Barricade system with interlocking barricade members

A barricade with a plurality of interlocking barricade members hingedly coupled to each other. Each of the interlocking barricade members include two vertical posts between which horizontal barricade members are mounted. The interlocking barricade members includes a base assembly onto which the vertical post is supported, such that the base assembly is rotatable and removable with respect to the vertical post. The base assembly is entirely behind and extends away from the barricade's rear face, thereby keeping the barricade and all its components out of a given walkway to avoid becoming a hazard to pedestrian traffic.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present disclosure generally relates to a barricade system with interlocking barricade members; and more particularly to a barricade system having interlocking barricade members with a rotatable and removable base assembly.

2. Description of the Related Art

Many properties include walkways or sidewalks, which may require a considerable length of barricades obstructing their path. Furthermore, some circumstances require setting-up temporary barriers to enclose or define areas reserved for a particular purpose, such as, crowd control or to define access routes. Another example is for construction, maintenance and repair work, where barricades must be moved frequently from one position to another at a construction site. Concrete barriers, as previously used, are heavy, and require special equipment such as fork lifts or cranes for moving and installation, and are thus not suitable for these applications. Presently, metal fencing, or plastic barricades are often employed. One common technique for mounting metal fencing is to fix anchors to the ground and mount vertical posts onto such anchors by nuts and bolts, or the like. Thereafter, barricade horizontal panels and/or rails may be mounted between the two posts. In some cases, the base members are in the form of sockets fixed to the ground, and the vertical posts are inserted into such sockets for relatively quick assembly.

However, the known barricade systems employ base members which are fixedly connected to the barricade systems and are further fixedly mounted to the ground. Such base members may often interfere with the walkways, when the barricade system is erected along the sides of such walkways. Therefore, it is desired that the base members may be able to swivel with respect to the vertical post in order to be rotated to a side which is away from the regular path, say the pedestrian path, of the sidewalk. The same swiveling functionality of the base is desired with barricades made of other materials such as plastic or aluminum.

Applicant believes that a related reference corresponds to U.S. Pat. No. 6,190,084 (hereinafter referred to as '084 patent), issued to Pere Mares Ibañez; which discloses a modular separating barrier element. The modular separating barrier element of the '084 patent includes a frame of generally rectangular structure which is molded from synthetic material and which borders an inner panel having plain regions and regions having perforations and other regions having reinforcing ribs. Each of the shorter sides may include a pair of projections, those on one of the sides having respective vertical through-holes and those on the other side having respective pairs of coaxial rods which extend vertically and which can be fitted in the holes of the projections of an adjacent barrier element.

The rectangular body of the barrier element of the '084 patent has lower bracket-like portions for increasing strength in the vicinity of the feet and has swivel coupling of the support feet, thus enabling the feet to adopt to the most suitable position for supporting the barrier element. However, the said lower bracket-like portions of the '084 patent are shaped in a manner which may not be easily supported on and fixed to the ground, for example after being adjusted to the desired position; and thus could lead to tumbling of the whole barricade system, such as, in case of large force from a strong wind gust or crowd being controlled by such barricade system.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

An objective of the present invention is to provide a barricade system which has interlocking barricade member for easy and quick assembly on site with minimum skill.

Another objective of the present invention is to provide a barricade system in which the interlocking barricade member has a removable and rotatable base assembly, such that the base assembly may be swiveled with respect to the vertical posts, thereby keeping any part of the barricade system out of the walk path.

V. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION

Illustrative embodiments of the present invention are described below. The following explanation provides specific details for a thorough understanding of and enabling description for these embodiments. One skilled in the art will understand that the invention may be practiced without such details. In other instances, well-known structures and functions have not been shown or described in detail to avoid unnecessarily obscuring the description of the embodiments.

FIG. 1illustrates a barricade system100, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. The barricade system100of the present invention may be adapted to be installed along sidewalks; however other possible applications of the barricade system100may be contemplated without any limitations. The barricade system100may include a plurality of interlocking barricade members102a;102bwhich are connected with each other in an end-to-end relationship. The number of interlocking barricade members102a;102b, in the barricade system100, may depend on the required length of the barricade system100. In the illustrated example ofFIG. 1, the barricade system100includes a first interlocking barricade member102a, and a second interlocking barricade member102badjacently disposed to the first interlocking barricade member102a. In some examples of the present invention, the interlocking barricade members102a;102bmay be disposed in a manner such that the first interlocking barricade member102amay be rotatable to an extent with respect to the adjacent second interlocking barricade member102b, in the barricade system100.

