A CLOSURE ASSEMBLY

Abstract: A closure assembly comprising a movable closure, e.g. a door (1), for sealingly closingly a surround, e.g. a doorframe (3), is divided into two or more closure members, e.g. sub-doors (2) arranged one above the other so as to provide progressively higher closure against rising floodwater. Preferably, the lowermost sub-door(2<1>) is of such a height to enable it be stepped over, i.e. allowing access while keeping out floodwater.

Description: A Closure Assembly The present invention relates to a closure assembly, e.g. a door or window for preventing ingress of floodwater. A normal door is not sufficient to prevent ingress of water when floodwater rises above the level of the threshold. Although it would be possible to design a closure to be completely watertight, it could not be opened even if the level of floodwater were just above the threshold. The present invention provides a closure assembly for preventing ingress of floodwater, comprising a horizontally movable closure for sealingly closing a surround, wherein the closure is divided into two or more horizontally movable closure members arranged one above the other so as to provide progressively higher closure against rising floodwater. Preferably, the lowermost closure member is of such a height to enable it to be stepped over when closed. Thus, with low floodwater levels, the lowest closure member may be kept closed to prevent floodwater entry but access is still possible by opening the upper closure member or members. Preferably, the closure assembly has at least three closure members, but four, five, six or even more closure members are possible, depending on the height of the closure member, although from a practical point of view three to six closure members would probably be sufficient in most circumstances. Obviously, the greater the number of closure members the greater the cost. Embodiments of the invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein: Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a closure assembly in the form of a door having six closure members in a closed position, Fig. 2 is a view similar to Fig. 1 with only the lowermost closure member in the closed position, Fig. 3 is a perspective view of a closure assembly in the form of a door having three closure members in a closed position, Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 2 with the middle and upper closure members in an open position, Fig. 5 is a perspective view of a further embodiment of a closure assembly in which the door is shown, and Fig. 6 is a perspective view of the closure assembly of Fig. 5 in which the door is closed, but two closure members are open. In Figs. 1 and 2 a closure assembly comprises a door 1 formed from six closure members or sub-doors 2 arranged one above the other in a surround in the form of a door frame 3. The sub-doors 2 are attached to the door frame 3 by hinges 4, which may be of any suitable kind, but the sub-doors 2 could be sliding if door 1 were constructed as a sliding door. Suitable sealing means (not shown) must be provided between the door 1 and the door frame 3 to prevent ingress of water when the floodwater rises above the threshold. Similarly, there should be suitable sealing means between each sub-door 2. Obviously, each of the sub-doors 2 should itself prevent, or at least substantially hinder, the ingress of floodwater. For example, each sub-door 2 could be made from metal, plastics or other water impermeable material. In theory, the sub-doors 2 could be made from wood, but only certain timber would be suitable and the construction would have to be adapted to prevent ingress of water. It may be possible to provide sub-doors of standard timber construction with a skin of metal, plastics or other material to provide water impermeability. The use of the door of Figs. 1 and 2 will be apparent. With low-level flooding, only the lowermost sub-door 2 1 need be closed, as shown in Fig. 2. Its height is such, that it can easily be stepped over and would be approximately 70 cm or less, e.g. approximately 35 cm. As the floodwater rises, successively higher sub-doors 2 will be closed. Even with the two lowermost sub-doors closed i.e. with a total height of about 70 cm, it should still be possible to use the door to go in and out of the building by stepping over the two lowermost sub-doors without too much difficulty. When higher sub-doors are closed, i.e. when the floodwater rises still further, it will be necessary to use other means, e.g. a short ladder, table or chair to go in and out of the building. Thus, the closure assembly will keep out the floodwater while still allowing access until the floodwater reaches the uppermost sub-door. Since most floodwater clears in a fairly short period, e.g. hours or days, it may not be essential to construct the closure members, e.g. the higher closure members, so that they are permanently water resistant. It could be sufficient, e.g. for reasons of cost, to ensure water impermeability for a limited period only. If floodwater is expected never to reach the top of the door, it would be sufficient, e.g. for reasons of cost, for only the lower closure members to be water impermeable, with the upper closure members of standard construction. The closure assembly shown in Figs. 3 and 4 is similar to that shown in Figs. 1 and 2 except that there are only three closure members or sub-doors 2. The lowermost sub- door 2 is as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, whereas the upper sub-doors 2 and 2 have glass panels 5. Obviously, the glass panels 5 must have sufficient strength, e.g. thickness, to withstand water pressure at that height. In Figs. 3 and 4 the lowermost sub-door 2 is shown the same height as in Figs. 1 and 2, i.e. about 35 cm. However, the lowermost sub-door could be higher, e.g. about 40 cm, 50 cm or even 60 cm. A sub-door of 70 cm can be still stepped over by tall people, but might present difficulties for shorter people or for the elderly. In Figs. 5 and 6 a door 1 is mounted in a door frame 3 acting as a surround. As can be seen from Fig. 6, the door 1 has an outer frame 6 in which the lowermost part 2 of the door 1 acts as the lowermost sub-door, but is here integral with the outer frame 6. The sub-doors 2 and 2 111 thereabove are attached by hinges 4 to the outer frame 6, not to the door frame 3 as in Figs. 1 to 4. During normal operation of the closure assembly the sub-doors 2 and 2 are fixed closed in the outer frame 6, so that the door 1 opens and closes as a whole. However, during flooding the outer frame 3 with the integral sub-door 2 is firmly fixed to the door frame 3, e.g. by locking, and access can still be obtained by opening sub-doors 2 and 2 111 . If the water level rises further sub-door 2 n may be fixed closed in the door frame 3. If desired, instead of being integral with the outer frame 6, the lowermost sub-door 2 1 could also be hinged to the outer frame 6 in a similar manner to the sub-doors 2 and 2 thereabove. Suitable resilient sealing means should be provided where necessary, ie between at least the lowermost closure members, and between the lowermost closure members and the surround of Figs. 1 to 4 and between the outer frame and the surround of Figs. 5 and 6, to provide "swimming pool water tightness" during flooding. If floodwater is not expected to reach the upper closure members, for reasons of cost, the sealing means may be dispensed with at this level. The sealing means could be formed from strips (solid or hollow) or rubber, plastics or any other suitable material. The constructions described with reference to Figs. 1 to 6 may be used for French windows and patio doors or even for windows. The closure assembly of the present invention may be installed in domestic buildings, e.g. houses or flats, communal buildings, e.g. schools, libraries or places of worship or industrial or agricultural buildings, or anywhere where there could be a threat from floodwater. The closure assemblies described may be fitted at reasonable cost into an existing building to render it secure against floodwater, provided the rest of the building is reasonably secure against floodwater, particularly against floodwater that will recede fairly quickly. For reasons of security, and also to withstand the pressure of floodwater, each of the closure members of the closure assembly could be fitted with a lock, latch or other suitable fastening means. Preferably, these can also be operated from the outside to allow opening of the closure members, and hence access to the building from the outside, during flooding. Although the above embodiments have all been described in relation to preventing ingress of floodwater, the closure assembly in accordance with the invention could also be used to prevent ingress of snow, (eg during a snowstorm), mud, sludge or even sand (eg during a sandstorm), and the term "floodwater" is to be construed accordingly.

