Method for controlling a fire damper installed in a ventilation duct of an air conditioning system, preferably in an exhaust or supply duct of a commercial kitchen and fire damper
A control device and electric braking system extend the cycle life of fire dampers by slowing down the closing process, addressing wear issues and ensuring reliable operation during power interruptions.
Patent Information
- Authority / Receiving Office
- EP · EP
- Patent Type
- Patents
- Current Assignee / Owner
- TROX SE
- Filing Date
- 2023-09-21
- Publication Date
- 2026-07-01
AI Technical Summary
Fire dampers in air ducts of commercial kitchens face high wear due to the inertia of heavy damper blades, leading to insufficient cycle life and potential damage during rapid closing, which is essential for fire safety.
Implement a control device and electric braking system to slow down the closing process of the damper blade, allowing it to pivot from the open to closed position within an extended time, using a spring element and braking device to manage power interruptions.
Enhances the cycle life of fire dampers by protecting gearbox components from wear and preventing damage during maintenance cycles while maintaining rapid closure during fire conditions.
Smart Images
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Abstract
Description
[0001] The invention relates to a method for controlling a fire damper installed in an air duct of an air handling system, preferably in an air duct of an air handling system designed as an exhaust air duct or as a supply air duct of a commercial kitchen, wherein the fire damper comprises a housing with a housing wall and a damper blade, preferably made of calcium silicate, which is pivotably mounted about an axis of rotation between an open position and a closed position and is preferably centrally located on the housing cross-section, and which has two opposing damper surfaces connected to each other by a circumferential end face, wherein the axis of rotation divides the damper blade into two damper blade halves and two opposing bearing points forming the axis of rotation are provided for supporting the damper blade, wherein the fire damper has a damper blade connected directly or indirectly to the damper blade.an electric motor drive arranged on the outside of the housing with at least either a thermally releaseable fuse and / or a thermoelectrically releaseable release device, as well as a spring element acting directly or indirectly on the flap blade, preferably a spring element designed as a torsion spring, and wherein the drive is connected to an actuating device, wherein when a voltage is applied to the drive, the flap blade is moved by the drive against the restoring force of the spring element from its closed position into its position, preferably aligned parallel to the flow direction,The flap is pivoted from its open position and held in the open position. Upon a power interruption, either due to the melting of at least one fuse and / or a thermoelectrically triggered release device, or due to the actuation of an actuating device, the flap is pivoted from its open position to its closed position by the spring element. A control circuit for a safety drive is known from EP 3 104 518 A1.
[0002] Fire dampers commonly used in the exhaust air ducts of commercial kitchens have a closing time of up to 3 seconds. The damper blade is typically made of calcium silicate. Therefore, a damper blade, especially in larger duct cross-sections, can have a considerable weight. Consequently, the actuators are usually quite powerful. The inertia of the damper blade poses a significant challenge for any gearbox in the actuator. The gears must transmit the acceleration forces to the damper blade during startup.
[0003] Therefore, a gearbox is subject to high wear, meaning that a fire damper does not always achieve the prescribed 10,000 closing cycles. 10,000 cycles are required by standards to simulate a daily maintenance run. To increase the service life, the gearbox of an actuator could be made significantly more robust. However, this would make the construction heavier and more expensive. Extending the closing time is not possible, as the safety principle of a short closing time is based on the fact that if grease accumulates in the air duct, it does not act as a tinderbox and prevent fire from spreading from one side to the other before the damper blade closes.
[0004] The object of the invention is to avoid the aforementioned disadvantages and to provide a method that enables a high number of cycles even with a closing time of 1 to 3 seconds.
