GB2457152A

GB2457152A - Fire safety structure

Info

Publication number: GB2457152A
Application number: GB0901599A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Raimo Parkkila; Jarno Vuorio; Kim Hagstroem; Arvi Tolmunen
Original assignee: Halton Oy
Current assignee: Halton Oy
Priority date: 2008-02-08
Filing date: 2009-01-30
Publication date: 2009-08-12
Anticipated expiration: 2029-01-30
Also published as: SE534080C2; SE0900084L; FI120382B; AT506329A3; GB0901599D0; RU2009104146A; FI20085118A0; AT506329B1; PL218291B1; FR2927258B1; GB2457152B; PL387220A1; DE102009000620A1; FR2927258A1; BE1018914A3; GB2457152A8; FI20085118A; AT506329A2

Abstract

A fire safety structure 10 comprises a frame 11, which in a space limited by side walls of frame parts comprises a so-called casting space A for a mass m1; a fire-interrupting mass, which frame can be connected to a fire wall SI, whereby the frame comprises an opening E, through which an air duct or other such is drawn. The fire safety structure may further comprise a valve or damper 13 and an intumescent seal. The mass M can be cast in-situ and the frame can comprise openings through which the mass can flow during casting. The damper or valve can be square or rectangular and can comprise multiple laminated gypsum boards having a flexible seal at the periphery. The flexible seal is in an H formation.

Description

Fire safety structure The invention concerns a fire safety structure.

Known in the state of the art are various fire damper solutions, wherein even very massive frame structures were to be formed in order to ensure fire prevention in connections from one room to another.

Solutions of said kind are known e.g. from the applicant's earlier patent publica-tions Fl 89333.

The present application presents quite a new type of fire safety equipment and fire safety structure, which fire safety structure comprises a frame, which comprises a casting space, which can be filled with fire safety mass. The frame can be mounted attached to a fire wall and fastened to this with screws, whereupon the casting space of the frame is filled with a mass, which will harden after casting. In accordance with the invention, such a frame is used, which in its wall comprises openings, through which the mass will run in the casting situation through the openings to the other side of the wall to be in touch with the fire wall. In this manner spreading of fire is prevented forward from said interface. Air duct sys-tems and other such are drawn through the frame, and the duct system preferably comprises an opening and closing gate valve, which in a fire situation will in a fire-proof manner close the duct drawn through the frame. In connection with the closing flap of the fire damper a seal expanding in heat is preferably used in con-nection with a flexible seal. A seal expanding in heat is also preferably used in the wall channel in the space between the duct and the wall of the channel opening. In comparison with state-of-the-art solutions, the structure according to the invention offers considerable advantages. The advantages are the following, among others: -the structure is easily mounted and it is possible with it to perform mount-ing from one side of the wall only without checking the structure from the other side, -the structure is lightweight, -the structure can be ready-made in the place of use, that is, in the place of mounting, or it can be pre-cast at the factory and then taken to its place of use in a pre-cast state, -in connection with the structure various pipe connections are easily lo-cated in a modular manner, whereby the structure can be used as such in connection with another wall, while the closing valve proper is located in connection with another wall.

With the frame according to the invention many features are thus achieved, which are advantageous for a modular structure; the frames can be assembled in a modu-lar manner to form one group and they can be placed close to one another, which can not be done in state-of-the-art fire safety structures.

The fire safety structure according to the invention is characterised by the features presented in the claims.

In the following, the invention will be described by referring to some advanta-geous embodiments shown in the figures of the appended drawings, but there is no intention to restrict the invention solely to these embodiments.

Figure 1A is an axonometric view of the frame according to the invention.

Figure lB shows the unit formed by a closing valve and a frame; the closing valve is at the frame.

Figure 1C shows a frame and a closing flap separate from each other and con-nected by a tube.

Figure 1D shows a modular assembly formed by frames according to the inven-tion.

Figure 1E shows another embodiment of the module grouping.

