WO2003069072A1

WO2003069072A1 - Equipment for protecting buildings against flooding

Info

Publication number: WO2003069072A1
Application number: PCT/FR2003/000420
Authority: WO
Inventors: Patrick Henri Guillaume Biagini
Original assignee: Biagini Patrick Henri Guillaum
Priority date: 2002-02-11
Filing date: 2003-02-11
Publication date: 2003-08-21
Also published as: FR2835861B1; EP1481134A1; AU2003222370A1; FR2835861A1

Abstract

The invention relates to equipment that is used to protect buildings against flooding. The inventive equipment (1) consists of a modular assembly of constituent elements comprising: a fixed part (5) which is formed, for example, for a door or window (2), of two posts (5) which are fixed to the wall (6) on either side of said door; and a horizontal plate (3) which rests on the surface of the ground, the ends of said plate being hermetically connected to the lower ends of the fixed posts (5). Said equipment also comprises movable parts consisting of stackable side panels (7), which can be hermetically assembled to the fixed posts (5), and stackable front panels (8) which are parallel to the wall. The aforementioned front panels provide a leaktight connection with the side panels and are supported by the base plate and said side panels. When the ground is very soft, the base plate (3) can be replaced by a buried plate which is equipped with piles.

Description

The subject of the present invention is protective equipment against flooding of buildings, dwellings or not, as well as the banks or quays of watercourses due to a flood or any other event causing a rapid rise in water, and this in urban or rural areas of industrial and commercial activity.

Devices are already known for preventing water from entering buildings during floods. Such devices are described in particular in French patent No. 2 733788. This document describes protection of interiors against flooding. Angles are fixed around a door and vaulted PVC plates are slid into the horizontal angle and the opening is sealed.

Another device is described in document GB-A-2 346644. this device comprises a plate which is sealed against the opening.

The main purpose of these devices is to block the entry, whether of doors or windows, of buildings threatened by water. However, these devices certainly have the function of preventing water from entering but at the same time they block the entry of the occupants of the buildings. However, when these buildings are dwellings, this implies that the inhabitants must find other accommodation. As the floods last longer and longer, currently for a fortnight, or even up to a month, in the European zone, this means that the inhabitants suffer significant economic damage. This economic damage is even greater when it comes to factories or workshops whose entry and exit are condemned for several weeks. Thus, an essential object of the invention is to preserve dwellings, workshops, factories and any building from flood water, tides, possibly snow flows, to prevent the penetration of water or snow or any liquid damaging the interior of the building, while allowing the opening of doors and windows to allow entry of people living and / or working in buildings.

Another object of the invention is to allow the protection of doors as well as windows to prevent the penetration of fluids into a building while allowing the entry of residents or workers into their homes or factories, without thereby interrupting social life, avoiding the interruption of economic activity. Thanks to the invention, factories, schools, public buildings, homes, while being protected from the penetration of fluid, can continue to fulfill their function.

This problem has never been posed in these terms in any of the prior art documents and has never been resolved.

Indeed, the documents of the prior art are content to solve the problem of preventing flood water, mud, snow, etc., from entering buildings by preventing their entry for the duration of the incident. In addition, the documents cited either protect the doors, or protect the windows, or protect the skylights (in the latter case during heavy rain and not rising water by floods from rivers or other rivers and streams).

The invention therefore relates to equipment for protecting an area comprising openings against a flood, said equipment having the function of preventing the penetration of fluids (mud, dirty water, snow, etc.) into said area and / or by said openings, while allowing the penetration of human beings, possibly accompanied by animals or objects in said area, characterized in that it is formed by a modular set of constituent elements comprising a fixed part partially or totally around from said zone to be protected and / or from its orifices, a permanent plate, respectively a temporary base, adapted to cooperate in leaktight manner with the fixed part, and mobile parts adapted to be able to fit and be fixed on the plate or the temporary bottom and to be assembled and tightly fixed together, the plate and the parts associated mobiles forming a modular assembly adapted to the dimensions of said exit from said zone or from said zone to be protected.

