US20100306915A1

US20100306915A1 - Folding barrier device

Info

Publication number: US20100306915A1
Application number: US12/682,671
Authority: US
Inventors: Richard Lahaie
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2007-10-11
Filing date: 2008-10-09
Publication date: 2010-12-09
Also published as: FR2922243A1; EP2195497B1; ATE512266T1; EP2195497A1; WO2009083666A1

Abstract

A subject of the invention is a folding barrier device comprising

a parallelipipedic box (100) constituted by
- a base (106) having the shape of a parallelogram, with a long side (the length of the box) and a short side (the width of the box),
- 2 side walls (102, 104) having the shape of a parallelogram, with a length equal to the length of the long side of the box, therefore of the base, and a width equal to the height of the box, said walls being capable of preferably having a rectangular shape, linked to the base by their long side,
and equipped with a lid (101) having the shape of a parallelogram, of at least the same dimensions as the base of said box,
said lid being hinged so as to pass between a position horizontal to and a position vertical to one of the 2 walls constituting one of the long sides of said box,
said box containing at least one folding barrier (107) constituted by
- a handrail (109) and
- bars (108),
said bars being hinged by means of hinges at one of their ends (upper end) to a handrail (110) and at the other end (lower end) to the inner face of said box lid, preferably at the lower level of said inner face of said lid (111), said hinges allowing for a longitudinal movement of the bars in relation to the handrail and the box lid, the “box lid and hinged barrier” assembly thus itself being hinged in relation to one of the sides of said box,
and said bars having a lower end that does not extend beyond the lower edge of said lid when said barrier is in a fully folded position,
said box having an inside length at least equal to the length of the handrail of the barrier, an inside width at least equal to the height of the barrier in a fully folded position and a height at least equal to the greatest thickness of the barrier.

Said device is particularly suitable for enclosing a body of water such as in particular a swimming pool.

Description

A subject of the invention is a barrier device, particularly an optionally removable folding barrier device. Said device is particularly suitable for fencing a body of water such as in particular a swimming pool.
It is known that in the field of bodies of water, particularly swimming pools, especially inground swimming pools, safety and alarm systems are required by regulations, particularly in France, in order to avoid any accidental falls, particularly of children, which could have serious consequences. Said regulations specify alarm systems that are triggered when the surface of the water is disturbed, particularly by an object or person falling into the water. Nevertheless, a barrier arranged around the body of water over its entire perimeter is probably the most effective means of avoiding accidental falls and making it possible to leave the body of water unsupervised.
However, several drawbacks must be highlighted. Firstly, the appearance; a permanent barrier a few metres from a body of water is not always a pleasant sight, particularly since in order to be effective, said barrier must have a minimum height.
Next, amenity: the presence of a fixed barrier around a body of water can considerably reduce the width of the decks surrounding said body of water.
It can therefore easily be understood that there is a need for an effective safety barrier that also has an attractive appearance. In this respect a folding barrier can fulfil the need.
Mention can be made for example of the system described in Patent Application FR 2 889 224 in which the barrier is constituted by an element serving as a barrier, moveable between the horizontal position and the vertical position, and a fixed deck element that is always in a horizontal position, said moveable element, hinged on the fixed deck element, being fitted into said deck element when in a horizontal position.
Although this solution is aesthetically pleasing and elegant, it unfortunately occupies a substantial amount of space, since as the barrier must have a sufficient height to perform its protective role, the assembly in a folded position occupies a relatively large amount of space and requires arrangements around the pool that increase the installation cost of said pool.
Moreover this system is described in said document with a motor-driven element, which not only also increases the installation cost, but the space requirement of the system as well.
Whilst seeking to overcome these drawbacks, the Proprietor managed to design an optionally removable folding barrier element having a minimum space requirement.
Thus a subject of the invention is a folding barrier device comprising
a parallelipipedic box constituted by

- a base having the shape of a parallelogram with a long side (the length of the box) and a short side (the width of the box),
- 2 side walls having the shape of a parallelogram, with a length equal to the length of the long side of the box, therefore of the base, and a width equal to the height of the box, said walls being preferably capable of having a rectangular shape, connected to the base by their long side,

and equipped with a lid having the shape of a parallelogram, with at least the same dimensions as the base of said box,

- said lid being hinged in such a way as to pass between a position horizontal to and a position vertical to one of the 2 walls constituting one of the long sides of said box,
  said box containing at least one folding barrier constituted by
- a handrail and
- bars,
- said bars being hinged by means of hinges at one of their ends (upper end) to a handrail and at the other end (lower end) to the inner face of said box lid, preferably at the lower level of said inner face of said lid, said hinges allowing a longitudinal movement of the bars in relation to the handrail and to the box lid, the “box lid and hinged barrier” assembly thus itself being hinged in relation to one of the sides of said box,
- and said bars having a lower end that does not extend beyond the lower edge of said lid when said barrier is in a fully folded position,
  said box having an inside length at least equal to the length of the handrail of the barrier, an inside width at least equal to the height of the barrier in a fully folded position and a height at least equal to the greatest thickness of the barrier (thickness of the thickest of the bars or thickness of the handrail, taking the largest into account).

