US20240318394A1

US20240318394A1 - Deployable flood barrier with air and water compartments

Info

Publication number: US20240318394A1
Application number: US18/188,417
Authority: US
Inventors: Eric Nathaniel Melenbrink
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2023-03-22
Filing date: 2023-03-22
Publication date: 2024-09-26

Abstract

A temporary flood barrier that can be deployed with minimal or no human labor. The flood barrier contains a sealed compartment to contain air, and in some embodiments, a separate compartment to contain water. The water compartment can help to keep the barrier weighted down, while the flotation of the air compartment ensures that the flexible flood barrier remains upright and rises with the floodwater level. The device can be deployed by simple manual unspooling, and optionally securing it with stakes or added weights. In some embodiments, deployment can be initiated by a computer signal that releases a valve, allowing water to flow into a water compartment compartment. The expansion of the water compartment causes the device to unspool, thereby locomoting along its intended path of deployment. Optionally, an automated, electronically-powered set of wheels can assist with unspooling.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to a temporary flood barrier that can be deployed with minimal or no human labor. The flood barrier is made of durable fabric material that is formed to provide separate sealed compartments for air and (optionally) for water. The product is stored rolled up on a spool and deployed by manual unspooling on site. In other embodiments, deployment can be initiated by a computer signal that releases a valve (or manual operation of a valve), allowing water to flow into the lower compartment. The pressure of the municipal water supply causes the product to unspool, thereby locomoting along its intended path of deployment. An optional addition is to add an automated, motorized set of wheels to the spool, in order to steer the deployment and provide additional force if required. Once the product is unspooled, the upper compartment is filled with air, providing a means of flotation to ensure that the flexible flood barrier remains upright.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Changing climate and weather patterns increase the consumer demand for innovative temporary flood control solutions for commercial, residential and municipal application. Conventional flood control products may require too much time and labor to deploy when they are needed, and may be too costly for property owners to purchase.
The subject of this invention is a compliant, reusable, easily transportable flood barrier which can be deployed manually or autonomously by remote signal. Its top compartment is filled with air to ensure it floats on the floodwater surface.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to a temporary flood barrier that can be deployed with minimal or no human labor. The flood barrier is made of durable material that is formed to provide a sealed compartment for air, and an optional additional sealed compartment for water. The product is stored rolled up on a spool. Deployment can be performed manually, or for embodiments that contain a water compartment, by a computer signal that releases a valve, allowing water to flow into the lower compartment. The pressure of the municipal water supply causes the product to unspool, thereby locomoting along its intended path of deployment. An optional addition is an automated set of wheels mounted to the spool, in order to steer the deployment and provide additional force if required. Once the product is deployed, the upper compartment is inflated, providing a means of flotation to ensure that the flexible flood barrier remains upright.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

A clear understanding of the key features of the invention summarized above may be had by reference to the appended drawings, which illustrate the method and system of the invention, although it will be understood that such drawings depict preferred embodiments of the invention and, therefore, are not to be considered as limiting its scope with regard to other possible embodiments of the invention. Accordingly:

FIG. 1 depicts the fabric flood barrier described in claim 2 in its deployed state, where the water compartment keeps the barrier tight to the ground while the air compartment floats on the surface of the water, keeping the barrier upright.

FIG. 2 depicts the sequence in which the flood barrier gets deployed.

FIG. 3 depicts the steps by which the flood barrier might be fabricated.

FIG. 4 shows a profile view of the flood barrier. In this embodiment, there is no water compartment. Instead, extra fabric is provided, giving the user an area to place sandbags for a better ground seal.

FIG. 5 shows a photograph of a prototypical flood barrier.

FIG. 6 shows an embodiment where straps are used instead of baffles to preserve the shape of the barrier under water pressure.

FIG. 7 shows a photograph of a prototypical flood barrier installed in a channel.

FIG. 8 shows a photograph of a prototypical flood barrier deployed in advance of a coming rainstorm.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