According to a first embodiment of the invention, the permanent plate is provided for protecting a zone or a door. According to a second embodiment of the invention, the temporary bottom is provided for the protection of an opening whose lower part is situated above the ground, like a window, the temporary bottom being placed under the lower part of the window.

This equipment can be made of a light and resistant material, for example aluminum or rigid plastic. It is supplied in a "kit", which can be dismantled and can be reassembled and declined in different forms, depending on whether it is to protect an individual house or an apartment or office building, land where there is (are) a (or) building (s), or any other element to be protected (cultures, archaeological sites ...) or to border the banks of a watercourse or the ways on the bank of an agglomeration, in order to avoid its invasion by water in the event of a flood or heavy rain.

This system can therefore protect houses, buildings, land or areas equipped with it from the harmful effects of a flood, by diverting water from the protected area during the flood. It should be noted that it does not prevent water from rising through the waste water drainage pipes, or by infiltration into the ground, equipment being specially provided for this purpose.

The invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings which illustrate several embodiments thereof by way of non-limiting examples.

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a first embodiment of the equipment according to the invention, suitable for protecting a building door or window against flooding.

Figure 2 is a perspective view, on an enlarged scale with respect to in Figure 1, an amount of the fixed part of the equipment of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is an enlarged perspective view of a side panel of the equipment of Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a perspective view of a front insulation panel forming part of the equipment of Figure 1.

Figure 5 is a perspective view of a threshold plate forming part of the equipment of Figure 1 for a door, this plate being embedded in the ground in front of the door to be protected.

Figure 6 is a perspective view of a second embodiment of a threshold plate, intended for soft floors.

Figure 7 is a partial perspective view of a window protection bottom associated with a plate fixed to the wall near the window.

Figure 8 is a perspective view of a second embodiment of the equipment according to the invention, suitable for protecting a window.

Figures 9 and 10 are views respectively in perspective and in side elevation of a movable part of the equipment according to the invention, suitable for the protection of an air vent or a skylight at ground level.

Figure 11 is a perspective view of a third embodiment of the invention suitable for the protection of an entire site, with or without a building.

Figure 12 is a perspective view, on an enlarged scale with respect to Figure 11, of a strut for strengthening the protective equipment. Figure 13 is a sectional view of another embodiment of a vertical panel.

Figure 14 is a sectional view of another embodiment of a fixed or upright part. Figure 15 is a sectional view of the vertical panel of Figure 2 fitted into the fixed part of Figure 14 with a seal.

In general, the equipment is composed of several elements, including a fixed and permanent part, on which come to fit and fix mobile elements, easy to assemble in the event of an alert, and easy to disassemble once the alert passed.

- The fixed or platinum part: this part constitutes the base of the system, on which the other elements are fixed. It remains permanently installed and must be embedded around the exits to be protected for windows, skylights or any other opening in height relative to the base of the construction, as well as in the ground: for entry doors or access to garages, cellars, or along the banks and quays of watercourses, or around areas to be protected.

This plate is manufactured in different dimensions corresponding to the standard of doors, windows, etc., the most commonly sold on the market for the "domestic" version. It can also be made to measure if the configuration of the premises to be protected requires it.

In order not to affect the aesthetics of the protected site (mainly homes), rigid plastic covers can be attached to it, to camouflage this fixed part when not in use, thus avoiding fouling.

- The moving parts include panels, bottoms and 10 boxes.

The panels: whether side or front, these parts, which constitute the protective body of the system, come to fit and fix in the fixed plate, and fit and fix in one another, in order to adapt to the dimensions of the exit or the area to be protected. Some of these panels have steps on each side, preferably built-in using notches provided for this purpose, allowing to exit or enter the protected area (doors, grounds, banks ...).

The bottoms: These are parts mainly intended for the protection of openings located in height (windows, skylights ...). This part of the installation which will serve as a base for the panels is therefore horizontal and fits into the fixed vertical plate. The other movable parts (side and front panels) come to nest and be fixed both on the vertical plate and on this horizontal bottom. This interlocking of the parts one in the other, reinforced by perforated legs joined by nuts, gives its rigidity to the system.

