Patent Description:
When a building is located in areas at risk of flooding by watercourses or canals, the openings of the rooms on the ground floor are normally provided with guides for movable barriers, normally rectangular-shaped, which are positioned between the guides in preparation for a possible ingression of water. Obviously the mass of the barrier and the type of coupling with the guides and with the floor portion arranged between the guides determines the quality of the hydraulic seal of the barrier. The greater the contact pressure of the sides of the barrier with the guides and with the floor portion, the greater the hydraulic seal ensured by said bulkhead.

Barriers are known with width approximating by defect the width of the opening and are installed by rotation after hooking them to pins applied to the guides. Articulated barriers are also known provided with a first bulkhead and a second bulkhead hinged around a longitudinal rotation axis located near an outer face of the two bulkheads. The anti-flood condition of the barriers is obtained when the outer edges of the bulkheads, provided with normally prism-shaped lateral seals, and in particular provided with a parallelepiped portion, designed to be contained inside longitudinal profiles of the bulkheads open on the side, and delimited externally by a semi-cylindrical shaped longitudinal portion, come into contact with the opposite faces of the sides of the openings to be closed and are subsequently pushed against these faces by rotating the bulkheads of the barriers in opposite directions until reaching the position of use, in which said bulkheads are substantially coplanar. In this way, the seals are compressed transversely and pushed into hermetic contact with the sides, making the anti-flood barrier operational at the sides. Naturally, the barrier must be hermetic also in contact with the floor. For this purpose, the barrier is provided at the bottom with a continuous seal which extends between the outer sides of the two bulkheads, and therefore measures longitudinally the sum of the widths of the two bulkheads and the thickness of the seals that engage vertically elongated seats of profiles having (longitudinal) H-shaped cross section, open on the side of the two bulkheads. The longitudinal seal performs its function in use if pressed against the floor; for this purpose it is connected to the bulkheads starting from the respective sides. Obviously at the hinge point between the bulkheads, the seal is stressed in different ways and in different proportions on the respective inner and outer faces. The inner face will be subject to compressive stress and, being nearer to the rotation axis, will be subject to lower loads due to the shorter distance from the axis, while the outer face, farther away and subject to tensile stress, will be more stressed. This circumstance determines a more rapid local deterioration of the portion of the seal around its outer face; the deterioration frequently determines loss of the structural continuity of at least the more stressed face of the seal, accompanied by infiltrations of liquid into the environment to be isolated. To prevent this from happening, the seal has to be replaced even if one of the respective faces is still in good condition.

Furthermore, it may be useful to specify that when bulkheads hinged on one of the outer edges are positioned between two sides to be sealed, they rotate around the hinge axis which is contained inside the ideal triangle of which, in plan, the two bulkheads form the catheti and the hypotenuse is determined by the distance between said sides. As the two bulkheads are pushed so as to stretch the angle between the catheti of the ideal triangle described above to <NUM>°, the contact between the lateral seals moves from the edge of the seal to the central portion. In this condition, the barrier has the two bulkheads aligned with each other and, therefore, arranged according to the hypotenuse of the above ideal triangle, the hinge between the bulkheads is arranged in an eccentric position relative to the above-mentioned hypotenuse and the thrust on the lateral seals is substantially distributed throughout the respective width. Obviously the thrust to be exerted on the bulkheads to bring the barrier to this position is maximum when the hinge axis crosses the line traced by the hypotenuse, frequently accompanied by a sort of "click". In this situation the pressure on the seals is maximum but is reduced when the hinge is in the respective position of use, beyond the hypotenuse of the ideal triangle and the bulkheads are aligned. Therefore, when operating, the barrier maintains the position with the bulkheads aligned due solely to the reciprocal thrust of said bulkheads.

Obviously if the hinge is arranged on the side opposite to the face of the barrier lapped by the water to be contained, then the barrier seal will be guaranteed within the limits of physical resistance of the barrier. When the barriers of the type described above become particularly extended (width- and/or height-wise) the need to exert a greater thrust than the one occurring between the bulkheads during operation in order to perform installation and deinstallation requires particular strength on the part of the users. Obviously this can make it impossible for persons who are not particularly strong to "switch" the state of the barrier from and towards the condition of use, and users could find themselves in a situation in which they are unable to install the barrier due to lack of physical strength.

