EP2473683B1 - Device for covering and protecting buried pipes or cables - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a device for covering and protecting buried pipes or cables.

In order to avoid the degradation of pipes or cables buried during earthworks, it is known to use overlapping and protective devices embedded in the earth and disposed above buried pipes or cables.

These cover devices make it possible on the one hand to protect buried pipes or cables against damage caused by the bucket of a digger, and on the other hand to warn the operator of the presence of pipes or cables so as to what the latter does not dig deeper into this place.

A first known solution consists in producing a covering and protection device consisting of a reinforced concrete cover plate. This type of covering device has sufficient mechanical strength to protect underground pipes or cables against damage caused by the bucket of a shovel.

However, a disadvantage of this type of cover plate is that it is heavy and bulky. As a result, the latter is difficult to manipulate.

In addition, the metal reinforcements incorporated in the reinforced concrete cover plate can parasitize the electrical or electromagnetic signals emitted by a device for detecting and identifying buried elements, and thus prevent a satisfactory registration of the buried pipe by an operator. . This results in risks of deterioration of the buried pipe during subsequent earthworks.

A second known solution consists in producing a covering and protection device comprising a protection plate comprising, at two opposite edges, complementary assembly means arranged to allow an assembly of two adjacent protection plates, the means of complementary assemblies being designed to allow articulation between two adjacent protection plates around an axis perpendicular to the plane of the protective plates.

Such a covering and protection device makes it possible to adjust the orientation between two adjacent protection plates, and thus to ensure continuity of protection of underground pipes or cables, including in curves.

However, a disadvantage of these two types of cover plate is that they promote the retention of groundwater, which can lead to landslides.

The present invention aims to remedy these disadvantages. An assembly according to the preamble of claim 1 is also known from the document GB 1,275,277 . The technical problem underlying the invention therefore consists in providing a covering assembly which is of simple structure, economical and light, while reducing the risk of landslide.

To this end, the present invention relates to a covering and protection assembly for buried pipes or cables, according to claim 1.

The presence of the through holes allows the evacuation of groundwater through the cover plate, which reduces the risk of landslide.

In addition, the presence of the through holes facilitates the passage of electrical or electromagnetic signals emitted by a detection and identification device, thus improving the location of pipes and / or buried cables.

In addition, when the covering and protection assembly covers gas pipes, the presence of the through holes prevents gas accumulation under the plate in case of leakage.

The use of synthetic material to make the plate makes it possible to obtain a covering assembly of low weight and thus easy to handle. In addition, the use of synthetic material makes it possible to achieve the covering assembly by molding and thus to obtain very low manufacturing costs.

In addition, the fact that the covering assembly is made of synthetic material makes it possible not to interfere with the electrical or electromagnetic signals emitted by a device for detecting and identifying buried elements, and thus not to compromise the detection and the identification of buried pipes.

The fact that the covering assembly is made of synthetic material also makes it possible to obtain, using a suitable synthetic material, a brightly colored covering assembly. Such a covering assembly will form, by its bright color, a visual warning means for an operator during earthworks. As a result, it is no longer necessary to provide warning systems complementary to the warning mesh type, which makes it possible to reduce the costs of protecting buried pipes or cables.

Preferably, the through holes are regularly distributed over the surface of each plate.

According to a characteristic of the invention, the first and second faces of each plate comprise, on at least a part of their surface, projections. Advantageously, each projection has substantially a cross shape. Preferably, the projections are regularly distributed on each face of the corresponding plate.

The presence of projections on at least one of the faces of each plate improves the holding of said plate, particularly at the bottom of the trench intended to receive the latter, and further reduces the risk of landslide.

Preferably, each plate comprises gripping means provided at each of its edges. The gripping means advantageously comprise a plurality of studs extending substantially perpendicularly from at least one of the first and second faces of the corresponding plate. These provisions make it possible to improve the gripping of each plate by an operator.

Preferably, the snap nipple is designed to provide a removable assembly of two adjacent plates. It comprises for example several tongues elastically deformable.

According to one embodiment of the invention, each plate is substantially rectangular, and has on the one hand first and second assembly means disposed respectively at its first and second longitudinal edges and arranged to allow an assembly between two plates adjacent to each other, and secondly first and second assembly means respectively disposed at its first and second transverse edges and arranged to allow an assembly between two adjacent plates arranged one of following each other.

Preferably, each plate has through holes at each of its corners. These arrangements make it possible, by means of adapted rods mounted in the through-holes, to ensure a continuity of protection of buried pipes or cables when the latter are buried along curves having small radii of curvature.

