GB2392197A

GB2392197A - Flood barrier

Info

Publication number: GB2392197A
Application number: GB0309031A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Lawrence George Aves
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2002-08-23
Filing date: 2003-04-22
Publication date: 2004-02-25
Anticipated expiration: 2023-04-22
Also published as: GB0219676D0; GB0309031D0; GB2392197B

Abstract

A flood barrier comprises a panel for sealing around an access door to a building. The panel may fix in position detachably and may be provided with a seal which may be an inflatable tube 66. The inflatable tube 66 may be located in an elongate cavity 67 in the panel and may be provided with a cushioning layer 70 located in a slot 68 in the panel. The barrier may be adapted such that, in use, a face of the panel abuts an external wall of the building in which the door is located, in this case the seal may be fitted on the face of the panel abutting the wall, the barrier may be held in place by bolts on the outer, in use, face of the panel engaging apertured studs 56 fixed to the wall around the door, the apertured studs may pass through holes 54 in the panel. Alternatively the barrier may be adapted to fit between side walls within a porch or passageway in which the door is recessed, in this case the seal may be fitted around side and bottom edges of the panel, the barrier may be held in place by bolts on the inner, in use, face of the panel engaging holes in the side walls. The panel may be provided with a box like extension for accommodating a door step.

Description

1 2392197

Title: Flood water barrier Field of Me invention

This invention relates to a flood water barrier, more especially a barrier which prevents flood water entering a building such as a house, office or shop, under and around an external access door to the building.

Summary of the invention

The invention provides a panel which fixes to and seals against the external wall of a building in front of an access door thereto.

Preferably the panel fixes in position detachably, so that it can be removed when flood water has receded, allowing normal use of the door, Hereafter.

The panel may be fixed between side walls in the case of a door recessed in a porch or passageway. Alternatively, whether the door is recessed or not, the panel may be fixed across the doorway in an external wall to bridge the opening in the wall in which the door is located.

In either case, an elongate seal is preferably provided against the wall and ground to prevent water penetrating between the panel and the wall.

The seal conveniently takes the form of an inflatable tube.

In the case of a door recessed in a porch or passage, this seal may be provided around the side and bottom edges of the panel.

In the case of a door which is substantially in line with the face of the wall, the seal may be provided on the face of the panel which is to abut the wall, adjacent the periphery of the sides and lower edge thereof.

Inflation of the tube may be by way of a valve analogous to a bicycle or car lyre valve, enabling use of a hand or foot pump.

In the case of a brickwork wall, a thread of elastic sealing compound may be applied to the wall in line with the seal, to fill any gap not filled by the seal, such as the horizontal and vertical mortar courses between the bricks, to ensure that water cannot leak past the seal.

The elastic material may be applied to the wall and ground before the panel is put in place, or may be applied afterwards in the way in which a mastic line is applied to seal a bath or sink unit to an adjoining wall.

The panel may include a hollow box-like extension for accommodating a door threshold and/or step or the like, in the event that the panel is to be fixed in position close in front of a door.

In the case of a recessed door, the panel fixings may simply comprise holes in the two opposed walls of the passage or porch, e.g. the wall brickwork, into which bolts can be slid. Such holes may be lined by tubular inserts into which the bolts can be slidingly pushed. The bolts are carried by the panel, on each outer, or more preferably the inner face thereof, so that bolts and holes are on the "dry" side of the panel when in place and acting as a barrier against flood water on the outer face thereof.

In the case of a panel fixing across the face of a doorway in an external wall, apertured studs may be fixed to the wall on either side of the opening by drilling and plugging the wall, with the apertured parts of the studs projecting forwardly of the wall to receive bolts carried by the panel. Since the pressure exerted by the water will act on the outer face of

the panel and the sides of the panel will abut the wall on opposite sides of the opening, the bolts are preferably on the outer face of the panel so as not to impede the fitting of the panel to the wall.

In addition it is preferable for the position of the studs to be such that the openings in the panel through which they protrude when Me panel is fitted in place are between the inflatable seal and the edge of the panel, so that any leakage of water around the stud through to the rear of the panel will not reach the "dry" area behind the panel.

In a preferred embodiment of panel which is adapted to be fitted across a door in an external wall so as to abut the wall on opposite sides of the opening the studs may take the form of screw threaded eyelets which can be screwed into wall fixings until screwed tightly to the wall on either side of the opening with the plane of the eyelet ring generally vertical and the panel is formed with slots which when the panel is offered up to the opening in the wall will also be generally vertical so as to receive the eyelet rings and allow them to pass through the panel to protrude beyond the external face of We panel, ready to receive a pin to secure the panel in place.

