Abstract:
A crash guard configured to resist intrusion of a vehicle from a traffic lane into an area and to resist intrusion into an area of debris caused by an impact of a vehicle into the crash guard or into another vehicle.

Description:
FIELD OF THE DISCLOSURE 
       [0001]    This invention relates to crash guards to provide protection against out-of-control vehicles and debris. 
       BACKGROUND 
       [0002]    The purpose of the present invention is to provide protection against out-of control vehicles for people congregating near moving vehicles. Typical locations where the invention would be useful include bus stops and outdoor dining areas situated near roadways or parking lots. Although outdoor dining areas have existed for some time, the advent of indoor smoking prohibitions have caused many bars, restaurants and like establishments to establish or expand outdoor dining areas. Due to property constraints many of these outdoor dining areas have been placed adjacent to roadways or parking lots where vehicle traffic is prevalent. 
         [0003]    Likewise, both for convenience and land constraints bus stops are typically placed adjacent to roadways where vehicular traffic occurs. It is very common that sidewalks are often poured right up to the curb, leaving scant feet between traffic and pedestrians to begin with. Bus stops and the accompanying benches and waiting areas, are often anchored to the sidewalk just a few feet from the curb. Some communities recognizing the danger have passed legislation allowing public easements that oftentimes allow shelters to be placed behind the sidewalk. Although of some benefit, these measures at best place a few additional feet between the waiting people and an out-of-control vehicle. Some communities have attempted to locate bus stops behind utility poles that could act as barriers. Other communities have installed or considered installing bollards—concrete posts—around the bus shelters. Using utility poles of course is subject to a utility pole being conveniently located and relies largely on luck that an out-of-control vehicle would come from a direction and in a manner such that it would hit the pole rather than the people at the bus stop. At best, the use of utility poles would provide protection only in some accidents. The inventors recognized that an additional problem with respect to utility poles, concrete bollards and other methods is that although a vehicle hitting such barriers may be stopped, the impact oftentimes allows for portions of the vehicle to intrude into the area to be protected by the bollards or utility poles and/or sends pieces of the concrete bollards, the utility pole or the vehicle and fluids from the vehicle into the people the barrier is meant to protect. 
         [0004]    The present invention addresses these needs and many objects and advantages derived from the present invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from this specification. Although the above background has emphasized the invention&#39;s use with respect to outdoor dining areas and bus stops, the invention is certainly not limited to the uses or locations described. Rather, the invention could be used wherever protection of people near moving vehicles is desired. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0005]    Disclosed herein is a crash guard to resist intrusion of a vehicle from a traffic lane into an area and to resist intrusion into that area of debris caused by an impact of a vehicle into the crash guard or into another vehicle. The traffic lane could be any area where moving vehicles are present and need not be a traditional traffic lane. It could, for example, be a parking lot or similar area. The crash guard includes two or more front bollards anchored into the ground between the traffic lane and the area to be protected. The front bollards define at least one perimeter of the area and are of sufficient construction and sufficiently anchored to the ground so as to resist the intrusion of vehicles across the perimeter into the area to be protected. There is at least one guard rail designed to resist intrusion across the perimeter attached between the bollards. A vertical debris shield is attached above the front bollards and extending along the vertical plane of the perimeter. There may also be a debris shield attached between the front bollards. 
         [0006]    The crash guard may also include two or more rear bollards which define a second perimeter of the area to be protected. Roof decking support beams may extend vertically from the rear bollards and roof decking may be attached to the roof decking support beams and extend over the area to be protected. The roof decking may be attached to the front of the crash guard or may simple cantilever from the roof decking support beams and extend over the crash guard. Alternatively, a portion of the roof decking, preferably a portion over the front of the area to be protected, may instead be of canopy debris shields. These embodiments may also include a debris shield between the front bollards. 
