GB2446942A

GB2446942A - Flood barrier

Info

Publication number: GB2446942A
Application number: GB0803009A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Alistair Durrance
Original assignee: BELGRADE INSULATIONS Ltd
Current assignee: BELGRADE INSULATIONS Ltd
Priority date: 2007-02-22
Filing date: 2008-02-19
Publication date: 2008-08-27
Also published as: GB0703834D0; GB0803009D0

Abstract

A flood defence barrier with a substantially rectangular, convex panel 1, having a convexly curved side 5 which forms an outer surface for facing the flood water and a concavely curved side. The convex side 5 is bounded by a pair of generally parallel side edges 6, 7, and a base 11 formed into a flange which is joined at its leading edge to the panel and extends from the panel towards the interior of the house. A retaining frame 2 is engageable against the convex side 5 of the panel 1 and includes a pair of clamps 19, 20 which are operable to extend clamping arms perpendicularly from the sides of the frame 2 so as to anchor the frame 2 relative to a doorframe with the panel 1 located between the door frame and the retaining frame 2, thereby retaining the panel in a substantially sealing manner over the doorframe. Preferably the anchoring means may comprise an extendable clamping means 18 19, which may be operated by a pump action. There may be a seal extending around the outside of the frame.

Description

* 2446942

FLOOD DEFENCE BARRIER

This invention relates to a flood defence barrier, and more particularly to a flood defence barrier that is readily mountable to a doorway from the outside of a dwelling so as to substantially inhibit the ingress of flood water through the doorway.

Damage to property as a result of flooding is a significant problem.

Typically, flooding is caused by periods of heavy and prolonged rainfall which cause natural waterways to overflow their banks with the result that water rises around dwellings built only a small distance above the original natural river level.

Flood defence barriers are already known from GB2423 110, which, as shown in Figure 1, discloses a barrier comprising a body having a convex surface for facing flood water, a concave surface for facing the interior of a building, and a base in the form of flange connected to the lower edge of the body and extending rearwardly therefrom. A reinforcing member extends between the body and the flange to resist upward deflection of the flange under imposed water load. Seals are provided at the lateral edges of the body and a seal is provided on the underside of the flange. As shown in Figure 2, a suitable mounting device is employed to enable the body to be secured rigidly to a door frame of an open doorway, the mounting device being arranged on the concave side of the body.

The drawback of such known flood barriers is that, due to the mounting device being arranged on the concave side of the body, they can only be mounted to open doorways from the inside of a dwelling -in other words, they cannot be mounted to closed doorways from either inside or outside the dwelling. This is a problem because typical users such as emergency workers would not always have access to the inside of a dwelling that needs to be secured against flooding. * -2-

Security issues also arise due to the fact that the door to the property must be left open.

In accordance with the present invention there is provided flood defence barrier comprising: a body having a generally convex surface for facing flood water and a generally concave surface for facing the interior of a building, the convex surface being bounded by a pair of generally parallel side edges; a base in the form of a flange joined at its leading edge to the body and extended from the body in the direction towards the interior of the building; and a retaining device that is engageable against the convex side of the body and includes anchoring means which, in use, are operable to anchor the retaining device relative to a doorframe of the building so as to retain the body in a substantially sealing manner over the doorframe.

The main advantage of a flood defence barrier according to the invention is that it is mountable to a doorway from the outside of the building and can, and indeed generally will, be deployed with the door in question in a closed condition.

This is an important feature as it enables users such as the emergency services to protect a dwelling without having access to it. This enables rapid deployment to the extent that emergency services can make their way along a street which is in danger of flooding and rapidly deploy an embodiment of the invention in each and every doorway of the street.

It is accepted that in most cases the flood defence barrier of the present invention will not form a perfect watertight seal with a doorway. The object of the invention is, however, substantially to delay the ingress floodwater. In many instances the floodwater will remain at an elevated level for a relatively short period and accordingly a small amount of water ingress past the barrier will not result in complete flooding of a property. Even, however, if flood water is present for a long time and particularly even if flood water enters a building through other apertures (for example airbricks and up through floorboards) the device of the present invention will delay the major ingress of water in order to allow the owners of the property to move items such as furniture and electronic equipment from the ground floor to the first floor.

