초록 ▼

A portable, water-filled barrier emulates a sandbag dike or wall without requiring sand or intensive labor to install. The barrier is made of a light, flexible material that can include nanofiber. Some embodiments are formed from a plurality of interlocked water-filled cells, with a forward-facing w

A portable, water-filled barrier emulates a sandbag dike or wall without requiring sand or intensive labor to install. The barrier is made of a light, flexible material that can include nanofiber. Some embodiments are formed from a plurality of interlocked water-filled cells, with a forward-facing water barrier sheet. Other embodiments are unitary shells that are internally divided into cells, with internal openings that permit water to flow between cells. Automatic valves can seal the filled cells, so that a punctured cell will not cause cells below and behind to deflate. A row or rows of cells can project below the base into a stabilizing trench. Cells can include internal or external rods or plates that support the horizontal structure. Embodiments can be initially filled with air, positioned, and then filled with water while the air escapes through a pressure valve. Barrier end structures can enable interlocking of adjacent units.

대표청구항 ▼

1. A water inflatable barrier comprising: a flexible shell configured to contain water in its interior, the shell having a front, a rear, and a substantially uniform cross-section along its width, the cross section being wider at a base of the shell than at a top of the shell;a plurality of water-ti

1. A water inflatable barrier comprising: a flexible shell configured to contain water in its interior, the shell having a front, a rear, and a substantially uniform cross-section along its width, the cross section being wider at a base of the shell than at a top of the shell;a plurality of water-tight partitions bounded by horizontal and vertical partition walls, each of said vertical partition walls being oriented either substantially parallel to the front of the flexible shell or substantially perpendicular to the front of the flexible shell, said water-tight partitions dividing the interior of the shell into a plurality of adjacent cells having substantially identical dimensions, the cells being shaped approximately as rectangular parallelepipeds arranged in a plurality of horizontal layers that are vertically stacked on top of each other and offset from each other such that none of the vertical partition walls that are parallel to the front of the flexible shell aligns with a vertical partition wall in a vertically adjacent layer, each of widths and lengths of the cells being at least twice as large as heights of the cells;a plurality of vertical openings configured to allow water to flow vertically between the cells;a plurality of horizontal openings configured to allow water to flow horizontally between at least some of the cells;a water inlet proximal to the top of the shell and configured to allow filling of the shell with water; anda water outlet proximal to the base of the shell and configured to allow draining of water from the shell. 2. The barrier of claim 1, further comprising an automatic valve cooperative with a vertical opening and configured to automatically seal the vertical opening when the cell below the vertical opening is filled with water. 3. The barrier of claim 1, further comprising an automatic valve cooperative with a horizontal opening and configured to automatically seal the horizontal opening when the cell located to the rear of the horizontal opening is filled with water. 4. The barrier of claim 1, further comprising a structure reinforcing element contained within a cell and configured to maintain at least one of a length and a width of the cell in which it is contained. 5. The barrier of claim 4, wherein the structure reinforcing element is a rod or a plate. 6. The barrier of claim 4, wherein the structure reinforcing element is made of plastic, wood, or bamboo. 7. The barrier of claim 1, further comprising a structure reinforcing element that is external to the shell. 8. The barrier of claim 1, wherein the barrier includes an interlocking end structure configured to interlock with a second barrier having a compatible end structure. 9. The barrier of claim 1, wherein the barrier is inflatable with air. 10. The barrier of claim 9, further comprising an air pressure relief valve configured to permit air to escape from the shell as the barrier is filled with water. 11. The barrier of claim 1, wherein the base of the barrier is flat. 12. The barrier of claim 1, wherein the base of the barrier includes at least one row of cells extending below other rows in the base, the extended rows being configured for placement in a trench prepared at a site where the barrier is to be installed. 13. The barrier of claim 1, wherein at least the front of the flexible shell is reinforced as compared to the internal partitions. 14. The barrier of claim 13, wherein the front of the flexible shell is reinforced due to an increased thickness of material relative to the internal partitions. 15. The barrier of claim 13, wherein the front of the flexible shell is reinforced due to inclusion of a material not included in the internal partitions. 16. The barrier of claim 13, wherein the front of the flexible shell is reinforced due to inclusion of nanofiber in the flexible shell. 17. The barrier of claim 13, wherein the front of the flexible shell is reinforced due to double-walled construction. 18. The barrier of claim 1, wherein the outer shell includes a coating of a protective material that tends to seal punctures in the outer shell. 19. The barrier of claim 18, wherein the protective material is tyvec or liquid rubber. 20. The barrier of claim 1, further comprising an underlying sheet that further resists punctures of the barrier from beneath, and which seals to the barrier and to the ground beneath the barrier so as to inhibit penetration of water beneath the barrier. 21. The barrier of claim 20, wherein the underlying sheet is a cushioning layer. 22. The barrier of claim 20, wherein the underlying sheet is filled with dry sand or foam. 23. A water inflatable barrier comprising: a plurality of flexible shells configured to contain water in their interiors, the shells having substantially uniform cross-sections along their lengths;fastening mechanisms included on each of the flexible shells, at least some of the flexible shells being interconnected by the fastening mechanisms into a barrier structure having a plurality of adjacent flexible shells arranged in a plurality of layers of horizontal rows that are vertically stacked on top of each other; anda water-tight cover that provides a water-impenetrable barrier on a forward-facing surface of the barrier structure, the barrier extending below at least one row of a lowest layer of the flexible shells, vertically up through a space between the stacked rows, and over the forward-facing surface of the barrier. 24. The barrier of claim 23, wherein the water-tight cover is attached to the interconnected flexible shells. 25. The barrier of claim 24, wherein the water-tight cover surrounds the interconnected flexible shells. 26. The barrier of claim 24, wherein a forward portion of the water-tight cover extends forward beyond the forward-facing surface, so that water standing in front of the barrier applies a gravitational downward force to the forward portion that inhibits water from penetrating under the forward portion and inhibits the water from shifting or tipping the barrier. 27. The barrier of claim 23, wherein the flexible shells are made from a material that includes nanofiber. 28. The barrier of claim 23, wherein the water-tight cover is made of a material that is sufficiently flexible to conform closely with the forward-facing surface. 29. The barrier of claim 28, wherein the water-tight cover is made from a material that naturally clings to the forward-facing surface due to static electrical attraction. 30. The barrier of claim 23, further comprising an underlying sheet that further resists punctures of the barrier from beneath, and which seals to the barrier and to the ground beneath the barrier so as to inhibit penetration of water beneath the barrier. 31. The barrier of claim 30, wherein the underlying sheet is a cushioning layer. 32. The barrier of claim 30, wherein the underlying sheet is filled with dry sand or foam. 33. The barrier of claim 23, wherein a width at the base of the barrier is at least six times as great as a height of the barrier.