IE20100724A1 - A barrier assembly - Google Patents

Abstract

A barrier assembly for forming a boundary between spectators and a playing area, said fencing comprising at least one fixed lower barrier member forming a boundary wall around the playing area and at least one folding upper barrier member, said at least one upper barrier member being pivotally mounted on the lower barrier member to be pivotal between a raised position, wherein the upper barrier member can prevent unauthorised access to the playing area, and a lowered position, wherein the barrier assembly does not obstruct the view of spectators, actuating means being provided for moving said upper barrier member between its raised and lowered positions.

Description

ssembly and in particular to barrier assembly for forming a ying areas. renuiiy υι uuiei luims oi Darner is often provided between spectators and playing areas, for example, football playing fields or any other sports or entertainment areas. The purpose of such fencing is to prevent balls and other objects from escaping the boundary of the playing area into the crowd and also to prevent unauthorised accessing of the playing area by spectators.

However, where such fencing is of sufficient height to act as a barrier to prevent unauthorised access to the playing area, for example to prevent pitch invasions, the fencing may also obstruct the spectators view of a game played on the playing area, it is an object of the present invention to provide fencing which can prevent unauthorised access to a playing area when required and which is not subject to the aforesaid drawback of obstructing a spectator's view of the playing area.

According to the present invention there is provided a barrier assembly for forming a boundary between spectators and a playing area, said fencing comprising at least one fixed lower barrier member forming a boundary wall around the playing area and at least one folding upper barrier member, said at least one upper barrier member being pivotally mounted on the lower barrier member to be pivotal between a raised position, wherein the upper barrier member can prevent unauthorised access to the playing area, and a lowered position, wherein the barrier assembly does not obstruct the view of spectators, actuating means being provided for moving said upper barrier member between its raised and lowered positions.

Preferably said at least one upper barrier member of the barrier assembly extends substantially vertically upwardly from the lower barrier member when in its raised position. Preferably at least a portion of said upper barrier member rests against the ground when in its lowered position. The at least one upper gate member may be hinged on a generally horizontal axis for swinging downwards from its raised position. Preferably said upper barrier member is arranged to swing downwardly towards the playing area as it moves between its raised position and lowered position.

Said actuating means may comprise at least one hydraulic or pneumatic actuator, more preferably a double acting hydraulic or pneumatic ram. The actuating means may act against at least one linkage mechanism extending between the ground, or a respective base member located on the ground, and the at least one upper barrier member of the barrier assembly. In one embodiment said at least one linkage mechanism comprises an articulated arm extending between the ground or said respective base member at a location spaced from the lower barrier member of the barrier assembly and the at least one respective upper barrier member of the barrier assembly. In one embodiment said articulated arm comprises a first arm portion, pivotally connected to said respective base member at a location spaced from the lower part of the fencing, and a second arm portion, pivotally connected between a distal end of said first arm portion and the at least one upper barrier member of the barrier assembly, preferably said actuating means acting against said first arm to move said articulated arm between a folded position, wherein the upper barrier member is in its lowered position, and an extended position, wherein the upper barrier member is in its raised position.

The actuating means may be controlled by a control device for selectively moving the at least one upper barrier member between its raised and lowered positions. Where the actuating means comprises at least one hydraulic or pneumatic actuator, said control device may comprise one or more valves connected between a source of pressurised fluid and said at least one actuator for selectively driving said at least one actuator.

Preferably said barrier assembly includes at least one gate for providing access to the playing area. Preferably said at least one gate comprises a respective lower gate portion, hinged to the lower barrier member to be moveable between an open position and a closed position, and a respective upper gate portion, hinged to the at least one upper barrier member to be moveable between and open position and a closed position, wherein said upper gate portion is arranged to move with said upper barrier member between its raised and lowered positions.

In one embodiment, releasable latch means are provided for latching said upper gate portion in either of its open and closed positions. Preferably said latch means comprises a first latch member provided on the upper barrier member to which the upper gate portion is hingedly connected for latching the upper gate portion in its open position and a second latch member provided alongside said gate for latching the upper gate portion in its closed position, wherein the upper barrier member is adapted to move between its raised and lowered positions when the associated upper gate portion is latched in its open position by means of said first latch member. Preferably said second latch member is provided on a side of a further upper barrier member alongside said gate.

An embodiment of the invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying, drawings in which:- Figure 1 is a side view of a barrier assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention in a raised configuration; Figure 2 is a side view of the barrier assembly of Figure 1 is a lowered configuration; and Figure 3 is a front view of the barrier assembly of Figure 1 viewed from a playing area around which the barrier assembly is provided.

