ANTI-HAIR PROTECTION
FIELD OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to an anti-hail protection intended to protect a limited space in which material sensitive to the impacts of hail is placed. The invention finds an especially advantageous application in the field of protection automobiles, of which the metal body as well as the windows are particularly exposed to this type of weather. A hail of current diameter, this is of the order of two centimeters, is capable of forming the thin sheets of a modern automobile. If these dimensions become larger, then there are the windows, including the windshield, which can be damaged by the effect of the impacts. Thus in particularly cold regions people have taken the habit of keeping as much as possible the vehicles under natural protection or not. The problem is more difficult for builders or car dealers, who are forced to store large quantities of vehicles in parking lots whose important dimensions prevent the use of totally closed protection
economically unprofitable
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The other devices known from the state of the art represent an empirical principle applied to the protection of fruit trees, which consists of a synthetic fiber fabric at the end of poles joined by cables to their central parts. It is especially known an anti-hail protection that has a supporting beam structure composed of at least one set of vertical strips joined, at its top, by a cross bar that forms cross assemblies. The lateral branches of these assemblies are moreover joined at their ends by cables, all as the upper parts of the assembly. This configuration allows to receive a synthetic fabric traditionally deployed as in the case of a store. Thus when the hailstones fall on the cloth, they roll along their outer surface before falling naturally by gravity on the outer edges of the shield, or in a runoff tube disposed at the intersection of two planes. However, this type of anti-hail protection presents a number of major drawbacks that may limit the attraction. The
Main comes from the specific nature of the fabric that because of its synthetic origin, is extremely sensitive to natural elements. The prolonged exposure to light, or variations of important temperatures, produces in effect a rapid deterioration of this type of fibers, and thus an irremediable fragile state of the fabric that detaches and falls then very easily. Its replacement must therefore be carried out frequently, which considerably increases the resale price of such installation. Being unable to support a very important mass, the fabric is inclined to allow the instantaneous evacuation of hail in the gutter or outside of the anti-hail protection. This imperative imposes the use of a carrier structure of a relatively high height, which gives the device a concealment superior to the protected space, as well as a sale price capable of significantly weakening the whole. The object of the present invention is to remedy the aforementioned drawbacks and relates to an effect of an anti-hail protection composed of a rigid construction formed of vertical posts, supports on its upper part of at least two crosspieces joined together
at least two transverse belts, on which a protective roof intended to ensure protection against hail, is disposed of a space in the ground, characterized in that the roof is constituted by at least one element that is presented in the form of a perforated structure. According to an example of embodiment, the roof is constituted by a plurality of individual elements modeled prior to their placement, according to a profile that makes them self-supporting and then arranged in a juxtaposed manner between two successive belts of which they become solidary by means of fixing means, supporting the auto-support elements, in the belts for the ends . The advantage of the proposed solution tends to the fact that the placement in the form of the elements is made prior to its placement, and can then be carried out in the workshop fulfilling large capacities allowing thus to use expanded or perforated metal sheets of larger lengths authorizing this fact of the roof cover modules larger, so that the jobs are longer. For jobs of longer length, it may be foreseen to place a belt in place
intermediate. According to a second example, the support construction is made up of belts transversally joined by their joints, a flexible roof element is disposed between each pair of belts, interlaced between the different spacer joints. The present invention also refers to the characteristics that will result in the course of the description that follows, and that should be considered in isolation or according to all possible technical combinations.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS This description given by way of non-limiting example, will make it easier to understand how the invention can be made with reference to the attached drawings in which: Figure 1 is a perspective view of an anti-hail protection according to a first embodiment of the invention. Figure 2 is a partial perspective view on an enlarged scale of a protection according to Figure 1. Figure 3 is a partial enlarged scale view of a self-supporting element constituting
