Abstract:
Devices and methods for deploying a continuous liquid containment tool is described. The barrier is made up of multiple units that can be connected together. Each unit comprises a long sleeve that contains superabsorbent polymers. When dry, the units are very compact and can lay flat, making it easily storable either in stacks or wound up on a reel. The liquid containment tool is used to prevent water from moving into certain areas by creating a barrier through which water cannot pass. The liquid containment tool can be deployed quickly, continuously, and easily by a single person.

Description:
[0001]    This application claims the benefit of priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61/917,502 filed on Dec. 18, 2013, which is incorporated herein by reference. 
     
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    The field of the invention is fluid containment. 
       BACKGROUND 
       [0003]    The following description includes information that may be useful in understanding the present invention. It is not an admission that any of the information provided herein is prior art or relevant to the presently claimed invention, or that any publication specifically or implicitly referenced is prior art. 
         [0004]    Each year, floods cause millions and often billions of dollars in damage in the United States alone. Adjusted to 2012 dollars, floods caused $52,515,864,757 in damage in 2005. That year, of course, was the year hurricane Katrina ravaged the gulf coast. According to the National Weather Service, over the past 30 years flood damage has averaged about $8.17 billion per year. 
         [0005]    Flooding is not the only cause of water damage, however. Any time water (or any other liquid for that matter) is stored in large volumes or is distributed from a municipal source, there is a risk of leakage and property damage. For example, in an industrial setting, a warehouse may have a pipe burst, causing localized flooding within the building. In those situations, goods can be lost, property can be damaged, and operations can be disrupted. Water flowing through a building is easily containable, but establishing a barrier using current technology can be extremely time-consuming depending on the length of the barrier required. 
         [0006]    Preventing water damage is therefore a serious concern. One of the most well known methods of containing a fluid is to build a sandbag barrier. Sandbags are heavy and water resistant and can help to keep water out of structures that would otherwise be inundated. Sandbags are typically a few feet long by a few feet wide and a number of inches thick. To establish a barrier against water, the bags must be filled with sand and then placed end-to-end and stacked to create a barrier. 
         [0007]    There are many disadvantages to the sandbag approach. A typical sandbag weighs upwards of 50 lbs, and deploying tens or hundreds of sandbags can be extremely exhausting and time-consuming. In an industrial setting where an immediate containment line needs to be created, deploying a sufficiently long sandbag line (e.g., 100 to 200 yards long, or even longer) cannot be accomplished quickly enough to prevent damage from occurring using the sandbag approach. 
         [0008]    In an effort to solve some of the problems inherent in traditional sandbag technology, sandbags that incorporate liquid absorbing polymers have been developed. For example, in U.S. Patent Publ. No. 2013/0309011 to Glodack, a bag for creating temporary water barriers is described. To solve the problem of weight, the bag includes liquid absorbing polymers within the casing. Liquid absorbing polymers are capable of absorbing immense amounts of water relative to their mass, and when dry, the polymers are very lightweight. When water is absorbed, the polymers expand, creating a full, heavy bag that is useable as a liquid barrier. When dry, the bags are small, and lightweight, making them ideally suited for easy storage and deployment. Such bags are often referred to as “sandless sandbags.” 
         [0009]    One commercially available sandless sandbag product is sold by FloodSax® (see www.floodsax.us.com). These bags are much lighter and more compact than traditional sandbags, making them easy to store and deploy. 
         [0010]    Others have also worked to develop solutions using superabsorbent polymers. See, for example: U.S. Pat. No. 6,715,960 to Metz; U.S. Patent Publ. No. 2010/0278591 to Tasker; U.S. 2003/0017288 to Dreher et al.; and U.S. Pat. No. 4,650,368 to Bayer. However, these efforts fail to appreciate the advantage of a continuous length liquid barrier. 
         [0011]    Superior SandBag Systems® from Superior Sandbag, Inc. (see www.ameripacific.com/geoerosiondivision/continuoussandbag.html) provides a commercially available system and method for deploying long lengths of seamless sandbags, which are capable of placing 250 feet of sandbag in 90 seconds with only two operators. While advantageous in some aspects, Superior Sandbag Systems® must transport volumes of sand and requires large machinery to fill the long bags. 
