WATER BARRIER SYSTEM COMPRISING CONNECTION DEVICE

Abstract

The present invention relates to a water barrier module system comprising a first (10) and a second (20) protective module configured to form at least a part of a water barrier. Each protective module comprises a side flange (12, 22) extending substantially perpendicular to a main plane and having an outer surface (18, 28) and an inner surface (16, 26). Each of the side flanges comprises at least one elongated opening (14, 24) having a width (W2) and a length (L2), wherein the length is larger than the width. A connection device (30) is configured to, in a connecting position, connect the side flanges (12, 22) by extending through the elongated openings when the outer surfaces of the two side flanges are arranged to each other. The connection device (30) comprises a first portion (31) configured to abut the inner surface of the first side flange, and a second portion (32) configured to abut the inner surface of the second side flange. The first portion (31) of the connection device has a width (W3) that is smaller or equal to the width (W2) of the elongated openings (14, 24) and a length (L3) that is larger than the width (W2) of the elongated openings and smaller than or equal to the length (L2) of the elongated openings.

Claims

1. A water barrier module system comprising a first protective module and a second protective module configured to form at least a part of a water barrier to be positioned between a body of water and an area to be protected from water, wherein each of the protective modules comprises a main plane and a first side along at least one side of the main plane, wherein the first protective module comprises a first side flange along the first side of the first protective module, the first side flange extending substantially perpendicular to the main plane and having an outer surface and an inner surface, wherein the second protective module comprises a second side flange along the first side of the second protective module, the second side flange extending substantially perpendicular to the main plane and having an outer surface and an inner surface, wherein each of the first and second side flanges comprises at least one elongated opening having a width and a length, wherein the length is larger than the width, the water barrier module system further comprising a connection device configured to, in a connecting position, connect the first side flange to the second side flange by extending through the at least one elongated opening of both side flanges when the outer surfaces of the two side flanges are arranged to each other, wherein the connection device comprises a first portion configured to, in the connecting position, abut the inner surface of the first side flange, a second portion configured to, in the connecting position, abut the inner surface of the second side flange, and an intermediate portion connecting the first portion and the second portion and configured to, in the connecting position, extend through the elongated openings, wherein the first, second and intermediate portions of the connection device are formed in one integrated unit fixed relative to each other, wherein the first portion of the connection device has a width that is smaller or equal to the width of the elongated openings and a length that is larger than the width of the elongated openings and smaller than or equal to the length of the elongated openings.

2. The water barrier module system according to claim 1, wherein the first portion and the second portion of the connection device extends in parallel.

3. The water barrier module system according to claim 1, wherein the first portion and the second portion of the connection device are separated by the intermediate portion providing a distance between the first and second portions being substantial equal to a combined thickness of the first and second side flanges.

4. The water barrier module system according to claim 1, wherein the second portion has a length that is larger than the width of the elongated openings.

5. The water barrier module system according to claim 1, wherein the length of the second portion is larger than the length of the elongated openings.

6. The water barrier module system according to claim 1, wherein the width of the second portion is smaller than the width of the elongated openings.

7. The water barrier module system according to claim 1, wherein the width of the second portion is larger than the width of the elongated openings.

8. The water barrier module system according claim 1, wherein the second protective module is an extension module extending the height of the water barrier.

9. The water barrier module system according claim 1, wherein the connection device is further configured to be moved into an inserting position by moving at least the first portion through the elongated openings, and to be moved from the inserting position to the connecting position to fix the first and second side flanges to each other.

10. The water barrier module system according claim 9, wherein the connection device is configured to be rotated to be moved from the inserting position to the connecting position.

11. The water barrier module system according claim 10, wherein the connection device is configured to be rotated 60-120 degrees, preferably 80-100 degrees, more preferably about 90 degrees from the inserting position to the connecting position.

12. The water barrier module system according to claim 1, wherein the first portion, the second portion and the intermediate portion of the connection device together have a uniform width.

13. The water barrier module system according to claim 1, wherein the connection device is formed of a sheet material, wherein the thickness of the sheet material provides the widths of the portions of the connection device.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0026] The invention will in the following be described in more detail with reference to the enclosed drawings, wherein:

[0027] FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of first protective modules according to an embodiment of the invention;

[0028] FIG. 2 shows a perspective view of a water barrier module system according to an embodiment of the invention;

[0029] FIG. 3 shows a perspective detail view of a water barrier module system according to an embodiment of the invention;

[0030] FIG. 4 shows a side view of a connection device according to an embodiment of the invention;

[0031] FIG. 5 shows a side view of a connection device according to an embodiment of the invention;

[0032] FIG. 6a shows a top view of a water barrier module system according to an embodiment of the invention;

[0033] FIG. 6b shows a top view of a water barrier module system according to an embodiment of the invention; and

[0034] FIG. 7 shows a side view of a water barrier module system according to an embodiment of the invention.

DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS

[0035] The present invention will be described more fully hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which preferred embodiments of the invention are shown. This invention may, however, be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein; rather, these embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will be thorough and complete, and will fully convey the scope of the invention to those skilled in the art. In the drawings, like numbers refer to like elements.

