Fire and Smoke Rated Fabric Door

• US 20130228289A1
• Filed: 04/17/2013
• Published: 09/05/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 02/24/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cornellcookson, Inc.
• Original Assignee: CIW Enterprises, Inc.
• Inventors: Klish, Ian, Kondash, Joseph D., Balay, Joseph L., Balay, Thomas
• Granted Patent: US 9,133,663 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 160/7
• CPC Class Codes: A62C 2/10 Fire-proof curtains
• CPC Class Codes: A62C 2/22 Fire-dampers with provision for the removal of an obstacle, e.g. rails, conveyors, before closing the opening
• CPC Class Codes: A62C 2/247 electric
• CPC Class Codes: E06B 9/68 Operating devices or mechanisms, e.g. with electric drive
• CPC Class Codes: E06B 9/82 automatic

Abstract

A vertically coiling door assembly that is used for emergency egress. The door assembly is capable of both powered and manual emergency egress upon entry into a predefined alarm state.

Claims

1. An overhead coiling door system comprising:

a vertically coiling curtain operatively contained within vertically oriented side members and operatively connected to a counterbalance assembly and an operational assembly;

wherein

the counterbalance assembly comprises a counterbalance barrel supported at each end by a securing member;

the operational assembly comprises a powered operating system comprising an operator comprising a controller, releasing device, continuously charged backup power supply and drive motor assembly;

the controller automatically deploys the curtain upon entering an alarm condition to delay release for a predetermined time period and then release the releasing device activating the curtain to gravity deploy at a predetermined rate governed by the system, the curtain stopping its deployment upon encountering an obstruction and redeploying once the obstruction is removed; and

the curtain comprises a handle capable of lifting with no more than a codified emergency egress requirement of upward lifting force to create a predefined minimum escapement area.

2. The overhead coiling door system of claim 1 wherein the curtain is fire resistant and the counterbalance assembly and operational assembly are contained within an overhead coil box.

3. The overhead coiling door system of claim 1 wherein the curtain comprises a first and second out edge, each outer edge comprising a side geometry mechanically locked within the vertically oriented side members.

4. The overhead coiling door system of claim 1 wherein the counterbalance barrel is driven by a barrel sprocket operatively connected to a motor drive sprocket through a roller chain.

5. The overhead coiling door system of claim 1 wherein the releasing device is a holding brake.

6. The overhead coiling door system of claim 1 further comprising a ratcheting assembly operatively connected to the drive motor assembly and a rotation sensor operatively connected to the releasing device.

7. The overhead coiling door system of claim 1 wherein the counterbalance assembly further comprises a torsion spring operatively connected to the counterbalance barrel.

8. The overhead coiling door system of claim 1 wherein the counterbalance assembly further comprises a spring motor comprised of constant torque springs operatively connected to the counterbalance barrel.

9. The overhead coiling door system of claim 1 wherein a curtain bottom edge comprises a collapsible bottom bar profile.

10. The overhead coiling door system of claim 9 wherein the collapsible bottom bar profile comprises a floating bumper collapsibly attached to a bottom bar.

11. An overhead coiling door system comprising:

a vertically coiling curtain operatively contained within vertically oriented side members and operatively connected to a counterbalance assembly and an operational assembly;

a ratcheting assembly operatively connected to a drive motor assembly; and

a rotation sensor operatively connected to a releasing device;

wherein

the counterbalance assembly comprises a counterbalance barrel supported at each end by a securing member;

the operational assembly comprises a powered operating system comprising an operator comprising a controller, the releasing device, continuously charged backup power supply and the drive motor assembly;

the controller automatically deploys the curtain upon entering an alarm condition to delay release for a predetermined time period and then release the releasing device activating the curtain to gravity deploy at a predetermined rate governed by the system, the curtain stopping its deployment upon encountering an obstruction and redeploying once the obstruction is removed; and

the curtain comprises a handle capable of lifting with no more than a codified emergency egress requirement of upward lifting force to create a predefined minimum escapement area;

the counterbalance assembly and operational assembly are contained within an overhead coil box;

the curtain comprises a fires resistant material;

a first and second out edge, each outer edge comprising a side geometry mechanically locked within the vertically oriented side members; and

a curtain bottom edge comprising a collapsible bottom bar profile; and

the counterbalance barrel is driven by a barrel sprocket operatively connected to a motor drive sprocket through a roller chain.

12. The overhead coiling door system of claim 11 wherein the releasing device is a holding brake.

13. The overhead coiling door system of claim 11 wherein the collapsible bottom bar profile comprises a floating bumper collapsibly attached to a bottom bar.

14. The overhead coiling door system of claim 11 wherein the counterbalance assembly further comprises a torsion spring operatively connected to the counterbalance barrel.

15. The overhead coiling door system of claim 11 wherein the counterbalance assembly further comprises a spring motor comprised of constant torque springs operatively connected to the counterbalance barrel.

16. The overhead coiling door system of claim 11 further comprising an Open/Close/Stop station operatively connected to the operational assembly.

17. A method of providing overhead coiling door emergency egress comprising the steps of:

delaying release of a door upon entering a predefined emergency alarm condition for a predetermined period of time;

releasing a releasing device after the predetermined period of time allowing the door to deploy by gravity at a predetermined rate;

stopping the deployment upon door contact with an obstruction;

continuing gravity deployment at the predetermined rate upon removal of the obstruction;

lifting the door at any time and from any position with less than a predefined amount of emergency egress lifting force and after a predetermined amount of lifting door movement triggering a power engagement to power move the door to a predetermined minimum escapement area;

pausing the door at the predetermined minimum escapement area for a predetermined period of time; and

allowing the door to once again gravity close at the predetermined rate after the predetermined period of time; and

providing lifting capability of the door at any time and from any position with less than a predefined amount of emergency egress lifting force upon loss of effective operating power, with resumption of gravity close at the predetermined rate upon removal of the emergency egress lifting force.

18. The method of claim 17 further comprising the step of deploying the door to a predetermined position once the predefined emergency alarm condition ends.

19. The method of claim 17 wherein the door comprises:

a vertically coiling curtain operatively contained within vertically oriented side members and operatively connected to a counterbalance assembly and an operational assembly;

a ratcheting assembly operatively connected to a drive motor assembly; and

a rotation sensor operatively connected to a releasing device;

wherein

the counterbalance assembly comprises a counterbalance barrel supported at each end by a securing member;

the operational assembly comprises a powered operating system comprising an operator comprising a controller, the releasing device, continuously charged backup power supply and the drive motor assembly;

the controller automatically deploys the curtain upon entering an alarm condition to delay release for a predetermined time period and then release the releasing device activating the curtain to gravity deploy at a predetermined rate governed by the system, the curtain stopping its deployment upon encountering an obstruction and redeploying once the obstruction is removed; and

the curtain comprises a handle capable of lifting with no more than a codified emergency egress requirement of upward lifting force to create a predefined minimum escapement area;

the counterbalance assembly and operational assembly are contained within an overhead coil box;

the curtain comprises a fires resistant material;

a first and second out edge, each outer edge comprising a side geometry mechanically locked within the vertically oriented side members; and

a curtain bottom edge comprising a collapsible bottom bar profile; and

the counterbalance barrel is driven by a barrel sprocket operatively connected to a motor drive sprocket through a roller chain.

20. The method of claim 19 wherein the collapsible bottom bar profile comprises a floating bumper collapsibly attached to a bottom bar.

21. The method of claim 20 further comprising the step of deploying the door to a predetermined position once the predefined emergency alarm condition ends.