Collapsible fluid containment berms with rotating support brackets

Abstract

Collapsible fluid containment berms with collapsible sidewalls are disclosed. Support brackets including sidewall support arms may be rotated from lowered positions in which the sidewall is collapsed to raised positions in which the sidewall is generally vertical. The sidewall support arms may be contained in a pocket formed between inner and outer sidewall panels. The support brackets may include bottom legs connected to the rotatable sidewall support arms. The bottom legs may extend generally horizontally outwardly and/or inwardly from the sidewall, and may be contained in sleeves attached to a floor and/or an external skirt of the containment berm. A control strap connected to the sidewall support arms may be used to move the arms between their collapsed positions and their raised positions. A flexible control strap may be pulled to rotate the sidewall support arms around an axis such that the sidewall support arms slide within the sidewall pocket.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A containment berm comprising:
 a floor;   at least one collapsible sidewall connected to the floor; and   at least one sidewall support bracket comprising a rotatable sidewall support arm structured and arranged to support the sidewall in a raised position, wherein the sidewall support arm is rotatable around an axis substantially perpendicular to a plane of the raised sidewall.   
     
     
         2 . The containment berm of  claim 1 , wherein the sidewall support arm travels in a plane substantially parallel with the plane of the raised sidewall. 
     
     
         3 . The containment berm of  claim 1 , wherein the sidewall comprises a pocket, and the support arm is movable in the pocket when it rotates around the axis of rotation. 
     
     
         4 . The containment berm of  claim 3 , wherein the sidewall comprises an inner sidewall panel and an outer sidewall panel, and the pocket is located between the inner and outer sidewall panels. 
     
     
         5 . The containment berm of  claim 4 , wherein the inner and outer sidewall panels are substantially coextensive with each other. 
     
     
         6 . The containment berm of  claim 1 , wherein the sidewall support bracket further comprises a bottom leg connected to the sidewall support arm. 
     
     
         7 . The containment berm of  claim 6 , wherein the bottom leg and sidewall support arm are generally L-shaped. 
     
     
         8 . The containment berm of  claim 6 , wherein the bottom leg and sidewall support arm are generally T-shaped. 
     
     
         9 . The containment berm of  claim 6 , wherein the bottom leg is connected to the floor. 
     
     
         10 . The containment berm of  claim 9 , wherein the bottom leg is rotatably mounted on the floor by a hinge sleeve attached to the floor and having sleeve opening receiving at least a portion of the bottom leg. 
     
     
         11 . The containment berm of  claim 10 , wherein the hinge sleeve is fastened to a bottom surface of the floor. 
     
     
         12 . The containment berm of  claim 6 , wherein the bottom leg is rotatably mounted on an external skirt extending outwardly from the sidewall in a generally horizontal direction. 
     
     
         13 . The containment berm of  claim 1 , further comprising a control strap connected to the sidewall support arm structured and arranged to force the sidewall support arm into a raised position when an end of the control strap is pulled. 
     
     
         14 . The containment berm of  claim 13 , wherein the control strap is structured and arranged to force the sidewall support arm into a collapsed position when an opposite end of the control strap is pulled. 
     
     
         15 . The containment berm of  claim 1 , wherein the sidewall comprises a stop member structured and arranged to prevent the sidewall support arm from rotating substantially past a generally vertical raised position when the sidewall support arm is rotated from a generally horizontal lower position to the raised position. 
     
     
         16 . The containment berm of  claim 15 , wherein the stop member comprises a welded portion between an inner sidewall panel and an outer sidewall panel of the sidewall. 
     
     
         17 . A containment berm comprising:
 a floor;   a collapsible sidewall connected to the floor; and   multiple sidewall support brackets comprising sidewall support arms structured and arranged to support the sidewall in a raised position, wherein each sidewall support arm is rotatable around an axis substantially perpendicular to a plane of the raised sidewall.   
     
     
         18 . The containment berm of  claim 17 , wherein each sidewall support arm travels in a plane substantially parallel with the plane of the raised sidewall. 
     
     
         19 . The containment berm of  claim 17 , wherein the sidewall support arms travel in at least one pocket formed in the sidewall. 
     
     
         20 . The containment berm of  claim 19 , wherein the sidewall comprises an inner sidewall panel and an outer sidewall panel, and the at least one pocket is located between the inner and outer sidewall panels. 
     
     
         21 . The containment berm of  claim 17 , wherein each sidewall support bracket further comprises a bottom leg connected to the sidewall support arm. 
     
     
         22 . The containment berm of  claim 17 , further comprising a control strap connected to the sidewall support arms structured and arranged to force the sidewall support arms into raised positions when an end of the control strap is pulled. 
     
     
         23 . The containment berm of  claim 22 , wherein the control strap is structured and arranged to force the sidewall support arms into collapsed positions when an opposite end of the control strap is pulled. 
     
     
         24 . A containment berm comprising:
 a floor;   at least one collapsible sidewall;   multiple support brackets comprising rotatable sidewall support arms structured and arranged to support the sidewall in a raised position; and   a control strap connected to upper ends of the sidewall support arms structured and arranged to force the sidewall support arms into raised positions when an end of the control strap is pulled.   
     
     
         25 . The containment berm of  claim 24 , wherein the control strap passes through a hole in each of the sidewall support arms. 
     
     
         26 . The containment berm of  claim 25 , wherein the strap can slide a limited distance in each of the holes. 
     
     
         27 . The containment berm of  claim 24 , further comprising at least one crimp on the control strap structured and arranged to contact at least one of the sidewall support arms. 
     
     
         28 . The containment berm of  claim 24 , further comprising opposing crimps on the control strap located on opposite sides of one of the sidewall support arms, wherein one of the crimps contacts the sidewall support arm when the strap is pulled to rotate the sidewall support arm into its raised position, and the other crimp contacts the sidewall support arm when the strap is pulled to rotate the sidewall support arm into a lower collapsed position. 
     
     
         29 . The containment berm of  claim 24 , wherein the sidewall support arm is rotatable around an axis substantially perpendicular to a plane of the raised sidewall. 
     
     
         30 . A containment berm comprising:
 a floor;   at least one collapsible sidewall connected to the floor comprising an inner sidewall panel, an outer sidewall panel, and a pocket located therebetween;   multiple support brackets comprising sidewall support arms at least partially positioned in the pocket; and   a control strap at least partially positioned in the pocket and connected to the sidewall support arms structured and arranged to force the sidewall support arms into raised positions when an end of the control strap is pulled.