AU2011100455A4

AU2011100455A4 - A temperature resistant seal

Info

Publication number: AU2011100455A4
Application number: AU2011100455A
Authority: AU
Inventors: Russell Clark
Original assignee: Raven Products Pty Ltd
Current assignee: Raven Products Pty Ltd
Priority date: 2011-04-21
Filing date: 2011-04-21
Publication date: 2011-05-19
Anticipated expiration: 2019-04-21
Also published as: GB2490408A; GB201206964D0

Description

Our Ref: 52851nno P/00/009 Regulation 3.2 AUSTRALIA Patents Act 1990 INNOVATION SPECIFICATION FOR AN INVENTION ENTITLED Invention title: A temperature resistant seal Name of Applicant: Raven Products Pty Ltd Address for Service A.P.T. Patent and Trade Mark Attorneys PO Box 222 Mitcham, S.A. 5062 The invention is described in the following statement: 2 A temperature resistant seal FIELD OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates generally to the field of door and window weatherseals and in one aspect relates to a door seal including at least one 5 temperature resistant barrier fin. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Weatherstripping is used around doors and windows to reduce the movement of air, dust, embers, smoke and pests. Existing pile weatherstripping is typically crushed against a threshold plate or frame during use and is only suitable for sealing 10 gaps of less than 13mm. Pile weatherstripping is typically constructed from polypropylene that has a melting point of between 130-171'C. Accordingly, under temperatures of around 200'C, such as those experienced during a fire, the pile will tend to melt thereby allowing smoke to pass through the gap. 15 Larger gaps are typically sealed using brush strips including polyamide bristles. Brush strips are typically used on gaps up to 50mm. These types of seals are particularly useful for sealing sliding, revolving, pivot, and roll-up doors against movement of smoke, dust, insects or light, and for reducing air flow. Polyamide bristles are typically locked into a galvanised steel strip, which is 20 then fitted into an aluminium holder. An adhesive PVC foam tape is typically applied to the rear of the aluminium holder for attachment to the edge of the door or window. The aluminium holder may be face mounted, semi-morticed or fully morticed. The polyamide bristles are of a length that conform to the size of the gap since the brush strip is generally not crushed during use, such as occurs with pile weatherstripping. 25 Although existing polyamide brush strips are used as a smoke seal around doors and windows, the bristles still permit air to pass between adjacent bristles and through the seal. Furthermore, under medium temperature of around 200'C, such as those experienced in a fire, the polyamide bristles have a tendency to shrink thereby increasing the gap between adjacent bristles. The larger gaps therefore increase the 3 airflow through the seal, and consequently smoke penetration into a room adjacent the fire. Medium temperature smoke is generally defined as smoke at 2000C. In Australia the building code requires that smoke doors and seals resist the passage of 5 smoke at 2000C for 30 minutes. It has been shown that medium temperature smoke is often encountered adjacent the room of fire origin. The following description of the temperature resistant seal is directed to use on the bottom of a door. It should however be appreciated that the invention is not limited to a temperature resistant seal for the bottom of a door and the invention 10 could be used as a seal for the sides or top of a door, or for other closures, such as windows. It should be appreciated that any discussion of the prior art throughout the specification is included solely for the purpose of providing a context for the present invention and should in no way be considered as an admission that such prior art 15 was widely known or formed part of the common general knowledge in the field as it existed before the priority date of the application. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It could broadly be understood that the invention resides in a seal for sealing an opening, including a base for attachment to a side of said opening, at least one 20 temperature resistant barrier fin extending outwardly from the base and engagable with an opposing side of said opening, and a plurality of bristles extending outwardly from the base generally parallel said barrier fin, wherein the barrier fin inhibits movement of medium temperature smoke through said opening. The barrier fin or fins restrict air movement, preferably at temperatures of 25 around 200'C for 30 minutes, to thereby inhibit the passage of smoke through the opening. In accordance with an aspect of the invention there is proposed a door seal, including a base comprising a rod and clamp, for attachment to a door, a temperature resistant barrier fin extending outwardly from the base and engagable with a 30 threshold of a corresponding doorway, the barrier fin being formed by folding a 4 portion of film over said rod, and a plurality of bristles extending outwardly from the base generally parallel said fin and engagable with said threshold, the plurality of bristles being formed by folding lengths of filament over said rod, wherein the clamp retaining said film and filaments in a folded position, wherein the barrier fin inhibits 5 movement of medium temperature smoke through said doorway when the door is closed. The barrier fin is preferably made from a plastic