The pin may be attached to the panel by a cord or chain and may be wedge shaped for driving onto the ring, or may comprise a sliding bolt held captive on the external face of the panel.

Since an inflatable tube of rubber or plastics is liable to damage by sharp objects or rough surfaces such as brickwork when pressed thereagainst, according to a preferred feature of the invention, where an inflatable tube is incorporated in the panel a strip of resiliently deformable material such as rubber or plastics or a composite thereof may be held captive in a slot in the wall of the panel against the tube, so that it will be sandwiched between the tube and the wall when the panel is in position to protect a doorway, thereby to cushion Me tube against any rough surface of the brickwork and reduce the risk of the tube wall being pierced or weakened by any such rough surface.

A preferred material for the cushioning strip is foamed rubber such as the type used as draught excluder.

Preferably the strip is removable so that it can be replaced by a fresh strip after time or use has caused the material to degrade.

A protective cushioning strip may be fitted so as to protect an inflatable tube which is designed to expand and seal between the rear face of a panel and the surface of brickwork on opposite sides of a door opening therein or between the edges of a panel and opposite walls and the step of a porch or door recess.

Where the panel is formed with openings or slots through which studs or hooks are to protrude for fixing to facing brickwork, the panel may serve as a template for drilling the brickwork to fit wall fixings therein for securing the studs or hooks to the wall. To this end two pilot holes are provided by which the panel cam be temporarily secured to the wall using masonry nails, or the like, while the wall is drilled using the other openings or slots.

Preferably a panel as aforesaid is constructed from aluminium extrusions similar to those employed in the manufacture of aluminium windows, and the corners are formed by mitring and welding mitred ends of the extrusions.

Preferably the internally facing edges of the extrusions include channels which are aligned by the securing of the extrusions to form the frame, and a sheet of rigid or semi-rigid material is cut to size and f tted into the frame with its edge in the aligned channels so as to form with the extrusions a watertight panel.

The sheet material may be metal or plastics such as PVC, and the sheet can be likened to a sheet of glass or double glazed unit, which is fitted into a frame to form a window.

In a preferred arrangement the extrusions are formed with a rebate instead of a complete channel and the sheet material is inserted into the rebate in the frame and secured in place

by a bead similar to a glazing bead in a window to form a channel enclosing the edge of the sheet material.

Preferably a seal is provided within any channel so as to prevent water from creeping around the edge of the sheet material. The seal may be included in the walls, or base, or both, of a channel, or my itself comprise a channel cross-section extrusion of resiliently deformable material such as rubber or plastics which is adapted to fit around the edge of the sheet material before the latter is embedded in the channel or secured in place by a glazing-type bar, so as to be sandwiched between the sheet material and the frame to prevent the ingress of water.

In order to reinforce a panel as aforesaid one or more bars may be provided which extend across the front or rear, or both front and rear of the panel, which bar or bars is/are secured as by welding to the outer frame of the panel in a mariner similar to that employed for fitting glazing bars across window frames.

In a preferred arrangement a reinforcing bar is fitted across a panel at a height which is approximately 1/3 the height of the panel.

Description of embodiment.

The invention is further described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Fig 1A shows a panel ftted in front of a recessed door; Fig 1B illustrates the fixings for the panel of Pig 1A; Fig 2A shows a panel fitted across a door opening in a wall; Fig 2B shows the rear face of the panel;

Figs 3A and 3B are alternative views similar to Figs 2A and 2B; Figs 4A and 4B illustrate a further type of panel for fitting to facing brickwork on opposite sides of a door opening; and Figs 5A and 5B illustrate a further type of panel for fitting in a porch or doorway recess.

As is clear from Pig 1B, a first embodiment of flood barrier panel 10 is designed and dimensioned to fit between the side walls of a porch or passage leading to an external door 12 to a building. The panel extends from the ground part way up the door, above any expected level of flood water.

Holes are drilled in the two side walls at appropriate points, to receive bolts 14 slidingly mounted to the panel. One such bolt 14 is shown to an enlarged scale in a circular inset X1 in Fig 1A.