The patent documents <CIT>, <CIT>, <CIT>, <CIT>, <CIT> contain teachings for the construction of barriers in which the floor seal is subject to this type of deterioration due to the positioning of the rotation axis between the bulkheads of said barriers. The problem of providing an articulated anti-flood barrier which is hydraulically effective and practical to use and in which the deterioration of the floor seal occurs in a uniform manner is therefore currently unresolved, and represents an interesting challenge for the applicant. In view of the situation described above it would be desirable to have an anti-flood barrier designed to limit and if possible overcome the drawbacks typical of the above illustrated state of the art which can be easily installable at the base of every opening exposed to the risk of water ingression, which is inexpensive, reliable and requires limited maintenance, to define a new standard for these types of barriers.

The present invention concerns an anti-flood barrier. In particular, the present invention refers to an anti-flood barrier provided with two hinged bulkheads. In further detail, the present invention refers to an anti-flood barrier provided with two hinged bulkheads and designed to couple at the sides and at the base of an opening of a room to isolate it from the water.

The above problems are solved by the present invention according to at least one of the following claims.

According to some embodiments of the present invention an anti-flood barrier is provided of the type that can be used to close an opening of a room; said barrier comprising a first bulkhead that develops around a first median plane; a second bulkhead that develops around a second median plane; said first and second bulkheads being provided with respective first and second adjacent sides and coupled by hinge means in a pivotable manner around a longitudinal axis so that they are movable from and towards a position of use in which said first plane and said second plane are inclined by a first angle with width between <NUM>° and <NUM>°; said hinge means comprising a first guide of the rotary motion and a second guide of the rotary motion both concentric to said longitudinal axis.

According to one embodiment, said first guide of the rotary motion comprises a first cylindrical longitudinal seat, obtained in said one first side and open towards said second bulkhead; and a first elongated member carried by said second side and housed inside said first seat; said second guide of the rotary motion comprising a second cylindrical longitudinal seat obtained in said second side and a second protruding elongated member carried by said first side and housed inside said second seat.

According to one embodiment, said second member is delimited at the rear by a cylindrical convex surface concentric with said longitudinal axis and peripherally delimited by a longitudinal tooth; said second seat being delimited internally by a cylindrical concave surface concentric with said longitudinal axis and tangent to said tooth; said second seat being peripherally delimited by a longitudinal stop shaped to act as an angular abutment for said tooth and tangent to said convex surface.

According to one embodiment, said first elongated member is carried by said second side by means of a support having substantially parallelepiped in shape and oriented radially relative to said longitudinal axis; said first side having a third member external to said first seat for said support delimited by a radial face centred on said longitudinal axis. According to one embodiment, around said axis, said hinge means comprise a first stop member associated with said first side and a second stop member associated with said second side between which a longitudinally elongated abutment member is arranged designed to act as an angular abutment for said first and second bulkheads.

According to one embodiment, said second bulkhead is box-shaped and has a front face provided with two opposite L-shaped ribs that define a longitudinal C-shaped guide shaped to house in a slidable or selectively fixed manner a handle provided with an elongated manoeuvring portion.

According to one embodiment, said handle has a base provided with a hooking portion provided with two parallel grooves, each shaped for shape coupling with one of said two ribs, and a base portion.

According to one embodiment, said second bulkhead has internally a longitudinal cavity with polygonal cross section shaped to house said base portion in a slidable manner.

According to one embodiment, said first side has a first elongated body having a first partition shaped symmetrically relative to said first median plane; said first partition being provided with said first seat and being delimited by two parallel wings symmetrical to said first median plane which extend on sides opposite to said support to create a C-shaped housing, the concavity of which faces towards a side opposite to said first seat; said housing being engaged by a plurality of overlapping slats; said second side having a second partition which is arranged transversely to said second plane and comprises said second seat.

According to one embodiment, said first partition is provided at the bottom with a plurality of first housings aligned transversely to said first plane and arranged between said two wings; said second partition being provided at the bottom with a plurality of second housings aligned transversely to said first plane; said first housings and said second housings being engaged by elongated members to connect an elastic member, having constant section and extension equal to a sum of the width of said first bulkhead and the width of said second bulkhead, to said first partition and to said second partition, respectively.

According to one embodiment, said elastic member has ends connected to the ends of said first side of said first bulkhead and said second side of said second bulkhead in a permanent but selectively releasable manner.

