Water Containment Apparatus and Method, and Associated Fastener

Abstract

A unique water containment wall or barrier employs a flexible envelope that is extendable in a longitudinal direction from a collapsed condition for storage and transport into an expanded position for use. Support ribs disposed at spaced apart positions along the longitudinal direction provide support and shape retention to the envelope, the interior of which is fillable with water to weigh down the envelope down against oncoming or expanding waters. A unique fastening mechanism attaches a pair of wail or barrier sections together by using an inflatable member to force apart a pair of profiled ribs on the two sections into engagement with matching-profile walls of a channel member that bridges together the two sections over the ribs. A bumper mechanism rises and falls with water levels to protect the wail or barrier against impact by floating debris.

1 . A water containment apparatus comprising a flexible envelope enclosing an expandable and collapsible interior space and having an expanded shape defining a front side to be faced toward the body of water, a rear side situated opposite the front panel to face away from the body of water, an underside spanning between lower ends of the front and rear sides to lie atop the ground, a top end joining together the front and rear sides, and a pair of end walls at opposing ends of a longitudinal dimension of the envelope; supports ribs attached to the flexible envelope at spaced apart locations along the longitudinal dimension of the envelope; and a primary filling mechanism through which water is introducible into the interior space to build up an accumulation of water in said interior space to weigh down the envelope against the ground in a stationary position in which the front side of the envelope blocks spread of the body of water. 
     
     
         2 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein the flexible envelope is collapsible into a compact condition the longitudinal dimension by bringing together of the end walls. 
     
     
         3 . The apparatus of  claim 1  comprising a respective ground anchor connected to a lower end of each support rib. 
     
     
         4 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein the flexible envelope is suspended from the support ribs. 
     
     
         5 - 6 . (canceled) 
     
     
         7 . The apparatus of  claim 1  comprising an air inlet on the flexible envelope and connectable to an air pump or compressor for forced air expansion of the flexible envelope from the collapsed condition to the expanded shape. 
     
     
         8 . The apparatus of  claim 7  wherein the air inlet communicates with a sealed air chamber that runs along the longitudinal dimension of the flexible envelope and is separated from water-receiving areas of the interior space that fed by the filling mechanism. 
     
     
         9 . The apparatus of  claim 8  wherein the sealed air chamber is positioned at or adjacent the top end of the flexible envelope. 
     
     
         10 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein the front and rear sides of the expanded shape of the flexible envelope slope upwardly toward one another to form a peak at the top end of the flexible envelope. 
     
     
         11 . The apparatus of  claim 10  wherein the interior space of the flexible envelope comprises divided chambers, the divided chambers including at least one central chamber disposed beneath the peak of the flexible envelope and fed with water by the filling mechanism, and a respective cascading chamber on each side of the at least one central chamber under a respective one of the sloped front and rear sides of the flexible envelope, each cascading chamber being fully separated from said at least one central chamber over a substantial height of the cascading chamber while leaving an opening to the at least one central chamber through which water can cascade from the at least one central chamber into the cascading chamber under substantial filling of the at least one central chamber with water from the filling mechanism. 
     
     
         12 - 13 . (canceled) 
     
     
         14 . The apparatus of  claim 1  comprising a fastening flap extending outward along the longitudinal dimension of the flexible envelope at one of the end walls thereof, wherein a topside of the fastening flap and an end portion of the underside of the flexible envelope adjacent the other end wall have opposite ones of hook and loop fastener elements to enable fastening together of two of said apparatus end-to-end using said hook and loop fastener elements by seating of the end portion of the underside of one of said two apparatus atop the fastening flap of the other of said two apparatus. 
     
     
         15 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein the support ribs comprise arc-shaped support ribs positioned at the rear side of the flexible envelope, and an outside of the arc-shape of each arc-shaped support rib faces toward the front side of the flexible envelope. 
     
     
         16 . The apparatus of  claim 15  wherein each arc-shaped support rib is pre-loaded into the arc-shape and held in said arc-shape by a tension member coupled between upper and lower end of said arc-shaped support. 
     
     
         17 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein the interior space of the flexible envelope is divided into a plurality of chambers, the plurality of chambers including a plurality of primary chambers fed by the primary filling mechanism, and secondary chambers independent of said primary filling mechanism. 
     
     
         18 . The apparatus of  claim 17  wherein the primary chambers include upright primary chambers located between the front and rear sides of the flexible envelope and above the underside thereof at spaced apart locations along the longitudinal dimension. 
     
     
         19 - 21 . (canceled) 
     
     
         22 . The apparatus of  claim 18  comprising a ground skirt extending from the front side of the flexible envelope for lying beneath the body of water, wherein the ground skirt comprises one or more primary ground skirt chambers fed by the primary filling mechanism. 
     
     
         23 - 35 . (canceled) 
     
     
         36 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein a bumper mechanism is supported in front of said vertical side for blocking impact of the front side by flowing debris in the body of water. 
     
     
         37 . The apparatus of  claim 36  wherein the bumper is supported for displaceable movement up and down the front side of the flexible envelope with rise and fall of the body of water at said front side. 
     
     
         38 - 40 . (canceled) 
     
     
         41 . The apparatus of  claim 1  comprising a fastening mechanism operable to connect together two of said apparatus end-to-end, wherein the fastening mechanism comprises first and second flexible ribs running from adjacent the top end of the front side toward to the lower end of the front side at opposite ends thereof and projecting from the front side away in a direction away from the rear side, each rib having a profiled side pointing to the opposite end of flexible envelope; a channel-shaped member having inwardly facing profiles on opposing side walls of the channel-shaped member that are matable with the profiled sides of the ribs, the channel-member being sized for fitting of said channel shaped member over the ribs of the two of said apparatus in a position pointing said profiles of the channel shaped member toward the profiled sides of said ribs; and an inflatable member arranged for receipt in a position between the ribs of the two of said apparatus for inflation of said inflatable member while in said position to force said ribs apart to drive the profiled sides of said ribs into tighter engagement with the profiles of the channel shaped member. 
     
     
         42 . A method of erecting a barrier for water containment, the method comprising (a) providing the apparatus of  claim 1 ; (b) expanding the apparatus out of a collapsed state into the expanded shape; and (c) introducing water into an interior of the flexible envelope of the apparatus to build an accumulation of water therein to weigh down the flexible envelope. 
     
     
         43 . The method of  claim 42  comprises using forced air to expand the flexible envelope out of the collapsed state before introducing the water into the interior of said flexible envelope. 
     
     
         44 - 50 . (canceled)