Applications (1)

Country Status (7)

Families Citing this family (5)

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• 2018
  • 2018-05-09 WO PCT/EP2018/062102 patent/WO2018215216A1/en not_active Ceased
  • 2018-05-09 PE PE2019002036A patent/PE20210055A1/es unknown
  • 2018-05-09 PT PT187257936T patent/PT3631093T/pt unknown
  • 2018-05-09 EP EP18725793.6A patent/EP3631093B1/de active Active
  • 2018-05-09 PL PL18725793.6T patent/PL3631093T3/pl unknown
  • 2018-05-09 ES ES18725793T patent/ES2939666T3/es active Active
• 2019
  • 2019-10-28 CL CL2019003092A patent/CL2019003092A1/es unknown

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