According to one embodiment, said first bulkhead comprises a second elongated body opposite to said first body and provided with a further C-shaped housing to longitudinally retain said slats.

According to one embodiment, said barrier comprises a locking device provided with a lever hinged to said first face of said first bulkhead and provided with a manoeuvring portion and a hook-shaped hooking portion; said locking device comprising a stop associated with said second bulkhead on the same side as said lever and shaped to selectively couple with said hook-shaped hooking portion when, in use, said first bulkhead and said second bulkhead are arranged with said first plane and second plane inclined by said angle.

Further characteristics and advantages of the anti-flood barrier according to the present invention will appear clearer from the following description, with reference to the attached figures which illustrate at least a non-limiting embodiment thereof, in which identical or corresponding parts of said barrier are identified by the same reference numbers. In particular:.

In <FIG> the number <NUM> indicates, overall, an anti-flood barrier of the type that can be used to close a rectangular opening A of a room V of a building laterally delimited by vertical sides F and delimited at the bottom by a horizontal floor portion T. Naturally, the barrier <NUM> can be modified to close openings of different shape from the one described above and taken as a reference without thereby departing from the scope of the present invention.

Again, according to <FIG>, the barrier <NUM> comprises a first substantially parallelepiped box-shaped bulkhead <NUM> with constant thickness which develops along a first median plane M1; a second substantially parallelepiped box-shaped bulkhead <NUM>, having constant thickness approximating the thickness of the first bulkhead <NUM>, without said specification being interpreted as a limitation of the present invention, and develops along a second median plane M2 (<FIG>). If deemed useful, the barrier <NUM> can be provided at least with a known handle not illustrated screwcoupled to the upper edge of the first bulkhead <NUM> to easily raise the barrier <NUM> and facilitate the transport thereof, as in the patent application for <CIT>, the teachings of which are considered incorporated here for the sake of practicality.

With particular reference to <FIG>, the first bulkhead <NUM> and the second bulkhead <NUM> are provided respectively with a first side <NUM>' and a second side <NUM>' which are adjacent and coupled in a pivotable manner around a longitudinal axis AL by hinge members <NUM> at the intersection of the first plane M1 and the second plane M2. The axis AL is therefore the rotation axis between the first bulkhead <NUM> and the second bulkhead <NUM>.

With particular reference to <FIG>, <FIG> and <FIG>, the first plane M1 and the second plane M2 cut in two lengthwise the first bulkhead <NUM> and the second bulkhead <NUM> respectively in a median position. Therefore each of these planes is a plane of longitudinal symmetry for the corresponding bulkhead and, consequently, these planes geometrically coincide when the first bulkhead <NUM> and the second bulkhead <NUM> are aligned, as in <FIG> and <FIG>. Based on this geometric characteristic of the bulkheads composing the barrier <NUM>, the axis AL is arranged centrally for the barrier <NUM> since it lies at the intersection of the planes of symmetry of the first bulkhead <NUM> and the second bulkhead <NUM>, which are the first plane M1 and the second plane M2 respectively.

When the barrier <NUM> is in place as in <FIG>, the longitudinal axis AL is vertical, therefore parallel to the sides F of the opening A and the barrier <NUM> is arranged in a position of use P in which the first plane M1 is inclined relative to the second plane M2 by an angle α (measured between the first plane M1 and the second plane M2 or, if preferred, between the first bulkhead <NUM> and the second bulkhead <NUM> given the parallelepiped box shape) the width of which is in the range of <NUM>°-<NUM>°. Without limiting the scope of the present invention, in <FIG>, when the barrier <NUM> is in place, it partially closes height-wise the opening A, and the angle centred on the axis AL between the first plane M1 and the second plane M2 is <NUM>°. In this description, and also in the following claims, the use of the terms "inner" and "rear" and all other terms with corresponding meaning is reserved for components and faces of the bulkheads <NUM> and <NUM> which are contained in the area that can be covered by the second bulkhead <NUM> and for all the components of the barrier <NUM> that face this area, detaching from the first plane M1 and second plane M2; the use of the terms "outer" and "front" and all other terms with corresponding meaning is reserved for components and faces of the bulkheads <NUM> and <NUM> and for all the components of the barrier <NUM> that face the area opposite the one that can be covered by the second bulkhead <NUM> relative to the first bulkhead <NUM> considered fixed.

