Patent Description:
Roadway barriers are in widespread use and such barriers often incorporate a string of interconnected roadway barrier segments.

Modifications have been made to roadway barrier segments and continuous roadway barriers for various purposes. Prior art arrangements believed to be representative of the state of the art in the field of such devices and modifications are disclosed in the following patent documents: <CIT>, <CIT>, <CIT>, <CIT>, <CIT>, U. Patent App. No. <CIT>, U. Patent App. No. <CIT> and U. Patent App.

<CIT> discloses barrier systems and methods including relatively narrow, cast, silica fume concrete road barriers for work site protection, road edge, and traffic lane divider locations. Reflector-bearing caps close recesses at the location of fasteners securing the barriers to a road surface. Reflectors with mounting portions secured between adjacent end faces of barriers project outward to expose a reflector portion to headlights in an adjoining traffic lane. Barrier extension members affixed atop a line of barriers reduce headlight glare, help prevent vehicles toppling over the barriers, and prevent relative rocking of one barrier with respect to another. Permanent barrier installations include a rope-like soft Butyl rubber seal damming locations where fasteners extend into the road surface to retain a hardening bonding agent and form a liquid and contaminant impervious environment for the fasteners. Drop-in-place barriers with openings extending their entire height locate over supporting uprights previously used for metal strip barrier. And barriers to be located quickly on soft undersurfaces have openings extending their entire height and securing posts driven therethrough.

<CIT> describes assemblies configured to be constructed atop of highway, freeway, or road barriers or guiderails. Methods of constructing the assemblies are also described. Disclosed is a barrier top assembly comprising at least one elongated coupling member configured to be coupled to a barrier, and at least one bracket configured to attach the at least one elongated coupling member to the barrier.

<CIT> relates to an electricity generation vermin extermination roadway headlight detachable median strip using an ABS reinforced plastic frame. A solar cell module and an LED bulb are provided to offer rapid and easy installation, and to repel vermin at night and to secure visibility of a car driver. The solar cell module and the LED bulb consist of combining a solar cell module, an LED bulb vermin repellent and an LED bulb headlight frame with an ABS reinforced plastic frame, putting the ABS reinforced frame on a concrete median strip and fixing with a set anchor.

The prior art approaches do not address a major problem solved by the present invention, which is to afford protection and safety for bicyclists passing or otherwise next to the barrier.

The present invention relates to apparatus which effectively affords protection for a cyclist and the cyclist's bicycle. The apparatus of the present invention quickly and effectively supplements existing roadway barrier segments to carry out such purpose.

In addition to reducing the chance of a cyclist going over the barrier, another very important function is to reduce the interaction of the errant cyclist with the upper portion of the barrier since it has been shown to be very injurious for some types of barriers (especially guardrail systems). Most highway barriers are designed to interface with motor vehicles impacting the sides of the barrier and redirecting the vehicle back onto the roadway at a shallow angle but many have very sharp structural projections on top. The apparatus of the present invention reduces snags or potential to snag.

The apparatus also can act as a glare screen to oncoming traffic headlights or as a "gawk screen".

The apparatus may be utilized with different types of highway barriers, including guardrail systems.

The roadway barrier cyclist safety apparatus of the present invention is for attachment to an upper portion of a roadway barrier segment and for topping the upper portion to prevent a bicycle from extending over the upper portion and avoid snagging the bicycle or rider.

The apparatus includes an elongated hollow shell having a shell top, a shell bottom, opposed shell side walls extending from the shell top and the shell bottom and opposed shell ends extending upwardly from the shell bottom to the shell top.

The shell bottom generally conforms in size and shape to an upper roadway barrier segment surface of the roadway barrier segment. The opposed shell side walls and opposed shell ends are substantially aligned with sides and ends of the upper portion of the roadway barrier segment when the elongated hollow shell is attached to the upper portion of the roadway barrier segment.

The opposed shell side walls and the opposed shell ends extend upwardly. The shell top is attached to the opposed shell side walls and the opposed ends and configured to define a shell top upper surface which is smoothly curved over substantially the extent thereof.

Attachment structure is utilized to attach the elongated hollow shell in position on the roadway barrier segment upper portion and the shell configured so that it does not extend from the upper portion of the roadway barrier toward a passing bicycle and cyclist.

Other features, advantages and objects of the present invention will become apparent with reference to the following description and accompanying drawings.

Referring now to <FIG>, <FIG>, <FIG>, <FIG>, <FIG> of the drawings, a first embodiment of apparatus constructed in accordance with the teachings of the present invention is illustrated. The apparatus includes an elongated hollow shell <NUM> for attachment to an upper portion of a roadway barrier segment and for topping the upper portion to prevent a passing bicycle and cyclist from extending or vaulting over the upper portion or snagging the passing bicycle and cyclist. The shell <NUM> may be constructed of polymer or other suitable material.

The elongated hollow shell'<NUM> has a shell top <NUM>, a shell bottom <NUM>, opposed shell side walls <NUM> extending between the shell top and shell bottom, and shell ends <NUM> extending upwardly from the shell bottom to the shell top.

The shell bottom <NUM> generally conforms in size and shape to an upper roadway barrier segment surface <NUM> of a roadway barrier segment <NUM> (shown in solid lines in <FIG> and dash lines in other figures) so that the shell does not snag a passing bicycle and cyclist.

The illustrated roadway barrier segment <NUM> is of known construction and is merely representative of the roadway barrier constructions with which the present invention may be utilized. The terms "roadway barrier" and "roadway barrier segment" encompass all types of highway barriers, including guardrail systems. As is conventional, in the disclosed roadway barrier, the roadway barrier segments are secured at the ends thereof by suitable connector structure whereby a plurality of roadway barrier segments form an elongated string.