Preferably, the anchoring means provided on the retaining device is, in use, operable to engage the building. Desirably, the anchoring means comprises at least one clamp that has an extendable clamping arm for engaging the building.

Preferably, the clamping arm of the or each clamp is, in use, retractably extendable beyond the sides of the body so as to be engageable against flanking walls of the doorway. In this way, the retaining device can easily engage the building so as to retain the body in a substantially sealing position over the doorframe until the weight of floodwater acts to hold it in position.

Preferably, the clamping arm of the or each clamp is engageable against the flanking walls of the doorway at a substantially 90 degree angle. This results in a more secure engagement. Desirably, there is provided a pair of clamps having clamping arms that are extendable beyond opposite side of the body such that they are engageable against opposing flanking walls of the doorway. Advantageously, the clamps are independently operable such that the user is given greater control over the position in which the body is retained. Furthermore, the clamps are preferably operable via a pump action, although it will be understood that other types of clamp could also be used.

Preferably, the retaining device comprises a rigid frame, which is desirably 16mm box section mild steel.

In a preferred embodiment, the frame comprises top and bottom longitudinally extending sections connected by at their ends by complimentary laterally extending sections. Advantageously, the frame locates against the peripheral edges of the convex side of the body. In particular, the laterally extending sections advantageously engage flanges formed on the generally parallel side edges of the body and the bottom longitudinally extending section advantageously engages against a downwardly extending lip on the rear edge of the base flange. In this way, the frame is easily engageable against the front of the body, which enables rapid deployment of the flood barrier into position.

In a further development, the pair of clamps are mounted on a corresponding pair of bracket sections located on the laterally extending side sections, preferably midway along their length. Advantageously, the bracket sections are a pair of substantially C-shaped bracket sections that are stepped inwardly such that they extend directly towards each other. In this way, the clamps can advantageously be mounted within the general periphery of the frame, with only the clamping arms being extendable there-beyond. Preferably, the convex side of the body correspondingly has a recessed band extending longitudinally across a central portion of the body for accommodating the substantially longitudinally aligned clamps and brackets. Desirably, the recessed band comprises a pair of recesses, for accommodating said clamps and brackets, connected by a laterally extending central column, which advantageously adds structural integrity to the body.

In yet a further development, the bottom longitudinally extending section of the frame comprises and upwardly extending element arranged thereon, desirably centrally. Advantageously, such an element acts as a foot push pad that enables the user to more quickly and easily deploy the barrier into position over a doorway. Desirably, the element has a concave profile on the side that faces the body such that, in use, it does not impinge on the convex side thereof.

Preferably, the frame comprises at least one handle, which desirably extends outwardly from the horizontal plane c)f the frame such that, in use, it S -5-extends away from the convex side of the body. Advantageously, said at least one handle enables the user to more easily handle the frame whilst deploying it to retain the body. In a preferred embodiment, the at least one handle is a single handle that extends centrally across the frame and is stepped outwardly so as, in use, to clear the convex side of the body.

Preferably, the flood barrier comprises a cover that can be mounted over the at least one clamp and onto the main body. In use, such a cover advantageously protects the at least one clamp from floating debris and adds structural integrity to the barrier. Desirably, the cover is moulded from a suitable plastics material and is advantageously corrugated to enhance strength. Preferably, the cover has a generally convex profile on a front side and a corresponding concave profile on a rear side such that it can easily be mounted over the at least one clamp and onto the main body.

Preferably, the cover has substantially the same width as the body but, in the lateral direction, extends far enough to cover only a central portion of the body where the at least one clamp is mounted. Desirably, the cover has a plurality of bolt holes around its periphery such that it can be secured to the body via corresponding securing means therein. Advantageously, the cover also has at least one port hole cut therein for allowing operational access to the or each clamp.

In particular, it is highlighted that the cover does not rigidly secure the frame or at least one clamp to the body as, in use, this would prevent the body from freely moving inwards with the increasing pressure of water and closing the seals off to their full potential.

