DE20119635U1 - Device for securing race tracks - Google Patents

Description

Device for securing race tracks

The invention relates to a device for securing race tracks, in particular car racing tracks, with a safety net, with a lower and an upper holding rope, between which the safety net extends, and with several rigid holding masts which are arranged at a distance from one another and carry the upper holding rope.

Such a device is known, for example, from DE 296 00 444 Ul. The safety net extends between the holding ropes, with spring elements arranged between the upper holding rope and the safety net and between the lower holding rope and the safety net. The arrangement of the spring elements between the lower holding rope and the safety net is not without problems, since in many cases the parts to be caught slide on the floor and hit the device in the area of the lower holding rope. Parts sliding on the floor that are supposed to be caught by the safety net can shoot through the gaps in the spring elements. There is also a risk that the spring elements will break when larger parts hit them and thus will not be caught by the device. Furthermore, the spring elements could also cause serious injuries to a racing driver who slides on the floor.

The problem that parts sliding on the ground or racers can slip through the gaps between the spring elements is addressed in DE 299 20 026 Ul. As a solution

To solve this problem, an apron covering the spring elements is proposed, which prevents slipping underneath the safety net. However, this solution has the disadvantage that the device includes additional components in the form of these aprons.

An important aspect of catching parts sliding on the ground or flying around is to cushion the impact as well as possible. Since on a race track it is not just car parts that have to be caught by the device, but often also racing drivers in their racing cars, soft cushioning can mean the difference between life and death.

The invention is therefore based on the object of providing a device for securing race tracks which, on the one hand, safely catches parts sliding on the ground and, on the other hand, cushions the impact of parts as well as possible.

0 The object is achieved in that the lower holding rope is firmly anchored near the ground, that the upper holding rope is attached to the individual holding masts by means of at least one spring element and/or at least one damping element and that the safety net is attached directly to the lower holding rope.

Because the lower holding rope is anchored close to the ground and the safety net is directly attached to the lower holding rope, no parts sliding on the ground can slide under the safety net. Because the upper holding rope is not rigidly attached to the support masts, the system consisting of the upper and lower holding ropes and the safety net extending between them has a certain degree of flexibility in the event of an impact. By selecting the appropriate spring elements and/or damping elements, the flexibility of the safety net can be selected to suit the respective requirements. This ensures that the impact impulse does not exceed a certain level.

The distance between the lower tether and the ground can be between 0 and 10 cm. This distance between the ground and the safety net is very likely to catch the parts that would normally have to slide on the ground in the event of an accident on a race track. Preferably, the distance between the ground and the tether can be limited to up to 5 cm and ideally to up to 2 cm.

Alternatively, the lower tether can be positioned and anchored in the ground. This has the additional advantage that the tether cannot be directly damaged by the parts in the event of an impact, nor can it lead to direct injuries.

In a preferred embodiment, the spring element can store energy. In the event of an impact, the spring element arranged between the support mast and the upper support cable is subjected to tensile stress. To prevent the spring element from springing back after the impact and possibly causing a car caught in this way to be thrown back onto the race track, a blocking device can be provided on the spring element that prevents the deflected spring from contracting. The spring element remains tensioned and does not return to its untensioned starting position. In order to use the spring element again, the blocking can be released manually in a simple embodiment.

Preferably, the safety net is inclined at an angle to the vertical of the race track to be secured. Since the impact energy essentially has a horizontal component, cars or car parts are pressed towards the ground due to the inclination of the safety net when the device springs back. This largely prevents car parts and cars from flying around in the safety net after impact.

The support mast can have a curved area. This

The support mast forms a gallows, to the upper end of which the upper support rope is attached by means of spring elements and/or damping elements. The gallows is located on the side of the safety net facing away from the race track. The safety rope can therefore spring back along its entire length without hindering the support masts or forming catch pockets. Compared to an L-shaped gallows, the arched support mast has the advantage that the problematic connection of the perpendicular webs of the L-shape can be dispensed with.

In a preferred embodiment, the support mast has an I-profile. With a given material usage, a comparatively high area moment of inertia can be achieved with an I-profile. This allows a high level of rigidity of the support mast. Node stiffening struts can be provided to reinforce the I-profile. They can be arranged on both sides of the central web of the I-profile and run diagonally from the lower to the upper cross web of the I-profile.

Preferably, the safety net can be designed to be elastic. The elasticity of the safety net further reduces the impact impulse.

The safety net can advantageously be made of synthetic fibres, such as nylon. The strands of the safety net can have a width of between 2 and 12 cm. Ideally, the width is between 5 and 8 cm.

The individual strands of the safety net can cross perpendicularly to each other. This creates square meshes with a mesh size of between 2x2 cm and 20 x 20 cm. In a preferred form, the mesh size is 4 x 4 cm to 12 x 12 cm. Ideally, the mesh size should be between 6 x 6 cm and 8 x 8 cm.

The invention is described in more detail using the embodiment shown in the drawing.

5
Fig. 1 shows a device in perspective view;

Fig. 2 the device of Fig. 1 in cross section and

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of part of a support mast.

