| US 7,530,548 B2 | ||
| Releasable highway safety structures | ||
| Carlos M. Ochoa, 5901 Sandhills Cir., Plano, Tex. 75093 (US) | ||
| Filed on Jul. 13, 2005, as Appl. No. 11/180,381. | ||
| Claims priority of provisional application 60/589193, filed on Jul. 19, 2004. | ||
| Prior Publication US 2006/0011900 A1, Jan. 19, 2006 | ||
| Int. Cl. E01F 15/02 (2006.01) | ||
| U.S. Cl. 256—13.1 [404/6; 404/10] | 50 Claims |
| 1. A guardrail system for installation along a roadway to redirect an errant vehicle, comprising:
a plurality of spaced support posts;
a guardrail mounted on the plurality of support posts by a plurality of securing members, each securing member passing through
a respective opening in the guardrail and an opening in a respective support post;
a releasing member on the securing member and on an outer side of one of the guardrail and the support post, the releasing
member deforming to release the guardrail from the support post during a vehicle impact; and
a positioning member structurally separate from the securing member engaging the releasing member and extending through the
opening in one of the guardrail and the support post for centering the releasing member with respect to a central portion
of one of the openings in the guardrail and the support post by an edge of the positioning member engaging one end portion
of the opening to prevent substantial overlap or engagement between an edge of the opening and a radially exterior portion
of the releasing member and enabling the releasing member to be deformed and pass through the opening to release the guardrail
from the support post.
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