GB2491019A

GB2491019A - Flood barrier with mounting means

Info

Publication number: GB2491019A
Application number: GB1208374.7A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Michael Knight
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2011-05-17
Filing date: 2012-05-14
Publication date: 2012-11-21
Also published as: GB201108251D0; GB201208374D0

Abstract

A flood barrier for a doorway comprising a panel 12 securable to the doorway by mounting means, said mounting means being adapted to displace the panel in an inwards and. downwards direction with respect to the doorway as the mounting means is operated to compress the panel against the surrounding seals. Preferably, the mounting mechanism is a lever 30 which pushes the panel downwards and a series of studs 14 that are cone shaped with an enlarged head portion, tapered sides and a narrow waist (18, 20, 22 Fig 3) and engage with a pear shaped aperture 16 to push the panel inwards (see Fig 3). Alternatively when the lever presses the panel downwards, a mounting pin (116 Fig 7) is guided by a mounting slot (114 Fig 7) to displace the panel inwards.

Description

Flood Barrier This invention relates to a flood barrier for a doorway.

Many buildings are located in areas that are prone to flooding. Climate change is leading to increasing rainfall levels and rising sea levels. This is causing increasing numbers of properties to become at risk of flooding.

Flooding can lead to severe damage to the contents of a property and to the stmcture of the building. An increased incidence in flooding in recent years has resuhed in increasing insurance premiums and, in areas that are particularly prone to flooding or which have previously been subject of an insurance claim for flood damage, a refusal by insurance companies to offer flood insurance. This can lead to difficulties in selling a property and a severe fall in property values.

Traditionally the action taken when flooding threatens a property has been to build a barrier of sandbags at each doorway. Even if the materials necessary for building a sandbag barrier are to hand, process of building such a barrier involves a lot of heavy lifting and is particularly time consuming. Often a warning of potential flooding may not be given in sufficient time to enable satisfactory sandbags to be obtained and barriers to be erected. A further disadvantage of traditional sandbag barriers is that sand is porous therefore, whilst it may provide temporary protection from flooding where the flooding lasts only a short time, such barriers are not effective when flooding persists for a long period of time. Even if waterproof material is used to make sandbags they do not form a satisfactory seal against the door frame.

Other attempts to provide a more permanent, reliable and easier to use barrier for preventing flood water from entering a property via a doorway have typically required the permanent fitment of a channel or guide to the doorway for receiving a gate or panel to provide a water tight barrier across at least a lower part of the doorway to provide an adequate seal around the doorway. Examples of such known barriers are shown in GB 2 114 199 and GB 2 254 639. Such permanently fitted channels are prone to damage during normal use of the doorway, may create an undesirable barrier or lip to the use of the doorway and may be considered unsightly. Furthermore, difficulty may be encountered in ensuring that a sufficiently watertight seal is provided between the panel and the channels. GB 2373,811 shows a flood barrier wherein the barrier is clamped against a peripheral frame by means of a plurality of separate mounting levers. This requires the manipulation of multiple levers.

Another problem with these designs is that they require a frame member across the door threshold and this is trip hazard.

Some previous designs such as GB 2,378,474 have attempted to solve these problems by using a panel that seals vertically onto the door threshold and horizontally against the door frame. However, these designs suffer from problems with the compressive seal bunching up and therefore leaking at the corner where the frame and threshold meet because they either compress the seal only in one direction only or else compress in one direction first and then compress it in the other direction.

According to the present invention there is provided a flood barrier for a doorway for preventing the ingress of flood water through said doorway from a first side thereof to a second side, said barrier comprising:-a panel dimensioned to engage at least a lower portion of a doorway when placed thereagainst; the panel being securable to the doorway by mounting means, said mounting means being adapted to displace the panel in an inwards and downwards direction with respect to the doorway as the mounting means is operated to prevent the ingress of water between the panel and the doorway.

Preferably said mounting means comprises at least one first pan attachable to or provided on the doorway and at least one second pan provided on the panel, said first and second parts being moveable with respect to one another to enact said displacement of the panel in said inwards and downwards direction with respect to the doorway Preferably said mounting means comprise a plurality of engagement means provided on one of the panel and the doorway, and a plurality of receiving means provided on the other of the panel and the doorway, each of said plurality of said engagement means being adapted to cooperate with a respective one of said receiving means when the panel is fitted to the doorway, wherein said plurality of engagement means are each moveable with respect to the panel between a first position, wherein the engagement means can be engaged with and removed from a corresponding receiving means such that the panel can be applied to and removed from the doorway, and a second position, wherein the each engagement means engages a corresponding receiving means to retain the panel in the doorway, said panel being displaced in said inwards and downwards direction by the interaction of said plurality of engagement means and said plurality of receiving means as the plurality of engagement means are moved from their first to their second positions when the engagement means are in engagement with the corresponding receiving means to bias the panel into sealing engagement with the doorway.

