GB2610054A

GB2610054A - Flood barrier

Info

Publication number: GB2610054A
Application number: GB2209782.8A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Love Carl
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2021-07-05
Filing date: 2022-07-04
Publication date: 2023-02-22
Also published as: GB202209782D0; GB202109692D0

Abstract

The invention relates to a flood barrier 10 comprising a frame 30 and a panel 12 which is movable relative to the frame. The frame defines an opening for the panel. The panel is substantially rigid. One of the panel and frame has a groove 16 in which an inflatable sealing member 14 is located. The inflatable sealing member can span and seal a gap between the panel and frame. The panel may be a door and the frame may define a doorway, or the panel may be separate from the door and removable when not required.

Description

FLOOD BARRIER

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to a flood barrier.

Throughout this specification, unless otherwise indicated all directional and orientational terms (such as "bottom", "side" etc. refer to the flood barrier in its normal orientation of use, as shown in Figs.1 and 3).

BACKGROUND TO THE INVENTION

During recent times, particularly in the U.K., it has seemingly become more commonplace for homes and other buildings to become flooded by surface water such as that overflowing the banks of a nearby river or rivers. It has been suggested that the increased incidence of buildings becoming flooded is caused by global warming, and that this trend will continue. In addition, it is believed that many buildings, particularly new homes, are being built on land which is more prone to flooding.

Once a building has become flooded, it is almost always necessary to replace all of the carpeting or other floor covering from the ground floor, as well as much of the furniture. This represents a considerable financial cost, quite apart from the personal grief suffered. In particularly bad cases, flooding can undermine the foundations and/or structure of the building, so that lengthy structural repairs are needed. It is known, for example, that some flooded homes are not suitable for occupation for many months after the flooding has occurred.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART

It is recognised that the major cause of buildings becoming flooded is water passing through doorways, i.e. passing between the door frame and the door fitted therein.

Thus, whilst doors are designed to fit sufficiently well to reduce draughts, they are not designed to be water tight, and water present outside the door will quickly pass under and around the door and into the building.

One known flood barrier comprises a pile of sand bags around the outside of the doorway. The intention is that the bags of sand provide a substantially impermeable barrier through which little or no water can pass. Any flood water that does pass the sand bags can hopefully be mopped up or bailed out beyond the sand bags before it enters the building. Clearly, the use of sand bags requires a supply of both the bags and the sand, and these materials are not always readily available, at least in the quantities required.

Even if readily available, it might be necessary to share the available bags and sand between many buildings, so that each building receives less protection than might be desired. In addition, filled sand bags are heavy and take up a lot of space; they are therefore usually only provided during times of flooding or expected flooding, even to buildings which are regularly flooded. If inadequate warnings are given the building might become flooded before the filled sand bags are available.

Another known flood barrier comprises an impermeable panel which is fitted around the doorway. One such panel is described in GB 2 046 819. The panel is removable so as to not impair access to and egress from the building when there is no flooding. It is, however, necessary for the door frame to be prepared for fitment of the panel by providing suitably located holes or apertures for the fastenings of the panel. The provision of a large number of holes around the doorway is unsightly and not acceptable to all users.

EP 0 161 002 discloses an inflatable flood barrier for a door (or window). Once again, the surface around the doorway must be prepared, in particular to be sufficiently flat to permit the inflatable barrier to form an effective seal. Also, holes or apertures for the fastenings must again be provided around the doorway.

It is a feature of the flood barriers utilising removable panels that the panel must fit the particular doorway. Not all doorways are the same width, and not all door frames are the same width, so that it is necessary to provide the panel in a number of different sizes. Also, some doorways have a step immediately adjacent to the door and others do not; the panel must either accommodate both types of doorway, or different forms of panel must be provided for each.

The present inventor seeks to provide a flood barrier which avoids the disadvantages of filled sand bags, and also avoids the preparation of the doorway which is necessary for the removable flood barriers as described above (whether solid or inflatable).

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

According to the first aspect of the invention there is provided a flood barrier 20 comprising a substantially rigid panel which is sized to substantially fit an opening, the panel having a peripheral groove, in which an inflatable sealing member is located in the groove.

