Flood barrier

A flood barrier comprises a plurality of panels attached together. A gasket runs continuously around the exterior periphery of each panel. When a panel is attached to an adjacent panel, the said gasket is compressed and the panels together form a watertight joint. Elongated members are attached to each panel to provide support. The bottom surface of the panel, together with the said gasket, is pressed against the ground from the weight of the floodwater and that of the panel itself. Sandbags and/or weights may be used to assist in pressing the said gasket against the ground as needed. This forms a watertight joint between the bottom surface of the panels and the ground. The attachment of a plurality of said panels together form a flood barrier. Most panels are flat panels and some are angled panels. The flat panels and angled panels can be assembled on site to surround a house or a building to form a barrier against flooding.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

Not Applicable

FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH

Not Applicable

SEQUENCE LISTING OR PROGRAM

Not Applicable

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

This invention relates to flood barriers to protect homes and buildings during a flood and in particular, panels that can be assembled on site to form a flood barrier against flooding.

2. Prior Art

Presently, sandbags and plastic sheeting are often used to form flood barriers to protect homes and buildings. This process is laborious, time consuming and cumbersome.

Other methods of flood barriers are shown in:

U.S. Pat. No. 5,439,316 uses concrete flood barriers which are heavy, cumbersome and difficult to store.

U.S. Pat. No. 6,334,736 B1 uses a plurality of fluid filled bodies made of sheet material stacked together to form a flood barrier. It is labor intensive to form the flood barrier. These fluid filled bodies are heavy and difficult to assemble.

The present invention does not need any footing, foundation, anchor, stake or similar object to attach the flood barrier to the ground.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention comprises a plurality of panels assembled on site. In the preferred embodiment, the panels are pressed against each other using removable clamps. Each panel has a gasket that runs continuously around their exterior periphery so that when they are pressed against each other, they form a watertight joint. The bottom surface of the panel, together with the said gasket, is pressed against the ground from the weight of the floodwater and that of the panel itself. Sandbags and/or removable weights may be used to assist in pressing the said gasket against the ground as needed. This forms a watertight joint between the bottom surface of the panel and the ground.

Struts are attached to the panels to provide support. In the preferred embodiment, the struts are attached to the panels by nuts and bolts. Most of the panels are flat panels and some are angled panels. The flat panels and angled panels can be assembled on site to surround a house or a building to form a flood barrier.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

FIG. 1shows a perspective view of one embodiment of the invention. A flat panel28has a front surface2, a top surface, a bottom surface and a pair of side surfaces14. It is supported by struts4. A gasket18sits in a groove22that runs continuously around the exterior periphery of the flat panel28. The groove22is shown inFIG. 9. In the preferred embodiment, the flat panel28is made of molded plastic such as polystyrene. Other materials may be used. For example, it may be made of foam or sheet metal such as aluminum or steel.

Referring toFIG. 2, the flat panel28has four legs6, each with a hole12. The strut4has a hole20. It is attached to the leg6of the flat panel28by aligning the holes,12and20, and tightened using a nut and a bolt. Other means of attachment may be used. For example, one may use screws to attach strut4to leg6or they may be clamped together using G clamps or they may be tied together using ropes.

FIG. 3shows another embodiment of the invention where the top and bottom surfaces and the pair of side surfaces14have been elongated so that there is no need for legs6. A flat panel24has a front surface2, a top surface, a bottom surface and a pair of side surfaces14. It is supported by struts4. A gasket18sits in a groove22that runs continuously around the exterior periphery of the flat panel24. The groove22is shown inFIG. 9.

Referring toFIG. 4, the flat panel24has four holes12made on the pair of side surfaces14as shown. The strut4has a hole20. The strut4is attached to the side surface14of the flat panel24by aligning the holes,12and20, and tightened using a nut and a bolt. Other means of attachment may be used.

FIG. 5shows a flat panel24with a front surface2, a top surface, a bottom surface and a pair of side surfaces14. The struts4are not shown for clarity.

FIG. 7shows an angled panel26with a front surface2, a top surface, a bottom surface and a pair of side surfaces14. It is supported by struts4. The strut4is attached to the side surface14of the angled panel26by aligning the holes,12and20, and tightened using a nut and a bolt. Other means of attachment may be used. The preferred embodiment of the angled panel26has an angle16of 90 degrees or 145 degrees but is not limited to such degrees. Other magnitudes of angles may be used.

Referring toFIG. 8, a gasket18sits in a grove22that runs continuously around the exterior periphery of the flat panel24. InFIG. 9, the gasket18protrudes from the pair of side surfaces14.

Referring toFIG. 10, a gasket18sits in a groove22that runs continuously around the exterior periphery of the flat panel24. InFIG. 11, the gasket18protrudes from the pair of side surfaces14.

FIG. 12shows an angled panel26attached to a flat panel24. The side surface14of the angled panel26is pressed against the side surface14of the flat panel24using removable clamps such as G clamps. These clamps are not shown for clarity. This causes the gasket18of angled panel26to be pressed against gasket18of flat panel24along the side surfaces14. This forms a watertight joint between the adjacent panels24and26.

Similarly, all the panels are pressed against adjacent panels along the side surfaces14using removable clamps such as G clamps. Other means of attachment may be used. For example, one may use screws or nuts and bolts to attach the panels together.

The bottom surface of the panels, and hence the gasket18which runs continuously around the exterior periphery of the panels, are made to press against the ground by the use of sandbags and/or weights as needed. This forms a watertight joint between the panels and the ground.

In the preferred embodiment, the front surface2of the panels are angled away from the flood water at an inclined orientation to the flood water so that the weight of the flood water and the weight of the panels are used to press down on the panels against the ground. In another embodiment of this invention, the panels may be in a substantially vertical orientation to the flood water. The panels are assembled on site to surround a home or a building to form a flood barrier.

Referring toFIG. 12, both panels24and26are supported by struts4. A strut4is attached to the side surfaces14of the two adjoining panels24and26by aligning the two holes12of the two adjoining panels24and26with the hole20of the strut4. A bolt is then made to pass through the two holes12of the two adjoining panels24and26and the hole20of the strut4and subsequently tightened with a nut. By tightening the nut and the bolt, the two adjacent panels of24and26are pressed against each other at the side surfaces14. This presses the gasket18of flat panel24against the gasket18of angled panel26to form a watertight joint.

In the preferred embodiment, all the panels are attached to all the struts using nuts and bolts. Other means of attachment may be used. For example, one may use screws to attach strut4to the panels24and26as shown inFIG. 12or they may be clamped together using G clamps or they may be tied together using ropes.

If there are areas of uneven ground, the low spots should be filled with a combination of sandbags, plastic sheeting and sand to level the ground before the panels are assembled on site. To minimize water leakage due to the uneven ground, one embodiment of the invention is such that the panel is substantially shorter along its width when compared to its height. For example, such a panel can be 2 feet wide by 4 feet high. In another embodiment of the invention, a plurality of rows of gasket18sit in grooves22that run continuously and substantially parallel to each other, around the exterior periphery of the panels.