[0001] The present invention relates to a selvage for a secondary wing of fire doors.
[0002] Fire prevention regulations are designed to prevent the occurrence of fires, contain
their expansion and stop their reaction by way of rapid extinguishing actions. Accordingly,
prevention includes protection activities aimed at containing the effects of the energies
released by a fire in space and time by reducing the rate of flame propagation and
extending the period of ignition induction.
[0003] Fire doors are within this field as they in fact must divide contiguous spaces and
prevent the passage of fire and superheated gases from the space at risk to the adjacent
space; prevent the propagation of the fire also by heat irradiation, i.e., have a
sufficient thermal insulation capacity; allow, even during the fire, the escape of
individuals that have remained in the space where the fire has developed; always open
easily at least in the intended direction; after opening, fire doors must close automatically
from any position, therefore even from the fully open position at 180°, in order to
rapidly prevent the propagation of fire; and fire doors must be installed with a preset
"direction of escape from the space at risk toward the outside or toward lower-risk
spaces.
[0004] In addition to the wing, the details become particularly important, such as for example
the panic bars that ensure opening by simply pushing on said bar and ensure escape
from the premises where the fire has developed.
[0005] In a two-wing door, it is necessary to make a distinction between the main wing,
which is provided with an opening handle and is normally used to access the space,
and a secondary wing, which is provided with a panic bar and is usually closed. The
secondary wing is provided with a selvage associated with the latch that is present
in the lock of the main wing.
[0006] Fire doors are installed so as to ensure transit from the space that is exposed to
the highest risk of fire toward the space at lower risk: for this reason, both the
main door and the secondary door can be installed according to two different possible
opening directions, depending on the installation characteristics.
[0007] After opening both wings, said wings must close automatically by means of door closing
mechanisms, so that their function of isolating the area where the fire is present
is ensured.
[0008] The secondary wing is locked in the closed position by means of sliders that can
slide vertically (and are operated by the panic bar) and engage in respective receptacles
(one in the floor and one in the lintel).
[0009] When the door is open, these sliders protrude from the contour of the door, making
it possible for the wing to jam in a partially open position, for example following
interference between one of the sliders and a protrusion of the floor or ceiling.
[0010] This situation is very dangerous, since the door ceases to perform its fire containment
functions.
[0011] There are means for blocking the sliders in the retracted position which are fitted
on the wing proximate to the area from which said sliders protrude.
[0012] The risk of using these blocking means is their easy accessibility, with consequent
possible tampering.
[0013] The aim of the present invention is to obviate the cited drawbacks and meet the mentioned
requirements, by providing a selvage for a secondary wing of fire doors that is capable
of retaining the sliders in the retracted position until the wing closes completely.
[0014] Within this aim, an object of the present invention is to provide a selvage that
is simple, relatively easy to provide in practice, safe in use, effective in operation,
and has a relatively low cost.
[0015] This aim and these and other objects that will become better apparent hereinafter
are achieved by the present selvage for a secondary wing of fire doors, of the type
comprising a body provided with gears constituted by at least one laminar element,
with which respective vertically sliding sliders are associated, said sliders engaging
in corresponding receptacles, one in the threshold and one in the lintel of the opening
where said door is installed, said element being actuated by a panic bar for opening,
characterized in that a ring is centrally pivoted on the bottom of said body and perimetrically
with respect to at least one laminar element, a rotation of said ring being associated
with the translational motion of said at least one element; in that said ring is provided
with a toothed edge, proximate to which a pawl-type lever is pivoted, said lever being
provided with a tooth that can engage removably said toothed edge by means of the
forcing of an elastic means, said ring being blocked when said tooth is engaged in
said toothed edge.
[0016] Further characteristics and advantages of the present invention will become better
apparent from the following detailed description of a preferred but not exclusive
embodiment of a selvage for a secondary wing of fire doors, illustrated by way of
non-limiting example in the accompanying drawings, wherein:
Figure 1 is a partially sectional side view of a selvage according to the invention,
coupled to the corresponding lock;
Figure 2 is a partially sectional side view of a selvage according to the invention,
coupled to the corresponding lock actuated for opening;
Figure 3 is partially sectional side view of a selvage according to the invention,
with the sliders blocked in the retracted position, proximate to the corresponding
lock;
Figure 4 is a partially sectional side view of a selvage according to the invention,
coupled to the corresponding lock, in which the latch that releases the slider retention
means is in the retracted position;
Figure 5 is a front view of a selvage according to the invention.