[0005] This problem is solved according to claim 1 by the fact that on the one hand either The fire damper has a control device and an electric braking device for slowing down the closing process, wherein the control device sends a control signal to the braking device upon detection of a voltage interruption caused by the actuating device, so that the damper leaf is actuated by the spring element and the damper leaf is braked by the braking device in turn, pivoting from its open position to its closed position within an extended closing time. orThe fire damper has a control device for slowing down the closing process, wherein the control device, upon detection of a voltage interruption caused by the actuating device, exerts a braking effect, for example by applying a voltage to the drive to effect a temporary holding of the damper leaf open and reducing this braking effect, preferably continuously, successively, for example by reducing this applied voltage, preferably continuously, successively, so that the damper leaf is actuated by the spring element and the damper leaf is braked and pivoted from its open position to its closed position within an extended closing time, and that, secondly, eitherIn the event of a power interruption, either due to the melting of at least one fuse and / or due to the triggering of a thermoelectrically triggered release device, the flap blade is pivoted from its open position to its closed position by the spring element within a normal closing time. or The fire damper has a control device and an electric braking device for slowing down the closing process, wherein the control device, upon detection of a voltage interruption, either due to the melting of at least one fuse and / or due to the triggering of a thermoelectrically triggered release device, sends a control signal to the braking device, so that the damper leaf is actuated by the spring element and the damper leaf is then braked by the braking device, pivoting from its open position to its closed position within an extended closing time. orThe fire damper has a control device for slowing down the closing process, wherein the control device, upon detection of a voltage interruption, effects a braking effect either as a result of the melting of at least one fuse and / or as a result of the triggering of a thermoelectrically triggered release device, for example by applying a voltage to the actuator to effect a temporary holding of the damper leaf open and reducing this braking effect, preferably continuously, successively, for example by reducing this applied voltage, preferably continuously, successively, so that the damper leaf is actuated by the spring element and the damper leaf is braked and pivoted from its open position to its closed position within an extended closing time.
[0006] The normal closing time, i.e., the movement of the valve leaf from its open to its closed position, can be 1 to 3 seconds. However, a faster closing time is possible. If the valve leaf is moved from its open to its closed position with braking, the closing time will be longer.
[0007] The control unit recognizes whether the voltage interruption was caused on the one hand by the failure of the fuse or the triggering of the thermoelectrically triggered release device, or on the other hand by the actuation of the actuating device.
[0008] It is possible, for example, that an external power source is provided to ensure a controlled movement of the damper blade from its open to its closed position. The fire damper can, for instance, be connected to a power supply network via a cable to maintain its functionality. Cables with functional integrity guarantee insulation integrity for a certain period in the event of a fire.
[0009] The fire damper can, for example, also have an energy storage device, such as a battery.
[0010] It is also conceivable that, when the flap blade moves from its open to its closed position, the drive mechanism acts as a coil via the spring element, thereby inducing a voltage. This generates an inductive current that can be used, for example, by the braking device. Simultaneously, during the induction process, the drive mechanism presents a resistance that the spring element must overcome, thus also braking the pivoting movement of the flap blade from its open to its closed position.
[0011] If the power interruption results from the failure of the fuse or the activation of the thermoelectric release device, a rapid closing process occurs as before. Due to a temperature increase, for example as a result of a fire, the fuse melts or the thermoelectric release device is triggered, for instance by sending a signal to the control unit. As a result of the fuse melting or the thermoelectric release device being activated, the actuator is de-energized, and the flap leaf is pivoted from its open position to its closed position by the spring element within the normal closing time, as before.
[0012] If the fire damper has a control unit and an electric braking device to slow down the closing process, the control unit sends a control signal to the braking device upon detecting a voltage interruption caused by the actuating device. The damper blade is then actuated by the spring element, but the braking device then slows the damper blade from its open position to its closed position within an extended closing time.
[0013] If the fire damper has a control device for slowing down the closing process, the control device applies a braking effect upon detecting a voltage interruption caused by the actuating device, for example, by applying a voltage to the actuator to temporarily hold the damper blade open. This braking effect, for example, the applied voltage, is reduced, preferably continuously, successively. The damper blade is again actuated by the spring element, but the damper blade is braked as it pivots from its open position to its closed position within an extended closing time. The successive reduction of the applied voltage decreases it step by step and gradually. Preferably, the reduction is continuous. The successive reduction of the braking effect decreases it step by step and gradually.
[0014] The rapid closing time (normal closing time) is only necessary in the event of a fire and is triggered by the failure of the fuse or by the activation of a thermoelectrically triggered release device.
[0015] During a maintenance cycle, the power interruption is initiated by the actuating device. The pivoting of the flap blade through 90° occurs significantly more slowly. While this considerably increases the closing time, the longer closing time is not a problem since it is only a maintenance cycle. Furthermore, all components responsible for the rotational movement, such as the gearbox, are protected from wear. The drive unit can also be smaller and therefore less expensive to manufacture.
