Patent Publication Number: US-6702511-B2

Title: Crash guard with monitoring

Description:
BACKGROUND 
     The need to reduce the impact of a vehicle coming in contact with obstructions (i.e., concrete walls), is needed to help save lives of the occupants. The steeper the angle of impact the greater the chance of sever injury to the occupant in the past other inventors have tried to resolve this problem, but all have fell short of the mark. Inventors have used all sorts of very complicated devices that are hard or expensive to make and install. Some require special walls or structures to be built. Some devices would require lengthy clean up time and man power after a crash. 
     This invention can retrofit obstructions by the use of an air bag sandwiched against the barrier. Over the air bag is a metal strike plate to prevent the vehicle from tearing the air bag and to spread the weight of the impact over the surface of the air bag. The metal plate is hinged on one edged and the hinge is anchored to the obstruction. On the opposite side from the hinge the metal plate is held by one or more restraints (e.g., cables). The metal plate is set at an angle to the obstruction and the roadway from 5 degrees to 60 degrees. Installed on the obstruction is a series of the invention devices that over lap each other. The angle of the metal plates points away from the on coming traffic. When the plate is struck by a vehicle, the air in the bag or bags struck begin to build in pressure. At a critical point a valve opens and lets the air escape at a controlled rate. The auto is slowed in the process and the occupants have a greater chance of escaping serious injures. The air bag is then either replaced, or refilled with air. The strike plate is either replaced, or is put back into place and secured by the restraints. The air bag has a mechanical indicator to show the air pressure inside, and/or an electronic element connected to a control point. The control point monitor can tell when there is a crash by the rise in the air pressure. The monitor can then send appropriate personnel to the crash site. 
     During a race, such as a NASCAR event, the cars sometimes brush the wall. When this happens the car is only slightly damaged. When the race car hits the wall hard, on any of it six sides (top-bottom-right-left-front-back), the driver is often injured. When the race car wrecks in the turns the angle is often very much straight head-on. At any speed the driver is often injured. With this device installed the impact can be greatly reduced. There is no debris, or very little, scattered over the racing service from the device. Therefore no time is lost to cleaning up the racing serface. While the track crew members are removing the race car, the debris that it spread over the racing surface, another crew reinflates the deflated air bag, or replace it with a new one. They then reset the metal strike plate, or replace it with a new one. They then replace the restraints and check the air pressure and the electronic connections. A-O-K The race is resumed. This device is capable of being installed on the concrete walls that have injured or taken the lives of so many race drivers. No need to tear out walls and replace them with new ones with some built in elaborate mechanism. Two or more anchors are all that is needed to install the invented device. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     This reusable device is for reducing the amount of impact a vehicle encounters when striking an unmoveable object. This device uses an air bag sandwiched between the unmovable object and a metal strike plate. The air bag may have one or more air chambers. Each chamber to have a valve to release the excessive air pressure that builds when a vehicle hits the strike plate. When the air is released it is at a controlled rate. A mechanical indicator shows the air pressure inside the chamber or chambers at a glimpse. Also and/or an electronic sensor is connected to a control point where the air pressure is monitored. When a vehicle hits the metal strike plate, the rise in pressure is alerted to the person monitoring the air bags. An other wise unnoticed accident can be brought to the attention of someone that can dispatch help to the scene. The metal strike plate is used to protect the air bag from being torn during a crash and to distribute the force of the impact over the entire surface of the air bag. This metal strike plate is held in place on one side by a hinged portion that is anchored to the unmovable object. The other side of the strike plate is held in check by one or more restraints (e.g., cables). The restraints hold the metal strike plate tight against the air bag. The restraints also keep the metal strike plate from swinging out into way of the on coming traffic. The metal strike plate is set to an angle between 5 degrees and 60 degrees to the roadway. The metal strike plate points away from the on coming flow of traffic. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 illustrates a typical accurate portion of a racetrack with an embodiment of the present invention mounted on an obstruction; 
     FIG. 2 demonstrates a top view of an embodiment of the present invention; 
     FIG. 3 shows a perspective view of an embodiment of the present invention. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     Before explaining the present invention in detail, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of the construction and arrangement of parts illustrated in the accompanying drawings. The invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced or carried out in a variety of ways. It is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology employed herein are for the purpose of description and not of limitation. 
     In one embodiment, the present invention comprises an impact absorbing apparatus  10  mourned to a stationary obstruction  20 . The impact absorbing apparatus  10  is preferably used in conjunction with racetrack  12  having race cars  40 - 42  thereon. Impact absorbing apparatus  10  is joined to the inside of obstruction  20  which surrounds the outer perimeter of racetrack  12 . 
     The impact absorbing apparatus  10  comprises a series of impact absorbing units  30  attached to the stationary obstruction  20 . Each unit  30  includes a hinged strike plate  14  anchored to the obstruction  20  at an angle of between 5 and 60 degrees relative to a longitudinal direction of the obstruction  20 . An air bag  16  is mounted between the strike plate  14  and the obstruction  20 . The air bag  16  has at least one chamber and at least one pressure relief valve  28 . Further, means  26  for indicating air pressure are located within the air bag  16 . 
     In another embodiment, the present invention comprises an impact absorbing apparatus  10  as set out above wherein the means  26  for indicating air pressure is electronic. 
     In another embodiment, the present invention comprises an impact absorbing apparatus  10  as set out above wherein the means  26  for indicating air pressure is mechanical. 
     In another embodiment, the present invention comprises an impact absorbing apparatus  10  as set out above wherein the strike plate  14  is attached to the obstruction  20  by elongated restraints  18  at an edge of the strike plate  14  opposite the hinge  24 . 
     While the invention has been described with a certain degree of particularity, it is manifest that many changes may be made in the details of construction and the arrangement of components without departing from the spirit and scope of this disclosure. It is understood that the invention is not limited to the embodiments set forth herein for purposes of exemplification, but is to be limited only by the scope of the attached claims, including the full range of equivalency to which each element thereof is entitled.