Fig. 1 shows a device 1 for securing race tracks. A safety net 2 extends between a lower holding cable 3 and an upper holding cable 4. The upper holding cable 4 is supported by several holding masts 5. A holding mast 5 has a vertical area 6 which is firmly connected to the ground 7, for example by a concrete foundation. The vertical area 6 of the holding mast 5 is located - when the device is in use - behind the safety net 2 as seen from the race track. Due to the gallows-shaped holding mast 5, the yielding of the safety net 2, for example due to the impact of a car in the safety net, is not hindered by the holding masts 5.

The lower holding cable 3 is attached to the ground by means of fastening anchors 8. In this embodiment, the lower holding cable 3 rests on the ground 7, i.e. the distance is 0 cm.

Fig. 2 shows the device 1 in cross section. The lower holding rope 3, the upper holding rope 4 and the safety net 2 extend perpendicular to the plane of the drawing. The holding mast 5 is cast with its vertical section 6 in a concrete foundation 9. The fastening anchor 8 is also firmly connected to the ground by means of a concrete foundation 10.

At the upper end 11 of the support mast 5, a fastening anchor 12 is provided, by means of which a spring element 13 is fastened to the support mast 5. At the end of the spring element 13 facing away from the fastening anchor 12, a hook 14 is provided, which grips the upper support cable 4. The dashed line is intended to represent a deflected safety net after an impact of a part

It can be seen that the spring element 13 has been deflected by the impact. Due to the deflection of the spring element 13 and the possible elasticity of the safety net 2, the impact is cushioned. Since the angle 16 between the safety net 2 and the floor 7 is less than 90 degrees, the object caught is pressed against the floor 7 when the safety net 2 springs back.

Fig. 3 shows a portion of the support mast 5. The support mast 5 has an I-shaped profile 16. On both sides of the central web 17, node stiffening struts 20 run between the two cross webs 18 and 19. These node stiffening struts run along the support mast 5 in a zigzag shape from one cross web to the other cross web, thereby increasing the stiffness of the support mast 5.

LIPPERT, STACHOW, SCHMIDT & PARTNERS

Patent Attorneys European Patent Attorneys-European Trademark Attorneys Kölner Straße 8 ■ D-42651 Solingen Telephone +49(0)2 12.2 22 13-0 Fax +49(0)2 12.103 S-Al/la 29 November 2001

Angela Simon 42719 Solingen

Device for securing race tracks List of reference symbols

I Device for securing race tracks 15 2 Safety net

3 lower holding rope

4 upper holding rope

5 Half mast

6 vertical area 20 7 floor

8 fixing anchors

9 Concrete foundation

10 Concrete foundation

II upper end

25 12 Fixing anchor

13 Spring element

14 hooks

15 deflected safety net

16 I-shaped profile 30 17 Center bar

18 Crossbar

19 Crossbar

20 Node stiffening strut

21 angles

Claims (12)

1. Device ( 1 ) for securing race tracks, in particular car racing tracks, - with a safety net ( 2 ), - with a lower retaining rope ( 3 ) and an upper retaining rope ( 4 ), between which the safety net ( 2 ) extends, - and with several rigid support masts ( 5 ) which are arranged at a distance from each other and carry the upper support cable ( 4 ), characterized , - that the lower retaining rope ( 3 ) is firmly anchored near the ground, - that the upper holding cable ( 4 ) is attached to the individual holding masts ( 5 ) by means of at least one spring element ( 13 ) and/or at least one damping element, - and that the safety net ( 2 ) is directly attached to the lower holding rope ( 3 ). 2. Device ( 1 ) according to claim 2, characterized in that the distance between the lower holding cable ( 3 ) and the floor ( 7 ) is between 0 and 10 cm, preferably 0 to 5 cm and ideally 0 to 2 cm. 3. Device ( 1 ) according to claim 2, characterized in that the lower holding cable ( 3 ) is anchored in the ground ( 7 ). 4. Device ( 1 ) according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the spring element ( 13 ) stores energy. 5. Device ( 1 ) according to one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the safety net ( 2 ) is inclined at an angle to the vertical towards the race track to be secured. 6. Device ( 1 ) according to one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the support mast ( 5 ) has a curved region. 7. Device ( 1 ) according to one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that the support mast ( 5 ) has an I-profile ( 16 ). 8. Device ( 1 ) according to claim 7, characterized in that the support mast ( 5 ) has node stiffening struts ( 20 ) for reinforcing the I-profile ( 16 ). 9. Device ( 1 ) according to one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that the collecting net ( 2 ) is elastic. 10. Device ( 1 ) according to one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that the collecting net ( 2 ) is made of synthetic fiber. 11. Device ( 1 ) according to one of claims 1 to 10, characterized in that the strands of the collecting net ( 2 ) have a width between 2 and 12 cm, preferably between 4 and 10 and ideally between 5 and 8 cm. 12. Device ( 1 ) according to one of claims 1 to 11, characterized in that the mesh size of the collecting net ( 2 ) is 2 by 2 cm to 20 by 20 cm, preferably 4 by 4 cm to 12 by 12 cm and ideally 6 by 6 cm to 8 by 8 cm.