Smoke or fire barrier

Description

[0001] The present invention relates to a smoke or fire barrier.

[0002] As smoke and fire barriers have become larger, the tendency for them to belly in use has increased. Bellying causes the edges to pull away from the portal which they are closing and any guide frame provided. The result is that fire and smoke can escape. This is undesirable.

[0003] EP 0,412,714-A1 discloses:

[0004] Beaded strings comprising beads connected by means of threadlike cords are provided on both edges of a screen member attached to a roller sleeve of the roller screen unit, and are engaged slidably with guide grooves in guide grooves of a pair of guide groove members arranged on both sides of the screen member. This permits very smooth operations of drawing/expanding and winding/housing of the screen member, and facilitates the design and manufacture of the unit.

[0005] The object of the present invention is to provide an improved barrier of the type able to be deployed by unrolling from a roller better able to resist pulling away of its edges and adapted for provision of seals to improve smoke and fire retention performance.

[0006] According to the invention there is provided a deployable from a roller or other deployment device, the barrier comprising:

• a textile screen per se;
• at least one edge guide for the screen and;
• complementary formations at an edge of the screen and the edge guide
  wherein :
• the barrier is a smoke or fire barrier;
• the screen edge formations comprising a series of discrete metallic elements crimped to the edge of the screen or to a tape stitched to the edge of the screen and spaced therealong, the elements being thicker than the textile of the screen;
• the edge guide formation comprising an over-hung longitudinal opening, between in-turned lips of the edge guide, sized to allow the textile of the screen or the tape to slide therein and to captivate the metallic elements;

the arrangement being such that on deployment of the screen, the screen edge slides along the edge guide with the metallic elements sliding within the guide and securing the screen to the guide.

[0007] Normally the same screen and guide formations will be provided at both vertical - in use - edges of the barrier.

[0008] The effectiveness of the metallic elements in securing the edge of the screen decreases with their pitch. It is estimated that the pitch of the elements should be not more than ten times the dimension of the elements measured in the direction of the edge. Convenient pitch is five or less times this dimension.

[0009] A particularly convenient manner of providing the elements is as one half of a sliding clasp fastener, with the tape stitched on. The pitch of the elements is twice their dimension along the edge, in this instance.

[0010] Preferably the guide is provided with a seal between its overhang and the metallic elements. Conveniently this incorporates intumescent material for assisting in sealing in the event of fire.

[0011] To help understanding of the invention, a specific embodiment thereof will now be described by way of example and with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a general view of a barr i er NOT according to the invention;

Figure 2 is a scrap front view of a portion of an edge of a screen of the barrier and its guide;

Figure is a similar scrap view of an edge portion of a screen ACCORDING TO the invention;

Figure 4 is a plan view of the Figure 3 scrap;

Figure 5 is a view similar to Figure 3 of a varied screen edge;

Figure 6 is a view similar to Figure 4 of the variation; and

Figure 7 is a view similar to Figure 6 of a further variant however not forming part of the present invention.

[0012] Referring to Figures 1 & 2, a barrier 1 has a smoke screen 2 wound before deployment on a roller 3. It has a bottom bar 4 weighing down the bottom of the screen and fixed edge guides 5. These are channels 6 fixed to the portal (not shown) to be closed by the screen. The channels have in-turned lips 7.

[0013] The edges 11 of the screen have hems 12 with stitching 13 containing a series of steel balls 14 in lines 15. The gap between the in-turned lips on either side of the screen is sufficient to allow the hemmed double thickness of screen material to pass freely along the guide. However, the steel balls 14 are of a diameter considerably bigger than the gap, whereby the edges of the screen is captivated in the guides.

[0014] Providing the balls as a series of discrete elements allows the screen to be rolled on the roller 3, without excessive increase in the roller diameter due to elongate elements in the hem holding the hem away from the roller.

