NL2010146C2 - FIRE-DELAYING ROLLER CURTAIN IN WHICH AN INFLUENCE OF POWDERABLE POWDER MATERIAL IS INSERTED. - Google Patents

Abstract

The curtain has a double-walled cloth made from fire-proof material and comprising height and breadth. Thermally-expandable powder material (101) i.e. graphite, is held between walls of the cloth. An operating unit is provided for rolling and unrolling the cloth. The expandable material is fastened between the walls in the form of segments (100) comprising layers (102, 103) of sheet material, where the layers are connected with one another. Elongated channels (104) are formed between the layers, where the expandable material is attached to the channels under degraded gas pressure.

Description

Fire retardant roller blind in which a powder material that is expandable under the influence of heat is applied

The invention relates to a fire-retardant roller blind in which a powder-expandable powder material is provided.

If a fire breaks out in a building, such as a public building, there is a risk that the fire will spread quickly. The use of 10 fire retardant roller blinds has already been proposed for the speed with which a fire and the products of the fire (heat, smoke) spreads. Such roller blinds can be lowered in the event of a fire and provide a fire-retardant effect. From WO2008 / 1549056 a fire-retardant roller blind is known which comprises a double-walled fabric made of fire-resistant material, wherein a thermally expandable material is arranged between the double-walled fabric. The thermally expandable material can be incorporated into the double-walled cloth in the form of slats, whether or not deformable, or in the form of rolls surrounded by foil material (hoses or "sausages"). Control means are also provided for rolling up and unrolling the cloth. If the temperature of the thermally expandable material exceeds an activation temperature, the expandable material will be activated and expanded. The lath-shaped expandable material can simply expand and the rolls of expandable material will enlarge in cross-section, with the surrounding film material coming loose on the seams and the expandable material can expand freely in the gap. For this purpose, stitching threads can be used that are not resistant to a certain (higher) temperature. Due to the expansion of the powder material present in the curtain, the roller blind will perform a thermally insulating separating action. The walls of the roller blind are interconnected in such a way that the width of the roller blind can increase and the expanded material can spread over the interspace of the double-walled fabric.

30

Another embodiment of a roller blind with fire-retardant effect is described in Dutch patent 2004958. Herein a heat-expandable material is provided in film-formed containers arranged in the interspace of the double-walled fabric. In particular, this patent relates to the way in which the double-walled fabric is constructed from strips of material.

2

The drawbacks of the known roller blinds are that they are relatively expensive, difficult to manufacture, are less easy to roll up and / or that the fire-resistant effect of a roller blind is not of the same level over the entire surface of the rolled-out fabric.

There is therefore a need for a fire-retardant roller blind that is easier and cheaper to manufacture than the roller blinds according to the state of the art, which is easy to roll up and which shows an effective fire retardancy.

This object is achieved by a fire-retardant roller blind, comprising a double-walled fabric made of fire-resistant material, having a height and a width; a thermally expandable material held between the walls of the cloth; and operating means for rolling up and unrolling the cloth, wherein the thermally expandable material is mounted between the walls of the cloth in the form of segments consisting of two interconnected layers of foil material between which several elongated chambers are released, in which elongated chambers the thermally expandable material in powder form is applied under reduced gas pressure. An advantage of such a roller blind is that the thermally expandable material is arranged over a larger surface area without applying the slat-shaped expandable material so that without the limitations of the slat-shaped material. The thermally expandable powder material is easy to apply but can also be easily activated. Due to the flat shape, the thermally expandable material has a larger surface area than in the roller blinds according to the state of the art in which powdery expandable material is used. A larger surface area (in relation to the mass of the encapsulating material present) results in a rapid heat transfer for expansion with the environment. This is advantageous with respect to, for example, the thermally expandable material which is arranged in cylinders with foil material in the roller blind. The slat-shaped expandable material also known from the state of the art has the drawbacks that a substantial amount of firmness-providing material (for example plastic) must be included, which increases the total volume and weight of a roller blind, but which also increases the response time ( expansion time).