Figure 1 F shows a third embodiment of the modular grouping.

Figure 1G shows how the frame according to the invention is fitted to two differ-ent walls, whereby a separate wall tube connects the frame parts with each other.

Figure 2A shows the unit formed by a frame and a closing valve.

Figure 2B is a cross-sectional view along line I-I of Figure 2A. It shows the pe- rimeter structure of the closing flap as a more precise presentation and an advan-tageous embodiment of the seals.

Figure 3A shows another advantageous embodiment of a frame part according to the invention.

Figure 3B is a cross-sectional view along line II -II of Figure 3A. In the presenta-tion of the figure, a connecting sleeve, which is/can be connected to the frame part, is shown separate.

Figure 3C shows a cross-sectional structure along line Ill-HI of Figure 3B.

Figure 4 shows a third advantageous embodiment of the frame according to the invention.

Figure 1A shows the fire safety structure or fire safety equipment 10 according to the invention. The presentation is axonometric. The fire safety equipment 10 comprises a frame part according to the invention, that is, a frame 11, in which there are side walls 11 a1, 11 a2, 11 a, 11 and a bottom part, that is, a bottom wall ha5. The parts ha1 -ha5 are plate-like structures. The side walls ha1-! 1a4 comprise edge folds R located at right angles to the duct's 12 central axis Y. The folds R keep a mass m1 in a space A, into which space A the mass m1 is cast and in which space A the mass m1 will harden after casting. The mass m1 is preferably gypsum. Water is mixed with the gypsum powder, whereby a castable fluid mass is obtained, which after casting will harden in space A. According to the invention, the frame part 11 comprises in interior casting space A, into which the fire safety mass, that is, the fire-interrupting mass m1, for exam- ple, a gypsum-based castable mass, is placed. According to the invention, the bot-tom part 1 Ia5 comprises openings Ci, e2, e3... for letting the mass m1 run through.

Thus, the bottom part 1 1a5 comprises openings e1, e2, e3..., from which the mass m1 reaches the other side of wall 11 a and will be in contact with the fire wall S before it hardens in the air space after casting. In an air-conditioning duct, or in a duct 12 in general, a closing flap or closing valve 13 can be placed. The bottom part 1 1a5 comprises an opening E for duct 12. Screws 14a1, 14a2, 14a3, 14a4 are placed through the bottom part's 1la holes j1,j2,j3 andj4 and attached to wall S. As is shown in Figure 1B, when the structure is cast on the spot at the place of mounting and attached to wall S1, the mass m1 will travel from space A through openings e1, e2, e3... to the other side of bottom part 11 a5 and will be in contact with the fire wall S. The mass m1 thus seals the structure 11 against the wall sur-face S'. Fastening screws or bolts 14a1, 14a2... have been attached to wall S1 by way of the bottom's 1 1a5 openings ji, J2, j3.... The cast mass m1 will surround them.

Figure lB shows the frame part 11 of fire safety equipment according to the in-vention 11, which frame part comprises a central duct or casing 12 and therein a closing valve 13. The actual mechanism for moving the closing valve 13 is not shown in greater detail, but it may be a spring or a motor M. The closing valve 13 or closing flap 13 can be turned into a position closing the duct 12 when a thermal fuse in connection with the closing valve melts and triggers the spring and a clos-ing beam to turn into a position closing the duct 12. It is also possible by remote control to set a separate motor of closing valve 13 to work and in this way turn the closing valve or closing flap 13 into a position closing the duct 12 in a fire situa-tion. As shown in Figure lB. at the frame lithe duct 12 is placed through an opening E in the bottom part 1 las of the frame. Preferably, at duct 12 and opening E there is an annular seal 20, which is of a material expanding in heat, such as an intumescent material. Frame 11 may preferably be attached to a wall surface S' and the sealing tape 20 will work as a preventing protection against the spreading of fire and smoke as it expands in the space between duct 12 and the wall's through-boring D1 thereby tightly blocking said intermediate space in a fire situa-tion. In the embodiment shown in Figure IB, a closing valve 13 or closing flap is located at the frame 11.

