FR2833642A1 - DEVICE FOR AVOIDING SPILLS OF LIQUID, IN PARTICULAR WATER INFILTRATION IN A ROOM DURING FLOODING - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention concerns a device for preventing liquid overflow, in particular water infiltration in premises during floods. It comprises at least a bag (1) in the form of a permeable envelope (2) filled with a material inflatable by liquid absorption, the bag (1) being designed to be placed at openings, such as the doors of the premises, and it comprises means (3, 6) for automatically unfolding said bag when required, said bag being folded for storage.

Description

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 The present invention relates to a device making it possible to avoid the spillage of liquid substances, in particular the infiltration of water into a room during a flood period, comprising at least one bag in the form of a permeable envelope filled with a material capable of swelling by absorption of liquid, said bag being intended to be placed at the level of openings, such as, for example, the doors of said room, in order to seal them.

 Several devices intended to combat water infiltration have been the subject of publications and are well known at present.

 Thus, document EP 0 368 107, for example, describes a device intended to combat water infiltration, consisting of an inflatable bag formed by a permeable polyester envelope, containing a light and not very bulky material in the dry state.

 Said envelope can have different shapes, of the parallelepiped or cylindrical type.

 In the event of a risk of water infiltration into a dwelling, in particular, said envelope is positioned adequately at the level of the openings or other areas to be protected.

 As soon as said material is in contact with water, it absorbs it causing the expansion of said envelope, then the inflation of said bag which allows the expected clogging of the openings.

 Another similar device is described in document US 4,650,368.

 Here, provision is made to use, if necessary, a plurality of bags inflating by absorption of liquid, placed as necessary side by side, and / or stacked, each of said bags comprising means making it possible to fix them to each other. others, to form a tight barrier.

 Finally, document US 4 362 433 teaches to use bags partially filled with sand to form dikes or other protections against floods.

 Although the various aforementioned devices have an acceptable effectiveness in combating in particular water infiltration in the event of floods, they do not always give complete satisfaction due to their manual installation method, which requires

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 the presence of the user at the level of the room to be protected, and which requires having a certain period of time to position the bags at the level of the areas concerned.

 However, the rise in water is sometimes so rapid that the deployment of the bags must be able to take place almost instantly for the device to be truly effective.

 Furthermore, the risks of water infiltration can appear quite unexpectedly, especially at night, when certain premises, in particular industrial or professional, are deserted.

 So when the staff arrive at their workplace the next morning, they often only have to notice the damage.

 On the other hand, the various aforementioned devices do not always make it possible to properly seal the orifices in front of which they have been deployed, on the one hand, because of their shape which is not adapted to that of said orifices, and, d on the other hand, because the constraints to which they are subjected sometimes cause their displacement.

 The present invention proposes to provide a solution to these drawbacks, thanks to an anti-flooding device capable of deploying very quickly, suitably, not requiring the intervention of a user, and remaining correctly positioned after its installation. .

 To this end, it relates to a device making it possible to avoid liquid spillage, in particular water infiltration in a room during flooding periods, comprising at least one bag in the form of a permeable envelope filled of a material capable of swelling by absorption of liquid, said bag being intended to be placed at the level of openings, such as, for example, the doors of said room, characterized in that it comprises means provided capable of allowing, if necessary, self-deployment of said bag which is stored folded.

 According to a preferred embodiment of said device, outside periods of use, said bag is contained folded in

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 a support placed appropriately at the opening to be protected.

 According to a particularly advantageous characteristic, the bag comprises, at the level of its envelope, at least one longitudinal strip with elastic properties, fixed in the direction of unwinding of said bag, preferably located near one of the lateral edges of said bag, and having a length substantially identical to that of said bag.

 According to an additional characteristic, the bag comprises at least two transverse elastic strips, each preferably extending from the longitudinal strip (s) towards each of the side edges of said bag.

 According to a preferred embodiment, the longitudinal and transverse lamellae are made of plastic of the polycarbonate type.

 According to another preferred embodiment, the bag is provided at least on its underside with a sole of a waterproof material.

