EP3247856B1

EP3247856B1 - Flood protection device

Info

Publication number: EP3247856B1
Application number: EP15823017.7A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Mario ONORI
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2014-12-24
Filing date: 2015-12-02
Publication date: 2021-08-04
Anticipated expiration: 2035-12-02
Also published as: WO2016103082A2; EP3247856A2; WO2016103082A3; ES2901415T3

Description

The present invention relates to a protection device for doors, windows or, more in general, openings of a building, in particular openings placed at a planking level.
The problem occurring unfortunately more and more often, in case of strong rains, floods or overflow of rivers, is sadly known.
It happens frequently that houses, especially those having the door at the level of the road surface are utterly invaded by waters, with terrible damages which can easily be imagined.
This happens especially as the existing doors often are not able to resist to the huge force generated by the pushing water and they are damaged. Furthermore it is evident that the doors could never be wholly sealing, watertight doors.
Therefore, the need for having available aids which could protect doors and/or other openings of a building is particularly felt.
In the current state of art, there are devices facing such problem, even if however they have considerable disadvantages for the users.
Such devices, generally, are much articulated and they require complex installation procedures at the opening to be protected, apart from the activation procedure.
For example, it can be necessary to fix them to the opening by means of adjustable locking clamps or frames, as shown in the patent applications GB2446942 and GB2423110 , or having available air-pumping means to inflate elements guaranteeing the sealing thereof, as provided for the devices described in the patent applications DE19527684 and EP2186987 .
The object of the present invention is then to overcome the above-illustrated problems and this is obtained by means of a protection device as defined by claim 1.
Additional features of the present invention are defined in the corresponding depending claims.
The present invention, by overcoming the problems of known art, involves several and evident advantages.
In particular, such device, with a particularly simple installation manoeuvre, allows creating a real barrier in front of the door.
Furthermore, considering the device shape, it is able to resist to very high loads, and surely to the pressure exerted by water.
Moreover a device according to the present invention can be equipped with sealing elements which guarantee a better watertightness, by minimizing even infiltrations.
An additional advantageous aspect of the device according to the invention is that it is modular and it can be easily used to protect openings as far as a wished height.
Furthermore, for its technical features, it can easily be adapted to openings with various lengths, while maintaining unaltered its own functionalities.
An additional advantage is given by the fact that a device according to the present invention can be installed in an extremely simple manner, by anybody, not requiring any piece of masonry work and not being necessary the intervention of specialized technicians such as blacksmiths, etc.
Additional advantages, together with the features and use modes of the present invention, will result evident from the following detailed description of preferred embodiments thereof, shown by way of example and not for limiting purpose.
The figures of the enclosed drawings will be referred to, wherein:

figure 1 is a front perspective view of a device according to the present invention;
figure 2 is a rear perspective view of a device according to the present invention;
figures 3, 4 and 5 are cross views of the device of figure 1 and 2, taken along the lines A-A, B-B and C-C, respectively;
figure 6 is a top plan view of a device according to the invention, in use; and
figure 7 is a partial view of a plurality of devices according to the invention overlapped therebetween.