According to the invention, the base of the box and the lid can have the same geometrical shape or not.
According to a variant of the invention, the base of the box and the lid can have a rectangular shape and can have the same dimensions. According to this variant, the length of the box and that of the lid must be at least equal to the total length of the barrier in a fully folded position.
According to a further variant of the invention, the base of the box can be rectangular and the lid can be a parallelogram the long side of which is at least equal to the length of the box and the short side of which will have a dimension at least equal to the height of the barrier in a fully deployed position (length of a bar plus the thickness of the handrail), said short side forming an angle with the long side that is equal to the angle between the bars and the lower edge of the lid in the fully folded position of the barrier.
According to yet another very preferable variant of the invention, the base of the box and the lid can be a parallelogram, the long side of which will have a dimension at least equal to the total length of the barrier in a fully deployed position (i.e. at least equal to the length of the handrail) and the short side of which will have a dimension at least equal to the height of the barrier in a fully deployed position (length of a bar plus the thickness of the handrail), said short side forming an angle with the long side equal to the angle between the bars and the lower edge of the lid in the fully folded position of the barrier.
It is notable that in this variant the device according to the invention has the smallest possible space requirement in a closed position in relation to the dimensions of the barrier.
It is also notable that in this variant, when several boxes are assembled end-to-end, it is still possible to open each box independently.
Finally it is notable that this variant makes it possible to give the box suitable dimensions so that during the positioning of two successive boxes, when the barrier is in a fully deployed position, the gap between the last bar of the first box and the first bar of the second box have the same dimensions as the gap between two bars of the central part of the barrier.
According to the invention, the lid can be hinged to the box by any means known to a person skilled in the art such as for example one or more hinges.
According to yet another variant of the device according to the invention, the lid can be in two parts, each of the two parts having the shape of a parallelogram, the larger length of which is at least equal to the length of the box and the width of which is smaller than the width of the box, it being understood that the sum of the widths of the two parts is at least equal to the width of the box.
In this configuration, each of the two parts of the lid is hinged so as to pass between a position horizontal to and a position vertical to one of the 2 walls constituting the long sides of said box.
Also in this configuration, one of the parts holds the barrier said bars of which are hinged at one of their ends (upper end) to a handrail and at the other end (lower end) to the inner face of said box lid, preferably at the lower level of said inner face of said part of the lid; the lower end of said bars fixed to the lid must not extend beyond the lower edge of said part of the lid in a fully folded position of the barrier.
Advantageously according to a variant of the invention, the box can be equipped at at least the one of its ends with a rectangular-shaped wall the length of which is at least equal to the width of the box and the height of which at least equal to the height of the box.
In the folded position, the device according to the invention makes it possible to have a closed box of reasonable dimensions, in which the barrier is fully folded.
It is easily understood that said box can be transportable or permanently installed.
In the deployed position, the same device makes it possible to have a barrier of a given height comprising bars topped with a handrail.
It is also understood that said box can be simply placed on the ground in the desired position, or also embedded in the ground to a depth such that in a closed position the box lid is flush with the ground.
Whether placed on the ground or embedded, the box can be fixed to the ground by any suitable means known to a person skilled in the art.
Finally, it is understood that a box can constitute an element of a set of boxes which, assembled by suitable means, constitute a set of folding barriers that when suitably arranged can form the enclosed delimitation of a space.
According to a preferred variant of the invention, the device can moreover be provided with means allowing for the barrier to be held in a raised position (barrier not folded) and/or means of holding the lid/barrier assembly in a vertical position. These means can be any means known to a person skilled in the art.
By way of means allowing for the barrier to be held in a raised position, mention can be made for example of a groove made in the lid describing an arc of circle of 90°, said groove receiving an element fixed to one of the bars of the barrier, said element passing through said groove and sliding along the latter with the movement of the bars. In this configuration said element is firmly attached directly to the bar. Moreover it is possible for said element passing through said groove to be equipped with locking means. Said locking means can be for example a nut, particularly a wing nut screwed onto one of the ends of said element passing through said groove, this then having a screw thread or also a quick-locking device of the type used in cycling on the wheel axles or on the seat tubes.
It is understood that in this configuration the upper end of the groove (the upper position stop) delimiting the vertical position of the raised barrier is positioned directly opposite the element when the bar is in a vertical position.
According to a variant of said means of holding the barrier in a raised position, the element fixed to one of the bars of the barrier and passing through said groove can be constituted by a first hinge element, for example a plate or a strip hinged at one of its ends onto said bars, and at its other end onto an element passing through said groove and sliding along the latter with the movements of the bars.
It is understood that in this configuration the upper end of the groove (the upper position stop) which delimits the vertical position of the raised barrier is positioned at a distance equal to the length of the first hinge element, the latter being positioned horizontally and therefore perpendicular to the bar when the latter is in a vertical position.
Advantageously in this variant of said means of holding the barrier in a raised position, the groove can be extended at the end serving as a upper position stop by a vertical return, thus making it possible to provide a stepped section in the lower face of the groove in which the element passing through said groove and sliding along the latter is positioned when the bar has reached a vertical position. In this configuration the means of holding the barrier in a raised position is locked when the bar is in a vertical position and can only be unlocked following intentional intervention by the person handling the barrier.
Whatever configuration is used for the means allowing for the barrier to be held in a raised position, said element passing through said groove and sliding along the latter can be for example a cylindrical rod having an outside diameter just smaller than the width of the groove.
