WATER CONTAINMENT BARRIER LINER SYSTEM AND METHOD

Description

TO THE COMMISSIONER OF PATENTS AND TRADEMARKS

Assignee-Applicant MUSCLE WALL HOLDINGS, LLC, a United States citizen and Texas limited liability company whose post office address is 675 N 600 E, Suite 1, Logan, UT 84321, hereby submits a non-provisional, utility patent application for a WATER CONTAINMENT BARRIER LINER SYSTEM AND METHOD, as set forth in the following specification.

RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is the non-provisional of U.S. provisional patent application 63/555,806, filed on Feb. 20, 2024, and claims priority thereto.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Water containment barriers and methods are disclosed in prior art such as, for example, U.S. Pat. App. No. 63/549,498 and U.S. Pat. Nos. 8,313,265, 8,864,411, 9,004,815, D634443, and D696791 (hereinafter “the Patents”). While there are many advantages to using these barriers and methods to contain water, there are further improvements to this technology in its existing state. For example, in various water containment projects, there is need and/or desire to create a bottom barrier to water in front of water barriers to facilitate water retention and/or water conveyance and/or fluid dynamics adjacent to water barriers. Moreover, further stability to deployed water barriers may be desired to counteract the horizontal forces imparted by retained water to such water barriers.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In accordance with the above, a water containment barrier with discharge system and method are provided. Embodiments of the system include: a liner member with a channel adjacent to and running along the liner member's length at one side. The channel is configured to receive an elongate member that forms a backstop for a water containment barrier placed over the liner member such that the liner member forms an apron forward of the barrier. Embodiments of an accompanying method of use include: providing the described liner member; providing one or more elongate members; placing the liner on the ground at a desired water containment location and inserting the one or more elongate members into the liner member channel; providing one or more water containment barriers; placing the one or more water containment barriers over the liner member and adjacent the elongate member so that the liner member forms an apron forward of the barrier and the elongate member forms a backstop to the one or more water containment barriers.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

To further clarify the above and other aspects of the present invention, a more particular description of the invention will be rendered by reference to specific embodiments thereof which are illustrated in the appended drawings. It is appreciated that these drawings depict only typical embodiments of the invention and are therefore not to be considered limiting of its scope. The drawings may not be drawn to scale. The invention will be described and explained with additional specificity and detail through the use of the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a water containment barrier liner system in one embodiment.

FIG. 2 is a first perspective side view of a water containment barrier liner system in a barrier environment in one embodiment.

FIG. 3 is a second perspective side view of a water containment barrier liner system in one embodiment.

FIG. 4 is a front perspective view of a water containment barrier liner system in a barrier in one embodiment.

FIG. 5 is a rear perspective view of a water containment barrier liner system in one embodiment.

FIG. 6 is a top perspective view of a portion of a water containment barrier liner system in one embodiment.

FIG. 7 is a block diagram of a water containment method using the water containment barrier liner system in one embodiment.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE ILLUSTRATED EMBODIMENT

The present invention in its various embodiments, some of which are depicted in the figures herein, is a water containment barrier liner system and method. In general, the system includes a liner member with a channel adjacent to and running along the liner member's length at one side. The channel is configured to receive an elongate member that forms a backstop for a water containment barrier placed over the liner member such that the liner member forms an apron forward of the barrier.

Referring now to FIG. 1, one embodiment of the system may include a generally square and/or rectangular liner member 100 with a top 101 and bottom (not shown), as well as first 102, second 103, third 104, and fourth 105 sides and/or edges. Liner member 100 may be constructed of any number of generally water-impermeable, water-proof, water resistant, water shedding, and/or optimal fluid conveyance materials such as, for example, 20 millimeter woven coated fabric. Liner member 100 may have a channel 107 adjacent to and running along the length of one or more liner member sides that terminates in one or more apertures 108 configured to receive an elongate member, discussed in more detail below. Channel 107 may be formed by a side and/or edge of the liner member 100 that is doubled or folded over an adjacent liner member portion and fastened (e.g., sewn and/or seam welded, thereby forming a seam and/or weld 106 adjacent the channel 107). Fastened portion (e.g., seam and/or weld 106) may be reinforced by integrating nylon web material into the seam and/or weld, or any other reinforcing structures or materials. See also FIG. 6.