[0016] An exhaust air duct is a duct through which air is directly expelled from a building to the outside. An exhaust air duct first connects to another duct, for example, another branch of an air handling unit, before the air is then released to the outside.
[0017] At least one of the fuses is a thermoelectric tripping device. When a fuse trips, for example at a temperature above 72 °C, the voltage, i.e., the supply voltage, to the drive is permanently and irrevocably interrupted.
[0018] An actuating device can be a simple switch. Switching it can apply or interrupt a voltage. The actuating device can be located on the fire damper itself. However, it can also be located at a distance from the fire damper, for example, in another room.
[0019] Provided that the fire damper has a control device and an electric braking device for slowing down the closing process, wherein the control device sends a control signal to the braking device upon detection of a voltage interruption due to the melting of at least one fuse and / or due to the triggering of a thermoelectrically triggered release device, so that the damper leaf is actuated by the spring element and the damper leaf is braked by the braking device within an extended closing time and pivoted from its open position to its closed position, and / or the fire damper has a control device for slowing down the closing process, wherein the control device exerts a braking effect upon detection of a voltage interruption due to the melting of at least one fuse and / or due to the triggering of a thermoelectrically triggered release device,for example by applying a voltage to the drive to effect a temporary holding of the flap leaf open and reducing this braking effect, preferably continuously and successively, for example by reducing this applied voltage, preferably continuously and successively, so that the flap leaf is actuated by the spring element and the flap leaf is braked and pivoted from its open position to its closed position within an extended closing time,Even if at least one fuse melts and / or a thermoelectrically triggered release device is activated, it is possible to pivot the valve blade from its open to its closed position by controlled braking within an extended closing time. Such operation can be advantageous, for example, with heavy valve blades. Heavy valve blades experience high mass acceleration. If such valve blades strike the stop in the closed position without braking, this can lead to breakage of the valve blade and / or damage to the stop, which must be avoided. It is also possible that a valve blade, after striking a stop, may spring back slightly, i.e., be moved back towards the open position, and become stuck in this position, for example, because the intumescent material has already expanded.
[0020] If the fire damper has, firstly, a control device and an electric braking device for slowing down the closing process, wherein the control device sends a control signal to the braking device upon detection of a voltage interruption caused by the actuating device, so that the damper leaf is actuated by the spring element and the damper leaf is braked by the braking device within an extended closing time and pivoted from its open position to its closed position, and secondly, if it has a control device and an electric braking device for slowing down the closing process, wherein the control device sends a control signal to the braking device upon detection of a voltage interruption due to the melting of at least one fuse and / or due to the triggering of a thermoelectrically triggered release device,So that the flap leaf is actuated by the spring element and then braked by the braking device, pivoting from its open to its closed position within an extended closing time, it is advantageous to use only one common control device and one common braking device. Of course, two control devices and two braking devices are also possible.
[0021] If the fire damper has a control device for slowing down the closing process, wherein the control device exerts a braking effect upon detection of a voltage interruption caused by the actuating device, for example by applying a voltage to the drive to effect temporarily holding the damper leaf open and reducing this braking effect, preferably continuously and successively, for example by reducing this applied voltage, preferably continuously and successively, so that the damper leaf is actuated by the spring element and the damper leaf is braked and pivoted from its open position to its closed position within an extended closing time, and has a control device for slowing down the closing process,Where the control device, upon detection of a voltage interruption due to the melting of at least one fuse and / or the triggering of a thermoelectrically triggered release device, effects a braking action, for example by applying a voltage to the actuator to temporarily hold the flap open, and reduces this braking effect, preferably continuously and successively, for example by gradually reducing the applied voltage, so that the flap is actuated by the spring element and the flap is braked and pivoted from its open position to its closed position within an extended closing time, it is advantageous if only one common control device is provided. Of course, two control devices can also be provided.
[0022] At least one fuse and / or at least one thermoelectrically triggered release device can be configured to act directly on the drive. In this case, the drive is directly connected to the fuse and / or the thermoelectrically triggered release device. However, it is also possible that the fuse and / or the thermoelectrically triggered release device is connected to the drive via at least one other component. This component could also be the control unit.
[0023] The actuating device can be part of a higher-level control system, preferably a building management system (BMS).