According to a further variant of the invention, the means allowing for the lid/barrier assembly to be held in a vertical position can be constituted by at least one set of 2 wedges placed in the base of the box, said wedges being separated by a slot having dimensions just sufficient to allow the bar to pass between them in a vertical position, preferably without play, said wedges being positioned against the side wall of the box serving as a support to the hinge means of the box lid, or of the part of the box lid supporting the barrier, on said wall.
A person skilled in the art will understand that if more than 2 wedges are chosen, these must all be separated two to two by a slot just equal to the thickness of a bar, having dimensions just sufficient to allow the bars to pass between them in a vertical position, preferably without play. Very preferably, said wedges have a length equal to the gap between two successive bars and a width equal to the thickness of the bar.
It is understood that in this variant, said wedges are positioned fixed in the base of the box, as close as possible to the wall of the box serving as a support to the hinge means of the box lid, or the part of the box lid supporting the barrier, on said wall.
According to yet another variant of the invention, the means allowing for the lid/barrier assembly to be held in a vertical position can be constituted by a moveable part that can be in the form of a comb, the teeth of which would correspond to wedges being inserted between the bars in a vertical position, each tooth being separated by a slot into which each bar in a vertical position can position itself, the dimensions of which could be at least those of the cross-section of a bar. It will therefore be understood that said teeth could have a width corresponding to the dimension of the space separating two bars in a vertical position. According to this variant, said comb can have any desired length comprised between a length covering at least two bars and the space between said two bars up to a length equal to the total length of the barrier. Preferably according to the invention, said comb will have a length equal to the length of the barrier. A person skilled in the art will be able without difficulty to adapt the length of said comb to the stresses that it may encounter and will be able to adapt the required number of teeth and slots necessary as a function of the chosen length.
Again according to this variant, said comb can be constituted by a hinged part positioned in the base of the box and hinged to said base of the box, such that when the barrier is folded the teeth of said comb can be oriented vertically upwards, without however interfering with the closure of the box lid. It is understood that a preferred positioning of said comb is between the foot of the bars and the front wall of the box, the rear wall of said box being the wall supporting the part of the lid to which the bars are fixed.
A further advantage of this means allowing for the lid/barrier assembly to be held in a vertical position in the form of a comb lies in the fact that at the same time as allowing for said lid/barrier assembly to be held in a vertical position, it can act as means allowing for the barrier to be held in a raised position.
By way of means allowing for the lid/barrier assembly to be held in a vertical position mention can be made by way of example of a stay which itself can take any form known to a person skilled in the art.
For example according to a first variant of the stay, mention can be made of a right-angled triangular part, optionally removable, which can be temporarily fixed by one of the sides of its right angle either onto the inside face of the box lid of the device according to the invention, or at the base of the box, by any suitable means such as for example a hinge pin, the other side of the right angle resting either on the base of the box, or on the box lid, said right-angled triangular part allowing for said lid, and therefore the barrier, to be held in an open vertical position when it is positioned perpendicular to the lid.
According to a further preferred variant, the stay can be constituted by a right-angled triangular part, one of the sides of the right angle of which is hinged rotatably to the base of the box of the device according to the invention, the other side of the right angle resting on the box lid, said right-angled triangular part being preferably positioned perpendicular to the lid, the assembly allowing for said lid, and therefore the barrier, to be held in an open vertical position.
According to a further variant, the stay can take the form of a rod. According to a particular embodiment, said rod can be a removable rod, one of the ends of which is intended to abut against one of the bars of the barrier and the other end of which is intended to abut against the base and/or the edge oppose with the box lid.
According to a further particular embodiment, said rod can be a fixed rod, one of the ends of which can be fixed by means of a hinge to one of the bars of the barrier or to the base of the box, the other free end being capable of attachment either to the base of the box or to one of the bars of the barrier.
According to yet another particular embodiment, said rod can be a rod retractable into one of the bars of the barrier, particularly a rod having a diameter smaller than the inside diameter of one of the bars of the barrier, said rod being positioned inside a recess having dimensions at least equal to those of said rod, made in said bar, so that when the barrier is in a folded position, said stay is positioned entirely inside the bar and when the barrier is in a raised position, said rod comes out of the bar to adopt a position in a plane perpendicular to the plane of the lid of the device according to the invention, resting on the base of the box of the device according to the invention, the assembly allowing for said lid, and therefore the barrier, to be held in an open vertical position. According to yet another particular embodiment, said rod can be a rod retractable into one of the bars of the barrier, particularly a rod having a diameter smaller than the inside diameter of one of the bars of the barrier, said rod sliding longitudinally inside said bar so that when the barrier is in a folded position, said stay is invisible, said rod being positioned entirely inside the bar and when the barrier is in a raised position, said rod comes out of the bar to adopt a position in a plane perpendicular to the plane of the lid of the device according to the invention, resting on the base of the box of the device according to the invention, the assembly allowing for said lid, and therefore the barrier, to be held in an open vertical position.
According to a variant of the stays in the form of a rod, at least one means of locking the rod in an open position can be added to the assembly. A first locking means can be constituted by the side of the box opposite to the one supporting the lid. A further means can be a stop fixed to the base of the box.
As a further improvement it is possible to envisage a locking assembly constituted by a first stop fixed to the base of the box in such a way that the stay pushes against it at the same as it pushes against the side of the box.
Regardless of the variant of the stay in the form of a rod, it can moreover include at least one additional locking means at its lower end, for example a fin hinged on said rod.
According to the principle of the invention, in order to deploy the barrier

