GB2374108A

GB2374108A - Flood barrier

Info

Publication number: GB2374108A
Application number: GB0107675A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Geoffrey James Brown
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2001-03-28
Filing date: 2001-03-28
Publication date: 2002-10-09
Also published as: GB0107675D0

Abstract

A flood barrier for sealing a building aperture comprises a roller shutter and a frame. The frame comprises channels on 3 sides of the aperture and the roller shutter is stored in a roller box on the fourth side of the aperture. A flexible waterproof sheet having inflatable edges is bonded to the roller shutter. In use the edges of the roller shutter and waterproof sheet are held within the channels of the frame and the inflatable edges of the waterproof sheet are inflated to form a seal. The flood barrier is activated automatically in case of flooding by a float. The float may also be linked to an alarm. The inflatable margin may be inflated automatically by aerosol or compressed air canister or may be inflated by hand or foot pump.

Description

VERSATILE FLOOD DOOR DESCRIPTION The following is a description of a method of preventing floodwater entering buildings through door or window openings in brickwork. It involves the use of a standard form of Roller Shutter door combined with a tough, elastic, flexible and waterproof sheeting to create a flood door in a novel way The flood door moves in channel guides. The waterproof sheet has inflatable margins which are automatically inflated by aerosol or compressed air to seal the space between the flood door and channel. A float In a float chamber is used to trigger a warning alarm and where power is used it also automatically trigger the closing of the flood door.

The following numbered items give a brief summary of the accompanying drawings.

1/5. FIG 1 An overall front elevation of the flood door in the closed position and the roller housing above the opening. It shows the main features of the flood door and also the adjacent float and float chamber.

2/5. FIG 2 This shows the bottom of the flood door In 1/5 in greater detail.

3/5 FIG 3 Shows the float in its float chamber with the float extension, links and the switches it is designed to operate.

4/5 FIG 4 Show an overall front elevation of the same flood door but with the roller housing below the opening.

5/5 FIG 5 & 6 Shows the roller housing below the door opening in greater detail.

The roller shutter door can be held above the door opening in the conventional manner as shown in Fig 1 G. Also in Fig 1 section v-v shows the brickwork opening at A. The position of the frame, in which the door slides, made up of channel at B. This frame consists of 2 sides and bottom all fixed and sealed firmly to the face of the brickwork.

The width of both door and waterproof sheet are shown in Fig 1 at C. Because the waterproof sheet covers the door laths, they are shown, in Fig 1, as dotted lines. The waterproof sheet is the same length and width as the roller shutter door and has a margin on both sides and leading edge. This margin is made up of tubular sheet capable of being inflated The waterproof sheet is permanently bonded to the outside face of the roller shutter door.

Fixed firmly near the leading edge of the roller shutter door is an aerosol E capable of inflating the whole of the inflatable margin. The section through, x-x shows the inflatable margin F of the waterproof sheet filling the gap in the channel frame. Fig 1 also shows the float chamber J and float K. These are shown in more detail in FIG 3. VERSATILE FLOOD DOOR DESCRIPTION (continued) Fig 2 shows a detail of the lower part of the door as shown in Fig 1 The section above line Z-Z shows the lathes of the Roller Shutter door C2 and the channel B in which they run. The section below the line Z-Z shows the waterproof sheet C1 with its inflatable border F and the aerosol E with the trigger P. The trigger P releases the contents of aerosol E to inflate margin F as the door reaches it's closed position.

Fig 3 shows details of float chamber J, which is sited, adjacent to all door openings and the top of which is at least 6 inches below the outside ground level.

This float chamber J receives floodwater via pipe M, which should draw water from a point lower than the top of the float chamber.

The float K and extension arm N rise with the floodwater to operate switch P and L. L triggers the power to operate any automatic method of closing the door, this automatically triggers the closing of all flood doors which are operated by power P is an audible alarm to give warning of approaching floodwater. The movement is transmitted from the extension N to the switches L and P via slotted links S.

Fig 4 shows the same arrangement but with the door housed below the door opening when not in use and the opening direction reversed. Details of this are shown in Fig 5.

FIG 5, shows the flood door in the open position and rolled with the first lath of the door entered into the vertical Channel of the frame. It also shows the roll spindle Q and the waterproof box R with its water sealed access lid W.

Fig 6 shows the above arrangement with the flood door closed. The inflatable margin of the bottom of the waterproof sheet is shown inflated into the bottom, open ended part of the frame at F.

This flood door can be housed above, below, or on either side of an opening in brickwork It would also have a foot or hand pump valve fitted to the inflatable margin to keep up pressure in an emergency.

Claims

VERSATILE FLOOD DOOR CLAIMS 1. A flood door consisting of a roller shutter door, with a flexible and waterproof sheet bonded to it, large enough to seal any opening in brickwork which is vulnerable to flooding. A frame made up of channel on two sides and one end, whilst having a roller box containing the flood door on the opposite end. This frame IS fixed and sealed to the face of the brickwork adjacent to the opening. A flood door which lends itself to being operated by a system of counter weights or be powered by electric motor with battery back up.

1. Fig 1. A flood door with means of automatically activating the door closing in response to the rise of floodwater and in the absence of the building's occupants. A means of automatically sealing the surround to the edges of the flood door by inflating the inflatable margins of the flexible, waterproof sheet. The flood door can be housed above, below or to either side of the opening.

2. FIG 2. A flood door with a flexible sheet bonded to it, this sheet having an elastic and tubular margin on all edges F, capable of being inflated.

3. FIG 2. A flood door with an inflatable tubular margin capable of being inflated by an aerosol or compressed air canister.

4. FIG 1 & 2. A flood door with an aerosol or compressed air E, which is triggered automatically, as flood door closes.

5. FIG 4, 5, 6. A flood door as described in claims 1,2, 3,4 above, but with the flood door held below the door opening when not in use. A water-sealed box R, with spindle Q, containing the flood door and sited below ground level. A water-sealed, access lid, W to the above box.

6., FIG 3. A flood door which can be activated by a float K, in a float chamber J, which receives flood water from a source below ground level M.

7., FIG 3. A float with extension N, which is linked to switch L, which is to activate counter weights or electric motor when these are fitted. Also switch L, which is a warning alarm of imminent flooding.

8. A flood door with a hand or foot pump valve fitted to the inflatable margin to allow pressure to be maintained in an emergency.