[0024] A thermoelectric tripping device with at least one external housing temperature fuse and at least one internal housing temperature fuse can be used as a fuse. If the ambient temperature exceeds, for example, 72 °C, the external housing temperature fuse trips. If the temperature inside the housing exceeds 72 °C, the internal housing temperature fuse trips. When either of the two temperature fuses trips, the drive's power supply is permanently and irreversibly interrupted.
[0025] An electric spring return motor, incorporating the spring element, can be used as the drive. In such a design, the spring element is integrated directly into the drive or into the drive housing.
[0026] Upon detection of a voltage interruption caused by the actuating device and / or upon detection of a voltage interruption due to the melting of at least one fuse and / or due to the triggering of a thermoelectrically triggered release device, the flap blade can be braked, preferably uniformly, over its entire pivoting range from its open to its closed position. With uniform braking, the braking effect remains unchanged in every position of the flap blade. However, it is also conceivable that the braking effect increases over the pivoting range. Naturally, it is also possible that the braking effect is reduced again upon reaching a specific angular position.
[0027] Upon detection of a voltage interruption caused by the actuating device and / or upon detection of a voltage interruption due to the melting of at least one fuse and / or due to the triggering of a thermoelectrically triggered release device, braking can occur within a braking range that ends before the damper blade reaches the closed position. In this configuration, the damper blade is not braked over its entire pivoting range from its open to its closed position. For example, if the braking range is 20° and ends 20° before the closed position is reached, the braking range—assuming a damper blade pivot angle of 90°—begins after the damper blade has pivoted 50° and ends at 70°. After passing through the braking range, the braking effect is released, and the damper blade is pivoted the remaining 20° solely by the spring element.
[0028] The braking range can end approximately 10° to 5° before the flap blade closes. With this method, after passing through the braking range, the flap blade is pivoted the remaining 10° to 5° by the spring element.
[0029] The invention also relates to a fire damper for use in an air duct of a ventilation system, preferably in an air duct of a ventilation system designed as an exhaust air duct or as a supply air duct of a commercial kitchen, wherein the fire damper comprises a housing with a housing wall and a damper blade, preferably mounted centrally on the housing cross-section and pivotable about an axis of rotation between an open position and a closed position, having two opposing damper surfaces connected to each other by a circumferential end face, preferably made of calcium silicate, wherein the axis of rotation divides the damper blade into two damper blade halves and two opposing bearing points forming the axis of rotation are provided for supporting the damper blade, wherein the fire damper has a damper blade connected directly or indirectly to the damper blade.an electric motor drive arranged on the outside of the housing, comprising at least either a thermally releaseable fuse and / or a thermoelectrically releaseable release device, and a spring element acting directly or indirectly on the flap blade, preferably a spring element designed as a torsion spring, and wherein the drive is connected to an actuating device, wherein, when a voltage is applied to the drive, the flap blade is moved by the drive against the restoring force of the spring element from its closed position into its position, preferably aligned parallel to the flow direction.The flap leaf is pivotable in the open position and is held in the open position, and in the event of a voltage interruption, either due to the melting of at least one fuse and / or a thermoelectrically triggered release device or due to the actuation of an actuating device, the flap leaf can be moved from its open position to its closed position by the spring element, in particular for carrying out the method according to one of the method claims.
[0030] Fire dampers commonly used in the exhaust air ducts of commercial kitchens have a closing time of up to 3 seconds. The damper blade is typically made of calcium silicate. Therefore, a damper blade, especially in larger duct cross-sections, can have a considerable weight. Consequently, the actuators are usually quite powerful. The inertia of the damper blade poses a significant challenge for any gearbox in the actuator. The gears must transmit the acceleration forces to the damper blade during startup.
[0031] Therefore, a gearbox is subject to high wear, meaning that a fire damper does not always achieve the prescribed 10,000 closing cycles. 10,000 cycles are required by standards to simulate a daily maintenance run. To increase the service life, the gearbox of an actuator could be made significantly more robust. However, this would make the construction heavier and more expensive. Extending the closing time is not possible, as the safety principle of a short closing time is based on the fact that if grease accumulates in the air duct, it does not act as a tinderbox and prevent fire from spreading from one side to the other before the damper blade closes.
[0032] The object of the invention is to avoid the aforementioned disadvantages and to provide a fire damper that enables a high number of cycles even with a closing time of 1 to 3 seconds.