The present invention will be described hereinafter by referring to the above-mentioned figures.
By firstly making reference to figure 1, this shows a protection device 1 according to the present invention.
Such device, as already mentioned, is devised to be applied in case of need to an opening 10 of a building.
The device 1 first of all comprises a plate-like main body 2 and has a substantially arc-like shaped transversal profile.
As it is clearer from figure 6, showing the device 1 in use within the jambs 11 of an opening 10, the arc-like shape is so as to define a convex region CX and a concave region CV.
Under the term 'convex region' a space portion is designated so that, once taken any two points in such region, it is possible to join them by means of a segment wholly belonging to the region itself. On the contrary, under the term 'concave region' a space portion is designated wherein such property is not always verified.
In particular, during use, the convex region CX is the region directed towards the building, whereas the concave region CV is the one directed towards the outside of the building and therefore exposed to the water pressure, represented by way of example in figure 6 by the arrow F1.
The main body 2 preferably, but not necessarily, is implemented as a single piece and it has a base portion 3 and a pair of side portions 4. Generally, the base portion 3 is the one which, during use, is directed downwards, that is towards the ground, whereas the side portions 4 can be represented first of all by the side edges 4 of the main body.
It follows that, when in use, that is when the device is placed at the opening 10, such side portions 4 are in contact with the jambs 11 and the convex region CX is directed towards the building.
In order to improve the sealing between the device 1 and the jambs 11, the side portions 4 advantageously can comprise respective side sealing elements 6 which, in use, are in contact with the jambs 11, within the span of the opening 10.
The sealing elements, for example, can be rubber gaskets, exactly arranged at the side edges 4 of the main body 2.
According to a preferred embodiment, the side portions 4 comprise each one a respective resting surface 5.
Such resting surface, for example, can be implemented as side continuation of the main body, after a bending of the same.
Advantageously, in this case, the sealing elements 6 can be implemented in the form of rubber plates applied on such resting surfaces 5, as illustrated by way of example in figure 5.
In this way, it is possible guaranteeing an even better resting of the device on the jambs 11.
At this point, with the help of figure 6, the device operation is clear.
In particular it is possible understanding that, once positioned within the span of the opening 10, with the side portions 4 in contact with jambs 11, the device 1 acts passively as element resistant to the pressure exerted by the water and schematically represented by the arrow F1.
The arc-like shape plays the function of distributing the force exerted by the water along the arc, as schematized through the arrows F2 in figure 6. It follows that the pressure is discharged towards the side portions, that is towards the jambs which represent an element with particular toughness of the structure.
On the other side, the same arc-like shape makes that the higher the force exerted by the water, the stronger the tendency of the main body 2 to get deformed elastically in the direction designated by the arrows F3 in figure 3 will be. In this situation, the stronger the force F1 of the water, the stronger the sealing of the device against the jambs will be. In other words a self-locking device is implemented with the force exerted thereon by the water.
Therefore, it is evident that, being such elastic deformability a peculiar and wished feature, the main body 2 cannot have any element inside the convex region CX apt to limit the deformability thereof.
In order to further improve such locking aspect on the jambs 11, a device according to an additional embodiment of the present invention can provide that the side portions 4 comprise an additional locking element 7 which, in use, is in contact with the portion of the jambs 11 outside the building.
It is clear that, in case of pressure, such locking elements 7 in any case hinders the motion of the device towards the inside of the building.
Advantageously, for each one of the sofar described embodiments or variants, it can be provided that the device 1 comprises even a base sealing element 8.
Such base sealing element 8, for example, is arranged along the base portion 3 of the main body 2, so that, in use, is in contact with the planking level within the span of the opening 10.
It is to be meant that the base sealing element 8 could be extended even to involve the side portions 4.
Figure 4 shows, in section, an example of base sealing element 8.
Advantageously, the base sealing element 8 has, in section, a portion forming at least a flexible extension 9, at the concave region CV directed towards outside the building.
Such base sealing element 8 forms a substantially curved resting and sealing surface 9'. The flexibility of the sealing element 8, then, guarantees that when it is put in use, the extension 9 could get deformed in contact with the planking level, thus implementing an optimum sealing with the planking level itself.
Even the base sealing element 8 can be implemented as a gasket profile made of rubber or any other suitable material, shaped so as to be at least partially fixed with said main body.
As already previously shown, an additional advantage of the device according to the present invention is constituted by the fact of being a modular device, which can be coupled to other equal devices.
To this purpose, according to an additional embodiment, the device can comprise hooking elements 30 for the overlapping of an additional equal device.
In particular, but by way of example, figures show a hooking element 30, apt to be positioned on the upper profile of the device and at the same time apt to receive a second device 1 overlapped to the first one, preferably by implementing a fixed joint to hinder not wished relative motions between the two overlapped devices.
Advantageously, at least the main body 2 of the device 1 is made of a flexible material, preferably steel, PVC or polyethylene.
This facilitates the before-described functionality and then the wished deformation thereof which guarantees the locking thereof against the jambs during the water action.
Furthermore, the material flexibility allows using the same device for openings with different length, although within certain limits.
In fact, by exploiting the material flexibility, it is possible forcing the arc curvature and adapting the device to more or less narrow openings, within a certain range.
This makes that it is not necessary implementing tailored protection devices, specifically for each type of opening and each width, differently from other already used protection devices which, on the contrary, have to be tailored-implemented.
It is further to be noted that, by exerting a pressure towards the floor during installation, when the tension on the main body is released, its elasticity causes a back motion thereof towards the self-locking position against the jambs and the pressure exerted by the device against the jambs at the same time maintains an optimum sealing at the base portion of the device, against the floor.
Within certain limits, such elastic deformation can be applied by hand, by acting directly on the main body of the device.
A device according to the invention comprises a bending device 20. Such an embodiment is illustrated in figure 2.
The bending device 20, for example, is of reversible type. By way of example it can comprise a pawl mechanism 21 acting on links 22 connected to the main body 2 at the side edges thereof on the side corresponding to the convex region CX. The connection can be implemented, for example, as in figure 2, by means of hooks inserted in corresponding rings on the main body.
It is to be meant that other technical solutions can be made for implementing such bending device 20, provided that they are suitable to implement an elastic deformation of the main body 2 with the purpose of varying the arc curvature radius and thus the distance between the side portions 4.
By then acting on the bending device 20, one could adjust the width of the device 1 and make it then adaptable to openings with different widths.
Once positioned within the span of the opening, the reversible bending device could be released by making that the main body tends to come back towards the initial shape thereof by locking then between the jambs of the opening.
The present invention has been sofar described with reference to the preferred embodiments thereof. It is to be meant that each one of the technical solutions implemented in the preferred embodiments described herein by way of example could be advantageously combined differently therebetween, to create other embodiments, belonging to the same inventive core and however all within the protection scope of the herebelow reported claims.

