Front impact damper

Abstract

A front impact damper having a vertical supporting member secured firmly to the ground, and a number of deformable tubular members fitted vertically inside one another and fixed to the vertical supporting member at a given height off the ground; the deformable tubular members each being defined by a portion of W- or triple-groove-section corrugated sheet metal bent appropriately to form a cylindrical tubular body with a corrugated lateral wall.

1 ) a front impact damper ( 1 ), characterized by comprising a vertical supporting member ( 2 ) secured firmly to the ground; and a number of deformable tubular members ( 3 ) fitted inside one another and fixed to said vertical supporting member ( 2 ) at a given height off the ground.  
     
     
         2 ) A front impact damper as claimed in  claim 1 , characterized in that said deformable tubular members ( 3 ) are fixed substantially vertically to said vertical supporting member ( 2 ).  
     
     
         3 ) A front impact damper as claimed in  claim 1 , characterized in that said deformable tubular members ( 3 ) are fitted inside one another with mechanical clearance.  
     
     
         4 ) A front impact damper as claimed in  claim 3 , characterized in that said deformable tubular members ( 3 ) are fitted inside one another so as to be tangent to one another at the same point.  
     
     
         5 ) A front impact damper as claimed in  claim 1 , characterized in that at least one said deformable tubular member ( 3 ) comprises a portion of corrugated sheet metal ( 4 ,  7 ) having a W- or triple-groove-shaped section, and bent appropriately to form a cylindrical tubular body with a corrugated lateral wall.  
     
     
         6 ) A front impact damper as claimed in  claim 5 , characterized in that said portion of corrugated sheet metal ( 4 ) with a W- or triple-groove-shaped section is bent into a loop.  
     
     
         7 ) A front impact damper as claimed in  claim 5 , characterized in that said portion of corrugated sheet metal ( 7 ) with a W- or triple-groove-shaped section is bent into a C.  
     
     
         8 ) A front impact damper as claimed in  claim 1 , characterized in that said vertical supporting member ( 2 ) comprises at least one metal bar ( 5 ,  8 ) fixed substantially vertically to the ground; said deformable tubular members ( 3 ) being fixed to the top end of said at least one metal bar ( 5 ,  8 ).  
     
     
         9 ) A front impact damper as claimed in  claim 8 , characterized in that said vertical supporting member ( 2 ) comprises at least one collapsible spacer member ( 6 ,  9 ) interposed between the top end of said metal bar ( 5 ,  8 ) and the body of at least one said deformable tubular member ( 3 ).  
     
     
         10 ) A front impact damper as claimed in  claim 1 , characterized in that said deformable tubular members ( 3 ) are three in number.  
     
     
         11 ) A road barrier, characterized by comprising a number of front impact dampers ( 1 ) as claimed in  claim 1.