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BACKGROUND  
       [0001]     This invention relates to an energy absorbing bollard system where the system can be used to dissipate energy such as, e.g., the energy of a vehicle. The system may be used in a variety of applications, including HOV lane traffic control, drawbridges, security gates, or crash cushion applications. Due to the size and arrangement of the bollard, the system may act as a vehicle barrier having energy absorbing properties while permitting pedestrian traffic to pass. In one application, the system may be mobile, so that it may be moved between locations.  
       SUMMARY OF THE DISCLOSURE  
       [0002]     The present disclosure relates to an energy absorbing system. In one aspect, the energy absorbing system includes a supporting member, a barrier pivotable between a first angular position and a second angular position, where the barrier becomes mechanically coupled to the supporting member when arranged at a predetermined angular position, and an energy absorber mechanically coupled to the supporting member, where the energy absorber absorbs energy when the supporting member travels from a first position to a second position.  
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0003]      FIG. 1  shows a side view of an energy absorbing bollard system according to an aspect of the present disclosure.  
         [0004]      FIGS. 2A and 2B  show side views of an energy absorbing bollard system according to an aspect of the present disclosure.  
         [0005]      FIG. 3  shows a side view of an energy absorbing bollard system according to an aspect of the present disclosure.  
         [0006]      FIGS. 4A, 4B  and  4 C show perspective views of an energy absorbing bollard system according to an aspect of the present disclosure.  
         [0007]      FIG. 5  shows a perspective view of an energy absorbing bollard system according to another aspect of the present disclosure.  
         [0008]      FIG. 6  shows a side view of an energy absorbing bollard system according to another aspect of the present disclosure.  
         [0009]      FIGS. 7A and 7B  show front and side views of an energy absorbing bollard system according to another aspect of the present disclosure.  
         [0010]      FIGS. 8A, 8B  and  8 C show front, side and top views of bollard and flange according to an aspect of the present disclosure.  
         [0011]      FIGS. 9A, 9B  and  9 C show front, side and top views of bollard, flange and bollard cover according to an aspect of the present disclosure.  
         [0012]      FIG. 10  shows a side view of an energy absorbing bollard system according to another aspect of the present disclosure.  
         [0013]      FIGS. 11A and 11B  show top views of shear pins according to an aspect of the present disclosure.  
         [0014]      FIG. 12  shows a side view of an energy absorbing bollard system according to another aspect of the present disclosure.  
         [0015]      FIG. 13  shows a side view of an energy absorbing bollard system according to another aspect of the present disclosure.  
         [0016]      FIG. 14  shows a side view of an energy absorbing bollard system according to another aspect of the present disclosure.  
         [0017]      FIGS. 15A and 15B  show perspective views of a motor and hinge according to an aspect of the present disclosure. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
       [0018]     Referring to the drawings, wherein like reference numerals represent identical or corresponding parts throughout the several views, and more particularly to  FIG. 1 , a side view of a general layout of an embodiment according to one aspect of the system of the present disclosure is shown. As shown in  FIG. 1 , in one aspect, the system may include at least bollard  2 , sled  4 , hinge  6 , energy absorber  8 , flange  14 , sled guide  16 , flange guide  22  and spring  24 .  
         [0019]     Bollard  2  may connect to flange  14 . Bollard  2  may be fabricated from metal, metal reinforced rubber, concrete, ceramic, plastic or composite material. Bollard  2  may be formed in a ‘T’ shape so that the back side of bollard  2  may be flush with ground level  18  when in a lowered position. Flange  14  may be fitted with hinge  6  allowing bollard  2  and flange  14  to pivot between lowered and raised positions. When in a lowered position, as shown in  FIG. 1 , bollard  2  and flange  14  may be substantially horizontal and/or parallel to ground level  18 . When in a raised position, shown in  FIG. 2A  and drawn in dashed lines for illustrative purposes in  FIG. 1 , bollard  2  and flange  14  may be substantially vertical and/or perpendicular to ground level  18 . In another aspect, bollard  2  and flange  14  may be arranged at an angle to ground level  18 , such as a 45 degree angle. Hinge  6  may be a solid pin, gear and shaft, or sprocket gear, and may interface with flange guide  22 . Flange guide  22  may be immovably fixed, for example, within concrete reinforced walls of a pit located beneath ground level  18 .  
