Fire resistant protective barrier and a method for its use

Abstract

A protective barrier that will typically be installed beneath ceilings during construction work being performed on ceilings or roofs of buildings. The protective barrier can be comprised entirely of one material or multiple materials connected by seams. Some or all of these materials can be fire resistant or fireproof, thereby creating a firebreak in the barrier, which can prevent the fire from spreading to the entire protective barrier and the rest of the building where the protective barrier has been deployed.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION[0001]This device relates to protective barriers that are typically installed beneath ceilings during construction work being performed on ceilings or roofs of buildings to protect areas below. A protective barrier can comprise sections connected by seams. Such protective barriers are typically made from flammable plastics, and therefore, can catch fire under certain circumstances. However, these seams or the entire protective barrier can be designed to be fire resistant or fireproof. Furthermore, one or more of the seams can be designed to create a firebreak in the protective barrier to prevent the fire from spreading if it catches on fire.BACKGROUND[0002]Protective barriers, such as those described herein, prevent dust and debris from falling on floors, on people, or on equipment located below a ceiling or roof being repaired or constructed. In this way, the protective barrier protects from added costs from damage or injury resulting from this falling materia...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0006]It is an aspect of the present device to provide a protective barrier which can protect people and property from falling dust and debris, and also has the ability to prevent the spread of fire, if the barrier happens to ignite. The barrier must also be capable of allowing for the transmission of light from the lights above the barrier to the area below the barrier and cannot be cost prohibitive.

[0009]The above aspects can also be obtained by a method that comprises providing a planar sheet further comprising a fire resistant or fireproof material and elevating the planar sheet above a floor, wherein the planar sheet prevents dust or debris from reaching the floor.

Problems solved by technology

Such protective barriers are typically made from flammable plastics, and therefore, can catch fire under certain circumstances.

However, these materials tend to be flammable, as mentioned above.

Furthermore, some of the work that is performed in close proximity to such protective barriers can create sparks, flames or heat, which may be sufficient to ignite the barrier.

However, working on only a fraction of a construction project at a time can be more expensive and is often not feasible.

Even is this method is used, the entire protective barrier, though smaller, is still subject to becoming completely engulfed if any part of it catches fire.

Unfortunately, nearly all of the potentially applicable, fire resistant or fireproof materials currently available are neither translucent nor inexpensive.

In other words, these materials allow little or no light to be transmitted from a ceiling, where the lights are typically located, through the protective barrier to the floor, where the light is required and it would be cost prohibitive to construct the entire barrier from these materials.

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