Rollable Flexible Flood Barrier With Water-Weight Sealing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing flood barriers are cumbersome, heavy, and require complex assembly, with many needing pre-deployment pressure to create a seal, making them difficult to store and deploy efficiently, especially in infrequent flooding scenarios.
Innovation Solution
A flexible, lightweight flood barrier made of PVC with embedded battens and rods that can be rolled up for easy storage and deployment, utilizing the weight of water to create a watertight seal and providing structural stability through wires and rods, allowing for customization to fit various locations.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If traditional flood barriers use solid walls and support plates, then structural strength is improved, but weight and storage difficulty increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces solid walls and support plates with a flexible sheet material that forms the barrier structure. This thin film approach provides the necessary flood protection while dramatically reducing weight and improving portability, directly resolving the contradiction between structural strength and weight.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses composite construction combining flexible sheet material with embedded battens and rods. This composite structure provides the strength needed to resist water pressure while maintaining the lightweight and portable characteristics of the flexible material, resolving the strength-weight tradeoff.
2Strength
If traditional flood barriers use large solid components, then water resistance is improved, but ease of deployment deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the flood barrier into modular sections that can be easily transported and assembled. The flexible sheet material with embedded structural elements creates self-contained modules that maintain water resistance while dramatically improving ease of deployment compared to large solid components.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs a dynamic deployment system where the flexible barrier can be quickly assembled and configured. The embedded battens and rods provide structural support that activates during deployment, allowing the barrier to transition from a compact state to a fully functional water-resistant structure without requiring heavy equipment or complex assembly procedures.
3Reliability
If traditional flood barriers use thick gaskets for sealing, then water tightness is improved, but device complexity and pre-deployment requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses the flexible sheet material itself to create water-tight seals rather than relying on thick gaskets. The flexibility of the material allows it to conform to the ground and barrier surfaces, creating effective seals with minimal additional components, thus improving water tightness while reducing device complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs self-sealing mechanisms where the flexible barrier material automatically creates water-tight seals through its own properties and the applied water pressure, eliminating the need for complex pre-deployment sealing systems or thick gaskets. The system seals itself during operation.
4Stability of the object's composition
If flood barriers are designed for permanent installation, then structural stability is improved, but adaptability to different locations deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates modular, relocatable flood barrier sections that can be assembled in various configurations to suit different locations. Each module maintains structural stability through embedded battens and rods while the modular design enables easy adaptation to diverse deployment scenarios, resolving the contradiction between stability and adaptability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent designs universal flood barrier modules that can be deployed in multiple locations and configurations. The flexible sheet material with embedded structural elements creates a standardized component that adapts to different terrain and flooding scenarios, providing both structural stability and location versatility.
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 solution enables rapid, efficient deployment and reusability of flood barriers that can adapt to different environments, providing effective water resistance and stability without the need for extensive pre-deployment setup, suitable for both ordinary and extreme conditions.
Implementation Method 1
The flood barrier utilizes the weight of water to create a watertight seal
Implementation Method 2
The wall and base may comprise a flexible sheet material with low water permeability that is resistant to stretching
Data Source
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AI summary
A reusable flood barrier that may be easily collapsed and deployed is disclosed. The barrier may comprise a flexible sheet, a plurality of parallel wall support members, a plurality of parallel base support members, a limiter configured to hold the wall up relative to the base in an erected configuration, and a hinge. After closing the barrier at the hinge, the barrier may be rolled up for easy portability and storage. The barrier is flexible, and while erected it can bend to form convex or concave curves in the barrier wall to enable construction of a flood barrier that goes around corners.