With particular reference to <FIG> and <FIG>, the first side <NUM>' has a first elongated body <NUM>, which comprises a first partition <NUM> shaped symmetrically relative to the first median plane M1 and is provided with a first cylindrical longitudinal seat <NUM> concentric to the axis AL open towards the second bulkhead <NUM>. On the side opposite to the first seat <NUM> the first partition <NUM> carries two wings <NUM> and <NUM>' parallel and symmetrical relative to the first plane M1 which form with the first partition <NUM> a C-shaped housing <NUM> which houses a plurality of overlapping slats D, the concavity of which faces the side opposite to the first seat <NUM>. The slats D can be variable in number in relation to the height desired for the barrier <NUM> and the relative width. With particular reference to <FIG> and <FIG>, the first bulkhead <NUM> further comprises a second elongated body <NUM> opposite to the first body <NUM> which, therefore, laterally delimits the first bulkhead <NUM> on the side opposite to the second bulkhead <NUM>. The second body <NUM> has a further C-shaped housing <NUM> which longitudinally retains the slats D contained (on the opposite side) in the housing <NUM>. Again, with reference to <FIG> and <FIG>, the second bulkhead <NUM> is laterally delimited by a C-shaped portion <NUM> which will be better described below.

According to <FIG> and <FIG> the second bulkhead <NUM> has internally a longitudinal cavity <NUM> having polygonal cross section which is delimited by a front face <NUM> provided with two opposite L-shaped ribs <NUM> and <NUM>'. Said ribs <NUM> and <NUM>' define a C-shaped guide <NUM> which develops parallel to the axis AL, therefore longitudinally.

The first partition <NUM> has at the bottom a plurality of first housings <NUM> aligned transversely to the first plane M1 and arranged between the two wings <NUM> and <NUM>'.

With particular reference to <FIG>, the second side <NUM>' has a second partition <NUM> which is arranged transversely to the second plane M2 facing the first partition <NUM> and comprises a second seat <NUM> concentric to the axis AL and delimited by a cylindrical concave surface <NUM> concentric to the axis AL. The second partition <NUM> is provided at the bottom with a plurality of second housings <NUM> aligned transversely to the first plane M1. Each housing <NUM> and each housing <NUM> is formed of a cylindrical hole without thereby limiting the scope of the present invention.

The second body <NUM> has a longitudinal seat <NUM> the concavity of which faces outwards and which extends throughout the height of the barrier <NUM>; the C-shaped portion <NUM> has an elongated seat <NUM> also facing outwards and extending throughout the height of the barrier <NUM>. The seats <NUM> and <NUM> are designed to respectively house seals <NUM> and <NUM>' which are designed to expand on the respective sides once frontally pushed into contact with the sides F of the opening A, fully engaging the respective seats <NUM> and <NUM> when, in use, the barrier <NUM> is installed between the sides F stretching the angle α to <NUM>°. It may be useful to specify that, in this situation, the concavity of the barrier <NUM> preferably faces the inside of the room V.

With particular reference to <FIG>, the barrier <NUM> has at the bottom a continuous elastic floor member <NUM> having longitudinal extension that approximates by excess the longitudinal extension of said barrier <NUM>, has a constant section with the function of a hydraulic seal and is arranged below the first bulkhead <NUM> and second bulkhead <NUM> to determine a hydraulic floor seal. Said elastic member <NUM> is delimited by two head portions <NUM>, provided with a prismatic central body <NUM> and, laterally, a prismatic lip <NUM> which protrudes from the prismatic central body <NUM> on the outside of the barrier <NUM>. The longitudinal extension of the elastic member <NUM> approximates by excess a sum of the width of said first bulkhead <NUM> and the width of said second bulkhead <NUM>, so as to approximate the width of the opening A to be closed. Said elastic member <NUM> has the aim of isolating the barrier <NUM> from the floor portion T which delimits at the bottom the opening A, therefore of determining the hydraulic seal of the barrier <NUM> at floor level and of laterally determining on the sides the hydraulic seal of the barrier <NUM> through the respective head portions <NUM>.

Always with reference to <FIG>, it is useful to specify that the first bulkhead <NUM> has at the bottom a seat <NUM>'' which, for example but without limitation, could be obtained in the lower slat D or in the panel known and not illustrated which could replace the slats. Said seat <NUM>'' houses the elastic member <NUM> which is sized in length so that each of the respective head portions <NUM> touches the side F of the opening A of the room V in order to ensure a complete hydraulic seal. Furthermore, the second bulkhead <NUM> houses the seal <NUM> in the seat <NUM> similarly to the seat <NUM>".