         [0020]     As shown in  FIG. 2B , flange  14  may have locking mechanism  12 , for example, a notch, arranged such that when bollard  2  and flange  14  are in a raised position, locking mechanism  12  interfaces with sled  4  thereby permitting bollard  2  and flange  14  to transfer force to sled  4 .  
         [0021]     Flange  14  may have a rounded portion that contacts and depresses sled  4 , locking flange  14  into place, as bollard  2  and flange  14  pivot from a lowered position to a raised position. As bollard  2  and flange  14  approach a raised position, a portion of flange  14  may fit within piston slot  11 , shown in dashed lines in  FIGS. 2A and 2B , and further shown in  FIGS. 4A, 4B  and  4 C. In another aspect, flange  14  may have a slot (not shown) accommodating piston  10  when bollard  2  and flange  14  are in a raised position.  
         [0022]     Spring  24  may be immovably fixed to bottom of pit and may provide upward force against sled  4  to assist maintaining a connection between locking mechanism  12  and sled  4 .  
         [0023]     Sled  4  may connect to energy absorber  8 , and sled  4  may interface with sled guide  16 . Energy absorber  8  may be any device or system that dissipates, redirects or absorbs energy. Energy absorber  8  and sled guide  16  may be immovably fixed to pit. Energy absorber  8  may be a shock absorber having piston  10  connected to sled  4 . In other aspects, energy absorber  8  may include a dynamic breaking system, one or more shear pins, springs, foams, pneumatics, hydraulics, woven cable or cloth, friction bearings, breakable concrete or crushable metals or systems utilizing gravity or counterbalance weights. It may be understood that components in the system of the present disclosure may be fabricated using metal or similar material.  
         [0024]     As shown in  FIG. 3 , vehicle  20  traveling at ground level  18  may make contact with bollard  2  in a raised position, thereby causing bollard  2 , flange  14  and sled  4  to travel horizontally from an original position. Horizontal displacement of sled  4  causes piston  10  to extend from a compressed state to an extended state, thereby causing energy absorber  8  to absorb energy such that vehicle  20  decelerates. During horizontal displacement, flange  14  is guided as hinge  6  travels along flange guide  22  and as sled  4  travels along sled guide  16 .  
         [0025]      FIGS. 4A, 4B  and  4 C show perspective views of an energy absorbing bollard system.  FIG. 4A  shows bollard  2  in lowered original position,  FIG. 4B  shows bollard  2  in raised original position, and  FIG. 4C  shows bollard  2  in raised displaced position with sled  4  displaced and piston  10  extended.  
         [0026]      FIG. 5  shows a perspective view of an energy absorbing bollard system according to another aspect of the present disclosure. Hinge  106  of flange  114  may be connected to hinge  6  of flange  14  by a connector  26  that may transfer force between flange  114  and flange  14  such that the two may travel simultaneously. Connector  26  may pass through an opening (not shown) in flange guide  22 .  
         [0027]     In another aspect, hinge  106  and flange  114  may connect with one or more of a second flange guide, second energy absorber, and second sled guide via second sled (not shown).  
         [0028]     In another aspect, an opening in the ground through which bollard  2  travels from original to displaced position may be covered by disposable sheet of metal, plastic or foam insert that breaks away as bollard  2  travels from original to displaced position.  
         [0029]      FIG. 6  shows a side view of an energy absorbing bollard system according to another aspect of the present disclosure. In this aspect, energy absorber  8  may be arranged so that when sled  4  is in an original state, piston  10  is in an extended state and as sled  4  travels horizontally, piston  10  compresses and energy absorber  8  absorbs energy.  
         [0030]     In other aspects, as may be understood by one skilled in the art, combinations of one or more energy absorbers  8  may be used in compression and extension configurations to effectuate energy absorption.  
         [0031]     As shown in  FIGS. 7A and 7B , bollard  2 , sled  4 , hinge  6 , energy absorber  8 , flange  14 , sled guide  16 , flange guide  22  and raising lowering device  40  may be arranged within housing  30 , which may be used to facilitate portability and may provide a secure, sealed enclosure for the preservation of the internal workings of the system from contaminants and moisture. Housing  30  may be of a height and width such that a vehicle may drive over housing  30  and may have little or no contact with housing  30  before encountering bollard  2 . In another aspect, housing  30  may have a sloped front portion (not shown) to further prevent contact with a vehicle.  
         [0032]     Housing  30  may include wheels  32  or casters, tracks/treads, or rollers to facilitate transportation and orientation. Wheels  32  may be used in conjunction with trailer-hitches, goose-neck attachments, or fifth-wheel style attachments. Wheels  32  may be affixed using axle  34 , or using independent axle, tandem axle, removable, or hinged wheels.  