[0036] FIG. 1 illustrates a part of a water barrier module system 1 according to an embodiment. A plurality of first protective modules 10 are arranged side by side to form a water barrier. The first protective module 10 comprises a main plane 11 providing the main barrier surface of the water barrier. The first protective module 10 further comprises a first side flange 12 extending along a side of the main plane 11. The first side flange 12 extends substantially perpendicular to the main plane 11. The first side flange 12 comprises a plurality of openings 14. The openings 14 are elongated and extends in a row.

[0037] FIG. 2 illustrates the first protective module 10 with a second protective module 20 arranged on top. The second protective module 20 is in the illustrated embodiment an extension module increasing the height of the water barrier. The second protective module 20 comprises a main plane 21 extending, when the second protective module 20 is arranged to the first protective module 10, in the same plane as the main plane 11 of the first protective module 10. The second protective module 20 comprises a second side flange 22 extending along a side of the main plane 21. The second side flange 22 extends substantially perpendicular to the main plane 21. The second side flange 22 comprises a plurality of openings 24. The openings 24 are elongated and extends in a row.

[0038] When the first and second side flanges 12, 22 are arranged to each other, as illustrated in e.g. FIGS. 2 and 3, the elongated openings 14, 24 of the two side flanges 12, 22 coincide. The elongated openings 14, 24 of the two side flanges 12, 22 are equal in size and shape. Each elongated opening 14, 24 has a width W2 and a length L2. The length L2 is longer than the width W2. This is further illustrated in FIGS. 6a-b.

[0039] The two side flanges 12, 22, and thereby also the two protective modules 10, 20, are fixed to each other by means of one or more connection devices 30. FIG. 4 illustrates the connection device 30 from the side, having a first portion 31, a second portion 32, and an intermediate portion 33 connecting the first and second portions 31, 32 to each other. The connection device 30 may be formed as one integrated unit. The first and second portions 31, 32 extend in parallel, separated by a distance T3 provided by the intermediate portion 33.

[0040] The first portion 31 has a length L3. The length L3 is smaller or equal to the length L2 of the elongated openings 14, 24. FIG. 5 further illustrates the connection device 30 from the side, showing the width W3 of the connection device 31. In the illustrated embodiment the entire connection device 30 has the same width W3. In an alternative embodiment, different portions of the connection device 30 may have different width, such that the first portion has the width W3, and the intermediate portion 33 and/or the second portion 32 has a differing width. The width W3 is equal or smaller than the width W2 of the elongated openings 14, 24.

[0041] Further, the length L3 of the first portion of the connection device 30 is larger than the width W2 of the elongated openings 14, 24. The second portion 32 may further have a length L4 which is larger than the width W2 of the elongated openings 14, 24. Optionally, as illustrated, the length L4 may further be larger than the length L2 of the elongated openings 14, 24.

[0042] The intermediate portion 33 has a length L5 that is smaller or equal to the width W2 of the elongated openings 14, 24. If the length L5 is substantially equal to the width W2, an improved stability in the fixation between the side flanges 12, 22 when the connection device 30 is in the connecting position may be provided.

[0043] FIGS. 6a and 6b illustrate the connection device 30 being in two different positions. In FIG. 6a the connection device 30 is in an inserting position wherein the first portion 31 extends, via the intermediate portion 33, through the elongated openings 14, 24. The length L3 of the first portion 31 being smaller or equal to the length L2 of the elongated openings 14, 24, and the width W3 of the first portion 31 being smaller or equal to the width of the elongated openings 14, 24, provides that the first portion 31 may be inserted through the elongated openings 14, 24. The first and second portions 31, 32 are thereby located at opposite sides of the side flanges 12, 22.

[0044] FIG. 6b illustrates the connection device 30 in a connecting position. From the inserting position the connection device 30 is rotated about 90 degrees in direction A to the connecting position. The length L3 of the first portion 31 being larger than the width W2 of the elongated openings 14, 24 thereby provides that the connection device 30 is fixed in the connecting position and locks the two side flanges 12, 22 to each other.

[0045] As seen in e.g. FIG. 7, the first side flange 12 has an inner surface 16 and an outer surface 18. Further, the second side flange 22 has an inner surface 26 and an outer surface 28. When the two side flanges 12, 22 are arrange to each other to be fixed in position by means of the connection device 30, the two outer surfaces 18, 28 lies against each other and are in contact. In FIG. 7 the connection device 30 is illustrated in the inserting position.

[0046] When the connection device 30 is in the connecting position, the first portion 31 will abut the inner surface 16 of the first side flange 12. At the same time, the second portion 32 will abut the inner surface 26 of the second side flange 22. The two side flanges 12, 22 will thereby be clamped between the first and second portions 31, 32.

[0047] The combined thickness of the two side flanges 12, 22 is denoted T1. The distance between the first and second portions 31, 32 of the connection device 30 substantially correspond to the thickness T1. The distance between the first and second portions 31, 32 is provided by the intermediate portion 33 having the extension T3. The extension T3 of the intermediate portion 33 is substantially corresponding to the thickness T1 of the side flanges 12, 22.

[0048] In the drawings and specification, there have been disclosed preferred embodiments and examples of the invention and, although specific terms are employed, they are used in a generic and descriptive sense only and not for the purpose of limitation, the scope of the invention being set forth in the following claims.