Impact-resistant and energy-absorbing item of street furniture

An item of street furniture comprising three parts, said parts being a post, a base plate having a flange or collar and an energy-absorbing element;

• wherein only the base plate is secured directly to an existing ground surface, to a foundation, to a support wall or to a supporting structure and is provided with a hollow space formed by the post, an inner wall of the base plate and the ground surface, foundation, support wall, or supporting structure;
• wherein the energy-absorbing element is located within the hollow space and is arranged with respect to the post and the base plate in such a manner that the energy-absorbing element presses the post and the base plate together at all times, thereby creating a first direct contact between the post and the base plate, as a result of which the item of street furniture is brought and maintained in a normal position, wherein the energy-absorbing element releases the energy absorbed during the loading of the post by external forces when these external forces disappear;
• and wherein the energy-absorbing element also remains in direct contact at all times with the post and with the ground surface, the foundation, the support wall, or the supporting structure;
• and
• wherein the post, the base plate and the energy-absorbing element are arranged relative to one another in such a manner that at the beginning of a movement of the post relative to the base plate, from the normal position of the item of street furniture, the energy-absorbing element is able to absorb this first movement without damage to the parts of the item of street furniture, and that when, after a relative movement of the post and the base plate relative to one another, the post comes into contact with an inner edge of the flange or collar of the base plate defining a limit value of range for the position of the post relative to the base plate, a second direct contact is established between the post and the base plate and a further movement of the post relative to the base plate is no longer possible because, with further movement of the post from this defined limit position, a rigid whole is formed consisting of the post and the base plate, as a result of which the energy-absorbing element is not additionally loaded;
• wherein the post and the base plate are shaped in such a manner that, when the post is loaded just above the base plate, an obliquely, downwardly directed sliding movement of the post relative to the base plate is obtained, which is damped by the energy-absorbing element.