Although shown on the outer face it may be preferable to mount the bolts on the rear face of the panel so that there is no tendency for water pressure to push the panel off the bolt fastenings. Around the peripheral edge face of the panel is located, in a groove 16, an elongate tubular seal 18. This is similar to the inner tube of a bicycle tyre and extends around the bottom edge and up both sides of the panel. Another circular inset X2 in Fig 1A shows in cross-

section one side edge of the panel.

The elongate tubular seal 18 can be inflated, to seal tightly against the wall, via a one-way valve 20 (inset X3 in Fig 1A) which terminates one end of the sealing tube. Another such valve 20A is conveniently used to terminate the other end of the sealing tube, although this second valve is not essential, and either valve can be used to inflate the seal. The valves are similar to bicycle tyre valves and the tube can be inflated by use of a hand or foot

pump. A sealing pressure of about 20 psi is envisaged. Deflation can be effected in known manner when using such valves, by depressing a central valve closure pin.

If, as illustrated, the panel is fitted between brickwork walls of a passage or porch, a string of elastic sealing compound may be applied to the wall along the line of contact with the inflated seal, in order to prevent leakage via horizontal mortar course between courses of bricks. Figs 2A, 2B, 3A and 3B show a second embodiment of panel 30 designed to fit across a doorway in a building wall, in which an external door 32 is essentially fitted flush to the wall. The panel 30 differs from that of Figs 1A and 1B in that an elongate tubular seal 34 is located on the rear face of the panel, close to the panel periphery. In use the seal serves to seal the panel at the side and bottom against the wall. Secondly the sliding bolts 36 are now adapted to engage bores in apertured studs 38 previously fixed to the wall, at appropriate points just inside the panel, by drilling and plugging the wall. Circular insets X4 and X5 in Figs 2A and 3A show the fixings to an enlarged scale.

In use, the tube is inflatable via valve 38 or 38A, one of which is shown to an enlarged scale at X6 in Fig 2B.

As can be seen from Fig 3B, instead of protruding through the top edge, the valves can extend through and protrude beyond the front face of the panel.

The panel 30 of Figs 2A, 2B, 3A and 3B also has an opening 40 in its rear face leading to a closed box-like housing 41 for accommodating a weather board and/or the door threshold or sill. A board 42 can be fitted between the top edge and the door to prevent rain, or watter lapping against the panel, from surging over the panel, and entering the gap between the panel and the door. Either one or both of these features may also be incorporated into the panel of Figs 1A and 1B if the latter is to be positioned close to the door.

The panel may be made of any convenient rigid material and may if desired be internally reinforced, so as to withstand the pressure of flood water up to the height of the panel. A plastics material at least as an outer slain is generally to be preferred.

An elastic material which can be used to fill any gap in a mortar course between the mortar and the inflated seal, is a water reactive material sold under the name HYDROMITE and manufactured by Charion Ltd. This material swells on contact with water, and in so doing will adequately seal any gaps between mortar and the seal in any mortar courses submerged by the flood water.

An improved form of panel construction is shown in Figs 4 and 5.

Here the panel is constructed from a frame formed from lengths of aluminium extrusion similar to that used in making window frames. The four lengths are denoted by reference numerals 44, 46, 48, 50 in Fig 4 and are mitred at 45 at their ends and welded to form right angled corners. The weld lines can be seen and one is denoted by 52.

Slots such as 54 allow eyelets such as 56 to pass from back to front through the panel as the latter id offered up across a door opening denoted by 58 in Fig 4B.

The central region of each panel comprises a sheet of relatively rigid PVC or the like 60 which is secured within the frame 44-50 in a manner similar to that employed for securing a sheet of glass in a window frame. Although not shown a seal is provided around the edge of the sheet 60 to prevent the ingress of water between the edge of the sheet 60 and the frame. Pilot holes 62, 64 allow the panel to be temporarily secured, as by masonry nails, to the brickwork to serve as a template to permit holes to be drilled in the brickwork through the slots 54 (which serve as a guide for where the holes are to be made in the wall) to allow wall plugs to be inserted into which the eyelet 56 can be screwed, until the plane of the eyelet ring is vertical to allow it to pass through a slot such as 54.

As shown in the enlarged scrap section in Fig 4A an inflatable tube 66 in a cavity 67, extends around three sides of the frame and a groove 68 in the frame which communicates with the cavity 67 houses a strip of resiliently deformable cushioning material such as foamed rubber 70. This latter prevents the wall of the tube 66 from making contact with the brickwork, such as 72 (see Fig 4B).