Figure IC shows the frame 11 and the closing valve or closing flap 13 located separately from each other. The closing flap 13 is placed at a sufficient distance from the fire wall S1. The closing flap 13 is fitted into duct 12 and the duct 12 may comprise an outer shell 0. Between duct 12 and shell 0 there is a heat insula-tion W. Thus, the closing beam 13 need not be located in connection with the frame 11 in the structure.

Figure 1D shows a modular group made of frames 11. The frames 11 are placed opposite to one another at their walls and it has been possible to place them close to each other, which is not possible in conventional fire damper groupings.

Figure iE shows another advantageous grouping of the modular structure, in which frame 11 comprises three side walls.

Figure iF shows a grouping of four frame parts 11 in connection with four air ducts. It is possible to multiply the grouping also in more than four closing valves.

Figure 1G shows an embodiment of the invention, in which a first frame 11 is placed in connection with a take-through opening D1 of a first wall S1 and a sec-ond frame 11 is placed in connection with the opening D2 of a second wall S2, and the openings D1, D2 are connected by a connecting tube 12. The closing valve 13 is hereby only in connection with the latter wall S2. Thus, the frame 11 alone can be used as such in the manner shown in the figure in connection with two walls in two different positions, whereby only one frame 11 comprises a closing valve 13 in connection with it. The connecting tube or duct or casing 12 comprises a shell O and a heat insulation W in between tube 12 and shell 0.

Figure 2A is an axonometric view of the fire damper entity 10. Figure 2B shows a fire damper structure relating to the embodiments presented above as a cross-sectional view along line I-I of Figure 2A. As shown in Figures 2A and 2B, the closing valve 13 in the embodiment comprises a circular cross-section, and on the periphery 13' of the closing valve there is a sealing tape 31, which is preferably an H profile, whereby the side walls H1, H2 of the H profile are located against the side surfaces of closing valve 13, and a flexible seal 31 embeds a sealing tape 30, which expands, that is, swells in heat and which is located in an annular manner on the periphery 13' of the closing valve. Seal 31 comprises edge parts 31 a1, 31 a2 and between these a central part 31 b, which is located on the periphery 13'. The edge parts 3 Ia1, 31a2 are located in contact with the edges F1, F2 of discs 13a1, 13a2.... From the sealing part 31 located on peripheryl3' at least one sealing lip 3 ic protrudes. The seal 31 may be formed of one or more tapes and the connect-ing part H3 of the H profile will be located on the periphery 13' of closing flap 13, whereby the flexible seal 31 will function as a structure protecting the swelling seal 30. The material of the swelling seal 30 is preferably an intumescent material.

The flexible seal 31 is preferably made of rubber or silicone.

The fire safety structure 10 comprises such a closing valve 13, which is formed of several circular discs and preferably of a gypsum board disc 13a1, 13a2.... Hereby a thermal barrier is formed between each disc and the temperature is prevented from rising over the closing valve from the fire side to the no-fire side. The out-ermost discs I 3a. . .1 3a may be metal-sheet discs, under which the edge parts 31a1, 31a2 of the sealing tape 31 are placed.

The flexible sealing tape 31 may be one continuous tape with an H profile and comprising sides H1 and H2 as well as an intermediate part H3 connecting in the middle. Said H profile may also be formed of several parts, which together form said profile. The side walls H3 and H2 of the H profile and under the connecting part H3 a connection is made, for example, by riveting or in some other way to the side walls F3 and F2 of closing valve 13. The connecting part H3 of the H pro-file will hereby be located over the entire periphery 13' of closing valve 13.