To improve the seal between the body and doorframe, the generally parallel side edges of the body are advantageously spaced to abut the outside of said doorframe, which can be in either a closed or open condition, whilst the base * -6-flange overlies the sill of the door to substantially prevent water flowing under the body. Preferably, the body is provided with at least one elastomeric seal for further enhancing the seal with the doorframe. Desirably, the body is provided with a single vulcanised joined seal that extends around the edges of the concave side of the body. In particular, the seal is preferably provided on a rearward facing part of the body so as to engage against outward facing parts of the door frame, the seal advantageously extending along flanges formed on the generally parallel side edges of the body and a downwardly extending lip on the rear edge of the base flange.

Preferably, the barrier further includes a separately formed base bar which locates across the bottom of a door frame in use and provides a substantially flat base surface for the barrier to seal against. The base bar preferably comprises an elongated box section having upstanding flanges on the front and rear faces and extendable clamp members in each end for clamping the base bar to a door frame.

Seals are advantageously provided on the rearward facing surface of the rear flange as well as on the rear face of the box section for sealing with the sides and base of the door frame. The clamp members may be spring loaded to extend from the base bar or may be operated by a screw mechanism or the like to move between a retracted and an extended position. Seals are provided on the bottom of the base bar, in particular at least one panel is hingedly attached to the bottom of the base bar with a seal, such as a neoprene strip, provided between the base bar and the panel, and another seal, again preferably a neoprene strip, provided on the bottom of the panel for engaging with the base of the frame. The hinge panel is advantageously spring loaded to compress the seal. The system has been found to work particularly effectively with a pair of panels, the lower one being hingedly attached. A lip seal is also advantageously provided on the outer edge of at elast one of the panels, the lip extending generally downwards, and, in use, being pressed against the underlying surface by water pressure so as to further improve the seal around the bottom of the base bar. S -7-

In one embodiment, the barrier further includes a shroud member which overlies a step on the door frame so as to provide a smooth surface against which the bottom of the base bar seals. This has the advantage of enabling the inventin to be used effectively with a wider range of door designs and materials. The shroud member may be separately formed from the base bar or integrally formed therewith. Clamping means such as screw clamps are preferably provided on the shroud which engage against an underside of the step, in use, so as to secure the shroud to the step. Seal means such as neoprene material is advantageously provided on inner surfaces of the shroud so as to engage in use against the step and thereby provide an effective seal around the inside of the step.

In use, the shroud andlor the base bar are advantageously further sealed and or secured in place by use of a suitable sealing compound.

In order that the invention may be well understood, there will now be described an embodiment thereof, given by way of example, reference being made to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a schematic perspective view of a flood defence barrier that is known from the prior art, viewed, as it would be, from the interior of a building; Figure 2 shows the barrier of Figure 1 deployed in a doorway; Figure 3 is an exploded view of a flood defence barrier according to a first embodiment of the invention; Figure 4 is a view of a flood defence barrier according to a second embodiment of the invention deployed in a doorway; Figures 5 and 6 show view of a flood defence barrier according to a third embodiment during various stages of construction/testing; Figure 7a is perspective view of a base bar for use with the barrier of the invention; Figure 7b is an end view of the base bar of Figure 7a; Figure 7c is an end view of the base bar with the barrier sat thereon; * -8-Figure 8 is a front view of a door frame showing the position of the base bar; Figure 9a is a perspective view of the base bar with a step should for use with a stepped frame; Figure 9b is an exploded side view of the base bar and step shroud of Figure 9a; and Figure 10 is a perspective view of the base bar and step shroud of Figure 9a with the barrier mounted thereon.

Referring to Figure 3, a first embodiment of the present invention comprises a body 1, a frame 2 and a cover 3.

The body 1 is moulded from a suitable plastics material, for example ABS, and has a wall thickness of approximately 3mm. The form of the body 1 is corrugated to enhance strength and, except for a recessed band 4 extending longitudinally across a central portion, has a generally convex profile 5 on a front side intended to face floodwater and a corresponding concave profile on a rear side intended to face the interior of a building.