<FIG> shows a bicycle <NUM> next to a string of connected roadway barrier segments <NUM> and in accordance with the present invention (and as shown in <FIG>) the shell <NUM> is attached to and tops the upper portions <NUM> of the roadway barrier segments, being sized and positioned to prevent a bicycle such as bicycle <NUM> from extending over the upper portion, which could result in injury.

When installed, the shell side walls <NUM> and opposed shell ends <NUM> are substantially aligned with sides and ends of the upper portion of the roadway barrier segment. The opposed shell side walls and opposed shell ends extend upwardly.

The shell top <NUM> attached to the opposed shell side walls and the opposed shell ends is configured to define a shell top upper surface convexly curved over substantially the full longitudinal extent thereof including a plurality of converging shell top upper surface portions <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>. The shell top upper surface structural shape, while preventing a bicycle from extending over the upper portion, does not snag or otherwise affect to any significant degree forward progress of the bicycle and cyclist. Likewise, such shape will not cause any harm to the cyclist. The shell top upper surface portions converge toward a location substantially midpoint longitudinally along the shell top.

The opposed shell ends <NUM> define recesses <NUM> at each of the ends.

As perhaps may best be seen with reference to <FIG>, <FIG>, the recesses <NUM> are partially defined by a recess bottom wall <NUM> at each end <NUM>. The recess bottom wall has openings <NUM> located therein. The recess bottom wall <NUM> is spaced from shell bottom <NUM> and the openings <NUM> are in registry with bottom openings <NUM>. The mounting hole <NUM> and the bottom opening <NUM> receive a bolt <NUM> used to secure the shell <NUM> to the upper portion of the roadway barrier segment.

At each bolt location, prior to insertion of the bolt, and is shown in <FIG>, <FIG>, a sleeve <NUM>, for example an aluminum sleeve, is located between the mounting holes and the bottom opening for additional strength and crush resistance when setting mounting hardware. This allows for the use of an impact wrench when setting the hardware for the apparatus without fear of causing damage to the polymer shell.

A raised channel <NUM> is formed at shell bottom <NUM>, the raised channel <NUM> runs substantially the length of the shell bottom but terminates before reaching the opposed shell ends <NUM>. This feature is an optional embedded structural feature that performs a desirable function when the first apparatus embodiment is converted into an outer shell employed in a second embodiment of the invention, which will now be described.

The second embodiment of the invention is designated by reference numeral <NUM> and is shown in <FIG>, <FIG>, <FIG>, <FIG>, <FIG>, <FIG>. Apparatus <NUM> includes an elongated hollow shell 10A which is essentially the same as shell <NUM> described above, except that the shell <NUM> has been converted to shell 10A by having one of the ends cut off, providing an end opening <NUM>. Opening <NUM> communicates with the shell interior and is located in opposition to the remaining shell end <NUM>.

This second embodiment of the invention includes a core member <NUM> having a core shell <NUM> and an end <NUM> attached to the core shell.

End <NUM> has a recessed area <NUM> which is considerably larger than the recesses <NUM> on shell <NUM>. The recessed area for example may be almost twice as wide to accommodate two aluminum sleeved holes of slightly lower diameter. These holes, identified in the drawings as reference numeral <NUM>, are the primary mounting point for the core member <NUM> comprised of core shell <NUM> and end <NUM>. The remainder of the length of the second embodiment <NUM> is designed to fit inside the converted and open ended shell 10A, being of smaller overall dimension and containing a raised channel <NUM> which fits on top of the raised channel <NUM> of the first embodiment and defines a groove <NUM> receiving the raised channel <NUM>. This acts as a linear guide and when assembled the structural elements of the second embodiment will slide through the hollow section of the modified outer shell of the first embodiment. Once collapsed, the second embodiment of the invention is almost identical in length and identical in height to the first embodiment of the invention described above. The matingly engaged channels formed in the core shell and in the elongated hollow shell limit relative linear movement therebetween.

Claim 1:
Roadway barrier bicycle (<NUM>) safety apparatus configured to be attached to an upper portion (<NUM>) of a roadway barrier segment (<NUM>) and configured to top said upper portion (<NUM>) to prevent a bicycle (<NUM>) and rider from extending or vaulting over said upper portion (<NUM>), said apparatus comprising:
an elongated shell (<NUM>) having a shell top (<NUM>), a shell bottom (<NUM>), opposed shell side walls (<NUM>) extending between said shell top (<NUM>) and said shell bottom (<NUM>), and opposed shell ends (<NUM>), said shell (<NUM>) configured so that it does not laterally extend from the upper portion (<NUM>) of the roadway barrier toward a passing bicycle (<NUM>) or cyclist; and
attachment structure for attaching the elongated shell (<NUM>) in position on the roadway barrier segment (<NUM>) upper portion (<NUM>),
said shell top (<NUM>) is smoothly curved over substantially the extent thereof, and in that said shell ends (<NUM>) extend upwardly from said shell bottom (<NUM>) to said shell top (<NUM>),
wherein the opposed shell side walls (<NUM>) and opposed shell ends (<NUM>) are configured to be substantially aligned with sides and ends (<NUM>) of the upper portion (<NUM>) of the roadway barrier segment (<NUM>), said opposed shell side walls (<NUM>) and said opposed shell ends (<NUM>) extending upwardly, said shell top (<NUM>) attached to said opposed shell side walls (<NUM>) and said opposed shell ends (<NUM>) and configured to define a shell top upper surface including a plurality of converging shell top upper surface portions (<NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>), and
characterized in that said shell top upper surface is longitudinally convexly curved and said top upper surface portions (<NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>) converge toward an elevated location substantially midpoint longitudinally along the shell top upper surface.