Patent ID: 7950870
Filing Date: 2011-05-31
Classification: E01F

Abstract:
1. An energy absorbing vehicle barrier, comprising: a first gate receiver and a second gate receiver laterally spaced apart from said first gate receiver, said first and second gate receivers adapted to be disposed on opposite sides of a vehicle pathway; a gate member disposed between said first and second gate receivers and deformable from a pre-impact configuration to an impact configuration, wherein said gate member comprises: a first deformable energy absorbing member having a first end coupled to said first gate receiver and a second end extending laterally inward toward a center of said gate member such that said first deformable energy absorbing member is adapted to be positioned across and overlying a portion of the vehicle pathway; a second deformable energy absorbing member having a first end coupled to said second gate receiver and a second end extending laterally inward toward said center of said gate member such that said second deformable energy absorbing member is adapted to be positioned across and overlying a portion of the vehicle pathway; a first deforming member configured to engage and deform, and is moveable along a length of, said first deformable energy absorbing member as said gate member is deformed from said pre-impact configuration to said impact configuration, and a second deforming member configured to engage and deform, and is moveable along a length of, said second deformable energy absorbing member as said gate member is deformed from said pre-impact configuration to said impact configuration, wherein said first and second deforming members are moveable toward each other as said gate member is deformed from said pre-impact configuration to said impact configuration.