EP0944435A1

EP0944435A1 - Water display generating two-dimensional flow patterns, overflow channel used therein and working method

Info

Publication number: EP0944435A1
Application number: EP98943983A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Jean-Pierre Delletre
Original assignee: DELLETRE JEAN PIERRE
Current assignee: DELLETRE JEAN PIERRE
Priority date: 1997-09-16
Filing date: 1998-09-15
Publication date: 1999-09-29
Anticipated expiration: 2018-09-15
Also published as: DE69820850D1; US6347750B1; FR2768540A1; DE69820850T2; AU9168198A; ES2213913T3; EP0944435B1; WO1999013991A1

Abstract

The invention concerns a water display installation generating two-dimensional flow patterns on a net wall (8) comprising a reservoir (2) supplied with liquid by a conduit (15) incorporating a plurality of perforations emerging into said reservoir, and provided with a spout (10) arranged such that the liquid flows from said reservoir along said wall; said installation is characterised in that the reservoir comprises a filtering foam (17) for ensuring uniformity of the liquid flow from one end of the spout to the other.

Description

Installation of hydraulic animation generating two-dimensional flow patterns, weir used therein and implementation process.

Technical area

The present invention relates to a hydraulic animation installation generating two-dimensional flow patterns, a weir used therein and a method of implementing said installation.

State of the art

The creation of a water screen is not new and a number of processes are known, but the devices and materials usually used have several drawbacks on the one hand: the heaviness of their implementation, the restrictive dimensions;

- their low mechanical resistance,

- their bad behavior in time and bad weather.

So far, the devices offered cannot meet many requests.

In addition, the invention has great flexibility in terms of dimensions and shapes and offers great mobility at reduced manufacturing and maintenance costs.

The adaptability of the process is based on a combination of several relevant innovations:

- air permeability and transparency at the sight of the support thanks to the dimensioning of the mesh of the net, an evolutionary constructive system of great reach both in height and in length, lightness and tolerance thanks to a multiplicity of adjustment points, small footprint reservoirs thanks to optimum water spreading. Statement of the invention

One of the objectives of the invention is to provide a hydraulic animation installation which makes it possible to form a thin veil of water on a translucent wall, offering a flow on the two opposite faces of said wall, having patterns of two-dimensional flow.

These aims are achieved in that the invention provides an installation comprising a weir which incorporates: - a reservoir provided with a pouring spout extending along one of its edges, said reservoir being adapted to be filled with a liquid, a water inlet pipe oriented in a direction substantially parallel to said edge and having a plurality of perforations opening into said tank, but is characterized in that:

- a filter foam contained in said tank and interposed between said water inlet pipe and said pouring spout,

a beam disposed outside the tank, against the face of said tank opposite said pouring spout, and

- the adjustable brackets intended to support said tank against said beam, and to which they are adapted to be held there, the fixing of said brackets to said beam being carried out by a rear counter plate, said brackets incorporate adjustment means adapted to move them vertically and therefore said tank, relative to said beam,

- A mesh wall, one end of which is fixed to the reservoir, follows the shape of said pouring spout and extends beyond said reservoir.

The invention also consists of a collection device comprising:

- an opening adapted to let said mesh wall pass, - a suction pump, and

- A filtration system interposed between said opening and said pump, which system preferably comprises a mesh filter over the entire length of said manifold.

The collection device according to the invention can be simply placed on the ground or introduced into a pit dug in the ground.

The mesh wall used in the invention preferably consists of a Nylon® mesh (polyamide-6, 6), such as fishing nets or the like. The dimensions and configuration of the mesh of the net, as well as the title of the wire constituting the net, will vary with the flow patterns that one wishes to obtain and according to the height of the installation. It will thus be possible to use a diamond mesh net measuring from 3 to 5.5 mm on a side, without this being limiting. In addition, it will be possible to use a wire having a titer between approximately 100 and approximately 435 tex (10,000 to 2,300 linear meters per kilogram), without this being limiting.

The net is advantageously fixed to the reservoir by a bar threaded into the meshes of said net, at one of the ends of said net, which bar abuts against two flat sections articulated to one another and taking said net in pinching, one of said sections being fixed to said reservoir, for example by welding. Alternatively, the net can be fixed to said tank by any other suitable fixing means. The net can be hung freely from said tank, and thus have a draped, pleated or wavy appearance, but it will preferably also be fixed at its opposite end and stretched between said ends. To do this, it is advantageously possible to provide means for fixing the opposite end of said net, associated with a means of tensioning the net, consisting for example of a ballast tube over its entire length, supported by the net in the vicinity of its opposite end. The reservoir according to the invention can have a variable profile and length, depending on the configuration which it is desired to give to the hydraulic animation installation. It can thus take the form of an arc of a circle, a straight line or a polygon and have a circular, rectangular, square or trapezoidal cross section, for example.

