Patent Abstract:
A flood gate system for a doorway utilizes a frame having a slide panel guide located at lateral and bottom edges thereof. A slide panel is slidably adjusted within the slide guides. The slide panel guides, perimeter edges of the frame, and bottom of the slide panel are provided with seals to provide a waterproof abutment and securement of the system. The slide panel guide is permanently affixed to the front frame of a doorway and sealed to the structure supporting the doorway frame. When floodwaters become imminent, the slide panel is inserted into the slide panel guide and slid down to provide a waterproof gate for the doorway.

Full Description:
RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     The present invention was first described in and claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/903,477, filed Nov. 13, 2013, the entire disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference. 
    
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates generally to a flood gate system placed in front of a doorway and sealed to a structure supporting the doorway. When floodwaters become imminent, the slide panel is inserted into the slide panel guides and slid down to provide a waterproof gate. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     When disaster strikes, every second counts in preventing the loss of life or property. This is especially the case when dealing with floods where water can rise at alarming rates, engulfing entire towns, and destroying family belongings that have been collected over many generations. As a result, family heirlooms such as photographs, antiques, and other irreplaceable items risk being lost forever, without hope for recovery. This being the case, people are willing to go to great lengths to ensure the safety of their homes and belongings during floods caused by hurricanes, tornadoes, and floods. Unfortunately, with the exception of sandbags, dikes, and massive construction projects, there is little that can be done to protect ones home or building against the ravages of a flood. Accordingly, there is a need for a means by which flood waters from natural disasters can be restricted from buildings and homes, in a manner that is quick, easy, and effective while doing it in a cost-effective manner. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The disadvantages of the prior art are overcome by the present invention in providing a flood gate system for a doorway utilizes a frame having a slide panel guide located at lateral and bottom edges thereof. A slide panel is slidably adjusted within the slide guides. The slide panel guides, perimeter edges of the frame, and bottom of the slide panel are provided with seals to provide a waterproof abutment and securement of the system. The slide panel guide is permanently affixed to the front frame of a doorway and sealed to the structure supporting the doorway frame. When floodwaters become imminent, the slide panel is inserted into the slide panel guide and slid down to provide a waterproof gate for the doorway. The use of the flood gate system safely controls flood waters at a doorway resulting from natural disasters, in a manner that is quick, easy, and effective, thus protecting personal property and belongings. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The advantages and features of the present invention will become better understood with reference to the following more detailed description and claims taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which like elements are identified with like symbols, and in which: 
         FIG. 1  is an environmental view of a flood gate system for a doorway  10  in accordance with the preferred embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 2  is an isometric view of a slide panel guide  20  of the flood gate system for a doorway  10  attached to a building  100  in accordance with the preferred embodiment of the present invention; and, 
         FIG. 3  is an isometric view of a slide panel  50  of the flood gate system for a doorway  10  in accordance with the preferred embodiment of the present invention. 
     
    
    
     DESCRIPTIVE KEY 
     
         
         
           
               10  system 
               20  slide panel guide 
               22  side member 
               24  base member 
               26  first side flange 
               28  second side flange 
               32  web member 
               34  throat 
               36  first aperture 
               38  second aperture 
               42  third aperture 
               46  threaded fastener 
               50  slide panel 
               54  blocking 
               52  core 
               56  sheathing 
               58  handle 
               62  seal 
               100  building 
               104  door 
               120  pad 
           
         
       
