Flotation barrier

Abstract

The invention relates to a flotation barrier. The barrier comprises a flotation body (1) with walls forming a chamber (4) with an upper section (41) and a lower section (42). At least one segment of the lower section (42) comprises an inner layer (2A) and an outer layer (2B) of woven material between which there is an intermediate layer (3) of foam. The barrier comprises expansion mechanisms, housed in the chamber (4) and configured to expand the flotation body (1), increasing the volume of said chamber (4). These mechanisms have rigid platens (5), joined together so as to be able to rotate relative to one another, forming a geometric figure, and a traction spring (7), connected to opposite joints of the platens (5), which stores the energy necessary for deploying the mechanism, increasing the volume of the chamber (4) and generating an air vacuum inside said chamber (4), which is filled with air from the outside.

Description

OBJECT OF THE INVENTION

[0001] The object of the present invention falls within the technical field of expandable flotation barriers. This type of barriers are used to contain substances that may be toxic or polluting in large bodies of water, such as the sea.TECHNICAL PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED AND BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0002] Different types of flotation barriers are known from the state of the art, which are generally used as anti-pollution barriers. These barriers are broadly divided into solid flotation barriers, inflatable flotation barriers and self-expandable barriers.

[0003] Solid flotation barriers include barriers with flat flotation, the floats of which comprise sheets of foam with a certain thickness and wrapped by a fabric, cylindrical barriers, which are similar to the previous ones but have a greater volume in the flotation chambers; and permanent barriers, the floating elements of which are arranged on the outside and are made of a rigid plastic or metal material filled with foam.

[0004] Flat floating barriers are easy to handle and have good stowage volume, however, they have poor reserve buoyancy and are therefore not normally used for offshore applications. Moreover, cylindrical barriers have very good manageability and have very good reserve buoyancy, however, said cylindrical barriers exhibit drawbacks related to their stowage volume and poor adaptation to waves. Regarding permanent barriers, it should be noted that these are pieces of equipment intended to spend long periods of time afloat, so they are usually resistant, but they are bulky and heavy.

[0005] Inflatable flotation barriers include single-chamber barriers, which comprise a continuous chamber inside which individual floats are housed that allow the barrier to be compartmentalised; and multiple-chamber barriers, which are formed by the fabric that surrounds them and which determines a plurality of floats.

[0006] Inflatable flotation barriers have good reserve buoyancy and a reduced stowage volume, but as a drawback, they require a supply of air to proceed with their deployment, so that they require auxiliary means and handling at the time of intervention.

[0007] Likewise, self-expandable barriers are known, which include a great plurality of different configurations. They broadly include Uniboom ®< type barriers, the expansion mechanism of which is a pneumatic hose that forms a spiral or set of rings fixed together by a fabric that makes up the chamber, arranged on the inside thereof, so that when blowing pressurised air through said pneumatic hose it expands the fabric, inflating the flotation chamber; spring-type barriers in which the expansion mechanism is a spiral spring, fixed to the inside of a fabric that shapes the chamber so that, when the barrier leaves the reel (or corresponding storage device), the spring is deployed, expanding the flotation chamber; and barriers with an expansion mechanism with an articulated quadrilateral cross section in which the expansion is carried out by means of an articulated quadrilateral that is preloaded by the action of a spring therein.

[0008] Self-expandable barriers have the advantage, compared to other barriers, of a better deployment speed, a good stowage volume and good reserve buoyancy. The drawback of this type of barriers is that they require the incorporation of mechanisms or devices for expansion therein, which make them more expensive and can affect their reliability, requiring greater attention during handling and maintenance.

[0009] Other types of protective barriers are also known, such as sealing barriers or incineration barriers, which due to their application and / or construction are more specialised solutions.DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0010] The invention relates to a self-expandable flotation barrier. The barrier is, when it is not being used, stored on a reel (or other storage device) and, when it is deployed, it expands due to expansion mechanisms arranged therein that generate a vacuum which is filled, preferably, with air from the outside. The barrier comprises a flotation body comprising a chamber with a quadrilateral cross section, with an upper section and a lower section, which is the one that receives the air from the outside. This air-filled chamber is the element that provides flotation to the barrier.

[0011] At least one segment of the lower section of the chamber comprises an inner layer and an outer layer between which there is an intermediate layer of foam. This technical characteristic contributes to correct buoyancy of the flotation body and therefore of the barrier.

[0012] In an exemplary embodiment, the barrier may also comprise in the upper section of the chamber at least one segment with an inner layer and an outer layer of woven material between which there is an intermediate layer of foam.

[0013] Likewise, the barrier comprises expansion mechanisms housed in the chamber and which are configured to expand the flotation body, increasing the volume of the chamber. These expansion mechanisms comprise rigid platens, and comprise a traction spring, connected to opposite joints of the platens, configured to store the energy necessary to deploy the mechanism. In this way, the volume of the chamber is increased and an air vacuum is generated in said chamber, which is filled with air from the outside of the flotation body.

[0014] The protection barrier described makes it possible to prevent the passage of a certain substance found in a body of water, such as oil, plastics, other types of waste, etc. To stop the passage of unwanted substances, the barrier comprises a skirt that extends internally from the flotation body.

[0015] Likewise, so that the flotation body remains in a defined and stable position, a ballast element is fixed at the end of the skirt (which is preferably made of waterproof technical fabric) that gives the barrier its final shape and position when afloat. As previously stated, the skirt, arranged between the flotation body and the ballast, prevents the passage of the substance to be contained below the surface of the water, i.e., it is the element acting as a containment element.

[0016] One of the keys to the proposed flotation barrier is that it has a bulkhead-free configuration, i.e., the entire chamber is connected from the inside. The segments of the chamber walls comprising the inner layer, outer layer and intermediate layer of foam form a sandwich-type construction formed by fabric-foam-fabric, giving greater consistency and rigidity to the area located between expansion mechanisms, and consequently improving the buoyancy and stability of the barrier.

[0017] In an exemplary embodiment, the entire lower section of the chamber comprises said sandwich construction. In another exemplary embodiment, only some of the segments of said lower section comprise this type of construction. Preferably these segments extend in the longitudinal direction of the flotation body and partially along the perimeter of the lower section of the chamber.

[0018] The improvement in the rigidity of the barrier conferred by the sandwich-type configuration allows the expansion elements to be placed at a greater distance from one another, consequently reducing the weight of the freeboard which, in addition to improving stability, allows the total weight of the assembly to be lowered as not so much weight is necessary in the ballast.

[0019] Furthermore, the fact that the sandwich walls comprise a layer of foam makes the barrier unsinkable in the event of breakage thereof, providing solid flotation. In the event of this type of failure, the barrier continues to perform its function thanks to the flotation provided by the foam.

[0020] The ends of the barrier comprise a valve or an outlet mechanism, made of fabric, which allows the output of water that may have entered or condensed inside the chamber. Since there are no bulkheads inside the chamber, water can flow therethrough to the ends where these valves or outlet mechanisms are located.BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

[0021] To complete the description, and for the purpose of helping to make the features of the invention more readily understandable, this description is accompanied by a set of drawings constituting an integral part of the same, which by way of illustration and not limitation represents the following: Figure 1 depicts a perspective view of the flotation barrier. Figures 2A-2B show cross-sectional perspective views of the flotation barrier in two possible embodiments. Figures 3A-3B show cross-sectional front views of the flotation barrier in two possible embodiments. Figure 4 shows a perspective view of the flotation barrier without the inner and outer layers of the walls in the flotation chamber. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0022] Figure 1 shows the flotation barrier of the present invention in a perspective view. The barrier comprises a flotation body (1) with walls joined together forming a chamber (4) with an upper section and a lower section where, at least one segment of the lower section (42) comprises an inner layer (2A) and an outer layer (2B) of woven material between which there is an intermediate layer (3) of foam. The barrier also comprises a plurality of expansion mechanisms configured to expand the flotation body (1), increasing the volume of the chamber, which is preferably filled with air. The expansion mechanisms are arranged inside the flotation body (1), preferably equidistant from one another.

[0023] One of the great advantages of the proposed barrier is that it can be stowed folded, with the empty chamber (4) occupying the minimum possible volume, thus saving stowage volume. This allows more barrier to be stored in less space than the solutions from the state of the art.

[0024] Figures 2A-2B show cross-sectional perspective views in which the chamber (4) inside the flotation body (1) can be observed and the upper and lower sections of said chamber can be observed. The segments which, in the different embodiments, comprise a fabric-foam-fabric structure, can also be observed.

[0025] More specifically, in the exemplary embodiment shown in figure 2A, the lower section (42) of the chamber (4) comprises the inner layer (2A), the outer layer (2B) and the intermediate layer (3) throughout the entire surface. In another exemplary embodiment, shown in Figure 2B, the lower section of the chamber (4) comprises two segments, which extend longitudinally along the flotation body (1), and which extend partially along the perimeter of the lower section (42) of the chamber (4).

[0026] In both examples (figures 2A-B) the upper section (41) of the chamber (4) also comprises at least one segment with an inner layer (2A) and an outer layer (2B) of woven material between which there is an intermediate layer (3) of foam.

[0027] In the segments of the walls of the flotation body (1) that comprise the inner layer (2A) and outer layer (2B) of fabric, this double layer of fabric prevents any interference with a floating material, or during the handling of the barrier, that it breaks or tears the wall, introducing water therein (inside the chamber). In another exemplary embodiment of the invention, the walls of the flotation body (1) comprise an additional layer of protection that is also made of woven material.

[0028] The segments of the walls comprising the intermediate layer (3) of foam allow, even if the outer layer (2B) of fabric breaks, the buoyancy necessary to compensate for the weight of the barrier to be ensured and the flotation body (1) to remain afloat and the barrier operational. As previously described, this configuration is always found in at least one segment of the lower section (42) of the chamber (4).

[0029] Said figures 2A-B depict a cross-sectional perspective of the flotation barrier in which the inside of the chamber (4) can be observed in detail. Figure 2A also shows one of the barrier expansion mechanisms.

[0030] The expansion mechanisms, which are present in all possible embodiments of the barrier, comprise rigid platens (5), preferably four platens that are identical two by two to form a quadrilateral, hingedly joined together such that they are able to rotate relative to one another. Said joint is preferably made using hinges (6). Likewise, the expansion mechanisms comprise a traction spring (7) connected to opposite joints of the platens (5), preferably to hinges (6) arranged in opposite positions. The tension spring (7) is configured to store the energy necessary to deploy the mechanism, increasing the volume of the chamber (4). Therefore, the deployment of the expansion mechanism generates an air vacuum inside the chamber (4) that is preferably filled with air coming from the outside of the flotation body (1).

[0031] When the platens (5) of the expansion mechanisms adopt a quadrilateral configuration and are joined by hinges (6), preferably the tension spring (7) extends between the hinge (6) of the upper vertex and the hinge (6) of the lower vertex of the quadrilateral, as observed in figures 3A-B. More specifically, figure 3A shows a cross-sectional front view of the flotation barrier in the embodiment also represented in figure 2A. Likewise, figure 3B shows a cross-sectional front view of the flotation barrier that corresponds to the embodiment shown in figure 2B.

[0032] Preferably, the expansion mechanism is covered, in the platens (5), by a double technical fabric and a foamed reinforcement fabric that also makes it possible to fix the same to the inner layer (2A) of the wall of the flotation body (1).

[0033] In an exemplary embodiment of the invention, the flotation body (1) comprises vents (8) intended to allow air to pass from the outside to the inside of the chamber. Said vents (8) are arranged in an upper section of the flotation body (1) to prevent or minimise the entry of water into the chamber (4).

[0034] Figure 4 shows a perspective view of the barrier. This figure clearly shows the intermediate layer (3), which in this case extends along the entire lower section (42) and partially in the upper section (41), and the expansion mechanisms with the platens (5), the hinges (6) and the traction springs (7).

[0035] The arrangement of the intermediate layer (3) at the lower portion of the chamber (lower section (42)) adds volume at the waterline, providing extra stability to the barrier. In another exemplary embodiment there could also be an intermediate layer (3) of foam in the upper section of the flotation body (1), maintaining the geometry of said flotation body (1), that is, the intermediate layer (3) of foam extends along the lower section of the flotation body (1) and the upper section of said flotation body (1).

[0036] In another example, as shown in Figures 2B and 3B, each section (upper section (41) and lower section (42)) of the chamber (4) of the flotation body (1) comprises at least one segment with an inner layer (2A), outer layer (2B) and intermediate layer (3). In the example shown in said figures, they comprise two segments in each section (41, 42), where the segments of each of the sections (41, 42) are arranged symmetrically with respect to one another.

[0037] Likewise, the barrier comprises a skirt (9) that extends internally along the flotation body (1). It is the element responsible for preventing the passage of the substance to be contained below the surface of the water. Preferably, it is made up of at least one layer of technical fabric.

[0038] To prevent the skirt (9) from moving with currents to inappropriate positions, the barrier may comprise a ballast (10), located at the lower end of the skirt (9). It allows the centre of gravity of the barrier to be lowered when afloat, giving it greater stability. In an exemplary embodiment, the ballast (10) comprises a chain so that, in addition to ballast, it acts as a traction element, transmitting traction forces along the length thereof.

[0039] The fixation of the ballast (10) to the skirt (9) can be carried out in different ways, such as tied with a rope, with shackles and eyelets, or contained in a pocket. The solution represented in the example in the figures shows a chain housed in a pocket made of technical fabric mesh.

[0040] The barrier may also comprise reflective elements (13) on the outside of the walls of the floating body (1) that improve the visibility of the barrier under low light conditions. Said reflective elements (13) can be, for example, bands distributed along the floating body (1) or they can be other types of elements such as logos or signs.

[0041] The barrier may comprise handling handles (14) that allow same to be comfortably manipulated during stowage and unloading operations. It could also comprise anchoring points distributed along the skirt (9) or the ballast (10) to anchor and make the barrier steady.

[0042] In those cases in which the barrier is made up of several floating bodies (1), each of said floating bodies (1) comprises at its ends a connection to join them together and form a longer barrier. There are connections of different types, flexible, rigid, under ASTM standard, etc. Figures 1 and 4 show a type of flexible connection with a joining part (15) of technical fabric at each end of the flotation body (1) and the skirt (9) that comprises a series of bridges and eyelets. When two segments are to be joined, the joining parts of said segments are placed adjacent to one another and a flexible rope is passed through the bridges and eyelets that block the connection. In a preferred embodiment, each joining part (15) comprises two tabs such that the bridges (11) are arranged in one of them and the eyelets (12) in the other.

[0043] Likewise, the barrier may comprise a drainage valve made of fabric that allows the output of water which could have entered or condensed inside the chamber (4) during the operation of the barrier.

[0044] In another exemplary embodiment, the barrier may have a luminous signalling beacon that reinforces the visibility of the barrier in unfavourable conditions. It may be housed in a pocket in the outer layer (2B) of the walls of the flotation body (1).

[0045] The present invention should not be limited to the embodiment described herein. Other configurations may be carried out by those skilled in the art based on the present description. Accordingly, the scope of the invention is defined by the following claims.

Claims

1. An expandable flotation barrier to contain the passage of a substance below a mass of water, characterised in that it comprises: - a flotation body (1) with walls joined together forming a chamber (4) with an upper section (41) and a lower section (42) wherein at least one segment of the lower section (42) comprises an inner layer (2A) and an outer layer (2B) of woven material between which there is an intermediate layer (3) of foam; - expansion mechanisms housed in the chamber (4) and which are configured to expand the flotation body (1), increasing the volume of the chamber (4), and in turn comprising: - rigid platens (5), joined together so as to be able to rotate relative to one another, forming a geometric figure; - a traction spring (7) connected to opposite joints of the platens (5) configured to store the energy necessary to deploy the mechanism, increasing the volume of the chamber (4) and generating an air vacuum in said chamber (4) which is filled with air from the outside of the flotation body (1); - a skirt (9) that extends internally along the flotation body (1) configured to prevent the passage of the substance to be contained below the surface of the water.

2. The flotation barrier according to claim 1 wherein the lower section (42) of the chamber (4) comprises the inner layer (2A), the outer layer (2B) and the intermediate layer (3) throughout the entire surface.

3. The flotation barrier according to claim 1 wherein the lower section of the chamber (4) comprises two segments, which extend longitudinally along the flotation body (1), and which extend partially along the perimeter of the lower section (42) of the chamber (4).

4. The flotation barrier according to any one of claims 1 to 3 wherein the upper section (41) of the chamber (4) also comprises at least one segment with an inner layer (2A) and an outer layer (2B) of woven material between which there is an intermediate layer (3) of foam.

5. The flotation barrier according to claim 1 wherein the expansion mechanisms comprise hinges (6) between the platens (5) configured to allow the hinged joint of said platens (5) so as to be able to rotate relative to one another.

6. The flotation barrier according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the expansion mechanisms comprise four platens (5) joined together forming a quadrilateral, comprising joining hinges (6) for joining the platens (5) and the traction spring (7) is arranged between a hinge (6) corresponding to an upper vertex of the quadrilateral and a hinge (6) corresponding to a lower vertex of the quadrilateral.

7. The flotation barrier according to any one of the preceding claims which comprises a ballast (10), located at the lower end of the skirt (9).

8. The flotation barrier according to claim 7 wherein the ballast (10) is a chain.

9. The flotation barrier according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the expansion mechanisms are equidistantly arranged along the flotation body (1), on the inside of the chamber (4).

10. The flotation barrier according to any one of the preceding claims in which the platens (5) and the hinges (6) of the expansion mechanisms are covered by sheets with a double layer of technical fabric and interior foamed fabric by means of which they are fixed to the walls of the flotation body (1).

11. The flotation barrier according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the flotation body (1) comprises a plurality of vents (8) that allow the passage of air from the outside to the chamber (4) when the volume expansion of the chamber (4) is carried out and said vents (8) are arranged in an upper section of the flotation body (1).

12. The flotation barrier according to any one of the preceding claims comprising, on the outside of the walls of the flotation body (1), reflective elements (13).

13. The flotation barrier according to any one of the preceding claims, comprising at the ends of the flotation body (1) and the skirt (9) a joining part (15) configured to connect several flotation bodies (1) together.

14. The flotation barrier according to claim 13 wherein the joining parts (15) comprise two tabs such that in one of them there are bridges (11) and eyelets (12) in the other such that the joint between joining parts (15) is carried out by means of a rope that is passed through the same.

15. The flotation barrier according to any one of the preceding claims comprising an outlet valve at at least one end of the flotation body (1) configured to allow the output of water from the chamber (4).

16. The flotation barrier according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the skirt (9) is made up of at least one layer of technical fabric.

17. The flotation barrier according to any one of claims 8 or 9 wherein the ballast (10) is housed in a pocket made of technical fabric.

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