Figure 3A presents another advantageous embodiment of the invention. Figure 3A shows a frame 11, which also in this embodiment comprises openings e1, e2, e3....

in a side wall of the frame part 11, through which openings mass m1, such as a gypsum-based fire-interrupting mass m1 can flow from the casting space A from inside the frame 11 to the other side of wall 110a of frame 11 against the fire wall S. After casting, the mass m1 will harden. Frame 11 is attached with screws 14a1, 14a2..., as in the earlier embodiment, to the fire wall S. Frame 11 is filled with mass m1, preferably with a fire safety mass, preferably with a gypsum-based mass, as in the earlier embodiment. After casting, the mass m1 will harden. In this regard the invention concerns such a frame structure 11, which in connection the-rewith will comprise a closing and opening valve 13, which can be turned around its axis X1 in a fire situation from a fully open position into a position closing the frame's 11 rectangular or square opening E, turned by a spring or by a motor M. In this embodiment of the invention, the frame 11 even as such forms a casing part for the closing valve 13, and the closing valve 13 is sealed against the inside surface of opening E. In this embodiment, closing valve 13 has a rectangular or square cross-section. Mass m1, being a fire safety mass, is conducted into space A in between the frame's 11 edge parts I ba1, I lOa and the bottom or web part 11 0a. In this embodiment, the frame 11 is a U profile in cross-section II-II. An-other wall part 1 10a1 comprises openings e1, C2, e3..., through which openings e, e2, e3... mass m1 is made to flow in the casting situation to the other side of the wall part 11 0a1 of frame 11 against the fire wall S, so that frame 11 can be at-tached tightly to wall S with screws 1 4a1, 1 4a2...

As shown in Figure 3B, a connecting duct part or connecting sleeve 200 is con- nected to the frame 11 and it is placed in an opening D1 made in the wall and hav-ing a similar cross-section. Between an inside wall D1 of opening D1 and the sleeve 200 a seal 20, preferably a sealing tape, such as an intumescent tape, made of a material expanding in heat, is placed. The connecting duct part 200 comprises an edge 201 and the duct part proper 202, whose cross-section is a square or rec-tangle and corresponds with that cross-sectional shape of opening D1, which is made for the duct part 202 in the fire wall S. Figure 3B is a partial view of closing valve 13 in a fire situation in the closed po-sition indicated by whole lines and by dashed lines in a position where the closing valve's resistance to flow is at a minimum.

Figure 3C shows the closing valve's 13 rectangular or square cross-sectional structure, which may be formed by the several plate-like frame parts 1 3a1, 1 3a2...

shown in the figure, whereby the edges of the flexible seal 30 are placed in be-tween the frame parts. The middle part 3 lb of the flexible and bendable seal 31, which will melt in heat, will be located on the periphery 13' of closing valve 13 and it will protect the seal 30, which is located under the flexible seal 31 and which expands in heat. As shown in the figure, the seal 30 expanding in heat is also placed on the periphery 13' of closing valve 13. In a fire situation the lip part 31 c1, 31 c2 of the flexible seal 31 will prevent smoke from entering through the duct, and when the heat increases the swelling seal 30 will press the flexible seal 31 against its opposite surface, as shown in the figure, against the inside surface of the frame's 11 opening part E, whereby the progress of fire is plugged and the closing valve 13 is locked in the closed position, the lip part 31c1, 31c2 of the flexible seal 31 is thus preventing smokes from travelling along in the early situa-tion of a fire, when the temperature has not yet risen, along the air ducts forward in the system of air ducts past the fire safety structure 10. The edge parts 31 a1, 31 a2 of the flexible seal 31 end up against the side surfaces F1 and F2 of valve 15 and at these they are attached by rivets or other such to closing valve 13. There may be one or more lip parts 31c. The lip part 31c is preferably hollow in the middle and becomes narrower towards its tip. The edge parts 31a1, 31a2 of the flexible seal 31 have their longitudinal axis perpendicularly in relation to the lon-gitudinal axis of the middle part 31b ending up on the periphery 13' of the closing valve. The lip part/parts 31c / 31c2, 31C2 has/have its/their longitudinal axis/axes perpendicularly in relation to the longitudinal axis of the middle part 31b.

