Security barrier

Abstract

The present invention relates to a security barrier ( 1 ) for deployment in crowd control and/or containment, the security barrier being capable of adopting at least two configurations. In a first configuration the security barrier is erected for deployment and comprises a compartment bounded at its front by a front panel ( 5, 6, 7 ) for providing a barricade, at its rear by a rear panel ( 12, 13, 14 ) of lower height than the front panel, at its sides by respective side panels ( 8, 9, 10, 11 ) pivotally connecting the rear and front panels, and at its bottom by a bottom panel ( 15, 16, 17 ) connected at least two of the front panel, the rear panel, and the respective side panels. In its second configuration the security barrier is collapsed for storage and/or transportation.

1 . A security barrier for deployment in crowd control or containment, comprising:
 a front panel for providing a barricade;   a rear panel of lower height than the front panel;   respective side panels pivotally connected to said rear panel and front panel; and   a bottom panel pivotally connected to at least two of said front panel, said rear panel, and said side panels,   wherein the panels form an erected compartment when the security barrier is in a deployed configuration, and   wherein the bottom panel can be folded up against any one of the front, rear or side panels, and wherein the side, front and rear panels can be folded against each other to adopt a substantially flattened, folded configuration for storage or transportation.   
   
   
       2 . A security barrier according to  claim 1 , which is self-supporting in the deployed configuration. 
   
   
       3 . A security barrier according to  claim 1 , wherein the height of the front panel in the deployed configuration is at least about six feet. 
   
   
       4 . A security barrier according to  claim 1 , wherein the height of the rear panel in the deployed configuration is not more than about five feet. 
   
   
       5 . A security barrier according to  claim 1 , wherein a weight is received in the compartment in the deployed configuration of the barrier. 
   
   
       6 . A security barrier according to  claim 5 , wherein the weight deployed in the compartment in the deployed configuration of the barrier bears upon the bottom panel and is effective, through the connection of the bottom panel to at least two of the front panel, the rear panel, and the respective side panels, to prevent toppling of the security barrier when pushed or pulled from the front. 
   
   
       7 . A security barrier according to  claim 1 , wherein the bottom panel is connected to the front panel and to at least one other panel in the deployed configuration of the barrier. 
   
   
       8 . A security barrier according to  claim 7 , wherein the bottom panel is connected at least to the front panel and the rear panel in the deployed configuration of the barrier. 
   
   
       9 . A security barrier according to  claim 1 , wherein the bottom panel is connected to the respective side panels in the deployed configuration of the barrier. 
   
   
       10 . A security barrier according to  claim 1 , wherein the bottom panel is connected to the front panel, and to one or both of the respective side panels in the deployed configuration of the barrier. 
   
   
       11 . A security barrier according to  claim 1 , wherein the bottom panel is connected to the rear panel, and to one or both of the respective side panels in the deployed configuration of the barrier. 
   
   
       12 . A security barrier according to  claim 1 , which is multi-compartmental, wherein the bottom panel and the rear panel of at least one compartment is arranged to be foldable against any one of the front or side panels by means of a pivotal connection, allowing the bottom panel and rear panel to adopt a substantially flattened configuration against the front or side panel so as to enable the front panel to adopt a substantially flatted configuration against a side panel in the deployed configuration to create a turn in the security barrier. 
   
   
       13 . A security barrier according to  claim 1 , which is multi-compartmental, comprising a plurality of pivotally connected front panels, a plurality of corresponding pivotally connected rear panels, and a plurality of respective pairs of side panels defining therebetween multiple compartments in the deployed security barrier, each compartment having a bottom panel. 
   
   
       14 . A security barrier according to  claim 1 , deployable by transporting the security barrier in the folded configuration to a deployment site, unfolding the security barrier and folding down the bottom panel by means of its pivotal connection with at least one of the front, rear and respective side walls, securing the bottom panel to at least one other of the remaining front, rear or respective side wall, and providing the compartment of the security barrier with a weight material. 
   
   
       15 . A security barrier according to  claim 14 , wherein the weight material comprises a big bag filled or part-filled with sand, earth, soil, stones, rocks, rubble, concrete, debris, snow, ice, water, and combinations of two or more thereof. 
   
   
       16 . A security barrier according to  claim 1 , wherein the pivotal connection between the pivotally connected panels is provided by a hinge member therebetween. 
   
   
       17 . A security barrier according to  claim 16 , wherein the pivotal interconnection between connected panels is achieved by providing interconnected panels with a row of apertures along an interconnection edge thereof and by providing a coil member helically threaded through a plurality of apertures along the interconnection edge. 
   
   
       18 . A security barrier according to  claim 17 , wherein a single coil member is helically threaded through the connection edge apertures of two or more neighbouring panels to achieve pivotal interconnection therebetween. 
   
   
       19 . A security barrier according to  claim 1 , wherein the front panel is formed from a mesh material. 
   
   
       20 . A security barrier according to  claim 19 , wherein the mesh material has a mesh size small enough for an anti-climb panel. 
   
   
       21 . A security barrier according to  claim 20 , wherein the mesh material on the front panel has a width of no more than about 6 inches. 
   
   
       22 . A security barrier according to  claim 20 , wherein the mesh material on the front panel has a height of no more than about 2 inches. 
   
   
       23 . A security barrier according to  claim 1 , comprising pivotally interconnected, open meshwork, panels which are connected together under factory conditions so that the security barrier can take a flattened form for transportation to site where it can be erected to take a form in which panels thereof define front, rear, side, bottom and end walls and an open top through which the compartments of the security barrier may be provided with a ballast weight. 
   
   
       24 . A security barrier according to  claim 23 , wherein under factory conditions the panels define front, rear, side, bottom and end walls and are pivotally interconnected edge to edge and are relatively foldable to lie face to face in the flattened form for transportation to site and can be relatively unfolded to bring the security barrier to the erected condition without the requirement for any further connection of the walls site, save for the connection of the bottom panel to at least one of the front, rear or respective side walls to which the bottom panel is unconnected in its folded configuration. 
   
   
       25 . A security wall formed from a plurality of security barriers of  claim 1 , placed side by side and secured to each other by means of an interconnection member. 
   
   
       26 . A security wail according to  claim 25 , wherein the interconnection member comprises a helical coil threaded through interconnection surface apertures of neighbouring end panels. 
   
   
       27 . A method for deploying a multi-compartmental security barrier according to  claim 1 , comprising transporting the security barrier in the folded configuration to a deployment site, unfolding the security barrier, connecting the bottom panel to at least one front, side and/or rear panel in addition to the panel to which the bottom panel is already connected in its folded condition, and supplying each individual compartment of the security barrier with a ballast weight. 
   
   
       28 . A method for creating a secure substantially 90 degree turn in an erected security wall formed from a plurality of multi-compartmental security barriers of  claim 13 , comprising folding up the bottom panel and rear panel of one of the plurality of compartments against any one of the front or side panels, and turning one end of the security wall substantially 90 degrees by pivoting about the connection between the front panel and one of the side panels of the folded up compartment. 
   
   
       29 . The method of  claim 28 , wherein the compartment folded up to create the turn is not an end compartment of a multi-compartment security barrier forming the security wall. 
   
   
       30 . A method for crowd control or containment, comprising:
 deploying the security barrier of  claim 1 .