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[0002] The problem of flood and hurricane protection has long exercised those unfortunate enough to be engaged in such procedures. With the increase in poor weather it has become more necessary than ever to protect buildings on a temporary basis.
[0003] In many countries, particularly when a hurricane has been signalled by weather experts, it is usual for those with buildings to protect to cut pieces of plywood, for example, to a desired size and secure them to a window or door frame. The difficulty with such arrangements is that it requires a carpenter, or those with carpentry skills, to effect such protection and takes some time. Further although the protective plywood can be retained for use with the building, it is not intended to be watertight and because it tends to bend, unless very heavy, it can result in broken glass even if the building itself is not overwhelmed. Finally the increasing likelihood of flooding, particularly in low lying areas, indicates that some protection from flooding is required on a temporary basis.
[0004] One of the problems with the prior art in this field is that doors and windows are of a different dimension as between houses and accordingly a single panel cannot be formed for universal co-operation with frames in all houses if a single weather protector is to be secured to the window or doorjamb.
[0005] The protection of town centres for example is also required. The buildings of walls while effective, tends to be expensive and a wall cannot be removed during the summer when flooding does not occur.
[0006] According to the invention a single panel with an edge seal may be formed of a standard size, said panel being securable to the exterior face of a wall or other structure rather than to a framed opening therein and wherein the same panel may be used with a stanchion adjacent a water-course.
[0007] Obviously smaller weather protector panels may be required for vents/air-bricks disposed in buildings to ventilate the under-floor space. Single panels of identical shape can thus also form the basis of a flood protection system.
[0008] GB-A-2046819 requires that an anti-flood panel is fitted into a door frame. Since doorframes tend to be peculiar to a house, my invention obviates the need to provide a large number of differently shaped acid sized panels.
[0009] GB-A-2346646 provides a frame which is permanently attached to a building wall immediately about an opening. My invention obviates the need to affix a sealing frame permanently adjacent the opening. Further said document requires that the frame immediately surrounds the doorway and this predicates a number of differently sized rigid panels.
[0010] GB-A-2249335 reveals the use in flood defence systems of an aluminium panel with a width depending upon the reveal opening size which is permanently affixed to the exterior wall. Again m, invention is quite different in that it requires only a single size of panel for large openings and requires no permanent seal to the building wall.
[0011] GB-A-2343907 and GB-A-2346168 both require a frame to be permanently sealably secured to a built structure. Again my invention does not require a permanent frame fixing. Further the panels of these documents may be made in a plurality of sizes to accommodate door openings of different sizes for example. My invention requires only one size for all large openings.
[0012] Accordingly the present invention provides a weather protector kit comprising a panel of a single pre-determined shape and size and adapted to obturate an opening and a stanchion for co-operation therewith, said panel comprising;
[0013] a plurality of securing means adjacent edges of the panel and adapted for operative co-operation with a plurality of closure elements predisposed on a structure or stanchion adjacent said opening, and a continuous seal formed of a sealing material adapted to be at least adjacent said eddies of the panel in use and adapted to form a watertight seal with the panel when in position over said opening.
[0014] The panel thus must exceed the dimensions of the opening over which it is intended to be positioned. The panel may be formed of a metal, for example aluminium, or said panel may be formed of, or with, a plastics material. Either way a window at least of a transparent or translucent plastics material may be included.
[0015] Preferably the panel comprises a convexity to its intended outer surface. The seal may be formed of a water-resistant material mouldable to the exterior contours of a rough surface when in-situ on said building. Conveniently the panel may be formed with at least one handle to the intended exterior of each panel. It is desirable that for storage purposes that panels of an equivalent size are stackable. In a particularly preferred form of the invention the edges of the panels and/or sealing material strip are slightly angled to the intended exterior of the wall such that the outer most edges thereof are more firmly in contact with the wall or other structure in use.
[0016] The securing means may be a nut and bolt, or may be any clip which loads the panel against the seal or the structure against which it is to be positioned.
[0017] Aspects of the present invention will now be described, by way of illustration only with reference to the accompanying drawings wherein
[0018]
[0019]
[0020]
[0021]
[0022]
[0023] With reference to
[0024] With reference particularly to
[0025] In
[0026] In use a plurality of closure elements are adapted for operative co-operation with the clips (
[0027] It will be appreciated that it is most desirable that one of the door openings can be closed from the inside rather than the outside. This may be achieved by forming the panels in exactly the same way but providing the intended interior face of the panel (1) (not shown) with a threaded rod adjacent each corner of the panel (
[0028] By means of this invention flood waters rising to the exterior of the building, do not enter the building directly and hence the contents of the building are preserved.
[0029] With reference now to
[0030] In this embodiment each panel (