[0033] This problem is solved according to claim 9 by the fact that on the one hand either The fire damper has a control device and an electric braking device for slowing down the closing process, wherein the control device sends a control signal to the braking device upon detection of a voltage interruption caused by the actuating device, so that the damper leaf can be actuated by the spring element and the damper leaf can be braked by the braking device and pivoted from its open position to its closed position within an extended closing time. orThe fire damper has a control device for slowing down the closing process, wherein the control device, upon detection of a voltage interruption caused by the actuating device, exerts a braking effect, for example by applying a voltage to the drive to effect a temporary holding of the damper leaf open and reducing this braking effect, preferably continuously, successively, for example by reducing this applied voltage, preferably continuously, successively, so that the damper leaf can be actuated by the spring element and the damper leaf can be pivoted from its open position to its closed position within an extended closing time, and that, secondly, eitherIn the event of a power interruption, either due to the melting of at least one fuse and / or due to the triggering of a thermoelectrically triggered release device, the flap blade is pivoted from its open position to its closed position by the spring element within a normal closing time. or The fire damper has a control device and an electric braking device for slowing down the closing process, wherein the control device, upon detection of a voltage interruption, either due to the melting of at least one fuse and / or due to the triggering of a thermoelectrically triggered release device, sends a control signal to the braking device, so that the damper leaf can be actuated by the spring element and the damper leaf, in turn braked by the braking device, can be pivoted from its open position to its closed position within an extended closing time. orThe fire damper has a control device for slowing down the closing process, wherein the control device, upon detection of a voltage interruption, effects a braking effect either as a result of the melting of at least one fuse and / or as a result of the triggering of a thermoelectrically triggered release device, for example by applying a voltage to the drive to effect a temporary holding of the damper leaf open and reducing this braking effect, preferably continuously, successively, for example by reducing this applied voltage, preferably continuously, successively, so that the damper leaf can be actuated by the spring element and the damper leaf can be pivoted from its open position to its closed position within an extended closing time.
[0034] The normal closing time, i.e., the movement of the valve leaf from its open to its closed position, can be 1 to 3 seconds. However, a faster closing time is possible. If the valve leaf is moved from its open to its closed position with braking, the closing time will be longer.
[0035] The control unit recognizes whether the voltage interruption was caused on the one hand by the failure of the fuse or the triggering of the thermoelectric release device, or on the other hand by the actuation of the actuating device.
[0036] It is possible, for example, that an external power source is provided to ensure a controlled movement of the damper blade from its open to its closed position. The fire damper can, for instance, be connected to a power supply network via a cable to maintain its functionality. Cables with functional integrity guarantee insulation integrity for a certain period in the event of a fire.
[0037] The fire damper can, for example, also have an energy storage device, such as a battery.
[0038] It is also conceivable that, when the flap blade moves from its open to its closed position, the drive mechanism acts as a coil via the spring element, thereby inducing a voltage. This generates an inductive current that can be used, for example, by the braking device. Simultaneously, during the induction process, the drive mechanism presents a resistance that the spring element must overcome, thus also braking the pivoting movement of the flap blade from its open to its closed position.
[0039] If the power interruption results from the failure of the fuse or the activation of the thermoelectric release device, a rapid closing process occurs as before. Due to a temperature increase, for example as a result of a fire, the fuse melts or the thermoelectric release device is triggered, for instance by sending a signal to the control unit. As a result of the fuse melting or the thermoelectric release device being activated, the actuator is de-energized, and the flap leaf is pivoted from its open position to its closed position by the spring element within the normal closing time, as before.
[0040] If the fire damper has a control unit and an electric braking device to slow down the closing process, the control unit sends a control signal to the braking device upon detecting a voltage interruption caused by the actuating device. The damper blade is then actuated by the spring element, but the braking device then slows the damper blade from its open position to its closed position within an extended closing time.
[0041] If the fire damper has a control device for slowing down the closing process, the control device applies a braking effect upon detecting a voltage interruption caused by the actuating device, for example, by applying a voltage to the actuator to temporarily hold the damper blade open. This braking effect, for example, the applied voltage, is reduced, preferably continuously, successively. The damper blade is again actuated by the spring element, but the damper blade is braked as it pivots from its open position to its closed position within an extended closing time. The successive reduction of the applied voltage decreases it step by step and gradually. Preferably, the reduction is continuous. The successive reduction of the braking effect decreases it step by step and gradually.
