GB2423746A

GB2423746A - Fire-resistant document wallet

Info

Publication number: GB2423746A
Application number: GB0504338A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Graham Finch
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2005-03-02
Filing date: 2005-03-02
Publication date: 2006-09-06
Anticipated expiration: 2025-03-02
Also published as: GB0504338D0; GB2423746B

Abstract

A fire-resistant document wallet that is portable, lightweight and compact comprising an inner skin, an outer skin and an infill all made of fire resistant material and constructed using fire resistant thread. The wallet is closed using a flap 24 that forms a ridge seal 28 to increase the fire resistance of the closure which also incorporates a hook and loop fastening to form a tight seal. The wallet may have coverings, coatings, logos, plaques or piping to improve the look and feel of the wallet that need not be made from fire-resistant materials.

Description

I

Document Wallet This invention relates to a fire resistant wallet or folder and is primarily concerned with a wallet or folder suitable for holding documents and/or small valuable items.

Conventional equipment for protecting documents and small valuable items includes fire resistant safes and fire resistant filing cabinets. However, this equipment is bulky, heavy and expensive and consequently often not suitable for use in domestic environments or other environments in which these factors are important. Therefore, documents and/or small valuable items are often stored in equipment which is susceptible to fire damage.

Fire-damage includes heat damage and smoke damage. There may be other damage associated with fire. For example, damage may also be caused by materials conventionally used to extinguish fires, such as water and foam. Therefore it is desirable to protect items from such materials and smoke, as well as from heat.

Many domestic fires are extinguished within 40 minutes of ignition. Therefore, documents and or valuables need to be protected from fire damage and fire-associated damage caused within this first 40 minute period. Fire resistant safes and filing cabinets may protect items for longer than 40 minutes. However, in many cases, protection for a duration longer than minutes is not required since fires are often extinguished within 40 minutes of fire ignition. Therefore such safes and filing cabinets provide protection for durations in excess of that required.

What is required is a more compact, more lightweight and less expensive alternative to fire resistant safes and filing cabinets for storage documents and/or small valuables to protect them from fire damage and fire-associated damage, especially from damage caused within the first 40 minutes of a fire.

US 2,383,108 discloses a fire resistant portfolio or document folder comprising two sections on opposite sides of a foldable centre line, each section having a pocket. The folders use asbestos material and staples to make the folder. A problem with such a folder is that is does not seal, thus allowing heat to access the pocket.

According to the invention there is provided a fire resistant wallet or folder comprising: (i) a pocket for receiving an object, the pocket comprising an opening to allow insertion of the object and a front wall and a rear wall, and (ii) a closure flap for closing the opening, the closure flap being hingedly linked to the rear wall, via a linking region of the wallet or folder, to the rear wall of the pocket wherein on closing the closure flap the linking region comprises a ridge which substantially blocks the opening.

The front and rear walls of the pocket are preferably made from a material comprising a fire resistant material.

Preferably the front and rear walls of the pocket are made from a material comprising a fire resistant outer skin. Alternatively, or in addition, the material may have a fire resistant inner skin.

Preferably the fire resistant outer skin and or inner skin comprises one or more material selected from known products, such as glass fabric with an aluminium coating sprayed on one side and other commercially available materials such as Firefly Passive Fire Protection Composite Cavity Fire Barrier (available from TBA Textiles Ltd, P0 Box 40, Rochdale 0L12 7EQ, UK).

Other materials may also be suitable.

For a glass fabric with an aluminium coating sprayed on one side, preferably the coating is applied 500g coating per 1m2 material. Such aluminium coated glass fabric is available from (TBA Textiles Ltd, P0 Box 40, Rochdale OLl2 7EQ, UK).

The fire resistant wallet or folder the front and rear walls of the pocket may be made from a material comprising fire resistant infill wherein the infihl is located between the outer skin and an inner skin of the fire resistant material.

A fire resistant wallet or folder comprising an inner skin, an outer skin and infihl provides increased fire protection and increased stability in comparison with a fire resistant wallet or folder comprising only an outer skin and infill.

