Flood Barrier Inflatable End Cap Corner Sealing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing flood barriers with inflatable chambers face challenges in achieving a tight seal at corners and often experience upward force issues, leading to potential leakage, especially when relying solely on horizontal clamping force for placement.
Innovation Solution
A flood barrier design featuring inflatable flexible chambers at side and bottom edges with end caps that slide outward upon inflation, and grooves to manage pressure distribution, ensuring a snug fit and minimizing upward force, thereby enhancing corner sealing and stability.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Force
If the inflatable chamber is inflated to significant pressure to provide horizontal clamping force to keep the flood barrier in place, then the flood barrier is securely positioned in the opening, but the upward force on the panel becomes greater than the panel weight, causing the panel to be pushed upward and increasing leakage risk
Solution Approach 1:
The inflatable chamber is segmented into separate sections: side edge chambers and bottom edge chambers. The side edge chambers provide horizontal clamping force through interaction with end caps, while the bottom edge chamber provides sealing without creating excessive upward force on the panel, as its inflation is controlled separately and acts primarily in the horizontal sealing direction.
Solution Approach 2:
Different regions of the inflatable chamber have different functions and inflation characteristics. The side edge portions are designed to inflate and push end caps outward for horizontal clamping, while the bottom edge portion is designed to inflate for sealing against the floor/threshold, with the panel positioned to rest against the bottom edge, distributing forces locally to avoid panel uplift.
2Reliability
If the inflatable chamber is used to seal the opening, then water prevention is achieved, but good sealing in the corners is difficult because the inflatable chamber does not snugly abut to a right-angled corner, leading to leakage
Solution Approach 1:
End caps are introduced as intermediary components at the corners where the side edge meets the bottom edge. These end caps have right-angled geometry that snugly abuts the right-angled corners of door openings, providing the necessary geometric adaptation. The inflatable chamber inflates against these end caps, transferring the sealing force through the intermediary structure that matches the corner geometry, thereby achieving effective corner sealing.
3Force
If the flexible chamber is inflated to significant pressure to provide clamping force, then the flood barrier is securely held in position, but the risk of leakage increases due to panel uplift
Solution Approach 1:
The inflatable chamber is divided into functionally separate sections with independent or differentially controlled inflation. Side edge sections inflate to push end caps for horizontal clamping, while bottom edge sections inflate for sealing, allowing the clamping function to be achieved without necessarily inflating the bottom portion to pressures that would cause panel uplift and leakage.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The design achieves a better seal at corners and bottom edges, preventing water ingress while maintaining stability without excessive upward force, allowing for effective temporary sealing of building openings.
Implementation Method 1
an inflatable flexible chamber to be able to increase the width of the flood barrier and thereby affix it in the opening, wherein said side edge is provided with an end cap disposed over the side edge and which is, slidably in the direction in which the bottom edge extends, attached to said flood barrier panel, wherein said inflatable flexible chamber is disposed between said side edge of said flood barrier panel and said end cap so that, upon inflation of said inflatable flexible chamber, said end cap is pushed outwards
Implementation Method 2
at least one of said end cap and said flood barrier panel is provided with at least one guiding slot which runs at least substantially parallel to the bottom edge, wherein the other of said end cap and said flood barrier panel is provided with a protrusion which, with regard to position and size, is complementary to the guiding slot in order to guide, by means of the guiding slot and the protrusion, a sliding movement of said end cap with respect to said flood barrier panel
Implementation Method 3
The bottom edge is the edge which, upon use, is directed downwards and which, while in use, rests against a floor, threshold or other horizontal bottom side of the opening
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3~4
AI summary
Flood barrier (1) for temporarily sealing an opening in a building, said flood barrier (1) comprising a flood barrier panel (2), wherein said flood barrier panel(2) has a bottom edge (5), wherein said flood barrier panel (2) has a top edge (3), wherein said flood barrier panel (2) has two side edges (5), wherein at least one said side edge (5) is provided with an inflatable flexible chamber (6), whereby said side edge (5) is provided with an end cap (8) disposed over said side edge (5) and which is, slidably in the direction in which said bottom edge (4) extends, attached to said flood barrier panel (2), wherein said inflatable flexible chamber (6) is disposed between said side edge (4) of said flood barrier panel (2) and said end cap (8) so that, upon inflation of said inflatable flexible chamber, (6) said end cap (8) is pushed outwards.