As illustrated in the drawings, a barrier assembly 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention comprises a boundary wall 12 surrounding a playing area, such as a football pitch, such boundary wall 12 typically being formed from concrete, bricks or stone to form a fixed boundary around the pitch. A handrail 14 is provided on top of the boundary wall 12. Gates 16 will be provided at spaced locations around the boundary wall 12 for providing access to the pitch. The height of the boundary wall 12 is such that it does not obscure with the view of pitch by spectators. While the boundary wall 12 defines a boundary around the pitch, it is not high enough to prevent spectators from climbing or jumping over the boundary wall 12 to gain unauthorised access to the pitch.

The barrier assembly 10 further oomprises a plurality of fencing panels 20 connected to an upper region of the boundary wall 12 by suitable hinges 22 wherein each fencing panel 20 is hinged on a generally horizontal axis to allow the fencing panel 20 to be moved between a raised position, as shown in Figures 1 and 3, wherein the fencing panels 20 form a barrier to prevent spectators from gaining unauthorised access to the pitch, and a lowered position, as shown in Figure 2, wherein the spectators view of the pitch remains unobscured by the fencing panels 20.

As shown in Figure 3, each fencing panel 20 comprises a peripheral frame 24 supporting a mesh panel 26 to allow the spectators to see through the panel, if required, when it is in its raised position. In an alternative embodiment said panel 26 may be formed from a transparent material, such as sheet of polycarbonate material, such that the fencing panel 20 is substantially transparent, such that the fencing panels 20, when in their raised position, form a barrier preventing spectators from gaining unauthorised access to the pitch while minimising any impairment of the spectators view of the pitch.

As shown in Figures 1 and 2, movement of the fencing panels 20 between their raised and towered positions is controlled by articulated arms 28 extending between a base 30 spaced from the bottom of the boundary wall 12 on the pitch side of the boundary wall 12, each articulated arms 28 comprising a first portion 32 pivotally connected to said base 30 and a second portion 34 having a first end pivotally connected to a distal end of the first arm portion 32 and a second end pivotally connected to a respective fencing panel 20, at least one articulated arm 28 of each fencing panel 20 being associated with double acting pneumatic or hydraulic ram 36 extending between a base 38 adjacent the bottom of the boundary wall 12 and the first arm portion 32 of said articulated arm 28 for controlling the movement of the articulated arm 28 between an extended position, as shown in Figure 1 wherein the associated fencing panel 20 is in its raised position, and a retracted or folded position, as shown in Figure 2, wherein the associated fencing panel 20 is in its lowered position. The base 38 and base 30 bay be formed on a single base structure which may be connected to the boundary wall 12 to provide improved support for the fencing panels 20.

As shown in Figure 3, at least one side of at least one of the fencing panels 20 may be provided with a gate panel 40 aligned with a respective one of the access gates 16 provided in a gap in the boundary wall 12, said gate panel 40 being mounted on said at least one side of the fencing panel 20 via hinges such that the gate panel 40 can move between a closed position, as shown in Figure 3, wherein the gate panel 40 oooperates with the associated access gate 16 of the boundary wall 12 to prevent access to the pitch, and an open position, wherein the gate panel 40 lies against the fencing panel 20 upon which it is mounted.

Each gate panel 40 is provided with a releasable latch member 42 adapted to engage a first receiving member 44 mounted on the fencing panel 20 upon which the gate panel 40 is mounted whereby the gate panel 40 can be secured in its open position, and a second receiving member 46 mounted on a side of an adjacent fencing panel 20B alongside the gate opening whereby the gate panel 40 can be secured in its closed position.

A controller, including one or more spool valves, may be provided for controlling the flow of pressurised fluid to the hydraulic rams 36 to raise and lower the fencing panels 20 between their raised and lowered positions.

In use, during a match when it is desired to provide maximum visibility of the pitch for spectators the fencing panels 20 may be maintained in their lowered positions, wherein a distal end of each panel 20 rests on the ground, or upon a stop mounted on the ground. The barrier assembly 20 is arranged so that the fencing panels 20 are located on the pitch side of the boundary wall 12 to maximise space for spectators.

When it is desired to prevent spectators from gaining unauthorised access to the pitch, for example at or near the end of a match, the controller can be activated to extend the pneumatic or hydraulic rams 36, extending the articulated arms 28 and swinging the fencing panels 20 upwardly to their raised positions. The gate panels 40 may then be closed by operated the latch members 42 to release the latch members 42 from the first receiving members 44 on the fencing panels, the latch members 42 subsequently engaging respective second latch members 46 on an adjacent fencing panel 20B to lock the gate panels 40 in their ciosed positions.