- firstly, the box lid of the device according to the invention holding the barrier in a fully folded position is opened;
- secondly, said lid is positioned at an angle greater than 90° in relation to the base of the box, sufficient so that during deployment of the barrier the lower end of the poles at least passes outside the wedges positioned in the base of the box;
- thirdly, the barrier is deployed in order to position the poles parallel to the width of the box;
- fourthly, the lid and therefore the barrier brought back to a vertical position, by positioning the lower part of each bar in the slot between 2 corresponding wedges, thus locking the barrier in a fully deployed position;
- fifthly, a stay is positioned as previously described in order to hold the lid/barrier assembly fully deployed in a vertical position.

A person skilled in the art will understand that the device according to the invention can comprise one or more stay(s) making it possible to hold the lid, and therefore the barrier, in a vertical position' said stays being capable of being different types.
The dimensions of the box of course depend on the dimensions of the folding barrier that it contains.
A person skilled in the art will understand that due to the fact that the bars are all hinged at the same level, and that they all have a thickness and are separated by a given dimension that is much smaller than their total height, when they undergo a longitudinal translation in order to fold them onto each other, it is impossible for them to be positioned totally horizontally, one bar abutting against its immediate neighbour.
Thus in the “fully folded” position of the barrier a bar forms a maximum angle with the vertical, the dimension of which is a function of the thickness of the bars and the gap between them.
Thus, the length of the box, and therefore that of the lid, will correspond at least to the length of the handrail plus a dimension finked to the height of the bars and the angle that said bars form with the vertical when the barrier is in a fully folded position.
Similarly the width of the lid must correspond to at least the height of the barrier measured when it is in a fully folded position. Moreover, as the bars are topped by a handrail, itself hinged in relation to the bar, the width of the lid will also be a function of the thickness of said handrail.
A person skilled in the art will know how to calculate the width of the box according to the dimensions of the bars of the barrier that the box must contain and the gap between them.
A person skilled in the art will understand that in reality the lid can have dimensions at least slightly greater than the simple definition given previously, as these dimensions must include at least the thicknesses of the side walls of the box on which said lid must be supported.
The inside height of the box can correspond at least to the thickness of the bars and/or the handrail, the largest dimension being taken into account.
When the box has a height greater than the thickness of the bars and/or the handrail, it is possible to envisage the presence of one or more support(s) in the base of the box so that the bars and/or the handrail can rest thereon when the barrier is in a fully folded position and the lid is closed.
The height, thickness and spacing of the bars, as well as the length, thickness and width of the handrail are a function of the intended use of said barrier. A person skilled in the art will know how to adapt these dimensions, particularly when the use of the barrier comes under strict regulations, as may be the case with those for swimming pool safety barriers.
According to a variant of the invention, the barrier can moreover comprise a gate. In this variant, the gate can be constituted by part of the lid and part of the barrier, said parts being capable of being moveable in rotation about an axis parallel to the bars of the barrier, said axis being capable of being positioned between two bars of the barrier. It is thus understood that the part of the handrail of the gate can be hinged at one of its ends to the end of one of the parts of the barrier handrail, in one of its parts that does not constitute the gate, and can be free at the other end, the latter being capable moreover of comprising a means of closing fitted to the end of the other part of the barrier handrail in its other part that does not constitute the gate.
it is also understood that the box lid of the device will constitute a part (corresponding to the gate) moveable in rotation about an axis parallel to the bars of the barrier, said axis being positioned between two bars of the barrier. Thus it is understood that the lid part at the level of the gate is hinged at one of its ends to one of the parts of the box lid of the device according to the invention in one of its parts that does not constitute the gate and is free at the other end, the latter moreover being capable of comprising closing means fitted to the end of the other moveable part of the lid of the barrier in its other part that does not constitute the gate.
Of course the axes of rotation of the gate at the level of the handrail and the lid are positioned vertical to each other, thus allowing the rotation of the gate.
According to a variant of the device according to the invention, the bars of the barrier can be telescopic. To this end, each bar can be constituted by two or more tubes fitting into each other. In this variant, the barrier in a fully folded position occupies an even smaller area than when the barrier is only constituted by non-telescopic bars, with the result that the box of the device according to the invention is smaller.
At least one device according to the invention can be used for the installation of an enclosure, particularly for safety purposes, very particularly around a body of water such as a swimming pool. A subject of the invention is therefore also the use of a device according to the invention for constituting an enclosure, particularly a safety enclosure, very particularly around a body of water, even more particularly around a swimming pool.
According to an embodiment of the device according to the invention, a device can constitute the whole of one side of the desired enclosure. Thus several devices according to the invention, positioned in relation to each other in order to completely enclose the location to be made safe, serve to constitute the different sides of the enclosure delimited in this way.
According to the invention, the device can be envisaged fixed in the location where it is sited.
In a further embodiment, the device can be envisaged as removable. In this configuration, the device will constitute a part of one side of the desired enclosure. Thus several devices according to the invention, positioned end to end in relation to each other, will constitute the whole of said side. According to a particular embodiment, suitable for this particular use, the box can be arranged with a male end and a female end such that the male end fits perfectly into the female end. Thus in order to constitute the complete side of an enclosure, it is possible easily to handle the devices according to the invention, the size and weight of which are sufficiently small, and which once placed end to end will constitute a uniform and rigid assembly.
Regardless of the variant embodiment envisaged, the device according to the invention can simply be placed on the ground, optionally fixed thereto by any suitable means.
It can also be envisaged that for reasons of aesthetics the box(es) can be installed in the ground. It is therefore understood that before installation, it will be necessary to make trenches in the soil, having the dimensions of the box(es).
It is easily understood that the device according to the invention can be produced in any material compatible with its intended use. Of course, consideration will be given, non-limitatively, to wood, plastic materials or metals, optionally galvanized, among which mention can be made of aluminium, iron, zinc, copper, or also a mixture of metals or an alloy, such as steel (iron-carbon alloy), optionally in the form of stainless steel or copper alloys (bronze, brass), it being understood that the use of several materials in the production of a single barrier can be envisaged. Preferably the device according to the invention is made of aluminium.
According to a particular embodiment, the device according to the invention can moreover comprise at least one automated means of moving the lid and/or the barrier.
According to a preferred variant of the invention, in the interest of filling the space left free at one of the ends of the barrier when it is in a raised position, it is possible for the box to comprise two hinged barriers having different dimensions, positioned one (generally the shorter one) at the end of the other (generally the longer one), each hinged in the opposite direction to the other with respect to the box lid, and positioned one above the other in said box when the barrier is in a folded position. The shorter barrier can have a length at least equal to the length of the space left free by the longer barrier when raised, and its other dimensions equal to those of the longer barrier. Thus according to the invention with this variant, when the barrier is in a folded position, the box contains two barriers of different lengths, folded in opposite directions to each other and positioned one above the other in said box. During the unfolding of the barrier, each of the two barriers is deployed in the opposite direction to the other and once the two barriers are both positioned vertically, mutually aligned, they will constitute a single uninterrupted barrier. It is understood that according to this variant, the box must have a thickness or depth at least equal to twice the thickness of the barrier, handrail included.

