EP1524390B1

EP1524390B1 - Selvage for a secondary wing of fire doors

Info

Publication number: EP1524390B1
Application number: EP04024437A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Deo Errani; Fabrizio Soglia
Original assignee: CISA SpA
Current assignee: CISA SpA
Priority date: 2003-10-15
Filing date: 2004-10-13
Publication date: 2009-03-04
Anticipated expiration: 2024-10-13
Also published as: DE602004019740D1; ES2321832T3; ITBO20030601A1; EP1524390A3; EP1524390A2; PL1524390T3; ATE424495T1

Abstract

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, the sliders engaging in corresponding receptacles, one in the threshold and one in the lintel of the opening where the door is installed, the element being actuated by a panic bar for opening. A ring (25) is centrally pivoted on the bottom of the body and perimetrically with respect to the at least one laminar element (13), a rotation of the ring (25) being associated with the translational motion of the at least one element (13); the ring (25) is provided with a toothed edge (27), proximate to which a pawl-type lever (23) is pivoted, the lever being provided with a tooth (24) that can engage removably the toothed edge (27) by means of the forcing of an elastic means (28), the ring (25) being blocked when the tooth (24) is engaged in the toothed edge (27).

Description

The present invention relates to a selvage for a secondary wing of fire doors.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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).
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.
This situation is very dangerous, since the door ceases to perform its fire containment functions.
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.
The risk of using these blocking means is their easy accessibility, with consequent possible tampering.
An example of a selvage for a secondary wing of fire doors is known from EP 1 520 949 , cited herein for the purposes of Art. 54(3)EPC.
A further example of a lock for secondary wings of fire doors is known from DE 3 636 236 A1 .
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.
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.
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, according to the invention, that has the features set forth in claim 1.
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 an embodiment of the invention, coupled to the corresponding lock;
Figure 2 is a partially sectional side view of a selvage according to an embodiment of the invention, coupled to the corresponding lock actuated for opening;
Figure 3 is partially sectional side view of a selvage according to an embodiment of 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 an embodiment of the invention, coupled to the corresponding lock, in which the latch that releases the slider retention means is in the extended position;
Figure 5 is a front view of a selvage according to an embodiment of the invention.

With reference to the figures, the reference numeral 1 generally designates a selvage for a secondary wing of fire doors.
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).
The front wall 2 has a central opening 7 or front opening 7 for the passage of the latch 8 of the lock 9 associated with the selvage 1.
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.
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.
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.
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).
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.
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.
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).
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.
According to the invention, 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 the latch 8 is engaged in the opening 7.
The operation of the selvage according to 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.
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.
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).
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).
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.
It has thus been shown that the invention achieves the intended aim and objects.
The invention thus conceived is susceptible of numerous modifications and variations, all of which are within the scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.
All the details may further be replaced with other technically equivalent ones without thereby abandoning the protective scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.
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 invention as defined by the appended claims.
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.

Claims

A selvage (1) for a secondary wing of fire doors, comprising: a body provided with gears constituted by at least one laminar element (13), with which respective vertically sliding sliders (19) are associated, the ends of said sliders (19) are suitable to engage in corresponding receptacles, one in the threshold and one in the lintel of the opening where said door is installed, said at least one laminar element (13) being actuated by a panic bar for opening; a ring (25) that is centrally pivoted on the bottom of said body and perimetrically with respect to said at least one laminar element (13), a rotation of said ring (25) being associated with a translational motion of said at least one element (13); a pawl-type lever (23) that has an end (26) that protrudes within the front opening (7) of the selvage for accommodating, in use the latch (8) of the lock (9) associated to the main wing of the fire door, said ring (25) being provided with a toothed edge (27), proximate to which said pawl-type lever (23) is pivoted, said pawl-type lever (23) 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), said front opening (7) being shaped so that a region (29) thereof is narrower than the rest of the opening (7), and said end (26) of the pawl-type lever (23) being accessible exclusively through a portion delimited by said region (29), in order to prevent said sliders (19) from being released manually before the wing is closed completely and the latch (8) is engaged in said opening (7).
The selvage (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that said end (26) of said pawl-type lever (23), 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 (7), said latch (8) being external to the front opening (7), said pawl-type lever (23) being kept in this first configuration by way of the action of said elastic 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).
The selvage (1) 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).
The selvage (1) 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).
The selvage (1) 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.
The selvage (1) 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.