Patent ID: 9708786
Date: 2017-07-18
CPC Classifications: E02B

Claim:
1. An inflatable flood defense structural unit comprising: at least one inflatable chamber comprising a front wall and a rear wall which extend in a substantially parallel orientation, at least one of the front and rear walls providing a water barrier, and a first and second end wall which couple the front and rear walls together at a respective first and second end of the front and rear walls, a first inflatable buttress which is rigidly bonded at a proximal end thereof to the rear wall of the chamber, proximate the first end of the chamber and which extends in a direction which is away from the chamber, a second inflatable buttress which is rigidly bonded at a proximal end thereof to the rear wall of the chamber, proximate the second end of the chamber, and which extends in a direction which is away from the chamber, the first and second buttresses further comprising side walls which couple the proximal end of the respective buttress to a distal end of the respective buttress, the side walls of each buttress separately comprising an inner wall which faces inwardly of the unit, substantially toward each other, and an outer wall which face outwardly of the unit, substantially away from each other, the unit further comprising a fastening arrangement having at least one strap which is rigidly coupled to at least one of the first or second buttress so as to directly fasten the first or second buttress to a second or first buttress respectively, of a further structural unit such that in use, the outer side wall of the first and second buttress is arranged to contact an outer side wall of the second and first buttress of the further unit, and wherein the outer side wall of the first buttress extends beyond the first end of the chamber, such that the proximal end of the first buttress overhangs the first end of the chamber.