The body 1 has two generally straight lateral edges 6, 7 between which the recessed band 4 extends to form a pair of opposing, relatively flat indentations 8, 9 in the convex profile 5 connected by a laterally extending central column 10, which helps add structural integrity to the body. The edges 6, 7 are formed as flanges 6A, 7A.

Like the known flood defence barrier shown in Figures 1 and 2, a base flange is located at the lower edge of the body 1. The flange has a leading edge which is secured to the lower edge of the body I. Preferably, the flange and body are an integral plastics moulding. The flange extends rearwardly from its leading S -9-edge to a trailing edge which extends between the lower ends of the edges 6, 7 of the body. The rear edge terminates in a downwardly extending lip 11.

A vulcanised joined seal is mounted on the flanges 6A, 7A and lip 11 such that it extends around the periphery of the rear side of the body I and, in use, is engageable with a doorframe of a building from the outside.

When the device of the present invention is deployed there is a tendency for water pressure, acting on the underside of the base flange, to lift the flange (particularly adjacent the rear edge thereof) and thereby allow ingress of water. To resist this tendency, a reinforcing member, as again exemplified in the know flood defence barrier of Figures 1 and 2, is provided. The reinforcing member may be in the form of a metal pressing or a plastic moulding that is rigidly secured to or is integral with both the base flange and body 1 to resist deflection of the flange.

The illustrated embodiment of the present invention further comprises a metal frame 2 that is provided to engage against the convex side 5 of the body I and anchor itself so as to retain said body 1 in a substantially sealing manner over a doorframe of a building. It will be appreciated that once there is a pressure differential across the body it will be retained in position by that pressure differential. However, during initial deployment means must be provided for holding the barrier in position. The metal frame 2, which is 16mm box section mild steel, comprises top and bottom longitudinally extending sections 12, 13 connected at their ends by complimentary laterally extending sections 14, 15 and locates against the front side of the peripheral edges of the body I, the bottom section 13 locating against the front side of the lip 11 and the lateral sections locating against the front side of the flanges 6A, 7A such that the frame 2 fits over the seal line on three sides of the body 1.

S -10-The bottom section 13 of the frame 2 has an upwardly extending push pad 16, arranged centrally thereon, which has a concave profile on a rear side and a laterally extending flat profile on a front side, said concave profile extending rearwardly from the frame 2 so as, in use, to avoid impinging the convex profile of the bottom edge of the body 1. The laterally extending side sections 14, 15 of the frame 2 comprise an opposing pair of stepped, substantially C-shaped, bracket sections 17, 18 that are located mid-way along their length. one on each section, and extend longitudinally towards each other. In turn, a pair of clamps 19, 20, which have extendable clamping arms that are operable via a pump action, are mounted on inner lateral sides of the brackets 17, 1 8, one on each, such that the clamping arms thereof are operable to extend in a longitudinal direction, beyond the sides of the frame. In this way, substantially 90 degree clamping against rebate walls of the building can be achieved.

Finally, the illustrated embodiment furthermore comprises a cover 3, which is moulded from a suitable plastics material and is for retaining and protecting the clamps 19, 20 whilst also increasing the structural integrity of the barrier. Like the body 1, the cover 3 is corrugated to enhance strength and has a generally convex profile on a front side and a corresponding concave profile on a rear side. It has substantially the same width as the body 1 but, in the lateral direction, extends far enough to cover only a central portion of the body I such that it can be mounted over the clamps 19, 20 and onto the body I via six bolt holes 21 around its periphery and corresponding securing means in the body 1. The cover also has a pair of port holes 22, 23 cut therein so as, in use, to allow operational access to each clamp 19, 20. Importantly, it is highlighted that the cover 3 does not rigidly secure the frame 2 or clamps 19, 20 to the body as, in use, this would prevent the body 1 from freely moving inwards with the increasing pressure of water and closing the seal off to its full potential.