Advantageously, the first face of each cover plate comprises means for identifying buried pipes or cables, the identification means preferably being printed inscriptions on the first face of the plate. The inscriptions may be, for example, of the "attention gas" or "high pressure gas" type.

Preferably, each cover plate comprises chamfered edges. These provisions make it possible to prevent the cover plate from being hooked by the bucket of a digger during earthworks.

• Figure 1 est une vue en perspective de dessus d'un dispositif de recouvrement sous forme de plaque appartenant à l'ensemble selon l'invention.
• Figure 2 est une vue en perspective de dessous du dispositif de recouvrement de la figure 1.
• Figures 3 et 4 sont des vues partielles en perspective de dessous, à l'échelle agrandie du dispositif de recouvrement de la figure 1.
• Figure 5 est une vue en perspective, à l'échelle agrandie, de l'une des saillies s'étendant sur les première et seconde faces de la plaque.
• Figure 6 est une vue en coupe, en perspective, montrant les moyens d'assemblage complémentaires de deux dispositifs de recouvrement adjacents.
• Figures 7 à 11 sont des vues de dessus de différents ensembles de recouvrement selon l'invention.

In any case the invention will be better understood with the aid of the description which follows with reference to the attached schematic drawing showing, by way of nonlimiting example, several embodiments of this collection set.

• Figure 1 is a perspective view from above of a plate-shaped covering device belonging to the assembly according to the invention.
• Figure 2 is a perspective view from below of the recovery device of the figure 1 .
• Figures 3 and 4 are partial perspective views from below, on an enlarged scale of the recovery device of the figure 1 .
• Figure 5 is a perspective view, on an enlarged scale, of one of the projections extending on the first and second faces of the plate.
• Figure 6 is a sectional view, in perspective, showing the complementary assembly means of two adjacent overlapping devices.
• Figures 7 to 11 are top views of different cover assemblies according to the invention.

The Figures 1 and 2 represent a device for covering and protecting underground pipes or cables, such as fluid transport pipes, or electrical or telecommunication cables.

The covering device consists of a substantially flat cover plate 2 made of synthetic material in one piece. The cover plate 2 is substantially rectangular. The cover plate 2 has a first face 3 and a second face 4 opposite to the first face 3.

The cover plate 2 comprises, at its longitudinal and transverse edges, complementary assembly means arranged to allow an assembly between two adjacent plates arranged respectively next to one another and one after the other. These complementary assembly means are made by snapping and are designed to allow articulation between two adjacent plates around an axis substantially perpendicular to the plane of the adjacent plates.

It should be noted that the complementary assembly means located at the longitudinal edges of the cover plate 2 are identical to those located at the transverse edges of the latter.

The complementary assembly means comprise a detent pin 5 formed on one of the longitudinal edges of the plate, a detent pin 6 formed on one of the transverse edges of the plate, a snap-in orifice 7 arranged on the other longitudinal edge of the plate, and a snap-fitting orifice 8 formed on the other transverse edge of the plate. Snap pins 5; 6 are intended to cooperate respectively with the latching orifices 7, 8 of an adjacent cover plate.

The cover plate 2 further comprises a plurality of through-holes 9 opening respectively into the first and second faces of the plate, the through orifices 9 being regularly distributed over the surface of the cover plate 2. Each through-orifice 9 is extends substantially perpendicular to the plane of the cover plate 2.

The first and second faces 3, 4 of the plate 2 comprise, on at least a part of their surface, projections 11 having substantially a cross shape, the projections 11 being evenly distributed on each face 3, 4 of the plate 2.

The cover plate 2 also comprises gripping means provided at each of its edges. The gripping means preferably comprise a plurality of studs 12 extending substantially perpendicularly from the first and second faces 3, 4 of the plate.

The plate further comprises through holes 13 at each of its corners.

Advantageously, the first face 3 of the cover plate comprises means for identifying buried conduits or cables, the identification means being preferably printed indicia 14 on the first face of the plate.

The method of covering a pipe, for example gas or liquid, with a covering assembly comprising a plurality of cover plates 2 will now be described.

1. a) réaliser une tranchée dans le sol à l'aide d'un dispositif de terrassement mécanique,
2. b) disposer la canalisation dans la tranchée,
3. c) recouvrir la canalisation d'une couche de terre,
4. d) positionner une plaque de recouvrement 2 dans la tranchée sensiblement horizontalement au dessus de la canalisation,
5. e) assembler une plaque de recouvrement 2 à la plaque de recouvrement préalablement positionnée dans la tranchée en faisant coopérer leurs moyens d'assemblage complémentaires ménagés au niveau de leurs bords transversaux,
6. f) répéter plusieurs fois l'étape e) de manière à former une rangée de plaques de recouvrement 2 disposées les unes à la suite des autres suffisamment longue pour recouvrir entièrement la canalisation.

