Universal firestopping collar assembly

• US 7,596,914 B2
• Filed: 12/15/2005
• Issued: 10/06/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 12/15/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Specified Technologies Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Specified Technologies Incorporated
• Inventors: Stahl, James P. Jr., Stahl, James P. Sr.
• Primary Examiner(s): Spahn; Gay Ann
• Assistant Examiner(s): IHEZIE, JOSHUA K
• Application Number:
  US11/304,464
• Publication Number:
  US 20070151183A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,391 Days
• Field of Search: 522/32, 522/208, 52/58, 521/98, 522/19, 403/241, 403/393, 403/409.1, 248/224.8, 248/222.41, 248/223.21, 248/225.21
• US Class Current: 52/220.8
• CPC Class Codes: A62C 2/065 having as the main closure device materials, whose characteristics undergo an irreversible change under high temperatures, e.g. intumescent
• CPC Class Codes: F16L 5/04 to form a firebreak device

Abstract

A collar positionable about a panel penetrating member for sealing therearound and particularly for firestopping therearound which prevents the flow of smoke and may include an intumescent component for expansion during exposure to heat. A collar assembly is usable with members penetrating various types of panels including walls, ceilings and floors. The sealing member of the assembly includes frangible zones with removable sections which are mated to the construction of the mounting strap. The mounting strap includes engagement prongs and multiple engagement apertures securable with respect to one another in various relative positions for use with respect to panel penetrating members of various standardized sizes. The engagement of the prongs in various apertures is mated with the frangible zones on the sealing member for effective sealing around panel penetrating members of standardized sizes such as 3 inch, 3½ inch, 4 inch and 4½ inch and others.

Claims

1. A universal firestopping collar assembly for sealing about a panel penetrating member comprising:

A. a sealing member of firestopping material extending longitudinally and defining a plurality of frangible zones directly in the firestopping material of said sealing member extending partially laterally thereacross and spatially disposed from one another to facilitate sealing around panel penetrating members of various sizes and configurations, each of said frangible zones extending across said sealing member at spatially disposed positions to define longitudinally therebetween a plurality of individual removable member sections, said sealing member being breakable along any one of said frangible zones to remove at least one of said removable member sections in order to provide adjustment in the total longitudinal length of said sealing member to facilitate installation thereof in surrounding engagement with panel penetration members of various different sizes;

B. a mounting strap of flexible material to facilitate urging of said sealing member into engaging abutment surrounding a panel penetrating member immediately adjacent a panel, said mounting strap including;

(1) a compression surface with said sealing member secured with respect thereto and extending longitudinally therealong, said compression surface being positionable facing the panel penetrating member to facilitating urging of said sealing member in abutting contact thereagainst;

(2) an outer surface located oppositely from said compression surface and facing outwardly away from the panel penetrating member responsive to positioning of said compression surface of said mounting strap facing the panel penetrating member for urging said sealing member into a surrounding position thereadjacent;

(3) a securement edge positioned between said compression surface and said outer surface and extending longitudinally therealong;

(4) a retaining edge positioned between said compression surface and said outer surface and extending therealong and being spatially disposed oppositely from said securement edge;

(5) a plurality of securement tabs secured to said securement edge and extending outwardly therefrom, said securement tabs being attachable to the panel surrounding the panel penetrating member to facilitate holding of said sealing member into abutment with and surrounding the panel penetrating member;

(6) a first end area including an engagement prong means extending outwardly therefrom, each of said engagement prong means being formed by stamping thereof from said first end area of said mounting strap, each of said engagement prong means being flexibly resilient and moveable relative to said first end area of said mounting strap, each of said engagement prong means being tapered and including a wider prong section immediately adjacent said mounting strap and attached directly thereto, each of said engagement prong means further including a narrower prong section integrally formed with said wider prong section and extending outwardly therefrom spatially disposed from the location of attachment of said wider prong section to said first end area of said mounting strap, the length direction of the engagement prong means being perpendicular to the length direction of the mounting strap; and

(7) a second end area spatially disposed from said first end area along said mounting strap and defining a plurality of individual engagement aperture means therein positioned longitudinally therealong, each of said engagement aperture means being capable of receiving one of said engagement prong means extending thereinto for engagement therewith in order to selectively affix said first end area and said second end area together with said mounting strap extending around said sealing member in abutment with the panel penetrating member for biasing them together to facilitate sealing therearound, each of said engagement aperture means being positioned spatially disposed longitudinally with respect to one another along said second end area of said mounting strap to facilitate adjustability in sizing thereof to facilitate use of said mounting strap with panel penetrating members of various sizes and configurations, each of said engagement aperture means being tapered to define wider aperture end section and a narrower aperture end section contiguous with respect to one another to facilitate engagement thereof by one of said engagement prong means which are tapered, said narrower prong section being flexibly positionable extending into said wider aperture end section to facilitate entry of said engagement prong means into said engagement aperture means, said engagement prong means being flexible to position said wider prong section thereof into said narrower aperture end section for abutting engagement therebetween for facilitating engagement of said engagement prong means with respect to said engagement aperture means, the length direction of the engagement aperture means being perpendicular to the length direction of the mounting strap.