The reservoir has at least one flow edge, along a part by means of which the liquid is poured onto the net, via a pouring spout.

The combination of a submerged water inlet pipe, arranged along said tank and having a plurality of perforations distributing the liquid in said tank, and of a filter foam arranged along the entire length of said tank, thus guaranteeing a uniform flow of liquid from one end of the spout to the other. It is thus possible to prevent the formation of eddies and to ensure a uniform flow of the liquid along the wall on which it is poured. This parameter is particularly critical when it is desired to create a thin curtain or veil of liquid on the mesh wall.

The use of a filtering foam on the surface, the density of which is close to that of water after filling the pores which constitute it, has the effect of coating the water before it falls. Said filtering foam is a decisive aspect of the invention because it has the effect of making it possible to minimize the flow rate and consequently to reduce the volume of the tanks as well as their weight, which also allows adjustments to be made by the brackets themselves. during operation.

In fact, obtaining a veil of liquid as thin as 0.8 to 2.7 mm, on a net about 6 m high, for example, requires the use of a liquid flow as low as 5 to 16 liters per minute per linear meter of net. Even slight variations in such a low flow rate can lead to variations in the thickness of the veil of liquid which result in an undesirable heterogeneity of the patterns created by the net.

The homogeneity of the flow is further improved by the vertical mobility of the reservoir under the effect of the adjustment means, since it offers a micrometric adjustment of the horizontality of the pouring spout, for example in the event of movements, irregularities terrain or material deformation. The hydraulic animation installation according to the invention can be used in a variety of applications, and in particular as a separating partition and / or decorative element outside or in any type of premises. The invention also relates to a process for obtaining a continuous film of liquid, having bi-directional flow patterns, on a wall, comprising the steps consisting in: a) fixing a net material on a tank provided with 'a spout, b) bringing said liquid into said reservoir, at a selected flow rate, from a pipe, through a plurality of flow orifices successively disposed in a direction parallel to said spout, c) passing said liquid through a filter foam placed in said tank, and d) adjusting the position of said pouring spout by adjusting the horizontality of said tank with respect to a beam disposed outside the tank, against the face of said tank opposite said pouring spout, so that said liquid flows by overflow from said reservoir, at a desired flow rate, along said mesh wall.

The invention will be better understood in the light of the following detailed description of a preferred, non-limiting embodiment, taken in combination with the appended drawings in which: Figure 1 is a general sectional view of the device of a hydraulic animation installation according to the invention. Figure 2 is a schematic sectional view of the collection device illustrated in Figure 1, when empty; and Figure 3 is a schematic sectional view of the weir illustrated in Figure 1;

If we refer first to Figures 1, we see a hydraulic animation installation, which consists of a weir 1, supported by posts 6, spaced about 6 m from each other, and supplied with water by a pipe 7 which is located in the vicinity of one of the posts 6, a collection device 9 and a net 8. The weir 1, which will be described in more detail with reference to FIG. 3 , comprises a tank 2 and a beam 3, resting on the posts 6, the tank 2 and the beam 3 can have a length of several meters depending on the configuration that one wishes to give to the installation. In the embodiment shown, the tank 2 has a trapezoidal profile in cross section, which is extended by a pouring spout 10, while the beam 3 has a hollow parallelipiped structure made of a metal, such as aluminum or galvanized steel for example. The reservoir 2 and the beam 3 are held together by means of brackets 4 spaced about 1.5 m from each other, the assembly being covered with a cover 5.

The net 8 is fixed, at one of its ends, to the reservoir 2 from which it projects by marrying the shape of the pouring spout 10 and, by its opposite end, in the collection device 9. Said net is stretched between said tank 2 and said collecting device 9, thanks to the ballast tube 37. The collecting device 9, which will be described in more detail with reference to FIG. 2, is mounted in a pit (not shown) built in the ground, substantially directly below the pouring spout 10, in order to collect the liquid discharged from the weir 1 onto the net 8 and to recycle this liquid, after filtration, to the tank 2, by means of a suction pump 12, via the pipe 7. If we now come to FIG. 3, we see that the pipe 7 in fact opens into a perforated pipe 15, of approximately 50 mm outside diameter, which is mounted at each of its ends, via a support suitable (not shown), on the bottom wall of the tank 2, so that its ends are closed. Line 15 is provided with a plurality of perforations.

The immersion in the liquid of a filter foam 17 covering substantially the entire exposed surface of the tank 2 guarantees good horizontal distribution of the liquid. The filter foam 17 is for example a polyurethane-polyester foam.

As shown in FIG. 3, the reservoir 2 is provided along its edge opposite the pouring spout 10 with a flange 18 which projects towards the interior of the reservoir and on which are mounted first fixing means. The first fastening means comprise flat profiles 21, extending over the entire length of the installation. The flat sections 21 are articulated to one another by hinges 19, and adapted to pinch between them a first end of the net 8. The first means for fixing the net also include a metal bar 55 which is threaded through the meshes of said thread 8, in the vicinity of said end, and rests in abutment against the flat profiles 21. The adjustment of the horizontality of the pouring spout 10 can be carried out even when the installation is mounted, by simply acting on the screw setting 26.