         [0012]    To the best of applicants&#39; knowledge, those of ordinary skill in the art have failed to develop a continuous deployment system and method for placing long lengths of sandless sandbags. As used herein, “continuous deployment” means deploying liquid barriers (e.g., sandless sandbags) in a continuous manner. As such, even though newer sandless sandbags provide some advantages over prior methods (e.g., sandbags), there remains a need for improved systems and methods for quickly deploying liquid containment tools for large-scale applications in a continuous manner and with minimal equipment or machinery. 
         [0013]    All publications and commercially available products identified herein are incorporated by reference to the same extent as if each individual publication or product description were specifically and individually indicated to be incorporated by reference. Where a definition or use of a term in an incorporated reference is inconsistent or contrary to the definition of that term provided herein, the definition of that term provided herein applies and the definition of that term in the reference does not apply. 
         [0014]    Thus, there is still a need for improved liquid containment devices, systems, and methods. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0015]    The inventive subject matter provides devices and methods in which a continuous length liquid containment tool can be created, stored, and deployed. The liquid containment tool is a long sleeve (e.g., bag) made of a water permeable material. The sleeve has a lumen filled with superabsorbent polymers (SAP) and, optionally, other expanding material. The SAP can be placed directly inside the lumen of the sleeve or can be within a separate container(s) (e.g., bag, membrane, etc) that is placed inside the outer sleeve. The outer sleeve and/or the container can further include stitching, or some other internal barrier within their lumens, to create internal chambers or partial barriers that help to maintain a distribution of the SAP throughout the length of the sleeve. 
         [0016]    The inventive subject matter also provides storage units (i.e., storage and deployment modules) for storing and deploying long lengths of a liquid containment tool in a continuous manner. In some embodiments, the storage units can comprise reels for storing the liquid containment tool in a wound configuration. Deployment methods can include the step of unwinding the reel. Deployment methods can also include the step of connecting two or more liquid containment tools on two or more different reels (e.g., modules or units) in series to increase overall length of a liquid containment tool. This modular approach not only allows for the continuous deployment of a liquid containment barrier, but facilitates mobility and storage of the containment tool by breaking it down into smaller modular units. 
         [0017]    In other embodiments, the storage unit can comprise cages or racks for storing the liquid containment tool in a stacked/folded configuration, or a hung configuration. Storage methods can include the step of stacking a liquid containment tool in a uniquely folded manner such that the liquid containment tool can be quickly pulled from the storage unit and placed onto the ground in a continuous manner for rapid deployment. Yet other storage methods can include the step of hanging the liquid containment tool in a unique pattern on a rack such that the liquid containment tool can be easily and quickly pulled off the rack without interruption for rapid deployment. 
         [0018]    One of the biggest advantages over other currently available technology is the ability to deploy a continuous length of the liquid containment tool for creating very long liquid barriers. This provides the user the ability to very quickly protect large areas from water damage without the need for large heavy machinery. 
         [0019]    Another advantage is the ability to store the liquid containment tool, when dry, in such a way as to promote easy deployment. The liquid containment tool uses superabsorbent polymers, so when it is dry it is very compact. Among other methods, it can be folded, stored in a rack, or stored on a reel. Each of these storage methods makes deployment of the device simple and fast so in the event of an emergency, protection from water can be achieved far more quickly and for a much larger area than the current state of the art allows. 
         [0020]    The liquid containment tool can either have stitching on its body that prevents a container inside from lateral movement, or the liquid containment tool can have at least one container inside that has stitching in a pattern meant to discourage or impede lateral movement of the SAP held therein. 
         [0021]    The fluid containment tool can additionally be modular in nature. Thus, when a length of the tool is deployed, the user can optionally connect one end of the tool to another end of another tool, thereby increasing the total length. In some embodiments, the ends of two liquid containment tools from two different storage units can be joined via a hook-and-loop fastener. 