2. A universal firestopping collar assembly for sealing about a panel penetrating member as defined in claim 1 further comprising a plurality of retaining projections secured to said retaining edge of said mounting strap and extending away therefrom along said sealing member to facilitate retaining thereof in securement with respect to said compression surface of said mounting strap for further urging thereof into surrounding abutment with respect to the panel penetrating member.

3. A universal firestopping collar assembly for sealing about a panel penetrating member as defined in claim 2 wherein said retaining projections extend inwardly from said retaining edge oriented approximately perpendicularly with respect to said compression surface to retain said sealing member in position against said compression surface for facilitating guiding thereof into engaging abutment surrounding the panel penetrating member.

4. A universal firestopping collar assembly for sealing about a panel penetrating member as defined in claim 1 wherein each of said securement tabs includes a securement aperture means defined therein to facilitate securement of said mounting strap with respect to the panel surrounding the panel penetrating member.

5. A universal firestopping collar assembly for sealing about a panel penetrating member as defined in claim 1 wherein said second end area of said mounting strap is positionable extending overlapping said outer surface of said first end area of said mounting strap to facilitate engagement between said engagement prong means and selectively one of said engagement aperture means.

6. A universal firestopping collar assembly for sealing about a panel penetrating member as defined in claim 1 wherein said frangible zones on said sealing member include member perforations to facilitate breaking of said sealing member laterally thereacross.

7. A universal firestopping collar assembly for sealing about a panel penetrating member as defined in claim 1 wherein said frangible zones on said sealing member include member slits extending laterally at least partially across said sealing member to facilitate breaking laterally thereacross.

8. A universal firestopping collar assembly for sealing about a panel penetrating member as defined in claim 1 wherein each of said engagement prong means includes an inner prong member and an outer prong member spatially disposed laterally with respect to one another across said outer surface of said first end area of said mounting strap and extending outwardly from said outer surface thereof to facilitate securement with respect to one of said engagement aperture means defined in said second end area of said mounting strap.

9. A universal firestopping collar assembly for sealing about a panel penetrating member as defined in claim 8 wherein each of said engagement aperture means includes an inner engagement aperture and an outer engagement aperture each being spatially disposed laterally with respect to one another across said second end area of said mounting strap, said inner prong member being adapted to extend through said inner engagement aperture and said outer prong member being adapted to extend through said outer engagement aperture to facilitate engagement between said first end area and said second end area of said mounting strap for affixing thereof surrounding said sealing member for urging said sealing member against a panel penetrating member therewithin.

10. A universal firestopping collar assembly for sealing about a panel penetrating member as defined in claim 1 wherein each of said engagement prong means is movable into engagement with respect to one of said engagement aperture means by extending therethrough and being capable of being bent downwardly extending over said outer surface of said mounting strap for securemnent therewith.

11. A universal firestopping collar assembly for sealing about a panel penetrating member as defined in claim 1 wherein said engagement prong means engages said engagement aperture means by extending therethrough and being bent downwardly over said outer surface of said mounting strap toward said retaining edge thereof for securement therewith.

12. A universal firestopping collar assembly for sealing about a panel penetrating member as defined in claim 1 wherein said sealing member is made of a firestopping foam material operable to prevent passage of smoke therethrough.

13. A universal firestopping collar assembly for sealing about a panel penetrating member as defined in claim 1 wherein said sealing member is made of a firestopping intumescent foam material to enhance firestopping characteristics thereof.

14. A universal firestopping collar assembly for sealing about a panel penetrating member as defined in claim 1 wherein second end area defines a first engagement aperture means, a second engagement aperture means, a third engagement aperture means and a fourth engagement aperture means each being spatially disposed therealong longitudinally with respect to one another and wherein said sealing member defines a first frangible zone, a second frangible zone and a third frangible zone each being spatially disposed therealong longitudinally with respect to one another, wherein said first engagement aperture means is defined at a position along said second end area of said mounting strap to extend around said sealing member for sealing around a generally circular panel penetrating member having a diameter of approximately four and one-half inches, and wherein said second engagement aperture means is defined at a position along said second end area of said mounting strap to extend around said sealing member broken through said first frangible zone thereof for sealing around a generally circular panel penetrating member having a diameter of approximately four inches, and wherein said third engagement aperture means is defined at a position along said second end area of said mounting strap to extend around said sealing member broken through said second frangible zone thereof for sealing around a generally circular panel penetrating member having a diameter of approximately three and one-half inches, and wherein said fourth engagement aperture means is defined at a position along said second end area of said mounting strap to extend around said sealing member broken through said third frangible zone thereof for sealing around a generally circular panel penetrating member having a diameter of approximately three inches.

15. A universal firestopping collar assembly for sealing about a panel penetrating member as defined in claim 1 wherein said frangible zones of said sealing member are defined along said sealing member in order to allow said sealing member to seal substantially completely around a panel penetrating member responsive to engagement of said engagement prong means with respect to any one of the plurality of said engagement aperture means to facilitate sealing around various sizes and configurations of panel penetrating members.

16. A universal firestopping collar assembly for sealing about a panel penetrating member as defined in claim 1 wherein said mounting strap is made of a flexible steel material.