Unlike the inflatable flood barrier of EP 0 161 002 therefore, the substantially rigid panel provides most of the structural strength of the flood barrier and the inflatable sealing member is located only at the edge of the panel where sealing to a surrounding frame is required. The panel provides structural support for the inflatable sealing member in use and separate reinforcement is not required. Furthermore, since the inflatable sealing member is of significantly smaller volume than the known inflatable flood barrier it is far quicker to inflate when required, and is likely to be significantly less prone to damage and punctures.

Preferably, when the flood barrier is not in use the inflatable searing member is deflated and lies fully (or at least substantially or mostly) within the peripheral groove. The groove therefore provides a protective channel for the inflatable sealing member when not inflated, and helps to retain the inflatable sealing member when inflated. The walls of the rigid panel which surround the groove provide impact and other protection for the inflatable sealing member and reduce the likelihood of inadvertent damage.

Desirably, the panel substantially fits the opening from side to side. For example, if the opening is a doorway the panel may be fitted adjacent to the existing door and it might be necessary only to provide a flood barrier up to around half of the height of the doorway. In such cases it is only necessary for the flood barrier to provide a seal at the bottom of the doorway and at the sides of the doorway up to the desired height. In such embodiments the inflatable sealing member will preferably lie in a peripheral groove at the sides and bottom of the rigid panel and it is not necessary for the inflatable sealing member also to lie along the top of the rigid panel. Preferably also, the rigid panel has at least one fastening means to limit the upwards movement of the rigid panel when the inflatable sealing element is inflated.

It is therefore recognised that if the flood barrier occupies only a proportion of the height of a doorway for example, the rigid panel will tend to lift as the inflatable sealing member along the bottom of the rigid panel is inflated, the lifting of the panel reducing the seal provided at the bottom of the doorway. Fastening means such as bolts or the like are fitted to the panel or frame and are locatable into holes or apertures at the sides of the frame or panel respectively to resist the tendency of the panel to lift and thereby maintain the desired seal at the bottom of the doorway.

Alternatively, the panel substantially fits the opening from side to side and from top to bottom. For example, if the opening is a window opening it might be desired to provide a flood barrier across the full height of the window opening. In such cases it is preferable for the flood barrier to provide a seal along each side of the window opening, and in such embodiments the inflatable sealing member will preferably lie in a peripheral groove around the whole of the rigid panel. An additional fastening means is not required in such embodiments because the sealing member at the top of the window opening will oppose the sealing member at the bottom, and vice versa.

The panel might be a dedicated panel designed to fit close to (and ideally against) an existing door for example, and in such a case is suited to retro-fitment in an existing doorway. Such a flood barrier can quickly be positioned in the doorway and inflated when a flood is expected. In such embodiments the panel is removably mounted so that it can be removed and stored safely when not required.

Alternatively, the panel can be a door, i.e. a door or its frame can be modified to include the peripheral groove and the inflatable sealing member. Such a panel is suited for installation as an original door, or at least as a replacement for an existing door. If the panel is also a door it is movably mounted to its frame, i.e. whilst the door can be opened during normal use it will remain in the doorway permanently. The inflatable sealing member will be deflated when not required so that the door is able to open and close as required. When a flood is expected the door can be closed and the inflatable sealing member inflated; the inflatable sealing member can subsequently be deflated when the flooding (or flood risk) has subsided.

Reference herein to the panel being "movable embrace embodiments in which the panel is a door or the like which can be moved for normal use, and also embodiments in which the panel is removable when not required.

Preferably, the panel has a valve insert, ideally an insert which secures the valve of the inflatable sealing member. Desirably the insert has a removable cover to permit access to the valve when desired. Providing a dedicated insert to secure the valve ensures that the valve is suitably positioned and mounted and can quickly be located when a flood is expected. Preferably, the valve insert is separable from the remainder of the panel so that the valve can be secured to the insert during assembly of the panel.

