Barrier assembly

There is disclosed herein a barrier assembly (1) adapted to inhibit access to an area. The assembly including at least two markers (2) operatively associated with each other to define an area where access is to be inhibited. Means to connect said markers and monitoring means adapted in use to determine if access to said area has been breached.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

The presently disclosed subject matter is related and claims priority to International PCT Application No. PCT/AU2014/000203, entitled “A Barrier Assembly,” filed on Mar. 5, 2014 which claims priority to Australian Provisional Application No. 2013900762, filed on Mar. 6, 2013; the entire disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference.

FIELD

The present invention relates to a barrier assembly and in particular to an assembly of parts and a method of use of those parts to inhibit and monitor access to an object or area.

BACKGROUND

Throughout the world objects and areas need to be protected from unwanted access by the general public, workers, animals, machinery or the like. The reason to prevent or limit access could be due to security reasons, dangerous goods, child hazards, occupational health and safety reasons, or the like. One such area where issues of access are regularly considered is in the transportation industry. The transportation industry involves trucks, vans, trains, planes, ships and the like moving about places with high traffic and regularly carrying goods with varying degrees of secrecy, danger or hazard.

To limit the dangers to workers, the general public, machinery and the like shipping terminals for example are adopting isolation protocols known as a “Restricted Zone”. These include isolating work areas around mobile plant, walkways, truck driver isolation/waiting areas during routine operations and maintenance or during emergency times such as an accident/spill.

Unauthorized access to a restricted zone, especially temporary ones, is common and difficult to manage. Many uses of restricted zones involve situations where the responsible operators are unable to see all the access points about the zone which makes the zone difficult to manage. For example, it is possible for an unauthorised person to enter the zone without detection. An undetected breach of a restricted zone could be fatal to that person, cause serious machinery damage or compromise the purpose for which the barrier was established.

There are few if any means for ensuring that safe zones are correctly deployed and operated, especially when they may have been erected in a low traffic area.

Even in circumstances where a barrier is erected about an area, the fact that the barrier is essentially static allows intruders to willfully breech the barrier without an alarm being raised with personnel either legitimately in the area or overseeing the area. This is particularly important in the transportation industry where work areas can be spread widely over larger sites and are thus not susceptible to constant surveillance guards, gatekeepers, flagmen or the like.

Currently, there are few if any means by which an operator can assure themselves and others that a restricted zone is actually in place and operational without having staff physically present about the zone.

Accordingly, there is a need to provide a barrier assembly that indicates to a supervisor, operator or the like, a warning of a breach of a secure zone.

There is also a need to provide a barrier assembly which advises supervisor, operator or the like of the status of a restricted zone and of any breaches, quickly, easily and affordably.

OBJECT OF INVENTION

It is an object of the present invention to substantially overcome or at least ameliorate one or more of the disadvantages of the prior art, or to at least provide a useful alternative.

SUMMARY OF INVENTION

There is disclosed herein a barrier assembly adapted to inhibit access to an area, the assembly including:at least two markers operatively associated with each other to define an area where access is to be inhibited;means to connect said markers; andmonitoring means adapted in use to determine if access to said area has been breached.

Preferably, each said marker includes:a base to be placed on a surface and adapted to locate said marker at a limit of said area; means to engage said connection means; andwarning means operatively associated with said monitoring means to indicate when said area has been breached.

Preferably, said connection means includes sensors attached to said engagement means and adapted in use to generate a beam between a pair of markers.

Preferably, said beam is an infrared beam.

Preferably, said connection means includes at least one length of material adapted in use to extend between a pair of markers.

Preferably, at least one end of said length of material includes a connector adapted to connect said connection means to said engagement means and/or a surface.

Preferably, said material is solid.

Preferably, said material is flexible.

Preferably, said base includes a shaft about which said length of material is wound when not in use.

Preferably, said shaft including a spindle, said material being retractable about said spindle when not in use.

Preferably, said warning means includes one or more of a visual alarm, an audible alarm, a remote alarm and/or a physical alarm.

Preferably, said assembly is adapted to be locatable when not in use in a backpack or bandolier capable of being carried by a person.

Preferably, said base includes a magnet to permit said marker to be placed on a metallic surface.

