# US 2018/0023263 A1 · Self-deploying vehicle intrusion barrier > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2018/0023263 A1 - Document ID: US20180023263A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 15/657,089 - Filed: 2017-07-21 - Published: 2018-01-25 - Earliest claimed: 2016-07-22 - Assignees: Eikon Corporation - Applicants: Eikon Corporation - Inventors: Peter John Rothschild - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20180023263A1 ## CPC - E01F 13/12: for forcibly arresting or disabling vehicles, e.g. spiked mats - E01F 13/123: {depressible or retractable below the traffic surface, e.g. one-way spike barriers, power-controlled prong barriers} - E01F 13/02: free-standing; {portable, e.g. for guarding open manholes (E01F9/688 takes precedence); Portable signs or signals specially adapted for fitting to portable barriers} - E01F: ADDITIONAL WORK, SUCH AS EQUIPPING ROADS OR THE CONSTRUCTION OF PLATFORMS, HELICOPTER LANDING STAGES, SIGNS, SNOW FENCES, OR THE LIKE ## Abstract A vehicle barrier apparatus includes a base and a deployable element. The deployable element is rotatably coupled to the base, enabling transition from a stored orientation to a deployed orientation. The deployable element can engage a vehicle physically in the deployed orientation to impair vehicle motion. An actuating mechanism is mechanically coupled to the deployable element cause the deployable element to move from the stored orientation to the deployed orientation responsive to a trigger. The apparatus may include a triggering device that detects the vehicle and provides the trigger to the actuating mechanism responsive to the detection. In addition, or alternatively, the apparatus can include a communications interface that receives a trigger communication from a remote location and causes the trigger to be provided to the actuating mechanism. The apparatus may be portable. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A vehicle barrier apparatus comprising: a base; a deployable element rotatably coupled to the base to enable a transition from a stored orientation to a deployed orientation, the deployable element being configured in the deployed orientation to engage a vehicle physically to impair motion of the vehicle; an actuating mechanism mechanically coupled to the deployable element and configured to cause the deployable element to move from the stored orientation to the deployed orientation in response to a trigger; and a triggering device operably coupled to the actuating mechanism and configured to detect a presence of the vehicle and to provide the trigger to the actuating mechanism responsive to detecting a presence of the vehicle. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the deployable element has a base end and a vehicle engagement end, the deployable element being rotatably coupled to the base at the base end, and the vehicle engagement end being configured in the deployed orientation to engage the vehicle physically to impair motion of the vehicle, and wherein the actuating mechanism is configured to cause the deployable element to rotate from the stored orientation to the deployed orientation. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the deployable element has a continuous face spanning an entirety of lateral dimensions from the base end to the vehicle interface end. ### Claim 4 (depends on 2) The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the deployable element includes one or more struts, wherein, in the case of more than one strut, the struts: i) have a common axis of rotation and a common direction of rotation; ii) have at least two axes of rotation and at least two corresponding directions of rotation; or iii) have at least two axes of rotation and at least two corresponding directions of rotation, and wherein struts with a first axis of the axes of rotation are arranged to be interdigitated with struts with a second axis of the axes of rotation. ### Claim 5 (depends on 2) The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the vehicle engagement end of the deployable element includes one or more pointed tips configured to puncture one or more tires of the vehicle, with the deployable element in the deployed orientation, to impair the motion of the vehicle. ### Claim 6 (depends on 2) The apparatus of claim 2, wherein a rotation of the deployable element with respect to the base is limited by a cable to stop rotation of the deployable element at the deployed orientation, wherein the cable is attached to the base and to the deployable element either at the vehicle engagement end or between the base end and the vehicle engagement end. ### Claim 7 (depends on 2) The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the actuating mechanism includes a rocker configured to rotate the deployable element from the stored orientation to the deployed orientation using at least one of a weight and a momentum of the vehicle. ### Claim 8 (depends on 2) The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the base and the triggering device are the same, the actuating mechanism being a rocker rib configured to support the deployable element mechanically and to rotate the deployable element from the stored orientation to the deployed orientation responsive to a tire or wheel of the vehicle contacting the base and triggering device. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the base includes one or more ramps configured to facilitate a smooth transition of travel for the vehicle onto or off of the vehicle barrier apparatus with the deployable element in the stored orientation. ### Claim at position 10 -12. (canceled) ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the apparatus is a first vehicle barrier apparatus, and wherein the base includes one or more interlocking elements configured to attach the base of the first vehicle barrier apparatus to one or more corresponding bases of one or more respective second vehicle barrier apparatuses. ### Claim 14 (canceled) ### Claim 15 (canceled) ### Claim 16 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the deployable element is further configured to impair motion of the vehicle by mechanically coupling the vehicle to the base, wherein the base has friction with the ground. ### Claim 17 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein deployable element is configured to be below a surface of a street or sidewalk in the stored orientation, and wherein the vehicle engagement end is configured to be above the surface in the deployed orientation. ### Claim 18 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the deployable element and the base are coupled to respective portions of one or more brackets, and wherein the one or more brackets are configured to be folded while the deployable element is in the stored orientation, and wherein the one or more brackets are configured to be unfolded and locked when the deployable element is in the deployed orientation. ### Claim 19 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the actuating mechanism includes one or more springs configured to cause the deployable element to rotate or otherwise move from the stored orientation to the deployed orientation using stored spring power. ### Claim 20 (canceled) ### Claim 21 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the actuating mechanism is configured to cause the deployable element to rotate or otherwise move from the stored orientation to the deployed orientation within about 10-100 ms. ### Claim 22 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the triggering device includes at least one latch configured to provide the trigger in response to at least one of a weight and momentum of the vehicle. ### Claim 23 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the triggering device includes one or more shear pins configured to be sheared in response to at least one of a weight and momentum of the vehicle. ### Claim 24 (canceled) ### Claim 25 (canceled) ### Claim 26 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the triggering device is configured to discriminate between vehicles and other objects or persons to provide the trigger to the actuating mechanism responsive to detecting the presence of the vehicle but not responsive to detecting a presence of the other objects or persons. ### Claim 27 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the triggering device is further configured to discriminate on the basis of vehicle size by providing the trigger responsive to detecting the presence of a relatively larger vehicle and to not provide the trigger responsive to detecting the presence of a relatively smaller vehicle. ### Claim 28 (canceled) ### Claim 29 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, further including a deactivating mechanism configured to prevent at least one of: the triggering device from providing the trigger, the actuating mechanism from responding to the trigger, and the deployable element from deploying. ### Claim 30 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, further including a manual activating mechanism configured to enable the deployable element to be set to the deployed orientation in response to a manual setting. ### Claim at position 29 -33. (canceled) ### Claim 34 A vehicle barrier apparatus comprising: a portable base; a deployable element rotatably coupled to the base to enable a transition from a stored orientation to a deployed orientation, the deployable element being configured in the deployed orientation to engage a vehicle physically to impair motion of the vehicle; an actuating mechanism mechanically coupled to the deployable element and configured to cause the deployable element to move from the stored orientation to the deployed orientation in response to a trigger; and a communications interface operably coupled to the actuating mechanism, the communications interface being configured to receive a trigger communication from a remote location and to cause the trigger to be provided to the actuating mechanism responsive to the trigger communication. ### Claim 35 (depends on 34) The apparatus of claim 34, wherein the deployable element includes a base end and a vehicle engagement end, the deployable element being rotatably coupled to the base at the base end, and the vehicle engagement end being configured in the deployed orientation to engage the vehicle physically to impair motion of the vehicle, and wherein the actuating mechanism is configured to cause the deployable element to