1. Field of the Invention
The safety buoyant platform (hereinafter referred to as—the Device) relates to the field of passive safety systems of commercial and private buildings and maintenance areas.
2. Description of the Related Art
The Device is used to prevent damage to property from the effects of liquids that can fill a room or area in which the Device is applied. Specifically, Device prevents objects and property on its upper surface from immersion in fluid, move up them to the level above the surface of the liquid with floating part of the Device. The Device is developed to be used in both indoor (emergency services parking areas, warehouses, parking lots, storages etc.), and the open countryside.
Present Device is designed to prevent damage to a property and things (including vehicles), which may be caused by the action of the fluid, in particular water during flooding of any nature. The principle of operation of the Device bases on capacity of a solid to remain afloat in a liquid if density of that liquid is higher than a solid's density.
Main elements of the Device are: floating platform (100) and holding structure (200) (
Floating platform (100) is a movable element of the Device. Floating platform (100) has positive buoyancy, allowing it to remain on the surface of the liquid holding objects and property on its upper surface and avoiding them from falling into a liquid.
The floating platform (100) in a normal position (there is no liquid around) takes a place in the recess of the holding structure (200).
When the level of liquid on the device installation place rises up the floating platform (100) pops up directly over the holding structure (200), avoiding objects and property from falling into the liquid, which are located on the top surface of the floating platform (100).
Holding structure (200) is a fixed part of the Device. The holding structure (200) provides the free movement of the floating platform (100) in a vertical plane, but prevents uncontrolled movement of the floating platform (100) in a horizontal plane. Thus floating platform (100) is staying always above the holding structure (200) and inevitably returns to its normal position when fluid level falls down.
The Device consists of the following elements: floating platform (100) as shown in
Floating platform (100) is the movable element of the devices. Upper surface of the floating platform (100) is designed to be loaded with a property and items.
The Frame (101) as shown in
Slides (108) are mounted on the frame (101) of the floating platform (100) and equipped with rollers (109) as shown in
Rollers (109) are mounted on the slides (108) and prevent jamming of the Slides (108) on the guide bars (207), which can be caused by skewness position of the floating platform (100) due to the uneven distribution of mass of objects placed on top surface of the platform (100). Rollers (109) attached to the slides (108) such that they can roll freely along the surface of guide bars (207) and does not allow to the slides (108) fall into contact with the guide bars (207).
The floating element (102), which is placed under the frame (101) as shown in
The floating element (102) provides ascent of the floating platform (100), as shown in
A base (206) as shown in
The guide bars (207) are fixedly mounted in the base (206), as shown in
The number and location of guide bars (207) are selected during the design due to sizes of the floating platform (100) and loads arising during operation of the Device.
Thus the design of the Devices provides ascent floating platform (100) during the flooding and return to its normal position after leaving the liquid. This feature allows to ensure that the safety of all the goods and property, located on top of the floating platform (100) during flooding, saving them from the direct action of a fluid and preventing their entrainment into fluid flow. Lifting capacity of the floating platform (100) depends from a volume of the floating element (102) and must be selected during designing based on the weight of articles intended for loading on the device at the time of flooding.