In the illustrated embodiment, rectangular liner member 100 (including channel 107) is configured to roll and/or form a roll for transport and unroll for placement at a desired water containment location. Described differently, the liner member and channel are configured to roll into a stowed position (e.g., FIG. 1) and unroll into an extended position (e.g., FIG. 2). As discussed in further detail below, a portion of the top side of the liner member that is located adjacent the channel 107 may be configured to underlay a portable water containment barrier.

Referring now to FIGS. 2-6, one embodiment of the system is shown with a portable water containment barrier 201 with a toe portion 202. Water containment barrier may be a barrier of the type such as is set forth in the Patents, which are expressly incorporated herein by reference. For example, water containment barrier may have a generally hollow body having top, bottom, front, and back sides and an external support system comprised of a plurality of raised portions configured to reinforce the barrier against one or more of internal and external forces exerted on the front side. The generally hollow body may be configured to receive one or more materials (such as, for example, water) to at least partially fill the body. In some versions of the system, barrier 201 may be included with the liner in the overall system.

Various embodiments may also include one or more rigid and/or semi-rigid elongate members 203 configured to slide into and fit within the aperture 108 and channel 107 of the rectangular liner member 100. The one or more elongate members 203 may be generally solid and/or weighted and comprised of any number of suitable materials such as wood, metal, plastic, polymer, etc.

With one or more elongate members 203 placed within the channel 107, liner member 100 may be configured for specific placement and/or functionality with respect to water containment barrier 201. For example, elongate member 203 in channel 107 is configured to be placed generally behind and below, and/or in abutment with, the back/bottom side or edge of water containment barrier 201. See esp. FIGS. 3 & 5. Channel 107 and/or elongate member 203 forms a backstop to barrier 201 and/or system wherein a portion of the liner member 100 extends as an apron from underneath barrier 201 to forward from and underneath barrier 201. Depending on the embodiment, this apron may have a length 2 to 3 times (or more) the width and/or depth of the barrier's base. See FIG. 3. In embodiments of the system where a liner member 100 is rolled and then unrolled for placement, the overall width of the apron (between sides 102, 203) may span the width of and/or be placed underneath many linearly-arranged barriers 201.

So configured, liner member 100 with elongate member 203 optimizes water retention and flow in an area forward of and adjacent to the water containment barrier 201 in a manner that also provides structural and stability (against, for example, horizontal forces caused by water retained against the barrier) to the barrier 201 through a backstop that, when in use, is anchored by its own weight as well as the weight and volume of contained water that is located above the apron when the system is in use. Stated differently, the elongate member is configured to abut a back side of the portable water containment barrier through the channel to form a backstop for the portable water containment barrier with respect to forces on the front side of the portable water containment barrier.

Referring now to FIG. 7, a method 700 of using a water containment barrier liner may also be included. Such a method 700 may generally include the steps of providing a water containment barrier liner 701 and one or more elongate members 702 as described above; unrolling and/or placing the liner member and on the ground at a desired water containment location and inserting the one or more elongate members into the liner member channel 703; providing one or more water containment barriers 704; and placing the one or more water containment barriers over the liner member and against the elongate member so that the liner member forms an apron forward of the barrier and the elongate member forms a backstop for the barrier 705. Method 700 may also include the step of placing material, substrate, and/or weight over one or more leading edges of the liner member to ensure that liner member remains below moving and/or retained water within the water containment project area. Some or all of these steps may be repeated as the water containment project area is prepared for water containment.

The present invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from its spirit or essential characteristics. The described embodiments are to be considered in all respects only as illustrative and not restrictive. The scope of the invention is, therefore, indicated by the appended claims rather than by the foregoing description. All changes which come within the meaning and range of equivalency of the claims are to be embraced within their scope.