rotate from the stored orientation to the deployed orientation. ### Claim 36 (depends on 35) The apparatus of claim 35, wherein the deployable element has a continuous face spanning an entirety of lateral dimensions from the base end to the vehicle interface end. ### Claim 37 (depends on 35) The apparatus of claim 35, wherein the deployable element includes one or more struts, wherein, in the case of more than one strut, the struts: i) have a common axis of rotation and a common direction of rotation; or ii) have at least two axes of rotation and at least two corresponding directions of rotation; or iii) have at least two axes of rotation and at least two corresponding directions of rotation, and wherein struts with a first axis of the axes of rotation are arranged to be interdigitated with struts with a second axis of the axes of rotation. ### Claim at position 34 -47. (canceled) ### Claim 48 (depends on 34) The apparatus of claim 34, wherein the deployable element is further configured to impair motion of the vehicle by mechanically coupling the vehicle to the base, wherein the base has friction with the ground. ### Claim 49 (depends on 34) The apparatus of claim 34, wherein the deployable element and the base are coupled to respective portions of one or more brackets, and wherein the one or more brackets are configured to be folded while the deployable element is in the stored orientation, and wherein the one or more brackets are configured to be unfolded and locked when the deployable element is in the deployed orientation. ### Claim 50 (depends on 34) The apparatus of claim 34, wherein the actuating mechanism includes one or more springs configured to cause the deployable element to rotate or otherwise move from the stored orientation to the deployed orientation using stored spring power. ### Claim 51 (canceled) ### Claim 52 (depends on 34) The apparatus of claim 34, wherein the actuating mechanism is configured to cause the deployable element to rotate or otherwise move from the stored orientation to the deployed orientation within about 10-100 ms. ### Claim 53 (depends on 34) The apparatus of claim 34, further comprising a triggering device operably coupled to the actuating mechanism and configured to detect a presence of the vehicle and to provide the trigger to the actuating mechanism responsive to detecting a presence of the vehicle. ### Claim 54 (depends on 53) The apparatus of claim 53, wherein the triggering device includes at least one latch configured to provide the trigger in response to at least one of a weight and momentum of the vehicle. ### Claim 55 (depends on 53) The apparatus of claim 53, wherein the triggering device includes one or more shear pins configured to be sheared in response to at least one of a weight and momentum of the vehicle. ### Claim 56 (depends on 53) The apparatus of claim 53, wherein the triggering device includes a force sensor. ### Claim 57 (canceled) ### Claim 58 (depends on 53) The apparatus of claim 53, wherein the triggering device is configured to discriminate between vehicles and other objects or persons to provide the trigger to the actuating mechanism responsive to detecting the presence of the vehicle but not responsive to detecting a presence of the other objects or persons. ### Claim 59 (depends on 53) The apparatus of claim 53, wherein the triggering device is further configured to discriminate on the basis of vehicle size by providing the trigger responsive to detecting the presence of a relatively larger vehicle and to not provide the trigger responsive to detecting the presence of a relatively smaller vehicle. ### Claim 60 (depends on 53) The apparatus of claim 53, wherein the base and triggering device comprise the same element, the actuating mechanism is a rocker rib configured to mechanically support the deployable element and to rotate the deployable element from the stored orientation to the deployed orientation responsive to a tire or wheel of the vehicle contacting the base and triggering device. ### Claim 61 (depends on 53) The apparatus of claim 53, further including a deactivating mechanism configured to prevent at least one of: the triggering device from providing the trigger, the actuating mechanism from responding to the trigger, and the deployable element from deploying. ### Claim 62 (canceled) ### Claim 63 (depends on 34) The apparatus of claim 34, further including a manual activating mechanism configured to enable the deployable element to be set to the deployed orientation in response to a manual setting. ### Claim 64 (canceled) ### Claim 65 (canceled) ### Claim 66 A vehicle barrier apparatus comprising: means for rotatably coupling a deployable element to a base, the means for rotatably coupling enabling a transition of the deployable element from a stored orientation to a deployed orientation, the deployable element being configured in the deployed orientation to engage a vehicle physically to impair motion of the vehicle; means for causing the deployable element to move from the stored orientation to the deployed orientation in response to a trigger; and means for detecting a presence of the vehicle and for providing the trigger responsive to detecting a presence of the vehicle. ### Claim at position 54 -69. (canceled)