         [0007]    The crash guard may also be connected to an existing structure either by attaching the canopy debris shields or roof decking to the existing structure. For example, a crash guard could include front bollards, a guard rail and vertical debris screens and either roof decking or canopy debris shields attached or adjacent to the roof structure of an existing bus stop shelter or other structure. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0008]    These and other features and advantages will become appreciated as the same becomes understood with reference to the description, claims and drawings wherein: 
           [0009]      FIG. 1  is an exterior front perspective view of one embodiment of the invention; 
           [0010]      FIG. 2  is a top plan view of one embodiment of the invention; 
           [0011]      FIG. 3  is an exterior side perspective view of one embodiment of the invention; 
           [0012]      FIG. 4  is an exterior rear perspective view of one embodiment of the invention; 
           [0013]      FIG. 5  is a side view of one aspect of the invention; 
           [0014]      FIG. 6  is an exterior front perspective view of another embodiment of the invention; and 
           [0015]      FIG. 7  is a top plan view of another embodiment of the invention. 
       
    
    
     DESCRIPTION 
       [0016]    Turning to  FIGS. 1-4 , there is shown a first embodiment of a bus stop crash guard of the invention generally designated by reference number  10 . In this embodiment, an interior space is defined by a crash guard  10  the components of which include front bollards  12 , rear bollards  13 , guard rails  14 , debris shields  16 , canopy debris shields  18  and roof decking  26  all connected via various framework components as described in more detail below. As best seen in  FIGS. 3 and 4 , the crash guard  10  may define thresholds  28  on either side of the crash guard  10  through which ingress and egress may be made. The crash guard components and the framework components of the crash guard  10  may be made of a variety of materials so long as adequate crash and debris protection is provided. In one embodiment shown in  FIGS. 1-5 , the materials and construction are as follows. 
         [0017]    As seen in  FIG. 5 , the bollards  12  are preferably made of steel tubes  30  filled with concrete  32 . The bollards  12  are approximately three feet six and one-quarter inches high above the ground and are sunk approximately six feet into concrete foundations  32  below the sidewalk  34  or other area upon which the crash guard  10  may be located. Steel plate end caps  36  are attached to the top of each bollard and galvanized steel debris shield supports  24  are attached to the steel plate end caps  36 . In this embodiment, the steel tubes  30  are constructed of galvanized steel TS6″×6″×¼″ and filled with 2500 psi concrete. The guardrails  14  are TOGA galvanized, for example Grainger #1CWR3. There are preferably two guardrails  14  placed on the front of the crash guard  10  with the center of the lower guardrail approximately ten and one-half inches above grade and the center of the upper guardrail approximately one foot nine inches above the center of the lower guardrail. The end caps  36  on the bollards  12  may be made of ¼″ steel plate. In the embodiment just described, the bollards  12  are designed for a 10,000-pound maximum horizontal point load located at two feet eight inches above grade. The rear bollards  13  may be constructed similarly to the front bollards  12  but it may not be necessary if crash protection is not needed or needed minimally from the rear side of the crash guard  10 . If no protection or only minimal protection is needed, the rear bollards  13  need only be strong enough to structurally support the roof decking support beams  42  and the roof decking  26 . Depending on local codes, ordinances and the like and/or the degree of intrusion protection desired with respect to a particular location, the bollards  12 ,  13  and the guardrails  14  may be of different materials, construction and installation than as just described above with respect to this particular embodiment. For example, embodiments could include only one guardrail or three or more guard rails. The guard rails need not be of galvanized steel but could be of sufficiently strong rubber, plastic or composite or otherwise constructed to meet the varying codes, ordinances, regulations or building practices of various locales in which the crash guard  10  may be deployed. Likewise, the bollards could be constructed entirely of concrete or other materials or may have different combinations of steel and concrete than as specified above. 
         [0018]    Continuing with  FIGS. 1 through 4 , the debris shields  16  are attached to the debris shield supports  24  by flat bar tabs  38  and via weld to a flat bar frame  22 . The flat bar frame is also welded to the debris shield supports  24 . The canopy debris shields  18  are attached to the debris shield supports  24  by blade brackets  40  and to the truss frame  20  by flat bar tabs  38 . The roof decking  26  is attached to the crash guard  10  via the truss frame  20  and the roof decking support beams  42 . The roof decking support beams  42  are inserted into the rear bollards  13 . 