Preferably the fire resistant infill is glass needlemat (available from TBA Textiles Ltd, P0 Box 40, Rochdale OLl2 7EQ, UK and THS Industrial Textiles, Rochdale, 0L12 9BS, UK) Alternatively the fire resistant infill may comprise one or more ceramics. Suitable ceramics include silica.

Preferably one or more of the inner skin, outer skin and infill is water resistant, more preferably water proof.

The ridge may be permanent or transient.

The wallet or folder comprising a transient ridge may comprise a linking region, which linking region, when the wallet or folder is in an open state, is substantially the same thickness as the rear wall of the body of the wallet or folder. When the closure flap is folded towards the body the linking region moves upwardly and towards the opening of the body to form a ridge on the inner side of the hinge region which substantially blocks the opening of the body thereby bringing the wallet or folder into a closed state.

Formation of a transient ridge may be assisted by at least one row of stitching located between the closure flap and the linking region and running parallel to a top edge of the closure flap. Such stitching limits movement of the bulk of the ridge away from the linking region of the ridge and thereby substantially maintains the ridge when the document or wallet is in the closed state. Preferably such stitching is fire resistant. Use of fire resistant stitching minimises the risk of the ridge collapsing on exposure of the wallet or folder to fire. However, fixing of the closure flap to the outer surface of the front wall also holds the ridge in a position which minimises the risk of the ridge collapsing on exposure of the wallet or folder to fire. This is especially applicable where preferably a multilayer material is used, for example an inner layer and an outer layer together with a central layer of infihl material.

Alternatively, ridge may be permanent. A permanent ridge may be formed by an elongate piece of material located at the linking region. Such elongate piece may be substantially cylindrical or may have any desired cross-section such as square, or semicircular. The elongate piece may be inserted within a depth of the material of the linking region.

Alternatively, the elongate piece may be mounted on top of the inner surface of the linking region. Preferably the elongate piece comprises deformable material. If deformable material is used, when the ridge comes into contact with the periphery of the opening of the body, the ridge and periphery are pushed together and thereby form a tighter seal than if a non-deformable material is used.

In a wallet or folder comprising a permanent ridge, when the wallet or folder is in an open state at least a part of the linking region is substantially thicker than the rear wall of the body and when the closure flap is folded towards the body the ridge moves upwardly and towards the opening of the body and thereby substantially blocks the opening of the body thereby bringing the wallet or folder into a closed state.

In a further alternative to the invention, the closure flap and the rear wall of the body may be continuous. For example, they may be constructed from the same sheet of material.

Alternatively they may be constructed from two or more different sheets of material linked together in an appropriate manner. Appropriate linking includes sewing, welding, adhesion etc. Preferably, the wallet or folder is formed from a single rectangular length of material folded in such a manner to form a pocket comprising a front wall which is continuous with a rear wall which itself is continuous with a closure flap. Preferably, the material is folded along a first fold line parallel to the short edges of the material. Preferably the first fold line is not located equidistant between the short edges of the material. The long sides of the front and rear walls are sealed together to form two sides of the pocket, the first fold forms a third side. An opening is defined between the two sides of the pocket, opposite the third side. The rear wall extends beyond the front wall to define a linking region and a closure flap. The closure flap is foldable about a second fold line, parallel to the first fold line to define a hinge and closure flap.

The wallet or folder may comprise a third fold line. In this case, the second fold line is located between the rear wall of the body and the ridge region and the third fold line is located between a top edge of the flap and the ridge region. Such location of the second and third fold lines facilitates closure of the flap. Such location of the second and third fold lines also facilitates adequate sealing of the wallet or folder and increases the protection afforded to materials located within the pocket of the wallet or folder.

The wallet or folder may be constructed by connecting one or more of the inner skin, outer skin and infill by at least one row of fire resistant thread.

Preferably the fire resistant thread comprises a high-temperatureresistant aramid (aromatic polyamide) fibre. Suitable fibres include paraaramid fibres such poly(p-phenylene terephtalamide) [for example Kevlar', obtainable from E.I. duPont de Nemours and Company, Wilmington, Delaware, US] coated stainless steel or poiy (1,3-phenylene isophthalamide) [for example NomexM, obtainable from E.I. duPont de Nemours and Company, Wilmington, Delaware, US]. Alternative fire resistant threads may also be used within this invention. Fire resistant staples may be used in addition, or in place of, the fire resistant thead. Fire resistant staples include those comprising stainless steel.

