Patent Application
20240309698
The present disclosure relates to the field of buildings, whether public or private, residential, community or industrial, and more particularly to the field of closing, occluding and above all protecting the doors, windows or bay windows in a residential building such as a private or community dwelling, or an industrial building such as a shop, factory, garage/car park or warehouse against flooding.
Various ways of occluding a building opening currently exist. One particularly widespread solution, whether for residential or industrial buildings, is to use a roller shutter or sectional roll-up door made of slats that slide within lateral slides forming a frame inside the opening.
These shutters, whether manual or motorised, can have several functions that can be combined. The first function is, of course, that of closing off the opening, in particular that of preventing anyone from entering the building (dwelling or industrial/commercial premises) and/or that of placing a room (bedroom for example) in darkness.
Another known function is that of providing the building with thermal and/or acoustic insulation.
Other shutters also have an anti-intrusion function thanks to a reinforced structure.
However, there is no effective solution for protecting/sealing against flooding, i.e. the penetration of a fluid such as water through, under and/or at the sides of the slats.
Alternatives to roller shutters are known, such as temporary barriers (NOAQ BOXWALL®), sandbag-based barriers (SANDMASTER®) or biodegradable absorbent polymer crystal-based barriers (FLOOD SAX®), inflatable barriers (NOAQ TUBEWALL®, SNAKE SELF-F®, HYDROSNAKE®) or removable barriers (ANTI FLOOD BARRIERS®), or panels that can be added to doors/roller shutters (DAM EASY FLOOD BARRIERS®). However, these solutions require to anticipate flooding and are inconvenient to install. Moreover, they protect against low water levels (1 m at most).
Passive solutions exist, such as the FLOOD BREAK® system, which uses a barrier that pivots upwards under the pressure of the water, but they require side walls to be of any use and extensive work to the building, in particular to the floor. The FLOW DEFENCE® solution uses a barrier that automatically rises vertically out of the ground thanks to a flotation system, but it requires extensive work to the floor.
Prior art solutions are thus either non-existent or unsuitable and of questionable effectiveness because they suffer from at least one of the following drawbacks: they are extremely time-consuming and costly to install because they are highly invasive from a structural point of view (extensive and irreversible works must be carried out, heavy and bulky structure), they are slow to activate (with a significant risk of flooding still remaining), they are not strong enough, not watertight enough, or they are not passive/require a person to be present to activate them, etc.
Attempts have already been made to overcome this problem by applying a watertight veil/film along the slats of the roller shutter, but this solution appears incomplete, not very effective in terms of watertightness, and not very resistant in the long term (lack of mechanical strength of the veil over time). Furthermore, the seals provided around the shutter are too simplistic and cannot currently guarantee even a partial seal, and the slats seem prohibitively expensive because they are made from carbon.
Finally, the problems associated with resistance to infractions and wind gusts (storms), which the disclosure also sets out to solve, have not yet found satisfactory solutions that are simple to manufacture and use, at an affordable overall cost.
The present disclosure aims to overcome these drawbacks with a totally innovative approach.
To this end, according to a first aspect, the present disclosure relates to a roller shutter-type rollable occlusion device for closing an opening such as a door, a window or a bay window of a residential building such as a private or collective dwelling, or of an industrial building such as a shop, a factory, a garage/car park or a warehouse, said closing device comprising an external frame mounted in the opening and provided with at least two lateral guiding slides with a U-shaped cross-section facing one another, in order to define a general closure plane, and a set of transverse slats hinging relative to one another in pairs by the respective longitudinal edges thereof, the slats sliding within the two slides between a first inactive raised position in which said slats are rolled up around an upper transverse shaft and a second active lowered position in which said slats are unrolled and form an apron for closing said opening, the device being characterised in that:
The disclosure is implemented according to the aspects and alternative aspects described hereinbelow, which can be considered singly or according to any combinations technically possible.
Advantageously, in the second active lowered position, the slats are alternately inclined in a repeated and regular manner at identical front and rear angles respectively, which facilitates rolling/unrolling and provides better resistance to water pressure.
More specifically, in the second active lowered position, the absolute values of the front and rear angles are identical, so that the accordion shape of the apron is regular.
Moreover, the absolute value of each rear or front angle lies between about 90° and 179°, preferably between about 125° and 175°, and even more advantageously between about 150° and 170° so as to reduce the dimensions of the slides and thus the overall dimensions of the device (its thickness) without compromising its strength/sealing.
According to one specific aspect, the device comprises a first longitudinal means of passive sealing between the slats which withstands a low fluid pressure, so as to act, for example, when a small quantity of water presses against the front face of the apron, even when the closure apron is in the second, lowered position.
Thus, advantageously, the first longitudinal low-pressure passive sealing means includes at least, on a lower longitudinal edge of a given first slat, a prominent transverse rib and, on an upper longitudinal edge of a slat that is below said given first slat, a transverse groove enclosing a first flexible, transverse seal, said prominent, transverse rib increasingly compressing said first flexible, transverse seal in the transverse groove so as to progressively compress the latter as the slats move from the second position to the third lowered sealing position, so as to strengthen the fluid-tight seal of the device.
According to an alternative aspect, the first longitudinal low-pressure passive sealing means includes at least, on the lower longitudinal edge of a given first slat, a transverse groove enclosing a flexible, transverse seal and, on an upper longitudinal edge of a slat that is below said given first slat, a prominent, transverse rib, said prominent, transverse rib increasingly compressing said first flexible, transverse seal in the transverse groove so as to progressively compress the latter as the slats move from the second position to the third lowered sealing position, in order to strengthen the fluid-tight seal of the device.