3

Thus, the advantages of a larger surface area are combined with the use of powdered thermally expandable material without the disadvantages that this combination according to the prior art entailed. Another advantage is that the thermally expandable material is easy to apply and possibly to be replaced (for example, after a period has elapsed within which the operation of the thermally expandable material can be guaranteed), which can lead to a cost reduction of the roller blind in comparison with the roller blinds according to the prior art. Yet another advantage is that a roller blind according to the present invention is easier, more uniform and / or more compact to roll up the fire-resistant roller blinds according to the prior art. In the case of a fire-resistant roller blind according to the present invention, this leads to a longer service life and less space required for a roller blind in rolled-up state and to a roller blind which looks better in rolled-up state.

In an embodiment variant, the thermally expandable powder material held in the elongated chambers is in the form of flattened strips. To this end, it is advantageous if the segments between the two layers of film material comprise a plurality of parallel elongated chambers filled with thermally expandable powder material. These flattened strips of powder material can be manufactured in such a way that the height is limited with respect to the width. It is precisely this geometry of the powdered material which in particular provides the objectives pursued by this invention. Moreover, the segments can be manufactured relatively inexpensively as standard parts that can later be included in a specific end product depending on the specific dimensions of a fire-resistant roller blind to be supplied. Moreover, with the production of a single segment, several flattened strips can be created immediately, which is efficient.

In a specific variant, the elongated chambers filled with thermally expandable powder material are separated from each other in a gas-tight manner. Thus, it is possible to prevent thermally expandable powder material from moving from one segment to another; thus a uniform distribution of the thermally expandable powder material is guaranteed. In addition, it can thus be prevented that, at the start of the expansion process, an undesired direction already flows into the material during the expansion process.

4

It is possible that the segment with a coupling strip is attached to a coupling strip on a wall of the cloth. This is possible, for example, because the coupling strip cooperates in a form-fitting manner with a counter-coupling member attached to a wall of the cloth. For example, a segment can easily be coupled to a cloth after it has, for example, already been fully brought into the desired (final) shape. A roller blind can then, for example, be stitched into one another and only then can the segments containing the thermally expandable powder material be inserted (for example slid into the counter-coupling members).

The layer of thermally expandable material can essentially consist of thermally expandable graphite. After all, no requirements have to be imposed on the material with regard to formability. After all, the powdered material is kept in shape by the two layers of foil material. Mixing the thermally expandable material with, for example, a plastic is therefore no longer necessary.

Thereby, thermally expandable graphite can be formed from lamellar graphite consisting of a graphite intercalation compound (GIC). Such thermally expandable graphite forms a barrier against heat transfer through the roller blind after the volume increase due to the expansion.

For an efficient production of the fire-resistant roller blinds, it is possible that the segments have identical dimensions. Good results have been achieved in practice with segments having a size of 1.0 x 0.25 m. The segments can for instance comprise five elongated chambers placed horizontally in the roller blind. With such a geometry it is possible to leave the layer thickness of the thermally expandable powder material - with a substantially uniform distribution of the thermally expandable powder material over the elongated chambers - in the range of [1, 10] mm, preferably in the range of [2, 7] mm.

With regard to the activation temperature of the thermally expandable material, it is possible to assemble the material so that it is in the range of 120 ° C - 160 ° C, preferably in the range of 140 ° C - 150 ° C.

In a specific embodiment, the walls are constructed from strips extending substantially parallel over the width of the wall, wherein a strip along its length is connected with a first seam to an adjacent upper strip and to a spaced-apart distance from the first seam second seam with an adjacent underlying strip, and wherein the strip comprises a residual strip part that faces the inside of the double-walled cloth and is rigidly connected to the opposite wall. By using strips, a roller blind of a desired format can be provided in a simple manner. A strip comprises a wall-building part and a residual strip part facing the inside of the double-walled cloth.

In another embodiment the residual strip part connects to the second seam. This makes the roller blind easier to assemble. After all, with a single strip a part of a wall is formed but at the same time a (part of a) spacer of the walls is formed. The residual strip part will extend downwards due to gravity.