By fire resistant' we mean capable of withstanding a temperature of at least 400 C for at least 40 minutes. Fire resistant' also includes withstanding of conditions equivalent to 400 C for at least 40 minutes, for example lower temperatures for longer durations and higher temperatures for shorter durations.

The wallet or folder may initially be constructed using non-fire resistant thread or other means for connecting, for example, the walls together and the final stitching done with fire resistant thread. Following stitching with fire resistant thread the non-fire resistant thread or connecting means may be removed or alternatively left in place. Such an approach can minimise the cost of constructing a wallet or folder as the final structural stitching or connections need be fire resistant. Fire resistant thread can be more expensive than fire-susceptible thread.

At least a part of a front wall of the closure flap may be sealable to at least a part of a front wall of the body.

Preferably such sealing is by a heat-resistant seal. The term heat resistant seal' is intended to mean a seal which is not destroyed by high temperature.

Furthermore, the seal may be a releasable seal. The term releasable seal' is intended to mean a seal which can be repeatedly opened and closed.

When a heat resistant releasable seal is exposed to high temperature it may either (a) change from a heat resistant releasable state to heat resistant non-releasable state or more preferably (b) retain its heat resistant releasable state.

Suitable releasable seals include hook and loop fastening [for example Velcro'M, obtainable from Velcro Industries B.V. (Netherlands Antilles)]. Preferably the hook and loop fastening is fire resistant.

Hook and loop fastening comprises two mating components: hook and loop. Woven hook tape consists of minute, flexible hooks' which engage with a mating loop tape comprised of small, soft loops.' When pressed together, the resulting closure is adjustable, highly secure and jam proof. To reopen, the closure is simply peeled apart.

Use of a strip of hook and loop fastening across substantially the full width of the closure flap forms a tighter seal than is possible if multiple smaller fastenings (such as circles of hook and loop fastening or a number of press-studs). This is due to high density of hooks connected to loops.

Preferably at least 30 %, more preferably at least 40 %, more preferably at least 50 %, more preferably at least 60 %, more preferably at least 70 %, more preferably at least 80 %, more preferably at least 90 %, of the surface area of a front wall of the closure flap can be releasably sealed to at least a part of a front wall of the body. Increasing the surface area of the sealed region should increase the fire resistance of the seal.

Preferably, the closure flap extends beyond the sealing means. This provides fire protection for the sealing means and also conceals the sealing means from view.

Preferably, in the closed state the seal limits the volume of water and or smoke which can enter the pocket. More preferably, in the closed state the seal reduces the volume of water and or smoke which can enter the pocket to substantially zero.

Preferably the wallet or folder is generally flat. Preferred wallets or folders, when in a closed state have a cross section between 150 mm x 200 mm and 400 mm x 600 mm, most preferably 300 mm x 400 mm. A wallet of folder of size 300 mm x 400 mm is suitable for storage of, for example, A4 documents without crumpling or folding the documents. Other preferred sizes of wallets are suitable for storage of, for example, A3, AS or A6 documents.

Smaller wallets or folders would be suitable for storing small valuable items e.g. jewellery, medals, coins, keys, passport, identification documents etc. Wallets or folders are preferably substantially flat.

The depth of the wallet or folder my be increased by providing a pleat between the front wall and back wall. Such a wallet or folder preferably further comprises a collar region extending from at least the pleat region adjacent the opening of the pocket. Prior to sealing of the opening with the flap, such a collar may be folded across the opening of the pocket so that when the flap is folded over the collar, a good seal is created.

In order to improve the appearance and or feel' of the folder or wallet, at least a part of the folder or wallet may be covered or coated with another material such as paint, textile, paper, plastics etc. For example, the stitching around the edges may be covered by piping, the exterior of the front or rear wall may be at least partially covered with an advertising logo or a plaque providing details of the contents of the wallet or folder, the whole wallet or folder may be covered with attractive textile. Such material need not be fire-resistant.

One or more of the thread, covering or coating may have high visibility, such as fluorescent properties. This would assist recovery of the wallet or folder from an active fire or from an extinguished fire.

