EP0848136B1 - Sealing system for use next to building openings or other construction for preventing the infiltration of water, mud or other products in the protected building - Google Patents

Abstract

The system consists of a central panel (10) with dimensions to fit the opening, an inflatable tubular surround (20), and a frame (30) which is fixed to the edge of the panel and acts as a guide and support for the tube. The frame has an H-shaped cross-section, with a channel in one side to receive the edges of the panel and a divergent channel in the other to engage with the inflatable tube. The frame can be made e.g. in one piece from aluminium, while the tube is made e.g. from butyl rubber with an outer foam rubber covering and corner members (41) to prevent any gaps.

Description

The present invention relates to a system sealant for use between the walls of an opening a house or other building to prevent infiltration of water, mud and other products into the house to be protected.

More particularly, the invention relates to a sealing panel intended to be applied in front of a door or window of a building to avoid water infiltration during floods.

The panel can also be used to prevent the evacuation of water or other products during a fire in a building or any other place.

Whether it's industry or housing domestic, many fields of activity are interested the watertightness of building openings and devices to prevent infiltration of water and sludge inward during floods and floods water causing considerable damage.

Essentially, for obvious reasons, it is desirable to be able to limit propagation as much as possible waters through such building openings, doors or windows. There are mainly two techniques, the first of which can only be applied new constructions since it is precisely about build partitions from the start with external sealing devices. For this, for example, we build a partition made up of multiple walls using waterproof material. His effectiveness is all relative and depends on different factors. In addition, its price is relatively high.

The second technique is to barricade the building openings with sandbags or panels attached to exterior walls and / or door frames doors and windows to withstand the high water pressure and reduce infiltration of water, sludge and other products to the interior of buildings. Considering the damage caused by such floods despite the use of such materials, it turns out that this technique does not resist pressures high water and does not provide a seal sufficient. We can also blame these materials to be heavy and bulky. Difficulties in setting work and routing result in particular from the use of such materials.

Document GB-A-22 46 152 describes a sealing system intended for be used between the walls of an opening of a dwelling or other construction to prevent water, mud and other products from entering the home protect according to the preamble of claim 1. In particular, this document GB -A- 22 46 152 shows a sealing system comprising a panel central adaptable to the dimensions of the opening to be protected, an air chamber inflatable peripheral ensuring the tightness of the system, and a fixed profiled frame on the periphery of the central panel intended to support and guide the chamber inflatable air. The profiled frame includes a fitting means for allow attachment to the central panel and guide means under the form of two lateral arms used to support the inflatable air chamber. This document GB-A-22 46 152 essentially relates to a panel intended for be engaged with attachment brackets rigidly attached to the edges the opening of the door or window of a building to prevent infiltration of water during floods. The profiled frame fixed on the periphery of the panel central is intended to guide the inflatable inner tube and to support a strip sealing. Fasteners are fixed to the edges by screws and have fixing pins to hold the panel in place rigidly.

It is therefore clear that we need a system sealant for use near an opening exterior of a building which, to a large extent, allows to remedy the shortcomings that have been encountered in the prior art.

Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a sealing system that offers excellent high pressure resistance characteristics of waters while having a reduced thickness and a large ease of implementation. In particular, the subject of the invention is to present a little sealing panel expensive and having sufficient intrinsic resistance against water pressure.

Another object of the present invention is to present a sealing system that can adapt to all doors and other openings from places to protect without damaging door jambs or edges of adjacent walls.

These and other goals are achieved, depending on the invention, by a new sealing system intended for be used near an opening of a dwelling for prevent infiltration of water, mud and other products in the building to be protected, having the features of the characterizing part of the claim 1. More particularly, the system of the invention is characterized in that the guide arms are flared outward from the plane of the panel to receive and guide the inflatable inner tube and in that the inner tube inflatable has a grooved outer surface to come into contact with the edges of the walls of the opening to be protected and to stiffen the chamber air while ensuring sealing.

Preferred embodiments of the invention are claimed in dependent claims 2 to 14. the tightness of the system, and a profiled frame fixed on the periphery of the central panel intended to support and guide the inflatable air chamber.

The system of the present invention provides excellent sealing and resistance against water pressure by the combination a rigid panel and an inflatable inner tube not only for sealing but also for maintaining the panel in place under heavy pressure. These assets are: reduced weight, low thickness which facilitates, on the one hand its transport to the place at protect and on the other hand its rapid implementation by simple inflation of the air chamber, the system being preassembled.

