Flood protection apparatus for articles

Abstract

The present invention relates to a flood protection apparatus for articles, such as motor vehicle, furniture, and electronic goods. The flood protection apparatus comprises a lower bag and an upper bag, which are made of impervious, and flexible materials. A portable sealing device can be applied to the lower and upper bags to seal the articles completely in the bags. Inside of the bags and around the junction of the two bags, there are provided with a plurality of attachment devices for attaching the bags onto the smooth surfaces of the articles to be enclosed in the bags. With the attachment devices, the bags can be easily and quickly installed. In addition, the bags can be free from the affliction of the fierce wind and wave of floodwater, and the articles contained therein can be protected from damage as well.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

This invention relates to a flood protection apparatus for the protection of motor vehicle, furniture and electronic goods during the flood.

2. Description of Related Art

There are many extreme flood events happen every year in the globe.

It always causes a huge property lose during the heavy rain, typhoon, hurricane or flood. Most of the vehicle, furniture and electronic goods will be damaged while immerse in the water. It will take much time and money to repair the vehicle. General, the function of immersed car can't be repaired completely. The furniture and electronic goods, such as sofa, bed cushion, TV and computer will be discarded after immersion. Needless to say, how to combat the problems caused by flooding is very important and pressing lesson.

The use of the flood protection systems is known in the arts. U.S. Pat. No. 4,315,535 issued to Battle et al. and entitled “Flood protection container for vehicles” would teach the use of an upper orifice and cord housed within a continuous channel for constricting the orifice.

U.S. Pat. No. 3,929,178 to C. D. Hicky disclosed the use of a flexible container for the storage of a vehicle, with the use of a flexible impermeable cover with a sealing means adapted to cooperate with the channel to provide a fluid type seal.

U.S. Pat. No. 3,474,803 issued to E. F. Davis and entitled “Automobile Enclosure” provides an enclosure for an automotive vehicle fabricated of imperious flexible sheet material in a generally baglike from into which the vehicle may be moved, and the enclosure then closed to effectively seal the contained vehicle until the closure is opened and the vehicle removed.

U.S. Pat. No. 4,773,456 issued to Rodgers disclosed a motor vehicle flood protecting apparatus. The apparatus includes a flexible cover of water impervious material and a flexible vent tube.

U.S. Pat. No. 4,930,557 issued to Lohse et al. and entitled “Covering for large, heavy objects in particular military equipment.” Would teach the use of a tube made of flexible tarpaulins or sheeting as a covering for relatively large objects for the purpose of long-term storage.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,497,819 issued to Chiang demonstrated a modular car cover has a cab covering portion and a shirt. The car-covering potion connects to the skirt by hook and loop fastener, and has individual pouches for covering the exterior mirror of an automobile.

U.S. Pat. No. 6,273,113 issued to Streyckmans disclosed a vehicle flood protection system that includes a vehicle housing to which a cover is hinged. The peripheries of the cover and housing each include locking mechanism for creating a water tight seal.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,954,200 issued to Allain et al. and titled “Motor Vehicle Protection Apparatus and Method” provide a vehicle protection enclosure comprises a flexible plastic envelope having a side portion containing a sealed side opening. For protection in flood conditions, the envelope is anchored or tethered to stationary objects, and preferably two or more ends are anchored or tethered.

U.S. Pat. No. 6,059,105 issued to Allain et al. and titled “Motor Vehicle and Valuable Possession Flood Protection Apparatus and Method” demonstrated a motor vehicle flood protection apparatus and method includes a lower plastic container or cover member having a rectangular bottom panel and integrally joined end, and side panels that have lateral edges joined to form a leak proof vehicle container.

U.S. Pat. No. 6,405,862 issued to Allain et al. and titled “Automobile flood protection system and method” provided a motor vehicle flood protection apparatus includes a plastic container member having a bottom panel and integrally joined end, and side panels that have edges joined to form a vehicle container. A pair of reinforcement strips joined to the bottom panel resists puncture of the plastic container member.

F.R. Pat. No. 2,808,828 issued to Georges and titled “Individual shelter comprises floor integral with furniture and is covered by shell” which comprises a floor, integral with the furniture, constituting the bottom part of the waterproof shelter. A shell covers the bottom part.

W.O. Pat. No. 0,005,999 demonstrated the waterproof furniture system mainly for outdoor use. It comprising two pieces of furniture, characterized in that each of said pieces of furniture comprises a shell whose shape is essentially convex and can be paired with another piece of furniture of the same type placed upside down to form a waterproof structure.

None of these apparatuses, however, are adapted to enclose articles as they are completely exposed in typhoon, hurricane or flooding waters. The vehicle flood protection systems described above are complicated and time consuming to operate. Some apparatuses are even designed to install with many people. Furthermore, the female and male zip lock elements, pull string and waterproof zipper seal method can be not completely create a water tight seal in the affliction of the fierce wind, wave of floodwater or submerged in flooding waters.