Preferably said plurality of engagement means are moveable between said first and second positions in the plane of said panel. Preferably said plurality of engagement means are moveable in a vertical direction with respect to the panel when the panel is fitted to the doorway.

Preferably said plurality of engagement means of the mounting means are provided on opposite sides of the panel in two groups, each group of engagement means being provided on a respective common slide member slidably mounted on the panel to be moveable in a vertical direction in the plane of the panel. Preferably each slide member is moveable to move its respective group of engagement means between their first and second positions, by means a respective actuating means. Alternatively the slide members could be connected together or operated together by one actuating mechanism.

Preferably said actuating means are provided on an upper region of the panel. In one embodiment each actuating means comprises a lever, preferably pivotally mounted on an upper end of its respective slide member whereby pivotal movement of the lever between a raised position and a lower position causes movement of the slide member, and its associated engagement means, between its first and second positions. Preferably the lever includes a cam surface acting against an upper side of the panel to move the slide member with respect to the panel between its first and second positions.

In one embodiment the plurality of engagement means comprise projections extending from opposite sides of the panel or the sides of the doorway, said projections being moveable in a vertical direction in the plane of the panel between their first and second positions, said projections being moveable in an first direction from their first to their second positions, said plurality of receiving means comprising abutments formed in'on the mounting members adapted to receive corresponding projections therebeneath, each of said abutments having a guide face defining a first angled portion extending vertically in said first direction and inwardly with respect to the doorway, whereby each respective projection engages said guide face of the respective abutment and is constrained to slide along said guide face as the projection is moved from its first to its second position, causing the panel to be moved inwardly and downwardly. The nature of this mechanism ensures that the initial movement of the panel will be such that the bottom seal and the side seals will contact with the lower face or threshold of the doorway and the sides of the doorway (door frame) before either seal has been compressed to any significant extent. This is important as it makes it much less likely that the corner of the seal will bunch up and not seat correctly into the corner where the door frame meets the threshold. All seals will then begin to compress simultaneously.

When this occurs the relative forces compressing the bottom seal and the side seals will be governed by the angle of the abutment. A 45 degree abutment will result in the downward force trying to compress the bottom seal being approximately equal to the inward force trying to compress the two side seals. A more vertical abutment can be employed to make the force compressing the side seals more than the force compressing the bottom seal and vice versa.

Preferably the respective projection should reach an upper end of the first angled portion of the lower face of the abutment as it is reaching its second position. If it reaches the top of said first angled portion slightly before the second position the further movement towards the second position will just compress the bottom seal slightly more. This is preferable to the second position being reached before the respective projection reaches the top of the slope as water pressure against the back of the panel might compress the side seals further and then the projection could slide on up the slope and allow the compression of the bottom seal to reduce, thus risking water leaking under the panel.

The guide face of each abutment may comprise a further angled portion extending vertically in a second firection, opposite said first direction, and inwardly, whereby, as the panel is moved inwardly under the pressure of flood water against an outer face of said panel, the projections slide along said further portion of the guide face of the respective abutments to further displace the panel in said inwardly with respect to the doorway.

Preferably each abutment is defined by a respective slot formed in a side of a respective mounting member to be mounted on either side of the doorway, said lower face of the abutment being defined by an upper side of said slot. Said panel may be adapted to be received between said mounting members.

In a second embodiment said plurality of engagement means of the mounting means comprise apertures formed in respective moveable portions provided on either side of said panel, said plurality of receiving means comprising studs over which corresponding apertures are received. Preferably each stud has an enlarged head portion and an inwardly tapered body, wherein said apertures may be engaged over said studs when the engagement means are in their first portions, said apertures engaging said inwardly tapered body portions of said studs when the engagement means are in their second positions to retain the panel in the doorway and to bias the panel inwardly and downwardly against the sides of the doorway to seal the panel against the doorway. Preferably said apertures comprise an upper end and a lower end, said upper end being wider than said lower end. The apertures may be pear shaped.

Said studs may be provided on strip like mounting members securable to opposite sides of the doorway or may be attached directly to the sides of the doorway.