         [0022]    Various objects, features, aspects and advantages of the inventive subject matter will become more apparent from the following detailed description of some embodiments, along with the accompanying figures in which like numerals represent like components. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0023]      FIG. 1  shows one embodiment of the liquid containment tool that has a liquid permeable lumen with internal stitching and a superabsorbent polymer. 
           [0024]      FIG. 2  shows another embodiment of a liquid containment tool that has a liquid permeable lumen with internal stitching and a superabsorbent polymer. 
           [0025]      FIG. 3   a  shows one embodiment of a storage unit for storing and deploying the liquid containment tool in  FIGS. 1 and 2 . 
           [0026]      FIG. 3   b  shows the storage unit of  FIG. 3   a  with the liquid containment tool of  FIG. 1  stored in a wound configuration. 
           [0027]      FIG. 4  shows another embodiment of a storage unit with the liquid containment tool of  FIG. 1  stored in a folded configuration. 
           [0028]      FIG. 5  shows another embodiment of a storage unit with the liquid containment tool of  FIG. 1  stored in a hanging configuration. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0029]    The following discussion provides many example embodiments of the inventive subject matter. Although each embodiment represents a single combination of inventive elements, the inventive subject matter is considered to include all possible combinations of the disclosed elements. Thus if one embodiment comprises elements A, B, and C, and a second embodiment comprises elements B and D, then the inventive subject matter is also considered to include other remaining combinations of A, B, C, or D, even if not explicitly disclosed. 
         [0030]    One aspect of the inventive subject matter is a liquid containment tool  100 . Tool  100  has a liquid permeable layer  110 . Layer  110  comprises a sleeve that defines a lumen. The lumen is a tube-like structure that is capable of holding or containing matter. 
         [0031]    In some embodiments, the lumen material is inelastic, while in others the lumen material exhibits elastic properties. Additionally, the liquid permeable lumen  110  can be configured in a wide range of lengths. To accommodate large-scale applications (e.g., warehouses, football fields, commercial property, parking lots, etc.) the liquid containment tool  110  can be cut to any length required during manufacturing. For example in some embodiments, the liquid containment tool  100  can be 100 or 200 yards in length, or even much longer. 
         [0032]    Layer  110  is preferably permeable to water. However, it is also contemplated that layer  110  could be permeable to different kinds of liquids and could even be non-permeable to other types of liquids (e.g., fresh water, salt water, hazardous solutions, non-hazardous solutions, etc.) 
         [0033]    Tool  100  also has a water permeable container layer  140  within layer  110 . Container layer  140  houses superabsorbent polymers (SAP)  130 . In addition, container layer  110  could contain other materials that facilitate permeability of the liquid, expansion of layer  140  and/or layer  110 , and/or that help maintain equal distribution of the SAP  130 . 
         [0034]    Container  140  can have elastic properties suitable to accommodate SAP  130  expansion. For example, container  140  can be a loosely woven or knitted fibrous material matrix that is able to accommodate expansion of the SAP  130  when exposed to water. In these types of embodiments, when the SAPs  130  are activated due to exposure to a liquid, the SAPs  130  expand. Container  140  also expands accordingly, and the water permeable lumen  110  becomes filled with a heavy mass, thereby becoming an effective liquid barrier. 
         [0035]    It is also contemplated that layer  110  can be made of a rigid material or a less elastic material than container layer  140  to constrict and limit the expansion of the SAP  130 . In some embodiments, layer  110  can has an elasticity that is 50% less than, more preferably 70% less than, most preferably 85% less than the elasticity of container layer  140 . In yet other embodiments, layer  110  can be made of a material that has similar elasticity or more elasticity that container layer  140 . 
         [0036]    Container layer  140  is shown has one continuous sleeve that runs throughout the length of the lumen of layer  110 . However, in alternative embodiments, container layer  140  can be a plurality of separate containers within layer  110 , which provide individual pockets or chambers for storing SAP  130 . This helps to maintain an equal distribution of the SAP  130  throughout the length of tool  100 . 