As shown on the figure 7 , the recovery method comprises the following steps:

1. a) make a trench in the ground using a mechanical earth moving device,
2. b) arrange the pipeline in the trench,
3. (c) cover the pipeline with a layer of soil,
4. d) positioning a cover plate 2 in the trench substantially horizontally above the pipe,
5. e) assembling a cover plate 2 to the cover plate previously positioned in the trench by cooperating their complementary assembly means arranged at their transverse edges,
6. f) repeating step e) several times to form a row of cover plates 2 arranged one after the other long enough to completely cover the pipe.

• g) former au moins une deuxième rangées de plaques de recouvrement 2 disposées les unes à la suite des autres, chaque plaque de recouvrement 2 de la première rangée étant assemblée à la plaque de recouvrement adjacente de la deuxième rangée en faisant coopérer leurs moyens d'assemblage complémentaires ménagés au niveau de leurs bords longitudinaux.

When the pipe has a large diameter, the recovery method also comprises the following step consisting of:

• g) forming at least a second row of cover plates 2 arranged one after the other, each cover plate 2 of the first row being assembled to the adjacent cover plate of the second row by cooperating their means of complementary assemblies arranged at their longitudinal edges.

According to an alternative embodiment of the covering method, step e) consists of assembling a cover plate 2 to the cover plate previously positioned in the trench by cooperating their complementary assembly means formed at their edges. longitudinal. Therefore, it is possible to obtain a recovery assembly as shown on the figure 9 .

As previously stated, the complementary assembly means are designed to allow articulation between two adjacent plates around an axis substantially perpendicular to the plane of the adjacent plates. Therefore, it is also possible to obtain a recovery assembly as shown on the figure 10 .

By means of suitable substantially cylindrical rods mounted in the through holes 13, it is furthermore possible to obtain a covering assembly as shown in FIG. figure 11 .

As goes without saying, the invention is not limited to the sole embodiment of this covering device, described above as an example, it encompasses all the variants, within the limits defined by the claims.

Claims (8)

1. An assembly for covering and protecting buried ducts or cables, comprising at least two substantially flat plates (2) made in one-piece in synthetic material assembled to one another, each plate including:

   - a first face (3) and a second face (4) opposite to the first face,

   - first assembly means (5, 6) disposed at least at one first edge of said plate, and

   - second assembly means (7, 8), complementary to the first assembly means, disposed at least at one second edge of said plate,
   the first assembly means (5, 6) of a plate being intended to cooperate with the second assembly means (7, 8) of an adjacent plate so as to allow an assembly between the two adjacent plates and authorize a hinge between the two adjacent plates about an axis substantially perpendicular to the plane of the adjacent plates, and such that each plate (2) includes a plurality of through-orifices (9) opening respectively into the first and second faces (3, 4) of said plate, and characterized in that the first assembly means of each plate include at least one snap-fit stud (5, 6) formed on one of the edges of said plate, and in that the second assembly means of each plate include at least one snap-fit orifice (7, 8) formed on another edge of said plate, the snap-fit stud and the snap-fit orifice being designed so as to authorize a hinge between two adjacent plates about the hinge axis.
2. The assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that the first and second faces (3, 4) of each plate include protrusions (15) on at least one portion of their surface.
3. The assembly according to claim 2, characterized in that each protrusion (15) has substantially a cross shape.
4. The assembly according to any of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that each plate (2) comprises grasping means (12) formed at each of its edges.
5. The assembly according to claim 4, characterized in that the grasping means include a plurality of studs (12) extending substantially perpendicularly from at least one of the first and second faces (3, 4) of the corresponding plate (2).
6. The assembly according to any of claim 1 to 5, characterized in that each plate (5) is substantially rectangular, and has on the one hand, first and second assembly means disposed respectively at its first and second longitudinal edges and arranged to allow an assembly between two adjacent plates disposed next to each other, and on the other hand, first and second assembly means disposed respectively at its first and second transverse edges and arranged to allow an assembly between two adjacent plates disposed one after the other.
7. The assembly according to claim 6, characterized in that each plate include through-holes (13) at each of its corners.
8. The assembly according to any of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that the first face (3) of each plate includes means (13) for identifying buried ducts or cables, the identification means being preferably printed writing on the first face of said plate.

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