It is also understood that it is necessary, for the part of the barrier being positioned once folded at the base of the box, to provide at the level of the attachment of the bars to the lid, a spacer between the foot of the bars and the lid, said spacer having a length at least equal to the thickness of the barrier, in order to arrange, between the lid and said part of the barrier, a space sufficient for the second part of the barrier in a folded position to be positioned above the first part of the folded barrier i.e. between the lid and the second barrier. The present invention will be better understood, and its details more clearly apparent, on reading the following description in relation to the figures shown in the attached illustrations, in which:

FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of the device according to the invention, the box lid being in a fully open position and the barrier in a fully folded position;

FIG. 2 shows a lateral (FIG. 2 a) and transverse (FIG. 2 b) cross-sectional view of the device according to the invention, the barrier being in a fully folded position and the box lid folded back onto the sides of said box;

FIG. 3 shows a top view of the device according to the invention, the barrier being in a fully folded position and the box lid according to the invention closed;

FIG. 4 shows means of locking the barrier in a vertical position constituted by a groove in which slides an element fixed directly to one of the bars of the barrier (FIG. 4 a) or a groove in which slides an element fixed to an intermediate part (FIG. 4 b) itself rotatably fixed to one of the bars of the barrier, said groove comprising moreover means of locking said sliding element;

FIG. 5 shows in detail the element sliding in the groove constituting locking means such as shown in FIG. 4 a: plan top view (FIG. 5 a) and view along line Vb-Vb (FIG. 5 b);

FIG. 6 shows means of locking the barrier in a vertical position constituted by a stay, itself constituted by a rod incorporated into a bar of the barrier in a closed position (FIG. 6 a) and an open position (FIG. 6 b);

FIG. 7 shows means of locking the barrier in a vertical position constituted by a stay, itself constituted by a right-angled triangular part in a closed position (FIG. 7 a) and in an open position FIG. 7 b);

FIG. 8 shows the device according to the invention in a fully deployed position and comprising a gate;

FIG. 9 shows in a view along the 3 planes (FIG. 9 a, FIG. 9 b, FIG. 9 c), a variant of the device according to the invention in which the box and the 2-part lid have the shape of a parallelogram, the long side of which has a dimension equal to the length of the handrail of the barrier and the short side of which has a dimension equal to the length of a bar plus the thickness of the handrail, said short side forming an angle with the long side equal to the angle of the bars with the lower edge of the lid in a fully folded position of the barrier.