[0017] With reference to the figures, the reference numeral 1 generally designates a selvage
for a secondary wing of fire doors.
[0018] Each one of the selvages 1 has a front wall 2, a rear wall 3, an upper wall 4 and
a lower wall 5: the four walls are delimited between two lateral faces 6 (only one
of which is shown in the figure).
[0019] The front wall 2 has a central opening 7 for the passage of the latch 8 of the lock
9 associated with the selvage 1.
[0020] The lateral faces 6 have two respective openings 10, which are arranged symmetrically
with respect to the centerline of the selvage 1 and in which the shaft of the actuation
handle can engage. The handle must be installed on the selvage 1 so that it is aligned
with the handle fitted to the lock 9: the choice is therefore dictated by the type
of fitting of the lock 10 and of the selvage 1 on the fire door.
[0021] The shaft of the actuation handle inserted within the opening 10 (the upper one or
the lower one, depending on the type of fitting) engages in the bit 11, which is provided
with a lever 12, by way of which any angular rotation of the bit 11 is transferred,
in the form of a vertical translational motion, to a pair of plates 13.
[0022] The plates 13 have, at their central portion, a wider region 14: each plate 13 has
a pusher 15 along one of the sides that delimit the wider region 14. Each plate 13
has, at its ends, a slot 16, in which a detent 17 is engaged; said detent is fixed
on the face 6 so as to guide the plate 13 during translational motion. A leaf spring
13a acts by forcing the plates in the configuration of Figure 1: the action of the
panic bar on the plates 13 is therefore in contrast with the elastic reaction of the
spring 13a.
[0023] The pusher 15 is associated, by interposing a disengagement spring 18, with a respective
slider 19, which can slide axially within appropriately provided receptacles of the
door and whose end is suitable to engage a receptacle of the threshold or lintel (depending
on the direction of installation of the selvage 1).
[0024] The portion of the slider 19 that makes contact with the disengagement spring 18
has an inclined surface 20, which is faced by a threaded hole 21 inside which a grub
screw 22 is screwed: the head of the grub screw 22 rests on the inclined surface 20,
allowing to adjust the protrusions of the sliders 19 from the door.
[0025] When the sliders 19 are retracted, by way of the action of the handle, which by rotating
its shaft entails a rotation of the bit 11, i.e., a translational motion of the plates
13 with a consequent movement of the pushers 15 toward the center, said pushers remain
blocked in said position to prevent the door from being blocked in the open position
due to the interference of any otherwise protruding portion of a slider 19 with the
floor or ceiling.
[0026] In order to block the sliders in position, the selvage 1 is provided with a pawl-type
lever 23, which is pivoted about an axis 23a and is interposed between the plates
13, the engagement tooth 24 of the lever 23 being forced elastically (by means of
an elastic element 28) on a toothed ring 25, which is pivoted centrally to the lower
face 6 and is pivoted perimetrically to the two plates 13 (in substantially diametrically
opposite positions).
[0027] The lever 23 has an end portion 26, which interferes with the latch 8 of the lock
9, the tooth 24 being movable from a first configuration, in which it is engaged in
the set of teeth 27 of the ring 25 by elastic forcing, to a second configuration,
in which it is spaced from the ring 25 by way of the action of the latch 8 on the
end portion 26.
[0028] The central opening 7 is shaped so that a region 29 thereof is narrower: the end
portion 26 of the pawl-type lever 23 can be accessed exclusively through the portion
delimited by the region 29, in order to prevent the sliders from being released manually
before the wing is closed completely and to prevent the latch 8 from engaging in the
opening 7.
[0029] The operation of the invention is intuitive; since the selvage 1 shown in the figure
is completely symmetrical, it can be fitted both on a door that turns clockwise when
pushed and on a door that turns counterclockwise when pushed. The different installation
depends exclusively on the way in which the selvage 1 is orientated and is performed
so that the panic bar is at the same height as the handle that is present on the door
coupled thereto, on which the lock 9 is fitted.
[0030] Blocking of the sliders 19 in a retracted position can be achieved equally on conventional
selvages 1 (non-reversible ones), ensuring advantages that are similar to the ones
described hereafter for selvages 1 of the fully reversible type.
[0031] As a consequence of the actuation of the panic bar, the sliders 19 retract and remain
retracted in view of the presence of the pawl-type lever 23 and of the ring 25. The
ring 25, as a consequence of the translational motion of the two plates 13 toward
the center of the selvage 1, in fact turns counterclockwise (as can be deduced by
comparing Figure 1 with Figure 2). In this manner, the tooth 24 faces the set of teeth
27 and engages therein by way of the action of the spring 28 (which keeps it pressed
against said surface).