Each seal <NUM> and <NUM>' has a sufficient extension to butt couple with the head portions <NUM> of the elastic member <NUM>.

Naturally, the present invention also includes the technically equivalent version in which the first bulkhead <NUM> has an entire panel, which is known and not illustrated in the attached figures for the sake of economy of drawing, instead of the plurality of slats D; the aim of the panel is to make the first bulkhead <NUM> lighter and improve the hydraulic seal thereof with respect to the version described here with the slats D. Differently, the second bulkhead <NUM> is obtained by extrusion.

The elastic member <NUM> is coupled to the first side <NUM>' and to the second side <NUM>' around the axis AL (therefore also to the first bulkhead <NUM> and to the second bulkhead <NUM> around the relative joint) through elongated cylindrical needles <NUM>, which engage the first and second housings <NUM> and <NUM> having a diameter that approximates that of the housings <NUM> and <NUM> with an appropriate tolerance to keep them in place, and longitudinal extension sufficient to engage the first and second housings <NUM> and <NUM> and the elastic member <NUM> approximately by the respective thickness.

These needles <NUM> can be seen in <FIG> where, for the sake of simplicity of drawing, they have been conventionally shown as cylinders with reduced diameter extracted from the respective first and second housings <NUM> and <NUM>, and in <FIG>, where they engage the elastic member <NUM> through a portion of their own comprising a tip known and not illustrated facing said elastic member <NUM> (top portion of the needles <NUM> in <FIG>).

It may be useful to specify that any member that is shaped to couple the elastic member <NUM> to the first bulkhead <NUM> and/or to the second bulkhead <NUM> so as to lock it and that can be housed inside the body of the elastic member <NUM> by exerting pressure or in a conjugate manner inside appropriately shaped holes previously obtained in the elastic member <NUM> to determine shape coupling with the first bulkhead <NUM> and/or the second bulkhead <NUM> is considered a technical equivalent of the needles <NUM> and, therefore, forms part of the present invention.

With reference to <FIG>, the second body <NUM> and the C-shaped portion <NUM> have, respectively, housings <NUM>' and <NUM>' identical to the first and second housings <NUM> and <NUM> in the respective lower portions in an end position to house further needles <NUM> which transversely engage the head portions <NUM> of the elongated member <NUM> in a permanent but selectively releasable manner.

The fact of having coupled the elastic member <NUM> to the first bulkhead <NUM> and to the second bulkhead <NUM> locally by means of needles <NUM> which engage the housings <NUM> in the first side <NUM>' and the housings <NUM> in the second side <NUM>' around the axis AL and of having coupled the head portions <NUM> of the elastic member <NUM> to the housings <NUM>' and <NUM>' obtained respectively in the second body <NUM> and at the end of the C-shaped portion <NUM> by means of further needles <NUM>, allows location of the position and deformation of the elastic member <NUM> in three areas of the barrier <NUM> in which the hydraulic seal is ensured. In particular, these three areas are located at the joint/axis AL between the first bulkhead <NUM> and the second bulkhead <NUM> (for coupling with the floor portion T) and at the lateral ends of the first bulkhead <NUM> and of the second bulkhead <NUM>, therefore of the barrier <NUM>, facing the sides F of the opening A.

Since the first bulkhead <NUM> and the second bulkhead <NUM> are jointed/coupled in a pivotable manner around the axis AL, the constraint determined transversely by the needles <NUM> on the elastic member <NUM> on the opposite sides of the axis AL as described above prevents the elastic member <NUM> from assuming any positions other than the position of alignment with the lower profile of the barrier <NUM> when the latter is in place, thus limiting the hydraulic sealing action of the barrier <NUM>. For example, but without limitation, the absence of connection of the part of the elastic member <NUM> that corresponds, once in place, to the area around the axis AL (hinge zone between the first bulkhead <NUM> and the second bulkhead <NUM>) through the needles <NUM> housed in the body of the elastic member <NUM> and in the housings <NUM> and <NUM> could leave the elastic member <NUM> free to assume a rectilinear position between the housings <NUM>' and <NUM>', avoidable only by the intervention of an operator. This circumstance is avoided by the constraint provided by the needles <NUM> around the axis AL as described above, without requiring manual operations during installation.