Claims: CLAIMS: 1. A closure assembly for preventing ingress of floodwater, comprising a horizontally movable closure for sealingly closing a surround, wherein the closure is divided into two or more horizontally movable closure members arranged one above the other so as to provide progressively higher closure against rising floodwater. 2. A closure assembly as claimed in Claim 1, wherein the lowermost closure member is of such a height to enable it to be stepped over. 3. A closure assembly as claimed in claim 2, wherein the height of the lowermost closure member is 70 cm or less. 4. A closure assembly as claimed in claim 2, wherein the height of the lowermost closure member is 60 cm or less. 5. A closure assembly as claimed in claim 2, wherein the height of the lowermost closure member is 45 cm or less. 6. A closure assembly as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the closure is a door. 7. A closure assembly as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the closure is a window. 8. A closure assembly as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the closure members are substantially made of timber. 9. A closure assembly as claimed in claim 7, wherein the window has a frame substantially made of timber. 10. A closure assembly as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the closure members are pivotably mounted to the surround. 11. A closure assembly as claimed in any one of Claims 1 to 9, wherein the closure members are horizontally slidable over one another relative to the surround. 12. A closure assembly as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein there are at least three closure members. 13. A closure assembly as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the closure has an outer frame pivotably mounted in the surround, and the closure members are pivotably mounted in the outer frame. 14. A closure member assembly as claimed in any one of Claims 1 to 12, wherein the closure has an outer frame pivotably mounted in the surround, the lowermost closure member being fixed in the outer frame and the closure members thereabove being pivotably mounted in the outer frame. 15. A closure assembly substantially as herein described with reference to any one of the embodiments shown in the accompanying drawings. AMENDED CLAIMS [received by the International Bureau on 30 Septeπber 1999 (30.09.99); original claim 1 amended; remaining claims unchanged (2 pages)] CLAIMS: 1. A closure assembly for preventing ingress of floodwater, comprising a horizontally movable closure for sealingly closing a surround, wherein the closure is divided into two or more horizontally movable closure members arranged one above the other so as to provide progressively higher closure against rising floodwater, and the closure members are connectable to each other to form a single closure which acts as a normal, openable closure of the surround when the threat of floodwater is absent. 2. A closure assembly as claimed in Claim 1, wherein the lowermost closure member is of such a height to enable it to be stepped over. 3. A closure assembly as claimed in claim 2, wherein the height of the lowermost closure member is 70 cm or less. 4. A closure assembly as claimed in claim 2, wherein the height of the lowermost closure member is 60 cm or less. 5. A closure assembly as claimed in claim 2, wherein the height of the lowermost closure member is 45 cm or less. 6. A closure assembly as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the closure is a door. 7. A closure assembly as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the closure is a window. 8. A closure assembly as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the closure members are substantially made of timber. 9. A closure assembly as claimed in claim 7, wherein the window has a frame substantially made of timber. 10. A closure assembly as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the closure members are pivotably mounted to the surround. 11. A closure assembly as claimed in any one of Claims 1 to 9, wherein the closure members are horizontally slidable over one another relative to the surround. 12. A closure assembly as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein there are at least three closure members. 13. A closure assembly as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the closure has an outer frame pivotably mounted in the surround, and the closure members are pivotably mounted in the outer frame. 14. A closure member assembly as claimed in any one of Claims 1 to 12, wherein the closure has an outer frame pivotably mounted in the surround, the lowermost closure member being fixed in the outer frame and the closure members thereabove being pivotably mounted in the outer frame. 15. A closure assembly substantially as herein described with reference to any one of the embodiments shown in the accompanying drawings.

Inventors: ABOLKHEIR MOHAMED HOSNY, ABOLKHEIR, MOHAMED, HOSNY
Applicants: ABOLKHEIR GROUP UK LTD, ABOLKHEIR MOHAMED HOSNY, ABOLKHEIR GROUP (UK) LTD., ABOLKHEIR, MOHAMED, HOSNY
Application year: 1999
Main classification: E06B9
IPC codes: E06B3, E06B9