FIG. 1 shows a device according to the invention during unfolding, comprising a box (100) comprising a hinged lid (101), in a vertical position, side walls (102), (104), a base (106) and a barrier (107) in a fully folded position (solid lines) or fully deployed position (dotted lines), said barrier comprising bars (108) and a handrail (109). The Figure also shows hinge means (110) of the bars (108) in relation to the handrail (109) and hinge means (111) of the bars in relation to the lid, as well as hinge means (112) of the lid (101) in relation to the side of the box (102). Lacking means (113) of the barrier in a fully deployed position are also shown in the form of a groove made in the lid (101) in which slides an element (114) directly linked to one of the bars. Finally, means of locking the lid in a vertical position are shown, constituted by a right-angled triangular part (115) hinged on the base (106) of the box (101).

FIG. 2 shows a device according to the invention in a folded position, closed, in a side view along the long side (FIG. 2 a) and along the short side (FIG. 2 b), comprising a box (200), a lid (201), side walls (202), (204), a base (206) and a barrier (207) in a fully folded position. Hinge means (212) of the lid (201) are also shown in relation to the side of the box (202) and hinge means (211) of the bars in relation to the lid.

Means of locking the lid in a vertical position (215) are also shown, constituted by a right-angled triangular part hinged on the base (206) of the box (201) by the hinge means (217).
FIG. 3 shows a device according to the invention in a folded position, closed, in a top view, comprising a box (300), a lid (301), side walls (302), (304), a base (306) and a barrier (307) in a fully folded position, said barrier comprising bars (308) and a handrail (309). The figure also shows hinge means of the bars in relation to the handrail (310) and hinge means (311) of the bars in relation to the lid. Means of locking the lid in a vertical position (315) are also shown, constituted by a right-angled triangular part hinged on the base (306) of the box (301).
FIG. 4 shows 2 variants of the means of locking the barrier in a fully deployed position (solid lines) or fully folded position (dotted lines). In a first variant (FIG. 4 a), the barrier locking means are constituted by a groove (413) in which slides an element (418) fixed directly to one of the bars (408) of the barrier (407). In a second variant (FIG. 4 b), the barrier locking means are constituted by a groove (413) in which slides an element (418) fixed onto an intermediate part (419) itself rotatably fixed to a bar (408) of the barrier (407), said groove comprising moreover means of locking said sliding element in the form of a stepped section (420) in the lower face of the groove in which the element passing through said groove (418) and sliding along it is positioned when the bar has reached a vertical position. The figure also shows hinge means (411) of the bars in relation to the lid.
FIG. 5 shows a detail of the barrier locking means (513), constituted by a groove made in the lid (501) in which slides an element (518) fixed directly to one of the bars (508) of the barrier. The figure also shows hinge means (511) of the bars in relation to the lid. FIG. 5 a shows the barrier locking means (513) in a top view and FIG. 5 b shows the barrier locking means (513) in a cross-sectional view along the line Vb-Vb.
FIG. 6 shows a variant of the stay serving to hold the lid, and therefore the barrier, in a vertical position. In this variant, the stay is constituted by a rod (621) capable of being inserted into the bar (608) in order to reduce the space requirement as much as possible. FIG. 6 a shows the stay in a folded position, inserted into the bar (608), the rod (621) constituting said stay being positioned entirely within the bar, and FIG. 6 b shows the stay in a deployed position, the rod (621) constituting said stay having come out of the bar (608) in order to be positioned in a plane perpendicular to the plane of the lid (601), resting on the base (606) of the box (600) of the device according to the invention, the assembly allowing for said lid, and therefore the barrier, to be held in a vertical open position.
The figure shows the box (600) comprising a hinged lid (601), in a vertical position, side walls (602), (604), a base (606) and a barrier (607) in a fully deployed position, said barrier comprising bars (608) and a handrail (609). The figure also shows hinge means (610) of the bars (608) in relation to the handrail (609) and hinge means (611) of the bars in relation to the lid (601), as well as hinge means (612) of the lid (601) in relation to the side of the box (602).
Furthermore, it can be seen that in this variant the device also includes second means of locking the rod in a deployed position in the form of a stop (622) fixed on the inner face of the base (606) of the box (600). In the variant embodiment shown here, the rod also includes at its lower end a hinged fin (623) serving to reinforce the locking of the rod in the stop (622).
FIG. 7 shows a further variant of the stay serving to hold the lid, and therefore the barrier, in a vertical position. In this variant, the stay is constituted by a right-angled triangular part (715) hinged on the base (706) of the box (701). FIG. 7 a shows the stay in a folded position, lying on the base (706) of the box (700) and FIG. 7 b shows the stay in a deployed position, the right-angled triangular part (715) constituting said stay being positioned in a plane perpendicular to the plane of the lid (701), resting on said lid, the assembly allowing for said lid, and therefore the barrier, to be held in a vertical open position.
The figure shows the box (700) comprising a hinged lid (701), in a vertical position, side walls (702), (704), a base (706) and a barrier (707) in a fully deployed position, said barrier comprising bars (708). The figure also shows hinge means (711) of the bars in relation to the lid (701), as well as hinge means (712) of the lid (701) in relation to the side of the box (702).
FIG. 8 shows a further variant of the device according to the invention in which the barrier comprises a gate (823).
The figure shows the box (800) comprising a hinged lid (801), in a vertical position, side walls (802), (804), a base (806) and a barrier (807) in a fully deployed position, said barrier comprising bars (808) and a handrail (809). The figure also shows hinge means (810) of the bars (808) in relation to the handrail (809) and hinge means (811) of the bars in relation to the lid (801), as well as hinge means (812) of the lid (801) in relation to the side of the box (802).
It can be seen that in this variant the means of locking the barrier in a fully deployed position are constituted by a groove (813) in which slides an element (818) fixed directly to one of the bars (808) of the barrier (807).
It can also be seen that in this variant the device comprises means of locking the lid, and therefore the barrier, in a vertical position in the form of triangular plates (815) shown in a deployed position.
In particular, the gate (823) can be seen, as well as hinge means of said gate constituted by hinges, the axes of which are parallel to the bars, said hinges being situated at the level of the handrail (824) and on the lid (825).
FIG. 9 shows views along the 3 planes (FIG. 9 a, FIG. 9 b, FIG. 9 c), of a variant of the device according to the invention in which the box and the two-part lid have the shape of a parallelogram, the long side of which has a dimension equal to the length of the handrail of the barrier and the short side of which is equal to the length of a bar plus the thickness of the handrail, said short side forming an acute angle (α) with the long side equal to the angle between the bars and the lower edge of the lid in the fully folded position of the barrier, this device comprising at the base of the box wedges (926) for holding the barrier fully deployed in a vertical position.
The figure shows the box (900) comprising a hinged 2-part lid (901 a and 901 b), side walls (902), (904), a base (906) and a barrier (907) comprising bars (908) and a handrail (909). The figure also shows hinge means (910) of the bars (908) in relation to the handrail (909) and hinge means (911) of the bars in relation to the lid (901 a), as well as hinge means (912) of the lid (901) in relation to the side of the box (902).
FIG. 9 a shows the box viewed from above with the part of the lid supporting the barrier (901 a) open, the barrier (907) being in a fully deployed position (solid line) or fully folded position (dotted line) and the part of the lid not supporting the barrier (901 b) being folded back onto the box.
FIG. 9 b shows the box viewed along the line IXa-IXa with the part of the lid supporting the barrier (901 a) open, the barrier (907) being in a fully deployed position (solid line) or fully folded position (dotted line). At the base of the box, wedges can be seen (926) separated by a slot (927) having a width equal to the width of a pole. Also shown is the angle α formed between the long side of the box and the bars when the barrier is in a fully folded position, this angle α also being formed between the long and the short side of the parallelogram formed by the parts of the lid or the base of the box.
FIG. 9 c shows the box viewed along the fine IXb-IXb with the part of the lid supporting the barrier (901 a) open, the barrier (907) being in a fully deployed position (solid line) or fully folded position (dotted line). At the base of the box, wedges (926) can be seen.