Preferably, said base includes a horn to sound an alarm in use.

Preferably, said base includes suction means to permit said marker to be secured to a surface.

Preferably, said length of material includes a telescopically extendable arm.

DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS

There is disclosed herein a barrier assembly1adapted to inhibit access to an area or object100. The assembly1includes at least two markers2operatively associated with each other to define an area where access is to be inhibited. Each marker2includes a base3to be placed on a surface (such as the ground, an object100, a container, a ship, a locomotive, a machine, a wall or the like) to locate the marker2at a limit of the area to be secured. The marker2can include various means to connect each marker2together.

In one form, connection means includes a sensor or the like which generates a beam or signal (such as an infrared beam or the like) between a pair of markers2. In another form, the connection means (as best seen inFIG. 1) includes a length of flexible material5adapted to be extended between markers2and/or a surface. The flexible material5may be manufactured of any material. In another form (as best seen inFIG. 3) the connection means includes an arm6or the like to extend between markers2and/or a surface. The arm6can take the form of a metal or plastic tube or the like. The arm6can also include a plurality of moveable portions and/or be telescopically engageable. The arm6can be manufactured of any material. In yet another embodiment, the assembly1is added to a pre-existing apparatus such as a gate or barrier. Monitoring means is operatively associated with the markers2and adapted in use to determine if access to the area has been breached by a person or object crossing between the markers2. The monitoring means can include warning means operatively associated with the monitoring means to highlight when the area has been breached.

In a preferred form, the warning means includes one or more of a visual alarm (light10), an audible alarm (horn15), a remote alarm and/or physical alarm. In the Figures, one such warning means is a Strobe or light10. These alarms may also include the activation of a video camera or other recording/transmitting device. The alarm means may include a visual, audible or physical communication from a person or machine that is alerted by the device. The assembly1can further include a series of attachment means12connected to the base3for example or connection means5,6as shown inFIGS. 1 and 3to assist with connecting the assembly1between various surfaces and markers2about the area. These could include Velcro™, magnets, suction cups, ties, chains, fasteners, ropes, tape, adhesive or other attachment means.

In a preferred form, the assembly1would be adapted to be located within a backpack20, bandolier or the like. This will allow a user to set up a barrier about an area quickly and easily.

Accordingly, the assembly1can provide an indication which areas are being isolated at any given time and provide a visible and physical warning that people, animals or machinery are about to, or already have, entered a restricted zone.

The physical, audio and visual alarms provide the unauthorized person, those in the area and in particular the supervisor or operator a warning that a breach has occurred. This warning is effective in all conditions with a system for warning the supervisor or operator even if he/she is not present in the restricted zone at the time by way of Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, radio waves or the like. The assembly1can operate in extreme weather and rapidly changing environments. The assembly1also includes tamper evident alarms to indicate if the integrity of the assembly1has been compromised. The assembly1is kept as simple as possible to ensure that the assembly1is able to be deployed quickly without creating further hazards or labour requirements through carrying excessive equipment. All items of the barrier assembly1fit into a backpack20, bandolier or the like and are able to be set up quickly and easily without exposing staff to new hazards.

In one form, the assembly1provides automatic incident recording so that managers and others can receive automatic notifications of any restricted zone breaches. A means of recording a supervisor's report and adding it to the breach notification (e.g. voice message, txt message) could be utilized.

With the present invention maintenance costs and deployment costs would be minimized. The supervisor or operator is in complete control of the perimeter system and can be fully accountable for its operation. The assembly1can include a system to record when a supervisor or operator is not present. It provides a positive means of reporting that it is active and warning of any equipment failure which also provides a means of warning a supervisor or operator that they have left a marker2behind (or that a marker2has been removed). This can be done either by the use of audible10/visual15warnings to those nearby that the assembly1or by use of remote communications means such as the internet whereby the warning is relayed to those needing to know. The assemblies1can also include radio equipment sufficient to allow the creation of a local “web”, Wi-Fi hotspot, network or the like. Removal of a marker2from the network either through failure, being removed or being left behind when the rest of the network is removed will result in a warning to the operator as well as triggering of the alarms on the assembly1that a marker2has been left behind.

