GB2428737A

GB2428737A - Rolling barrier

Info

Publication number: GB2428737A
Application number: GB0515887A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Derek Alfred Ward
Original assignee: Environmental Seals Ltd
Current assignee: Environmental Seals Ltd
Priority date: 2005-08-02
Filing date: 2005-08-02
Publication date: 2007-02-07
Anticipated expiration: 2025-08-02
Also published as: GB2428737B; GB0515887D0; IE20060578A1

Abstract

The present invention also seeks to provide a fire barrier or curtain in the form of a rolling barrier, wherein the fire barrier or curtain is automatically activated in response to a signal indicative of the presence of smoke and/or fire. The rolling barrier assembly comprises an elongate tubular housing around which there may be wound a material sheet and a motor for rotating the housing, a major part of the motor being located within the housing at one end.

Description

* 2428737

I

ROLLING BARRIER

This invention relates to a rolling barrier and more especially, it relates to a motorised rolling barrier unit.

The invention also relates to a fire barrier in the form of a rolling barrier that activates in response to a signal indicative of the presence of smoke and/or fire.

Roller blinds for general use in buildings are known. Such blinds comprise a flexible sheet material that, when not in use, is wound around an elongate barrel housing. When required, the curtain is unrolled downwardly from the barrel housing.

: .. Motorised roller blinds are also known. Winding and unwinding of *.S.

the blind is automated by a solenoid motor mounted on one end of the barrel housing. In the case of security blinds, the frame required to carry a motorised blind has to be sufficiently wide to incorporate the solenoid motor extending from the roller housing. Consequently, the leg portions of the frame tend to be wide, obtrusive and dominating in appearance.

* ** * *SS.

The Applicant's earlier UK Patent Application 0226903.3 is directed to a fire barrier in the form of a fire-resistant curtain having particular application in roof voids and above suspended ceilings. Additionally, the fire barrier can be used as fireproofed heat insulated wraps for pipes, cabling and the like, and as liners for wall and ceiling openings.

The present seeks to provide a rolling barrier unit that is compact and un-obtrusive.

The present invention also seeks to provide a fire barrier or curtain in the form of a rolling barrier, wherein the fire barrier or curtain is automatically activated in response to a signal indicative of the presence of smoke and/or fire.

Accordingly, in one aspect there is provided a rolling barrier assembly, the assembly comprising a elongate tubular housing around which a material sheet can be wound and unwound, and a motor for rotating the housing thereby to wind or unwind the sheet material, a major part of the motor being located within the housing at one end.

Preferably, the motor is a solenoid motor.

Preferably the motor is driven by a control unit. Preferably still, two or more rolling barrier assemblies are controlled by one control unit.

According to a second aspect, there is provided, a fire barrier comprising an elongate tubular housing around which a material sheet * *** having fire resistant properties can be wound and unwound, and a motor * *.

for rotating the housing thereby to wind or unwind the sheet material, a major part of the motor being located within the housing at one end. *. 0

Preferably the sheet material has adhered to one or both sides, a sheet of intumescent material.

Preferably, the motor is activated by a control unit which includes means to receive a signal from a sensor, the signal being indicative of the presence of fire and/or smoke in the vicinity of the sensor.

Preferably, the control unit activates the motor, thereby causing rotation of the housing, on receipt of the signal.

Alternatively, the sheet material is impregnated or coated on one or both sides with a solution containing an intumescent material.

The invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying diagrammatic drawings in which Figure 1 illustrates a rolling barrier assembly constructed in accordance with the present invention; Figure 2 is a perspective view of a bottom end of the rolling barrier assembly of Figure 1 incorporating a fire proof curtain; and Figure 3 is a side view of the bottom end shown in Figure 2.

Referring first to Figure 1, the rolling barrier assembly comprises an elongate tubular roller 2 which, once installed, sits within an outer casing 4. The casing 4 is generally semi-circular in shape, the flattened side of which allows the casing 4 to be easily mounted on a wall above a I...

doorway. *.. * I SI.5

The roller 2 is driven by a solenoid motor 6 located at one end of the roller 2. The majority of the motor 6 is located within the inner core of the roller 2 so that the motor 6 only extends out the end of the roller 2 by a small amount.