When it is desired to once again lower the fencing panels 20, the latch members 42 are operated to allow the gate panels 40 to be opened and secured to the fencing panels 20 to which they are mounted and the controller is operated to retract the pneumatic or hydraulic rams 36 to swing the fencing panels 20 downwardly to their lowered positions.

A modified fencing panel (not shown) may be provided adjacent each corner of the pitch, a portion of the modified panel extending at a 45° to the remainder of the fencing panel and to an adjacent fencing panel provided on an adjacent side of the pitch to provide a continuous boundary when the fencing panels are in their raised positions while allowing the fencing panels to move to their lowered positions.

The invention is not limited to the embodiment(s) described herein but can be amended or modified without departing from the scope of the present invention.

Claims (20)

1. A barrier assembly for forming a boundary between spectators and a playing area, said fencing comprising at least one fixed lower barrier member forming a boundary wall around the playing area and at least one folding upper barrier member, said at least one upper barrier member being pivotally mounted on the lower barrier member to be pivotal between a raised position, wherein the upper barrier member can prevent unauthorised access to the playing area, and a lowered position, wherein the barrier assembly does not obstruct the view of spectators, actuating means being provided for moving said upper barrier member between its raised and lowered positions.

2. An assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein said at least one upper barrier member of the barrier assembly extends substantially vertically upwardly from the lower barrier member when in its raised position.

3. An assembly as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein at least a portion of said upper barrier member rests against the ground when in its lowered position.

4. An assembly as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the at least one upper gate member is hinged on a generally horizontal axis for swinging downwards from its raised position.

5. An assembly as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein said upper barrier member is arranged to swing downwardly towards the playing area as it moves between its raised position and lowered position.

6. An assembly as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein said actuating means comprises at least one hydraulic or pneumatic actuator.

7. An assembly as claimed in claim 6, wherein said actuating means comprises a double acting hydraulic or pneumatic ram.

8. An assembly as claimed in claim 6 or claim 7, wherein the actuating means acts against at least one linkage mechanism extending between the ground, or a respective base member located on the ground, and the at least one upper barrier member of the barrier assembly.

9. An assembly as claimed in claim 8, wherein said at least one linkage mechanism comprises an articulated arm extending between the ground or said respective base member at a location spaced from the lower barrier member of the barrier assembly and the at least one respective upper barrier member of the barrier assembly.

10. An assembly as claimed in claim 9, wherein said articulated arm comprises a first arm portion, pivotally connected to said respective base member at a location spaced from the lower part of the fencing, and a second arm portion, pivotally connected between a distal end of said first arm portion and the at least one upper barrier member of the barrier assembly, said actuating means acting against said first arm to move said articulated arm between a folded position, wherein the upper barrier member is in its lowered position, and an extended position, wherein the upper barrier member is in its raised position.

11. An assembly as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the actuating means is controlled by a control device for selectively moving the at least one upper barrier member between its raised and lowered positions.

12. An assembly as claimed in claim 11, wherein the actuating means comprises at least one hydraulic or pneumatic actuator, said control device comprising one or more valves connected between a source of pressurised fluid and said at least one actuator for selectively driving said at least one actuator.

13. An assembly as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein said barrier assembly includes at least one gate for providing access to the playing area.

14. An assembly as claimed in claim 13, wherein said at least one gate comprises a respective lower gate portion, hinged to the lower barrier member to be moveable between an open position and a closed position, and a respective upper gate portion, hinged to the at least one upper barrier member to be moveable between and open position and a closed position, wherein said upper gate portion is arranged to move with said upper barrier member between its raised and lowered positions.

15. An assembly as claimed in claim 14, wherein releasable latch means are provided for latching said upper gate portion in either of its open and closed positions.

16. An assembly as claimed in claim 15, wherein said latch means comprises a first latch member provided on the upper barrier member to which the upper gate portion is hingedly connected for latching the upper gate portion in its open position and a second latch member provided alongside said gate for latching the upper gate portion in its closed position, wherein the upper barrier member is adapted to move between its raised and lowered positions when the associated upper gate portion is latched in its open position by means of said first latch member.

17. An assembly as claimed in claim 16, wherein said second latch member is provided on a side of a further upper barrier member alongside said gate.

18. An assembly as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein at least a portion of the upper barrier member is formed from a substantially transparent material.

19. An assembly as claimed in claim 18, wherein at least a portion of the upper barrier assembly is formed from a sheet of polycarbonate or similar transparent polymeric material.

20. A barrier assembly substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings.