GB2202890A

GB2202890A - Shutter door assembly

Info

Publication number: GB2202890A
Application number: GB08718311A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Gordon Mcilwrick
Original assignee: SHUTTER DOORS Ltd
Current assignee: SHUTTER DOORS Ltd
Priority date: 1986-08-01
Filing date: 1987-08-03
Publication date: 1988-10-05
Anticipated expiration: 2007-08-03
Also published as: GB2202890B; GB8718311D0

Abstract

A shutter door assembly (10) e.g. a fire door comprises a shutter door (11) and a door frame structure (12), the shutter door (11) being formed of a plurality of laths (13) pivotally attached to each other in edge-to-edge formation to form a curtain (20) suspended from a barrel (16) mounted in end plates (15). When the curtain (20) is lowered to the door closed position a catch rail (21) extending along one lath (19) engages a suspension rail (18) extending along an upper member of the door frame structure (12) such as a lintel (14), so that the curtain (20) is suspended on the suspension rail (18). The barrel (16) and end plates (15) are not under great stress when the door (11) is closed under fire conditions and the engagement of the catch rail (21) and suspension rail (18) forms a built-in smoke barrier. A rigidly or resiliently mounted pusher 24-26 ensures engagement of the rails 21. The arrangement ensures that an authorising test on a narrow assembly is representative of a wider, full-scale assembly. <IMAGE>

Description

SHUTTER DOOR ASSEMBLY This invention relates to shutter door assemblies, and has particular application to shutter doors which are intended to serve as fire doors. The invention also has particular application to such doors to be used for openings which are relatively wide.

Before a particular fire door is specified for a particular application, it us customary for tests to be carried out on an example of that fire door under the supervision of the relevant responsible authorising persons. In the case of relatively wide doors it is very costly and sometimes impractical to produce a full size test example of door for use in such tests. However tests on short-length examples may not be fully representative and may not enable the authorising persons to make a proper assessment of the performance of a fullsize door of the type under consideration.This is because, in the case of wide shutter doors, the integrity under operational conditions of the shutter door and the stability under such conditions of the barrel and end plates, by which the ends of the shutter door are supported, cannot be properly assessed from tests on a less wide example of shutter door.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a shutter door assembly with which the above problem is avoided or substantially reduced, whereby wide doors can be deemed to perform in the same manner for fire resistance purposes as less wide doors which can readily be tested.

The invention provides a shutter door assembly comprising a shutter door and a door frame structure therefor, said shutter door being supported in said frame structure so as to be movable between door open and door closed positions, said shutter door comprising a plurality of laths pivotally connected to each other in edge to edge disposition, wherein an upper member of said frame structure and one of said laths have cooperating formations thereon adapted to engage each other and support said shutter door from said upper member when said shutter door is in said door closed position.

Preferably said upper member and said one lath have said formations thereon extending substantially the full length thereof. The formation on said upper member may have an upwardly extending free edge and the formation on said one lath may have a downwardly extending free edge.

Pusher means may be provided and be adapted to bias said one lath towards said upper member to facilitate engagement of said formations.

The invention will now be further described with reference to the accompanying drawing, in which: Fig. 1 is a sectional side view of a first embodiment of shutter door assembly in accordance with the invention, Fig. 2 is an enlarged view of part of the assembly of Fig.1, and Fig. 3 is a view corresponding with Fig.2 of a second embodiment, and Fig. 4 is a view corresponding with Fig. 1 of a third embodiment.

Referring now to Fig.1 there is shown a shutter door assembly 10 comprising a shutter door 11 and a door frame structure 12. The shutter door 11 comprises a plurality of laths 13 pivotally attached to each other in edge to edge disposition to form a curtain 20. The frame structure 12 comprises an upper member or lintel 14, to each end of which is attached an end plate 15. A barrel 16 is mounted in end plates 15 so that the shutter door 11 can be moved from the door closed position as shown in Fig. 1 to a door open position in which the curtain 20 is wound around the barrel 16. The barrel 16 and curtain 20 when wound therearound are enclosed in a hood 17 so as to be protected from debris and to provide a neater appearance, the hood 17 being secured to the lintel 14.The assembly 10 as thus described is conventional and the weight of the curtain 20 is supported by the mounting of the barrel 16 in the end plates 15 and the attachment of the end plates 15 to the lintel 14. Whilst it may be readily determined from a test on a particular size of shutter door assembly of this type that such assembly is satisfactory from the firedoor point of view, it cannot be properly assumed that a wider door assembly of similar design will also be satisfactory since in the latter case there is a considerably greater strain on the barrel, end plates and end plate fixings than would occur in the test case.

In the case of the assembly 10 however there is provided a suspension rail 18 which is attached to and extends along the lintel 14, as is more clearly seen in Fig. 2. Attached to and extending along the lath 19 which is adjacent the suspension rail 18 when the curtain 20 is in the door closed position is a curtain catch rail 21. The suspension rail 18 is of upwardly facing channel section so as to provide an upwardly extending free edge 22, and the catch rail 21 is of downwardly facing channel section so as to provide a downwardly extending free edge 23. As the curtain 21 is unwound from the barrel 16 the laths 13 are preferably adjacent but out of contact with the suspension rail 18.

When the curtain 20 reaches the door closed position and the bottom rail 24 is adjacent or lies in contact with the floor, the lath 19 lies adjacent the suspension rail 18 which is engaged by the catch rail 21. In consequence the weight of the curtain 20, which is supported wholly by the barrel 16, end plates 15 and end plate fixings when the curtain 20 is in a door-open position, is supported wholly by the catch rail 21, suspension rail 18 and the fixings of the suspension rail 18 to the lintel 14 when the curtain 20 is in the door closed position.Because the weight of the curtain 20 is effectively evenly distributed along the length of the lintel 14 when the assembly 10 is operating as a fire door, there is far less tendency for bending of the barrel 16 or straining of the end plates 15 or their fixings, and consequent failure of the assembly 10 as a fire door, than is the case with the prior known shutter door assemblies. Consequently a test on a relatively narrow door assembly is representative of a test on a relatively wide similar door assembly, and a proper assessment of the performance of the wider door can be made from the test on the narrower one. In addition the engagement of the catch rail 21 with the suspension rail 18 provides a smoke barrier, thereby obviating the need for a separate smoke barrier device as is normally fitted to conventional assemblies to seal the gap between the curtain 20 and the lintel 14.

Furthermore in the case of the assembly 10 of the present invention the curtain 20 may be released from the barrel 16 and left in the door closed position whilst the barrel 16 and/or the end plates 15 are removed or adjusted for maintenance purposes. In consequence it is possible that in certain cases the hood 17 may be dispensed with.

With certain sections of lath 13 it may be necessary or desirable to provide one or more pusher devices to ensure engagement of the catch rail 21 with the suspension rail 18. One such pusher device 24 is shown in Fig. 2. The pusher device 24 comprises a roller or wheel 25 which may be rigidly or resiliently mounted in a housing 26 secured to the hood 17. The pusher device 24 is positioned such that the roller or wheel 25 engages possibly each lath 13 but certainly at least lath 19. A pusher engaging member 27 may be provided on lath 19 for this purpose. In the case of a resiliently mounted roller or wheel 25 a spring 28 biasses the roller or wheel 25 into engagement with the lath 19, as shown in Fig. 3. In the Fig. 3 embodiment the catch rail 21 comprises a curved plate attached to the lath 19 and the suspension rail 18 is of S-section.

Other sections of catch rail 21 and/or suspension rail 18 may be used if preferred. In addition, although it is preferred that the rails 18,21 be continuous and extend substantially the full length of the lintel 14 and lath 19 for smoke barrier purposes, as an alternative a plurality of discrete rail sections correspondingly spaced longitudinally of the lintel 14 and lath 19 may be provided if desired.

Although in the embodiments shown the catch rail 21 is shown rigidly secured to the lath 19, the rail 21 may be secured so as to be pivotal downwardly relative to the lath 19 if desired so as to facilitate the winding of the curtain 20 on the barrel 16. Similarly, in order to provide clearance between the laths 13 and the suspension rail 18 for smooth running of the curtain 20, the suspension rail 18 may be mounted on the lintel 14 so as to be pivotal upwardly. In such cases it must be ensured that the catch rail 21 engages the suspension rail 18 as the curtain 20 is lowered so that either or both rails pivot to their engagement position to support the curtain 20 in the door closed position.

Referring now to Fig. 4 there is shown an alternative embodiment of shutter door assembly 40 which is similar to the embodiment of Figs. 1 and 2 in most respects, and corresponding parts are identified by corresponding reference numerals. However, in this embodiment the suspension rail 18 is formed by an upturned free edges flange 22 of a fascia 41 which is attached to the lintel 14 and extends along the length of the front of the hood 17. A pusher device such as is described in relation to Fig. 3 may be fitted to the bottom of the hood 17 if required to ensure engagement of the catch rail 21 with the suspension rail 18. Also the catch rail 21 may be attached to the lath 19 so as to pivot downwardly, and/or the suspension rail 18 may be attached to the flange 22 of the fascia 41 so as to pivot upwardly as described above.As a further alternative the suspension rail may be formed by or attached to the free edged flange 42 of the hood 17, and any pusher device if fitted be attached to the bottom of the fascia 41.

In all of the embodiments herein described the curtain 20 when operating as a fire door is supported along its whole length by the suspension rail 18 which is formed on or is attached to some part of the door assembly which extends along, or is specifically provided to extend along the assembly adjacent the top of the curtain 20. In consequence the barrel 16 and end plates 15 are under considerable less stress and risk of deformation in such circumstances than is the case with the barrels and end plates of prior known door assemblies, and do not need the provision of heavy separate protection covering against falling debris or damage required with the prior knowidoor assemblies. The engagement of the catch rail 21 in the suspension rail 18 also provides an excellent smoke barrier along the upper edge of the curtain 20, thereby obviating the need for a separate smoke barrier such as is required with the prior known door assemblies.

Claims

1. A shutter door assembly comprising a shutter door and a frame structure therefor, said shutter door being supported in said frame structure so as to be movable between door open and door closed positions, said shutter door comprising a plurality of laths pivotally connected to each other in edge-to-edge disposition, wherein an upper member of said frame structure and one of said laths have cooperating formations thereon adapted to engage each other and support said shutter door from said upper member when said shutter door is in said door closed position.

2. A shutter door assembly according to claim 1 wherein said upper member and said one lath have said formations thereon extending substantially the full length thereof.

3. A shutter door assembly according to claim 1 or claim 2 wherein the formation on said upper member has an upwardly extending free edge and said formation on said one lath has a downwardly extending free edge.

4. A shutter door assembly according to claim 3 wherein said formations are formed integrally with said upper member and said one lath.

5. A shutter door assembly according to claim 3 wherein said formation on said upper member is attached thereto so as to be pivotal upwardly relative thereto.

6. A shutter door assembly according to claim 3 or claim 5 wherein said formation on said one lath is attached thereto so as to be pivotal downwardly relative thereto.

7. A shutter door assembly according to any one of claims 1 to 6 comprising pusher means adapted to bias said one lath towards said upper member to facilitate engagement of said formations.

8. A shutter door assembly according to claim 7 wherein said pusher means comprises roller means.

9. A shutter door assembly according to claim 8 wherein said roller means is resiliently mounted in a housing.

10. A shutter door assembly according to any one of claims 7 to 9 wherein said one lath has a pusher means engaging member provided thereon.

11. A shutter door assembly according to any one of claims 1 to 10 wherein said upper member is a lintel.

12. A shutter door assembly according to any one of claims 1 to 10 wherein said upper member comprises a fascia board.

13. A shutter door assembly substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2, Fig. 3 or Fig. 4 of the accompanying drawing.