Preferably the panel is provided with resilient sealing means for sealing the panel against the doorway against the ingress of water therebetween, said sealing means being compressed against the doorway as the plurality of engagement means are moved to their second positions. Preferably said resilient sealing means is provided between outer side faces of the doorway and the panel and between a lower face of the panel and a lower side of the doorway. Said sealing means may comprise rubber strips or other resilient strip, preferably having a closed cell structure. Preferably said sealing means comprises a bottom seal located along a lower side of the panel to engage a bottom face of the doorway and a pair of side deals located on a front face of the panel for engagement with the sides of the doorway.

Preferably said bottom seal and side seals are formed from a continuous piece of material.

Embodiments of the present invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a perspective view of a flood barrier in accordance with a first embodiment of the present invention fitted to a doorway, the flood barrier being in a locked configuration; Figure 2 is a perspective view of the flood barrier of Figure 1 in an unlocked configuration; Figure 3a is a detailed perspective view of the mounting means of the flood barrier of Figure 1 in an unlocked position; Figure 3b is a detailed perspective view of the mounting means of the flood barrier of Figure 1 in a locked position; Figure 4a is a sectional view through the mounting means of the flood barrier of Figure 1 in its unlocked position; Figure 4b is a sectional view through the mounting means of the flood barrier of Figure 1 in its locked position; Figure 5 is a detailed perspective view of the flood barrier of Figure 1; Figure 6 is a perspective view of a flood barrier in accordance with a second embodiment of the present invention fitted to a doorway, the flood barrier being in a locked configuration; Figure 7a is a perspective view of the flood barrier of Figure 6 in an unlocked configuration; Figure 7b is a detailed perspective view of an operating lever of the barrier of Figure 6; Figure 7c is a detailed perspective view of the barrier of Figure 6 showing the mounting means; Figure 7d is a detailed perspective view of the barrier of Figure 6 showing a mounting pin of the mounting means; Figure 8a is a perspective view of the flood bather of Figure 6 in an intermediate configuration; Figure 8b is a detailed perspective view of an operating lever of the barrier of Figure 6; Figure 8c is a detailed perspective view of the bather of Figure 6 showing the mounting means; Figure 8d is a detailed perspective view of the barrier of Figure 6 showing a mounting pin of the mounting means; Figure 9a is a perspective view of the flood barrier of Figure 6 in a locked configuration; Figure 9b is a detailed perspective view of an operating lever of the barrier of Figure 6; Figure 9c is a detailed perspective view of the bather of Figure 6 showing the mounting means; Figure 9d is a detailed perspective view of the barrier of Figure 6 showing a mounting pin of the mounting means; Figure lOa is a perspective view of the flood barrier of Figure 6 in operation to prevent the ingress of flood water through a doorway configuration; Figure lOb is a detailed perspective view of an operating lever of the barrier of Figure 6; Figure lOc is a detailed perspective view of the bather of Figure 6 showing the mounting means; Figure lOd is a detailed perspective view of the bather of Figure 6 showing a mounting pin of the mounting means; Figure 11 is a part sectional perspective view of the flood bather of Figure 6;

S

Figure 12 is a perspective view of part of the mounting means of the flood barrier of Figure 6 during installation on a doorway.

A flood barrier 10 in accordance with a first embodiment of the present invention is illustrated in Figures 1 to 5. As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the flood barrier 10 comprises a rigid panel 12 dimensioned to engage the sides 2 of a doorway to provide a water tight barrier across a lower part of the doorway to prevent the ingress of floodwater through the doorway. A resilient seal (not shown), for example formed from closed cell polymeric foam, is bonded or otherwise mounted on the panel defining a bottom seal on a lower face of the panel to engage the threshold of the doorway and a pair of side seals on either side of the panel to engage front faces of the sides of the doorway 2.

The panel 12 is securable to the doorway by a mounting means comprising a plurality of studs 14 mounted on, or secured to, the sides 2 of the doorway adjacent said lower part of the door. In the embodiment shown three studs 14 are provided on each side 2 of the doorway. Each side of the panel 12 is provided with mounting apertures 16 adapted to fit over the studs 14 to secure the panel to the doorway.