         [0033]     In this and other aspects, bollard  2  and flange  14  may be raised and/or lowered using a raising/lowering device  40  and hinge  6 . As shown in  FIG. 15A , raising/lowering device  40  may be, for example, an electric rotary motor, having a tab  42  that interfaces with a slot  44  in hinge  6 . Raising/lowering device  40  may activate and turn tab  42  in a direction ‘R’, which applies force to slot  44  of hinge  6  and causes bollard  2  and flange  14  to pivot between raised and lowered positions. In one aspect, raising/lowering device may be immovably fixed, and tab  42  and slot  44  may be arranged so that when bollard  2  and flange  14  are in a raised position, tab  42  and slot  44  may become disengaged as bollard  2 , flange  14  and hinge  6  travel away from an original position and away from raising/lowering device  40  in a direction ‘T’ as shown in  FIG. 15B .  
         [0034]     In another aspect, raising/lowering device  40  and locking mechanism  12 , may be controlled by a computer system (not shown), operated automatically, for example, triggered by an external event or timer, or operated by a user. In other aspects, the bollard  2  and flange  14  may be raised/lowered manually using, for example, a lever, spring, hydraulic jack, air cylinder, rotation mechanism or counterweight.  
         [0035]      FIGS. 8A, 8B  and  8 C show front, side and top views of bollard  2 , hinge  6  and flange  14  according to an aspect of the present disclosure.  
         [0036]      FIGS. 9A, 9B  and  9 C show front, side and top views of bollard  2 , hinge  6 , flange  14  and bollard cover  60  according to an aspect of the present disclosure. Bollard cover  60  may cover some or all of bollard  2  and may protect vehicle  20  and bollard  2  from damage, particularly during low speed impacts. Bollard cover  60  may be constructed using thick, compressible material (e.g. foam rubber) that deforms locally.  
         [0037]     The system may include additional methods of energy dissipation or absorption. As shown in  FIGS. 10 and 11 A, flange guide  22 , may be fitted with an arrangement of one or more supplemental energy absorbers, such as breakable shear pins  50 . Hinge  6  may travel along a channel within flange guide  22  encountering shear pins  50  thereby causing bollard  2  to decelerate as it travels. As shown in  FIG. 11B , shear pins  50  may break at shear zones  52  upon application of force based on specified shear strengths. Shear pins  50  may be arranged uniformly throughout flange guide  22  or at increments based on the type of installation. Similarly, in another aspect, sled guide  16  may be fitted with supplemental energy absorbers, and sled  4  may travel along a channel within sled guide  16  encountering such supplemental energy absorbers thereby causing bollard  2  to decelerate.  
         [0038]     As shown in  FIG. 12 , energy absorber  8 , sled guide  16  and flange guide  22  arranged on an increasing slope, thereby causing the bollard  2 , flange  14  and sled  4  to follow along that slope as they travel after impact, thereby absorbing energy.  
         [0039]     Additional configurations are available, for example, as shown in  FIG. 13 , sleeve  54  may connect to sled  4  and may not move between raised and lowered positions. Insertable bollard  56  may be inserted into sleeve  54  until it locks into sled  4  via a depression, slot, groove or hole. In this aspect, piston  10  of energy absorber  8  may connect to sleeve  54 , and piston  10  and sleeve  54  may travel along sleeve guide  58 .  
         [0040]     As shown in  FIG. 14 , in another aspect, piston  10  of energy absorber  8  may connect to sleeve  54  and sled  4  and sled guide  16  may not be present.  
         [0041]     Although illustrative embodiments have been described herein in detail, it should be noted and will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that numerous variations may be made within the scope of this invention without departing from the principle of this invention and without sacrificing its chief advantages.  
         [0042]     Unless otherwise specifically stated, the terms and expressions have been used herein as terms of description and not terms of limitation. There is no intention to use the terms or expressions to exclude any equivalents of features shown and described or portions thereof and this invention should be defined in accordance with the claims that follow.

Summary:
An energy absorbing system. The energy absorbing system includes a supporting member, a barrier pivotable between a first angular position and a second angular position, where the barrier becomes mechanically coupled to the supporting member when arranged at a predetermined angular position, and an energy absorber mechanically coupled to the supporting member, where the energy absorber absorbs energy when the supporting member travels from a first position to a second position.