 Furthermore, in a particularly advantageous manner, the device according to the invention is further characterized in that said bag comprises two recesses at the rear edge capable of coming into contact with the opening to be protected.

 According to another characteristic, said bag is provided with handling handles.

 According to a preferred embodiment, the device is characterized in that the support consists of a box provided with means for automatically ejecting said bag.

 Preferably, said automatic ejection means are connected to an electronic detector of liquid, in particular water, capable of actuating them.

 According to another characteristic, said housing is closed by means of a removable cover mounted on hinges or pivot pivots.

 According to another particularly advantageous characteristic, said housing includes an audible alarm.

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 According to an optional embodiment, the device according to the invention is also characterized in that said housing is provided with a tilting mechanism with rotary axis, torsion spring and articulated arm.

 In this case, the device according to the invention is characterized in that said tilting mechanism is actuated by at least one electromagnet capable of being controlled either manually by means of a push button, or automatically by means detection.

 According to another additional characteristic, the device comprises at least one sealed shoe ensuring the protection of the tilting mechanism.

 The invention will be better understood on reading the description which follows, relating to exemplary embodiments given by way of indication and without limitation.

 The understanding of this description will be facilitated in view of the appended drawings in which: FIGS. 1 and 2 represent top views schematically showing the method of folding a bag as used in the device according to the invention, said bag being in a deflated state, FIG. 3 represents a section of said bag, partially folded back on itself, FIG. 4 corresponds to an overall view, in perspective, from the front, of a device according to the invention, positioned at the bottom of a door, ready to stop possible water infiltration, FIG. 5 represents a top view of the tilting mechanism which can be used in a particular embodiment of the device according to the invention.

 The present invention relates to a device intended to prevent or combat possible infiltration of water into a room, in particular during floods.

 The present invention proposes, in particular, to improve the anti-flooding devices known at the present time by notably facilitating their mode of implementation.

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 To this end, the device according to the invention comprises at least one bag 1, shown seen from above and unfolded in FIG. 1.

 Said bag 1 comprises an envelope 2, preferably made mainly of "Nylon", permeable to water, resistant to tearing, and having, in this embodiment, a substantially parallelepiped shape.

 The envelope 2 contains a material having the properties of a sponge, that is to say capable of absorbing water while swelling.

 In general, it is known to use for this purpose a material available in powder form and having the capacity for some to absorb fifty times its weight in water in a few seconds.

 Thus, when said bag 1 is placed at an opening through which water begins to infiltrate, it absorbs it by gradually swelling and thus simultaneously clogging said opening.

 For perfect efficiency, it is however necessary to position said bag 1 suitably and quickly at the openings concerned, preferably before the penetration of water inside the room to be protected.

 To this end, the device according to the invention is provided capable of allowing autonomous deployment of said bag 1.

 Outside the periods of use, the latter is, according to a preferred embodiment of the device according to the invention, content folded back on itself, wound, and housed in a support appropriately placed in the vicinity of the area to be protected .

 Different stages of folding said bag 1 are shown diagrammatically in FIGS. 1 and 2.

 We start by folding the side zones 7, 8 of said bag 1 in the direction of the arrows A, then we roll it up in the direction of the arrow B shown diagrammatically in FIG. volume and can easily be positioned inside a suitable support.

 Note that to facilitate the establishment of the appropriate support, it is possible to provide strips or tabs provided with fastening means such as snaps or hook-and-loop fastening strips, able to surround and maintain

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 the bag in the shape of a sausage time to install it in the support.

 If necessary, it suffices to disengage said bag 1 from its support by freeing it from the latter, which, thanks to the particular means provided by the present invention, allows its automatic installation.

 In fact, in a particularly advantageous manner, said bag 1 also comprises, at the upper face of the envelope 2, two longitudinal strips 3, preferably made of an elastic material, such as, in particular, plastic, fixed in the direction in which the bag 1 unwinds when it is ejected from its support.

 These strips 3 make the bag 1 dynamic, greatly facilitating its deployment.

