Retractable speed bump

Abstract

A retractable speed bump mounted in a street, road or roadway for controlling the speed of vehicles, which includes three main components: enabling bar, bump, and a link mechanism. The speed bump rests in the grooves on the road surface when it is not in operation. When a vehicle moves over the enabling bar, the tire runs on top of the enabling bar, pushing the enabling bar downward. This downward force triggers the link mechanism and pushes the bump up out of the grooves on the road surface. In one embodiment according to the present invention, the link mechanism is a class 1 lever.

1 - 15 . (canceled) 
     
     
         16 . A speed bump device for controlling the traffic speed comprising:
 a) an enabling bar lying horizontally across the road surface and designed to not obstruct movement of the vehicle; with the pressure of the vehicle tire, said enabling bar is pushed downward to create a downward force;   b) a speed bump lying horizontally across the road surface, wherein the bump, once pushed up to the limit, will start to fall freely via gravity; and   c) a link mechanism, transforming the downward force of said enabling bar into an upward force of said bump, wherein said link mechanism is a single class 1 lever comprising a lever arm having a first end and a second end, and a fulcrum substantially positioned at the middle of said lever arm.   
     
     
         17 . The speed bump device of  claim 16 , wherein the enabling bar is in contact with the first tire of the vehicle and is pushed downward by the pressure of said vehicle tire, once pushed down to the limit, said enabling bar will start to recover with a resistance to slow the recovery, so the second tire will not hit said enabling bar again. 
     
     
         18 . The speed bump device of  claim 16 , wherein the link mechanism further comprises a first column connecting the enabling bar with said first end of said lever arm and a second column connecting the bump with said second end of said lever arm. 
     
     
         19 . A speed bump device for controlling the traffic speed comprising:
 a) an enabling bar lying horizontally across the road surface and designed to not obstruct movement of the vehicle; with the pressure of the vehicle tire, said enabling bar is pushed downward to create a downward force;   b) a speed bump lying horizontally across the road surface, wherein the bump, once pushed up to the limit, will start to fall freely via gravity;   c) a conduit link mechanism, lying beneath the road surface, including a U shaped tube filled with a fluid, having a first end extending toward the enabling bar, a second end extending toward the bump, a first piston sitting on top of the fluid within the first end connecting said U shaped tube to said enabling bar, a second piston sitting on top of the fluid within the second end connecting said U shaped tube to said bump; and   d) an encasement, the link mechanism being installed within said encasement, having two openings on top of said encasement just beneath the road surface, the first opening allowing the first piston to protrude from and retract into said encasement in order to support upward and downward movement of the enabling bar, the second opening allowing the second piston to protrude from and retract into said encasement to provide support to the upward and downward movement of the speed bump.   
     
     
         20 . The speed bump device of  claim 19  wherein the enabling bar is in contact with the first tire of the vehicle and is pushed downward by the pressure of said vehicle tire, once pushed down to the limit, will start to recover with a resistance to slow the recovery, so the second tire will not hit the bump again. 
     
     
         21 . The speed bump device of  claim 19 , wherein the height is the maximum speed bump height allowed by the regulation of the town and the height of the bump above the roadway upon impact is determined by how much the speed of the vehicle exceeds the speed limit of the implemented road.