S -11-In order to deploy the barrier onto the outside of a closed doorway that needs protection from flooding, a user locates the frame 2 onto the front, generally convex side of the body I, such that the bottom section 13 locates against the front side of the lip 11, the lateral sections locate against the front side of the flanges 6A, 7A, and the brackets 17, 18 and clamps 19, 20 locate in the recesses 8,9. The user then positions the frame 2 to arrange the body I against the doorframe of the doorway such that the seal on the rear of the body 1 engages against the doorframe in a sealing manner, pressing his foot against the push pad 16 for assistance in doing so. He then operates the clamps 19, 20 until the clamping arms extend far enough beyond the periphery of the frame to engage opposing flanking walls of the doorway and thereby secure the frame 2 in a position such that it retains the body I in a substantially sealing manner over the doorframe. To complete deployment, the user secures the cover 3 over the clamps 19, 20 and onto the body 1 in a non-rigid maimer via the bolt holes 21 and corresponding securing means in the body 1.

The function of the frame 2 is purely to hold the flood gate in place until the water pressure takes over and pushes the flood gate tight against the doorframe. It is a critical part of the design that the frame 2 is not rigidly fixed to the body I thus preventing it from freely moving inwards with the increasing pressure of water and closing the seal off to its full potential.

The above described system works effectively for doors having flat and smooth steps, but it has been found that certain doors and frames have lips and the like which cause problems with sealing the barrier at the bottom. In such cases, a base bar 30 as shown in Figure 7a is used to improve the seal at the bottom of the door. The base bar 30 comprises an elongated box section body 31 having front 32a and rear 32b flanges upstanding from the front and rear faces 33a, 33b so as to define a channel 34 at the top of the body 31 in which the bottom of the barrier locates as shown in Figure 7c.

S -12-Axially extending clamp bars 35 are housed in each end of the body 31 and extend so as to engage the sides of the door frame in order to clamp the base bar 30 in place. In the illustrated embodiment, extension and retraction of the clamp bars is effected by mechanical means, in particular a screw actuated system, but one or both of the clamp bars may alternatively be spring loaded into an extended position.

As shown in Figure 7b, the bottom of the base bar 30 has a hinge plate 37 attached thereto with the hinge 3 7a extending along the back edge of the base of the base bar 30. A first neoprene seal 38a is located between the hinge plate 37 and the bottom of the base bar 30 and a second neoprene seal 38b is provided on the bottom of the hinge plate. The hinged plate is furthermore advantageously spring loaded to rotate towards the base bar 30. When the base bar is located in position in the door frame, the seals 37a, 37b are compressed making an effective seal with the bottom of the door frame and between the bottom of the base bar and the hinge plate. Suitable sealing means is also provided on the back surface of the rear flange 32b and rear face 33b of the base bar 31, at least in the area which, in use, overlaps the door frame so as to provide an effective seal around the back of the base bar 30. Furthermore, during installation, a sealing compound may also be used around the sides of the base bar to improve the water tight nature between the clamping bars and the door frame. As shown in Figure 7b, a lip seal 40 is also provided on the front edge of the hinge plate, which lip seal 40 is compressed downwards by water pressure to further improve the seal at the front of the base bar 30.

Figure 7c shows the base bar 30 with the barrier body 1 located in the channel 34, front and rear seals on the body I engaging with the front and rear flanges 32a, 32b so seal around the bottom of the body 1.

S -13-In some circumstances, a raised step is present on the front of the frame and this can present problems with providing and effective seal between the bottom of the base bar and the top surface of the step due to unevenness and like. In such circumstances, a shroud 42 is provided which locates over the step -the base bar either being integrally formed with the shroud or sealing against a flat surface thereof in the manner described above. The shroud 42 includes screw clamps 43 or the like which engage on the lower surface of the step in order to hold the shroud in place and seals, such as soft rubber seals, are provided on the inner surfaces of the shroud which engage against the various surface of the step in order to provide a seal there-around Finally, it will be appreciated that many different variations of the described embodiments are possible. For example, any kind of clamping means could be used and handles could additionally be arranged on the frame to assist user deployment of the body into position over the doorframe. *