 In fact, when the bag 1 is contained folded back in its support, the strips 3 are subjected to a stress which is suddenly released when the bag 1 is released.

 Because of their elasticity, they then spontaneously regain their rectilinear shape and allow the bag 1 to be stretched properly.

 Thus, the strips 3 also allow the bag 1 to be positioned correctly and durably at the desired location.

 In order to play their role perfectly, they are preferably each positioned near one of the side edges 4, 5 of said bag 1, and have a length substantially equal to that of the latter.

 Furthermore, according to another characteristic of the present invention, they can be associated with at least two other elastic strips 6, extending transversely, each from one of said longitudinal strips 3 towards one of the side edges 4,5 of said bag 1.

 These transverse strips 6 allow, in a particularly advantageous manner, to correctly position the lateral zones 7, 8 of said bag 1 against the ground when it is put in place as well as during use.

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 The longitudinal strips 3 and transverse 6 are, for example, made of polycarbonate.

 However, any other material having the same elasticity or semi-rigidity characteristics may also be very suitable.

 As shown in Figure 3, the bag 1 is also equipped on the underside of the casing 2, with a sole 9 made from a waterproof material, allowing both to protect the bag 1 from humidity when placed in its support outside periods of use, and to increase its capacity to seal the openings.

 According to another characteristic, the bag 1 also has two recesses 10, 11, produced at the rear edge 12, which is capable of coming into contact with the opening to be protected.

 This feature is very useful especially when the opening is a door.

 Indeed, the two recesses 10,11 are positioned at the amounts of the latter, then allowing a perfect match of shapes between the bag 1 and said door.

 The two recesses 10, 11 also serve incidentally as fixing points for the longitudinal strips 3.

 Furthermore, as shown in particular in Figure 1, said bag 1 is also equipped, at the front, with two handles 13 which significantly facilitate its handling, in particular when it is swollen with water.

 Referring now to Figure 4, we will describe in more detail an embodiment of a support which, at the same time, allows to contain said bag 1 when the latter is not used, and to contribute to its deployment at the time of its implementation.

 Said support 14 is in fact in the form of a housing 15 positioned on the opening to be sealed, preferably on the interior side of the room.

 As shown here, the housing 15 extends horizontally over the entire width of the bottom of a door 16.

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 This housing 15 includes means for automatically ejecting said bag 1, allowing the latter to be put in place without requiring user intervention.

 Indeed, these automatic ejection means are controlled by an electronic detector of liquid, in particular of water, positioned on the housing 15 and appropriately connected to at least one probe, not shown, and to a supply system, also not shown.

 Thus, when the water detector is in contact with water, it causes the opening of a removable cover 17, mounted on hinges or pivots of rotation on said housing 15.

 This has the effect of releasing the bag 1, which then unrolls easily thanks to the various aforementioned means which it is provided with, by positioning itself appropriately on the opening, in this case the door 16, without the intervention of the user. .

 Advantageously, the box 15 can also be connected to an audible and / or light alarm, which is triggered instantly at the time of the automatic deployment of the bag 1. This then makes it possible to possibly warn the user who can, if present , check that the device according to the invention works properly. Of course the alarm can also, in known manner, be given through other means of communication, such as the telephone network for example.

 Furthermore, although provided capable of triggering automatically, the device according to the invention can also be manipulated manually, by means of a push button 18 making it possible to actuate the opening and closing of the cover 17.

 In particular, this push-button 18 also serves to arm or rearm the device before any use, when positioning the bag 1 inside the housing 15.

 According to another advantageous characteristic of the device according to the invention, it is also entirely usable on a sliding door, such as an elevator door, for example, or even on an opening without a door.

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 In this case, the box 15 containing the folded bag 1 is positioned vertically on a door jamb or, if necessary, directly on a partition.

 It is also associated with a tilting mechanism 19, shown diagrammatically in FIG. 7, and which is fixed to the door jamb or to the partition by suitable fixing means, such as lugs 25.