The panel is used to prevent water infiltration and other products in buildings and all places in protect. The panel, by its inflatable air chamber easily adapts to different door sizes or other openings of places to protect without damaging door jambs or other wall surfaces.

The panel can also be used to prevent the evacuation of water or other products during a fire in a building or any other place.

The particular manufacturing technique of the system of the invention allows it to be applied without disadvantage on an irregular support. It is not no need to finalize the sealing system on the walls of the building to be protected, which is very significant after use in terms of aesthetics. Continuity between the sealing system and the walls are secured in order to obtain a surface rigid and watertight. In addition, it goes without saying that after deflating the air chamber, the system seal is fully reusable.

Other characteristics and advantages of present invention will appear during the description which will follow and which is however only given as code.

• la figure 1 schématise en vue latérale les différents éléments composant un système d'étanchéité pour les ouvertures d'un immeuble selon la présente invention,
• la figure 2 schématise en vue latérale le système d'étanchéité de la figure 1 après assemblage,
• la figure 3 schématise en vue de coupe le cadre profilé du système de la figure 1,
• la figure 4 schématise en vue de coupe une variante de la chambre à air du système de la figure 1,
• les figures 5a, 5b, 5c sont des vues en coupe de variantes de bouchons de fermeture,
• la figure 6 schématise en vue latérale une variante du système d'étanchéité de l'invention.

The invention will be better understood on reading the following description, accompanied by attached drawings, among which:

• FIG. 1 shows diagrammatically in lateral view the various elements making up a sealing system for the openings of a building according to the present invention,
• FIG. 2 shows diagrammatically in lateral view the sealing system of FIG. 1 after assembly,
• FIG. 3 shows diagrammatically in section view the profiled frame of the system of FIG. 1,
• FIG. 4 shows diagrammatically in section view a variant of the air chamber of the system of FIG. 1,
• FIGS. 5a, 5b, 5c are sectional views of variants of closure plugs,
• Figure 6 shows schematically in side view a variant of the sealing system of the invention.

Regarding its constitution, the system Figure 1 sealing consists of a central panel 10 adaptable to the opening of the building to be protected (by a door or window), an inner tube inflatable device 20 to seal the system, and a profiled frame 30 designed to be adapted on the periphery of the central panel 10 so as to support and guide the inflatable air chamber 20 during inflation.

The assembled panel places this between the edges of the exterior walls, as close as possible to the doorframe of the door or window to protect. Advantageously, the assembled panel can be placed against the chassis of the door or window, the profiled frame 30 being placed in contact with the chassis. The use of wedges intermediaries can also be considered.

As can be seen in Figure 2, the assembly of different elements provide a dividing wall relatively modular by the inflatable air chamber which fill the joints left between the panel and the two side edges of the walls. A space of the order of 1 cm to 3 cm on each side can be filled and made waterproof by the inflation of the air chamber so that the same panel can be adapted to different openings.

The sealing panel of the present invention in particular has a resistance capacity to high pressure, thanks to the presence of the air chamber swollen that holds the panel in place.

Regarding the material of the panel 10, the choice can be worn on a marine wooden panel or a any other material, of any size, adaptable to the object to protect. For example, the sealing system can be supplied in kit with a panel 10 of 0.80 m high, 0.90 m wide and 18 mm thick. other panels of different heights and / or widths can be provided on request.

The profiled frame 30 serves as a support element and guiding the inner tube 20 around the central panel 10. Regarding frame 30, the recommended material for its manufacture is an aluminum profile or any other rigid material adapted to be fixed at the edges of the central panel 10. A rubber profile 30 can also be used. Each element 31, 32, 33 can be formed in one piece. These elements 31, 32, 33 have a general H shape, the upper arms 34, 35 being flared outwards.

As shown in Figure 3, the profiled frame 30 has two interlocking elements 36, 37 to allow fixing to the central panel 10. The fitting is done by a U-shaped part 38 of the profiled frame 30. This part 38 includes two arms 36, 37 nestable on the edge peripheral of the panel 10. The profiled frame 30 can be fixed by gluing and / or screwing to the central panel 10. A silicone gasket can be used between the frame profile 30 and central panel 10 to maintain sealing. The interior distance D1 between the arms 36, 37 corresponds to the thickness of the central panel 10.