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     The best mode for carrying out the invention is presented in terms of its preferred embodiment, herein depicted within  FIGS. 1 through 3 . A person skilled in the art will appreciate that many other embodiments of the invention are possible without deviating from the basic concept of the invention. Any such work around will also fall under scope of this invention. While only one particular configuration is shown and described that is for purposes of clarity and disclosure and not by way of limitation of scope. 
     The present invention describes a flood gate system for a doorway (herein referred to as the “system”)  10 , which provides a means to place a temporary, sealed barrier into a permanent frame at a doorway of a building  100  to obviate the entrance of floodwaters. Referring now to  FIG. 1 , an environmental view, and  FIG. 2 , an isometric view of the slide panel guide  20 , of the system  10  according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention, are disclosed. The system  10  includes a slide panel guide  20  and a slide panel  50 . The slide panel guide  20  is adapted to be attached to the building  100  and the slide panel  50  is inserted into the slide panel guide  20  in order to seal off access to the door  104  so as to not allow water therein. The slide panel guide  20  is configured as a formed, or stamped, metal piece with two (2) parallel vertical side members  22  and an interconnecting horizontal base member  24 . Each of the side members  22  and the base member  24  are generally “C”-shaped channels with a first side flange  26  parallel to a second side flange  28  and a perpendicular web member  32  therebetween. The first side flanges  26 , the second side flanges  28 , and the web members  32  of the two side members  22  and the base member  24  define the finite space between them as the throat  34  of the slide panel guide  20 . The slide panel guide  20  is preferably composed of aluminum or some other metal which is both economical and resistant to corrosion. However, other materials, such as an extruded rigid polymer or a high-strength composite, may be utilized without limiting the scope of the system  10 . 
     As shown in  FIG. 1 , the slide panel guide  20  will be oriented with the first side flanges  26  of the side members  22  and the base member  24  abutting a doorway of a building  100 . Disposed in an evenly spaced pattern along the first side flanges  26  is a plurality of first apertures  36 , each being countersink as oriented toward the doorway. Disposed in a matching pattern along the second side flange  28  of the side members  22  and the base member  24 , is an equal and corresponding plurality of second apertures  38 . The second apertures  38  are aligned opposite from the first apertures  36  and are of sufficient size so that a tool, such as a screwdriver, may be inserted through a second aperture  38  to reach and drive a threaded fastener  46  into an opposing first aperture  36  to secure the slide panel guide  20  to the building  100 . 
     It should be appreciated that the second aperture  38  may be larger in diameter than the first aperture  36 , or of any comparative size, to permit the proper clearances for the threaded fastener  46  and a driving tool. The threaded fastener  46  would preferably be of a flat head, or countersunk, type in order to thread entirely into its particular first aperture  36  and not have any portion projecting into the throat  34 . Additionally, disposed along the web member  32  of the base member  24  in a preferably evenly spaced pattern is a plurality of third apertures  42 . These third apertures  42  are countersink on the upper surface of the web member  32  of the base member  24  to allow the heads of the downwardly driven fasteners  46  to be recessed. These downwardly driven fasteners may engage the frame other hard base surface the frame may be attached to. 
     Referring now to  FIG. 3 , an isometric view of the slide panel  50 , of the system  10  according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention, is disclosed. The slide panel  50  would preferably be composed of a thin gauge metal sheathing  56 , such as aluminum sheet, formed around a light-weight core  52 , such as a closed-cell polymer foam. It is understood that other materials and methods of construction may be utilized for the sheathing  56 , such as an epoxy coated steel sheet, and for the core  52  without limiting the scope of the system  10 . It may also be necessary to add some type of framing to the core  52  to increase the structural rigidity of the slide panel  50 , however, it is understood that any such eventualities do not modify the scope or intent of the present system  10  and this preferred embodiment does not preclude any other embodiment. 
     Disposed upon the upper edge of the slide panel  50  are preferably two (2) handles  58  to aid in the manipulation and transport of the slide panel  50 . The handles  58  are secured to the slide panel  50  by means of threaded or other type fasteners retained in blocking  54 . The blocking  54 , as seen in the cut-away portion of  FIG. 3 , is a reinforcing insert, preferably comprised of wood, or other suitable material, formed into the core  52  to withstand certain loading normally beyond the capacity of the constituent core  52  material. 
     Disposed along the side and lower edges of the slide panel  50  is a seal  62 . The seal  62  may be a single piece or separate but contiguous seals attached to, or incorporated into, the sheathing  56 . In this manner, a watertight barrier is formed between the slide panel  50  and the side members  22  and the base member  24  of the slide panel guide  20  after the slide panel  50  has been inserted into the slide panel guide  20 . The seals may be configured to have any grooves, channels, or other surface features so as to optimize the exclusion of water and debris from the system  10 . Alternately, the seals may extend to some portion of the front and the rear faces of the slide panel  50  so as to form a barrier which would involve the first side flange  26  and the second side flange  28  of the members  22 ,  24 . 
     The preferred embodiment of the present invention can be utilized in a simple and straightforward manner with little or no training. A layer of a substance, such as caulk, would be applied to the face of the first side flange  26  of each member  22 ,  24  prior to securing the slide panel guide  20  to the building  100  so as to fill any gaps or irregularities to achieve a water-tight seal. The substance used to achieve this seal would preferably not shrink upon setting or drying and would maintain good adhesion between the first side flange  26  and the building  100  over an extended period of time, such as a good quality silicone or latex caulk. However, the substance used for this sealing is not the subject of the present system  10  and as such may encompass any material, or materials, capable of bringing about the water-tight seal. 
     As a preparatory step to the installation of the slide panel guide  20  on a building  100 , a pad  120  would have to be prepared. The pad  120  is a new, or an existing block, preferably composed of concrete, into which threaded inserts have been secured for the purpose of retaining the threaded fasteners  46  installed in the base flange  32  of the base member  24 . The requirements of the pad  120  would be that it be essentially coplanar with the base flange  32  of the base member  24  after the slide panel guide  20  is attached to the building  100 . Prior to attaching the slide panel guide  20  to the building  100  water-tight seals, as previously discussed, would be installed between the slide panel guide  20  and the building  100  and between the slide panel guide  20  and the pad  120 . 
     After initial purchase or acquisition of the system  10 , it would be installed as indicated in  FIG. 1 . The method of installing and utilizing the system  10  may be achieved by performing the following steps: acquiring a model of the system  10  having a size to adequately cover the desired door; preparing the pad  120  to accept the base member  24  of the slide panel guide  20  by making the necessary adjustments to the level of the pad  120  and installing the necessary threaded inserts to retain the threaded fasteners  46 ; using the slide panel guide  20  as a template and marking the locations for holes to be drilled into the building  100  for threaded fasteners  46 ; making the appropriate sized holes depending on the materials of construction of the building  100  for the threaded fasteners  46 ; positioning the slide panel guide  20  against the building and pad  120  with caulk or other sealing material in place; fastening the slide panel guide in position by securing the threaded fasteners  46  into the walls of the building  100  and into the pad  120 ; and prior to the weather event or other such happenstance which results in flooding, installing the slide panel  50  into the throat  34  of the slide panel guide  20  using the handles  58 . The slide panel  50  may be removed from the slide panel guide  20  and stored in a convenient location after the flood has subsided. Subsequent usage of the system  10  will not require execution the steps involved with attaching the slide panel guide  20  to the building  100 . 
     The foregoing descriptions of specific embodiments of the present invention have been presented for purposes of illustration and description. They are not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention and method of use to the precise forms disclosed. Obviously many modifications and variations are possible in light of the above teaching. The embodiment was chosen and described in order to best explain the principles of the invention and its practical application, and to thereby enable others skilled in the art to best utilize the invention and various embodiments with various modifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated. It is understood that various omissions or substitutions of equivalents are contemplated as circumstance may suggest or render expedient, but is intended to cover the application or implementation without departing from the spirit or scope of the claims of the present invention.

Technology Classification (CPC): 4