KR20070035469A - Fire Retardant Shades - Google Patents

Abstract

A flame retardant sun shade comprising a shade material, preferably comprising a first transparent film layer with a metal layer on one side and an additional transparent film layer adhered to said one side of the first layer using an adhesive. Wherein at least one of the adhesive and the two polymer film layers comprises a flame retardant material. The material can also be used as a shade with a sound reduction function.

Description

Fire Retardant Shades}

The present invention relates to composite materials used as shade or blind composite materials or sound absorbing materials used in inner glass to provide shade from sunlight.

Background of the Invention

Shades or blinds consisting of horizontal or vertical slats of a composite of laminated polymeric materials are known. These blinds are installed inside building windows to protect the interior of the building from sunlight. Certain shade materials are opaque or translucent, but these materials have the disadvantage of not being visible from the inside of the building.

In order to create a more pleasant building environment for residents, there has been a trend towards clearly transparent shade materials. Such materials can be made to control the transmission of visible or invisible light. Certain known transparent composite shade materials are a raw PET (polyethylene terephthalate) that is aluminum treated on its inner surface (the side away from the window), with an additional layer of dyed or clear uv absorbing PET film adhered to the aluminum layer. A film layer. In some structures, a dyed layer or UV absorbing PET film layer may optionally or additionally be adhered to the outer surface.

It is desirable for the polymer shade material to have fire retardant properties when used inside a building. However, if a sufficient amount is added to the shade material to be effective, the fire retardant scatters the light, resulting in a decrease in sharpness and clarity. This may apply to opaque or translucent shade materials but not to transparent shade materials, and therefore the current transparent shade composite materials are not sufficient to meet the latest EEC fire protection regulations.

Description of the Invention

According to a first aspect of the invention, there is provided a clearly transparent shade or blind material comprising a composite having at least two transparent polymer film layers, the first layer having a further film layer being an adhesive Is adhered to the material using an adhesive and at least one of the two polymer film layers contains a flame retardant, the composite having a visible light transmittance of 1-90% and a haze value of less than 10%. Has

The first polymer film layer may have a metallized layer coated with an adhesive.

The metal layer is preferably vacuum deposited of aluminum or aluminum alloy, and preferably has a visible light transmittance of 15-30%.

The two polymeric film layers are preferably made from PET film, at least the further layer comprising a UV absorbing material. UV absorbing PET film is disclosed in US Pat. No. 6,221,112 and blocks 99% of UV-A (320-400 nm) and UV-B (280-320 nm) rays.

The additional layer can be dyed or sharpened in a suitable color, for example bronze, green, blue, gray, as desired. The dyed film may be dyed in a pattern that includes discontinuous changes and / or continuously varying color intensities.

The adhesive is preferably a transparent polyurethane resin containing a flame retardant and the composite has a haze value of about 5% or less when the adhesive is cured.

The haze was measured by Hunter Laboratories Ultrascan XE and calculated by X 100 (diffusion / total transmittance) in light in the range of 380-780 nm.

Preferred flame retardants are brominated and / or phosphorous based compounds, for example organophosphorus oligomers such as tetrabromo bis phenol "A" or rescosinol bis (diphenyl phosphate). phosphorous oligimer). The dried adhesive may contain 5-15% by weight of flame retardant.

The composite preferably has a visible light transmittance of 2-30%, particularly 2-15%.

The composite material may comprise an additional layer of transparent polymeric film, which is laminated to the outside of the first film layer remote from it.

The present invention further includes a sun control shade comprising a film composite material according to the first aspect of the present invention as a shade material.

The film composite material can be used essentially as a planar sound absorber element product, which can have a dual function utilized as sound absorber and shade. The film composite material may be provided with a micro-hole, which is similar to that disclosed in US Pat. No. 5,740,649 (Fuchs et al) or DE-A-10034197, or with a micro-hole (hole less than 0.5 mm in diameter) of about 2.0 It is a similar method as described in the Fraunhofer Institute trade name "Microsorber" which is formed in the polycarbonate sheet material with a pore spacing of mm.

The sound absorber component may be suspended as disclosed in WO 99/29979.

Alternative soundproofing component forms are disclosed in US Pat. No. 4,555,433, wherein the sheet material has an adjacent cup-shaped recess in the form of a grid.

Detailed description of the invention

With reference to FIG. 1, a film composite 10 is shown which is suitable for use as a shade or blind material generally used for sun shades or blinds installed inside the glass windows of a building. Film composite 10 comprising a suitable transparent polymer film layer 11 may contain a UV absorber. Suitable transparent films are polyester films, preferably polystyrene terephthalate (PET) films treated with UV absorbers to absorb up to 99% of the UV radiation as disclosed in US Pat. No. 6,221,112B.