The boxes: this is a single-piece cover, fitted with a seal on its circumference, which is fixed on a fixed plate embedded around the outlet to be protected. This equipment is mainly used to protect small openings at ground level (air vents), which serve as windows in basements, cellars and garages. However, this equipment can be offered for hermetically closing all kinds of doors and windows of a house or any other building, in the absence of their occupants, this version also offering burglary protection).

For aesthetics or comfort, the boxes can be offered with or without porthole.

The different parts fit together by tenon and mortise assembly, thanks to a projecting part for some and recessed for the others, for example in the shape of an omega, V or T, ensuring homogeneity equipment. The perforated sealing tabs, integral with each element and joined by nuts, secure and seal everything by compressing the joints inserted between these parts.

Sealing of movable panels between them as well as between these panels and other parts (plates, bottoms ...) is ensured by seals rubber, inserted in certain parts, fixed, mobile and interchangeable according to use.

Depending on the configuration of the area to be equipped and the dimensions necessary for its protection (loose floors, long panels, etc.), equipment reinforcement elements (removable props, etc.) may be necessary to guarantee the robustness of the installation, especially for a reinforced version against mudslides or avalanches.

We will now describe a first embodiment of the equipment according to the invention with reference to Figures 1 to 5. We see in Figures 1 to 5, an equipment 1 adapted to protect a residential issue consisting of a door or window 2. The equipment 1 comprises a modular set of constituent elements comprising a fixed part forming a permanent plate: it can be the plate 3 (Fig. 1 and 5) placed on the surface of the ground, or the plate 4 which s extends to a certain depth (Fig. 6) and is intended to be buried in soft soil.

The plate 3 or 4 has an overall U-shaped section seen from above, so that it can be fixed on either side of the outlet 2 to be protected.

The fixed part of the equipment 1 also comprises two vertical uprights 5 arranged parallel to each other on either side of the door or window 2, and adapted to be able to be fixed to the wall 6 on each side of the 'issue 2.

The equipment 1 comprises mobile parts adapted to fit on the horizontal plate 3 (or 4) and on the vertical uprights 5, and to be fixed thereto in an easily removable manner. These movable parts consist of vertical side panels 7 and transverse front 8 supeφosables, which can be assembled together as well as to the fixed parts 3, 5 in a watertight manner by delimiting a waterproof protective barrier which frames the issue. 2 (Figure 1).

Wall fixing means 6 are arranged on the uprights 5. These fixing means can be (Fig. 2) regularly spaced holes 9 for receiving screws, preferably countersunk, the head of which must not protrude so as not to compromise the effectiveness of the seals of the panels 7 coming from apply to the uprights 5. The holes 9 can be completed by notches 11 formed on the edges of the uprights 5, constituting locations for receiving lugs (not shown) for fixing in the wall 6.

The inner face of each upright 5 is provided with a longitudinal central slide 12, profiled for example in omega, in order to be able to fit into a corresponding groove 13 arranged on the vertical edge of complementary side panels 7 (Fig.3). The outer face of each upright 5 is provided with a seal 10 which must bear against the wall 6.

In the vertical ends of the lateral movable panels 7 peφendicular to the wall 6, grooves 13 are arranged complementary to the slides 12. The vertical ends of the panels 7 opposite those adjacent to the wall 6 are profiled so as to be able to fit tightly into other vertical transverse panels 8 arranged parallel to the wall 6, in order to surround the outlet 2 to be protected. Thus these opposite ends each have a vertical groove 14 similar to the groove 13, and on either side of which are arranged two seals 15 (Fig.3).

The side panels 7 are equipped, on the side of the uprights 5, with fixing lugs 16 provided with screws, adapted to fit into the notches 11 of the uprights 5. On the opposite side, the panels 7 have notches 17 provided for receiving fixing lugs 18 forming part of profiled elements 19 (FIG. 4) arranged to seal the transverse panels 8 to the side panels 7 peφendicular to the wall 6. The connection elements 19 are further provided, on their faces facing the panels 7, with profiles 21 in omega complementary to the grooves 14, and on their faces oriented towards the transverse front panels 8, with grooves 22 complementary with profiles 23 in omega , projecting from the opposite sides of the transverse panels 8. This arrangement therefore makes it possible to fit the panels 8 proper to the connection elements 19, and the latter to the side panels 7, all of these panels and elements being dimensioned and superposed on each other at the appropriate height. The assembly of the connection elements 19 to the front panels 8 is completed by lugs 24 for fixing the elements 19, which are housed in corresponding notches in the panels 8 (FIG. 4).