According to the second aspect of the invention, there is provided a flood barrier comprising a substantially rigid panel which is sized to substantially fit in a frame defining an opening, the frame having a groove surrounding at least part of the panel, in which an inflatable sealing member is located in the groove.

The second aspect is also suited to fitment into a new building or the like, and in particular reverses the arrangement of the door fitted with the inflatable sealing member.

Whilst the flood barrier is ideally suited for protecting a doorway, it can also be used to protect windows. Also, a gateway for a building may be fitted with a suitable frame which can accommodate a panel of the flood barrier.

If desired, the flood barrier can also be used to protect multiple buildings or facilities, for example to temporarily raise the level of a river bank to reduce the likelihood of flooding from the river. In particular, a series of vertical posts can be erected along the river bank and a flood barrier according to the present invention fitted between each pair of adjacent posts.

Optional features of embodiments of the first aspect of the invention can be utilised with embodiments of the second aspect with which they are compatible (and vice versa).

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

The invention will now be described in more detail, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Fig.1 shows a front view of a flood barrier according to the first aspect of the present invention; Fig.2 shows a sectional view from above of the flood barrier of Fig.1; Fig.3 shows a side view of the flood barrier of Fig.1; Fig.4 shows a sectional view along the line IV-IV of Fig.3; Fig.5 shows an exploded view of a part of the flood barrier according to the second aspect of the present invention; Fig.6 shows a front view of the part of the flood barrier of Fig.5; and Fig.7 shows a sectional view along the line VII-VII of Fig.6.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The flood barrier 10 of Figs.1-4 is designed for use with a doorway (not shown) of a building (also not shown). It will be understood that the doorway comprises a rigid door frame to which a door is hingedly or slidably mounted (the latter confirming that the invention is also suitable for patio doors and the like).

Typically the door frame will be of timber, but the invention is suitable for use with door frames of other materials. The door may also be of timber, or perhaps of a plastics or composite material. In known fashion, the door is designed to be a sufficiently close fit within the door frame to prevent significant draughts, but the doorway is not watertight.

The inventor recognises that the door frame presents a generally flat and smooth surface around the doorway, and against which a seal can be obtained. Thus, even if the doorway is surrounded by uneven brickwork there will typically be a door frame between the brickwork and the door. Whilst the door frame may not be perfectly flat and smooth, it is usually sufficiently flat and smooth for a flexible sealing member to provide the required seal.

The flood barrier 10 has a width W which is sized to fit (i.e. very slightly smaller than the width of) a particular doorway. Whilst not all doorways are of the same width most fall into a small range of sizes and a similarly small range of flood barriers 10 can be made to fit most doorways.

The flood barrier 10 comprises a substantially rigid panel 12 and an inflatable sealing member 14. The panel 12 is ideally sufficiently rigid to withstand (i.e. not to significantly deform under) the pressure of flood water up to the height H of the flood barrier. However, in use it is expected that the rigid panel 12 will be positioned close to the (closed) door and so the door will provide some structural support for the panel 12 in use. Some flexibility of the panel 12 at the pressures involved is not therefore excluded from the scope of the invention.

As better seen in the sectional views of Figs. 2, 3 and 4, the panel 12 has a 15 continuous groove 16 along most of its vertical sides and along its bottom edge. The inflatable sealing member 14 is mounted in the groove 16.

The inflatable sealing member 14 comprises a tube of flexible material which is impermeable to air and water. A suitable material is natural rubber or a synthetic rubber such as polyisobutylene (the material from which bicycle tyre inner tubes are commonly made). The inflatable sealing member 14 has a valve through which air may be passed to inflate and expand the inflatable sealing member. The valve is not seen in Figs. 1-4 but see the valve 20 of Fig.6 for example. The valve can comprise a Schraderim valve or the like, the precise type of valve being unimportant to the present invention.

As more clearly seen in the sectional view of Fig. 4, the inflatable sealing member 14 in this embodiment is U-shaped and runs along the bottom edge of the panel 12 and along most of the side edges of the panel 12. The ends of the tubular inflatable 30 sealing member are closed and sealed.

