WO2017157935A1

WO2017157935A1 - Improved flood barrier

Info

Publication number: WO2017157935A1
Application number: PCT/EP2017/055986
Authority: WO
Inventors: Fred SCHANDORFF DAHL
Original assignee: Aquafence As
Priority date: 2016-03-14
Filing date: 2017-03-14
Publication date: 2017-09-21
Also published as: NO20160439A1; NO342611B1

Abstract

A flood barrier (100) prevents flooding water to enter an opening in a wall. The flood barrier comprises a canvas (102) comprising a plurality of rectangular pockets (104) arranged adjacent each other. A plurality of rigid rectangular sheets(106)are arranged in the pockets. The canvas is thereby configured to be folded into at least a first configuration and a second configuration. The first configuration comprises a vertical wall part and a horizontal base part that interact via connecting means in the first configuration as a barrier to the flooding water and the second configuration is a folded stack.

Description

IMPROVED FLOOD BARRIER

TECHNICAL FIELD

Embodiments herein relate to relate to a flood barrier to be located on a ground to form a local barrier against flooding water. BACKGROUND

Flooding, caused by melted snow, storms or heavy rain, each year causes great damage and sometimes personal injury. Various types of barricades are used as flood barriers. An example of a barricade is the sandbag barricade. Such a barricade is, however, slow to construct, and the construction requires a lot of labor. Flood barriers which can be erected more quickly are known. For example, GB 1 561 022 describes a flood barrier section or barrage which is permanently attached to a basis formed by a threshold structure on the bottom of a waterway to be dammed, the threshold structure being provided with a hollow recess to receive the barrage. The barrage comprises a wall or flap which along one of its edges is hinged to the threshold structure, the hinge enabling a rotating erection of the wall from an essentially horizontal position to an erected position, in order to form a barrier against flooding water. A tie which extends from the threshold structure to the wall on the flooded side of the wall prevents an erection of the wall beyond the erected position.

A drawback of the flood barrier according to GB 1 561 022 is that both the threshold structure and the various elements of the barrier are exposed to the environment when not in use. Such exposure to humidity, and possibly frost or heat, will after some years normally cause corrosion and malfunctioning. Further, the location of the flood barrier is restricted to the location of the threshold structure.

Flood barriers, which can be stored under controlled conditions when not in use, are also known. For example, SE 507 121 describes portable flood barrier sections to be located on a ground to form a barrier against flooding water, comprising a vertical wall which along its lower edge is attached to a support plate. A tie which extends from the support plate to the wall on the flooded side of the wall prevents the wall from yielding to the pressure of the flooding water. In a collapsed configuration the wall and the support plate can be separated, and the support plate has a groove for fixing the wall. A flexible waterproof sheet prevents leakage through the connection between the wall and the support plate.

A drawback of the flood barrier according to SE 507 121 is that water may leak underneath the support plate. Further, in the collapsed configuration, the connection between the wall and the support plate will easily loosen. Furthermore, the flood barrier of SE 507 121 is heavy and difficult to carry, and it is time consuming to unfold and assemble.

SUMMARY

In view of the above, an object of the present disclosure is to overcome or at least mitigate at least some of the drawbacks related to prior art flood barriers.

This object is achieved in one aspect according to the independent claim by a flood barrier for preventing flooding water to enter an opening in a wall. The flood barrier comprises a canvas comprising a plurality of rectangular pockets arranged adjacent each other. A plurality of rigid rectangular sheets are arranged in the pockets. The canvas is thereby configured to be folded into at least a first configuration and a second

configuration. The first configuration comprises a vertical wall part and a horizontal base part that interact via connecting means in the first configuration as a barrier to the flooding water and the second configuration is a folded stack.

Various embodiments of the flood barrier are defined by the dependent claims. In other words, the present disclosure provides a light weighted flood barrier which is easy to carry in a collapsed state and at the same time easy and not time consuming to assemble into a folded stack.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Figure 1 schematically illustrates a perspective view of a flood barrier unfolded in a first configuration,

figures 2a-e schematically illustrate perspective views of a flood barrier stacked in a second configuration,

figure 3 schematically illustrates a perspective view of a wall part of a flood barrier, figure 4 schematically illustrates a perspective view of a base part of a flood barrier, figure 5 schematically illustrates a perspective view of a flood barrier, and

figure 6 schematically illustrates a partial perspective view of a flood barrier.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Embodiments will now be described of a portable, collapsible and foldable flood barrier. The embodiments will illustrate that water leakage underneath the flood barrier and the ground is, if not prevented at least mitigated to a manageable level. The flood barrier can be folded and unfolded quickly and is easy to store and carry when not in use.