Of course the arrangement of the legs 18, 24 and the notches 11, 17 .. can be reversed on the panels and the elements 19. The horizontal sides of the panels 7, 8 are also provided with tabs 25, 26 for assembling the associated panels notches thereof and screws not shown.

The fixed plate 3 in U (Fig. 5) forms a substantially horizontal base, intended to rest on the ground opposite the fixed uprights 5 in front of the outlet 2 to be protected. One side of the plate 3 is adapted to be placed below the base of the fixed uprights 5 and profiled to fit on said base in a sealed manner. For this purpose the two ends of the parallel arms 3a of the plate 3 are provided with extensions 27 coming to be placed below the uprights 5, and have grooves 28 complementary to the profiled slides 12, which can thus fit into the grooves 28.

The plate 3 also comprises, in the example described, a central part 3b connected at its ends to the lateral arms 2a, by means of complementary systems of slides 29 and grooves 31. Finally, the plate is provided with lugs or bosses 32 in which are arranged holes 30 tapped for fixing screws also passing through the tabs 25 and 26 of the panels 7 and 8, in order to secure the assembly of all of the equipment 1 with the fixed plate 3.

Holes 33 can be arranged in the plate 3 to allow the camouflage strips (not shown) to be fixed on the latter, making it possible to conceal the base 3 when the equipment 1 is not in use.

If the ground is soft, the plate 3 can be replaced by another fixed plate 4 (Fig. 6) which includes two vertical panels 37 whose edges facing the fixed uprights 5 are shaped to fit tightly in the part lower of these. These edges are provided with lugs 38 projecting horizontally and which can be positioned under the lower ends of the fixed uprights 5.

The plate 4 comprises a vertical transverse panel 39 for connection between the side panels 37, adapted to fit onto them in a sealed manner. The panels 37, 39 are embedded in the ground with their upper faces flush with the surface of the ground, and receive the other aforementioned vertical panels 7,8 arranged above the ground.

Grooves 41 profiled for example in omega, framed by seals 42, are arranged on the upper ends of the panels 37 above the legs 38 to cooperate with the lower ends of the uprights 5 ensuring sealing. The front panel 39 is connected to the side panels 37 by corner elements 42, the vertical ends of which are provided with grooves 45 complementary to omega slides 44, formed on the opposite faces of the front panel 39.

The fixing of the panels 37, 39 to the upper panels 7, 8 is ensured by a set of tabs 46 pierced with screw passage holes and 25 cooperating with the tabs 25, 26 of the panels 7,8.

Advantageously, the panels 37, 39 are provided with piles vertical 47 partially housed in the panels, for example screwed into them. The piles are intended to be driven into very soft soil to increase the stability of the base of the equipment 1.

FIG. 7 illustrates a horizontal bottom 49 for protecting a window, associated with vertical uprights 5 fixed to the wall. To this end, the end of the bottom 49 has a recess 51 profiled to fit under the lower end of an upright 5, and a groove 52 complementary to a slide 53, for example in omega, of the upright 5 in order to '' ensure a good seal. The equipment 54 for protecting a window 55, illustrated in FIG. 8, is comparable to the equipment 1 for French windows. It comprises two vertical fixed uprights 56, provided on their face facing the wall with seals 20, and on their opposite face with omega slides 57 as well as holes 58 for screws for fixing to the wall. The fixed uprights 56 cooperate with a horizontal bottom 59 (or 49) profiled on the side of the uprights 56 by recesses 61 and horizontal lugs 62 fitting under the uprights 56. The equipment 54 is completed by side panels 63 vertical, and by at least one front panel 64 for connection between the side panels 63. The panels 63, 64 and the bottom 59 are provided with lugs 65 and notches 66 which ensure their joining, as well as slides 67 and grooves complementary to mutual interlocking according to arrangements similar to those described with reference to the equipment 1. In addition, the side panels 63 have ends 63a at right angles which can fit on the ends opposite the front panel 64.