 When the electronic liquid detector detects the presence of water at the opening to be protected, said housing 15 pivots from its vertical position to a horizontal position, thanks to the tilting mechanism 19, before the triggering of the bag ejection system 1.

 The tilting mechanism 19 comprises in particular a rotary axis 20 associated with a torsion spring 21 on which a washer with catch 23 is fixed.

 The assembly is connected to an articulated arm 22, itself connected to the housing 15 in an appropriate manner.

 The tilting mechanism 19 is preferably actuated by means of an electromagnet 24 which, by acting on the metal washer 23 allows, if necessary, either to keep the torsion spring 21 compressed or to release it, which generates the movement of the rotary axis 20, and the pivoting of the housing 15 towards the expected horizontal position.

 The electromagnet 24 is supplied by means, for example of a battery, of the 9 V type in particular, and is itself actuated by the electronic liquid detector.

 Furthermore, the tilting mechanism 19 can be placed in a waterproof shoe ensuring its protection.

 A second watertight shoe can also be positioned on the other side of the opening to be sealed, so as to serve as a support for the housing 15 after its tilting towards the horizontal position.

 Once this position is reached, the bag 1 is expelled from said housing 15 and deploys autonomously as described above.

 It is therefore clear from the above that, thanks to the various means used, the present invention makes it possible to

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 fight water infiltration during floods, for example, or avoid spillage of liquid substances, especially dangerous ones, without the intervention of a user, extremely quickly and particularly effectively.

 Furthermore, the device according to the invention is very simple to make and use and also inexpensive.

 Although the invention has been described in connection with a few particular embodiments, it is understood that it is in no way limited thereto and that it is possible to make various modifications to it in terms of shape, materials and combinations of these various elements, without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention.

Claims (13)

1) Device making it possible to avoid liquid spillage, in particular water infiltration into a room during flooding, comprising at least one bag (1) in the form of a permeable envelope (2) filled with '' a material capable of swelling by absorption of liquid, said bag (1) being intended to be placed at the level of openings, such as, the doors (16) of said room, characterized in that it comprises means (3, 6) provided capable of allowing, if necessary, the self deployment of said bag (1) which is stored folded.  2) Device according to the preceding claim 1, characterized in that it comprises a support suitably placed at the opening to be protected and in which the bag (1) is contained folded.  3) Device according to any one of claims 1 or 2, characterized in that the bag (1) comprises, at least at the level of the upper face of its envelope (2), at least one longitudinal strip (3) with properties elastic, fixed in the direction of deployment of said bag (1), preferably located near one of the side edges (4,5) of said bag (1), and having a length substantially identical to that of said bag (1).  4) Device according to claim 3, characterized in that the bag (1) comprises at least two transverse elastic strips (6), each extending from the longitudinal strip (s) (3) towards each of the lateral edges (4,5 ) of said bag (1).  5) Device according to claim 4, characterized in that the longitudinal strips (3) and transverse (6) are made of plastic of the polycarbonate type.  6) Device according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that said bag (1) is provided at least on its underside with a sole (9) of a waterproof material.  7) Device according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that said bag (1) comprises two <Desc / Clms Page number 12>  recesses (10,11) at the rear edge (12) capable of coming into contact with the opening to be protected.  8) Device according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the bag (1) is provided with handles (13) for handling.  9) Device according to any one of claims 2 to 8, characterized in that the support consists of a housing (15) provided with means for automatic ejection of said bag (1).  10) Device according to claim 9, characterized in that the automatic ejection means are connected to an electronic detector of liquid, in particular water, capable of actuating them.  11) Device according to claim 9, characterized in that the housing (15) is closed by means of a removable cover (17) mounted on hinges or pivot pivots.  12) Device according to any one of claims 9 to 11, characterized in that the housing (15) is provided with a tilting mechanism (19) with rotary axis (20), torsion spring (21) and articulated arm ( 22).  13) Device according to claim 12, characterized in that the tilting mechanism (19) is actuated by at least one electromagnet (24) capable of being controlled either manually through a push button (18), or automatically through water detection means.