Seal for a door or window with a sealing strip that automatically lowers when the door or window is closed.

Description

[0001] The present invention relates to a seal for a door or window with a sealing strip that moves automatically when the door or window is closed, wherein the seal a. has a holder that can be mounted on a sash of the door or window, for example on an outside or in a groove at the top or bottom end of the sash, b. has the sealing strip which has a sealing element with which a gap between the sash and a floor, sill or frame of the door or window can be sealed, c. has a movement mechanism for moving the sealing strip from a release position to a sealing position when the door or window is closed and / or for moving the sealing strip from the sealing position to the release position when the door is opened, d.It has a trigger that is coupled to the movement mechanism and is designed to strike a part of the frame or another part when the door or window is closed, thereby initiating a force into the movement mechanism to move the sealing strip from the release position to the sealing position.

[0002] Seals of this type are used to close gaps in doors or windows. The seal is usually mounted at the bottom of the sash, or less frequently at the top. Very often, the seal is mounted in a groove provided at the bottom or top of the door sash. However, it is also possible to mount the seal on the outside of the sash, particularly with glass doors or when retrofitting a door or window with a seal. There are also known cases where such seals serve to close gaps between the sides of the sash and a frame. Furthermore, it is known to attach such seals not to the sash, but to the frame, to close gaps between the sash and the frame.

[0003] The holder is usually a housing, mostly made of an aluminum or plastic profile. However, there are also other holders that are connected to the sealing strip via a movement mechanism.

[0004] The holder can be attached to the sash or, if necessary, to the frame using mounting brackets and screws or other suitable elements. Various state-of-the-art solutions are known to experts for this purpose. The mounting brackets can be inserted into the holder from the side.

[0005] The movement mechanism can be a mechanism with leaf springs or scissor elements. However, other movement mechanisms are also known.

[0006] The seal becomes effective when the door or window is closed. The trigger of a seal attached to the sash strikes the frame. When the seal is attached to the frame, the sash strikes the trigger. The force exerted on the trigger upon impact is transferred to the movement mechanism, which is then activated and moves the sealing strip from the release position to the sealed position.

[0007] The seal is used to prevent smoke from entering through the door or window in the event of a fire. Furthermore, it can be desirable for a door or window to prevent air from entering through any gaps, which could further fuel the fire.

[0008] In the sealing position of the sealing strip, the trigger is normally activated and depressed, thus introducing the force necessary for the movement of the seal into the seal. The trigger rests against the frame (or, if applicable, the sash), thereby maintaining the force necessary to overcome the return force of the return spring and maintain the sealing position. It has been observed that in fires, due to the heating of the frame and / or the sash and / or parts of the seal, the geometry of the door or window can change. A gap can form between the point where the trigger is normally in the activated state, i.e., in the sealing position of the sealing strip, and the point where the frame (or sash) of the door or window is normally in the activated state.This gap can result in little or no force being applied to the trigger mechanism compared to normal conditions without heat from the fire. The force applied to the trigger to actuate the seal is either eliminated or reduced. Due to the increasing restoring forces, the mechanism then moves the sealing strip into the release position, or at least in that direction. This causes the sealing strip to detach from the building component it normally seals against, and the gap that should be sealed by the seal opens. Smoke and air can then pass through the gap again.

[0009] This is where the present invention comes in.

[0010] The present invention was based on the problem of sealing a gap with a seal of the type mentioned above even when the geometry of the door changes due to heating caused by a fire.

[0011] This problem is solved according to the invention by, a. that the seal has a temperature-sensitive expansion element, b. that the trigger is connected to the movement mechanism via the expansion element, or that the trigger or the movement mechanism has the expansion element, and c. that the force that can be introduced into the trigger to move the sealing strip from the release position to the sealing position is transmitted from the trigger to the sealing strip via the expansion element at least when the temperature of the expansion element is greater than 90°C.

[0012] By means of the expansion element, which is located in the trigger, between the trigger and the movement mechanism, or within the movement mechanism itself, this gap is compensated for if the geometry of the door or window changes and a distance arises between the point where the trigger is normally located and the point where it is located due to the changed geometry. If the expansion element is part of the trigger or located between the trigger and the movement mechanism, the trigger is lengthened due to the expansion, and the distance is compensated for. Compensation can also occur within the movement mechanism if the expansion element is integrated within it.For example, the expansion element can be arranged in a rod into which the force from the trigger is introduced and which is connected to elements of the movement mechanism, via which the force in the movement mechanism is redirected in another direction.

[0013] Unlike known solutions, such as the one disclosed in US document 2022 / 0090440 A1, where the sealing strip is forced downwards in the event of a fire involving intumescent material located between the sealing strip and the seal housing, the sealing strip of a seal according to the invention is not forced downwards solely by the expansion element. In addition to the force generated by the expansion of the expansion element, which acts on the movement mechanism and ultimately on the sealing strip, a force is added due to the trigger contacting a counter surface. Ideally, the expansion element merely compensates for the length difference necessitated by changes in the geometry of the door or window. The actuation force is then still introduced into the trigger and from there transmitted to the movement mechanism.In the best-case scenario, the door or window can still be opened, allowing people in the fire zone to escape or be rescued. This is possible because the force required to move the sealing strip into the sealing position is eliminated when the door or window is opened, and the sealing strip can then easily move into the release position, allowing the door or window to open without difficulty. Ideally, the door or window can therefore retain its function even in the event of a fire. At the very least, its function is not impaired by a sealing strip being pressed against the floor or another surface by an intumescent material.