[0042] The rapid closing time (normal closing time) is only necessary in the event of a fire and is triggered by the failure of the fuse or by the activation of the thermoelectrically triggered release device, which may also be a sensor.
[0043] During a maintenance cycle, the power interruption is initiated by the actuating device. The pivoting of the flap blade through 90° occurs significantly more slowly. While this considerably increases the closing time, the longer closing time is not a problem since it is only a maintenance cycle. Furthermore, all components responsible for the rotational movement, such as the gearbox, are protected from wear. The drive unit can also be smaller and therefore less expensive to manufacture.
[0044] An exhaust air duct is a duct through which air is directly expelled from a building to the outside. An exhaust air duct first connects to another duct, for example, another branch of an air handling unit, before the air is then released to the outside.
[0045] At least one of the fuses is a thermoelectric tripping device. When a fuse trips, for example at a temperature above 72 °C, the voltage, i.e., the supply voltage, to the drive is permanently and irrevocably interrupted.
[0046] An actuating device can be a simple switch. Switching it can apply or interrupt a voltage. The actuating device can be located on the fire damper itself. However, it can also be located at a distance from the fire damper, for example, in another room.
[0047] Provided that the fire damper has a control device and an electric braking device for slowing down the closing process, wherein the control device sends a control signal to the braking device upon detection of a voltage interruption due to the melting of at least one fuse and / or due to the triggering of a thermoelectrically triggered release device, so that the damper leaf is actuated by the spring element and the damper leaf is braked by the braking device within an extended closing time and pivoted from its open position to its closed position, and / or the fire damper has a control device for slowing down the closing process, wherein the control device exerts a braking effect upon detection of a voltage interruption due to the melting of at least one fuse and / or due to the triggering of a thermoelectrically triggered release device,for example by applying a voltage to the drive to effect a temporary holding of the flap leaf open and reducing this braking effect, preferably continuously and successively, for example by reducing this applied voltage, preferably continuously and successively, so that the flap leaf is actuated by the spring element and the flap leaf is braked and pivoted from its open position to its closed position within an extended closing time,Even if at least one fuse melts and / or a thermoelectric release device is triggered, it is possible to pivot the valve blade from its open to its closed position by controlled braking within an extended closing time. Such operation can be advantageous, for example, with heavy valve blades. Heavy valve blades experience high mass acceleration. If such blades strike the stop in the closed position without braking, this can lead to breakage of the blade and / or damage to the stop, which must be avoided. It is also possible that a valve blade, after striking a stop, may spring back slightly, i.e., be moved back towards the open position, and become stuck in this position, for example, because the intumescent material has already expanded.
[0048] If the fire damper has, firstly, a control device and an electric braking device for slowing down the closing process, wherein the control device sends a control signal to the braking device upon detection of a voltage interruption caused by the actuating device, so that the damper leaf is actuated by the spring element and the damper leaf is braked by the braking device within an extended closing time and pivoted from its open position to its closed position, and secondly, if it has a control device and an electric braking device for slowing down the closing process, wherein the control device sends a control signal to the braking device upon detection of a voltage interruption due to the melting of at least one fuse and / or due to the triggering of a thermoelectrically triggered release device,So that the flap leaf is actuated by the spring element and then braked by the braking device, pivoting from its open to its closed position within an extended closing time, it is advantageous to use only one common control device and one common braking device. Of course, two control devices and two braking devices are also possible.
[0049] If the fire damper has a control device for slowing down the closing process, wherein the control device exerts a braking effect upon detection of a voltage interruption caused by the actuating device, for example by applying a voltage to the drive to effect temporarily holding the damper leaf open and reducing this braking effect, preferably continuously and successively, for example by reducing this applied voltage, preferably continuously and successively, so that the damper leaf is actuated by the spring element and the damper leaf is braked and pivoted from its open position to its closed position within an extended closing time, and has a control device for slowing down the closing process,Where the control device, upon detection of a voltage interruption due to the melting of at least one fuse and / or the triggering of a thermoelectrically triggered release device, effects a braking action, for example by applying a voltage to the actuator to temporarily hold the flap open and reducing this braking effect, preferably continuously and successively, for example by reducing this applied voltage, preferably continuously and successively, so that the flap is actuated by the spring element and the flap is braked and pivoted from its open position to its closed position within an extended closing time, it is advantageous if only one common control device is provided. Of course, two control devices can also be provided.