Wallets or folders may be stored in any desired location. Storage of documents and or valuable items in a fire resistant wallet or folder according to this invention in a conventional safe or filing cabinet is a cost efficient alternative to storage of such items in conventional fire resistant filing cabinet or fire resistant safe.

The invention is now described by example only with reference to the following figures: Fig. 1. Top view of sheet of material used to construct wallet or folder with two fold lines.

Fig. 2. Top view of sheet of material used to construct wallet or folder with three fold lines.

Fig. 3. Top view of a constructed wallet or folder with two fold lines in an open state.

Fig. 4. lop view of a constructed wallet or folder with three fold lines in an open state.

Fig. 5. Side cross-section of a constructed wallet or folder in an open state.

Fig. 6. Side cross-section of a constructed wallet or folder during closure.

Fig. 7. Side cross-section of a constructed wallet or folder in a closed state.

Fig. 1. is a top view of sheet of material (8) used to construct wallet or folder with two fold lines. When folded along a first fold line (12), the first fold line (12) and perimeter (10) of the sheet defines a front wall (20). When folded along a second fold line (14), the first fold line, second fold line (14) and perimeter (10) of the sheet defines a rear wall (22) and the second fold line (14) and perimeter (10) of the sheet defines a closure flap (24). A linking region (26) is present between the rear wall (22) and the closure flap (24).

Fig. 2. is a top view of sheet of material used to construct wallet or folder with three fold lines. When folded along a first fold line (12), the first fold line (12) and perimeter (10) of the sheet defines a front wall (20). When folded along a second fold line (14), the second fold line (14) and perimeter (10) of the sheet defines a rear wall (22). When folded along a third fold line (16), the third fold line (16), second fold line and perimeter (10) of the sheet defines a linking region (26) and the third fold line (16) and perimeter (10) of the sheet defines a closure flap (24).

Fig. 3. is a top view of a constructed wallet or folder with two fold lines in an open state.

The sheet (10) described in Fig. 1 is folded along the first fold line (12). Side edges (32) are sealed together by one or more rows of stitching (18) to fonn a pocket (34). Closure flap (24) extends outwardly from the rear wall of the pocket (34). Linking region (26) lies between the opening (36) of the pocket and closure flap (24) Fig. 4. is a top view of a constructed wallet or folder with three fold lines in an open state.

The sheet (10) described in Fig. 1 is folded along the first fold line (12). Side edges (32) are sealed together by one or more rows of stitching (18) to form a pocket (34). Closure flap (24) extends outwardly from the rear wall of the pocket (34). Linking region (26) lies between the opening (36) of the pocket and the closure flap (24). Linking region (26) includes the second fold line (14) and the third fold line (16).

Fig. 5. is a side cross-section of a constructed wallet or folder in an open state. A sheet (10) of material is folded along first fold line (12) to define a front wall (20), a rear wall (22).

Sealing of the sides of the front wall and rear wall defines a pocket (30) between the first fold line (12) and sides. Closure flap (24) extends from rear wall (22). A row of stitching (38) runs parallel to the second fold line (14) between the second fold line and the closure flap.

Fig. 6. is a side cross-section of a constructed wallet or folder of Fig. 5. during closure.

Folding about the second fold line (14) defines a hinge. Movement of the closure flap (24) towards the body (34) of the wallet or folder causes a ridge (28) to form in at least a portion of the linking region between the second fold line (14) and the row of stitching (38) running parallel to the second fold line between the second fold line and the closure flap.

Fig. 7. is a side cross-section of a constructed wallet or folder in a closed state. Closure flap (24) is releasably attached to part of front wall (20). Ridge (28) is deformably moved adjacent the front wall (20) of the pocket (30) to close the pocket (30). Closure flap (24) may be attached to front wall (20) by hook and loop fastening.

Wallets according to the present invention have been tested. Prior to testing, papers were inserted into the wallets and the wallets sealed using hook and loop fastening as described above.

Firstly, wallets were tested in real fire situations using mock-ups of a lounge, a bedsit and an office. The mock-ups are those used to train Fire Service and Police Service forensic staff In each situation one wallet was placed at the seat' of the fire (the perceived hottest part of the burn') and one wallet was left exposed in a recommended location e- in an open drawer, an open sideboard and on top of a row of books in a bookcase.