It should be noted in these two aspects that not all of the first transverse seals disposed between two consecutive slats will necessarily be progressively compressed as the slats move from the second position to the third lowered sealing position. More specifically, due to the bulging belly shape of the slats when subjected to the frontal force, the pressure exerted on some of the first seals will gradually be relieved as the slats pivot, without any loss of sealing.
Preferably, the first transverse seal is a strip with a polygonal, circular or oval cross-section, and is preferably hollow to improve the compression-sealing function.
More specifically, the first seal is made of silicone. According to one alternative aspect, the first seal is made of EPDM rubber.
According to another aspect of the present disclosure, the device further comprises a second longitudinal means of passive sealing between the slats which can withstand a high fluid pressure.
Preferably, the second longitudinal, passive, high-pressure sealing means includes, on a rear face of a front part of a given first slat, a transverse recess receiving a second flexible, transverse seal cooperating with the front of a hinge hook of a slat below said given first slat, the front of said hinge hook increasingly compressing the second flexible, transverse seal so as to progressively compress the latter as pressure is exerted on the front face of the closure apron in order to seal the device against said fluid.
Alternatively, the second longitudinal, passive, high-pressure sealing means includes, on a front face of a hinge hook of a given first slat, a transverse recess enclosing a second flexible, transverse seal cooperating with a rear face of a front part of a second slat above said given first slat, said rear face of the front part of the second slat increasingly compressing the second transverse seal in the transverse recess so as progressively to compress the latter as pressure is exerted on the front face of the closure apron in order to seal the device against said fluid.
Similarly, not all second transverse seals disposed between two consecutive slats in these two aspects will necessarily be progressively compressed as the slats move from the second position to the third lowered sealing position. More specifically, due to the bulging belly shape of the slats when subjected to the frontal force, the pressure exerted on some of the second seals will gradually be relieved as the slats pivot, without any loss of sealing.
Advantageously, the second transverse seal is a strip with a polygonal, preferably rectangular, or circular or oval, cross-section.
According to another aspect of the present disclosure, the device further includes:
Preferably, the third longitudinal, passive, low-pressure sealing means includes:
According to an alternative aspect, the third flexible, transverse seal is positioned in a transverse groove rigidly connected to a bottom wall of the lower channel so that, in the third lowered sealing position, the third flexible, transverse seal is compressed between a lower longitudinal edge of the bottom end slat and said transverse groove in order to seal the device against said fluid.
Preferentially, the lower channel includes a protective covering comprising a hinged upper cover, a leaf spring bearing against a bottom wall of said lower channel and said closure cover, and a hook provided on a rear wall of the channel and capable of cooperating with a corresponding hook provided along the lower edge of the bottom slat to form an anti-unhooking/separation device so that, in the second position, the third flexible, transverse seal bears against the closure cover and, in the third lowered sealing position, the hooks are engaged to prevent any inadvertent raising of the closure apron.
More specifically, the anti-unhooking/separation device consists of a plurality of hooks spaced apart and distributed transversally along the lower edge of the bottom end slat.
According to yet another aspect of the present disclosure, each lateral slide houses a fifth lateral sealing means.
More specifically, the fifth lateral sealing means includes a flexible stopper seal penetrating recesses in the respective lateral ends of each of the slats.
In a complementary manner, the fifth lateral sealing means further includes, for each lateral slide, a U-shaped vertical seal that can move transversally between a distant position in which it is distant from each stopper seal and a proximate position in which the latter is pressurised by means of a vertical clamping bar and a pressing member compressing said U-shaped vertical seal against each stopper seal as frontal pressure is exerted on the front face of the closure apron in order to seal the device laterally against said fluid.
Advantageously, the fifth lateral sealing means further includes a lateral activation bar that can move in translation along each slide and that acts on the pressing member to move the vertical U-shaped seal from the distant position into the proximate position.
According to one specific aspect of the present disclosure, the pressing member includes:
Alternatively, the pressing member includes a series of pairs of vertically stacked springs controlled by the displacement of the lateral activation bar, said springs each having an unmoving end and the other end connected to a common movable point and acting on the vertical clamping bar to cause it to move from a first stable, inactive, retreated position in which the vertical U-shaped seal is distant from each stopper seal into a second stable, active, advanced position in which the vertical U-shaped seal bears against each stopper seal.
According to another alternative aspect, the pressing member includes a series of vertically-stacked double pantographs controlled by the displacement of the lateral activation bar, each first pantograph being hinged about an unmoving shaft and about a moving shaft linked to the activation bar and each second pantograph being hinged about said moving shaft and provided with a bearing end acting on the vertical clamping bar to cause it to move from a first stable, inactive, retreated position in which the vertical U-shaped seal is distant from each stopper seal into a second stable, active, advanced position in which the vertical U-shaped seal bears against each stopper seal.
According to an alternative aspect, the pressing member includes a series of vertically-stacked single pantographs controlled by the displacement of the lateral activation bar, each pantograph being hinged about a moving shaft linked to the activation bar and has a bearing end acting on the vertical clamping bar to cause it to move from a first stable, inactive, retreated position in which the vertical U-shaped seal is distant from each stopper seal into a second stable, active, advanced position in which the vertical U-shaped seal bears against each stopper seal.
In a complementary manner, the device includes a cable rotated about at least one roller and provided with a pin for the vertical displacement of said lateral activation bar.