An aluminum base layer 12 is provided on the inner surface of the film layer 11, ie the surface away from the glass pane. The aluminum metal layer 12 is applied by vacuum deposition and, when used, reflects a substantial portion of sunlight through the glass window to the opposite side. The aluminum layer provides some solar control and is manufactured to allow for a desired light transmittance, and can have a transmittance of up to 80%, generally up to 30%, more preferably 2-15 It has a visible light transmittance of%. In an embodiment of the present invention, the aluminum layer 12 has an optical density of 1.4-1.15 corresponding to 4-7% visible light transmittance.

Visible light transmittance is calculated using CIE Standard Observer (CIE 1924 1931) and D65 Daylight.

The aluminum base layer 12 is coated with an adhesive layer 13. The adhesive is a curable isocyanate terminated polyester urethane based polymer available from Rohm & Haas under the trade name Adcote 527.

An additional layer 14 of transparent polymer film is laminated on the adhesive layer 13. Suitable transparent films are PET films, which can be dyed in any color desired and / or can be treated with a UV absorber to absorb up to 99% of the UV rays as disclosed in US Pat. No. 6,221,112B. The thickness of the additional PET film layer 14 is about 0.001 inches (25 microns). The inner film layer 14 can be dyed to transmit as much light as desired. In an embodiment of the present invention, the inner layer 14 is a gray dyed film with 35% visible light transmission. Film layer 14 may be dyed in the form of a printed pattern, which may take the form of a discontinuous change in intensity and / or a continuously varying intensity of color. The printed pattern may include a decorative pattern, a company logo, a slogan, an advertisement.

Additionally or alternatively, the film layer can be dyed using nanoparticles of selected metal oxides as disclosed in US Pat. No. 6,440,551.

Inner layer 14 may be coated with a scratch resistant hardcoat. Preferred hard coatings are as disclosed in US 4557 980, the contents of which are incorporated in the specification of the present invention.

According to the present invention, the adhesive 13 is provided with at least one of two polymer film layers 11 and 14 and a flame retardant. If only one of the polymer layers 11 or 14 comprises a flame retardant material, a thicker film layer 11 preferably formed from flame retardant PET is preferred.

Suitable flame retardant grade PET can be purchased from Dulart's Mylar XFRI or Mitsubushi's PET 1770.

It is important that the flame retardant inside the adhesive is compatible with the chuck layer adhesive and soluble in the adhesive solvent. Furthermore, the flame retardant material should not affect the clouding properties of the composite, which should have a cloudiness of less than 10%, preferably about 5% or less.

Flame retardants are brominated materials, preferably tetrabromobisphenol "A" available from Albermarle under the name Saytex CP2000 or phosphorous based retardants, preferably from Akzo Nobel under the trade name Fyrolflex RDP. One of the organo phosphorous oligimers such as commercially available rescosinol bis (diphenyl phosphate).

The adhesive Adcote 527 has a solids content of about 65% by weight and is diluted by adding a solvent mixture of methyl ethyl ketone (MEK) and toluene in a weight ratio of 75:25 to obtain a polymer solids content of about 20% by weight. The flame retardant is then added and stirred to dilute at a rate of 5-15% by weight, preferably 7.5% by weight of Saytex CP2000 or 10.0% by weight of Fyrolflex RDP, based on the solids content.

The mixed flame retardant adhesive is coated on an aluminum layer using a reversible gravure printing technique on a roll-to-roll continuous coating machine using 120-140 scale chrome plate gravure cylinders. The coating is applied at a rate of 5-6 pounds (0.008-0.010 kg / m 2) per 3000 square feet, with the solvent having two 180 ° F. (82 ° C.) in the first zone and 220 ° F. (93 ° C.) in the second zone. Removal is performed at a speed of 100 feet per minute (30 m / min) using a zone dryer or oven.

Once the adhesive coated film exits the oven, the additional film layer 14 is laminated using a heated combining nip roll. The nip roll includes a chrome-plate steel roller heated to 170 ° F. (82 ° C.), and a rubber coated steel roller that presses the additional film layer 14 of the composite film toward the heated roller.

The film composite is rolled over the storage rollers of the re-wind station and stored for at least 5 days to improve flame retardant properties.

The film composite 10 can be embossed if desired.

Description

The invention is described by way of examples, with reference to the following figures.

1 is a cross-sectional view through a film composite material comprising a composite according to the present invention.

2 is an isometric view of a first shade according to the present invention.

3 is a second shade according to the present invention.

4 is a third shade according to the present invention.

5 is a portion of a sound absorbing film composite structure.

6 is part of a second sound absorbing structure.

Film composite samples were prepared and tested for flammability.

Sample 1.

Sample 1 is a control beyond the scope of the present invention and is similar to film composite 10 without any flame retardant material.

Sample 2.

Sample 2 is also a control beyond the scope of the present invention and is similar to film composite 10 with flame retardant only in the upper PET layer.

Sample 3.

Sample 3 is the third control outside the scope of the present invention and is similar to film composite 10 with flame retardant only in adhesive layer 13.

Sample 4.

Sample 4 is a sample according to the present invention having the configuration shown in the film composite 10 containing a flame retardant in both the upper PET layer and the adhesive layer 13.

Sample 5.

Sample 5 is a second sample according to the present invention, wherein the film composite 10 comprises upper and lower PET layers 11 and 14 containing flame retardant material and also an adhesive layer 13 containing flame retardant material.

Flammability Experiment

a) DIN 4102 (modified)

Samples were tested according to DIN 4102, where the experiment was modified to be performed in an open atmosphere rather than a specific cabinet. For each sample, the results cited are the mean values obtained from many experimental samples.

Note a) The length does not include reduced or melted away.

b) time is the combustion time from the instant of ignition.

c) The flame height was estimated to be nearly 5 cm.

Edge burn Sample Length (cms) Time in seconds Flame height (cms) One 15 12.4 15 2 8.5 12 <15 3 10.6 13 15 4 8.1 3.5 <10

Face burn Sample Length (cms) Time in seconds Flame height (cms) One 15.0 18 15≥ 2 12.4 7 <15 3 16.0 20 15≥ 4 11.5 3 <10

From Tables 1 and 2, it can be seen that Sample 4 according to the present invention has the least flammability.

b) DIN 4102: Part 1: Section 6.2 (B2)

A) The test mark is 15 cm from the source of the flame.

b) Flame droplet experiments contained in potential ignition by flame droplet cotton wool placed under the experimental sample.

Edge burn Sample Number of seconds to reach experiment display time Flame Droplet Flame height (cms) 4 Not reached 10 none 8 5 Not reached 6 none 8

Face burn Sample Number of seconds to reach experiment display time Flame Droplet Flame height (cms) 4 Not reached 5 none 5 5 Not reached 5 none 4

Samples 4 and 5 according to the present invention meet the criteria required by DIN 4102: B2.

c) Federal Aviation Administration 25.853 (a) Annex F, Part 1, Paragraph (a) (1) (i), concerning the category of aircraft,

60 second vertical flammability After Flame seconds Combustion length inch Drippings seconds Length width Length width Length width Sample 4 0.0 0.0 9.3 10.0 0.0 0.0 Sample 5 0.0 0.0 9.3 9.5 0.0 0.0

The results in Table 5 show that both samples meet the requirements of FAR 25.853 (a) (1) (i). In other words:

The average burn length does not exceed 6 ^* inches and the average burn time after removing the source flame does not exceed 15 seconds. Dripping from the test specimen may not continue burning for more than 3 seconds after the drop;

^* Annex F Part 25: Paragraphs (8) Combustion lengths exclude combustion lengths that have disappeared from material shrinkage and heat sources.

12 second vertical flammability After Flame seconds Combustion length inch Drippings seconds Length width Length width Length width Sample 4 0.0 0.0 7.3 7.5 0.0 0.0 Sample 5 2.7 2.4 6.2 5.9 0.0 0.0

The results in Table 6 show that Samples 4 and 5 meet the requirements of FAR 25.853 (a) (1) (ii). That is, the average burn length may not exceed 8 inches and the average burn time after removing the source flame may not exceed 15 seconds. The drop from the test specimen may not continue burning for more than 5 seconds after falling.

When we tested the cloudiness and the visible light transmittance, samples 4 and 5

a) 5-6% average blur

b) has an average visible light transmittance of 2-2.5%.

The composite materials described with respect to Samples 4 and 5 can be made with shades of traditional construction for building glass applications that reduce the light entering the building but allow people inside the building to see out of the window clearly through the shade. . Typical shade structures are shown in Figures 2-4.

2 shows a shade with Venetian blinds, ie a plurality of horizontal slats 22 made of the composite material according to the invention. The slats 22 are connected to each other in a traditional way. The slats are moved by the vertical side rails 23. Shade 21 is stored in housing 25 as it is up and down by chain 26 according to traditional methods when not in use. The shade is assisted by the weight bar 27 when falling to the lowest position. The slats may be tilted to control sunlight according to known methods.