[0015] Turning on to Figures 3 & 4, and in accordance with the invention, the screen edge 111 there shown has stitched 113 to it a tape 112 of a sliding clasp fastener, with crimped on teeth 114. These are comparatively thinner than the balls and form a more compact roll. However, their pitch is smaller and they provide a substantially continuous connection of the screen 102 to its guides 105, via in-turned lips 107. The teeth, being intended in their original purpose to inter-digitate with another series on another tape, are set at a pitch equal to twice their dimension along the length of the edge.

[0016] The gap G between the lips 107 is sufficient only to allow the tape 112 to slid freely along the guide. Typically the gap will be the same as the gap between the opposite sides of the guide lips of the clasp of a sliding clasp fastener using the same tape. This gap will allow only a very small air flow past the edge of the screen. When a pressure gap across the barrier pulls the tap against one of the lips, this air flow is decreased even more. To further enhance sealing, intumescent draught excluder seals 120 are provided with the guide on opposite side of the teeth.

[0017] The invention is not intended to be restricted to the details of the above described embodiment. For instance, as shown in Figures 5 and 6, the outside of the in-turned lips can be recessed 150 and provided on angled surfaces 151 with intumescent seals 152. This arrangement provides that differential pressure across the curtain bellies it firmly against the seal 152 on the low pressure of the barrier.

[0018] A further variant not forming part of the present invention is shown in Figure 7 for a ball edge barrier, in which the guide is an extruded channel 205, with in-turned lips 251 similar to the lips 151. The lips are continued 260 back inwards and have internal flanges 261. The lips and the flanges are bevelled and both provided with resilient, intumescent seals 262 to provide added sealing against the passage of smoke and fire.

Claims

1. A barrier deployable from a roller or other deployment device, the barrier comprising:

• a textile screen (102) per se;

• at least one edge guide (105) for the screen and;

• complementary formations (114) at an edge of the screen and the edge guide (107);
characterised in that:

• the barrier is a smoke or fire barrier;

• the screen edge formations comprising a series of discrete metallic elements (114) crimped to the edge of the screen or to a tape (112) stitched to the edge of the screen and spaced therealong, the elements being thicker than the textile of the screen;

• the edge guide formation comprising an over-hung longitudinal opening (G), between in-turned lips (7, 107) of the edge guide (5, 105), sized to allow the textile of the screen or the tape to slide therein and to captivate the metallic elements;
the arrangement being such that on deployment of the screen, the screen edge slides along the edge guide with the metallic elements sliding within the guide and securing the screen to the guide.

2. A barrier as claimed in claim 1, including a bottom bar (4) weighing down the bottom of the textile screen.

3. A barrier as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the same screen and guide formations are provided at both vertical - in use - edges of the barrier.

4. A barrier as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2 or claim 3, wherein the pitch of the elements is not more than ten times the dimension of the elements measured in the direction of the edge.

5. A barrier as claimed in claim 4, wherein the pitch of the elements is five or less times the dimension of the elements.

6. A barrier as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the elements are provided as one half of a sliding clasp fastener, with the tape stitched on.

7. A barrier as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the guide is provided with a seal (152) between its overhang and the metallic elements.

8. A barrier as claimed in claim 7, wherein the overhang incorporates intumescent material for assisting in sealing in the event of fire.

Ansprüche

1. Von einer Rolle oder einer anderen Bereitstellungsvorrichtung absenkbare Barriere, wobei die Barriere aufweist:

• eine textile Trennwand (102) per se;

• wenigstens eine Kantenführung (105) für die Trennwand und

• sich gegenseitig ergänzende Anordnungen (114) an einer Kante der Trennwand und der Kantenführung (107);
dadurch gekennzeichnet, dass:

• die Barriere eine Rauch-oder Feuerbarriere ist;

• die Kantenanordnung der Trennwand eine Reihe diskreter Metallelemente (114) aufweist, die an der Kante der Trennwand oder einem an der Kante der Trennwand im Abstand angehefteten, längsverlaufenden Streifen angeklemmt sind, wobei die Elemente dicker sind als der Stoff der Trennwand;

• die Kantenführungsanordnung eine vorkragende Längsöffnung (G) zwischen eingezogenen Lippen (7,107) der Kantenführung (5, 105) aufweist, die so bemessen ist, dass der Stoff der Trennwand oder der Streifen darin gleiten kann und die Metallelemente eingeschlossen werden;
wobei die Anordnung so getroffen ist, dass beim Ablassen der Trennwand die Trennwandkante entlang der Kantenführung geleitet, wobei die Metallelemente innerhalb der Führung laufen und die Trennwand an der Führung fixieren.

