FR2758854A1 - FLEXIBLE SEAL FOR THE CAULKING OF A DRAINAGE HINT DONE IN A WALL, IN PARTICULAR IN THE WALL OF A TUNNEL - Google Patents

Abstract

This seal (2) comprises two side walls (8), provided with flexible lips (9) which come to rest elastically against the faces (11) laterally defining the groove (10) to ensure the maintenance of the seal (2) in that -this. According to the invention, each retaining lip (9) has, at its free end, a longitudinal flange (19) folded over on the side of said rear wall (6) at an angle which may range from 60 to 120 deg. .

Description

The present invention relates to a flexible seal for caulking

  a drainage bleed installed in a wall, particularly in the wall of a tunnel. To prevent water infiltration through the tunnel wall, and formation in case of frost dangerous stalactites for vehicles, it is known to arrange transverse grooves in the wall of the tunnel, to develop from from the bottom of these grooves drilling in the surrounding ground, to form drains, and insert in the grooves profiled joints of flexible material, having a thickness less than the depth of the grooves. These seals make it possible to seal the opening of the grooves and to delimit, with the bottom of the latter, sealed conduits for draining the drainage water. These pipes open above drainage channels at the foot of the tunnel wall. There is a profiled seal of this type comprising a front wall, turned towards the inside of the tunnel after placing the seal in the groove, a rear wall forming a gutter, turned towards the bottom of the groove after placing the seal, two side walls, comprising flexible lips that spring elastically against the laterally delimiting faces the groove to ensure the maintenance of the seal therein, and two lateral wings projecting laterally from said front wall, intended to bear against the inner face of the tunnel wall when the seal is inserted into the groove and to collect the

  dripping condensation on this face.

  The central portion of the seal, delimited by said front, rear and side walls, may have several internal webs perpendicular to each other, delimiting a plurality of longitudinal chambers filled with air. These chambers, in addition to a lightening of the profile and a gain in quantity of material, make it possible to improve the thermal insulation of the flow conduit in order to avoid the formation of ice in

this one in case of frost.

  This existing joint is satisfactory in practice, but has some disadvantages, particularly in the case of concrete tunnel walls. Indeed, the tolerances in the width of the grooves can be important, so that the lips of a seal can be more or less strongly applied against the laterally delimiting faces bleeding. A too weak application of these lips leads to an insufficient maintenance of the seal, and, in case of overflow of the flow conduit, to the risks of leakage between these lips and the delimiting faces

Laterally bleeding.

  In addition, the angle formed by a side delimiting laterally the groove and the inner face of the tunnel wall may include "wrinkles", that is to say can be trimmed or damaged on more or less important portions bleeding. When these wrinkles are deep, the holding lips can escape out of the bleeding elastic return, particularly when the seal tends to rotate in the groove and to

  escape from it, in case of "misalignment".

  This term refers to a non-alignment of the two parts of the inner face of the tunnel wall located on either side of a kerf, which can occur when the

  bleeding is arranged at the level of a resumption of concreting.

  The defects of positioning of the joint lead to leakage of the drainage water, and therefore to the creation

stalactites in case of frost.

  A "misalignment" can reach two centimeters and leads, in addition to the risk of aforementioned pivoting of the seal, to a defective application of said lateral wings against the inner face of the wall of the

  tunnel. These wings then lose their effectiveness.

  The present invention aims to remedy these

different disadvantages.

  The seal it concerns is of the aforementioned type. According to a characteristic of the invention, each retaining lip has, at its free end, a longitudinal rim folded on the side of said rear wall of the joint at an angle that can be from 60

at 120.

  Thanks to this shape and the flexibility of the retaining lip, this flange is tightly applied against the laterally delimiting face bleeding, regardless of the possible width variations of the bleeding. In addition, each retaining lip arranges a gutter for collecting and evacuating water that can infiltrate between the lateral faces of the seal and said faces delimiting laterally the kerf. The plurality of rows of holding lips that comprise the seal thus ensures a perfect maintenance of the seal in the

  bleeding and a perfect seal.

  According to another characteristic of the invention, the row of holding lips closest to the front wall of the joint is located at a distance from this upper wall to the greater depths of "wrinkles" which can usually be observed at the level of the angle formed by a face delimiting laterally the groove and the inner face of the tunnel wall. For a conventional joint having a central portion of substantially square shape, adapted to the usual grooves having a width of about 60 mm, this distance is at least equal to about 40% of the width of this central portion. It appears indeed that with the seal according to the prior art, a deep wringing extends beyond the first row of retaining lips that includes the seal. The lip located on the side of this spallure can not bear against the laterally delimiting face bleeding, and the lip located on the opposite side exerts a stress on the seal structure, due to its elastic deformation. This constraint leads to a buckling of the seal which is at the origin of the aforementioned risk of pivoting and escaping the seal out of the kerf. The seal according to the invention is devoid of retaining lips may be located opposite a spall, which eliminates the risk of pivoting and escape of the seal, and thus leakage resulting therefrom. According to another characteristic of the invention, the lateral wings projecting from both sides of the

  the front face of the joint have a large width, that is,

  to say at least equal to half the width of this

front face.

  These wings ensure a wide coverage of any wrinkles, and come into contact with the inner face of the tunnel wall even in case of significant misalignment. They remain perfectly effective and allow to build additional gutters to help ensure a

perfect seal tightness.

  Preferably, each of these flanges has a chevron shape in cross-section, that is to say it comprises two parts of substantially equal width forming an obtuse angle, of the order of 120, one per

report to the other.

  For a good understanding, the invention is again described below with reference to the attached schematic drawing showing, by way of non-limiting example, a preferred embodiment of the seal

that it concerns.