material that are resistant to medium temperatures of around 2000C. In one form the barrier fin may be constructed from a polyimide film and the bristles may be polyamide bristles. The 10 bristles may be constructed from polypropylene, polyimide or any other type of suitable material. The barrier fin is preferably resistant to a medium temperature of 2000C for a period of 30 minutes to thereby inhibit movement of smoke through the doorway. However, the barrier fin may be able to withstand temperatures of between 200 15 2500C for 30 minutes without significant deterioration or shrinkage. The clamp may be a length of steel channel that is crimped over the rod to retain the film and filaments in a folded position. The rod may be a length of steel wire or may be a synthetic cable. The seal preferably comprises an extrusion, wherein the base is configured to 20 slidably engage the extrusion that can be attached to the door using a fixing means, such as adhesive tape or screws. The extrusion may be constructed from aluminium and include a downwardly open slot that is configured to hold the base therein. In one form the door seal may be attached to a lower portion of the door wherein the barrier fin and bristles engage with a threshold plate attached to the 25 floor. The threshold plate may include grooves in which the ends of the bristles and/or edge of the barrier fin are able to register. The door may be a sliding, revolving, pivot, side hung door, or roll-up door. At least one barrier fin may be positioned intermediate of at least two rows of bristles. The bristles act to sweep litter and other objects out the way, as the door is 30 being opened or closed, while the barrier fin provides a means for inhibiting air movement, and its temperature characteristics mean that it is able to act as a barrier 5 in fires, up to medium temperature to prevent smoke movement through the doorway. The barrier fin may be resistant to shrinkage, or deterioration, at higher temperatures than can be withstood by the bristles, to thereby inhibit passage of smoke through said opening. 5 The barrier fin may extend outwardly from the base to the same distance as said bristles. Alternatively the barrier fin may be shorter or longer than said bristles. In accordance an another aspect of the invention there is proposed a method of producing a seal, including the steps of: folding a portion of film over a rod to thereby form at least one barrier fin extending 10 outwardly from said rod; folding a plurality of filaments over said rod and film, to thereby form bristles on at least one side of said barrier fin; and securing a clamp over the rod to retain the film and filaments in a folded position around said rod, such that the bristles and barrier fin extend parallel and outwardly 15 from the clamp; the barrier fin being configured to inhibit movement of medium temperature smoke. In one form the film may be a polyimide film and the bristles may be polyamide bristles. The clamp may comprise a length of steel channel that is crimped over the 20 rod. The rod may be a length of steel wire or synthetic cable. The clamp may be attached to an extrusion that is mounted onto a door. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate implementations of the invention and, together with the 25 description and claims, serve to explain the advantages and principles of the invention. In the drawings: Figure 1 is a perspective view of a seal of the present invention; Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view through A-A of figure 1; 6 Figure 3 is a perspective view of the seal of figure 1 attached to a door illustrating the bristles and fin of the seal engaging with a threshold plate; Figure 4 is a side view of a second embodiment of the seal and the holder 5 of figure 3; Figure 5 is a perspective view of the construction of the seal of figure 1; and Figures 6a-6d end views of alternate embodiments illustrating possible positions of the barrier fin or fins. 10 DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE ILLUSTRATED AND EXEMPLIFIED EMBODIMENTS There are numerous specific details set forth in the following description. However, from the disclosure, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that modifications and/or substitutions may be made without departing from the scope 15 and spirit of the invention. In some circumstance specific details may have been omitted so as not to obscure the invention. Similar reference characters indicate corresponding parts throughout the drawings. Referring to the drawings for a more detailed description, a seal 10 is illustrated, demonstrating by way of example, an arrangement in which the principles 20 of the present invention may be employed. As illustrated in figure 1 the seal 10 includes a base 12, a temperature resistant barrier fin 14 extending outwardly from the base 12 to cover the opening, and a plurality of bristles 16 extending outwardly from the base 12 generally parallel the barrier fin 14. The barrier fin 14 being resistant to shrinkage at a higher temperature than said bristles 16 to thereby inhibit 25 passage of smoke through an opening. The detailed description of the invention refers to the seal 10 being used on the bottom of a door. It should however be appreciated that the invention is not limited to this particular application and the seal could be used for sealing sides or the top of a door, or for other closures, such as, but not limited to, windows.