At each seat of fire location, the paper contents of the wallets suffered scorching around the edges but remained readable. In situations where the papers were a dummy will, the dummy will remained legally usable. In situations where the wallet was located in a recommended exposed location, all contents of the wallet remained fully intact.

Secondly, further testing was carried out by placing the wallets under infra red emitting heat lamps at a sustained temperature of 400 C for 20 minutes. The results of this testing were sufficient to indicate with some degree of confidence that the wallet of the present invention protects the contents at least upto temperatures of 400 C.

Claims

Claims 1. A fire resistant wallet or folder comprising: (i) a pocket for

receiving an object, the pocket comprising an opening to allow insertion of the object and a front wall and a rear wall, and (ii) a closure flap for closing the opening, the closure flap being hingedly linked to the rear wall, via a linking region, to the rear wall of the pocket wherein on closing the closure flap the linking region comprises a ridge which substantially blocks the opening.
2. A fire resistant wallet or folder according to claim 1 wherein the ridge is transient or permanent.
3. A fire resistant wallet or folder according to claim 1 or 2 wherein the front and rear walls of the pocket are made from a material comprising a fire resistant material.
4. A fire resistant wallet or folder according to claim 3 wherein the front and rear walls of the pocket are made from a material comprising a fire resistant outer skin.
5. A fire resistant wallet or folder according to claim 3 or 4 wherein the front and rear walls of the pocket are made from a material comprising fire resistant infill wherein the infill is located between the outer skin and an inner skin of the fire resistant material.
6. A fire resistant wallet or folder according to any preceding claim wherein when the wallet or folder is in an open state the linking region is substantially the same thickness as the rear wall of the body and when the closure flap is folded towards the body the linking region moves upwardly and towards the opening of the body to form a ridge on the inner side of the hinge region which substantially blocks the opening of the body thereby bringing the wallet or folder into a closed state.
7. A fire resistant wallet or folder according to any preceding claim wherein formation of the ridge, through movement of the closure flap from an open state to a closed state, is assisted by at least one row of stitching located between the closure flap and the linking region and running parallel to a top edge of the closure flap.
8. A fire resistant wallet or folder according to any preceding claim wherein the closure flap and the rear wall of the body are continuous.
9. A fire resistant wallet or folder according to any preceding claim wherein a single sheet of the material is folded along a first fold line to define the pocket, two side edges of the pocket are sealed together to close the edges of the pocket, and the material is foldable about a second fold line, parallel to the first fold line, to define a hinge and the closure flap.
10. A fire resistant wallet or folder according to according to any preceding claim wherein one or more of the inner skin, the outer skin and the closure flap comprises glass fibre coated with aluminium.
11. A fire resistant wallet or folder according to any of claims 5-10 wherein the infill comprises aluminised polyester glass fibre fabric.
12. A fire resistant wallet or folder according to any of claims 5-1 1 wherein the infill comprises ceramic material.
13. A fire resistant wallet or folder according to any of claims 4-12 wherein the inner skin, outer skin and infill are connected together by at least one row of fire resistant thread.
14. A fire resistant wallet or folder according to claim 13 wherein the fire resistant thread comprises poly(p-phenylene terephtalamide) coated stainless steel
15. A fire resistant wallet or folder according to any preceding claim wherein at least a part of a front wall of the closure flap can be sealed to at least a part of a front wall of the body.
16. A fire resistant wallet or folder according to claim 15 wherein the sealing is by a heat-resistant seal.
17. A fire resistant wallet or folder according to claim 16 wherein when the seal is exposed to high temperatures, the seal changes from a releasable state to a non-releasable state.
18. A fire resistant wallet or folder according to claim 15, 16 or 17 wherein at least 90 % of the surface area of a front wall of the closure flap can be releasably sealed to at least a part of a front wall of the body.
19. A fire resistant wallet or folder according to any of claims 15 to 18 wherein the seal is hook and loop fastening.
20. A fire resistant wallet or folder constructed and arranged substantially as described herein with reference to the accompanying drawings.