Glare screen system

Abstract

A glare screen system comprises a number of glare screen units arranged in an end-to-end manner. Each glare screen unit comprises a number of upright paddles integrally formed with a horizontal rail. The paddles are tapered and hollow, allowing the glare screen unit to be nested on top of another one of the glare screen units. In addition, each glare screen unit comprises a receiver portion and an attachment portion at opposite ends. The receiver portion of one unit is configured to engage with the attachment portion of another unit to form the glare screen system.

1 . A glare screen unit for use in a glare screen system installed on concrete barriers, the unit comprising:
 a rail removably attached to one of the concrete barriers, the rail comprising:
 first and second ends; 
 an upper surface; 
 an attachment portion proximate to the first end, the attachment portion comprising:
 one or more protrusions extending from the upper surface, each of the protrusions comprising:
 a protrusion wall; 
 a protrusion floor extending across the protrusion wall; and 
 one or more protrusion floor openings formed in the protrusion floor; 
 
 
 a receiver portion proximate to the second end, the receiver portion comprising:
 a receiver upper surface offset from the upper surface; and 
 one or more depressions formed on the receiver upper surface, each of the depressions comprising:
 one or more depression walls; 
 one or more depression floors extending across the depression walls; and 
 one or more receiver openings formed in the depression floors; 
 
 
 wherein the attachment portion of a first one of the units is configured to engage with the receiver portion of a second one of the units, with at least one of the protrusion floor openings of the first one of the units aligned with at least one of the receiver openings of the second one of the units to receive a fastener therethrough; and 
   a plurality of paddles extending substantially vertically from and integrally formed with the upper surface, each of the paddles comprising:
 first and second paddle faces, the first and second paddle faces joining to define two paddle ends; and 
 an upper paddle surface extending between upper edges of the first and second paddle faces; 
 wherein each of the paddles are tapered such that the paddle ends are closer together proximate to the upper paddle surface relative to proximate the upper surface; and 
 wherein the first and second paddle faces and the upper paddle surface define, at least in part, a paddle enclosure; 
 wherein the paddle enclosure is configured to receive, at least in part, the paddle of another one of the units. 
   
     
     
         2 . The glare screen unit of  claim 1 , wherein the attachment portion further comprises one or more protrusion openings formed on the upper surface, the protrusion openings defined, at least in part, by the protrusion wall. 
     
     
         3 . The glare screen unit of  claim 2 , further comprising a cap configured to engage with one of the protrusion openings. 
     
     
         4 . The glare screen unit of  claim 3 , wherein the cap comprises:
 a cap wall that is configured to engage with the protrusion wall;   a cap floor that is configured to engage with the protrusion floor; and   a cap floor opening formed in the cap floor, the cap floor opening aligned with at least one of the protrusion floor openings;   
     
     
         5 . The glare screen unit of  claim 4 , wherein each of the protrusions further comprises a protrusion channel proximate to the protrusion wall. 
     
     
         6 . The glare screen unit of  claim 5 , wherein the cap further comprises a cap surface extending from the cap wall, the cap surface comprising a rim that is configured to engage with the protrusion channel. 
     
     
         7 . A glare screen unit for use in a glare screen system installed on concrete barriers, the unit comprising:
 a rail removably attached to one of the concrete barriers, the rail comprising:
 first and second ends; 
 an upper surface; 
 an attachment portion proximate to the first end, the attachment portion comprising:
 one or more protrusions extending from the upper surface, each of the protrusions comprising:
 a protrusion wall; 
 a protrusion floor extending across the protrusion wall; and 
 one or more protrusion floor openings formed in the protrusion floor; 
 
 
 a receiver portion proximate to the second end, the receiver portion comprising:
 a receiver upper surface offset from the upper surface; and 
 one or more depressions formed on the receiver upper surface, each of the depressions comprising:
 one or more depression walls; 
 one or more depression floors extending across the depression walls; and 
 one or more receiver openings formed in the depression floors; 
 
 
 wherein the attachment portion of a first one of the units is configured to engage with the receiver portion of a second one of the units, with at least one of the protrusion floor openings of the first one of the units aligned with at least one of the receiver openings of the second one of the units to receive a fastener therethrough; and 
   a plurality of paddles extending substantially vertically from and integrally formed with the upper surface.   
     
     
         8 . The glare screen unit of  claim 7 , wherein the attachment portion further comprises one or more protrusion openings formed on the upper surface, the protrusion openings defined, at least in part, by the protrusion wall. 
     
     
         9 . The glare screen unit of  claim 8 , further comprising a cap configured to engage with one of the protrusion openings. 
     
     
         10 . The glare screen unit of  claim 9 , wherein the cap comprises:
 a cap wall that is configured to engage with the protrusion wall;   a cap floor that is configured to engage with the protrusion floor; and   a cap floor opening formed in the cap floor, the cap floor opening aligned with at least one of the protrusion floor openings;   
     
     
         11 . The glare screen unit of  claim 10 , wherein each of the protrusions further comprises a protrusion channel proximate to the protrusion wall. 
     
     
         12 . The glare screen unit of  claim 11 , wherein the cap further comprises a cap surface extending from the cap wall, the cap surface comprising a rim that is configured to engage with the protrusion channel. 
     
     
         13 . A glare screen unit for use in a glare screen system installed on concrete barriers, the unit comprising:
 a rail removably attached to one of the concrete barriers; and   a plurality of paddles extending substantially vertically from and integrally formed with the upper surface, each of the paddles comprising:
 first and second paddle faces, the first and second paddle faces joining to define two paddle ends; and 
 an upper paddle surface extending between upper edges of the first and second paddle faces; 
 wherein each of the paddles are tapered such that the paddle ends are closer together proximate to the upper paddle surface relative to proximate the upper surface; and 
 wherein the first and second paddle faces and the upper paddle surface define, at least in part, a paddle enclosure; 
 wherein the paddle enclosure is configured to receive, at least in part, the paddle of another one of the units. 
   
     
     
         14 . The glare screen unit of  claim 13 , wherein the first and second faces are angled with respect to a longitudinal axis of the rail, such that the angle between a plane extending between the two paddle ends and the longitudinal axis is between approximately 60° to 70°. 
     
     
         15 . The glare screen unit of  claim 14 , wherein the angle between the plane extending between the two paddle ends and the longitudinal axis is between approximately 65°. 
     
     
         16 . The glare screen unit of  claim 13 , wherein the paddles taper to a greater degree proximate to the paddle ends than proximate to a vertical midline of the first or second paddle faces. 
     
     
         17 . The glare screen unit of  claim 16 , wherein the paddles taper proximate to the paddle ends at an angle of approximately 2.7°. 
     
     
         18 . The glare screen unit of  claim 16 , wherein the paddles taper proximate to the vertical midline of the first or second paddle faces at an angle of approximately 2.5° 
     
     
         19 . The glare screen unit of  claim 13 , wherein an angle formed by a line joining one of the paddle ends of one of the paddles with an opposite one of the paddle ends of an adjacent one of the paddles with a longitudinal axis of the rail varies along a height of the paddles. 
     
     
         20 . The glare screen unit of  claim 19 , wherein the angle is greatest proximate to the upper surface and least proximate to the upper paddle surface. 
     
     
         21 . The glare screen unit of  claim 1 , wherein the glare screen unit is formed from a plastic material. 
     
     
         22 . The glare screen unit of  claim 21 , wherein the plastic material is an elastomeric material.