With reference to figures 1 to 6, various embodiments of a flood barrier 100 comprises a canvas 102 divided into canvas pieces wherein a number of the canvas pieces are provided with pockets 104 adjusted to house rectangular sheets of a rigid material. The sheets should be sufficiently solid and thick to hold back flooding water, but the same time sufficiently thin and light weighted to provide a convenient and quick folding/unfolding and carriage. The canvas pieces are framed by substantially rectangular folds, and the rigid rectangular sheets are properly sized, so that the whole canvas is foldable similar to a foldable tarpaulin and thereby also being portable.

It is to be noted that herein the definition of "canvas" is to be understood as including any non-rigid sheet like material including textile and non-textile materials. Any suitable material may be utilized that can be folded and preferably also sewn, welded or glued.

In some embodiments, the flood barrier 100 may be divided into a wall 150 and a base part 160. The base part 160 is typically intended to be substantially horizontally arranged on a ground plane, and the wall part is typically intended to be substantially vertical in an unfolded configuration. Figure 1 illustrates the flood barrier in a first configuration where the flood barrier is unfolded and figures 2a-e illustrate different views of the flood barrier in a second configuration where the flood barrier is folded into a stack 170. The base part 160 may further comprise a frontal base part 1 10 and two side base parts 1 12. The frontal base part 1 10 comprises a first number of frontal base canvas pockets 104 containing one respective rigid rectangular sheet 106. The side base parts 1 12 comprise one or more side base canvas pockets 104 containing one respective rigid rectangular sheet 106 each. The frontal base part 1 10 and the two side base parts 1 12 are connected by means of two corner canvas pieces 1 14 not containing rectangular rigid rectangular sheets but instead respective rigid triangular sheets 107. The corner canvas pieces 1 14 respectively shares one fold 1 13 with the frontal base part 1 10, and one fold 1 15 with the side base part 1 12. In addition, the corner canvas pieces 1 14 are also provided with a respective diagonal fold 1 17 running from the respective corner not adjacent neither the frontal base part 1 10 nor to a side base part 1 12 towards the opposite corner of the respective corner canvas piece 1 14.

The corner canvas pieces 1 14, with their respective fold 1 17, enable a simple folding of the flood barrier 100 into the second configuration in which the flood barrier 100 is folded into the stack 170 illustrated in figure 2.

The wall part 150 may further comprise a frontal wall part 1 19 and two side wall parts 121 . The frontal wall part 1 19 comprises said first number of fontal wall 1 19 canvas pockets 104 containing one respective rigid rectangular sheet 106 each. Each frontal wall 1 19 canvas pocket 104 shares a fold 123 with an adjacent one of the frontal base 1 10 canvas pocket 104. The side wall parts 121 comprise one or more side wall 121 canvas pockets 104 containing one respective rigid rectangular sheet 106. Each side wall 121 canvas pocket 104 shares a fold 125 with an adjacent one of the side base canvas 104 pocket 104, and the side wall 121 canvas pocket 104 adjacent to the frontal wall 1 19 shares a fold 127 with a respective frontal wall 1 19 canvas pocket 104.

The flood barrier 100 is also provided with a number of connecting means, e.g. in the form of non-rigid straps 130 connected between the base part 160 and the wall part 150. For example, the straps 130 may be connected between the frontal base part 1 10 and the frontal wall part 1 19. Straps 130 may also be connected between the side base parts 1 12 and the side wall part 121. Each strap 130 may comprise a fastening point and such fastening points to the frontal base part and the fastening point to the frontal wall part of a strap may be positioned substantially in the same spatial plane being substantially perpendicular to both the frontal base part 1 10 spatial plane and the frontal wall part 1 19 plane in an unfolded state of the flood barrier. In this way, any gravity force working on the frontal base part 1 10 will provide a force on the frontal wall part 1 19 via the straps 130. As figure 5 and figure 6 illustrate, the non-rigid straps 130 may be configured to be attached at various positions on the canvas pieces, including in-between canvas pieces. The base part 160 may further be provided with load bars 132 in the edge of the canvas 102. The load bars 132 may, e.g., be in the form of a chain of lead elements running along the outer edge of the base part 160. At an intersection of a fold between canvas pockets 104, the load bars 132 are preferably discontinuous or provided with joints so as to provide full foldability when the flood barrier is folded and unfolded between the first and second configurations. A purpose of the load bars 132 is to provide a sealing of the flood barrier with respect to the ground 184 preventing flooding water to flow under the base part 160 of the flood barrier 100. The flood barrier 100 may be arranged so as to prevent buildings to be flooded through door 180 and other apertures in a wall 182. A width of the frontal wall part 1 19 may then be configured to be bit larger than the width of the door 180 or aperture in question. Vertical edges of the side wall parts 121 may be provided with sealing means 134 to secure the flood barrier 100 to the wall 182 on each side of the door/aperture 180, and to prevent flooding water to flow between the side wall parts 121 and the wall 182.

