AU719672B3

AU719672B3 - Fire collar assembly

Info

Publication number: AU719672B3
Application number: AU50135/99A
Authority: AU
Inventors: Ken Falls
Original assignee: FFE Building Services Ltd
Current assignee: Chubb Fire and Security Pty Ltd
Priority date: 1998-10-29
Filing date: 1999-09-24
Publication date: 2000-05-18
Anticipated expiration: 2005-09-24

Description

Regulation 3.2

AUSTRALIA

Patents Act 1990 PETTY PATENT SPECIFICATION (Original) Name of Applicant: FFE Building Services Limited 17-19 Orion Road, Lane Cove, New South Wales 2066, Australia Actual Inventor: Address for Service: DAVIES COLLISON CAVE Patent Trade Mark Attorneys Level 10, 10 Barrack Street SYDNEY NSW 2000 Petty Patent specification for the invention entitled: Fire collar assembly The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to us: -1- Q:\OPERDH\747585.PP 24/9/99 P:\OPER\DH\747585.PP 24/9/99 -l R FIRE COLLAR ASSEMBLY Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a fire collar assembly.

Background of the Invention Fire collars which include intumescent material are known. The collars, which are fitted around a pipe, function by crushing the pipe when the intumescent material expands due to exposure to sufficient heat. It is also known to provide a chocker spring in addition to the intumescent material.

The spring is tensioned and fitted onto a plastics former, about the pipe. The former melts when subjected to sufficient heat to allow the spring to contract and assist in crushing the pipe. Feeding the spring onto the former, tensioning the spring and securing same to the fire collar can be relatively labour and time consuming.

Summary of the Invention It is an object of the present invention to provide a fire collar assembly of simpler construction and ease of use.

In accordance with the invention there is provided a fire collar assembly, including a casing formed of two parts adapted to couple together about a pipe, each part defining a recess for receipt of the pipe and having a resilient member fixed to a wall thereof and extending across the recess such that the members are biased against the pipe in opposed relation, when the casing is fitted thereto.

P:\OPER\DH\747585.PP 24/999 -2- Preferably, each member includes an engagement portion for biased engagement with the pipe, attachment legs at opposed ends thereof, the attachment legs being fixed to extend generally parallel to the wall of the respective part, and flex portions coupling the attachment legs to the respective engagement portions.

Preferably, the recesses form a circular opening for receipt of the pipe when the parts are coupled together and the engagement portions are arranged as chords extending across the opening.

Preferably, the casing is substantially cylindrical and the parts are substantially semi circular in cross-section, with the engagement portions arranged substantially parallel to a common diameter.

Preferably, the members are formed of spring steel.

Brief Description of the Drawings The invention is more fully described, by way of non-limiting example only, with reference to the accompanying drawing, in which: Figure 1 is an end view of a fire collar assembly in accordance with the invention; and Figure 2 is a perspective view of a modified fire collar assembly.

Detailed Description of the Drawings The assembly 1 shown in Figure 1 includes a casing 2 formed of two parts 3 and 4 coupled together via a hinge 5 and a latch arrangement 6. The casing 2 is generally cylindrical and each of the parts 3 and 4 are substantially semi-circular in cross-section when viewed end on, as shown in Figure 1. The parts 3 and 4 include recesses 7 and 8 which are P:\OPER\DH\747585.PP 2419199 -3configured to conform with an external surface of a pipe (not shown) to which the assembly 1 is fitted.

The parts 3,4 each include a resilient member 10, preferably formed of spring steel, for engaging the pipe from opposed sides. Each member 10 includes attachment legs 11 which are fixed to extend parallel to the walls of the respective part, 3,4. The attachment legs 11 are coupled to flex portions 14 which are in turn coupled to engagement portions 15 which are arranged for direct biased engagement with the pipe. The engagement portions 15 are shown as extending across the respective recesses 7, 8 so as to effectively form chords over the circular opening 16 defined by the two semi-circular recesses 7,8. The chords extend substantially parallel to a common diameter 17 of the parts 3 and 4.

To install the assembly 1, the latch arrangement 6 is released and the two parts opened about hinge 5 to receive a pipe (not shown) therebetween. The parts are then closed so that the engagement portions 15 of the members 10 bias against the pipe in opposed relation. The members are flexible so as to adopt the configuration shown by dash lines 18. Each of the parts may also include a section of a retainer ring 19 which may be used to house a suitable wrap of intumescent material within the casing.

A modification of the assembly 1 is shown in Figure 2, where like reference numerals denote like parts to those of the assembly of Figure 1. The modified assembly 20 is essentially the same as assembly 1 except that the "over centre" latch arrangement 6 is replaced with two catches 21 and associated tabs 22 for locking engagement of the two parts 3,4. The retainer ring sections 19 are also more robust, with larger holes, to permit transfer of heat therethrough. The spring steel members 10 are omitted from Figure 2 solely for the purpose of clarity of the drawing.

P:\OPER\DH\747585.PP 24/9/99 -4- As can be appreciated from the above, the assembly provides a relatively quick and convenient means of installing a fire collar assembly without the use of a spring choker, as described above.

The assembly 1 has been described by way of non limiting example only and many modifications and variations may be made thereto without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as described.

Claims

1. A fire collar assembly, including a casing formed of two parts adapted to couple together about a pipe, each part defining a recess for receipt of the pipe and having a resilient member fixed to a wall thereof and extending across the recess such that the members are biased against the pipe in opposed relation, when the casing is fitted thereto.

2. A fire collar assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein each member includes an engagement portion for biased engagement with the pipe, attachment legs at opposed ends thereof, the attachment legs being fixed to extend generally parallel to the wall of the respective part, and flex portions coupling the attachment legs to the respective engagement portions.

3. A fire collar assembly as claimed in claim 1 or 2, wherein the members are formed of spring steel. DATED this 24th day of September, 1999 FFE BUILDING SERVICES LTD By Its Patent Attorneys DAVIES COLLISON CAVE