GB2509732A

GB2509732A - Expandable containers for placing in or around building openings to prevent flooding

Info

Publication number: GB2509732A
Application number: GB1300476.7A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Steven Jacobs
Original assignee: ROBERT PAUL COOPER
Current assignee: ROBERT PAUL COOPER
Priority date: 2013-01-11
Filing date: 2013-01-11
Publication date: 2014-07-16
Anticipated expiration: 2033-01-11
Also published as: GB201300476D0; GB2509732B

Abstract

The invention relates to an apparatus and a method to seal against undesired fluids such as flood waters. The apparatus and or method comprise a porous container which holds a super absorbent polymer (SAP) or super absorbent fibre (SAF) which expands on contact with water. The containers may be placed in or around doors, windows, toilet bowls, sinks and or air bricks. When the containers come into contact with the flood waters, they expand to seal such openings. The containers may be bags, sacks, sleeves or other flexible, rigid or semi rigid containers. The containers may be reinforced and have varying porosity. The super absorbent polymers (SAP) and/or super absorbent fibres (SAF) may be encased completely or in part.

Description

Page 1 Apparatus and method to seal against undesired fluid flow, activated by liquid

Background

Unwanted liquids like water can damage property and create a health risk when allowed to enter and remain in an area where humans live, whether home, workplace, trading area or where merchandise is kept like a warehouse or container...

Sandbags are commonly used to protect against flood waters. They are by definition very heavy and cumbersome, needing significant resources in terms of manpower, space and energy to transport store and apply.

These natural limits of the traditiona' technology have been addressed with a variety of alternatives including absorbent sacks which absorb flood water to become a direct replacement to sand bags.

Statement of invention

The present invention seeks to address the problem by using super absorbent polymers (SAPs) in blends and pure as powder andlor pressed or formed into fabric-lilce structure (Super absorbent Fibres -SAFs) or other forms encased totally or in part in material / expandable containers to seal actual and potential gaps in buildings as and when activated by liquid.

The superabsorbent core expands relatively rapidly when in contact with liquid to become a non porous gel able to withstand pressure. When encapsulated in part or tota'ly in various containers including stretch fabric and other porous, semi porous and/or in part impervious material it acts to provide a seal to fluid ingress.

Advantages Applied to areas where flood waters can penetrate, from doors and windows to toilet bowls, sinks and air bricks the present invention enables people to quickly respond to flood risks, taking effective action to secure a property from water ingress. Compared to traditional sandbags and their water absorbing alternatives the solution is easier to apply, uses fewer resources, is lighter to store and transport and has a long active sheff life.

Page 2

Detailed Description

Absorbent material contained in bags. sacks, sleeves and other flexible, rigid, semi rigid and re-enforced containers and cases of varying porosity, dimension, shape and structure is activated by liquid and used against fluid ingress.

Super absorbent polymer (SAP), which could for example include Sodium Polyacrylate powder or fabric! fibres (super absorbent fibres -SAP) created from or impregnated with SAP, reacts to liquid to create a soft gel. The gel, whether totally or partially enclosed in flexible cases would swell to create a fluid proof seal or gasket in itself and! or in combination with its container to prevent and or hinder fluid ingress.

An embodiment of the invention will now be detailed with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the SAP or SAF as described before enclosed within porous bag-like strips (I) and placed in an open door or window frame. Once laid in place the door or window is closed trapping the thin dry strip in place.

As flood water rises it makes contact with the strip (I) causing it to absorb the water, swell and create a barrier to water ingress. Figure 2 is a perspective view of the door or window (1) once closed trapping the absorbent strip (2) which is now swollen having absorbed water to create a water proof seal so flood water cannot penetrate.

Applied to an internal door and activated by sprinklers in the event of a fire it would act to impede the undesired flow of fumes, smoke and poisonous gases.

The liquid that is absorbed by the absorbent need not be water; it could for example include a fire retardant or liquid with other properties.

The liquid could be sprayed on or otherwise flow onto the absorbent as described. It could also be injected directly into the absorbent or otherwise introduced to the absorbent whether or not encased in a material that may or may not be porous.