a roof of a protection according to figures 1 and 2. Figure 4 is a perspective view of an anti-hail protection according to a second embodiment of the invention. Figure 5 shows a longitudinal section according to the plane A-A, of the anti-hail protection illustrated in figure 4. Figure 6 is a front view showing the mesh of a metal roof element.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The anti-hail protection 1, indicated in the assembly with the 1, is composed of a rigid construction 2, formed of vertical posts 3, fixed to the floor and supports in its upper parts of crosspieces 4, parallel and joined between them by transverse belts 5, also parallel to each other, on which is placed a roof 6 which is globally designated and which is presented in the form of a perforated structure intended to ensure protection against hail from a space in the ground. According to an example of embodiment, the roof 6 is constituted by a plurality of individual elements 7, modeled prior to their placement, according to a profile capable of making them self-supporting and
arranged next in juxtaposition between two successive belts 5, of which they become integral by means of fixing means joining the self-supporting elements 7, to the belts 5, by their end 7a. In a general manner, each of the self-supporting elements 7 is perforated and has a cross section made according to a profile that has at least one convexity. So according to an example of embodiment not shown, the cross section of the convexity of each of the self-supporting elements has two parallel lateral wings joined together at their apex by a bent part to form a U. Also being another example of embodiment not represented the cross section of the convexity of each of the self-supporting elements, has two parallel lateral wings joined together at their vertex by a perpendicular right hand to form a U. Also according to an example section not shown, the cross section of the convexity of each of the self-supporting elements has two lateral wings that meet at the apex to form a triangle.
According to the example shown in the figures, the cross section of the convexity of each of the self-supporting elements 7 has two lateral wings 8 inclined towards each other and joined together at their apex by a right part 9. , to form an isosceles trapezoid. According to another characteristic of the invention, the two lateral wings 8 of each of the self-supporting elements 7 have the same heights and have at their free ends two prolongations 10, directed towards the outside, in the same plane, to obtain an omega profile able to confer an increased rigidity, thus ensuring a stable seat on the belts 5, and allowing putting means of fixation on those. According to another feature of the invention, the flat extensions 10 of each of the two lateral wings 8 of each of the self-supporting elements 7 are themselves shaped at their ends to make a closing flap 11 upwards, of an At a predetermined height and forming an angle greater than 90 ° with these extensions 10, the closing flap 11 of a self-supporting element 7 is intended to cooperate by contact with the closing flap 11 of a successive element 7.
Preferably, the perforated self-supporting elements 7 are made from a patterned metal sheet unfolded by pleating. It is understood that the self-supporting elements 7 can be obtained from a perforated metal plate or also from a molded plastic material optionally reinforced. As regards the fixing means of the self-supporting elements 7 on the belts 5 they can be constituted by screws (not shown) passing through the corresponding holes 12, already existing or to be made on the flat extensions 10 of the wings laterals 8 of said elements 7, at their ends 7a resting on the belts 5. In the case of the expanded metal, the holes 12 may be constituted by the spaces formed by the expanded metal. By way of example shown in FIG. 1, the protection 1 is constituted by a plurality of crosspieces each delimited by two successive belts 5 parallel to each other and arranged perpendicular to the crosspieces 4 to form a quadrangular roof 6 consisting of a set of self-supporting elements 7 juxtaposed to
forming a crossbar and facing each other with the self-supporting elements 7 of a following crossbar. According to a second exemplary embodiment shown in FIGS. 4, 5 and 6, the support structure of the hail protection 20 is of the metal frame type in a section I. In this particular embodiment of the invention, this support structure is composed of two identical parts, each constituted by two vertical posts 21, 22, in whose vertices a horizontal crosspiece 23, 24 is placed. The four posts 21, 22, fixed on the floor 25, are arranged in four esguinas of a rectangle quadrilateral so that the two crosspieces 23, 24, are placed parallel to each other and basically horizontal. The protection device, intended to be supported by the support structure, is here constituted by a juxtaposition of flexible roof elements 26. Each of them is individually supported by an elementary part, forming a compartment, of a rigid construction structure 27 modular. Each of these compartments is constituted similarly to the others, and is attached to each adjacent compartment by means of a common element. It is understood that, their number can vary from one to infinity according to the length