As best seen from Figures 3a,3b,4a and 4b, each stud 14 has an enlarged head portion 18 having tapered inner sides 20 leading to a narrow waist portion 22. Each aperture 16 is pear shaped, with a wide upper region 24 and a narrower lower portion 26. The apertures 16 are formed on elongate plates defining slide members 28 mounted on each side of the panel 12, each slide member 28 being slidably mounted on the panel 12 for vertical movement in the plane of the panel between a lower position and a raised position. A lever 30 is pivotally attached to the upper end of each slide member 28, the lever 30 having a lower cam face 32 adapted to engage an upper surface 34 of the panel 12 such that movement of each lever 30 from a raised position, shown in Figure 2, to a lowered position, shown in Figures 1 and 5, causes the cam face 32 of each lever 30 to engage the upper surface 34 of the panel 12 to move each respective slide member 28 to its raised position.

As shown in Figures 3a and 4a, when the levers 30 are in their raised positions, the slide members 28, and the apertures 16 formed therein, as in their lower positions, whereby the apertures 16 can pass over the studs 14 as the panel 12 is applied to the doorway.

Once the apertures 16 are located over the studs 14 the levers 30 can be pivoted towards their lowered position, lifting the slide members 28 and the apertures 16 therein. As best seen in Figures 3b and 4b, this causes the narrower lower portion 26 of the each aperture 16 to slide up the tapered sides 20 of the corresponding stud 14, causing the panel 12 to be displaced inwardly against the doorway and downwardly to compress bottom and side seals against the doorway to form a tight seal against the sides 2 of the doorway. Further pivotal movement of the levers 30 to their lowered positions causes the apertures 16 to act against the studs 14 to further displace the panel downwardly, compressing the bottom seal on the lower end of the panel 12 into sealing contact with the bottom of the doorway.

Thus the action of the mounting means, by the simple operation of the two readily accessible levers 30 causes the panel to be secured to the doorway and the action of the apertures against the studs causes the panel to be clamped tightly against the doorway and to evenly compress the seals thereagainst to prevent the ingress of flood water through the doorway.

A flood barrier in accordance wfth a second embodiment of the present invention is illustrated in Figures 6 to 11.

The flood barrier of the second embodiment is similar to the first in so far as it comprises a rigid panel 12 dimensioned to engage the sides 2 of a doorway to provide a water tight barrier across a lower part of the doorway to prevent the ingress of floodwater through the doorway. A resilient seal, for example formed from closed cell polymeric foam, is bonded or otherwise mounted on the panel defining a bottom seal 90 on a lower face of the panel to engage the threshold of the doorway and a pair of side seals 92 on either side of the panel to engage front faces of the sides of the doorway 2.

The second embodiment differs from the first in so far as the mounting means comprises mounting pins 116 extending from the sides of the panel 12, said mounting pins 116 being received in mounting slots 114 formed in mounting bars 118, which may be secured to the sides 2 of the doorway by means of screws 120, as shown in Figure 11.

The mounting pins 116 on each side of the panel 12 are provided on respective slide members 28, each slide member 28 being slidably mounted on the panel 12 for vertical movement in the plane of the panel 12 between a lower posftion, shown in Figure 7 through an intermediate position shown in Figure 8, to a raised position, shown in Figures 6 and 9.

A lever 30 is pivotally attached to the upper end of each slide member 28, the lever 30 having a lower cam face 32 adapted to engage an upper surface 34 of the panel 12 such that movement of each lever 30 from a raised position, shown in Figure 2, to a lowered position, shown in Figures 1 and 5, causes the cam face 32 of each lever 30 to engage the upper surface 34 of the panel 12 to move each respective slide member 28 to its raised position.

As shown in Figures 7c, 8c, 9c and lOc, a first portion 122 of each mounting slot 114 extends from an opening 124 on an outer side of the respective mounting bar 118 in an upwards and inwards direction towards the doorway.

In use, with the levers 30 in their raised positions the panel 12 is located in the doorway such that each mounting pin 116 is aligned with the opening 124 of a respective slot 114 of the mounting bars 118 so that the mounting pins 116 enter the corresponding mounting slots 114. Next the levers 30 are moved towards their lowered positions, causing the slide members 28, and mounting pins 116 extending there from, to be moved towards their raised positions. The upwards movement of the mounting pins 116 causes each pin 116 to slide up the first portion 122 of the corresponding mounting slot 114, displacing the panel 12 inwardly and downwardly towards the doorway, compressing the bottom seal 90 and side seals 92 against the doorway. This ensures that the initial movement of the panel will be such that the bottom seal 90 and the side seals 92 contact with the lower face or threshold of the doorway and the sides of the doorway (door frame) before either seal has been compressed to any significant extent. This makes it much less likely that the corner of the seal will bunch up and not seat correctly into the comer where the door frame meets the threshold. All seals will then begin to compress simultaneously.