Figures 9 and 10 schematically illustrate an equipment intended to protect an exit constituted by an air vent 69, a skylight or a skylight in the vicinity of the ground. The fixed part 71 is embedded around the outlet 69 and the mobile part is a cover 72 fitted with a tight seal 30 on its periphery, adapted to be applied on the fixed plate 71. The cover 72 is provided with means for fixing to the latter, such as sealing tabs 73, completed by respective holes 74, 75 of the cover 72 and of the part fixed 71 for fixing screws. FIGS. 11 and 12 show an equipment 76 intended for the protection of the banks of a watercourse or of an entire land, in which a building 77 may possibly be located.

The fixed part comprises a set of vertical panels 78 bordering the watercourse or surrounding the building 77 to be protected. The vertical panels 78 are buried with their upper side flush with the surface of the ground, and their vertical sides are profiled so as to be able to fit in leaktight manner, with, as in the previous embodiments, slides and complementary grooves on their opposite opposite sides. opposite.

In addition, the panels 78 are preferably equipped with vertical piles 79 for anchoring in the ground, for example two piles 79 per panel.

The movable part of the equipment 76 comprises a series of panels 81 which can be juxtaposed with one another by their opposite vertical sides, and this in a sealed manner by seals and conjugate slide-groove systems. The panels 81 are supeφosable on the panels 78, with which they can be joined by lugs or fixing flanges pierced with eyelets for receiving bolts, associated with lugs 82 of the panels 78.

The joints or junctions between two consecutive rows of panels 81 are arranged with seals, the opposite ends 84 of the corner panels being oriented so that they can be applied to each other.

The equipment 76 can advantageously be reinforced by a series of props 85 positioned internally behind the panels 81 and resting on the ground. The ends of these struts 85 are respectively anchored in studs 86 buried support, and fixed to the associated panels 81 appropriately. For example, the upper ends of the struts 85 can form U-shaped yokes 87 coming to be applied on each side of a protruding lug from a support plate 88 on the panel 81, and secured to this lug by an axis 89.

Such shoring reinforcement systems can be arranged at

25 convenient locations on the inner side of the protective panels 81 to avoid any risk of collapse. They can also be used to reinforce equipment according to the invention against mudslides or avalanches.

The height of the rows of panels 81 is obviously variable depending on their dimensions and by supe suposition of two or more rows of panels 81 on top of each other.

Of course, the embodiments described are susceptible of numerous variants. Thus it is obvious that the slides and the corresponding grooves can have any profiles and be reversed with respect to the arrangements shown. Similarly, the means for fixing and assembling the panels of the equipment according to the invention may be any. In residential buildings, the main drain connected to the main sewer will be fitted with a non-return valve. However during a flood, it is recommended to limit the discharge of sanitary and domestic water as much as possible to avoid the opening of the valve by force-balancing effect.

The panels 107 are plastic profiles of PVC type, for example regenerated PVC from window profiles. The panels include a projecting part 110 and a hollow part 111, a projecting part of a panel capable of cooperating with the hollow part of another panel.

The parts 103 forming the plate have a foot 112 and a hollow 113 coming to cooperate with a projecting part of a panel 107, as can be seen in FIG. 15. Between the projecting part 110 and the hollow part 113, a seal 114 is inserted. The various removable elements are held in place using "grasshopper" type fasteners that forcefully secure the elements and compress the joint, thus ensuring perfect sealing. The recessed and projecting parts preferably have a U shape and have the same function as the slides 14 and the grooves 13 of the embodiment of FIGS. 1 to 12.