Claims

1. A barrier device comprising:

a parallelipipedic box (100) constituted by

a base (106) having the shape of a parallelogram, with a long side corresponding to the length of the box and a short side corresponding to the width of the box,

2 side walls (102, 104) having the shape of a parallelogram, with a length equal to the length of the long side of the box, therefore of the base, and a width equal to the height of the box, said walls being capable of having a rectangular shape, linked to the base by their long side and

equipped with a lid (101) having the shape of a parallelogram, of at least the same dimensions as the base of said box;

said lid being hinged so as to pass between a position horizontal to and a position vertical to one of the 2 walls constituting one of the long sides of said box,

said box containing at least one folding barrier (107) constituted by

a handrail (109), and

bars (108);

said bars being hinged by means of hinges at one of their ends, which can be an upper end, to a handrail (110), and at the other end, which can be a lower end, to the inner face of said box lid, and can be at the lower level of said inner face of said lid (111), said hinges allowing for a longitudinal movement of the bars in relation to the handrail and the box lid, the box lid and hinged barrier assembly thus itself being hinged (112) in relation to one of the sides of said box; and

said bars having a lower end that does not extend beyond the lower edge of said lid when said barrier is in a fully folded position; and

said box having an inside length at least equal to the length of the handrail of the barrier, an inside width at least equal to the height of the barrier in a fully folded position and a height at least equal to the greatest thickness of the barrier.

2. The device according to claim 1, wherein the base (106) of the box (100) and the lid (101) have a rectangular shape and have the same dimensions.

3. The device according to claim 1, wherein the base (106) of the box (100) is rectangular and the lid (101) is a parallelogram, the long side of which is at least equal to the length of the box (100), and the short side of which has a dimension at least equal to the height of the barrier in a fully deployed position, that is the length of a bar (108) plus the thickness of the handrail (110), said short side forming with the long side an angle equal to the angle between the bars (108) and the lower edge of the lid in the fully folded position of the barrier.