         [0037]    In the present embodiment as shown in  FIG. 1 , tool  100  has a plurality of stitching  120  that creates a tortuous pathway within the lumen of layer  110 . This tortuous pathway hinders shifting of the SAP  130  and helps to maintain equal distribution. Excessively uneven distribution (e.g., clumping) of the SAP  130  may lead to gaps and/or bumps in continuous liquid containment tool  100 . Those of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that various inner-stitching patterns of layer  110  can be used to achieve this objective. The stitching could either create a tortuous pathway or individual pockets and chambers within layer  110 . 
         [0038]      FIG. 2  shows a variation of tool  100 . In this embodiment, uneven distribution of SAP  130  is prevented or otherwise impeded by adding stitching  150  to the container layer  140  rather than layer  110 . Yet another way to deter uneven distribution of SAP  130  is to affix (e.g., glue, hook and loop fasteners, stitch, etc.) a plurality of individual containers  140  to the interior surface of lumen  110  of the sleeve, wherein the containers  140  each have SAP and other expanding materials. This prevents shifting of the containers  140  relative to the sleeve. 
         [0039]    Superabsorbent polymers  130  are materials capable of absorbing extremely large amounts of liquid relative to their own mass. The weight ratio of wet to dry material can be up to 500:1 when absorbing deionized and distilled water. Depending on ionic concentration of the aqueous solution, that ratio can vary. Additional information on SAP can be found in the references cited in the background section, which are incorporated herein by reference. 
         [0040]    Superabsorbent polymers  130  can be made in a number of different ways. In some embodiments, Superabsorbent polymers are created using copolymer chemistry. This involves the polymerization of acrylic acid blended with sodium hydroxide in the presence of an initiator to form a poly-acrylic acid sodium salt (sodium polyacrylate). Other methods to produce Superabsorbent polymers include: suspension polymerization, solution polymerization, and gel polymerization. Superabsorbent polymers used in embodiments of the invention may be made using any method currently known or later discovered. 
         [0041]    When dry, the liquid containment tool  100  lies flat. This is because superabsorbent polymers shrink down tremendously in the absence of water. It is because of this quality that the liquid containment tool  100  can be stored in a variety of different ways. The tool  100  can be stored in a cage, on a rack, on a reel, or in combination with any other device designed to improve deployment of the tool. In some embodiments, the tool can be stored without the use of any device at all, instead implementing a method of folding the tool in such a way as to facilitate deployment. 
         [0042]    In some embodiments, the liquid containment tool  100  can be stored on a reel  160 , as shown in  FIG. 3   a .  FIG. 3   b  shows tool  100  stored on reel  160  in a wound configuration for compact storage and easy/rapid deployment. Deployment can be achieved by either holding one end of tool  100  and pulling it to a desired location, or by remaining stationary with one end of tool  100  and moving reel  160  to a desired location. Reels  160  are preferably mobile and can be located on a vehicle that moves along the path of the desired location for a barrier. Alternatively, reel  160  can have wheels that allows a user to push/pull reel  160  to the deployment location. In either case, the result is deployment of the liquid containment tool  100  along a desired path. 
         [0043]    In other embodiments, the liquid containment tool  100  can be stored by folding it onto itself into an easily deployable stack.  FIG. 4  shows a cart  170  on wheels. Cart  170  has two vertical stacks, tools  100   a  and  100   b.  Each stack is a continuous length of tool  100  that is folded such that it is able to come off of the stack in a way that allows for easy deployment without resulting in tangling. Once the first stack is deployed, the second stack can be deployed and affixed to the first stack to provide one continuous barrier. The stacks can be affixed using a fastener as shown  FIG. 6 .  FIG. 6  shows a first liquid containment tool  100   a  (e.g., from a first stack or reel) that has a hook and loop fastener  182  and a second liquid containment tool (e.g., from a second stack or reel) that has a hook and loop fastener  184 . Fasteners  182  and  184  can be quickly fastened together to join tool  100   a  with tool  100   b.  While hoop and loop fasteners are shown in this particular embodiment, other quick fasteners can be used with the inventive subject matter, including mechanical fasteners (e.g., buttons, male-female connectors, zippers, etc.), chemical fasteners (e.g., adhesives), magnetic fasteners, and any other fastener suitable for joining two liquid containment tools in a quick and easy manner. 