Advantageously, the device further includes a lever finger linked to the lateral activation bar and mounted so as to pivot about a shaft rigidly connected to a lateral slide, said finger being rotated by the movement of the pin rigidly connected to the cable so that, in a first movement of the cable causing the pin to descend, the latter pivots the lever so as to clamp the vertical U-shaped seal against each stopper seal, and, in a second, opposite movement of the cable causing the pin to rise, the latter pivots the lever in the opposite direction about its shaft so as to move the vertical U-shaped seal away from each stopper seal.
Preferably, the cable is tensioned between the drive shaft of the closure apron and a lower tension roller.
According to an alternative aspect, the cable is tensioned between an upper roller and a lower roller, the cable being rotated by an independent stepper motor.
According to another alternative aspect, the lateral activation bar is displaced by means of a bistable electromagnet having two extreme positions.
According to another aspect of the present disclosure, the lower channel includes a locking and unlocking system comprising a latch which is tilted into its locking position when the lateral activation bar is lowered when the closure apron is completely lowered and returns to its unlocking position when said lateral activation bar is raised before the apron is raised.
Advantageously, the latch includes a main body hinged about an unmoving shaft between two extreme open and closed positions, and two fingers capable of acting on a catch rigidly connected to the activation bar to hold the latter in the third lowered sealing position.
According to another alternative aspect, the pressing member includes cylinders bearing against the vertical clamping bar to move the latter from a first stable, inactive, retreated position, in which the vertical U-shaped seal is distant from each stopper seal, into a second stable, active, advanced position, in which the vertical U-shaped seal bears against each stopper seal.
According to yet another alternative aspect, the pressing member includes a series of cams hinged about a common shaft and acting on the vertical clamping bar, said cams passing from a first stable, inactive, retreated position in which the vertical U-shaped seal is distant from each stopper seal into a second stable, active, advanced position in which the vertical U-shaped seal bears against each stopper seal.
According to an alternative aspect, the pressing member includes a reversible expansion joint which bears against each stopper seal and fills the space between the latter and the bottom wall of the corresponding lateral slide.
Advantageously, the reversible expansion joint is of the hydraulic or pneumatic type.
Alternatively, the reversible expansion joint is of the chemical expansion type.
According to another aspect of the operating kinematics of the device, the pressing member includes:
Alternatively, the system includes a first ribbon for the short strand and a second ribbon for the long strand, the ribbons being activated independently of one another or in a linked manner (when the first ribbon is pulled on, the second ribbon is automatically released, and vice-versa).
In an alternative aspect, the pressing member includes:
In this aspect, the pressure shoe is in the active “unstressed” position on the ribbon, such that the sealing position of the system is considered to be the initial position. This in particular ensures the sealing of the closure apron in the event of a power cut, because it is the positive action on the ribbon, by exerting a mechanical tensile force thereon, that disengages the pressure shoe and thus the pressure of the vertical clamping bar against the vertical U-shaped seal.
According to an alternative aspect of the fifth lateral sealing means, the latter includes two longitudinal profiles disposed inside the two lateral slides, on either side of the ends of the slats, each longitudinal profile being provided, for each slat disposed facing said longitudinal profile, with a first lateral seal and a second lateral seal, said profile being hinged along a vertical axis between a first inactive position in which the first lateral seal does not exert pressure on the stopper seal of the given slat, and at least a second active position in which the first lateral seal exerts lateral pressure on said stopper seal and the second lateral seal exerts pressure against a portion of the lateral slide as pressure is exerted on the front face of the closure apron, in the lowered position thereof, in order to seal the device laterally against said fluid. This solution, with its simplified design and increased efficiency, reduces the number of parts to be designed and the maintenance required in the event of a malfunction. According to one specific aspect, the longitudinal profile includes a curved crescent shape defining a lever hinged about a pivot formed by an internal rib of the corresponding lateral slide, a first free end of said profile being provided internally with the first lateral seal, whereas a second opposite end, located on the other side of the pivot, is disposed facing the second lateral seal, and when the longitudinal profile is in the second position, the first free end thereof compresses the first lateral seal against the stopper seal of a given slat and the rear of the second free end thereof compresses the second lateral seal against a portion of the corresponding slide. This solution has simple kinematics with a short-displacement lever system that reduces the overall dimensions of the lateral sealing means.
According to one preferred aspect, the slide has a hollow recess close to the pivot for receiving the second lateral seal in order to hold it in position.
Similarly, the rear of the second free end of the profile is provided with a hollow inner recess for receiving the second lateral seal in order to hold it in position.
According to an alternative aspect of the longitudinal profile, the latter includes a curved crescent shape defining a lever hinged about a pivot formed by an internal rib of the corresponding lateral slide, a first free end of said profile being provided internally with the first lateral seal, whereas a rear rib, fitted between the two free ends of the profile, is disposed facing the second lateral seal, and when the longitudinal profile is in the second position, the first free end thereof compresses the first lateral seal against the stopper seal of a given slat and the rear rib thereof compresses the second lateral seal against a rear edge of the corresponding slide.
Advantageously, the first free end of the longitudinal profile is provided with a hollow inner recess for receiving the first lateral seal in order to hold it in position.
According to a particularly interesting feature of the present disclosure, the second end of the longitudinal profile includes a hook disposed facing a vertical rear slot formed in the thickness of at least some of the lower slats, such that the pressure exerted by the water on the front face of the closure apron, when in its lowered position, causes said given slats to retreat and the hook to slide along an inclined plane of said vertical slot, in turn causing the longitudinal profile to progressively rotate about the pivot and increasing the force exerted on the stopper seal as said pressure increases.
In a complementary manner, the fifth lateral sealing means further includes a system for activating the longitudinal profiles, which system is disposed in the lower part of each lateral slide, said activation system causing at least the bottom slat to advance from the front face towards the rear face of the closure apron as the slats descend along the lateral slides, so as to tilt the longitudinal profiles from the first position into the second position.
More specifically, each activation system includes a ramp having a vertical plane that is inclined from the rear face to the front face of the closure apron along which the bottom slat slides as it descends.
In particular, each activation system further includes an upper roller connected to one end of a given slat and adapted to bear against a lateral distribution plate, which is itself placed on a vertically-moving, longitudinal bar resting on a lower, curved, lateral clamping sheet, such that the descent of the upper roller exerts a vertical force directed downwards on the distribution plate, which causes the vertical bar to descend, pressing on the lower, curved clamping sheet which thus presses laterally on the longitudinal profile to cause it to rotate vertically and create the lateral seal on the given lower slats.
Alternatively, the device includes a sensor for detecting the rise of fluid along the closure apron and an actuator which automatically triggers the activation of said fifth lateral sealing means during said rise of fluid.
According to a particularly interesting feature of the present disclosure, each lateral slide is provided, on at least one of the walls thereof, with a vertical rib penetrating a vertical groove in each slat so as to block the latter in the lateral slide at least in the third lowered sealing position.
According to a specific aspect of the present disclosure, the slats are aluminium profiles with a hollow cross-section provided longitudinally with reinforcing ribs spaced apart from one another.
Other advantages, purposes and features of the present disclosure will appear upon reading the following description, provided for explanatory purposes only and in no way limiting the disclosure, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:
This roller shutter 1 is intended to be installed in any type of industrial building (warehouse, factory, etc.), commercial building (shop, restaurant, offices, etc.), private building (home, garage, etc.), community building (apartment block, cinema, shopping centre, etc.) or public building (government building, school, etc.), in order to close off/protect an opening 2 made in a wall 3, such as a wall standing on the floor 4, whether or not fitted with a window, a bay window (unmoving or sliding), a door, a French window or any other equivalent equipment. In the remainder of the description, the opening 2 provided in the wall 3 and where the roller shutter 1 is installed will define a substantially vertical general closure plane P.
Thanks to a very specific and ingenious design, which will be described hereinbelow, the rollable occlusion device 1 of the present disclosure is designed in such a way as, in particular but not only, to protect the interior of buildings from floods, storms and certain break-ins.
To this end, as illustrated in
More specifically, the closure apron 10 includes specific top and bottom slats 12 and 13 respectively, between which a multitude of intermediate slats 11 are hinged, preferably alternately identical depending on their parity (even/odd). The closure apron 10 also includes a front face 10f oriented towards the outside of the wall 4 and a rear face 10d oriented towards the inside of the building.
The frame 20 typically includes:
Firstly, the lateral slides 22 must be watertight. They are thus preferably embedded in the wall 3, for example by fastening with a thermosetting-type resin. The lower channel 23 should also be embedded in the floor 4 to prevent the closure apron 10 from bending.
The first condition for ensuring watertightness is thus the stiffness of the closure apron 10. More specifically, under pressure from the water (arrows F), this closure apron 10 will deform. More specifically, the lowest slats 11 (those directly subjected to the pressure from the water, as well as some slats above the water level) will cave in, in a more or less rounded manner, at the centre to form a belly with both vertical and transverse/horizontal curvature, with the slats subject to the greatest frontal stress (water pressure) caving in the most towards the inside of the building. If the apron deforms too much, there is a risk that the slats 11 will move apart from one another or even come out of the lateral slides 22 and the device 1 will be ineffective, or potentially destroyed. Aluminium was thus chosen for the hollow slats 11, 12 and 13, because of its good price/stiffness/strength ratio and the ease with which the profiles could be extruded. The slats 11, 12 and 13 must be able to pivot relative to one another to guarantee good flexibility and thus easy rolling around the drive shaft 30. The detail lies in the profile of the hooking of the slats 11, between the upper longitudinal edge 11a of a given slat 11 and the lower edge 11b of a higher slat. To achieve this, curved, hook-shaped profiles of a known type are provided to connect the slats vertically to one another while allowing them to pivot longitudinally (i.e. substantially horizontally) as explained hereinabove so that they are correctly positioned in the lateral slides 22.
The first idea is to position the slats 11 in an “accordion” shape when the closing shutter 10 is closed, using an angle support system. This support, or seat, is created naturally by the angle between each slat and guarantees the various types of watertight seal that will be described hereinbelow.
The slats 11 of the closure apron 10 are thus intended to slide freely in the vertical direction from top to bottom and vice-versa between the lateral walls 22f and 22d and the bottom wall 22a of the lateral slides 22, which thus act as guide rails of sorts. For this purpose, the cross-section of the U-shape of the lateral slides 22, i.e. the distance D between the front wall 22f and the rear wall 22d, is greater than the thickness E of the slats 11.
More specifically, as illustrated successively by
In the second position illustrated in
In the third stressed configuration, illustrated in
In other words, this means that the slats 11 hinge with one another under the effect of the frontal pressure F so that the angles α and β will progressively change. For example, the angles α and ß can thus change from +150° and −150° to +180° and −180° respectively (“flat” apron), or even slightly beyond, for example +190° and −190°. In reality, the pressure of the water will deform the closure apron 10 to give it the shape of a “belly” caving in towards the inside of the building. It is thus not really flat, but the slats 11 that will pivot will be almost flat if looking from the slides 22.
Thus, transversally speaking, the further towards the middle of the closure apron 10 you look, when starting from a given lateral slide and heading towards the opposite slide, the more each slat 11 will be bent/cave towards the inside of the building, with a point of inflection of the “belly” at the point where the pressure from the water is the greatest. Similarly, vertically speaking, the higher up you look from the ground and from the bottom slat to the water level, the less the slats 11 will be caved in.
The sealing of the device 1, which constitutes a particularly innovative point of the present disclosure, concerns a plurality of zones, i.e. an inter-slat seal (“low” and “high” pressure seal), combining both the stiffness of the closure apron 10 and its flexibility to prevent water from infiltrating between the slats 11, a lower seal at the lower channel 23 and at the bottom slat 13, to prevent water from infiltrating at the bottom of the closure apron 10, and at least a double lateral seal at the slides 22 and at the lateral ends of the slats 11 as well as in front of/behind the latter where necessary.
As can be seen in
More specifically, the first low-pressure, longitudinal, passive sealing means 40 includes, on the lower longitudinal edge 11b of a given first slat 11, a prominent transverse rib 41 and, on an upper longitudinal edge 11a of a slat 11 below said given first slat 11, a transverse groove 42 enclosing a first flexible transverse seal 43. These elements 41 to 43 are positioned closer to the front surface 10f of the closure apron 10 than to the rear surface 10b thereof.
Thus, as the slats 11 hinge together along the respective edges 11a and 11b thereof in order to move from the second accordion-shaped configuration to the third flat configuration, the protruding transverse rib 41 increasingly compresses the first flexible transverse seal 43 in its groove 42 as said slats 11 pivot to make the device 1 fluid-tight by forming a low-pressure seal.
It should be noted that not all of the first transverse seals disposed between two consecutive slats will necessarily be progressively compressed as the slats move from the second position to the third lowered sealing position. More specifically, because of the bulging belly shape of the slats subjected to the frontal force, the pressure exerted on some of the first seals will gradually be relieved as the slats pivot, without any loss of watertightness, as they will already have been stressed in the second position.
As can also be seen in
More specifically, the second high-pressure, longitudinal, passive sealing means 50 includes, on a rear face 11d of the front part 10f of a given first slat 11 of the closure apron 10, a transverse recess 51 receiving a second flexible transverse seal 52 cooperating with a front face 53f of a hinge hook 53 of a slat 11 below said given first slat 11. These elements are also positioned closer to the front surface 10f of the closure apron 10 than to the rear surface 10d thereof. Thus, the greater the force F (rise of water over several tens of centimetres to more than a metre, depending on the width of the slats 11 of device 1—force of the wind during a strong storm—individual using force or a battering ram) exerted on the front face 10f of the closure apron 10, the more the front 53a of the hinge hook 53 compresses the second flexible transverse seal 52 inside the transverse groove 51 so as to compress it progressively as the slats 11 move from the second accordion-shaped configuration to the third flat configuration in order to make the device 1 fluid-tight, resistant to storms and able to withstand any intrusion attempts.
Similarly, not all second transverse seals disposed between two consecutive slats in these two aspects will necessarily be progressively compressed as the slats move from the second position to the third lowered sealing position. More specifically, because of the bulging belly shape of the slats subjected to the frontal force, the pressure exerted on some of the second seals will gradually be relieved as the slats pivot, without any loss of watertightness, as they will already have been stressed in the second position.
According to an alternative aspect illustrated in
Thus, as the slats 11 hinge together along the respective edges 11a and 11b thereof in order to move from the second accordion-shaped configuration to the third flat configuration, the protruding rib 44 increasingly compresses the first flexible seal 43 in its groove 45 as said slats 11 pivot to make the device 1 fluid-tight by forming a low-pressure seal.
It should be noted that not all of the first transverse seals disposed between two consecutive slats will necessarily be progressively compressed as the slats move from the second position to the third lowered sealing position. More specifically, because of the bulging belly shape of the slats subjected to the frontal force, the pressure exerted on some of the first seals will gradually be relieved as the slats pivot, without any loss of watertightness, as they will already have been stressed in the second position.
Similarly, according to this alternative aspect in
Thus, the greater the force F (rise of water over several tens of centimetres to more than a metre, depending on the width of the slats 11 of device 1—force of the wind during a strong storm—individual using force or a battering ram) exerted on the front face 10f of the closure apron 10, the more the rear face 11d compresses the second flexible transverse seal 52 inside its transverse groove 53 so as to compress it progressively as the slats 11 move from the second accordion-shaped configuration to the third flat configuration in order to make the device 1 fluid-tight, resistant to storms and able to withstand any intrusion attempts.
Similarly, not all second transverse seals disposed between two consecutive slats in these two aspects will necessarily be progressively compressed as the slats move from the second position to the third lowered sealing position. More specifically, because of the bulging belly shape of the slats subjected to the frontal force, the pressure exerted on some of the second seals will gradually be relieved as the slats pivot, without any loss of watertightness, as they will already have been stressed in the second position.
In the cases shown, the first flexible transverse seal 43 and the second flexible transverse seal 52 are made of silicone (of the staminalene type) or EPDM, are preferably fire-resistant, and are both in the form of a strip with a polygonal, circular or preferably oval cross-section. The seals can also be hollow to reduce the weight of the apron and improve their compressibility, thus improving high and low pressure seals.
As shown in
More specifically, this third longitudinal means 60 for creating a passive, low-pressure, lower seal includes a third flexible transverse seal 62, for example made of staminalene-type silicone for its resistance to cyclic mechanical loading and temperature, housed in a transverse groove 63 in the lower longitudinal edge 13b of the bottom end slat 13.
The movable dust covering 70 is used to prevent foreign bodies from entering the lower channel 23 when the shutter 1 is raised, to guide the bottom slat 13 more easily into its recess and to prevent the bottom slat 13 from coming away (unintentional raising of the apron) when the water level rises. This covering 70 includes an upper closure cover 71 hinged to an upper wall 23a of the lower channel 23, a leaf spring 72 bearing on the one hand against a lower groove 73 in the upper closure cover 71 and on the other hand inside the lower channel 23, for example at the junction angle of its rear wall 23d and bottom wall 23b, a hook 75 provided on the front face 10f of the bottom slat 23, and an internal hook 76 rigidly connected to the front wall 23f of the lower channel 23.
In the second position of the closure apron 10 (
When the closure apron 10 has reached the third, lowered position, the third transverse flexible seal 62 bears against the bottom wall 23b of the lower channel 23, creating a fluid-tight seal (
Continuing this movement as shown in
According to an alternative aspect illustrated in
Once the hook 75 of the bottom slat 13 is disengaged from the hook 76 of the lower channel 23, the elasticity of the leaf spring 72 allows said bottom slat 23 to be raised and the closure cover 71 to pivot in the opposite direction so as to return the movable covering 70 to its position in which it closes off the lower channel 23 (
It could also be advantageous to provide the front wall 23f of the lower channel 23 (above the hook 75 for example) with a fourth lower, longitudinal seal which would be compressed when the bottom slat 13 is pivoted with the closure apron 10 in the third position (transition from
As illustrated in
The main purpose of this fifth lateral sealing means 90 is to prevent water from infiltrating on either side of the closure apron 10, and thus into the protected building, in an area that is particularly sensitive in terms of sealing.
The system used for this purpose has been designed on the one hand to guarantee this seal in the event of a low water pressure, but also in the event of a high to very high water pressure (several tens of centimetres of water, or even more than a metre of water, pressing on the front face 10f of the closure apron 10), in a simple, preferably automated way and without the need for an additional energy source, so that it can operate completely independently when the building's occupants are not present. The proposed solution also helps to prevent lateral air infiltration in the event of strong gusts of wind.
More specifically, as illustrated firstly in
The upper part 91a and lower part 91b of each stopper seal 91 are also adapted to the particular rounded shapes of the curved parts of the upper edge 11a and lower edge 11b of said slats 11 to improve sealing over the entire height of the given slat 11.
As can be seen in the partial, sectional views in
Once the closure apron 10 has been lowered, there will be a phase for activating the clamping mechanisms which will cause the thin clamping blade 93 to move. If necessary, this blade will also be able to conform to the movement of the slats 11 as the water rises, so that the seals 91 and 92 flexibly compensate for the horizontal offset which may occur between the slats 11 under the frontal pressure exerted on the closure apron 10.
More specifically, the U-shaped vertical seal 92 and the vertical clamping bar 93 can be pressed together against the stopper seal 91 and against the front wall 22f and rear wall 22d of each slide 22 using a pressing member 100, the design whereof will be described in numerous alternative aspects hereinbelow and which does not require electricity (in almost all aspects).
This system thus makes it possible to plug the end 11c of the slats 11 (particularly at the front-on the water side) using the stopper seals 91, but also to block the passage of water at the front and at the rear of each slide 22, due in particular to the U-shape of the vertical seal 92 which is clamped by deformation against the front 22f and rear 22d vertical walls/fins of the lateral slides 22.
According to a first aspect illustrated in particular by
To this end, as illustrated in
Each arm 104 of a lever 103 also carries a pressure shoe 107 (which can simply consist of the end of the arm 104) located facing the vertical clamping bar 93, which is also facing a lateral end 11c of a slat 11/stopper seal 91.
Finally, each lower arm 105 of a lever 103 is connected, at its free end 105a, to an extension spring 108 which allows the pressing member 100 to operate in a bistable manner, said spring also being hooked to an unmoving upper pin 108a for the tensioning thereof.
Thus, when the lateral activation bar 101 is in the upper inactivation position (
When the lateral activation bar 101 starts to move downwards (
To summarise, the vertical downward linear displacement of the two lateral activation bars 101 causes the simultaneous pivoting of all of the bistable levers 103, which jointly bear on each of the two vertical clamping bars 93 located on either side of the slats 11 inside the lateral slides 22, thus causing the U-shaped lateral seals 92 to compress against the stopper seals 91 of all of the slats 11 and against the front wall 22f and rear wall 22d of each lateral slide 22. It should be noted that a watertight seal can already be produced if the lateral seal 92 bears against only one of the front wall 22f or rear wall 22d of each lateral slide 22 (preferably the front wall 22f as the water comes from this area).
Once the bistable system has reached a tilting point (
When this lateral seal must be removed, for example to raise the closure apron 10, each lateral activation bar 101 is raised vertically, causing the bistable levers 103 to pivot in the opposite direction of rotation until they reach the opposite tilting point about the pivot pin 106, where the extension spring 108 pulls on the lower arm 105 of the bistable lever 103 to move the pressure shoe 107 away from the vertical clamping bar 93 (return to
In the present case, the vertical translational movement of the lateral activation bar 101 is controlled by a cable 110 connected directly to the rolling shaft 30 of the closure apron 10, as shown in
More specifically, the cable 110 is connected to a tension roller 111 and carries a pin 112 (or weight) crimped onto said cable close to said roller 111. A hinged lever 103a, for example in the form of a finger with two branches, is connected on the one hand inside an opening 103b in the upper end of the lateral activation bar 101 and on the other hand to an unmoving pivot 106a about which it can rotate by means of said pin 112.