Figure 4 shows a third advantageous embodiment of the frame structure 11 ac-cording to the invention, wherein as shown in the figure the frame comprises a casting space A and the frame is preferably a so-called C profile, which is open at the side and which can be filled with a casting mass m. In the structure, a con-fleeting sleeve 200 is joined at edge 201 to a frame part either directly or through an angle joint, as shown in the figure. The sealing tape 20 swelling in heat is pla-ced in connection with opening D1 in wall S1 in between the sleeve 200 and the wall structure D1' of opening D1. The seal 20 is wound around a duct part 202 of the connecting sleeve 200. The C profile forming the frame 11 can be formed of angle section parts, and the connected profile forming a sleeve or a duct can also be formed of bent angle section parts. The sealing tape 20 is made of an intumes-cent material expanding in heat.

Claims

Claims 1. Fire safety structure (10), characterized in that the fire safety structure (10) comprises a frame (11), which in a space limited by the side walls of frame parts comprises a so-called casting space (A) for a mass (m1); a fire-interrupting mass, which frame (11) can be connected to a fire wall (Si), whereby the frame com-prises an opening (E), through which an air duct or other such is drawn.
2. Fire safety structure (10) according to claim 1, characterized in that the frame part (11) in connection therewith comprises a closing valve (13), which can be closed to close the central flow path (E) of the frame part (11) in a fire situation.
3. Fire safety structure (10) according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the frame part (11) comprises a cross-section, in which there is a web part (110a3) and side wall parts (llOai, 1 10a2) with a space (A) in between them, which can be filled with a fire safety mass (m1), and against which web part (1 10a3) or a part connected to the frame a turning fire-shutoff valve (13) will seal in a fire situation.
4. Fire safety structure (10) according to some preceding claim, characterized in that the frame part (11) in connection therewith comprises a duct part (202), which in an opening (Di) of a wall (Si) comprises a seal (20) swelling in heat.
5. Fire safety structure (10) according to some preceding claim, characterized in that the frame (11) in a wall placed against the fire wall (Si) comprises openings (ei, e2, e3...), through which a mass (mi) can be made to flow from a casting spa-ce (A) to the other side of the wall to be in contact with the fire wall (Si) in order to ensure that the frame (11) is fire-proof, and that the frame (11) comprises on its inside a closing valve (13) having a rectangular or square cross-section, which closing valve can be turned around its axis (Xi) from a fully open position to a closed position in a fire situation, and that to the frame part (11) is connected a connecting sleeve (200), which comprises a duct part (202), which is placed in an opening (Di) made in the fire wall (Si), and which duct part (202) comprises an edge (201) connected thereto, which is placed against the fire wall (S) and is in connection with the frame part (11).
6. Fire safety structure (10) according to some preceding claim, characterized in that the fire safety structure in a closing valve (13) with a square or rectangular cross-section comprises (13) on its periphery (13') a flexible seal (31) covering the periphery and inside it a seal (30) expanding in heat, preferably a sealing tape, whereby the flexible seal (31) comprises a lip part (31 c), which in a fire situation is located against the web part (110a3) of the frame part (11) and prevents smoke from spreading in the duct system past the closing valve (13) in the early phase of the fire.
7. Fire safety structure (10) according to claim 1, characterized in that the fire safety structure (10) comprises a frame (11), which comprises a casting space (A) for a mass (m,), such as a heat-insulating and fire-interrupting mass, and which frame (11) comprises a bottom part (1 Ia5) and side waIls (1 1a1,1 Ia2...), whereby from the side opposite to the bottom part (I las) the structure is open to the space (A), into which the casting mass (mi) can be placed, and that the frame (11) in its bottom part (ha5) comprises an opening (E), in which an air duct or a casing (12) is placed, and which air duct (12) comprises a closing valve (13), and that the space (A) is filled with the mass (m1), which hardens therein.