Valves 74, 76 allow the tube to be inflated and for air means these protrude through the front face of the frame of the panel.

A reinforcing bar 78 extends across the frame between sides 46, 50 and is welded thereto, on both faces of the sheet 60, to prevent the force of water on the outside of the panel from distorting the sheet 60. As shown the bar extends across the panel at about 1/3 the height of the panel.

An upper closure plate 80 as previously described is shown for fitting between the upper edge of the panel and the door, as shown in Fig 4B.

In Figs 5A and 5B the same reference numerals have been employed as in Figs 4A, 4B but now the groove is in the edge of the frame members 44 etc. , and is denoted in the scrap section of Fig 5A by 69. The strip 20 is thereby located between the inflatable tube 66 and the side walls 82, 84 of the porch containing the door 86 shown in Pig 5B.

Amendments to the claims have been filed as follows 1. A barrier which prevents flood water entering a building under and around an external access door to the building, comprising a panel adapted to be fixed to and seal against the external wall of the building in front of the access door thereto.

2. A barrier as claimed in claim 1 wherein the panel fixes in position detachably, so that it can be removed when flood water has receded, allowing normal use of the door, thereafter. 3. A barrier as claimed in claim 1 or 2 wherein the panel is adapted to fix between side walls in the case of a door recessed in a porch or passageway.

4. barrier as claimed in claim 1 or 2 wherein the panel is adapted to be fitted across a doorway containing the door in an external wall of the building to bridge the opening in the wall in which the door is located.

5. A barrier as claimed in either claim 3 or claim 4 wherein an elongate seal is provided against the wall and ground to prevent water penetrating under or around the panel.

6. A barrier as claimed in claim 5 wherein the seal is provided around the side and bottom edges of the panel in the case of a door recessed in a porch or passage.

7. A barrier as claimed in claim 5 wherein the seal is provided on the face of the panel which is to abut the wall, adjacent the periphery of the sides and lower edge thereof, in the case of a door which is substantially in line with the face of the wall.

8. A barrier as claimed in claim 5, 6 or 7 wherein the seal takes the form of an inflatable tube.

9. A barrier as claimed in any of claims 5 to 8 wherein inflation of the tube is by way of a valve, enabling use of a hand or foot pump.

lO.A barrier as claimed in claim or 9 wherein a layer of resiliently deformable cushioning material covers the surface of the inflatable tube to provide a cushion between the tube and brickwork to reduce the chance of damage occurring to the tube when inflated. 11. A barrier as claimed in claim 10 wherein the tube is situated in an elongate cavity in the panel and the cushioning layer is located in a slot which communicates with the groove and the surface of the panel.

12.A barrier as claimed in claim 10 or 11 wherein the cushioning material is foamed rubber. 13. A barrier as claimed in any of claims 1 to 12 wherein the panel includes a hollow box-

like extension for accommodating a door threshold and/or step or the like, to allow the panel to be fixed in position close in front of a door.

14. A barrier as claimed in any of claims 1 to 12 or 13 wherein in the case of a recessed door, the panel fixings comprise holes in the two opposed walls of the passage or porch into which bolts can be slid.

15. A barrier as claimed in claim 14 wherein the holes are lined by tubular inserts into which the bolts can be slidingly pushed.

16. A barrier as claimed in claim 15 wherein the bolts are carried by the panel, on the inner face thereof, so that bolts and holes are on the "dry" side of the panel when in place and acting as a barrier against flood water on the outer face thereof.

17. A barrier as claimed in claim 1 for fixing across the face of a doorway in an external wall, wherein apertured studs are fixed to the wall on either side of the opening by drilling and plugging the wall, with the apertured parts of the studs projecting forwardly of the wall to receive bolts carried by the panel.

18. A barrier as claimed in claim 17 wherein the bolts are on the outer face of the panel so as not to impede the fitting of the panel to the wall.

19. A barrier as claimed in claim 18 wherein the position of the studs is such that the openings in the panel through which they protrude when the panel is fitted in place are between the inflatable seal and the edge of the panel, so that any leakage of water around the stud through to the rear of the panel will not reach the "dry" area behind the panel.

20. A method of sealing a barrier as claimed in any of claims S to 9 to a brickwork wall, wherein a thread of elastic sealing compound is applied to the wall in line with the seal, to fill any gap not filled by the seal, such as the horizontal and vertical mortar courses between the bricks, to ensure that water cannot leak past the seal.