In the case of the head portions <NUM> of the elastic member <NUM> the constraint determined by the combination between the needles <NUM> and the housings <NUM>' and <NUM>' concentrates, in use, the longitudinal deformation of the elastic member <NUM> caused by the longitudinal compression resulting from contact with the sides F only on the head portions <NUM>, once the seals <NUM> and <NUM>' have been compressed. This produces a matching and laterally robust hydraulic seal between the head portions <NUM> of the elastic member <NUM> and the sides F of the opening A. Otherwise, there would be the risk of the deformation being distributed longitudinally along the elastic member <NUM> and being weak at the respective head portions <NUM> in contact with said sides F.

Based on the above, the needles <NUM> and any technical equivalents can be considered to be locating members of the hydraulic seal provided by the elastic member <NUM> which engage the first bulkhead <NUM> and the second bulkhead <NUM> in given areas and transversely engage the elastic member <NUM> to maintain it locally in given longitudinal positions (around the axis AL and the end portions of the barrier <NUM>) and to locally modify the load behaviour thereof, in terms of positioning and/or deformation. Naturally the concentration of the hydraulic seal of the elastic member <NUM> can always be obtained locally but in positions of the first bulkhead <NUM> and second bulkhead <NUM> that can be defined as required by providing the first bulkhead <NUM> and the second bulkhead with further transverse partitions on the first plane M1 and on the second plane M2 respectively, where these partitions are provided with housings identical to the housings <NUM>, <NUM>', <NUM> and <NUM>'.

With particular reference to <FIG> and <FIG>, the hinge members <NUM> comprise a first guide <NUM> of the rotary motion and a second guide <NUM> of the rotary motion both concentric to the axis AL. In particular, the first guide <NUM> of the rotary motion comprises the first seat <NUM> and a first at least partially cylindrical elongated member <NUM> housed inside the first seat <NUM> in a conjugate manner, the radius of which approximates the radius of the first seat <NUM> and carried by the second side <NUM>' by means of a support <NUM> having substantially parallelepiped shape and oriented radially relative to the axis AL.

The second guide <NUM> of the rotary motion comprises the second longitudinal seat <NUM> and a second protruding member <NUM> which is carried by the first partition <NUM> of the side <NUM>' and extends parallel to the axis AL; furthermore, this second member <NUM> is housed inside the second seat <NUM>. The second elongated member <NUM> is delimited at the rear, and therefore on the side where the second bulkhead <NUM> is free to rotate around the axis AL, by a cylindrical convex surface <NUM> concentric to the axis AL and on the opposite side by a radial face <NUM> designed to act as an angular stop for the support <NUM> when, in use, the second bulkhead <NUM> is rotated to maximum relative to the first bulkhead <NUM> (minimum width of the angle α between the first plane M1 and the second plane M2). The convex surface <NUM> and the face <NUM> join up in a longitudinal tooth <NUM> which protrudes from the side <NUM>' and is tangent to the cylindrical concave surface <NUM>. Furthermore, the second seat <NUM> is peripherally delimited by a longitudinal stop <NUM> shaped to act as an angular abutment for the tooth <NUM> and is externally tangent to the convex surface <NUM>.

With particular reference to <FIG>, the hinge members <NUM> comprise a first stop member <NUM> (defined by a shaped rib that extends longitudinally parallel to the axis AL) associated with the first side <NUM>' and a second stop member <NUM>' defined by a further shaped rib that extends longitudinally parallel to the axis AL and associated with the second side <NUM>' around the axis AL. A longitudinally elongated abutment member <NUM>, made of elastic material, is arranged between the first stop member <NUM> and the second stop member <NUM>' to act as an angular abutment for the first bulkhead <NUM> and the second bulkhead <NUM>. In particular, in <FIG> the first stop member <NUM> and the second stop member <NUM>' terminate in two external protrusions facing each other when the barrier <NUM> has the respective two bulkheads <NUM> and <NUM> in the position of use P (also in <FIG>, <FIG>). In particular, but without limiting the embodiment of the present invention, the abutment member <NUM> can be contained partially within a first longitudinal groove obtained in the first member <NUM>, but if the latter were delimited by a flat face facing the second member <NUM>', the abutment member <NUM> could be applied directly on said face. With particular reference to <FIG>, the guide <NUM> is shaped to house in a slidable and selectively fixed manner a manoeuvring handle M through a respective hooking portion PA. This handle M is shaped to be obtained by cutting through a profile which can be indifferently solid or provided with recesses and box-shaped elements, without altering the scope of the present invention. For this reason, the handle M has been illustrated both solid and provided with a hollow portion in <FIG>, <FIG>.