  Figure 1 is a perspective view of a portion of the wall of a tunnel equipped with this seal; FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a portion of the seal, and FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the

seal inserted in a bleed.

  FIG. 1 represents the arched wall 1 of a tunnel, in which is arranged a transverse groove extending from the upper part of this wall to the foot of each of the lateral parts.

of it.

  This bleeding communicates with boreholes arranged in the surrounding terrain to form drains, and comprises, inserted in it, a profiled seal 2 of flexible material such as rubber. This seal 2 makes it possible to seal the kerf and to delimit, with the bottom thereof, a sealed conduit for the drainage water flow, this conduit opening above an evacuation channel 3

arranged at the foot of the wall 1.

  As shown more particularly in FIGS. 2 and 3, this seal 2 comprises: a front wall 5, turned towards the inside of the tunnel after placing the gasket 2 in the groove 10, a rear wall 6, turned towards the bottom of the groove 10 after placement of the seal 2, comprising two triangular lateral protuberances 7 which form, with this wall 6, a gutter, - two side walls 8, comprising three rows of flexible lips 9 intended to be applied elastically against the faces 11 delimiting laterally the groove 10 to maintain the seal 2 therein, - two lateral wings 15 projecting from said front wall 5, intended to bear against the inner face of the wall 1 when the seal 2 is inserted into the groove 10, and - a central part, delimited by said front walls 5, rear 6 and side walls 8, having six internal webs 16 perpendicular to each other, delimiting between e them and with said walls 5, 6 and 8 a plurality of longitudinal chambers 17 filled with air. It appears in the figures that each lip 9 has, at its free end, a longitudinal rim 19 folded on the side of said rear wall 6

at an angle of the order of 90.

  In addition, the row 9 holding the closest to the front wall 5 is located at a distance from this wall 5 equal to about 40% of the width of said central portion of the seal, so that the seal is devoid of lips 9 at the level of the nearest veil 16

of this front wall 5.

  The lateral wings 15 have, for their part, a width at least equal to half that of the front face 5, and have a chevron shape in cross section, that is to say each comprise two parts of width substantially equal forming an angle of

  one with respect to the other.

  The flanges 19, thanks to the bent shape and the flexibility of the lips 9, can come close against the faces 11 and ensure a perfect retention of the seal 2 in the groove 10 regardless of the possible width variations of the latter. this. In addition, the lips 9 provide lateral gutters for collecting and evacuating the water likely to overflow the conduit 20 for draining the drained water, so that the

  seal 2 has a perfect seal.

  Moreover, thanks to its aforementioned distance from the front face 5, the first row of lips 9 is set back from a deep wrinkle, such as that shown in Figure 3, when the seal 2 is engaged in the groove 10 The seal 2 therefore does not undergo any stress transmitted by flexible lips at the height of this wrinkle, which tends to rotate it in

  bleeding and to make it escape out of it.

  It also appears in this figure 3 that the wings 15 provide a broad covering of any wrinkles, and come into contact with the inner face of the wall 1 even in case of significant misalignment. These wings 15 thus make it possible to form additional gutters, helping to ensure a perfect

seal tightness 2.

  It goes without saying that the invention is not limited to the embodiment described above by way of example but that it embraces, on the contrary, all the variants. Thus, the seal may comprise more or less than three rows of lips 9 and more or fewer interior sails 16, according to its

  dimensions, adapted to those of the groove 10 to equip.

  The seal according to the invention can be used not only for caulking grooves arranged in the wall of a tunnel, but also possible cracks

appearing in these.

  In addition, the seal can present a part

  solid central instead of rooms 17.

Claims (1)

I - flexible seal (2) for sealing a drainage groove (10) arranged in a wall (1), in particular in the wall of a tunnel, comprising a front wall (5), facing inwards the tunnel after placement of the seal (2) in the groove (10), a rear wall (6) forming a gutter, turned towards the bottom of the groove (10) after installation of the seal (2), two side walls (8), comprising flexible lips (9) which are resiliently applied against the faces (11) laterally delimiting the groove (10) to maintain the seal (2) therein, and two lateral wings (15). ) protruding laterally from said front wall (5), intended to bear against the inner face of the wall (1) when the seal (2) is inserted into the groove (10), seal characterized in that each lip of maintaining (9) has, at its free end, a longitudinal flange (19) folded on the side of said rear wall (6) at an angle ranging from 60 to 120.   2 - Joint according to claim 1, characterized in that the row of holding lips (9) closest to the front wall (5) is located at a distance from this wall (5) greater than the greater depths of " "épaufrures" which can usually be observed at the angle formed by a face (11) laterally delimiting the groove (10) and the inner face of the wall (1) of the tunnel. 3 - Joint according to claim 2, characterized in that the distance between the row of holding lips (9) closest to the front wall (5) and the front wall (5) is at least equal to about 40% of the width of the central portion of the seal, of substantially square shape, delimited by said front walls (5), rear (6) and lateral (8).   4 - Seal according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the lateral wings (15) making   projection on either side of the front face (5) have a large width, that is to say at least equal to half the width of this front face (5).   - Joint according to claim 4, characterized in that each of these wings (15) has a chevron-shaped cross-section, that is to say comprises two parts of substantially equal width forming an obtuse angle, of the order of 120 , one with respect to the other.   6 - Seal according to one of claims 1 to 5,   characterized in that its central portion, delimited by said front (5), rear (6) and lateral (8) walls, has a plurality of internal webs (16) perpendicular to each other, delimiting a plurality of chambers longitudinal (17) filled with air.   7 - Joint according to one of claims 1 to 6,   characterized in that its rear wall (6) has two triangular lateral protuberances (7) which form,   with this wall (6), a gutter.