Embodiments of the flood barrier 100 include those where the rigid rectangular and triangular sheets are made of plywood of, e.g., 4-6 mm thickness.

Embodiments of the flood barrier 100 include those where the straps 130 are made of textiles and in other embodiments the straps 130 are made of a polymer/plastic material. Embodiments of the flood barrier 100 include those where the canvas 102 comprises two layers assembled with seams, welds or glued sections to create the different pockets 104 and duct along the outer edge of the base part 160 housing the load bars 134.

Claims

1 . Flood barrier (100) for preventing flooding water to enter an opening (180) in a wall (182), comprising:

- a canvas (102) comprising a plurality of rectangular pockets (104) arranged adjacent each other,

- a plurality of rigid rectangular sheets (106) arranged in said pockets,

whereby the canvas is configured to be folded into at least a first configuration and a second configuration, where:

- said first configuration comprises a vertical wall part (150) and a horizontal base part (160) that interact via connecting means (130) in the first configuration as a barrier to the flooding water, and

- said second configuration is a folded stack (170).

2. The flood barrier of claim 1 , where:

- the base part comprises a frontal base part (1 10) and two side base parts (1 12), - the frontal base part comprising a first number of frontal base canvas pockets containing one respective rigid rectangular sheet,

- each side base part comprises at least one side base canvas pocket containing one respective rigid rectangular sheet,

- the frontal base part and the two side base parts are connected by means of two corner canvas pieces (1 14), the corner canvas pieces respectively sharing one fold (1 13) with the frontal base part and sharing one fold (1 15) with the side base part, the corner canvas pieces further configured with a respective diagonal fold (1 17) running from a respective corner not adjacent neither the frontal base part nor a side base part towards the opposite corner of the respective corner canvas piece, whereby said diagonal folds divides the respective corner canvas piece into two triangular pockets, each triangular pocket containing a rigid triangular sheet (107), - the wall part comprises a frontal wall part (1 19) and two side wall parts (121 ),

- the frontal wall part comprises said first number of frontal wall canvas pockets containing one respective rigid rectangular sheet,

- each frontal wall canvas pocket shares a fold (123) with an adjacent one of the frontal base canvas pieces,

- the side wall parts comprise at least one side wall canvas pocket containing one respective rigid rectangular sheet and each side wall canvas pocket shares a fold (125) with an adjacent one of the side base canvas pockets, and the side wall canvas pockets adjacent the frontal wall shares a fold (127) with a respective frontal wall canvas piece.

3. The flood barrier of claim 1 or claim 2, where the connecting means comprise at least one non-rigid strap (130) arranged between the base part (160) and the wall part (150) such that any gravity force working on the base part will provide, in the first configuration via the at least one strap, a force on the wall part.

4. The flood barrier of claim 3, where the at least one non-rigid strap is arranged between the frontal base part (1 10) and the frontal wall part (1 19) such that any gravity force working on the frontal base part will provide, in the first configuration via the at least one strap, a force on the frontal wall part.

5. The flood barrier of any of claims 1 -4, comprising:

- a plurality of load bars (132) arranged at an edge of the base part (160) such that the load bars provide a sealing between the base part and a ground (184) on which the base part is located, thereby preventing flooding water to flow under the base part.

6. The flood barrier of any of claims 1 -5, where the side wall parts (121 ) comprises sealing means (134) configured to prevent flooding water to flow between the side wall parts and the wall (182) in which the opening (180) is located.

7. The flood barrier of any of claims 1 -6, where the canvas comprises two layers assembled with seams, welds or glue to create the pockets.

8. The flood barrier of claim 7, where the two layers of canvas assembled with seams, welds or glue also create a duct along an outer edge of the base part (1 10) housing the load bars.