3 shows a roller blind, ie a shade 30 formed from a film composite 31 according to the invention, in particular sample 4 or sample 5. The blind material 31 is a continuous composite film sheet which, in use, rises to a roller 32 supported by a bracket 34 at the top of the windowpane. The lower edge material of the blind has a hanging weight bar 37, the shade material being raised and lowered by the rotation of the roller 32 by the clutch mechanism 36 and the chain 38.

4 shows a shade 41 comprising a vertical slat 42 suspended from the top rail 43 with a weight bar 47 at the bottom of each slat. Each vertical slat 42 is made of a film composite according to the present invention. The upper rail contains a linkage 44 about the vertical axis of the slat for opening or closing the shade, whereby all the slats can be rotated.

Shade film composite sheet material can be embossed to achieve special surface effects.

In other embodiments, the shade material may also be used to form a dual function shade that is provided to absorb or dampen the sound inside the building. For this purpose the sheet 51 can be molded into a sheet with cup-shaped indentations 52 in a grid form, as shown in FIG. 5 and disclosed in US Pat. The sheet thus formed is used as part of the sound insulation material.

In another embodiment, as shown in FIG. 6, the film composite can also be used for the manufacture of planar sound absorbing raw materials. The film composite 61 includes a plurality of micro-holes 62 in a manner similar to that disclosed in US Pat. Is provided. Micro-holes 62 (holes less than 0.5 mm in diameter) are molded with about 2.0 mm hole spacing in the composite sheet material.

An additional layer of transparent polymer film may be laminated to the outside of the first film 11 away from the layer 14. The additional film layer is 0.0005-0.002 inches (12-50 microns) thick, can be deposited to absorb UV, can be dyed as described above, and can also contain a flame retardant material.

A flame retardant sun shade comprising a shade material, preferably comprising a first transparent film layer with a metal layer on one side and an additional transparent film layer adhered to said one side of the first layer using an adhesive. Wherein at least one of the adhesive and the two polymer film layers comprises a flame retardant material. The material can also be used as a shade with a sound reduction function.

Claims (19)

For bright shade composite materials having sun shades or blinds and comprising at least two transparent polymer film layers, the first film layer having an additional film layer adhered to one side of the first film layer using an adhesive. At least one of the adhesive and the two polymer film layers contains a fire retardant material, wherein the composite has a visible light transmittance of 1-90% and a blurring of less than 10%. The composite material of claim 1, wherein the first film layer has a metallized layer on the one side and an adhesive is applied on the metal layer. 3. The composite material of claim 1 or 2, wherein the metal layer has a visible light transmittance of less than 30% including vacuum deposition of aluminum or aluminum alloy. 4. The composite material of claim 3, wherein the visible light transmittance is less than 5%. The composite material of claim 1 wherein the two polymer film layers comprise a PET film. 6. The composite material of claim 1, wherein at least the additional film layer comprises a UV absorbing material. 7. The composite material of claim 1, wherein the adhesive contains a flame retardant material such that the cloudiness of the composite material is 5% or less. 8. The composite material of claim 7, wherein the adhesive is polyurethane resin and the flame retardant is at least one of brominated compounds and phosphorous based compounds. The complex of claim 8, wherein the flame retardant is one of tetrabromo bis phenol "A" and rescorcinol bis (diphenyl phosphate). material. 10. The composite material of claim 8 or 9, wherein the dried adhesive may contain 5-15% by weight of flame retardant. The composite material of claim 1, comprising a scratch resistant layer coated over the additional film layer. 12. The composite material of claim 1, wherein the additional layer is dyed and colored to a desired color and intensity. 13. The composite material of claim 12, wherein said dyed film is dyed in a pattern formed by discontinuous changes in color intensity and / or continuously varying color intensity. The composite material of claim 1, wherein the composite material is embossed. 15. The composite material of any one of claims 1 to 14, comprising at least one additional film layer laminated outside the first film layer. A sun shade comprising a film composite material according to any one of claims 1 to 15 as a shade material. 17. The sun shade of claim 16, which functions as a sound absorbing element, said composite having micro-holes spaced apart. 18. The sunshade of claim 16 or 17, functioning as a sound absorbing element, said composite being formed into a plurality of adjacent cup-shaped recesses arranged in a grid. 18. The shade of claim 17, wherein the first film layer has an aluminum layer deposited on one side with visible light transmission of 2-30% and the micro-holes are spaced at a distance of 2.0 mm or less.

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