2. Barriere nach Anspruch 1, gekennzeichnet durch eine Unterschiene (4), die die Unterseite der textilen Trennwand beschwert.

3. Barriere nach Anspruch 1 oder Anspruch 2, dadurch gekennzeichnet, dass gleiche Trennwand-und Führungsanordnungen an - im Gebrauch - beiden vertikalen Kanten der Barriere vorgesehen sind.

4. Barriere nach Anspruch 1 oder Anspruch 2 oder Anspruch 3, dadurch gekennzeichnet, dass der Abstand der Elemente nicht größer ist als das 10-fache der Abmessung der Elemente, gemessen in Richtung der Kante.

5. Barriere nach Anspruch 4, dadurch gekennzeichnet, dass der Abstand der Elemente 5-mal so groß oder kleiner ist als die Abmessung der Elemente.

6. Barriere nach einem der vorstehenden Ansprüche, dadurch gekennzeichnet, dass die Elemente als eine Hälfte eines Reißverschlusses vorgesehen sind, wobei das Band angeheftet ist.

7. Barriere nach einem der vorstehenden Ansprüche, dadurch gekennzeichnet, dass die Führung mit einer Abdichtung (152) zwischen der Vorkragung und den Metallelementen versehen ist.

8. Barriere nach Anspruch 7, dadurch gekennzeichnet, dass die Vorkragung ein quellendes Material zur Unterstützung der Abdichtung im Fall eines Feuers aufweist.

Revendications

1. Une barrière déployable à partir d'un rouleau ou autre dispositif de déploiement, la barrière comprenant :

· un écran textile (102) en tant que tel,

· au moins un guide de bord (105) pour l'écran, et

· des formations complémentaires (114) sur un bord de l'écran et sur le guide de bord (107),
caractérisée en ce que :

· la barrière est une barrière antifumée ou antifeu ;

· les formations du bord de l'écran comprennent une série d'éléments métalliques discrets (114) sertis sur le bord de l'écran ou sur une bande (112) cousue au bord de l'écran et espacés le long de celui-ci, les éléments étant plus épais que le textile de l'écran ;

la formation du guide de bord comprenant une ouverture longitudinale surplombante (G), entre des lèvres tournées vers l'intérieur (7, 107) du guide de bord (5, 105), dimensionnée pour permettre au textile de l'écran ou à la bande de coulisser dedans et d'enserrer les éléments métalliques,
la configuration étant telle qu'au déploiement de l'écran, le bord de l'écran coulisse le long du guide de bord avec les éléments métalliques coulissant à l'intérieur du guide et retenant l'écran au guide.

2. Une barrière selon la revendication 1, comprenant une barre de bas (4) lestant le bas de l'écran textile.

3. Une barrière selon la revendication 1 ou la revendication 2, dans laquelle le même écran et les mêmes formations de guide sont prévus sur les deux bords verticaux - en utilisation de la barrière.

4. Une barrière selon la revendication 1 ou la revendication 2 ou la revendication 3, dans laquelle le pas des éléments n'est pas supérieur à dix fois la dimension des éléments mesurée dans la direction du bord.

5. Une barrière selon la revendication 4, dans laquelle le pas des éléments est cinq fois ou moins la dimension des éléments.

6. Une barrière selon l'une des revendications précédentes, dans laquelle les éléments se présentent sous la forme d'une moitié d'une attache à pince coulissante, avec la bande cousue dessus.

7. Une barrière selon l'une des revendications précédentes, dans laquelle le guide est pourvu d'une étanchéité (152) entre sa partie surplombante et les éléments métalliques.

8. Une barrière selon la revendication 7, dans laquelle la partie surplombante incorpore un matériau gonflant pour améliorer l'étanchéité en cas d'incendie.

Drawing