         [0019]    In the embodiment shown, the debris shield supports  24  are galvanized steel such as TS2″×2″× 3/16″. The truss frame  20  is 2″×2″ steel. The flat bar frames  22  are 2″×⅛″ steel. In the embodiment shown, the debris shields  16  and the canopy debris shields  18  are made of metal wire mesh screen such as a square opening wire mesh plain steel square weave with an opening size of approximately two inches and ¼-inch wire diameter. The roof decking  26  is made of metal. The debris shields are attached to the debris shield supports  24  via ⅛″ steel flat bar tabs  38  with ⅜″ bolts or other suitably strong attachment methods or devices. The canopy screens  18  are attached to the truss frame  20  via ⅛″ steel flat bar tabs  38  with ⅜″ bolts or other suitably strong attachment methods or devices and to the screen supports  24  via ¼″ steel blade brackets  40  or other suitably strong attachment methods or devices. The canopy screens may also be made of a wire mesh screen similar to that of the debris shields. Both, the debris shields and canopy screens may be made of other sufficiently strong materials including wire mesh made of materials other than steel or solid materials such as metal plate, plexiglass, rubber, plastics, etc. 
         [0020]    The method and means of attachment of the various components of the crash guard  10  shown in  FIGS. 1 through 5  and described above is just one such method of attaching the various components. Other methods of attachment and materials as is known in the trade of engineering, architecture, building and construction could be used without departing from the basic operating principles and concepts of this disclosure. 
         [0021]    It can also be seen that alternative embodiments are available depending on the degree of protection needed, local site factors and cost. If additional protection is desired from debris intruding into the interior space by passing between the bollards  12  or the guardrails  14 , additional debris shields  16  may be attached either to the bollards  12  or to the guardrails  14 . In some crash scenarios it is possible that debris could be thrown over the debris shields. Accordingly, the embodiment shown in  FIGS. 1-4  includes canopy debris shields  18 . However, if protection from debris intruding into the interior space defined by the crash guard by going over the debris shields  16  is not desired or deemed to be of minimal risk, the crash guard  10  need not include the canopy debris shields  18 . Alternatively, if additional protection from very small debris or liquid debris is desired the debris shields  16 , whether attached to the debris shield supports  20 , to the bollards  12  or to the guardrails  14  may instead of being constructed of wire mesh may be constructed of a suitably strong solid material such as steel plate, plexi-glass, or like materials that provide the desired degree of protection from intrusion of small debris and liquids. Likewise, various combinations of different types of debris shields  16  and canopy screens  18  may be used depending on the risks for which protection is sought. Thus, the debris shields attached to the bollards  12  or guardrails  14  could be of a solid material to protect against a greater likelihood of liquid debris that may occur at the point of impact with the crash guard  10  while the debris shields  18  attached to the debris shield supports  24  may be of a mesh or screen type material to protect against solid debris only. Likewise the canopy debris shields  18  may be of solid material to provide additional protection from the weather or the less likely liquid debris from the point of impact or may be of a lighter screen or mesh material to protect only from the relatively smaller sized debris that would be thrown up from the point of impact to that height. In another embodiment, there may be no canopy debris shields  18  but the roof decking  26  could nonetheless extend from the rear decking support beams  42  across the entire structure to overhang in front of the debris shields  16  and the debris shield supports  24 . In such an embodiment the roof could be either entirely constructed of canopy debris shields  18  or, preferably, solid roof decking  26  to protect against weather and debris. The roof could also include or be comprised of photovoltaic (solar) panels and the crash guard could include equipment to store power to power lights, advertising and the like that are associated with the crash guard or the bus stop or other area, businesses, etc. that the crash guard protects. The crash guard may also include equipment to connect the crash guard to an existing power grid either to take power from the grid to power lights, advertising, etc., or to feed/sell power back to the grid or some combination thereof. 
         [0022]    Yet other embodiments may depend on local site factors. For example,  FIG. 6  shows an embodiment that could be used where the local site already has an existing bus stop shelter  44  and FIG. 7  shows an embodiment where the local site already has an existing bench  46 . In these embodiments shown in  FIGS. 6 and 7 , the components of the crash guard  10  include front bollards  12 , guardrails  14 , debris shield supports  24 , and debris shields  22 . In the embodiment shown in  FIG. 6 , the crash guard could optionally include canopy debris shields  18  attached to the existing shelter  44 . 
         [0023]    While I have shown and described certain embodiments of the present invention, it should be understood that the same is subject to many modifications and changes by those skilled in the art without departing from the basic concepts and operating principles of the disclosure.