Guide elements in the form of two arms 34, 35 serve to support the inflatable air chamber 20. Advantageously, the arms 34, 35 are flared towards the exterior with respect to the plane of the central panel 10 for receive and guide the inflatable air chamber 20. For arms 34 and 35, a flaring angle of the order of 20 degrees relative to the plane of the panel is recommended to support the air chamber while allowing adequate inflation. The interior distance D2 between the arms 34, 35 corresponds approximately the diameter of the inner tube 20.

For inner tube 20, the choice can be worn on an inner tube made of rubber or any other material inflatable waterproof. As an indication, it can be a air chamber in quality rubber 92C butyl 65 ° ± 5 ° shore with a thickness of 1 mm and an outside diameter of 28 mm.

In the preferred embodiment of the invention, the profiled frame 30 has three elements 31, 32, 33 fixed respectively on the side edges and the edge bottom of the central panel 10 and, after assembly, the air chamber 20 has a general U-shape conforming to the profiled frame 30.

The air chamber is a tube 20 of section circular and of approximately corresponding length the dimensions of the panel (height and width). Bedroom air 20 can be glued to the profile frame 30. Alternatively, an oval section air chamber can be used.

Advantageously, as shown in FIG. 4, the inner tube 20 has a grooved surface 21 for come into contact with the edges of the walls of the opening to protect. Although satisfactory results have been brought with a smooth surface air chamber, the grooves 21 of the air chamber 20 make it possible to obtain increased resistance of the sealing system against high water pressures. In addition, the grooves 21 stiffens the air chamber 20 and prevents deformation important of it.

The air chamber 20 includes a plug 25, 26 cylindrical at each of the two ends, one 26 of caps 25, 26 comprising an inflation nozzle 27 (figure 5 a). For example, a rubber stopper 25, 26 of 30 mm in diameter and 25 mm long can be used. In the case of an oval tube, as shown in the FIG. 5b of the corresponding oval plugs 26b are used (example: 20 mm and 40 mm axes).

As shown in FIG. 5c, plugs 26c of trapezoidal shape corresponding to the profile of the profiled frame 30c can be used. This embodiment offers the advantage of having 26c plugs positioned entirely inside the profiled frame 30c, the plugs 26c being slightly behind the arms 34c, 35c of the frame 30c. Any damage to the 30c plug and / or the air chamber during implementation can thus be avoid.

Advantageously, the inner tube will be doubled a band of waterproof rubberized foam. This foam strip is intended to be placed between the inner tube and the edges of the exterior walls of the building so as to equalize irregular surfaces of these walls, if necessary. As an example, this band foam is used to fill the joints or any other irregularity of exterior masonry. In this regard, a rubberized foam strip 50 mm wide and 10 mm or 20 mm thick is recommended.

In addition, foam corners 40, 41 waterproof to be placed at the corners lower panels are recommended. These 40 corners, 41 seal the system between the angles formed through the lower corners of the opening to be protected and the arc formed by the air chamber 20 at these locations.

According to another particular embodiment illustrated in figure 6, the sealing system is comparable to that of Figure 2 but consists of two central panels 10a, 10b, and an extension 50 for adapt it to larger openings. A way fixing 60 provided to connect the two parts 10a, 10b panel between them. Panel extension 50 can be inserted between the two parts 10a, 10b and connected to them by an additional fixing means 61.

Advantageously, two fixing elements 60, 61 H-shaped profiles are used to fix the extension 50 to the central panels 10a, 10b. A frame extension 35 profiled in the same way as the frame 30 is fixed to extension 50 to support and guide the inner tube 20 in this location. The flexibility of the inner tube 20 is sufficient to allow the use of extension 50 and widen the panel without inconvenience for the bedroom air. As an example, this system can be supplied as a kit with extensions 50 of 5 cm, 10 cm and 15 cm so that openings of substantially different widths can be sealed. Space of the order of 1 cm to 3 cm between the sealing system and the edge of the masonry on each side is filled by inflation of the air chamber. If extension 50 is not required, the two panels 10a, 10b are fixed to each other by via one of the two profile fixing elements 60, 61.