Claims

Claims 1. A flood defence barrier comprising: a substantially

rectangular, generally convex panel, having a convexly curved side which forms an outer surface which, in use, will face towards the flood liquid and a concavely curved side which forms in inner surface which, in use, will face away from the flood liquid, the convex side being bounded by a pair of generally parallel side edges; and a base in the form of a flange joined at its leading edge to the panel and extended from the panel in the direction which, in use, will be away from the flood liquid, and a retaining member that is engageable against the convex side of the body and includes anchoring means which, in use, are operable to anchor the retaining device relative to a doorframe with the panel located between the door frame and the retaining member so as to retain the panel in a substantially sealing manner over the doorframe.
2. A flood defence barrier according to claim 1, wherein the anchoring means comprises at least one extendable member associated with each side edge of the frame and operable to extend from said side edges and into engagement with the building so as to retain the retaining member in place.
3. A flood defence barrier according to claim 2, wherein each extendable member is an extendable clamping arm of at least one clamp.
4. A flood defence barrier according to claim 3, wherein the clamping arm of the or each clamp is retractably extendable.
5. A flood defence barrier according to claim 3 or claim 4, wherein the anchoring means includes at least two clamps, one associated with each side of the panel, the clamps preferably being operable independently of each other, and in particular being operable by a pump action.

S -15-
6. A flood defence barrier according to any of claims 2 to 5, wherein the or each extendable member extends substantially perpendicularly to a side edge of the panel.
7. A flood defence barrier according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the retaining device is a rigid frame, which is separately formed from the panel and sized to engage with the front surface of the panel around the periphery thereof.
8. A flood defence barrier according to claim 7, wherein the panel has flanges formed on its front surface proximate and extending parallel to the side edges against which the retaining device engages.
9. A flood defence barrier according to claim 7 or claim 8, wherein the panel further includes a lip which extends downwardly from the inner edge of the base flange so to form a forward facing bottom flange panel against which the retaining device is engageable.
10. A flood defence barrier according to claim 8 or claim 9, wherein the panel includes seals on it rearward facing sides which, in use, engage with the door frame in order to effect a seal therewith.
11. A flood defence barrier according to any of claims 7 to 10, wherein the rigid frame includes recessed bracket sections in the side sections thereof, preferably midway along their length, in which the anchoring means are mounted such that the extendable portion of each anchoring means can extend from said bracket section and beyond the side edge of the panel.

S -16-
12. A flood defence barrier according to claim 11, wherein the panel includes at least one recess in the convex side thereof aligned with said bracket sections for accommodating the anchoring means.
13. A flood defence barrier according to claim 12, wherein the or each recess is formed by a flat band which extends across a chord of the panel, preferably bisected by a laterally extending central column to as to form a pair of recesses, one associated with each side of the panel.
14. A flood defence barrier according to any of claims 7 to 13, wherein the frame includes an upwardly extending element on its bottom longitudinally extending section, preferably centrally located, which element acts as a foot push pad that enables the user to more quickly and easily deploy the barrier into position over a doorway.
15. A flood defence barrier according to claim 14, wherein the element has a concave profile on the side that faces the body such that, in use, it does not impinge on the convex side thereof.
16. A flood defence barrier according to any of the preceding claims, further including a cover that is removably mountable onto the panel so as to overlie the anchoring means.
17. A flood defence barrier according to claim 16, wherein the cover has a generally convex profile on a front side and a corresponding concave profile on a rear side such that it can easily be mounted over the at least one anchoring means and onto the frame.
18. A flood defence barrier according to claim 16 or claim 17, wherein the cover includes a through opening in its front surface associated and in alignment with each anchoring means so as to allow operational access to the anchoring means with the cover in place.
19. A flood defence barrier according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the frame includes a seal on each of its side edges and it base edge for engagement with the door frame.
20. A flood defence barrier according to any of the preceding claims, further including a base bar for supporting the bottom of the panel, the base bar having a channel formed in an upper surface in which the panel is engageable.
21. A flood defence barrier according to claim 20, further including a shroud which, in use, engages onto a step of the door.
22. A flood defence barrier according to claim 21, wherein the shroud is integrally formed with the base bar.
23. A flood defence barrier substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings.