COFFER DAM

Abstract

The present invention is the cofferdam which is an anti-flood barrier to be positioned in front of all openings (door, French window, sliding bay window, window, gate, garage door, gate, garage descent to the basement) to protect real estate or furniture from rising water. The cofferdam is installed in panels, therefore between walls, applied against the masonry, or against the carpentry and is composed of one or more panels in carbofont, materials made of waterproof, rigid, light and robust fiber resin. The sealing is achieved thanks to EPDM joints which are crushed against the masonry by means of manual tightening, therefore without tools. This tightening is carried out by tightening knobs, pushers, or wing nuts. When removing and therefore not using the cofferdam, no upright or angle iron remains in place on the walls. This allows the aesthetics of the building to be preserved and the passage widths to be maintained.The cofferdam is intended for anyone located in a flood zone (individual, professional, industry, community, etc.) to protect themselves from flooding (runoff, floods, increased network load, etc.).

Description

Title of the invention: COFFER DAM

[0001] The present invention is the cofferdam which is an anti-flood barrier to be positioned in front of all openings (door, French window, sliding bay window, window, gate, garage door, gate, garage descent to the basement, loading dock, sectional door, hangar door, parking protection) to protect real estate or furniture from rising water.

[0002] Our cofferdam is made of a waterproof and rigid material, carbofont, which is rot-proof and requires no maintenance. It is also very light so that it can be handled by seniors or people with reduced mobility. Our cofferdam can be assembled without tools. All of its components are easily replaceable in the event of breakage or loss. No element is inflatable, which allows it to last longer and therefore presents no risk of puncture. The number of elements that make it up is limited so as not to increase the number of joints and therefore water inlets in the event of poor storage or misuse. Finally, it leaves no corners or uprights on the walls (except for specific technical constraints of the building), which does not affect the aesthetics of the home and does not reduce the passage widths. It is therefore compatible with listed heritage monuments.Since it does not limit the passage width, if installed in a business, it does not impact the passage units and does not represent a potential danger to the public. It is easily achievable over long lengths in 3-meter spans with intermediate posts.

[0003] Our invention addresses water ingress into homes, outbuildings, businesses or industries located in flood zones. It adapts to all masonry and door frames. It can be installed in frames, surface-mounted on the masonry or on the frame of the joinery with or without side jambs.

[0004] It can be assembled without tools.

[0005] Materials used in the design of our cofferdams: carbofont panel, EPDM seal, PVC U and H, tightening knobs or handles, pushers, bayonet locks, galvanized steel or stainless steel U, central or peripheral upright in galvanized steel or stainless steel, chemically sealed inserts for fixing in walls, removable intermediate posts in galvanized steel or stainless steel.

[0006] The principle is that the carbofont panel, which is a fiber-reinforced, therefore waterproof, cellular resin, acts as a barrier to water from runoff, flooding or increased network load.

[0007] The carbofont panel becomes watertight against the masonry thanks to the EPDM joints positioned between the panel and the masonry. The EPDM joint is generally inserted into a PVC H or U which is glued onto the carbofont panel. The EPDM seal can also be glued directly onto the carbofont panel. The seal is created by mechanical pressure (i.e. crushing the seal onto the masonry) using tool-free tightening of the knobs or wing nuts positioned on a stud, a galvanized part or directly on the panel.

[0008] When it is posed in tables [Fig. 1 ]_ and [Fig.2]:

[0009] - The cofferdam is made up of 3 pieces: 1 panel made up of EPDM joints and Stainless steel + PVC U, 1 accessorized panel (EPDM seals, pushers, stainless steel plate, bayonet locks in the lower part for threshold and 1 / 3 lower panels), and 1 accessorized galvanized U (bayonet locks and tightening knobs)

[0010] - The cofferdam will be held in line with the masonry using bolts bayonets inserted into the walls. Clamping knobs with a threaded rod screwed into an insert exert pressure on the panels below to crush the seal against the threshold. Bayonet locks can be positioned in the panels and / or at the threshold.

[0011] - The peripheral sealing is done by means of pushers which engage each piece of panel towards the masonry and crushes it against it (thus crushing the joint).

[0012] - The cofferdam is provided with a stainless steel plate on the front allowing compression the two pieces of panels together. This plate clamps the two pieces of panel (each equipped with an EPDM seal) together by means of wing nuts. This plate has notches allowing the passage of the pusher shafts.

[0013] When it is installed on the surface [Fig.31, or protects a ventilation grille [Fig.4a] and [Fig.4b]:

[0014] - The cofferdam is composed of only one panel on which the hardware remains (tightening knobs or wing nuts).

[0015] - The cofferdam will be placed against the masonry, on the facade, and the waterproofing will be done by crushing the EPDM seals against the masonry (threshold / walls) using tightening knobs or wing nuts. These tightening knobs or wing nuts will be held in the masonry using chemically sealed inserts. If the cofferdam is large, it can be fitted with side uprights. When it rests against the woodwork [Fig 5]:

[0016] - The cofferdam is composed of only one panel on which the hardware remains (stainless steel legs and wing nuts).

[0017] - The cofferdam will be placed against the frame of the joinery and the sealing will be done thanks to crushing the EPDM seals directly against the woodwork using wing nuts and stainless steel tabs which pinch the frame of the woodwork.

[0018] When the cofferdam is self-supporting over long lengths [Fig.6]:

[0019] - The cofferdam will have the appearance of one placed in a table, and every 3 meters, a removable intermediate post will be fixed in the ground using chemically sealed inserts.

[0020] The post is composed of a square or rectangular tube acting as a board and composed of a plate as a base provided with an EPDM seal allowing sealing to the ground.

[0021] This invention can be mass-produced and industrialized. The manufacturing phases are limited to cutting, drilling, gluing and assembly.

Claims

Claims

1. Our cofferdam is made of a waterproof, lightweight and rigid material, carbofont, which is rot-proof and requires no maintenance. It is also very light (7kg / m2) so that it can be handled by seniors or people with reduced mobility.

2. Our cofferdam is sealed by manual tightening by crushing the joints, this allows it to be installed by anyone without DIY knowledge and in less than 5 minutes, and without tools. It is not inflatable, which gives it great robustness against branches and logjams carried by the water.

3. Our cofferdam can be installed in a panel, on a surface or against the joinery without the use of uprights or angles that remain permanently on the masonry. The aesthetics of the building are therefore preserved, as is the passage width. This makes it compatible with heritage-listed buildings whose external appearance must not be affected. Since it does not limit the passage width, if installed in a business, this does not impact the passage units and does not represent a potential danger to the public.

4. Our cofferdam has only interchangeable elements: the seals, once worn by the number of uses or cooked by a lack of maintenance or in case of poor storage can be replaced. All the hardware in case of loss or breakage can be replaced. This makes it possible to make the cofferdam durable and not to throw it away in case of malfunction or failure.

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