Therefore, it is necessary to establish a flood protection apparatus which can really create a completely water tight seal, and also very simple and easy to operate for woman driver or single user while in the typhoon, hurricane and flood.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a device for the protection of motor vehicle, furniture and electronic goods during the flood. Its purpose is to provide an effect and easy way to protect the motor vehicle, furniture and electronic goods from submergence damage in flooding waters. The flood protection system is economical as well as simple, and can be reusable.

Concurrently, the present invention also provides a means to establish an efficient and effective seal device to protect articles against flooding based on our device.

To attain this, the present invention comprises a flood protection system comprising an upper impervious flexible bag and a lower impervious flexible bag having some suckers inside and sidewalls integral thereto. Each of the sidewall has a peripheral edge with a smooth margin formed thereon. The portable mini-type electric heat sealer is applied to seal completely the smooth margins of the upper and the lower bags. Many suckers are linked within the each bag for stabilizing the sealing and supporting the weight of bags. With the sucker devices, the flood protection bags can be easily and quickly installed for a woman driver or single user. In addition, the sucker devices are beneficial to the bag free from the affliction of the fierce wind and wave of floodwater. The articles contained therein can be protected from floodwater damage.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The invention will be better understood and objects other than those set forth above will become more apparent when considered with the following specification and accompanying drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an example of the flood protection apparatus of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a sectional view showing the attachment device and the smooth margins of the upper and lower bags.

FIG. 3 is a sectional view showing the portable sealer machine to seal the bags.

FIG. 4 is a side elevation view of the vehicle that be enclosed by the flood protection apparatus of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a side elevation view of the refrigerator that be enclosed by the flood protection apparatus of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Please review FIGS. 1,2 and 3. They consist of an exterior perspective view as well as a sectional view of our flood protection device. The present invention consists of an upper bag (10), a lower bag (20), a plurality of suckers (50) and a portable handy sealer (60). A lower bag (20) has a horizontal base and a continuous sidewall extending vertically from the base, each of the sidewalls having an upper peripheral edge with a smooth margin (40) formed on four of the sidewalls of the lower bag which will connect with the smooth margin (30) located at a corresponding position on the lower peripheral edge of upper bag (10). There are some suckers (50) located at inside of the bags and around the junction of the two bags for attaching the bags onto the smooth surfaces of the vehicle to be enclosed in the bags (see FIG. 4). When the vehicle is moved in the lower bag, pull up the suckers to an optimal height and adhere onto the smooth surfaces of the vehicle one by one. And then, cover the top of vehicle with the upper bag and pull down the suckers to an optimal height and also adhere onto the smooth surfaces of vehicle. Finally, a mini-type handy heat sealer (60) is applied to seal the both smooth margins of the upper and the lower bags completely along by the peripheral edge (see FIG. 3). The mini-type handy heat sealer can be connected to a set of batteries to provide DC or can be connected to a source of AC exterior of the sealer by means of an adapter. Therefore, it is very easy and simple to operate in the inside or outside house. The sizes of these bags are corresponding to the sizes of the articles that we wish to enclose (see FIG. 5). After using, one can use a knife to separate the upper and lower bags along by the original junction, and put them away for next use again.

One can understand from above that our invention has the advantages of being easy and simple to operate, effect way to create a completely water tight seal, making it a practice solution to the flooding problem and a valuable invention for commercial use.

Claims

1. A flood protection apparatus for articles comprising:

a lower bag including a horizontal base and a continuous sidewall extending vertically from the base, each of the side walls having an upper peripheral edge with a smooth margin formed on four of the side walls of the lower bag;

an upper bag including a flat base with a top surface and underside surface, an upper bag having a lower peripheral edge with a smooth margin formed thereon for junction with the corresponding smooth margin formed on the four side walls of the lower bag;

the plurality of attachment devices are positioned in the inside of the bags and around the junction of the two bags for attaching the bags onto the smooth surfaces of the articles to be enclosed in the bags;

a sealing device for sealing completely the smooth margins of the lower and upper bags.

2. A flood protection apparatus for articles in claim 1, wherein the bag is made of impervious and flexible materials.

3. A flood protection apparatus for articles in claim 2, wherein the materials are rubber members.

4. A flood protection apparatus for articles in claim 2, wherein the materials are plastic members.

5. A flood protection apparatus for articles in claim 1, wherein the attachment devices are suckers

6 A flood protection apparatus for articles in claim 1, wherein the attachment devices are hook-loop fastening types

7. A flood protection apparatus for articles in claim 1, wherein the attachment devices are double-sided types

8. A flood protection apparatus for articles in claim 1, wherein the sealing device is a portable sealer machine.

9. A flood protection apparatus for articles in claim 1, wherein the sealing device is an electric heat sealer.

10. A flood protection apparatus for articles in claim 1, wherein the sealing device is an apparatus that contains the instant adhesive compositions.