[0014] The limitation that the expansion element only expands sufficiently to become effective after a temperature of 90°C serves two purposes. First, it prevents the element from functioning at temperatures below 90°C. Only at temperatures above 90°C is a fire highly likely. Second, this limitation allows the door to be opened without obstruction from the seal, even if the expansion element expands beyond what would be necessary to compensate for changes in geometry. The extent of these geometric changes often depends on the door or window itself and its installation, and is difficult or impossible to predict. Therefore, precisely adjusting the expansion element to these geometric changes is challenging.It is therefore possible that the expansion element generates such a large force, or that the geometry of the trigger and / or the movement mechanism is altered so significantly, that the sealing strip no longer moves, or does not move sufficiently, from the sealed position to the released position to allow movement of the door or window sash. However, if the expansion element only takes effect at 90°C, it is ensured that the door or window can be opened at temperatures up to 90°C without the seal obstructing it.

[0015] The expansion element of a seal according to the invention can comprise a temperature-sensitive material with a positive coefficient of thermal expansion or be made of a temperature-sensitive material with a positive coefficient of thermal expansion. A seal according to the invention can comprise a container or a housing in which the temperature-sensitive material is arranged. The container can be a capsule designed similarly to an expansion element in a thermostat. The temperature-sensitive material can be a fluid, in particular a liquid, a paste, or a powder. The temperature-sensitive material can be an intumescent material.

[0016] It is also possible that the expansion element is a bimetallic element or contains a bimetallic material.

[0017] The seal according to the invention can be a seal with a housing as a holder or with another holder that can be attached to the sash of the door or window. For this purpose, the holders can be attached to the sash, for example, with mounting brackets and screws or directly with screws. However, all other fastening methods for attaching seals that are already known from the prior art can also be used.

[0018] In principle, any movement mechanism already used in known movement mechanisms, such as leaf spring mechanisms or scissor mechanisms, is suitable as the movement mechanism of a seal according to the invention. The return spring can be an integral part of the movement mechanism, as is usually the case with leaf spring mechanisms. However, the return spring can also be arranged outside the movement mechanism, as is usually the case with scissor mechanisms.

[0019] An exemplary embodiment of a trigger for a seal according to the invention is described below with reference to the drawings. The drawings show: Fig. 1 a cross-sectional view of the trigger in a normal case and Fig. 2 A cross-sectional view of the trigger in a heated case where the expansion element has lengthened the trigger.

[0020] The trigger A, shown schematically and in section in the figures, can be part of a seal according to the invention, which is attached in or to a sash of a door or window. It comprises a first trigger part 1, a second trigger part 2, and an expansion element 3. The first trigger part 1 has a stop surface 11 with which the trigger A can abut a frame of the door or window when it is closed. The second trigger part 2 has a connecting structure 21 for connecting to a movement mechanism of the seal for which the trigger A is intended. It can, for example, be connected to a trigger rod or a slider of the movement mechanism.

[0021] The first trigger part 1 and the second trigger part 2 are slidably mounted relative to each other. This allows the distance between the stop surface 11 and the connecting structure 21 to be changed. One of the two trigger parts 1, 2, in the illustrated example the second trigger part 2, has a recess into which an expansion element 3 is inserted. This expansion element 3 is located on one side of the second trigger part 2 and on the opposite side of the first trigger part 1.

[0022] When heated above 90°C, the expansion element 3 expands. This expansion pushes the first trigger part 1 and the second trigger part 2 apart, increasing the distance between the stop surface 11 of the first trigger part 1 and the connecting structure 21 of the second trigger part 2. As a result, the trigger A becomes longer.

[0023] This extension of trigger A is suitable to counteract a change in the geometry of the door or window that could lead to a movement of the sealing strip out of the sealing position.

Claims

1. st Seal for a door or a window with a sealing strip which can be moved automatically when the door or the window is closed, wherein the seal - has a holder which can be mounted on a leaf of the door or the window, for example on an outer side or in a groove at the upper or lower end of the leaf, - has the sealing strip which has a sealing element with which a gap between the leaf and a floor, a threshold or a frame of the door or the window can be sealed, - has a movement mechanism for moving the sealing strip from a release position into a sealing position when the door or the window is closed and / or for moving the sealing strip from the sealing position into the release position when the door is opened, - has a trigger (A) which is coupled to the movement mechanism and which is provided to strike against a part of the frame or another part when the door or the window is closed, as a result of which a force for moving the sealing strip from the release position into the sealing position can be introduced into the movement mechanism, characterized - in that the seal has a temperature-sensitive expansion element (3), - in that the trigger (A) is connected to the movement mechanism via the expansion element (3) or the trigger (A) or the movement mechanism has the expansion element (3), and - in that the force which can be introduced into the trigger (A) for moving the sealing strip from the release position into the sealing position is conducted from the trigger (A) into the sealing strip via the expansion element (3) at least when the temperature of the expansion element (3) is greater than 90°C.

2. nd Seal according to Claim 1, characterized in that the expansion element (3) has a temperature-sensitive material (32) or is produced from a temperature-sensitive material.

3. rd Seal according to Claim 2, characterized in that the expansion element (3) has a container or a housing (32) in which the temperature-sensitive material (32) is arranged.

4. th Seal according to Claim 2 or 3, characterized in that the temperature-sensitive material (32) is a fluid, in particular a liquid, a paste or a powder.

5. th Seal according to Claim 1, characterized in that the expansion element (3) is a bimetal element or has a bimetal.

6. th Seal according to Claim 2, characterized in that the temperature-sensitive material (32) is an intumescent material.