21. A method as claimed in claim 20 wherein the elastic material is applied to the wall and ground before the panel is put in place.

22. A method as claimed in claim 20 wherein the elastic material is applied after the panel is put in place, around the edge thereof.

23. A barrier as claimed in claim 1 constructed and adapted to be fitted to a building and constructed substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Claims

!3 C 1 124/A CLAIMS

1. A barrier which in use prevents flood water entering a building under and around an external access door to the building, comprising a panel adapted to fix between side walls in the case of a door recessed in a porch or passageway, or across a doorway containing a door in an external wall of the building such that a face of the panel abuts the wall, in use, to bridge the opening in the wall in which the door is located, wherein an elongate seal is provided to fit, in use, against the wall and in the case of a panel adapted to fix between side walls, against the ground, to prevent water penetrating under or around the panel, which takes the form of an inflatable tube, and a layer of resiliently deformable cushioning material which covers the inflatable tube to provide in use a cushion between it and brickwork or ground to reduce the chance of damage occurring to the tube when inflated, and wherein the tube is situated in an elongate cavity in the panel and the cushioning layer is located in a slot which communicates with the elongate cavity.

2. A barrier as claimed in claim 1 wherein the panel fixes in position detachably, so that it can be removed when flood water has receded, allowing normal use of the door, thereafter.

3. A barrier as claimed in claim 1 or 2 wherein the seal is provided around the side and bottom edges of the panel for use in the case of a door recessed in a porch or passage.

4. A barrier as claimed in claim 1 or 2 wherein the seal is provided on the face of the panel which in use is to abut the wall, adjacent the periphery of the sides and lower edge thereof, for use in the case of a door which is substantially in line with the face of the wall.

5. A barrier as claimed in any of claims 1 to 4 wherein inflation of the tube is by way of a . valve, enabling use of a hand or foot pump.

, '!, 1(

6. A barrier as claimed in any of claims 1 to 5 wherein the cushioning material is foamed rubber.

7. A barrier as claimed in any of claims 1 to 6 wherein the panel includes a hollow box-

like extension for accommodating in use a door threshold and/or step, to allow the panel to be fixed in position close in front of a door.

8. A method of fixing a panel barrier as claimed in any of claims 1 to 3 between opposite side walls of a passage or porch wherein holes are formed in the two opposite side walls of the passage or porch and the panel includes bolts which in use are slid into the holes.

9. A method of fixing a panel barrier as claimed in claim 8 wherein the holes in the walls are lined by tubular inserts into which the bolts can be slidingly pushed.

10. A method of fixing a panel barrier as claimed in claim 9 wherein the bolts are carried on the face of the panel which in use faces the door, so that bolts and holes are on the "dry" side of the panel when in place.

11. A method of sealing a barrier as claimed in any of claims 1 to 7 to a brickwork wall, wherein a thread of elastic sealing compound is applied to the wallalong a line which when the panel is in place is in line with the seal, to fill any gap not filled by the seal, such as the horizontal and vertical mortar courses between the bricks, to ensure that water cannot leak past the seal.

12. A method as claimed in claim 11 wherein the elastic material is applied to the wall and ground before the panel is put in place.

13. A method as claimed in claim 11 wherein the elastic material is applied after the panel is put in place, around the edge thereof.

14. A method of fixing a barrier panel as claimed in claim 1, 2 or 4 across the face of a doorway opening in an external wall of a building, wherein the panel is adapted to be fixed to and seal against the external wall in front of the access door to prevent flood water from entering the building under or around Me door, and wherein apertured studs are fixed to the wall on either side of the doorway opening by drilling and plugging the wall on either side of the opening, with the apertured parts of the studs projecting forwardly of the wall, and the panel includes bolts which can be slid into the apertures in the studs to secure the panel in place.

15. A method as claimed in claim 14 wherein the panel is formed with openings through which the studs will in use protrude and the position of the studs is selected so that the openings are formed through regions of the panel which lie between the inflatable seal and the edge of the panel, so that in use any leakage of water around the stud through to the rear of the panel will not reach the "dry" area behind the panel.

16. A barrier panel for use in the method of claim 14 wherein the bolts are located on the face of the panel which in use will be the outer face, so as not to impede the fitting of the panel to the wall.

17. A barrier as claimed in claim 1 constructed and adapted to be fitted to a building and constructed substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings.