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(11) | EP 2 374 981 B1 |
| (12) | EUROPEAN PATENT SPECIFICATION |
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Flood defence door assembly Hochwasserschutztüranordung Ensemble formant porte de protection contre l'inondation |
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| Note: Within nine months from the publication of the mention of the grant of the European patent, any person may give notice to the European Patent Office of opposition to the European patent granted. Notice of opposition shall be filed in a written reasoned statement. It shall not be deemed to have been filed until the opposition fee has been paid. (Art. 99(1) European Patent Convention). |
[0002] Conventional flood defences for door openings require flood prevention boards or closures to be secured to a door opening or frame or to a region of a property surrounding the door opening. Many potential users find such an arrangement aesthetically unattractive.
[0003] GB2324823 describes a closure assembly comprising a door, for sealingly closing a door frame, which door is divided into two or more closure members, subdoors arranged one above the other so as to provide progressively higher closure against rising floodwater.
[0004] US5460462 describes a liquid barrier system which includes a structure forming a below-ground-level float-receiving chamber. An inlet passageway for ground water or other liquid directs the liquid into the bottom of the chamber to fill the chamber when it is desired that a barrier-wall-forming part of the barrier system is to rise above ground level. Where the barrier system is a flood-water barrier, the chamber bottom connects with a sewer system so that the chamber does not fill unless flood risk conditions exist, as when a sewer back-up occurs. A float structure with which the barrier wall is associated is vertically movable in the chamber from a bottommost position when there is no liquid build-up to an uppermost position when the liquid rises and where the barrier is substantially above ground level. Seals are provided which prevent the liquid from gaining access to the one side of the barrier wall.
[0005] It is an object of the present invention to provide a flood defence door assembly which at least ameliorates the
abovementioned prior art GB2324823.
[0006] According to the present invention there is provided a flood defence door assembly comprising: an upper door leaf adapted to be hinged to a frame; and a lower door leaf provided with laterally and downwardly extending sealing means for sealing between the door leaf and the frame when the door leaf is in a closed configuration, wherein the lower door leaf is hinged to a frame so as to open outwardly of a building and is provided with a weep hole adapted to conduct liquid from an upper surface of the lower leaf to a lower region of the external surface thereof.
[0007] The sealing means may abut in the closed configuration of the lower door leaf against a face of the frame that is external to the building.
[0010] The upper door leaf may be adapted to be hinged to the frame so as to open inwardly of the building. In such a case, the lower door leaf may be provided with upwardly extending sealing means for sealing against an external surface of the upper door leaf. The upper door leaf may be provided with downwardly protruding sealing means for sealing against an internal surface of the lower door leaf.
[0011] Thus the present invention provides a way of avoiding the need for separate flood defences for doors.
[0012] For a better understanding of the present invention and to show more clearly how it may be carried into effect reference will now be made, by way of example, to the accompanying drawings in which:
Figure 1 is a diagrammatic perspective view of one embodiment of the flood defence door assembly according to the present invention;
Figure 2 is a sectional view of the flood defence door assembly shown in Figure 1;
Figure 3 is a plan view of an upper door leaf forming part of the flood defence door assembly shown in Figures 1 and 2;
Figure 4 is a plan view of a lower door leaf forming part of the flood defence door assembly shown in Figures 1 and 2;
Figure 5 is a side view, to a different scale of part of the flood defence door assembly shown in Figures 1 and 2; and
Figure 6 is an enlarged view of part of Figure 5.
[0013] The flood defence door assembly shown in the figures comprises an upper leaf 1 and a lower leaf 3. The lower leaf 3 is arranged to pivot outwardly relative to a building as shown by the arrows, while upper leaf 1 is arranged to pivot inwardly relative to the building (although the upper leaf could alternatively pivot outwardly) again as shown by the arrows.
[0014] The lower leaf 3 is provided with laterally and downwardly protruding seal portions 5 which seal against a door frame 7 which is provided in an opening of the building. Sealing means 9 is provided between the seal portions and the door frame. A conventional locking means 11, such as a three-point locking system is incorporated into the lower door leaf 3 and into the door frame 7 which, when in a locked configuration, urges the lower door leaf 3 towards the door frame 7 so as to compress the sealing means 9 and form a watertight seal between the lower leaf and the door frame. In the event of a flood, water will additionally urge the lower leaf towards the door frame further compressing the sealing means and ensuring there are no leaks between the lower leaf and the door frame. The locked lower leaf 3 further serves as a security measure inasmuch as it is only necessary for the upper leaf 1 to be opened, maintaining a partial barrier between an occupant of the building and a visitor.
[0015] The upper leaf 1 is generally arranged to pivot inwardly of the building in the manner of a conventional front door, although as an alternative it could pivot outwardly. The figures show the upper leaf pivoting inwardly. The upper leaf has a conventional door lock 13 and a seal portion 15 which extends downwardly from the lower edge of the upper leaf to protrude over the top edge of the lower leaf 3 on the internal face of the lower leaf. The lower leaf has a corresponding upwardly extending seal portion 17 which protrudes over the lower edge of the upper leaf on the external face of the upper leaf. The seal portions 15, 17 are provided with seals to seal against the respective leaf 1, 3. The lower leaf 3 is provided with a weep hole 19 which has an inlet from a depression 21 which extends along the upper edge and is positioned between the external and internal faces of the lower leaf. The weep hole 19 extends downwardly in the form of a tube through the lower leaf 3 and has an outlet 23 in the external face of the lower leaf a short distance above the lower edge thereof. Consequently, any rain falling against the upper leaf 1 and which for any reason may run between the seal portion 17 and the external face of the upper leaf will run into the weep hole and be discharged at the lower region of the lower leaf. In this way water or condensation can escape, but in the event of a flood the flood water 25 will find its own level within the weep hole without causing any damage to the lower leaf or the property.
1. A flood defence door assembly comprising: an upper door leaf (1) adapted to be hinged
to a frame (7); and a lower door leaf (3) provided with laterally and downwardly extending
sealing means (5) for sealing between the door leaf and the frame when the door leaf
is in a closed configuration, characterised in that the lower door leaf (3) is hinged to the frame so as to open outwardly of a building
and is provided with a weep hole (19) adapted to conduct liquid from an upper surface
of the lower door leaf to a lower region of the external surface thereof.
2. A door assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein the sealing means (5) abuts in the
closed configuration of the lower door leaf (3) against a face of the frame (7) that
is external to the building.
3. A door assembly as claimed in claim 1 or 2, wherein the weep hole (19) opens into
a depression (21) formed in an upper surface of the lower door leaf (3).
4. A door assembly as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein locking means (11) is provided
for locking the lower door leaf (3) to the frame (7).
5. A door assembly as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the upper door leaf (1)
is adapted to be hinged to the frame (7) so as to open inwardly of the building.
6. A door assembly as claimed in claim 5, wherein the lower door leaf (3) is provided
with upwardly extending sealing means (17) for sealing against an external surface
of the upper door leaf (1).
7. A door assembly as claimed in claim 5 or 6, wherein the upper door leaf (1) is provided
with downwardly protruding sealing means (15) for sealing against an internal surface
of the lower door leaf (3).
1. Hochwasserschutztürbaugruppe, die Folgendes umfasst: ein oberes Türblatt (1) zum Einhängen
in einen Rahmen (7); und ein unteres Türblatt (3), das mit seitlich und abwärts verlaufenden
Dichtungsmitteln (5) zum Abdichten zwischen dem Türblatt und dem Rahmen versehen ist,
wenn das Türblatt in einer geschlossenen Konfiguration ist, dadurch gekennzeichnet, dass das untere Türblatt (3) so in den Rahmen eingehängt ist, dass es an einem Gebäude
nach außen öffnet, und mit einem Ablaufloch (19) zum Leiten von Flüssigkeit von einer
Oberseite des unteren Türblatts zu einer unteren Region der Außenfläche davon ausgelegt
ist.
2. Türbaugruppe nach Anspruch 1, wobei das Dichtungsmittel (5) in der geschlossenen Position
des unteren Türblatts (3) an einer Fläche des Rahmens (7) anliegt, die sich auf der
Außenseite des Gebäudes befindet.
3. Türbaugruppe nach Anspruch 1 oder 2, wobei das Ablaufloch (19) in eine Vertiefung
(21) öffnet, die in einer Oberseite des unteren Türblatts (3) ausgebildet ist.
4. Türbaugruppe nach einem vorherigen Anspruch, wobei Verriegelungsmittel (11) zum Verriegeln
des unteren Türblatts (3) am Rahmen (7) vorgesehen sind.
5. Türbaugruppe nach einem vorherigen Anspruch, wobei das obere Türblatt (1) zum Einhängen
in den Rahmen (7) ausgelegt ist, so dass es in das Gebäude hinein öffnet.
6. Türbaugruppe nach Anspruch 5, wobei das untere Türblatt (3) mit nach oben verlaufenden
Dichtungsmitteln (17) zum Abdichten gegen eine Außenfläche des oberen Türblatts (1)
versehen ist.
7. Türbaugruppe nach Anspruch 5 oder 6, wobei das obere Türblatt (1) mit nach unten vorstehenden
Dichtungsmitteln (15) zum Abdichten gegen eine Innenfläche des unteren Türblatts (3)
versehen ist.
1. Ensemble de porte de protection contre les inondations comprenant : un battant de
porte supérieur (1) adapté pour être articulé sur un cadre (7) ; et un battant de
porte inférieur (3) doté d'un moyen d'étanchéité s'étendant latéralement et vers le
bas (5) destiné à assurer l'étanchéité entre le battant de porte et le cadre quand
le battant de porte est en configuration fermée, caractérisé en ce que le battant de porte inférieur (3) est articulé sur le cadre de manière à s'ouvrir
vers l'extérieur d'un bâtiment et est pourvu d'un trou d'écoulement (19) adapté pour
conduire un liquide depuis une surface supérieure du battant de porte inférieur jusqu'à
une région inférieure de la surface externe de ce dernier.
2. Ensemble de porte selon la revendication 1, dans lequel le moyen d'étanchéité (5)
dans la configuration fermée du battant de porte inférieur (3) butte contre une face
du cadre (7) qui est externe au bâtiment.
3. Ensemble de porte selon la revendication 1 ou 2, dans lequel le trou d'écoulement
(19) s'ouvre dans une dépression (21) formée dans une surface supérieure du battant
de porte inférieur (3).
4. Ensemble de porte selon l'une quelconque des revendications précédentes, dans lequel
un moyen de verrouillage (11) est fourni pour verrouiller le battant de porte inférieur
(3) contre le cadre (7).
5. Ensemble de porte selon l'une quelconque des revendications précédentes, dans lequel
le battant de porte supérieur (1) est adapté pour être articulé sur le cadre (7) de
manière à s'ouvrir vers l'intérieur du bâtiment.
6. Ensemble de porte selon la revendication 5, dans lequel le battant de porte inférieur
(3) est doté d'un moyen d'étanchéité s'étendant vers le haut (17) destiné à assurer
l'étanchéité contre une surface externe du battant de porte supérieur (1).
7. Ensemble de porte selon la revendication 5 ou 6, dans lequel le battant de porte supérieur
(1) est doté d'un moyen d'étanchéité saillant vers le bas (15) destiné à assurer l'étanchéité
contre une surface interne du battant de porte inférieur (3).
REFERENCES CITED IN THE DESCRIPTION
This list of references cited by the applicant is for the reader's convenience only. It does not form part of the European patent document. Even though great care has been taken in compiling the references, errors or omissions cannot be excluded and the EPO disclaims all liability in this regard.
Patent documents cited in the description