Folding barrier device

Abstract

A subject of the invention is a folding barrier device comprising a parallelipipedic box ( 100 ) constituted by a base ( 106 ) having the shape of a parallelogram, with a long side (the length of the box) and a short side (the width of the box), 2 side walls ( 102, 104 ) having the shape of a parallelogram, with a length equal to the length of the long side of the box, therefore of the base, and a width equal to the height of the box, said walls being capable of preferably having a rectangular shape, linked to the base by their long side, and equipped with a lid ( 101 ) having the shape of a parallelogram, of at least the same dimensions as the base of said box, said lid being hinged so as to pass between a position horizontal to and a position vertical to one of the 2 walls constituting one of the long sides of said box, said box containing at least one folding barrier ( 107 ) constituted by a handrail ( 109 ) and bars ( 108 ), said bars being hinged by means of hinges at one of their ends (upper end) to a handrail ( 110 ) and at the other end (lower end) to the inner face of said box lid, preferably at the lower level of said inner face of said lid ( 111 ), said hinges allowing for a longitudinal movement of the bars in relation to the handrail and the box lid, the “box lid and hinged barrier” assembly thus itself being hinged in relation to one of the sides of said box, and said bars having a lower end that does not extend beyond the lower edge of said lid when said barrier is in a fully folded position, said box having an inside length at least equal to the length of the handrail of the barrier, an inside width at least equal to the height of the barrier in a fully folded position and a height at least equal to the greatest thickness of the barrier. Said device is particularly suitable for enclosing a body of water such as in particular a swimming pool.

1 . A barrier device comprising:
 a parallelipipedic box ( 100 ) constituted by
 a base ( 106 ) having the shape of a parallelogram, with a long side corresponding to the length of the box and a short side corresponding to the width of the box, 
 2 side walls ( 102 ,  104 ) having the shape of a parallelogram, with a length equal to the length of the long side of the box, therefore of the base, and a width equal to the height of the box, said walls being capable of having a rectangular shape, linked to the base by their long side and 
 equipped with a lid ( 101 ) having the shape of a parallelogram, of at least the same dimensions as the base of said box; 
   said lid being hinged so as to pass between a position horizontal to and a position vertical to one of the 2 walls constituting one of the long sides of said box,   said box containing at least one folding barrier ( 107 ) constituted by
 a handrail ( 109 ), and 
 bars ( 108 ); 
   said bars being hinged by means of hinges at one of their ends, which can be an upper end, to a handrail ( 110 ), and at the other end, which can be a lower end, to the inner face of said box lid, and can be at the lower level of said inner face of said lid ( 111 ), said hinges allowing for a longitudinal movement of the bars in relation to the handrail and the box lid, the box lid and hinged barrier assembly thus itself being hinged ( 112 ) in relation to one of the sides of said box; and   said bars having a lower end that does not extend beyond the lower edge of said lid when said barrier is in a fully folded position; and   said box having an inside length at least equal to the length of the handrail of the barrier, an inside width at least equal to the height of the barrier in a fully folded position and a height at least equal to the greatest thickness of the barrier.   
     
     
         2 . The device according to  claim 1 , wherein the base ( 106 ) of the box ( 100 ) and the lid ( 101 ) have a rectangular shape and have the same dimensions. 
     
     
         3 . The device according to  claim 1 , wherein the base ( 106 ) of the box ( 100 ) is rectangular and the lid ( 101 ) is a parallelogram, the long side of which is at least equal to the length of the box ( 100 ), and the short side of which has a dimension at least equal to the height of the barrier in a fully deployed position, that is the length of a bar ( 108 ) plus the thickness of the handrail ( 110 ), said short side forming with the long side an angle equal to the angle between the bars ( 108 ) and the lower edge of the lid in the fully folded position of the barrier. 
     
     
         4 . The device according to  claim 1 , wherein the base ( 106 ) of the box ( 100 ) and the lid ( 101 ) are a parallelogram, the long side of which has a dimension at least equal to the total length of the barrier ( 107 ) in a fully deployed position that is at least equal to the length of the handrail ( 109 ), and the short side has a dimension at least equal to the height of the barrier in a fully deployed position, that is at least the length of a bar ( 108 ) plus the thickness of the handrail ( 109 ), said short side forming an angle (α) with the long side equal to the angle between the bars and the lower edge of the lid in the fully folded position of the barrier. 
     
     
         5 . The device according to  claim 1  that comprises at least one means allowing for the barrier ( 107 ) to be held in a raised position in which the barrier is not folded. 
     
     
         6 . The device according to  claim 5 , wherein the means allowing for the barrier ( 107 ) to be held in a raised position is a groove made in the lid ( 101 ) of the box, describing an arc of circle of 90°, said groove receiving an element ( 418 ) firmly attached directly to one of the bars ( 108 ) of the barrier ( 107 ), said element passing through said groove and sliding along the latter with the movements of the bars. 
     