In the embodiment ofFIG. 1, the assembly1further includes a lightweight “inertia reel” type barricade tape5(or an optional extendable bar6inFIG. 3) which are placed by the supervisor at a perimeter of a safety exclusion zone. A set of markers2fit into a small backpack20and weigh less than 5 kg. The markers2are enabled with electronics that provide, breach detection, tamper detection, warning light (strobe10), audible alarm (horn15), remote indication, phone warning, web based reporting or the like. Activation/Deactivation can be started or stopped by a “smart card” or similar device and by only an authorized person.

In operation, the set up would take less than 15 seconds for each marker2. The user would attach each marker2to surfaces at top (or bottom) of a ladder or machine for example with Velcro™, magnets, suction cups, ties, chains, fasteners, ropes, tape, adhesive or other attachment means. The user would then swipe the activating card to arm the assembly1. The assembly1would then “pulse” a transmission to confirm it is armed. As shown inFIG. 4, the assembly1could include elongate legs16to assist with use and securing.

The assembly1would continue to pulse to let the supervisor's sensor know that all markers2are functioning. If proximity sensors or barricade sensors are tripped, the alarm and strobe activate, the supervisor's sensor is activated plus in the case of a container terminal, the crane driver sensor (reduces delay telling crane to stop, allows for supervisor not to be present). The assembly1would continue to alarm until reset by the supervisor or another activating card. This could be done remotely if desired. The assembly1could transmit a breach to a web based system for reporting purposes.

If the assembly1stops transmitting the supervisor or other machine operator would get a warning and a report is generated. There would also be a low battery warning provided as each marker2would include a battery, solar panel, independent power supply, wind power, machine power connection, mains connection and/or be rechargeable. The battery (not shown) would be located in the base3.

The markers2can have a charger (not shown) in which they are stored. The charger can monitor battery life and a warning if a marker2goes out of range (stolen, forgotten) and a means of making the marker2flash to facilitate collection.

The backpack20can be tailored to carry all on-board items for a supervisor such as: torch, radio, tablet, for example.

Accordingly, the present invention in a preferred embodiment provides minimal impact on operators to encourage compliance. The assembly1only isolates areas that actually require a restricted zone and is easy to carry, set up, use and remove.

The present invention also allows a form of tracking to allow progressive opening up of a sub-zone within a restricted zone. This could include a means of monitoring people located within the safe zone in “virtual zones” or a means of deploying extra markers2within the zone to demarcate the edge of the safe working area.

In alternate forms, the assembly1can include a long range laser (or other) beam and sensor that allows the sensor to monitor long perimeters between markers2such as those along a train. The assembly1may also include a “doorbell” or the like by which means a person can make their presence at a barricade known to the area supervisor or the like without tripping the alarm. The assembly1can be provided with a radio allowing a person at a barricade to speak with the area supervisor (or others) without entering the safety exclusion zone. A means can be provided whereby the supervisor (or delegate) can disarm the assembly1remotely. This allows entry to be permitted without the physical presence at the barricade of the supervisor. The assembly1may also be provided with a video link to record activity near the barricade or to provide a person or system monitoring the barricade with a means of seeing who is at the barricade. A video link can also be used to record breaches of the barricade, either recording the activity and the perpetrator in response to the activating of the barricade or permanently recording all activity.

In other forms, the assembly1can include a GPS transponder or other location detection equipment to provide accurate location information about each marker2or backpack20.

The assembly1can also be provided with a housing or other means whereby a marker2can be deployed as a permanent fixture.

The assembly1can be provided with a means such as a counter by which the number of people entering and exiting an area may be monitored and recorded. The assembly1may be provided with means by which the assembly1can actively discourage breaching of the barrier. This could include means such as bright lights, automatic barrier erection (e.g. fly up screens, closing of a gate) or physical means of dissuasion such as projectiles, dye, bullets, lasers or the like.

The assembly1may be provided with means by which “repeater” radios or other communication devices may be used to allow the assembly1to be effective in areas with line of sight or similarly impaired communications only (such as mines)

The assembly1may also be equipped with other physical barriers such as gates, lifting booms, turnstiles and the like to allow the remote monitoring technology to be applied to many common forms of existing barricade.