Further, as illustrated inFIG. 1, the barricade system100may include one or more horizontal barricade members104supported and mounted on each of the interlocking barricade members102. The horizontal barricade member104may be formed of any suitable material, such as plastic steel or easily moldable synthetic resin, having good weather-resistance characteristics. In some examples, the horizontal barricade members104may be formed by co-extrusion of recycled plastics material for the interior, and a finishing material, having desired material color and quality characteristics, for the exterior. Further, in some examples, the horizontal barricade members104may use bright color paints for the exterior coating to improve the visibility thereof.

Referring toFIG. 2, it may be seen that the interlocking barricade members102aincludes two vertical posts106located substantially at two longitudinal opposing ends thereof and spaced apart by horizontal barricade members104. In a preferred example, the vertical posts106are hollow extruded rectangular members; however any other suitable shape for the vertical posts106may be employed, including, but not limited to, a hollow cylindrical shape, hollow triangular shape or the like. The hollow shapes of the vertical posts106help to limit the overall weight of the interlocking barricade member102a. In one example, as illustrated, the horizontal barricade members104are mounted, in the interlocking barricade member102, between the two vertical posts106. The horizontal barricade member104may be mounted to the vertical post106by using any suitable fastening arrangement, such as, nuts and bolts, or the like. In some examples, the longitudinal length of the horizontal barricade member104may be slightly greater than the distance between the two vertical posts106.

In an embodiment of the present invention, the interlocking barricade member102aincludes a horizontal rib108extending between and fixed to the two vertical posts106. In one example, the horizontal rib108may be of hollow extruded rectangular shape, similar to the vertical posts106. In some examples, the horizontal rib108may be fixed to the two vertical posts106by welding means. In other examples, the horizontal rib108may be formed along with the two vertical posts106during molding of the interlocking barricade member102a. The horizontal rib108provides reinforcement to the interlocking barricade member102aby rigidly connecting the two vertical posts106. In some examples, the interlocking barricade member102amay include more than one horizontal rib108connecting the vertical posts106therein, in order to provide extra strength to the structure; particularly for vertically high interlocking barricade members.

Further, the interlocking barricade member102aincludes a base assembly110for supporting the vertical post106thereof, above the ground.FIG. 3illustrates a perspective view of the base assembly110, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. As illustrated, the base assembly110includes two supporting plates, a first supporting plate112and a second supporting plate114. In general, the two supporting plates112,114are of usually same width and thickness. In some examples, the first supporting plate112may be larger in longitudinal length compared to the second supporting plate114. The two supporting plates112,114may be made of same material, of high tensile strength for supporting the weight of other components of the interlocking barricade member102aalong with the plurality of horizontal barricade members104. In some examples, the supporting plates112,114may further include drilling holes115, which allow for some fastening member, such as screws, nails, etc. to pass through, in order to fix the supporting plates112,114to the ground. Specifically, in one example, the first supporting plate112may include two drilling holes115and the second supporting plate114may include one drilling hole115therein.

Further, as illustrated inFIG. 3, the base assembly110may include two support members116,118spaced apart from each other at a predetermined distance. The two strengthening members116,118are of the same shape and design, and made of same material of high compressive and shear strength. In the illustrated example, the two support members116,118are shown as hollow extruded rectangular member; however any other suitable shape of the support members116,118may be employed. In some examples, the support members116,118may be solid members for increasing its strength. In one embodiment, the base assembly110may further include a socket member120supported on the second supporting plate114. As may be contemplated fromFIG. 2, the socket member120of the base assembly110may be adapted to receive a lower portion of the vertical post106, in the interlocking barricade member102a. In some examples, the socket member120may be in the shape of hollow cylinder; and the lower portion of the vertical post106may have a complementary exterior cylindrical shape, such that the exterior cylindrical surface of the lower portion of the vertical post106mates with and engages into an interior cylindrical recess of the socket member120. In alternative examples, however, the socket member120may have some other shape including rectangular shape to conform to the shape of the lower portion of the vertical post106.

In one example, the two support members116,118may be fixedly connected to the two supporting plates112,114from their respective two ends. The support member116may be connected to the first supporting plate112at its first end and the second supporting plate114at its second end, and similarly the support member118may be connected to the first supporting plate112at its first end and the second supporting plate114at its second end, as shown inFIG. 3. It may be seen that the support members116,118may be connected at the second supporting plate114such that their respective two ends are disposed along opposite sides of outer circumference of the socket member120. Further, it may be seen that the two support members116,118may be disposed with respect to each other in an angular manner, such that the distance between first ends of the two support members116,118at the first supporting plate112is slightly greater than the distance between second ends of the two support members116,118at the second supporting plate114. This triangular shape of the base assembly110provides a truss-like arrangement for overall strength of the structure.