The multiplicity of points of support and adjustment of the brackets is important because it allows: - to correct the deformations due to the manufacture of the materials used, to authorize high machining tolerances, to use thin materials (“stainless steel” weir 15/10) thus reducing the structure, to perfect the flatness of the weir, even during operation.

A branch of the bracket 4 which extends along the face of the tank 2 opposite the beam 3, up to the pouring spout 10, is crossed by a screw 29 which allows the tank 2 to be pushed back slightly, if necessary and thus refine the adjustment of the horizontality of the pouring spout 10. The screw 29 thus allows a slight "clearance" between the reservoir 2 and the bracket 4.

Returning to FIG. 1, it can be seen that the liquid poured onto the net 8 by the weir illustrated in FIG. 3 is recovered in the collection device 9 which will now be described with reference to FIG. 2.

As illustrated in FIG. 2, the collection device 9 according to this embodiment of the invention comprises a container 11 on which are pivotally mounted, at 31, two rows of gratings 32 defining between them a longitudinal space intended to receive the lower part of the net 8 and the liquid flowing over said net. The second end 33 of the net 8 is immobilized by fixing means made up of angle profiles, such as 22, in which the profiles are articulated to one another by two hinges, such as 19 ′, and adapted to pinch between them said second end 33, similarly to the first means for fixing the net 8.

As illustrated in FIG. 2, in addition to the means for fixing the net 8, there is provided a means for tensioning the net which consists of a ballast tube 37, for example of galvanized steel supported by the net 8 in the vicinity of its second end 33. The tube 37 can for example apply to the net a load of approximately 15 kg per linear meter. It is intended to avoid any distension of the net 8, its use is particularly advantageous to manage the lengthening and narrowing of the net as shown in dotted lines in Figure 4.

The collection device 9 also contains a mesh filter 38, having a mesh of approximately 1 mm. The mesh filter 38 is stretched between a first anchoring means 39 and a second anchoring means 45 to which it is respectively fixed by each of its ends as shown in FIG. 2.

It is understood from the preceding description that the maintenance and disassembly of the collection device according to the invention will be particularly easy and rapid, since the entire collection device will be accessible and can be entirely removed from the pit after pivoting or removal gratings 31. If we now consider FIGS. 1 and 2 together, a suction pipe extends from the interior of the collection device 9, as far as the pipe 7, via the pump 12.

It therefore appears from the preceding description that the invention offers a simple and inexpensive means for forming a thin continuous film of a liquid, having two-dimensional flow patterns, over the entire surface of a flexible wall.

Of course, the invention is not limited to the particular embodiment described above and also includes all the variants and equivalents falling within the scope of the appended claims.

Claims

Hydraulic animation installation generating two-dimensional flow patterns on a mesh wall (8) comprising a reservoir (2) supplied with liquid by a pipe (15) integrating a plurality of perforations opening into said reservoir, and provided with 'a spout (10) arranged so that the liquid flows by overflow from said reservoir along said wall; said installation being characterized in that said reservoir comprises a filter foam (17) intended to ensure uniformity of the flow of liquid from one end to the other of the pouring spout (10).

2. Installation according to claim 1, wherein the filter foam (17) contained in the tank (2) and interposed between the liquid inlet pipe (15) and the spout (10).

3. Installation according to claim 1, comprising adjustable brackets (4), intended to support said tank (2) against a beam (3) and to which they are adapted to be held there.

4. Installation according to claim 3, wherein said brackets (4) comprises an adjustment screw (26) adapted to move vertically and therefore said tank (2) relative to said beam (3).

5 Installation according to claims 3 and 4 wherein said brackets comprise a screw (29) which by giving the possibility of slightly pushing said tank and thus allows to refine the horizontality of said spout (10).

6. Installation according to claim 1 further comprising a liquid collection device (9) having an opening adapted to receive the liquid flowing along said wall (8), a suction pump (12), and a system filtration interposed between said opening and said pump (12).

7. Installation according to claim 6, in which a mesh filter (38) is disposed over the entire length of the collector, between said opening and said pump (12).

8. Installation according to claims 1 and 6, wherein said flow wall (8) is a mesh net.

9. Installation according to claims 1 and 7, wherein the end of said net (8) is fixed to said tank (2) by a bar (55) threaded in the meshes of said net at said end, which bar is in abutment against two flat profiles (21) articulated to each other and taking said pinch net 10. Installation according to claims 6 and 8, wherein said collection device (9) contains fixing means (22) of the the opposite end (33) of said net (8), and means for tensioning said net, such as a ballast tube (37) supported by said net in the vicinity of said opposite end.