15

In a further embodiment, residual strip parts of strips that form part of the two opposite walls are rigidly connected to each other. As a result, chambers are formed in the curtain, the maximum extent of expansion is limited, which can lead to an even filling of the roller blind with the thermal material in the expanded state. In another embodiment, strips of opposite walls form chambers in which at least one segment is always located. This ensures, after expansion, an even better distribution of the thermally expandable material over the curtain.

The connection of the strips can be made in various ways. In particular, the connection comprises a stitching of a fire-resistant thread. Such a connection is easy to establish and shows a good fire-resistant effect. The connection may also comprise a combination of connections, such as a combination of a stitching and an adhesive seam. This allows the roller blind to be adapted to the circumstances in which the roller blind is used.

In a further embodiment, the cloth is provided with a weight on its underside. The fabric is hereby forced towards a substrate, which improves the fire-retardant and insulating effect of the roller blind. The weight may comprise one or more loose weights, or the weight may be a weight extending over the width of the cloth, such as a strip or several strips connected to the underside of the cloth.

In yet another embodiment, the roller blind comprises detection means for detecting a fire hazard situation (such as, for example, an elevated temperature, the presence of smoke or of a specific gas composition) and a control unit for controlling the operating means in dependence on the detected condition. As a result, the roller blind according to the present invention can be automatically unrolled in dependence on the observed conditions to create a rapid shielding of a space. If the roller blind is controlled on the basis of an observed ambient temperature, it is desirable that the activation temperature of the roller unrolled be lower than the temperature at which the thermally expandable material is activated; this to prevent unrolling being impeded by a premature expansion of the thermally expandable material.

The cloth according to the present invention can be placed between two wall parts of a space, wherein the width of the cloth preferably corresponds to the distance between the wall parts. In particular, the cloth is provided on at least one side edge with coupling means for coupling the cloth connected to a wall part. As a result, the space is separated in an improved manner so that a fire can be delayed for a longer period of time. The roller blind also protects the room better against harmful gases and heat. Coupling means are preferably situated on both side edges of the cloth, wherein both side edges of the cloth are coupled to wall parts of the space.

The coupling means can be designed in various ways. In particular, the coupling means comprise at least one protrusion protruding from the cloth and the roller blind comprises, as a sleeve, a counter-coupling means designed substantially over the length of the sleeve and directed towards the cloth for receiving the at least one protrusion formed coupling means of the cloth. As a result, the roller blind can be coupled to the wall part in a simple manner. The protrusions are hereby held in the sleeve, wherein the cloth extends out of the sleeve through the 7 slot. The protrusion can comprise a plurality of protrusions spread over the height, such as bolts placed through the cloth, but also a single bulge extending over the height of the wall.

The present invention will be further elucidated on the basis of the non-limitative exemplary embodiments shown in the following figures. Herein: - figures 1A and 1B show a perspective view and a cross section through a segment provided with thermally expandable powder material that forms part of a roller blind according to the present invention, - figure 2 shows a view on a cross section through a part of a roller blind according to the invention, wherein two-sided segments are arranged in the roller blind whose expandable powder material has not yet been expanded; figure 3 shows a cross-sectional view through a coupling as applied in the roller blind according to figure 2; figure 4 shows a cross-section of the roller blind of figure 2 in rolled-up condition; figure 5 shows a view on a cross-section through a part of a roller blind according to the invention, wherein the expandable material arranged in the roller blind is fully expanded