In this embodiment of Figure 6, the air chamber 20 has two closure plugs 25, 25 without inflation tip. Inner tube 20 has a inflation tip 28 lateral and an opening 38 is made in the profiled frame 30 to allow the inflating nozzle passage 28. The same type of chamber air 20 with side nozzle 28 can also be used in the embodiment of Figure 2.

In another particular embodiment (not illustrated) of the invention, three air chambers separate corresponding respectively to the dimensions of side edges and bottom edge of the center panel are used. These separate air chambers each have two plugs at the ends, one of the plugs comprising an inflation tip to allow separate inflation of air chambers.

In another particular embodiment (not illustrated) of the invention, the profiled frame comprises four profiled elements adapted to be fixed to four sides of the central panel. This system is then sized for completely closing a window or of a door. In this embodiment, a generally circular air can be used and the use of plugs is no longer necessary, an inflation tip being attached to the side of the air chamber.

Other embodiments of this invention, within the reach of the skilled person, would could also be considered without going beyond the framework of it.

Claims (13)

1. Sealing system intended for use near the opening of a dwelling or other structure to prevent infiltration of water, mud or other substances into the dwelling to be protected, the system comprising:

   a central panel (10) adaptable to the dimensions of the opening to be protected,

   a peripheral inflatable air chamber (20) which ensures watertightness of the system, and

   a formed frame (30) attached to the periphery of the central panel (10) and designed to support and guide the inflatable air chamber (20),

   the formed frame (30) including a fitting means (36, 37) to permit fixing to the central panel (10), as well as guide means in the shape of two lateral arms (34, 35) to support the inflatable air chamber (20),

      characterized in that the arms (34, 35) are expanded towards the exterior relative to the plane of the central panel (10) in order to receive and guide the inflatable chamber (20), and
      in that the air chamber (20) includes a grooved exterior surface (21) for coming into contact with the edges of the walls of the opening being protected and for rigidifying the air chamber (20) while ensuring the watertightness.
2. The sealing system according to claim 1, characterized in that the fitting means (36, 37) is in the shape of a "U" and comprises two arms (36, 37) which can be joined to the peripheral edge of the panel (10).
3. The sealing system according to claim 1 or claim 2, characterized in that the frame (30) is made of one piece and is made of aluminium.
4. The sealing system according to any of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the air chamber (20) has a circular cross-section and includes a cylindrical plug (25, 26) at each of its two ends.
5. The sealing system according to any of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the air chamber (20) has an oval cross-section and includes a plug (25, 26) having an oval cross-section at each of its two ends.
6. The sealing system according to any of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the air chamber (20) includes a plug (25, 26) of trapezoidal cross-section at each of its two ends, the plug (25, 24) being adapted to be inserted into the formed frame (30).
7. The sealing system according to any of claims 4 to 6, characterized in that one of the plugs (25, 26) has an inflation ferrule (27) for the air chamber.
8. The sealing system according to any of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that the air chamber (20) has a lateral inflation ferrule (28), and in that the formed frame (30) has a perforation (39) to permit passage of the inflation ferrule (28).
9. The sealing system according to any of claims 1 to 8, characterized in including a watertight foam strip adapted to be disposed between the air chamber (20) and the walls of the opening of the building, in such way as to equalize any irregular surfaces of these walls.
10. The sealing system according to any of claims 1 to 9, characterized in including corner accessories (40, 41) of watertight foam which are adapted to be disposed in the lower corner of the device and to ensure the watertightness of the system.
11. The sealing system according to any of claims 1 to 10, characterized in that the formed frame (30) includes three elements (31, 32, 33) affixed respectively to the lateral edges and to the lower edge of the central panel (10), and in that the air chamber (20) has the general shape of a "U" which conforms to the shape of the formed frame (30).
12. The sealing system according to any of claims 1 to 10, characterized in that the formed frame (30) comprises features four elements which are adapted to be attached to the four sides of the central panel, and in that the air chamber is of generally circular shape, such that it allows complete closure of the opening to be protected.
13. The sealing system according to any of claims 1 to 12, characterized in that the central panel comprises two distinct parts (10a, 13b) and a first fixing means (60) adapted to join the two parts (10a, 10b) together, and in that the system further comprises at least one panel extension (50) and a second fixing means (61), the panel extension panel (50) being adapted to be inserted between the two parts (10a, 10b) of the panel and to be joined to the two parts (10a, 10b) by means of the first and second fixing means (60, 61).

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