Thus, in the upper inactive position of the lateral activation bar 101, the lever 103a is inclined upwards in the position illustrated in
When the drive shaft 30 rotates in a given direction (that used to lower the closure apron 10), the cable 110 drives the pin 112 downwards according to the direction arrow shown, which pin 112 then causes the lever 103a to pivot about its pivot pin 106a to gradually lower the lateral activation bar 101 vertically, as illustrated in
The cable 110 continues to rotate in the same direction, as illustrated in
Conversely,
More specifically, as shown in
This solution with auxiliary motors 36 (one on each side) allows the lateral seal to be controlled independently of the rotation of the apron-rolling shaft, giving greater freedom of control. As the necessary stroke of the lateral activation bar 101 is short (in the order of 2 centimetres), half a turn of the roller 111a/111b will suffice. The diameter of the rollers 111a and 111b also limits the motor torque required for actuation. Finally, the cable 110′ always works under a tensile force, which avoids any risk of compression and thus of buckling instabilities.
The vertical upwards and downwards movement of the activation bar 101 causes the pantographs 151 and 152 to pivot, which then push on the vertical clamping bar 93 so that the U-shaped vertical seal 92 compresses the stopper seal 91 and bears against the front wall 22f and rear wall 22d of each lateral slide 22 in order to ensure the lateral seal (
It should be noted that in this aspect, when the lateral activation bar 101 descends to cause the pantographs 151 and 152 to extend by pivoting about the pivot pins 153 (unmoving pin) and 155 (moving pin), it also advances towards the slats 11 (see
The vertical upwards and downwards movement of the activation bar 101 causes the pantographs 161 to pivot, which then push on the vertical clamping bar 93 so that the U-shaped vertical seal 92 compresses the stopper seal 91 and bears against the front wall 22f and rear wall 22d of each lateral slide 22 in order to ensure the lateral seal (
Once the point of stability has been passed, the short strands 193 of the ribbon 191 are no longer under tension, whereas the long strands become tensioned as a result of the rotation of the arm 104 of each lever 103, and the extension springs 108 maintain this position.
By pulling on the ribbon 191 again, it is the long strands 192 this time that pull on the arm 104 of each lever 103 to cause them to pivot in the opposite direction against the pulling force of the springs 108 until they pass the point of stability beyond which said springs 108 pull on the arms 105 to cause the levers 103 to pivot and return to their first stable position, so that the U-shaped vertical seal 91 is separated from the stopper seal 91 of each slat 11.
Alternatively, one ribbon 191 can be provided for the short strands 193 and one ribbon 191 can be provided for the long strands 192, which ribbons are actuated together or separately to alternately activate the long arm 104 or the short arm 105.
Finally,
Thus, in
The fifth lateral sealing means 90 further includes a second lateral seal 196 (for example also a hollow tubular elastomer seal) held in position inside a hollow recess 126 in the slide 22 having substantially the same shape as said second seal 196 in its unstressed state.
Each longitudinal profile 190 can rotate, about a virtual vertical axis located at its point of contact with the pivot 122, between a first inactive position (
More specifically, the rotation of each longitudinal profile 190 about the pivot 122 (arrow R in
This movement of the slats 11 along arrow D allows an inclined plane 292 of a vertical slot 291, formed in the thickness of the rear face 10f of the lateral slat ends 11 concerned, to press on the rounded end of the hook 194 to cause the longitudinal profile 190 to pivot. In practice, the slats 11 concerned by the fifth lateral sealing means 90 will be those located, once the closure apron 10 is fully lowered, for example at less than about 1 m 20 from the ground, i.e. between about 12 and 24 slats depending on the average height thereof.
Any water that might have infiltrated the sides of the slats 11, inside the lateral slides 22, therefore cannot enter the interior of the building, which is thus protected by said seals 195 and 196, which form a lateral seal.
Moreover, the more the water rises against the closure apron 10 and inside the lateral slides 22, the more the force that it exerts tends to press on its front face 10f, and the more the longitudinal profile 190 turns vertically about the pivot 122 to compress, during its rotational motion, the two lateral seals 195 and 196, so as to produce a so-called “high-pressure” passive seal. To summarise, the higher the risk of flooding, the greater the watertightness, which makes this device particularly advantageous, especially as it is purely mechanical and thus requires no external means to operate, and in particular no power source.
The alternative aspect in
More specifically, this activation system includes two lower ramps 201 positioned against or inside each lateral slide 22, each ramp having an inclined plane 203 oriented upwards from the inside to the outside (N.B.: of the building). Thus, when the bottom slat 13 descends, due to the weight of the closure apron 10, its front face 10f comes into contact with the inclined plane 203, which is unmoving, causing said slat to retreat from the outside of the building towards the inside (arrow D in
When the closure apron 10 is lowered, the longitudinal “lever” profiles 190 each begin to pivot vertically to position the two lateral seals 195 and 196 in contact respectively with the stopper seals 91 and the corresponding portions of the lateral slides 22. However, beyond mere contact, these seals must be pressed down (via the longitudinal lever profiles) to procure a low-pressure and then a high-pressure seal. To this end, the activation system 200 further includes an assembly of moving parts including an upper roller 210, preferably covered with a flexible sleeve 211 (elastomer), connected to one end of a given slat 11 and adapted to bear against a lateral distribution plate 212, which is itself placed on a vertically-moving, longitudinal bar 214 resting on a lower, curved, lateral clamping sheet 216.