[0050] At least one fuse and / or at least one thermoelectrically triggered release device can be configured to act directly on the drive. In this case, the drive is directly connected to the fuse and / or the thermoelectrically triggered release device. However, it is also possible that the fuse and / or the thermoelectrically triggered release device is connected to the drive via at least one other component. This component could also be the control unit.
[0051] The actuating device can be part of a higher-level control system, preferably a building management system (BMS). In this case, the pivoting of the damper blade can be initiated via the building management system (BMS).
[0052] At least one fuse can be designed as a thermoelectric tripping device with at least one external housing temperature fuse and at least one internal housing temperature fuse. If the ambient temperature exceeds, for example, 72 °C, the external housing temperature fuse trips. If the temperature inside the housing exceeds 72 °C, the internal housing temperature fuse trips. When either of the two temperature fuses trips, the drive's power supply is permanently and irreversibly interrupted.
[0053] The drive can be designed as an electric spring return motor that includes the spring element. In such a design, the spring element is integrated directly into the drive or into the drive housing.
[0054] The control unit can be an integral part of the drive. In such a configuration, the control unit can, for example, be mounted on the outside of the drive or any housing surrounding the drive.
[0055] The braking system can be integrated into the drive unit.
[0056] The braking device can be designed as an eddy current brake. An eddy current brake uses the eddy currents induced by magnetic fields in moving metal discs (rotors) or blades for braking. Of course, other electrically actuated braking devices are also conceivable.
[0057] The control device can be configured such that the flap blade is braked, preferably uniformly, over its entire pivoting range from its open to its closed position. With uniform braking, the braking effect remains unchanged in every position of the flap blade. However, it is also conceivable that the braking effect increases over the pivoting range. Naturally, it is also possible that the braking effect is reduced again once a certain angular position is reached.
[0058] Alternatively, the control device can be configured such that braking occurs within a braking range that ends before the flap reaches the closed position. In this configuration, the flap is not braked over its entire pivoting range from the open to the closed position. For example, if the braking range is 20° and ends 20° before the closed position, the braking range—assuming a flap pivot angle of 90°—begins after the flap has pivoted 50° and ends at 70°. Once the braking range is traversed, the braking effect is released, and the flap is pivoted the remaining 20° solely by the spring element.
[0059] The braking range can end approximately 10° to 5° before the flap blade closes. With this method, after passing through the braking range, the flap blade is pivoted the remaining 10° to 5° by the spring element.
[0060] An embodiment of the invention illustrated in the drawings will be explained below. The drawings show: Fig. 1 shows a fire damper according to the invention with two fusible links, wherein the damper blade is in its open position, Fig. 2 shows a fire damper according to the invention with one fusible link, wherein the damper blade is in its closed position, and Fig. 3 shows an enlarged schematic representation of the transmission mechanism of a fire damper according to the invention with two fusible links, wherein, for example, the housing and the damper blade are not shown.
[0061] In all figures, identical reference symbols are used for identical or similar components.
[0062] The Figs. 1 to 3 Figure 1 shows a fire damper according to the invention for use in an air duct (not shown) of a ventilation system. The air duct can, for example, be the exhaust air duct or the supply air duct of a commercial kitchen within a ventilation system.
[0063] The fire damper comprises a housing 1 having a housing wall and a damper blade 3, preferably made of calcium silicate, which is pivotably mounted about an axis of rotation 2 and is centrally located on the housing cross-section between an open position and a closed position and has two opposing damper surfaces connected to each other by a circumferential end face.
[0064] The pivot axis 2 divides the damper blade 3 into two damper blade halves, and two opposing bearing points forming the pivot axis 2 are provided for supporting the damper blade 3. The fire damper has an electric motor drive 4 arranged on the outside of the housing 1, which is indirectly connected to the damper blade 3 via a gearbox 5.
[0065] In the exemplary embodiment according to Fig. 2 Only one thermally triggered fuse 6 is provided, whereas in the embodiments according to the Fig. 1 and 3 Two thermally triggered fuses 6 are provided, preferably one fuse 6 being arranged on one side of the flap blade 3 and the other fuse 6 being arranged on the other side of the flap blade 3. Instead of the fuse(s) 6, thermoelectrically triggered release devices may also be provided.