Claims

1. Equipment for protecting an area comprising openings against a flood, said equipment having the function of preventing the penetration of fluids (mud, dirty water, snow, etc.) into said area and / or through said openings, any allowing the penetration of human beings, possibly accompanied by animals or objects in said area, characterized in that it is formed by a modular set of constituent elements comprising a fixed part (5) partially or totally around said zone to be protected and / or its orifices, a permanent plate (3), respectively a temporary base (49), adapted to cooperate in leaktight manner with the fixed part, and mobile parts (7, 8 ..) adapted for ability to fit and attach to the plate or temporary base and to be assembled and fixed together in a sealed manner, the plate and the associated moving parts forming a modular assembly adapted to the dimensions of said e from said zone or said zone to be protected.

2. Equipment according to claim 1, characterized in that the permanent plate is provided for the protection of a zone or a door.

3. Equipment according to claim 1, characterized in that the temporary bottom is provided for the protection of an opening whose lower part is located above the ground, like a window, the temporary bottom being placed under the lower part of the window.

4. Equipment according to claim 1 intended to protect an exit from a building consisting of a door or a window (2), characterized in that the fixed part comprises two vertical uprights (5) intended to be fixed to a wall (6) on each side of the door or window, in which are arranged fixing means (9) and one outer face of which is provided with a seal (10) which comes to bear against the wall (6), and the inner face of which is provided with a slide (12) profiled so as to be able to be embedded in complementary side panels (7), and the mobile parts comprise a series of vertical panels (7) to be placed peφendicululaire the wall, in the ends of which are arranged grooves (13) complementary to said slides of the vertical uprights, and whose opposite ends are profiled to be able to fit sealingly in other transverse panels (8) arranged parallel to the wall to surround the exit to be protected.

5. Equipment according to claim 4, characterized in that profiled elements (19) are provided for sealingly connecting the transverse panels (8) to the side panels (7) peφendicular to the wall (6).

6. Equipment according to claim 4 or 5, characterized in that the fixed plate comprises a base (3) substantially horizontal, intended to rest on the ground in front of the outlet to be protected facing the fixed uprights (5), and one of which side is adapted to be placed below the lower ends of the fixed uprights (5), and shaped to fit on said ends in a sealed manner.

7. Equipment according to claim 4 or 5, characterized in that the fixed plate (4) is intended to come to be embedded in soft ground, and comprises two vertical panels (37) whose edges turned towards the fixed uprights (5 ) are profiled to fit on the lower part of the latter in a leaktight manner, and are provided with horizontal tabs (38) which are placed under the lower part of said uprights, a vertical panel (39) transverse connection between the vertical panels, adapted to fit on them in a sealed manner, these panels (37, 39) receiving the other aforementioned vertical panels (7, 8) arranged above the ground.

8. Equipment according to claim 7, characterized in that said panels (37, 39) are provided with vertical piles (47) partially housed in the panels, for example screwed to them and intended to be driven into very soft soil .

9. Equipment according to claim 1, intended to protect an exit constituted by a basement window, a skylight or a skylight near the ground, characterized in that the fixed part (71) is embedded around the exit (69) and the movable part is a cover (72) equipped with a tight seal on its periphery, adapted to be applied to the plate (71), and said movable part is provided with means for fixing to the fixed part such as sealing lugs .

10. Equipment according to claim 1 intended for the protection of the banks of a watercourse or of an entire terrain, characterized in that the fixed part comprises a set of vertical panels (78) intended to be buried with their side upper flush with the surface of the ground, the opposite vertical sides of which are profiled so as to be able to interlock with one another in a leaktight manner, and which are fitted with piles (85) for anchoring in the ground, and the mobile part comprises a series of panels ( 81) adapted to be juxtaposed by their vertical sides and in a sealed manner, and are provided with fixing means between them and with the buried panels (78) of the fixed plate, for example flanges pierced with eyelets for receiving bolts , the joints between two consecutive rows of panels (81) of the movable part being arranged with seals.

11. Equipment according to claim 9, characterized in that struts (85) of reinforcement are associated with panels (81) of the mobile part, the ends of these struts being respectively anchored in studs (86) buried support and fixed to the associated panels, the height of the latter being so variable by supeφosition of the vertical panels (81) on each other.