8. Fire safety structure (10) according to claim I or 7, characterized in that the fire safety structure (10) comprises two frame parts (11); one in a first wall (Si) and the other in a second wall (S2) and a duct (12) connecting these, whereby the closing valve (13)is located only in connection with the second wall (S2), and that the duct (12) comprises a heat insulation (W) surrounding it.
9. Fire safety structure (10) according to claim 1 or 7, characterized in that the closing valve (13) is located at a distance from the wall (Si) and that the duct (12) in between the closing valve (13) and the wall (Si) comprises a shell (0) sur-rounding the duct, whereby the heat insulation (W) is placed in between the duct (12) and the shell (0).
10. Fire safety structure (10) according to some preceding claim, characterized in that the fire safety structure (10) comprises a group formed in a modular manner by frames (11), in which group a frame (11) is placed against another frame (11).
11. Fire safety structure (10) according to claim 10, characterized in that the fire safety structure (10) comprises a unit formed by frames (11) formed in a modular manner by at least two, preferably by more frames (11).
12. Fire safety structure (10) according to claim 11, characterized in that the fire safety structure (10) comprises at least one such frame (11), which comprises three or two side walls, side walls (ha1, ha2...) as well as a bottom part (ha5), whereby the frame (11) opens into a space (A) inside the frame both from the side opposite to the bottom part (11a5) and at least from one side, whereby when form-ing the modular group (100) the ducts (12) are brought close to each other.
13. Fire safety structure (10) according to claim 7, characterized in that the fire safety structure (10) in the frame (11) comprises a square or rectangular cross- section and four side walls as well as a bottom part, and that the fire safety struc-ture (10) in the duct (12) comprises a closing valve (13), with which the duct or casing (12) can be closed in a fire situation, and that the duct (12) or casing or other such is placed through the opening (E) in the frame (11).
14. Fire safety structure (10) according to claim 13, characterized in that the fire safety structure (10) on a surface of the casing or duct (12) located in connection with the frame (11) comprises a swelling seal material (20), which is placed in between the wall's (S) opening (D1) and the casing (12) in an opening (D1) of the wall.
15. Fire safety structure (10) according to some preceding claim 1, 3 or 7, charac-terized in that the fire safety structure (10) comprises a closing valve (13), which is formed of one or more plates, which preferably are gypsum boards, whereby when the body structure of the fire damper (10)is formed by several plates, a ther-mal barrier is formed at the interface and in this way heat is prevented efficiently from passing over the fire safety structure in fire situations.
16. Fire safety structure (10) according to some preceding claim 1, 3, 7 or 15, characterized in that the closing valve (13) on its periphery comprises a flexible seal (31), whereby the swelling seal (30) is fitted entirely inside the flexible seal (31) in between the closing valve's (13) periphery (13') and the flexible seal (31) centrally on the closing valve's (13) periphery (13'), and that the flexible seal (31) placed on the closing valve's (13) periphery (13') comprises a sealing tape section (31 b) and joined thereto edge parts (31 a1, 31 a2), at which the sealing tape can be attached to the body of the closing valve, and that the seal (31) comprises at least one lip part (31c), which is joined to the sealing tape section (13b) placed on the periphery (13'), and that the seal (31) is formed by one or more sealing tape sec-tions.
17. Fire safety structure (10) according to claim 16, characterized in that the fle-xible sealing tape (31) is a tape formed by an H profile, which is formed of one continuous tape or of inter-connected tape sections, which together form the H profile, and that the H profile's side walls are placed against the closing valve's (13) side walls (F1 and F2), and that the section (H3) connecting the H profile's sides is placed on the closing valve's (13) periphery (13').
18. Fire safety structure (10) according to some preceding claim 1, 3, 4, 14 or 17, characterized in that the material of the flexible seal (31) is silicone or rubber, and that the material of the swelling seal (20,30) is an intumescent material, and the mass (mi) for the space (A) inside the frame (11) is a gypsum-based fire-interrupting mass.