Roadway crash barrier device

Abstract

The present invention relates to a roadway crash barrier device, which roadway crash barrier device ( 1 ) is capable of absorbing energy from a moving vehicle and contributes to the deceleration of the vehicle when hit, and which comprises shock-absorbing elements ( 10 ), constituted by tires, having elastic and shock-absorbing properties and being linked to a friction mat ( 2 ), having an extension substantially parallel to the support surface, wherein the tires ( 10 ) are disposed along a horizontal, axis, extending along a forward edge of said friction mat ( 2 ), and that the tires' ( 10 ) traction surface constitutes a friction surface ( 50 ) contacting the support surface.

1 - 12 . (canceled) 
     
     
         13 . A roadway crash barrier device, which roadway crash barrier device is capable of absorbing energy from a moving vehicle and contributes to the deceleration of the vehicle when hit, and which comprises shock-absorbing elements, constituted by tires, having elastic and shock-absorbing properties and being linked to a friction mat, having an extension substantially parallel to the support surface, characterized in that the tires are disposed along a horizontal, axis, extending along a forward edge of said friction mat, and that the tires' traction surface constitutes a friction surface contacting the support surface. 
     
     
         14 . The roadway crash barrier device according to  claim 13 , wherein said friction surface is adapted to increase in contact area, and to thereby provide an increased braking effect when a vehicle hits the shock-absorbing elements. 
     
     
         15 . The roadway crash barrier device according to  claims 13 , wherein the shock-absorbing elements are connected together by means of at least one preferably continuous rod. 
     
     
         16 . The roadway crash barrier device according to  claim 15 , wherein said rod comprises two ends, said ends comprising attachment means. 
     
     
         17 . The roadway crash barrier device according to  claim 16 , wherein said friction mat is preferably secured to the shock-absorbing elements via connecting means, extending between the friction mat and the attachment means. 
     
     
         18 . The roadway crash barrier device according to  claim 16 , wherein said continuous rods comprise at least one lower rod secured to the lower half of the tire, suitably adjacent to the friction surface. 
     
     
         19 . The roadway crash barrier device according to  claim 18 , wherein said continuous rods also comprise an upper rod secured to the upper half of the tire, suitably to the rearward one of two symmetrically placed circular sectors in the upper half of the tire. 
     
     
         20 . The roadway crash barrier device according to  claim 13 , wherein at least one of the shock-absorbing elements comprises elastically or plastically deformable stiffening elements. 
     
     
         21 . The roadway crash barrier device according to  claim 20 , wherein the stiffening elements comprise one or several tire sides from other tires disposed circumferentially inside the tire sides of the shock-absorbing elements. 
     
     
         22 . The roadway crash barrier device according to  claim 13 , wherein the shock-absorbing elements and/or the friction mat is/are adapted to interact with engagement means, said engagement means being adapted to interact with the support surface, with the purpose of increasing the friction against the support surface, primarily on softer support surfaces such as ice, snow and gravel, and thereby improving the deceleration. 
     
     
         23 . the roadway crash barrier device according to  claim 22 , wherein said engagement means are constituted by snow chains mounted on the tires and/or hooks or barbs mounted on the bottom side of the friction mat. 
     
     
         24 . The roadway crash barrier device according to  claim 13 , wherein it comprises several rows of tires, arranged essentially in parallel to the first row of tires which extends along the forward edge of said friction mat.