Figure 1A shows a partly worked-up perspective view of a segment 100 provided with thermally expandable powder material 101. The segment 100 consists of two layers of foil material 102, 103 which are attached to each other in such a way that a number of channels (or receiving spaces) 104 arise between them. These channels 104 form the spaces in which the thermally expandable powder material 101 is held. In order to limit the thickness then the segment 100, when filling the channels 104 with thermally expandable powder material 101, an underpressure is applied such that the filled channels 104 have a flattened shape. It is important that the channels 104 are filled only to a limited extent; full (maximum) filling of the channels 104 would lead to a circular cross-section with the result of sausage-shaped filled channels. This is expressly not what the present invention contemplates; the channels 104 are filled only to a limited extent (for example, for only a maximum of 10.20, 30.40, 50 or 60% of the maximum volume to be introduced into the channels 104) with thermally expandable powder material 101. As a result, in combination with 8 the extraction of gases (air) during the filling of the channels 104 the desired flattened form (also referred to as a cushion form or even better a flat cushion form) can be obtained. With regard to the two layers of film material 102, 103, it is noted that these can be two separate layers 102, 103, but it is also possible that the two layers 102, 103 are formed by a single sheet which is subsequently folded in two. The adhesion between the two layers 102, 103 can be realized in a manner of choice; in practice, attachment by local heating ("sealing") will be an effective solution. At the top of the segment 100 shown there is a coupling member 105. In the variant of the coupling member 105 shown, this is also referred to as a dowel or border which is arranged along the edge of the segment 100 to secure the segment 100 in a roller blind shown in the following figures.

Figure 1B shows the segment 100 as shown in Figure 1A in a cross-section. The reference numbers from Figure 1A have been taken over from Figure 1B.

Figure 2 shows a section through a part of a fire-retardant roller blind 1 which is provided with a double-walled fabric 2 made of fire-resistant material. The double-walled fabric 2 is made up of material strips 3. The material strips 3 are mutually connected by stitching 4 . The stitching seams 4 are made from a fire-resistant wire, for example made from a steel alloy, although a stitching made of an aramid or glass fiber can also be used. In a space 5 formed by the strips 3, segments 6 are held which contain the thermally expandable powder material 7. For a further description of the segment 6 reference is made to the segments 100 as shown in figures 1A and 1B. It is also clearly visible in this figure that the segments 6 comprise receiving spaces 7 which are filled with expandable powder material 8 such that they have a flattened cushion shape. In the roller blind 1, the segments 6 are coupled by a coupling edge 42 (for example by sliding in) with a counter-coupling members 43 which for this purpose are attached to the material strips 3. All this is further clarified in a detailed view of this coupling construction 42, 43 in figure 3. The segments 6 can be placed in the roller blind in this embodiment after it has been completely stitched. This simplifies its production. 9, it is also possible to replace segments 6 with a roller blind 1, for example for maintenance or changing the usage specifications of a roller blind 1 (such as changing the activation temperature). Alternatively, it is of course also possible to arrange segments 6 in the roller blind 1 only on one side (instead of the two-sided positioning of the segments 6 shown here).

Figure 3 shows a section through a part of a segment 6 provided with a coupling edge 42. The coupling edge 42 cooperates with a counter-coupling member 43 which is provided with an opening 44 in which the coupling edge 42 can be received such that the coupling edge 42 is pivotable (see corner a); this simplifies rolling up and unrolling the roller blind. The counter-coupling member 43 is attached to a fastening strip that can be sewn in with the material strips 3. The coupling edge 42 is received by the two layers of film material 102, 103 which are connected to each other by, for example, "sealing". Another part is also visible of a channel 104 filled (partially) with thermally expandable powder material 101 such that it has a flattened cushion shape.

The roller blind 1 will usually be rolled up in an inoperative condition as shown in the cross-section of figure 4. The rolled up roller blind 1 is located in a housing 10 in which an elongated recess 11 has been released for allowing the roller blind 1 to pass. operation of the roller blind 1 is not desired, this is wrapped around a core 12. The core can be driven by, for example, an electric motor - not shown here - such that the roller blind 1 is unrolled. The underside of the roller blind, which is provided with a weighting 13, will then sink down into a space located below. Furthermore, an intelligent detector 14 is also provided in the housing 10 with which the conditions under which the roller blind 1 must be unrolled can be observed. Upon observing such predetermined conditions (e.g., a certain temperature or a certain amount of dust / smoke), the intelligent detector 14 can initiate the rolling of the roller blind. An advantage of the roller blind 1 according to the invention is that it can be rolled up well as shown, in particular because the segments 6 with thermally expandable powder material are very well deformable as shown in this figure. Incidentally, it is noted that in reality the roller blind 1 can be rolled up even more compactly than shown here; overlying segments 6 can abut each other so that no gap remains free as shown here. The reason for the representation shown here is that with an even more compactly rolled up curtain 1, the figure is little clear.

