Fire collar

• US 6,959,719 B2
• Filed: 09/09/2002
• Issued: 11/01/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 09/10/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: IG6 Pty., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: James Walter George Truss
• Inventors: Truss, James Walter George
• Primary Examiner(s): Krishnamurthy, Ramesh
• Application Number:
  US10/488,746
• Publication Number:
  US 20050022868A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,149 Days
• Field of Search: 137/72, 137/75, 137/79, 251/315.03, 251/315.04, 251/315.05, 251/315.16
• US Class Current: 137/72
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: F16L 55/1022 Fluid cut-off devices automatically actuated
• CPC Class Codes: F16L 55/1026 Fire protection devices in general A62C
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/1797 Heat destructible or fusible
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/1819 Safety cut-off
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/1963 Temperature

Abstract

A fire collar or fire damper for location within a concrete slab of a building. The device incorporates a damper arrangement (12) and a heat detector (18, 19) comprising a metal alloy or lead which melts when a preset temperature is reached, causing the damper arrangement to seal off associated pipework or ducting.

Claims

1. A housing for fitting into pipework or ducting at the location the pipework or ducting traverses a partition, said housing comprising a damper arrangement and a heat detector, the damper arrangement being designed to normally enable unimpeded fluid flow through the pipework or ducting, but to seal off the pipework or ducting from fluid flow when the heat detector reacts to a preset temperature value, said damper arrangement including a cylinder or ball valve having an internal passageway which is of substantially the same diameter as that of the pipework or ducting, said cylinder or ball valve being rotatable between an open position where the passage of fluid through the pipework or ducting is unimpeded, and closed position, where the passage of fluid is prevented and said cylinder or ball valve being made from a plastic material having an intumescent material embedded between inner and outer layers of the plastic material.

2. The housing of claim 1, wherein the heat detector is a material which yields at the preset temperature value to enable the cylinder or ball valve to rotate to the closed position.

3. The housing of claim 2, wherein the material of the heat detector is lead or a lead alloy which yields at a specific temperature within a temperature range of from 60°

to 120°

C.

4. The housing of claim 1, wherein the heat detector is a seal located between the housing and the damper arrangement which mechanically retains the cylinder or ball valve of the damper arrangement in the open position until the heat detector reaches its reset temperature value when it yields and permits the cylinder or ball valve of the damper arrangement to rotate to the closed position.

5. The housing of claim 1, wherein the heat detector is a thermocouple having associated circuitry and mechanical action which can retract a pin extending between the housing and the damper arrangement to permit the cylinder or ball valve of the damper arrangement to rotate to the closed position when the thermocouple detects the preset temperature value.

6. The housing of claim 1, wherein the cylinder or ball valve is rotatable by means of a spiral spring retained in a recess formed in a wall of the housing, said spiral spring having an outer end held by the housing and an inner end held by the cylinder or ball valve.

7. The housing of claim 1, wherein the heat detector is an alloy pad formed on a bearing shaft which extends through a wall of the housing to a location within the housing.

8. The housing of claim 7, wherein a spiral spring retained in a recess on an outer side of the housing connects the shaft to the housing and is normally held under compression, which spring is released from compression when the alloy pad yields upon being heated to the preset temperature valve, thereby enabling the shaft and the cylinder or ball valve of the damper arrangement to rotate to the closed position.

9. The housing of claim 7, including a testing device which includes a motor which can rive the bearing shaft so as to rotate the cylinder or ball valve of the damper arrangement between the open and closed positions, and back again.