With particular reference to <FIG> the handle M has an elongated manoeuvring portion MA which originates in an intermediate section MI of the handle M which has the respective hooking portion PA comprising two identical grooves SC and SC', symmetrical and shaped in a conjugate manner to the ribs <NUM> and <NUM>'. The hooking portion PA comprises, on the side opposite to the elongated portion MA relative to the intermediate section MI, a base portion MB. This base portion MB is provided with two box-shaped elements MB1 and MB2 spaced and of equal width that define the total width of the base section MB, the extension of which approximates by defect the width of the longitudinal cavity <NUM>.

In <FIG>, without limiting the scope of the present invention, the elongated manoeuvring portion MA and the intermediate section MI of the handle M delimit an internal cavity MC which makes said handle lighter, optimizes the consumption of material and reduces the number of moulds for producing manoeuvring members for installing or uninstalling the barrier <NUM>. Naturally, the use of the handle M complete with the base section MB (of <FIG>) is possible when the height dimension of the barrier <NUM> does not interfere with the part that delimits the opening A at the top; otherwise, it is necessary to use the version of the handle M illustrated in <FIG> and to use it by engaging the guide <NUM>.

With particular reference to <FIG>, the barrier <NUM> comprises a locking device <NUM> provided with a lever <NUM> hinged to the face <NUM> of the first bulkhead <NUM> and provided with a manoeuvring portion <NUM> and a hook-shaped hooking portion <NUM>. The locking device <NUM> further comprises a protrusion <NUM> that externally delimits the second stop member <NUM>' of the second bulkhead <NUM> on the same side as the lever <NUM> and shaped to selectively couple with the hook-shaped hooking portion <NUM> when, in use, the first bulkhead <NUM> and the second bulkhead <NUM> are arranged with the respective first plane M1 and second plane M2 inclined by the angle α.

With particular reference to <FIG> and <FIG>, it is expedient to note that the lever <NUM> has a cylindrical protrusion <NUM> that engages in a conjugate manner a channel <NUM> provided with an open cylindrical seat which the wing <NUM>' carries on the respective exposed face. For this reason, the lever <NUM> is removable, and can be inserted or removed from the first bulkhead <NUM> according to requirements.

As will have been noted, the lever <NUM> has a limited extension measured along the axis AL. It may be useful to specify that in an embodiment different from the one illustrated, it may be more expedient to size the lever <NUM> with extension measured along the axis AL equal to the extension of the second bulkhead <NUM> so that the second stop member <NUM>' associated with the second side <NUM>' is completely hooked by the hooking portion <NUM>.

With particular reference to <FIG>, it will be noted that the free space between the second stop member <NUM>' of the second bulkhead <NUM> and the rib <NUM> with the barrier <NUM> in the position of use is greatly reduced and only just sufficient to allow the hooking between the protrusion <NUM> of the lever <NUM> and the end of the second member <NUM>'. This is designed to prevent injuries to the user's fingers during installation if they are inadvertently resting on the rib <NUM>.

The use of the barrier <NUM> is easy to understand from the above description and does not require further explanations. In particular, it should be noted that in this case the axis AL is positioned at the intersection of the first plane M1 and the second plane M2. This makes a very significant contribution to the duration of the elastic member <NUM> at the articulation of the barrier <NUM> on the axis AL, since the deformation to which the elastic member <NUM> is subject on the respective rear and front faces is substantially uniform and of low intensity, less than the deformation that would occur on the face of the elastic member <NUM> farther from the axis AL, if the latter were positioned eccentrically relative to the intersection of the first plane M1 and the second plane M2. This specific characteristic justifies the fact that, to further improve the hydraulic seal of the barrier <NUM>, the elastic member <NUM> is permanently connected to the respective first and second bulkheads <NUM> and <NUM> through the coupling between the needles <NUM> and the first housings <NUM> and second housings <NUM>.