4. The device according to claim 1, wherein the base (106) of the box (100) and the lid (101) are a parallelogram, the long side of which has a dimension at least equal to the total length of the barrier (107) in a fully deployed position that is at least equal to the length of the handrail (109), and the short side has a dimension at least equal to the height of the barrier in a fully deployed position, that is at least the length of a bar (108) plus the thickness of the handrail (109), said short side forming an angle (α) with the long side equal to the angle between the bars and the lower edge of the lid in the fully folded position of the barrier.

5. The device according to claim 1 that comprises at least one means allowing for the barrier (107) to be held in a raised position in which the barrier is not folded.

6. The device according to claim 5, wherein the means allowing for the barrier (107) to be held in a raised position is a groove made in the lid (101) of the box, describing an arc of circle of 90°, said groove receiving an element (418) firmly attached directly to one of the bars (108) of the barrier (107), said element passing through said groove and sliding along the latter with the movements of the bars.

7. The device according to claim 6, wherein the means allowing for the barrier (107) to be held in a raised position is constituted by a first hinge element (419) for example a plate or a strip hinged at one of its ends on said bars and at the other end on a element (418) passing through said groove (413) and sliding along the latter with the movements of the bars (108).

8. The device according to claim 6, wherein the groove constituting the device for holding the barrier (107) in a raised position is extended at the end serving as an upper position stop by a vertical return (420) thus allowing for a stepped section to be made in the lower face of the groove in which the element passing through said groove and sliding along it is positioned when the bar (108) has reached a vertical position.

9. The device according to claim 1 that comprises at least one means of holding the lid (101)/barrier (107) assembly in a vertical position.

10. The device according to claim 9, wherein the means of holding the lid (101)/barrier (107) assembly in a vertical position is a stay (621).

11. The device according to claim 10, wherein the stay is a removable right-angled triangular part capable of being fixed either to the lid or to the base of the box.

12. The device according to claim 10, wherein the stay is constituted by a right-angled triangular part hinged either to the base of the box or to the box lid.

13. The device according to claim 10, wherein the stay is a rod (621).

14. The device according to claim 13, wherein the rod (621) is a removable rod one of the ends of which is intended to abut against one of the bars of the barrier and the other end is intended to abut against the base and/or the edge opposite the box lid.

15. The device according to claim 13, wherein the rod (621) is a fixed rod one of the ends of which is fixed by means of a hinge to one of the bars of the barrier or to the base of the box, the other free end being fixed either to the base of the box or to one of the bars of the barrier.

16. The device according to claim 13, wherein the rod (621) is a rod retractable into one of the bars of the barrier.

17. The device according to claim 13 that also comprises means of locking the rod in an open position.

18. The device according to claim 17, wherein the means of locking the rod in an open position are either the edge of the box opposite the edge supporting the lid or a stop (622) fixed to the base of the box, or both.

19. The device according to claim 13, wherein the rod constitutes at least one additional locking means at its lower end, for example a fin (623) hinged on said rod.

20. The device according to claim 9, wherein the means allowing for the lid/barrier assembly to be held in a vertical position is constituted by at least one set of 2 wedges (927) placed in the base of the box, said wedges being separated by a slot (927) having dimensions just sufficient to allow the bar in a vertical position to pass between them, without play, said wedges being positioned against the side wall of the box acting as a support to the hinge means of the box lid on said wall.

21. The device according to claim 1 that comprises a gate (823).

22. The device according to claim 21, wherein the gate (823) is constituted by part of the lid (101) and part of the barrier, said parts being moveable in rotation about an axis parallel to the bars (108) of the barrier, said axis being positioned between two bars of the barrier (107).

23. The device according to claim 1, wherein the bars of the barrier are telescopic.

24. The device according to claim 1, wherein the box can be arranged with a male end and a female end.

25. The device according to claim 1, it is made of wood, plastic material, metal, or also a mixture of metals or alloy.

26. The device according to claim 25, wherein the metal can optionally be galvanized, and can be aluminium, iron, zinc or copper.

27. The device according to claim 25, wherein the mixture of metals can be steel, such as iron-carbon alloy, optionally in the form of stainless steel, and in that the alloy can be a copper alloy, such as bronze or brass.

28. The device according to claim 1 that comprises at least one automatic means of moving the lid (101) and/or the barrier (107).

29. The device according to claim 1 that also comprises one or more support(s) in the base of the box so that the bars (108) and/or the handrail (109) can rest thereon when the barrier (107) is in a fully folded position and the lid (101) is closed.

30. The device according to claim 1 that it is constituted by at least two barriers hinged in relation to the lid in opposite directions to each other.

31. An enclosure constituted by at least one of said device of claim 1.

32. A body of water, such as a swimming pool, surrounded by an enclosure according to claim 31.

33. A method for enclosing a body of water, that can be a swimming pool, said method comprising positioning one or more of the barrier devices of claim 1 in a manner to enclose said body of water.