The assembly further comprises leg portions 8 across which the roller 2 and the casing 4 are mounted. The leg portions 8 extend downwardly along the vertical frames (not shown) of a doorway in which the assembly is mounted for use.

The width of each portion 8 is dictated by the overall length of the roller 2 and motor 6. Consequently, by locating the motor 6 predominantly within the roller housing 2, the width of the leg portions 6 can be kept to a minimum.

One end of a curtain 10, is wound around the roller 2. The curtain winds and unwinds from the roller 2 when the roller 2 is rotated by the motor 6. The curtain 10 extends across the entire length of the roller 2 and the casing 4.

The motor 6 is controlled by a control panel (not shown) which may be remote from the assembly. One control panel may control a plurality of similar assemblies. The control panel is powered by its own battery pack to ensure that the motor 6, and thus the curtain 10, can be activated in the event of a mains power failure. The control panel may be an opencircuit or closed circuit.

The control panel has means to receive a signal from a sensor (not * shown), for example a fire and/or smoke sensor to activate the motor 6.

The control panel may be linked to fire alarm system already installed within the building.

In the event of fire and/or smoke detected by the sensor, a signal is sent to the control panel which, on receipt of the signal, activates the i. motor 6 to drive the roller 2 to bring down the curtain 10 of the assembly.

The curtain 10 is constructed so to have fire resistant properties.

Referring to Figure 3, the curtain 10 comprises an endless loop of fireproof silicon coated cloth 12. The internal surface of the one side of the cloth 12 is coated, or otherwise impregnated with intumescent material 14.

To prevent the intumescent material layer 14 and the cloth 12 from abrading against each other and causing creasing when the curtain 10 is wound back around the roller 2, the cloth 12 is threaded through a support structure. The support structure comprises two 6 mm meta' rods 16 separated at each end by a further rod part 18. The respective ends of the rods 16 and rod part 18 are welded together such that a gap is left in the middle of the structure between the two rods 16 through which the cloth 12 can be threaded, as can be seen in Figure 3.

The intumescent layer 14 is only formed on the internal surface of one side of the cloth 12 and is not formed on the cloth portion extending through the support structure. In this way, the intumescent layer 14 and the cloth 12 do not abrade against each other as the cloth 12 is placed under tension while being wound around the roller 2.

It will be appreciated that the foregoing is merely exemplary of fire barriers in accordance with the invention and that modifications can readily be made thereto without departing from the true scope of the invention. * .. * , , * *. * a * S at'. a

* *..t* * I I * a..1 S.-. * a.

Claims

1. A rolling barrier assembly, the assembly comprising a elongate tubular housing around which a material sheet can be wound and unwound, and a motor for rotating the housing thereby to wind or unwind the sheet material, a major part of the motor being located within the housing at one end.

2. A rolling barrier according to claim 1, wherein the motor is a solenoid motor.

3. A rolling barrier according to claim 1 or claim 2 wherein, the motor is driven by a control unit.

4. A rolling barrier according to claim 3, wherein two or more rolling barrier assemblies are controlled by one control unit.

5. A fire barrier comprising an elongate tubular housing around which a material sheet having fire resistant properties can be wound and unwound, and a motor for rotating the housing thereby to wind or unwind the sheet material, a major part of the motor being located within the housing at one end.

6. A fire barrier according to claim 5, wherein the sheet material has adhered to one or both sides, a sheet of intumescent material.

7. A fire barrier according to claim 5, wherein the sheet material is impregnated or coated on one or both sides with a solution containing an intumescent material.

8. A fire barrier according to claim 6 or 7, wherein the motor is activated by a control unit which includes means to receive a signal from a sensor, the signal being indicative of the presence of fire and/or smoke in the vicinity of the sensor.

9. A fire barrier according to claim 8, wherein the control unit activates the motor, thereby causing rotation of the housing, on receipt of the signal.

10. A rolling barrier substantially as hereinbefore described and referred to in the accompanying drawings.

11. A fire barrier substantially as hereinbefore described and referred to in the accompanying drawings.