In one example, the support members116,118and the socket member120may be connected to the supporting plates112,114and with each other, using fixing means, such as but not limited to, welding. In a preferred embodiment, support members116,118and the socket member120may be connected to the supporting plates112,114using bolts. In yet other example, the entire base assembly110may be formed as a unitary structure, using molding techniques or the like. It may be understood that the base assembly110may be removable in relation to the vertical post106, in the interlocking barricade member102afurther, it may be contemplated that the base assembly110may be rotatable with respect to the vertical post106, particularly about the socket member120, by making socket member120of greater diameter than the bottom of the vertical post106.

Referring back toFIG. 2, the interlocking barricade member102may include a hand rail122, generally, supported on the top portions of the two vertical posts106. As more clearly illustrated inFIG. 4, the vertical post106may include a semi-circular or ‘C’-shaped section at its top portion to support and conform to the external cylindrical shape of the hand rail122. In a preferred example, the hand rail122may have a hollow cylindrical shape; however other shapes including hollow rectangular shape may be used without any limitations. In one example, the interlocking barricade member102amay further include two caps123which are adapted to be located inside the two circular ends of the hand rail122. For this purpose, the caps123may be made of some soft or resilient material and have a mushroom shape with a broad head portion and a narrow stein portion, with the narrow stein portion being received in the circular ends of the hand rail122. In one example, the length of the hand rail122is substantially equal to the length of the horizontal barricade member104; and these components, in turn, define the overall span of the interlocking barricade member102a.

Further, in an embodiment, the interlocking barricade member102amay include horizontal extension members124, which are used to connect adjacent interlocking barricade members102b, as well as others, in the barricade system100. As illustrated inFIGS. 2, 4, and 5the horizontal extension members124may be protruding from the vertical posts106; such that the horizontal connecting members124from one vertical post106may be extending in a first horizontal direction and the horizontal connecting members124from other vertical post106may be extending in a direction opposite to the first horizontal direction. In some examples, the interlocking barricade member102amay include two or more horizontal connecting members124protruding from each of the two vertical posts106.

FIG. 5illustrates the connection between the two adjacent interlocking barricade members102a;102bof the barricade system100. It may be contemplated that the heights of the two horizontal extension members124of the adjacent interlocking barricade members102bmay be off-set, such that the said two horizontal extension members124form a butt joint therebetween. It may be seen that the horizontal connecting members124from one vertical post106, with base assembly110, are shorter compared to corresponding horizontal extension members124from other vertical post106of the adjacent interlocking barricade members102bfor formation of butt joint therebetween. In some embodiments, as illustrated inFIGS. 4 and 5, the interlocking barricade member102amay also include a L-shaped bracket130disposed with and connected below the lower portion of one of the two vertical posts106. In particular, the L-shaped bracket130may be disposed with the vertical post106which is not supported on the base assembly110. The L-shaped bracket130may raise the height of the vertical post106in order to facilitate the formation of the said butt joint as the two interlocking barricade members102a;102bare positioned adjacent to each other.

Further, as may be understood from the combination ofFIGS. 4 and 5, the horizontal extension members124may include an anchoring channel126which is in the form of an extrusion in the vertical direction near its distal end. As the two interlocking barricade members102are placed adjacent to each other such that the butt joint is formed between the horizontal extension members124thereof, the anchoring channels126of these horizontal extension members124of different interlocking barricade members102a;102bare aligned with each other; and a locking bolt128may be driven through the anchoring channels126in order to hingedly couple the two interlocking barricade members102a;102b, in the barricade system100.

It may be understood that a number of interlocking barricade members102nmay be coupled in a similar manner to form the barricade system100of a required length. As mentioned above, the base assembly110may be fixed to the ground by driving the screws or the like through the drilling holes115; otherwise the base assemblies110may just be supported on the ground under the weight of the vertical posts106, and, in general, the overall weight of the interlocking barricade system100. It may be understood that, in some cases, the base assembly110may be swiveled with respect to the vertical post106, such that the base assembly110could be swiveled away to avoid interfering with the walkways. Furthermore, the hinged coupling between the interlocking barricade members102a;102ballow for the barricade system100to be erected on curved or zigzag pathways and/or both uphill and downhill slopes. It may be contemplated, in one example, the horizontal extension members124may extend outwardly from the vertical post106up to the end of the horizontal barricade member104and/or the hand rail122, such that these component are flushed with each other as the two interlocking barricade members102a;102bare coupled, so that there are no substantial gaps along the longitudinal length of the barricade system100.