When this occurs the relative forces compressing the bottom seal and the side seals will be governed by the angle of the first portion 122 of each mounting slot 114. A 45 degree angle will result in the downward force trying to compress the bottom seal 90 being approximately equal to the inward force trying to compress the two side seals 92. A more vertical angle can be employed to make the force compressing the side seals 92 more than the force compressing the bottom seal 90 and vice versa.

Preferably the mounting pins 116 should reach an upper end of the respective mounting slot 114 as the mounting pins 116 each their second positions. If the pins 116 reach the top of their respective mounting slots 114 slightly before the second position, the further movement towards the second position will just compress the bottom seal 90 slightly more.

This is preferable to the second position being reached before the pins 116 reach the top of the respective slots 114 as water pressure against the back of the panel 12 might otherwise compress the side seals further and then pins 116 could slide on further up the respective slots and allow the compression of the bottom seal 92 to reduce, thus risking water leaking underthe panel 12.

As seen in Figures 7c, Sc, 9c and lOc, each mounting slot 114 comprises a further portion 126 extending inwardly and downwardly from said first portion 122. When the flood barrier is in use, the pressure of flood water on an outer side of the doorway acts against the panel 12 of the flood barrier 10 to displace the panel 12 towards the doorway. Such movement causes the mounting pins 116 to move into said further portion of the respective mounting slots 114, to the position shown in Figure lOc, the mounting pins 116 acting against an upper side of the second portion of the respective slots 114 to further displace the panel inwardly and downwardly against the doorway to enhance the seal between the panel 12 and the doorway, in particular between a lower side of the panel 12 and a lower side of the doorway.

It is envisaged that the moveable part of the mounting means, such as the plurality of apertures 16 of the first embodiment or the mounting pins 116 of the second embodiment, may be provided on mounting members attachable to the sides of the doorway, the non-moveable or receiving part of the mounting means being provided on the panel. In this case, the principles of operation would be substantially the same as described above.

While separate levers have been described for operating the mounting means on each side of the panel, it is envisaged that a single operating means, such as a lever, may be provided for operating the mounting means on both sides of the panel simultaneously.

The invention is not limited to the embodiment(s) described herein but can be amended or modified without departing from the scope of the present invention.