Figs. 1-4 show the inflatable sealing member 14 partly (or perhaps fully) inflated in isolation, i.e. not within a doorway, for the purposes of illustration. As shown, when inflated the inflatable sealing member projects beyond the panel 12 by a sealing distance D. It is preferably arranged that when the inflatable sealing member is deflated it is fully located in the groove 16. Avoiding any of the inflatable sealing member projecting from the groove 16 during the expected long periods of non-use is advantageous in reducing the likelihood of damage (including punctures) of the inflatable sealing member.

It will be understood that the panel 12 is sized to be a close fit in a chosen doorway, i.e. the distance between the vertical sides of the door frame is only slightly greater that the width W of the panel 12. In particular, the distance between the vertical sides of the door frame must be smaller than the dimension W + 2D, so that the inflatable sealing member can be inflated to engage both of the vertical sides in use.

The force exerted by the inflatable sealing member 14 at one of the vertical sides of the doorway opposes the force at the other vertical side and it is arranged that the gap between the panel 12 and the doorway is sufficiently less than the dimension D to enable the inflatable sealing member to form an effective seal between the panel 12 and the door frame sufficient to withstand the pressure of flood water up to the height H. It will be understood that in use flood water up to the height H will exert a significant force upon the panel, which force acts to cause the panel 12 to slide across the frame. It is, however, intended that the panel will be fitted close to the door, and ideally in contact with the door. The inflatable sealing member is therefore not required to oppose the force of the floodwater directly and the panel is prevented from sliding across the frame by its engagement with the door, the force of the floodwater being transmitted to the door hinges and the door locking componentry Figs. 1 and 4 show the inflatable sealing member projecting further than the distance D at the corners of the panel 12. The depth of the groove 16 reduces at the corners so as to cause the inflatable sealing member to project further outwards when inflated, whereby to improve the seal at the corners. Without the additional projection at the corners it would be expected that the seal at the corners might be less than necessary to withstand flood water up to (or close to) the height H. In a fitted doorway of course, the outward projection of the inflatable sealing member 14 is limited by its engagement with the surrounding door frame and will be less than is seen in Figs. 1 and 4, particularly at the corners.

Whilst the forces exerted by the inflatable sealing member 14 along the two vertical sides act in opposition, the U-shape of the inflatable sealing member 14 means that there is no force opposing the pressure exerted along the bottom edge. The panel 12 is therefore fitted with two slide bolts 24 which project into holes drilled or otherwise formed into the door frame. It is arranged that the bolts 24 can fit into their respective holes when the inflatable sealing member is not inflated, so that the panel 12 is held down by the bolts 24 as it is inflated, and the force exerted along the bottom edge acts to seal the panel along that edge rather than to lift the panel.

It will be understood that the embodiment of Figs. 1-4 is designed to prevent flooding substantially up to the height H, i.e. it is designed to cover only part of the height of the door. An alternative embodiment can be provided to cover all of the door (or all of a window). In such alternative embodiments the inflatable sealing member is annular and is located in a continuous groove around the full periphery of the panel. Such embodiments do not require bolts 24 since in use the horizontal edges act in opposition similarly to the vertical edges.

The embodiment of Figs. 1-4 is suited to the retro-fitment to an existing doorway, 25 the property owner or occupier selecting a flood barrier having a width W suited to match the particular doorway (or other opening) which is to be protected.

It will be understood that in an alternative embodiment the panel 12 can also be the door. In such embodiments the peripheral groove and inflatable sealing element can if desired surround all four edges of the door. It will be understood that in such embodiments it is necessary that the inflatable sealing element does not overlie or foul the hinges or locking componentry.

In the alternative embodiment of Figs. 5-7 the flood barrier is suited for fitment to a doorway (or other opening) during construction or installation. Thus, in the later embodiment the inflatable sealing member is fitted to the door frame (or window frame) rather than to the panel. Also, the requirement for a separate panel may be avoided and the door can provide the rigid panel of the flood barrier in this embodiment, with the inflatable sealing member providing a flood-proof seal to the door rather than to a separate panel.