In addition, it is useful to specify that the elastic member <NUM> has the aim of sealing at the bottom the connection between the barrier <NUM> and the base of the opening A by squashing, where said squashing will deform the elastic member <NUM> by expansion on the respective rear and front sides, according to the meaning mentioned above, thus preventing water ingression.

It is also expedient to specify that when the first plane M1 and the second plane M2 are coplanar, the angle α between the two bulkheads assumes the value of <NUM>°. When the angle is smaller than <NUM>°, the barrier <NUM> has overall a concave face defined by the two bulkheads <NUM> and <NUM>. When the concavity of the barrier <NUM> faces the inside of the room of the building to be kept isolated from the water, the water presses from outside on the barrier <NUM>, tending to increase the width of the angle α, therefore increasing the pressure on the seals <NUM> and <NUM>', and on the head portions <NUM> of the elastic member <NUM>. This gives the seal provided by the barrier <NUM> against the walls that laterally delimit the opening A an autoclave effect which tends to increase as the water level pressing externally on the barrier <NUM> increases. In addition, it may be useful to specify that the autoclavetype seal described above is activated by the water from which the room V is to be protected, but that the barrier <NUM> is preferably installed prior to the occurrence of said circumstance. Therefore, the function of the assembly <NUM> is to maintain the barrier <NUM> with the first bulkhead <NUM> and the second bulkhead <NUM> reciprocally inclined so as to seal the contact with the walls that laterally delimit the opening A of the room V and, naturally, the elastic member <NUM> in contact coinciding with the floor portion T regardless of the "presence" of the water outside the room V.

The presence of the locking device <NUM> is clearly essential in order to keep the barrier <NUM> in position when it is deployed in the position of maximum opening considering that the hinge axis AL between the first bulkhead <NUM> and the second bulkhead <NUM> is at the intersection between the first plane M1 and the second plane M2.

Lastly, it is clear that modifications and variations can be made to the barrier <NUM> described and illustrated here without thereby departing from the scope of the present invention. For example, it is useful to specify that the barrier <NUM> can be provided with a greater number of bulkheads, the only precaution being to ensure that the couplings between two consecutive bulkheads are designed so that overall, the barrier <NUM> in use is always concave towards the inside, thus always ensuring that the seal is of the autoclave type. In the case of a barrier with three bulkheads, a first bulkhead <NUM> will be delimited by two second bulkheads <NUM>, each of which is connected to the first bulkhead <NUM> by a hinge member <NUM>. In this case, to ensure that the seal is of the autoclave type, the two hinge members <NUM> must be arranged symmetrically relative to the first bulkhead <NUM> around respective longitudinal axes AL.

Naturally, the anti-flood barrier <NUM> can be used not only to close the openings of a building (doors or windows) to water ingression, creating sealed sections in combination with the sides and the respective floor portions, but also to prevent the access of liquids to underpasses, tunnels or under passages, air shafts, horizontal gratings, enclosures or wherever required, provided with parallel sides or sides made parallel at least for the vertical extension of the bulkheads used. Furthermore, the barrier <NUM> has been illustrated with height less than the vertical extension of the opening A, but by modifying the vertical extension thereof to adapt it to that of the opening A in its entirety and providing the upper side of the barrier <NUM> with a further elastic member similar to the elastic member <NUM>, in terms of shape and extension, if necessary, retained by an H-shaped profile, it would be possible to fully isolate the rooms from water ingression. The same could be done with pedestrian gratings which allow light through basement windows.

If the opening A is to be closed completely, to seal also the upper part of the barrier <NUM>, a further seal similar to the elastic member <NUM> could be fixed to the upper parts of the bulkheads <NUM> and <NUM> analogously to what is described for application of the elastic member to the lower part of the barrier <NUM>.

Claim 1:
An anti-flood barrier (<NUM>) of the type that can be used to close an opening (A) of a room (V); said barrier (<NUM>) comprising a first bulkhead (<NUM>) that develops symmetrically along a first median plane (M1); a second bulkhead (<NUM>) that develops symmetrically along a second median plane (M2); said first and second bulkheads (<NUM>) (<NUM>) being provided with respective first (<NUM>') and second (<NUM>') adjacent sides and coupled by hinge means (<NUM>) in a pivotable manner around a longitudinal axis (AL); characterised in that said axis (AL) is central, being positioned at the intersection of said first plane (M1) and said second plane (M2).