Thus, when the closure apron 10 is unrolled and descends, the slat 11, whose lateral ends are provided with two rollers 210, accompanies this descending movement. Each roller 210 thus exerts a downward vertical force (arrow B) on the distribution plate 212, which causes the vertical bar 214 to descend by pressing on the lower, curved, clamping sheet 216, which then presses laterally (arrow L) on the longitudinal profile 190 to force it to rotate vertically and cause the two lateral seals 195 and 196 to be compressed.
Thus, the more the closure apron 10 descends, the further the bottom slat 13 retreats thanks to the ramps 201, which causes the longitudinal profiles 190 to switch from the first position to the second position. Moreover, the more the closure apron 10 descends, the more the rollers 210 press on the vertical bar so as to cause the lateral profiles to pivot and hold them in their low-pressure sealing position and then their high-pressure sealing position as the water rises against the front face 10f of the closure apron 10.
Again, the system is totally passive (there is no need for an external power source).
A compression member (of the spring type) can also be positioned on each longitudinal profile 190 when in its initial vertical position, and can be attached, for example, between the upper support roller 210 and the top end of the profile. The vertical support of the longitudinal profile 190 is thus guaranteed, even if the position of the upper support roller 210 varies.
The fifth lateral sealing means 90 preferably includes a sensor for automatically detecting rising water so as to be able to automatically (without action by a person) trigger activation of the pressing member so as to create the lateral seal. A humidity sensor of a known type can be used. This sensor can also be used upstream to rotate the shutter so that it descends completely, then lock it in the lower channel. An anemometer can also be used for the same purpose of automatically activating the shutter in the event of a storm.
By its very nature, this anti-flooding device is thus designed to be activated without limitations, and whenever nobody is present in the premises protected. In principle, there is no need for an external power source to protect the building in the event of flooding: all sealing is mechanically passive (no need to rely on sensors). The fittings required to install the device are lightweight and can be used in both new-build and renovation projects. It requires cuts a few centimetres wide to be made in the floor and side walls to accommodate the lateral slides and the lower channel.
Secondly, this device offers a subtle balance between high stiffness, which allows it to resist the push of the water over a significant height (1.5 m water height for a 1.8 m wide sash, for example, which was totally inconceivable with solutions of the prior art), a dissociation of the slats allowing them to be flexibly rolled up without hindrance, and a double seal: a low-pressure seal for low water heights, and a so-called passive, high-pressure seal, which increases with the height of the water, and thus the frontal pressure exerted on the closure apron. The seal between the slats is placed in the slats, and thus has no mechanical weaknesses.
These three features, which must perform well for the innovation to work, are dependent on potentially contradictory factors. For example, the apron must be very stiff to withstand the water, and very flexible to be able to roll up. In the same way, the seal must have flexible parts that conform to one another, in contradiction with the need for the apron to be stiff.
The relatively high level of difficulty involved in designing a solution that discriminates between these behaviours and achieves good performance on all three features suggests that this solution is particularly innovative and effective because of the many issues it overcomes.
In addition to its anti-flooding performance, the particularly high stiffness of the apron provides excellent anti-intrusion and storm protection functions (protection against flying objects).
It should be clearly understood that the detailed description of the subject matter of the disclosure, which is given solely by way of illustration, in no way constitutes a limitation, and that technical equivalents also fall within the scope of the present disclosure.
Therefore, the shape of the seals, the slat profiles, the number of springs or the number of levers can vary according to requirements, the geographical location of the device and the risks involved (areas with high or low flood risks, subject to storms and/or intruders), the dimensions of the opening (height and width) and thus those of the closure apron 10.
Optionally, a flexible cord can be inserted at the rear of the bottom slat 13, which is pressed against the rear of the lower channel as the water rises, thus improving the high-pressure seal.
The pressure shoe 107 can be mounted on a ball joint link to conform as closely as possible to the shape (and any deformations) of the vertical clamping bar 93.
A system of lateral wedges sliding vertically in the slides 22 can be used to move the vertical clamping bar 93.
It goes without saying that the pressing system could be actuated occasionally, and not each time the shutter is lowered, either by a command that the user intentionally actuates (for example, another position in the shutter closure command: open, partially closed, fully closed but without the watertight mode, fully closed with the watertight mode), or by a command triggered when the water rises.
This passive triggering of the actuation could take place in several ways, either using a float-type sensor connected to an electrical actuator (the float, driven by the rising water, would trigger the locking control), or using a conduction sensor connected to an electrical actuator (the presence of water would close rather than open an electrical circuit, thus allowing the locking control to be actuated).
The device is suitable for sectional garage or warehouse doors, which are often very wide (2 to 5 m, for example) and have much higher slats (10-50 cm).
The device can also be designed to withstand extremely strong gusts of wind in excess of 200 km/h and/or water heights in excess of 1.50 to 1.80 m. This would in particular involve adapting the size of the seals and the slats.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| PCT/FR2021/050212 | Feb 2021 | WO | international |
This application is a National Stage of International Application No. PCT/EP2021/074172 having an International Filing Date of 1 Sep. 2021, which designated the United States of America, and which International Application was published under PCT Article 21(2) as WO Publication No. 2022/167109, which claims priority from and the benefit of French Patent Application No. PCT/FR2021/050212, filed on 4 Feb. 2021, the disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entireties.
| Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| PCT/EP2021/074172 | 9/1/2021 | WO |