In the embodiment of Figs. 5-7 therefore, the groove 116 is located in the door frame 30 and the inflatable sealing member 114 is mounted in the groove 116. Ideally the inflatable sealing member 114 when not inflated is located wholly in the groove, i.e. no part of the inflatable sealing member projects from the groove 116 so that the inflatable sealing member is protected from inadvertent damage. When a flood is expected the inflatable sealing member can be inflated to seal the gap between the door frame and the panel (not shown) which is located within the door frame (and which panel can be a door if desired).

The inflatable sealing member 114 is annular and continuous. The inflatable sealing member 114 has a valve 20 which is securely mounted to a valve insert 32, the valve insert being sized to house and secure the valve 20. Using a valve insert to house and secure the valve 20 ensures that the location of the valve is known to the building occupier, and can therefore be accessed quickly when required. The insert has a cover 34 to protect the valve from dirt ingress when not in use, the cover being readily accessible to the building occupier, and readily removable to permit access to the valve when required.

The valve member 20 may be located close to the floor if a foot pump is to be used to inflate the inflatable sealing member 14, 114, or it can be located in another suitable location if a hand pump is to be used. The location of the valve is not an important feature of the present invention provided that it can readily be accessed when a flood is expected. Ideally, the valve member is accessed from inside the building.

It will be understood that in the embodiment shown in Figs. 5-7 the inflatable sealing member 114 is located to the side of a fitted door rather than around the edge as in the embodiment of Figs. 1-4. When the inflatable sealing member 114 is inflated the (sideways) force it exerts upon the door is resisted by the door hinges and the door locking componentry. It would alternatively be possible to locate the groove 116 in the part of the frame facing the edge of the door so as to match the location of the embodiment of Figs. 1-4. The location of Figs. 5-7 has the benefit, however, of not having to provide sealing pressure around the edge at the corners of the door, where a flood-proof seal is expected to be most difficult to achieve.

Claims

CLAIMS1. A flood barrier comprising a frame and a panel which is movable relative to the frame, the frame defining an opening for the panel, the panel being substantially rigid, one of the panel and frame having a groove in which an inflatable sealing member is located.
2. A flood barrier according to claim 1 in which there is a gap between the frame and the panel when located in the opening, and in which the sealing member when inflated is configured to span at least a part of the gap.
3. A flood barrier according to claim 1 or claim 2 in which the groove is formed in the panel.
4. A flood barrier according to claim 3 in which the groove is formed in at least part of the periphery of the panel.
5. A flood barrier according to claim 1 or claim 2 in which the groove is formed in the frame.
6. A flood barrier according to claim 5 in which the groove is formed adjacent to an edge of at least part of the frame.
7. A flood barrier according to any one of claims 1-6 in which the deflated sealing member lies fully within the groove.
8. A flood barrier according to claim 7 in which the inflatable sealing member is U-shaped.
9. A flood barrier according to claim 8 in which the one of the panel and frame has a fastening means to hold the fitted panel in position relative to the frame.
10. A flood barrier according to claim 3 of claim 4 in which the panel is rectangular and the groove is formed in three or four sides of the panel.
11. A flood barrier according to claim 5 or claim 6 in which the frame is rectangular and the groove is formed in three or four sides of the frame.
12. A flood barrier according to any one of claims 1-11 in which the inflatable sealing member has a valve.
13. A flood barrier according to claim 12 in which one of the panel and frame has a valve insert for the valve.
14. A flood barrier according to claim 13 in which the valve insert has a removable cover.
15. A flood barrier according to claim 13 or claim 14 in which the valve insert is removable.
16. A flood barrier according to any one of claims 1-15 configured for mounting adjacent to a door, in which the frame also surrounds the door.
17. A flood barrier according to any one of claims 1-15 configured for mounting adjacent to a window, in which the frame also surrounds the window.
18. A substantially rigid panel for a flood barrier according to any one of claims 117, the panel having a groove and an inflatable sealing member located in the groove.
19. A frame for a flood barrier according to any one of claims 1-17, the frame having a groove and an inflatable sealing member located in the groove.