Claims

A flood protection device (1) for an opening (10) of a building exposed to the water pressure, comprising a plate-like main body (2), having a substantially arc-like shaped transversal profile so as to define a concave region (CV) and a convex region (CX); said main body (2) having a base portion (3) and a pair of side portions (4),
the shape being such that said device can be placed within the span of said opening (10), with said side portions (4) in contact with respective jambs (11) of said opening (10), so that said convex region (CX) is directed towards said building, wherein said main body (2) is implemented as a single piece, elastically deformable under the force exerted by the water to implement a self-locking connection sealing against the jambs (11), to this purpose having no elements inside said convex region (CX) apt to limit such deformability,
wherein each one of said side portions (4) comprises a respective resting surface (5) for said jambs (11) and a respective side sealing element (6) which, in use, is in contact with a portion of said jambs (11) within the span of said opening (10), characterized in that the device (1) further comprises a bending device (20) connected to said main body (2) at said convex region (CX), apt to deform elastically the main body (2) for varying the curvature radius of said arc and then the distance between said side portions (4).
The device according to claim 1, wherein each one of said side portions (4) comprises a locking element (7) which, in use, is in contact with a portion of said jambs (11) external to said building.
The device according to claim 1 or 2, further comprising a base sealing element (8) arranged along said base portion (3) of the main body (2), so that, in use, is in contact with a planking level within the span of said opening (10).
The device according to claim 3, wherein said base sealing element (8) is extending also along said side portions (4).
The device according to claim 3 or 4, wherein said base sealing element (8) has, in section, a portion forming a flexible extension (9) with a substantially curved sealing surface (9'), apt to get deformed in use when is in contact with said planking level for making a sealing with said planking level.
The device according to one of claims 1 to 5, further comprising hooking elements (30) for the overlapping of a further identical device (1).
The device according to one of claims 1 to 6, wherein at least said main body (2) is made of a flexible material, preferably steel, PVC or polyethylene.
The device according to one of claims 1 to 7, wherein said bending device (20) is reversible.
The device according to one of claims 1 to 8, wherein said bending device (20) comprises a pawl mechanism (21) acting on links (22) connected to said main body (2).
The device according to one of claims 1 to 9, wherein said bending device (20) is removably connected to said main body (2).