FIG. 1 depicts an embodiment in which a flexible fabric flood barrier is in its deployed state, where the weight of the (optional) water compartment 1 keeps the barrier tight to the ground while the air compartment 2 floats on the surface of the flood water, keeping the barrier upright. Hoses are depicted, which are used to fill the respective compartments. The two compartments are connected by webbing 3; all three components are made as a continuous element from a single piece of fabric, which can be welded (with heat, RF, or other method) or stitched. Resistance to flood water is given by baffles 4 or alternatively by straps. Grommets 5 can be used to stake the barrier to the ground for enhanced resistance to flood water. Alternatively, sandbags or other weights can be placed on top of the grommets to form a better seal to the ground.
FIG. 2 Shows the sequence by which the flood barrier embodiment depicted in claim 2 is deployed. (A) The flood barrier in its spooled form, depicting hoses for air and water. The water hose is supplied either by the municipal water supply or by a pump, and the water supply can be activated manually or by remote signal. (B) As the water fills the compartment, the expansion of the compartment causes the barrier to unspool. This unspooling could be further assisted by either human intervention, or by installing electric motors attached to both wheels. (C) After unspooling, the wheeled spool can be left in place, or can be removed. Water continues to fill the lower compartment. Optionally, stakes can be driven through the grommets to better secure the barrier to the ground. Finally, the top compartment is filled with air, supplied by a pump attached to the air hose. The barrier is now ready to be exposed to rising flood waters. (D) As flood waters rise, the top compartment floats atop the water surface. The baffles (or straps, alternatively) preserve the wedge shape of the barrier. The weight of the water in the bottom compartment, in addition to the weight of the floodwater on top of it, keeps the barrier tight against the ground surface.
The entire barrier is composed of a single sheet of durable, waterproof fabric (e.g., vinyl/PVC, or vinyl-coated polyethylene). FIG. 3 depicts a possible construction method for a short length (˜3 ft or ˜1 m) of the deployable flood barrier. (This drawing is for demonstration purposes; typically flood barriers are produced in lengths of 10-50 ft. They are also sealed at the ends and affixed with hose connectors as shown in FIG. 1 ). (A) depicts a piece of fabric roughly 3 ft×10 ft with lines to indicate where seams will be placed. In (B), the top compartment (for air) has been formed by folding and sealing (or stitching) the fabric. The bottom compartment has been formed in the same way, but with some number of intermediary seams (two in this drawing) to limit the volume of the water compartment. Finally, baffles are installed by sealing or stitching to both the bottom compartment and the vertical webbing. (Alternatively, straps can replace baffles, as shown in FIG. 6 ).
FIG. 4 depicts side views of an embodiment where there is no water compartment, but rather sandbags are used to provide weight to seal the barrier to the ground. The barrier uses equally-spaced straps to preserve its wedge shape as floodwaters rise. Straps can be made of any durable textile and are affixed to the air compartment 1 using rivets and to the bottom of the barrier using grommets, which receive stakes to help anchor the barrier to the ground.
FIG. 5 depicts a prototype of the flood barrier (roughly 3 ft in length, as shown in FIG. 3 ). The short length of the prototype makes it poorly suited for performance testing, but the barrier is successful in blocking some amount of water. The prototype demonstrates successful fabrication techniques for heat sealing the material, affixing valves for the air and water compartments, and demonstrating that those compartments can hold water and air, respectively, without leakage.
FIG. 6 depicts an embodiment where straps are used instead of baffles to preserve the shape of the barrier under water pressure. These straps could also provide reinforcement for the grommets, which receive stakes to anchor the barrier to the ground. The embodiment on the right side of the figure is the embodiment described in claim 1, where the bottom of the barrier is simply a sheet of fabric, with equally-spaced straps attached by grommets. Sandbags, stones, or other weights can be placed on the fabric to improve the ground seal. On the left side of the figure is the embodiment described in claim 2, where a separate sealed compartment contains water, which helps to weigh the barrier down. It features an additional valve and hose for filling the compartment.
FIG. 7 depicts a prototypical flood barrier installed in a channel, holding back a small volume of water. The barrier is weighted down with rocks to make a better ground seal. The top compartment was inflated by blowing air into the valve.
FIG. 8 depicts a prototypical flood barrier installed in advance of a coming rainstorm so as to prevent floodwaters from flowing down a driveway. The barrier is weighed down with rocks to make a better ground seal. The floodwater level in the image is low, so the barrier is flat to the ground. As floodwaters rise, the inflated top compartment will rise with them, thereby catching the floodwater in the barrier and redirecting it away from the driveway.

Claims

1. A deployable fabric flood barrier comprising;

one hollow compartment to contain air,

a fabric webbing connecting the two aforementioned compartments,

vertical elements such as baffles or straps, placed at a repeating interval to constrain the wedge shape of the flood barrier.

2. The deployable flood barrier of claim 1 wherein the deployable flood barrier also features an additional hollow compartment to contain water.

3. The deployable flood barrier of claim 1 wherein the deployable flood barrier is stored on a large spool.

4. The deployable flood barrier of claim 1 wherein the spool is outfitted with motorized wheels, a battery to power them, and a microcontroller to control their operation.

5. The deployable flood barrier of claim 1 wherein the deployment is assisted by a human operator unspooling the flood barrier from a spool.

6. The deployable flood barrier of claim 1 wherein the deployment is assisted by motorized wheels attached to the spool.

7. The deployable flood barrier of claim 2 wherein the deployment is assisted by opening a valve (either manually or via remote signal) to allow water to flow into a water compartment of the flood barrier, causing the compartment to expand and thereby unspooling the flood barrier.

8. The deployable flood barrier of claim 2 wherein the deployment is initiated by a remote signal to a microcontroller on the spool, which then commands (a) a valve to open, allowing water to flow into the flood barrier's water compartment, and/or (b) its motorized wheels to locomote.

9. The deployable flood barrier of claim 1 wherein the microcontroller attached to the spooled flood barrier commands the flood barrier to be deployed along a predefined trajectory. Steering of the spool is achieved with differential drive (moving the two wheels at different speeds).

10. The deployable flood barrier of claim 1 wherein the bottom of the barrier is outfitted with grommets in order to receive stakes to hold the barrier to the ground.