7 As illustrated in figure 2, the base 12 comprising a rod 20 and clamp 22. The barrier fin 14 is formed by folding a heat resistant film 24, such as a polyimide film, over the rod 20, wherein sides 26 and 28 extend outwardly from the rod 20. As illustrated in figure 2, side 28, that forms barrier fin 14, extends outwardly to a greater 5 degree than side 26. It should however be appreciated that in another embodiment as illustrated in figure 4, sides 26, 28 may be of a similar length to provide two barrier fins. The bristles 16 are formed by lengths of polyamide filament 32 folded over the rod 20 on top of the film 24. As illustrated in figure 2, ends 32 and 34 of a single 10 polyamide filament 32 form bristles 16 on either side of the barrier fin 14. A number of rows of bristles are positioned on either side of the barrier fin. The bristles act to sweep litter and other objects out the way, as the door is being opened or closed while the barrier fin provides a means for inhibiting the movement of smoke through the doorway at medium temperatures of around 2000C. 15 The clamp 22 retains the film 24 and filaments 30 in a folded position around the rod 20. The clamp 20 may be a length of steel channel that is crimped over the rod 22 to retain the film and filaments in a folded position. The rod 22 may be a length of steel wire or synthetic cable. It is envisaged that the base 12 will be semi rigid, however a flexible base could be used that is held within a suitable holder for 20 attachment to a door or window. As further illustrated in figures 3 and 4, the seal 10 is attached to a lower portion of a door 38. The base 12 is configured to slidable engage a downwardly open slot 40 of an aluminium extrusion 42. The aluminium extrusion 42 is attached to the door 38 using adhesive tape 44 however other fixing means, such as screws, 25 could be used. Figures 3 and 4 illustrate one configuration of an aluminium extrusion 42 however it should be appreciated that other types of extrusion may be used. Alternatively the base may be attached directly to the underlying surface such as the edge of a door. The reader should however appreciate that the extrusion or seal may be face 30 mounted, or alternately may be semi-morticed or fully morticed wherein the extrusion or seal is located within an opening, recess or cutout made in the door 38.

8 As further illustrated in figure 3 the bottom of the barrier fin 14 and bristles 16 engage with a threshold plate 48 attached to the floor 50, using adhesive tape 52 or other fixing means. The threshold plate 48 may include grooves (not shown) in which the ends of the bristles and edge of the barrier fin are able to register. 5 The polyimide barrier fin 14 may be resistant to shrinkage at temperatures greater than 1700C and preferably greater than 2000C to thereby inhibit movement of smoke through the doorway. The barrier fin may be able to withstand temperatures of between 200-2501C for 30 minutes without significant deterioration or shrinkage. The film used to construct the barrier fin is polyimide. However the reader will 10 appreciate that other heat resistant materials may be used without departing from the scope of the invention. The bristles 16 on the other hand will have a tendency to shrink at a lower temperature than the barrier fin 14 which results in an increase in the gap between adjacent bristles that would therefore increase the flow of air and smoke if the barrier 15 fin was not in place. The present invention with barrier fin 14 therefore maintains an obstruction to the passage of smoke at higher temperatures then existing seals. As illustrated in the figures the barrier fin 14 extends outwardly from the base 12 to the same length of the bristles 16. However the barrier fin 14 may be shorter or longer than the bristles 16 in other embodiments. 20 As illustrated in figure 5 the seal 10 is produced by folding a portion of polyimide film 24 over the rod 20, as indicated by arrows 54 to thereby form at least one barrier fin 14 extending outwardly from the rod 20 as previously illustrated. A plurality of polyamide filaments 30 are then folded over the rod 20, in the direction of arrows 54, and overlaying of the film 24 to thereby form bristles on either side of the 25 barrier fin. A length of steel 56 is folded and crimped over the assembly, as indicated by dotted lines 58, to form the clamp 22 that retains the folded film and filaments around the rod 20. Figures 6a to 6d illustrate alternate embodiments of the seal illustrating some possible positions of the barrier fin or fins. It should be appreciated that these figures 30 are only illustrative and other configurations are possible without departing from the scope of the patent. Figure 6a illustrate two barrier fins 14a positioned intermediate 9 of the bristle portions 16, and two barrier fins 14b positioned outwardly of the bristle portions 16. Figure 6b illustrates one full length barrier fin 14a positioned intermediate of the bristle portions 16, and one full length barrier fin 14b positioned outwardly of the bristle portion 16. Figure 6c illustrates one full length barrier fin 14a 5 positioned intermediate of the bristle portions 16, and two barrier fins 14b positioned outwardly of the bristle portions 16. Figure 6d illustrates two full length barrier fins 14b positioned outwardly of the bristle portions 16. The skilled addressee will now appreciate the many advantages of the illustrated invention. The seal includes a temperature resistant barrier fin that is 10 resistant to temperatures higher than those that cause the bristles to shrink. This therefore means that an obstacle to the movement of smoke is maintained at higher temperatures than currently available brush strips. Various features of the invention have been particularly shown and described in connection with the exemplified embodiments of the invention, however, it must be 15 understood that these particular arrangements merely illustrate and that the invention is not limited thereto. Accordingly the invention can include various modifications, which fall within the spirit and scope of the invention. It should be further understood that for the purpose of the specification the word "comprise" or "comprising" means "including but not limited to".