Claims

Claims 1. A flood barrier for a doorway for preventing the ingress of flood water through said doorway from a first side thereof to a second side, said barrier comprising a panel dimensioned to engage at least a lower portion of a doorway when placed thereagainst; the panel being securable to the doorway by mounting means, said mounting means being adapted to displace the panel in an inwards and downwards direction with respect to the doorway as the mounting means is operated to prevent the ingress of water between the panel and the doorway.
2. A flood barrier as claimed in claim 1, wherein said mounting means comprises at least one first part attachable to or provided on the doorway and at least one second part provided on the panel, said first and second parts being moveable with respect to one another to enact said displacement of the panel in said inwards and downwards direction with respect to the doorway.
3. A flood barrier as claimed in claim 2, wherein said mounting means comprise a plurality of engagement means provided on one of the panel and the doorway, and a plurality of receiving means provided on the other of the panel and the doorway, each of said plurality of said engagement means being adapted to cooperate with a respective one of said receiving means when the panel is fitted to the doorway, wherein said plurality of engagement means are each moveable with respect to the panel between a first position, wherein the engagement means can be engaged with and removed from a corresponding receiving means such that the panel can be applied to and removed from the doorway, and a second position, wherein the each engagement means engages a corresponding receiving means to retain the panel in the doorway, said panel being displaced in said inwards and downwards direction by the interaction of said plurality of engagement means and said plurality of receiving means as the plurality of engagement means are moved from their first to their second positions when the engagement means are in engagement with the corresponding receiving means to bias the panel into sealing engagement with the doorway.
4. A flood barrier as claimed in claim 3, wherein said plurality of engagement means are provided on the panel and said plurality of receiving means are adapted to be affixed to, or provided on, opposite sides of said doorway.
5. A flood barrier as claimed in claim 3 or claim 4, wherein said plurality of engagement means are moveable between said first and second positions in the plane of said panel.
6. A flood barrier as claimed in any of claims 3 to 5, wherein said plurality of engagement means are moveable in a vertical direction with respect to the panel when the panel is fitted to the doorway.
7. A flood barrier as claimed in any of claims 3 to 6, wherein said plurality of engagement means of the mounting means are provided on opposite sides of the panel in two groups, each group of engagement means being provided on a respective common slide member slidably mounted on the panel to be moveable in a vertical direction in the plane of the panel.
8. A flood barrier as claimed in claim 7, wherein each slide member is moveable to move its respective group of engagement means between their first and second positions, by means a respective actuating means.
9. A flood barrier as claimed in claim 7, wherein the slide members are connected together or operated together by one actuating mechanism.
10. A flood barrier as claimed in claim 8 or claim 9, wherein the or each actuating means is provided on an upper region of the panel.
11. A flood barrier as claimed in any of claims 8 to 10, wherein the or each actuating means comprises a lever.
12. A flood barrier as claimed in claim 11, wherein said lever is pivotally mounted on an upper end of its respective slide member whereby pivotal movement of the lever between a raised position and a lower position causes movement of the associated slide member or members, and its associated engagement means, between its first and second positions.
13. A flood barrier as claimed in claim 12, wherein the lever includes a cam surface acting against an upper side of the panel to move the slide member with respect to the panel between fts first and second positions.
14. A flood barrier as claimed in any of claims 3 to 13, wherein the plurality of engagement means comprise projections extending from opposite sides of the panel or the sides of the doorway, said projections being moveable in a vertical direction in the plane of the panel between their first and second positions, said projections being moveable in an first direction from their first to their second positions, said plurality of receiving means comprising abutments formed inlon the mounting members adapted to receive corresponding projections therebeneath, each of said abutments having a guide face defining a first angled portion extending vertically in said first direction and inwardly with respect to the doorway, whereby each respective projection engages said guide face of the respective abutment and is constrained to slide along said guide face as the projection is moved from its first to its second position, causing the panel to be moved inwardly and downwardly.
15. A flood barrier as claimed in claim 14, wherein the guide face of each abutment comprises a further angled portion extending vertically in a second firection, opposite said first direction, and inwardly, whereby, as the panel is moved inwardly under the pressure of flood water against an outer face of said panel, the projections slide along said further portion of the guide face of the respective abutments to further displace the panel in said inwardly with respect to the doorway.
16. A flood barrier as claimed in claim 14 or claim 15, wherein each abutment is defined by a respective slot formed in a side of a respective mounting member to be mounted on either side of the doorway of the panel, said lower face of the abutment being defined by an upper side of said slot.
17. A flood barrier as claimed in claim 16, wherein said mounting members are adapted to be mounted on either side of the doorway, said panel being adapted to be received between said mounting members.
18. A flood barrier as claimed in any of claims 3 to 13, wherein said plurality of engagement means of the mounting means comprise apertures formed in respective moveable portions provided on either side of said panel or doorway, said plurality of receiving means comprising studs over which corresponding apertures are received.
19. A flood barrier as claimed in claim 18, wherein each stud has an enlarged head portion and an inwardly tapered body, wherein said apertures may be engaged over said studs when the engagement means are in their first portions, said apertures engaging said inwardly tapered body portions of said studs when the engagement means are in their second positions to retain the panel in the doorway and to bias the panel inwardly and downwardly against the sides of the doorway to seal the panel against the doorway.
20. A flood barrier as claimed in claim 18 or claim 19, wherein said apertures comprise an upper end and a lower end, said upper end being wider than said lower end.
21. A flood barrier as claimed in claim 20, wherein the apertures are substantially pear shaped.
22. A flood barrier as claimed in any of claims 18 to 21, wherein said studs are provided on strip like mounting members securable to opposite sides of the doorway or panel or wherein said studs are adapted to be attached directly to the sides of the doorway or panel.
23. A flood barrier as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the panel is provided with resilient sealing means for sealing the panel against the doorway against the ingress of water therebetween, said sealing means being compressed against the doorway as the plurality of engagement means are moved to their second positions.
24. A flood barrier as claimed in claim 23, wherein said resilient sealing means is provided between outer side faces of the doorway and the panel and between a lower face of the panel and a lower side of the doorway.
25. A flood barrier as claimed in claim 23 or claim 24, wherein said sealing means comprise rubber strips or other resilient strip.
26. A flood barrier as claimed in any of claims 23 to 25, wherein said sealing means comprises a bottom seal located along a lower side of the panel to engage a bottom face of the doorway and a pair of side deals located on a front face of the panel for engagement with the sides of the doorway.
27. A flood barrier as claimed in claim 26 wherein said bottom seal and side seals are formed from a continuous piece of material.
28. A flood barrier substantially as herein described, with reference to the accompanying drawings.