         [0044]    Various storage confirmations in addition to wound and horizontal stacks can be used with the present inventive subject matter. For example, cart  170  could alternatively include horizontal stacks of liquid containment tools on multiple shelves.  FIG. 5  shows a cart  175  that has a liquid containment tool  100   a  stored in a hanging configuration. Whichever storage configuration is used should facilitate modular deployment of a continuous liquid barrier. To achieve this, various sections or lengths of the barrier can be stored as separate units (reels, stacks, etc.) where each unit is capable of connecting to another unit at both of its ends. When a first unit is fully deployed, it can optionally be connected to the top of a second unit, thus allowing deployment of two units as one single and continuous barrier. This has the effect of extending the possible length of the liquid containment tool by double, triple, or by any other integer or non-integer multiple. 
         [0045]    In some embodiments, the numbers expressing quantities of ingredients, properties such as concentration, reaction conditions, and so forth, used to describe and claim certain embodiments of the invention are to be understood as being modified in some instances by the term “about.” Accordingly, in some embodiments, the numerical parameters set forth in the written description and attached claims are approximations that can vary depending upon the desired properties sought to be obtained by a particular embodiment. In some embodiments, the numerical parameters should be construed in light of the number of reported significant digits and by applying ordinary rounding techniques. Notwithstanding that the numerical ranges and parameters setting forth the broad scope of some embodiments of the invention are approximations, the numerical values set forth in the specific examples are reported as precisely as practicable. The numerical values presented in some embodiments of the invention may contain certain errors necessarily resulting from the standard deviation found in their respective testing measurements. 
         [0046]    Unless the context dictates the contrary, all ranges set forth herein should be interpreted as being inclusive of their endpoints and open-ended ranges should be interpreted to include only commercially practical values. Similarly, all lists of values should be considered as inclusive of intermediate values unless the context indicates the contrary. 
         [0047]    As used in the description herein and throughout the claims that follow, the meaning of “a,” “an,” and “the” includes plural reference unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. Also, as used in the description herein, the meaning of “in” includes “in” and “on” unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. 
         [0048]    The recitation of ranges of values herein is merely intended to serve as a shorthand method of referring individually to each separate value falling within the range. Unless otherwise indicated herein, each individual value with a range is incorporated into the specification as if it were individually recited herein. All methods described herein can be performed in any suitable order unless otherwise indicated herein or otherwise clearly contradicted by context. The use of any and all examples, or exemplary language (e.g. “such as”) provided with respect to certain embodiments herein is intended merely to better illuminate the invention and does not pose a limitation on the scope of the invention otherwise claimed. No language in the specification should be construed as indicating any non-claimed element essential to the practice of the invention. 
         [0049]    Groupings of alternative elements or embodiments of the invention disclosed herein are not to be construed as limitations. Each group member can be referred to and claimed individually or in any combination with other members of the group or other elements found herein. One or more members of a group can be included in, or deleted from, a group for reasons of convenience and/or patentability. When any such inclusion or deletion occurs, the specification is herein deemed to contain the group as modified thus fulfilling the written description of all Markush groups used in the appended claims. 
         [0050]    As used herein, and unless the context dictates otherwise, the term “coupled to” is intended to include both direct coupling (in which two elements that are coupled to each other contact each other) and indirect coupling (in which at least one additional element is located between the two elements). Therefore, the terms “coupled to” and “coupled with” are used synonymously. 
         [0051]    It should be apparent to those skilled in the art that many more modifications besides those already described are possible without departing from the inventive concepts herein. The inventive subject matter, therefore, is not to be restricted except in the spirit of the appended claims. Moreover, in interpreting both the specification and the claims, all terms should be interpreted in the broadest possible manner consistent with the context. In particular, the terms “comprises” and “comprising” should be interpreted as referring to elements, components, or steps in a non-exclusive manner, indicating that the referenced elements, components, or steps may be present, or utilized, or combined with other elements, components, or steps that are not expressly referenced. Where the specification claims refers to at least one of something selected from the group consisting of A, B, C . . . and N, the text should be interpreted as requiring only one element from the group, not A plus N, or B plus N, etc.