of the space that should be protected. According to the exemplary embodiment shown in FIG. 4, the rigid construction 27 has three elementary compartments delimited by metal belts 28, 29, 30, 31, parallel to each other and integral perpendicular to the crosspieces 23, 24 by the intermediate part. the clamps 32; belts 29 and 30 constitute the common elements as defined above. Each of these belts 28, 29, 30, 31, of section in C, furthermore have a vertical edge through which aliases 33 are regularly spaced apart and aligned in two superposed levels. These holes are intended for fixing metal tubular joints 34, 35, fixed perpendicularly in 1-as mentioned belts in order to ensure the maintenance of their relative separations. The straightening 33 of the straps 28 and 29, 29 and 30, 30 and 31 are placed directly in front so that the seals 34, 35, parallel to each other, are arranged basically horizontally. Agree . Figure 5, the joints 34, 35, of the same compartment do not occupy the totality of available holes but are alternately distributed in the two levels mentioned above. Joints 34, of the highest level
they are simply raised in height with respect to the joints 35 of the lower level. The alignments 33, not occupied by these separations, are also arranged in a zigzag manner, but according to an inverse alternative in relation to the symmetry plan with which each belt is treated longitudinally., 29, 30, 31, of section in C. They can then be perfectly used for fixing joints 34, 35, of an adjacent compartment. The latter are thus distributed in a similar but inverse manner. In a particularly advantageous manner, each ceiling element 26 used is put into tension on the support construction 27 by means of at least one extender 36. This design element is of a classical fact, therefore it is not shown in detail in the figures 4 and 5, is schematically composed of a mechanical winch cooperating with a tube of polygonal or round section assembled in rotation, around which one of the ends of the roof element 26 is wound. If for any reason whatsoever, the voltage in the support construction 27 is then able to retighten that roof element 26 by rotating the tube. In order to allow its rotation, each of the two extremities of the latter cooperates with a transverse smoothing
made at the end of the straps 28, 29, 30, 3.1. In this embodiment, the flexible roof element 26 is constituted by an expanded metal sheet 37 where the mesh is of the type shown in figure 6. The dimensions of the meshes are calculated to retain the hail but to pass the rain or the water emitted by the melting of the hail. The alternating distribution and on two levels of the joints 34, 35, deployed respectively between the belts, imposes a particular placement of this unfolded sheet of metal 37. This is put in place on the support construction 27 passing below the seals 34 of the upper level and above the seals 35 of the lower level, thus defining a cross section in a line made forming two equal angles alternately incoming and protruding. The roof element 26 is then tensioned by means of the tensioner 36 in order to confer the necessary tenacity. Certain metal parts used are understood to be able to be protected against all forms of oxidation by a suitable surface treatment or when they are already directly constituted by a metal resistant to that type of aggression. This is especially the case of the joints 34, 35, and of the roof elements
26 which can be advantageously made of galvanized or stainless steel. Naturally, and as already amply follows from what precedes, the invention is not limited to the particular modes of embodiment that have been described by way of preferred examples, all of them encompassed in the variants that arise from the patent table. Thus, the roof element 26 can also be constituted by a metal mesh, a perforated metal mesh, a metal plate or any other metal part having a perforated structure; the mesh of that perforated structure should offer sufficiently small dimensions to prevent a medium-sized hail from traversing or traversing the roof element 26. For the same reason, the support structure as well as the support construction 27 can be made indifferently from metal, of wood, of concrete, or of any material sufficiently rigid to support the efforts linked to such assemblies. The invention as defined has the advantage of using a metal roofing element, that is a material whose mechanical properties are not affected by light radiation and remain
sensibly constant under a very large temperature range. It also guarantees a tear resistance far superior to that offered by the synthetic fabric of the prior art. All these advantageous features give the protection device a remarkable duration in time. In addition, since it has high tensile strength, the roof element is capable of supporting a relatively large mass without deforming. Thus, according to a particular feature of the invention it is possible to make horizontal use of the protection device. In this case then, the hailstones stopped in their fall, are immobilized on the roof element after an eventual explosion, before melting to squeeze through the perforated structure. Although the roof element has a flexible structure, its placement on a rigid support provides the rigidity necessary to maintain that surplus of momentary weight.