Another embodiment wou'd be for the SAP to be enclosed iii expandable containers, for example moulds of fabric-like or other flexible material, to enable the absorbent material to line holes in an air brick. In the event of contact with a liquid like flood water the absorbent material wou'd become gel-like stretching the fabric and sealing the air brick from fluid ingress.

Another embodiment would be to encase the SAP in an appropriately shaped fabric-like porous container with one or more non porous faces.

Page 3 As an example application the container would fit inside a toilet bowl or sink. The non porous faces would protect the SAP from activation in normal use e.g. when a toilet is flushed or water flows down a plughole. The porous face would allow the SAP to be activated and to swell when flood water in the sewage system pushes up the water level in the toilet/sink. The swollen container filled with SAP gel would seal the toilet bowl / sink preventing sewage from entenng a property.

Another embodiment would involve adding structural strength to the SAP or SAF enclosed in flexible fabnc-like material, this could be achieved by encasing it a frame a grid or a mesh. Examples would include but not be limited to the addition of wire or fibre glass. Adding structural strength to the absorbent material would facilitate shaping and application / fixing to surfaces vulnerable to attack from flood water.

An application for this embodiment would be to create a lining to a loft space so air could freely ventilate the space when dry yet should there be heavy rain the water activated SAP of SA would expand and form a sealing gel to impede water ingress.

Embodiments are not limited to the drawings shown.

Thus it can be seen that the embodiments not only address the issues of floodwater ingress into properties through doors, windows and air bricks but also undesired flow of other fluids from sewage to smoke / fumes to rainwater...

Claims

Page 4 Claims 1. Apparatus to impede or restrict fluid flow in which an expandable porous container(s) (enclosing in part or in total a pure or blended powder or other structure including super absorbent polymer (SAP) and br a super absorbent fibre (SAP)), is placed inside, over or around an opening or potential opening though which an unwanted fluid would flow in such as way as to facilitate contact of the SAP with liquid so that it would expand to fill, in part or in total, a space in andlor over andlor around the opening or potential opening.
2. Apparatus according to claim i in which the container is re-enforced with a mesh, grid or other rigid or semi rigid structure to enaHe the container to be fixed securdy to a surface, rather than being sandwiched in place. to create an effective barrier to fluid ingress.
3. Apparatus according to claim 1 in which the SAP andior SAF is sandwiched and! or packed in place.
4. Apparatus as claimed in any preceding claim in which the expandable container is with one or more non-porous faces and one or more porous faces to enable liquid contact with the SAP from a direction(s) while preventing contact from another direction(s).
5. Apparatus as claimed in any preceding claim in which the container does not expand at all, noticeably or significantly where the seal is created by the absorbent material changing from substantially porous to substantially non-porous in nature.
6. Apparatus to impede or restrict fluid flow through an existing or potentia' aperture substantially as hereinbefore described with and without reference to the enclosed drawings.
7. Apparatus according to any preceding claim in which the container is of flexible cloth-like material.
8. Apparatus according to any preceding claim in which the container is not sealed.
9. A method of impeding or restricting fluid flow through an existing or potential aperture substantially as hereinbefore described with and without reference to the enclosed drawings.
10. A method of impeding or restricting fluid flow through an existing or potential aperture substantially as hereinbefore described whereby the absorbent is activated by impregnation with the liquid it will seal against.

Page 5
11. A method of impeding or restricting fluid flow through an existing or potential aperture substantially as hereinbefore described whereby the absorbent is activated by impregnation with liquid other than that which is will seal against.
12. A method of impeding or restricting fluid flow through an existing or potential aperture substantially as hereinbefore descnbed whereby the absorbent is activated by impregnation with liquid with specific properties, e.g. fire retardant.other than that which is will seal against..
13. A method of impeding or restricting fluid flow through an existing or potential aperture substantially as hereinbefore described and/or according to any preceding claims whereby the absorbent is activated by impregnation; including spray. flows onto the absorbent, direct impregnation into the absorbent or other method directly or through the structure that encompasses it.