Patent ID: 6024341
Filing Date: 2000-02-15
Classification: E01F

Abstract:
An energy absorbing guardrail crash attenuator system for installation in front of a rigid backup, the attenuator system comprising:a. a compressible initial section at a front end of the attenuator system comprising:i. two initial section side panels of approximately the same length and extending horizontally comprising front ends disposed distally to the rigid backup and back ends disposed proximate to the rigid backup;ii. initial section joint that flexibly attaches the initial section side panels front ends, whereby forming an initial section interior angle at the initial section joint that is approximately bisected by a horizontal axis; andiii. initial section back attachment means for connecting the initial section side panel back ends to a backwardly adjacent compressible intermediate section, wherein each initial section side panel bows away from the axis whereby, when an axially oriented force is directed against the initial section and toward the rigid backup, the initial section side panels bend away from the axis and the initial section axially compresses;b. at least one compressible intermediate section behind the initial section comprising:i. two intermediate section side panels of approximately the same length and extending horizontally comprising front ends disposed distally to the rigid backup, and back ends disposed proximate to the rigid backup;ii. intermediate section joint that flexibly attaches the intermediate section side panels front ends, whereby forming an intermediate section interior angle at the intermediate section joint that is approximately bisected by the axis; andiii. intermediate section back attachment means for connecting the intermediate section back ends to a backwardly adjacent compressible section, wherein each intermediate section side panel bows away from the axis whereby, when an axially oriented force is directed against the intermediate section and toward the rigid backup, the intermediate section side panels bend away from the axis and the intermediate section axially compresses, and wherein the intermediate section joint is disposed between forwardly adjacent compressible section side panels; andc. a compressible terminal section between the at least one intermediate section and the rigid backup comprising:i. two terminal section side panels of approximately the same length and extending horizontally comprising front ends disposed distally to the rigid backup and back ends disposed proximate to the rigid backup;ii. terminal section joint that flexibly attaches the front ends of the terminal section side panels, whereby forming an terminal section interior angle at the terminal section joint that is approximately bisected by the axis; andiii. terminal section attachment means for attaching the terminal section side panel back ends to the rigid backup, wherein each terminal section side panel bows away from the axis whereby, when an axially oriented force is directed against the terminal section and toward the rigid backup, the terminal section side panels bend away from the axis and the terminal section axially compresses, and wherein the terminal section joint is disposed between forwardly adjacent compressible section side panels.