     
         7 . The device according to  claim 6 , wherein the means allowing for the barrier ( 107 ) to be held in a raised position is constituted by a first hinge element ( 419 ) for example a plate or a strip hinged at one of its ends on said bars and at the other end on a element ( 418 ) passing through said groove ( 413 ) and sliding along the latter with the movements of the bars ( 108 ). 
     
     
         8 . The device according to  claim 6 , wherein the groove constituting the device for holding the barrier ( 107 ) in a raised position is extended at the end serving as an upper position stop by a vertical return ( 420 ) thus allowing for a stepped section to be made in the lower face of the groove in which the element passing through said groove and sliding along it is positioned when the bar ( 108 ) has reached a vertical position. 
     
     
         9 . The device according to  claim 1  that comprises at least one means of holding the lid ( 101 )/barrier ( 107 ) assembly in a vertical position. 
     
     
         10 . The device according to  claim 9 , wherein the means of holding the lid ( 101 )/barrier ( 107 ) assembly in a vertical position is a stay ( 621 ). 
     
     
         11 . The device according to  claim 10 , wherein the stay is a removable right-angled triangular part capable of being fixed either to the lid or to the base of the box. 
     
     
         12 . The device according to  claim 10 , wherein the stay is constituted by a right-angled triangular part hinged either to the base of the box or to the box lid. 
     
     
         13 . The device according to  claim 10 , wherein the stay is a rod ( 621 ). 
     
     
         14 . The device according to  claim 13 , wherein the rod ( 621 ) is a removable rod one of the ends of which is intended to abut against one of the bars of the barrier and the other end is intended to abut against the base and/or the edge opposite the box lid. 
     
     
         15 . The device according to  claim 13 , wherein the rod ( 621 ) is a fixed rod one of the ends of which is fixed by means of a hinge to one of the bars of the barrier or to the base of the box, the other free end being fixed either to the base of the box or to one of the bars of the barrier. 
     
     
         16 . The device according to  claim 13 , wherein the rod ( 621 ) is a rod retractable into one of the bars of the barrier. 
     
     
         17 . The device according to  claim 13  that also comprises means of locking the rod in an open position. 
     
     
         18 . The device according to  claim 17 , wherein the means of locking the rod in an open position are either the edge of the box opposite the edge supporting the lid or a stop ( 622 ) fixed to the base of the box, or both. 
     
     
         19 . The device according to  claim 13 , wherein the rod constitutes at least one additional locking means at its lower end, for example a fin ( 623 ) hinged on said rod. 
     
     
         20 . The device according to  claim 9 , wherein the means allowing for the lid/barrier assembly to be held in a vertical position is constituted by at least one set of 2 wedges ( 927 ) placed in the base of the box, said wedges being separated by a slot ( 927 ) having dimensions just sufficient to allow the bar in a vertical position to pass between them, without play, said wedges being positioned against the side wall of the box acting as a support to the hinge means of the box lid on said wall. 
     
     
         21 . The device according to  claim 1  that comprises a gate ( 823 ). 
     
     
         22 . The device according to  claim 21 , wherein the gate ( 823 ) is constituted by part of the lid ( 101 ) and part of the barrier, said parts being moveable in rotation about an axis parallel to the bars ( 108 ) of the barrier, said axis being positioned between two bars of the barrier ( 107 ). 
     
     
         23 . The device according to  claim 1 , wherein the bars of the barrier are telescopic. 
     
     
         24 . The device according to  claim 1 , wherein the box can be arranged with a male end and a female end. 
     
     
         25 . The device according to  claim 1 , it is made of wood, plastic material, metal, or also a mixture of metals or alloy. 
     
     
         26 . The device according to  claim 25 , wherein the metal can optionally be galvanized, and can be aluminium, iron, zinc or copper. 
     
     
         27 . The device according to  claim 25 , wherein the mixture of metals can be steel, such as iron-carbon alloy, optionally in the form of stainless steel, and in that the alloy can be a copper alloy, such as bronze or brass. 
     
     
         28 . The device according to  claim 1  that comprises at least one automatic means of moving the lid ( 101 ) and/or the barrier ( 107 ). 
     
     
         29 . The device according to  claim 1  that also comprises one or more support(s) in the base of the box so that the bars ( 108 ) and/or the handrail ( 109 ) can rest thereon when the barrier ( 107 ) is in a fully folded position and the lid ( 101 ) is closed. 
     
     
         30 . The device according to  claim 1  that it is constituted by at least two barriers hinged in relation to the lid in opposite directions to each other. 
     
     
         31 . An enclosure constituted by at least one of said device of  claim 1 . 
     
     
         32 . A body of water, such as a swimming pool, surrounded by an enclosure according to  claim 31 . 
     
     
         33 . A method for enclosing a body of water, that can be a swimming pool, said method comprising positioning one or more of the barrier devices of  claim 1  in a manner to enclose said body of water.