[0032] The engagement of the tooth 24 in one of the spaces of the set of teeth 27 ensures
the blocking of the ring 25 in a rotated position (in the configuration shown in Figure
2), keeping the spring 13a in a position in which its arms are forcibly mutually closer,
consequently blocking the plates 13 and the sliders 19 (in a retracted position).
[0033] When the secondary wing, by way of the action of a door closing element, reaches
the closure position and when the secondary wing is subsequently reached by the main
wing, with consequent insertion of the latch 8 in the opening 7, this entails the
action of the latch (through the region 29) on the end 26 of the pawl-type lever 23,
with consequent disengagement of the tooth 24 from the set of teeth 27 and clockwise
rotation of the ring 25 until the configuration of Figure 1 is resumed, allowing the
sliders 19 to protrude.
[0034] It has thus been shown that the invention achieves the intended aim and objects.
[0035] The invention thus conceived is susceptible of numerous modifications and variations,
all of which are within the scope of the appended claims.
[0036] All the details may further be replaced with other technically equivalent ones.
[0037] In the embodiments that follow, individual characteristics, given in relation to
specific examples, may actually be interchanged with other different characteristics
that exist in other embodiments.
[0038] Moreover, it is noted that anything found to be already known during the patenting
process is understood not to be claimed and to be the subject of a disclaimer.
[0039] In practice, the materials used, as well as the shapes and dimensions, may be any
according to requirements without thereby abandoning the protective scope of the appended
claims.
[0040] The disclosures in Italian Patent Application No. BO2003A000601 from which this application
claims priority are incorporated herein by reference.
[0041] Where technical features mentioned in any claim are followed by reference signs,
those reference signs have been included for the sole purpose of increasing the intelligibility
of the claims and accordingly such reference signs do not have any limiting effect
on the interpretation of each element identified by way of example by such reference
signs.
1. A selvage for a secondary wing of fire doors, of the type comprising a body provided
with gears constituted by at least one laminar element (13), with which respective
vertically sliding sliders (19) are associated, said sliders engaging in corresponding
receptacles, one in the threshold and one in the lintel of the opening where said
door is installed, said element being actuated by a panic bar for opening, characterized in that a ring (25) is centrally pivoted on the bottom of said body and perimetrically with
respect to at least one laminar element (13), a rotation of said ring (25) being associated
with the translational motion of said at least one element (13); in that said ring (25) is provided with a toothed edge (27), proximate to which a pawl-type
lever (23) is pivoted, said lever being provided with a tooth (24) that can engage
removably said toothed edge (27) by means of the forcing of an elastic means (28),
said ring (25) being blocked when said tooth (24) is engaged in said toothed edge
(27).
2. The selvage according to claim 1, characterized in that said pawl-type lever (23) has an end (26) that protrudes within the front opening
(7) for accommodating the latch (8) of said selvage (1).
3. The selvage according to claim 2, characterized in that said end (26), by way of the action of the latch (8) within the front opening (7),
can perform a translational motion from a first configuration, in which it occupies
part of the internal volume of said front opening, said latch being external to the
front opening (7) and being kept in this position by way of the action of said means
(28) and said tooth (24) being engaged in said toothed edge (27), to a second configuration,
in which the front surface of the latch (8), completely accommodated within said front
opening (7), rests on its portion that is directed toward the outside of said opening
(7) and its rear portion rests on the bottom of said opening (7), said tooth (24)
being spaced from said toothed edge (27) of said ring (25).
4. The selvage according to claim 1, characterized in that said ring (25) has at least one open perimetric slot for pivoting to the at least
one laminar element (13).
5. The selvage according to claim 1, characterized in that said ring (25) is provided with said toothed edge (27) exclusively along a short
perimetric portion thereof, and has a lug that substantially faces the portion that
is directed toward the inside of said front opening (7) of said end (26) of said pawl-type
lever (23).
6. The selvage according to claim 1, characterized in that said pawl-type lever (23) has, in a position that is substantially opposite to said
tooth (24) with respect to its axis (23a) for pivoting to said body, a protrusion
for accommodating the head of said elastic means (28), the base of which rests on
the front wall (2) of said body.
7. The selvage according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that, at each portion of the slider (19) that is internal to said selvage (1) said slider
(19) is provided with an inclined surface that is directed toward the front wall.