Claims

1. A seal for sealing an opening, including a base for attachment to a side of said opening, at least one temperature resistant barrier fin extending outwardly from the base and engagable with an opposing side of said opening, and a plurality 5 of bristles extending outwardly from the base generally parallel said barrier fin, wherein the barrier fin inhibits movement of medium temperature smoke through said opening.

2. A seal, including a base comprising a rod and clamp, for attachment to a door, at least one temperature resistant barrier fin extending outwardly from the base 10 and engagable with a threshold of a corresponding doorway, the barrier fin being formed by folding a portion of film over said rod, and a plurality of bristles extending outwardly from the base generally parallel said fin and engagable with said threshold, the plurality of bristles being formed by folding lengths of filament over said rod, wherein the clamp retaining said film and filaments in a 15 folded position, wherein the barrier fin inhibits movement of medium temperature smoke through said doorway when the door is closed.

3. The seal according to claim 1 or 2 wherein the barrier fin or fins are made from a heat resistant material that inhibits movement of medium temperature smoke.

4. The seal according to any one of claims 1 to 3 wherein the barrier fin or fins are 20 resistant to a medium temperature of 2000C or greater for a period of 30 minutes to thereby inhibit movement of smoke.

5. The seal according to any one of the above claims wherein the barrier fin or fins are able to withstand temperatures of between 200-2501C for 30 minutes without significant deterioration or shrinkage. 25

6. The seal according to any one of claims 2 to 5 wherein the clamp may be a length of steel channel that is crimped over a steel or synthetic rod to retain the film and filaments in a folded position.

7. The seal according to any one of claims 2 to 6 wherein the base is configured to slidable engage an extrusion that is attach to the door using a fixing means 30 or the base is attached directly to the door. 11

8. The seal according to any one of the above claims wherein the barrier fin or fins are constructed from a polyimide material.

9. The seal according to any one of the above claims wherein barrier fins are positioned intermediate of first and second bristle portions of the seal, or barrier 5 fins are positioned intermediate and outwardly of first and second bristle portions, or the barrier fins are positioned outwardly of a bristle portion of the seal.

10. A method of producing a seal, including the steps of: folding a portion of film over a rod to thereby form at least one barrier fin 10 extending outwardly from said rod; folding a plurality of filaments over said rod and film, to thereby form bristles on at least one side of said barrier fin; and securing a clamp over the rod to retain the film and filaments in a folded position around said rod, such that the bristles and barrier fin extend parallel 15 and outwardly from the clamp; the barrier fin being configured to inhibit movement of medium temperature smoke.

11. The method according to claim 10 wherein the film is a polyimide film.

12. The method according to claim 10 or 11 wherein the filaments are polyamide 20 filaments.