Figure 5 shows a cross-section through the roller blind 1 of Figure 2 in a rolled out and expanded state. The double-walled fabric 2, which is made up of material strips 3 connected by stitching 4, has disintegrated compared to the situation in which the roller blind was in figures 1 and 2. This is a consequence of the larger volume that the expanded thermal material occupies; the spaces 5 formed by the material strips 3 are then completely filled with expanded material 20. The remains of the segments 6 (the remains of the burst foil layers 102, 103) are still recognizable in the spaces 5. Incidentally, the overlying material strips 3 of the double-walled fabric 2 in the variant of the roller blind 1 shown in this figure, also attached to each other with stitching seams 21. As an alternative, it is possible to always manufacture two overlying material strips from a single material part so that these stitching seams 21 can be omitted.

Claims (16)

A fire-retardant roller blind, comprising: - a double-walled fabric made of fire-resistant material, having a height and a width; - a thermally expandable material held between the walls of the cloth; and - operating means for rolling up and unrolling the cloth, wherein the thermally expandable material is fixed between the walls of the cloth in the form of segments consisting of two mutually connected layers of foil material between which several elongated chambers are released, in which elongated The thermally expandable material is applied in powder form under reduced gas pressure. Roller blind according to claim 1, characterized in that the thermally expandable powder material held in the elongated chambers has the shape of flattened strips. 3. Roller blind as claimed in claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the segments between the two layers of film material comprise a plurality of parallel elongated chambers filled with thermally expandable powder material. 4. Roller blind according to claim 3, characterized in that the elongated chambers filled with thermally expandable powder material are separated from each other in a gas-tight manner. Roller blind as claimed in any of the foregoing claims, characterized in that the segment is attached to a wall of the cloth with a coupling strip on a coupling strip. 30 6. Roller blind as claimed in claim 5, characterized in that the coupling strip cooperates in a form-fitting manner with a counter-coupling member attached to a wall of the cloth. Roller blind as claimed in any of the foregoing claims, characterized in that the layer of thermally expandable powder material is substantially formed by a thermally expandable graphite. Roller blind according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the segments have identical dimensions. 9. Roller blind as claimed in any of the foregoing claims, characterized in that the activation temperature of the thermally expandable powder material is in the range of 120 ° C - 160 ° C, preferably in the range of 140 ° C - 150 ° C . 10. Roller blind as claimed in any of the foregoing claims, characterized in that the walls of the cloth are built up from strips extending substantially parallel over the width of the wall, wherein a strip is connected along its length with a first seam 15 to an adjacent upper strip and with a second seam spaced apart from the first seam with an adjacent lower strip, and wherein the strip comprises a residual strip part facing the inside of the double-walled cloth which is rigidly connected to the opposite wall. 11. Roller blind as claimed in claim 10, characterized in that the residual strip part connects to the second seam. 12. Roller blind as claimed in claim 10 or 11, characterized in that residual strip parts of strips that form part of the two opposite walls are rigidly connected to each other. 13. Roller blind as claimed in any of the claims 10-12, characterized in that coupled residual strip parts of strips of both opposite walls form chambers, in which chambers the layer-shaped expandable powder material 30 is located. A roller blind according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the roller blind is provided with a weight on an underside. A roller blind according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the roller blind is coupled to detection means forming part of the roller blind for detecting a fire hazard situation and to a control unit for controlling the operating means depending on a detected value. 5 A roller blind according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the cloth is provided on at least one side edge with coupling means for coupling the cloth coupled to the fixed world.