[0066] Furthermore, a spring element 22 acting indirectly on the flap blade 3 is provided. In the illustrated embodiments, the drive 4 is designed as an electric spring return motor in which a spring element 22 is already integrated. In the illustrated embodiment, the spring element 22 is designed as a coil spring.
[0067] The drive 4 is connected to an actuating device 7. In the illustrated embodiments, the actuating device 7 is part of a higher-level control system, for example, a building management system (BMS).
[0068] When a voltage is applied to the actuator 4, the flap blade 3 is pivoted by the actuator 4 against the restoring force of the spring element 22 from its closed position into its open position, which is aligned parallel to the flow direction 8, and is held in the open position by the actuator 4.
[0069] In the event of a power interruption due to the melting of a fuse 6 or the triggering of a thermoelectrically triggered release device, the flap blade 3 is pivoted from its open position to its closed position by the spring element 22 within a normal closing time. The closed position is in Fig. 2 As shown. Each fuse 6 acts directly on the drive 4, as indicated by the two connections 9.
[0070] Additionally, the fire damper has a control unit 10 and an electric braking device 11 for slowing down the closing process. In the illustrated embodiments, the control unit 10 is part of the drive 4. As the figures show, the control unit 10 is mounted on the outside of the drive 4. The actuating device 7 is connected to the control unit 10 via connections 21.
[0071] How Fig. 3As can be seen, in the illustrated embodiment, the braking device 11 is integrated into the drive 4. The braking device 11 is designed as an eddy current brake by way of example. However, the braking effect can also be achieved by other components.
[0072] The control unit 10 detects whether a voltage interruption has occurred on the one hand due to the failure of a fuse 6 or the triggering of a thermoelectrically triggered release device, or on the other hand due to the actuation of the actuating device 7.
[0073] Upon detection of a voltage interruption caused by the actuating device 7, for example by flipping a switch in the building management system (BMS), via the connections 21, the control unit 10 sends a control signal to the braking device 11. The damper blade 3 is pivoted by the spring element 22. The braking device 11, activated by the control signal, then brakes the damper blade 3, pivoting it from its open position to its closed position within an extended closing time.
[0074] In Fig. 3An enlarged view shows a possible embodiment of the transmission of the rotary motion of the drive 4 via the gear 5 to the flap 3, whereby, for example, the housing 1 or the flap 3 are not shown. The drive 4 has a gear 12 that meshes with a second gear 13. This second gear 13 is mounted on a shaft 14 with a third gear 15, the second gear 13 having a smaller diameter than the third gear 15. The third gear 15, in turn, meshes with a fourth gear 16. The fourth gear 16 is rotatably attached to the end of a drive shaft 17 that protrudes from the housing 1. At the other end of the drive shaft 17, located inside the housing 1, a lever 18 is fixedly arranged and connected via a pivot joint 19 to a displacement lever 20 that engages the flap 3.
[0075] How Fig. 3As can be seen, the spring element 22, designed as a coil spring, sits on the shaft 14. One end of the coil spring is attached to the shaft 14, while the other end is attached to a fixed point. The coil spring thus generates the restoring torque for closing the flap 3.
Claims
1. Method for controlling a fire damper installed in an air duct of a ventilation and air-conditioning system, preferably in an air duct of such a system configured as an extract duct or discharge duct for a commercial kitchen, wherein the fire damper comprises a housing (1) having a housing wall and a flap leaf (3), preferably made of calcium silicate, which is mounted so as to be pivotable about a rotation axis (2) between an open position and a closed position, preferably centred on the housing cross-section, and which comprises two opposing flap surfaces connected to one another by a circumferential end face, wherein the rotation axis (2) divides the flap leaf (3) into two flap leaf halves and two opposed mounting points forming the rotation axis (2) are provided for mounting the flap leaf (3), wherein the fire damper has an electric motor drive (4) connected directly or indirectly to the flap leaf (3) and arranged on the outside of the housing (1), having at least either a thermally trippable fusible link (6) and / or a thermoelectrically trippable release device, as well as a spring element (22) acting directly or indirectly on the flap leaf (3), preferably a spring element (22) configured as a torsion spring, and wherein the drive (4) is connected to an actuating device (7), wherein, when a voltage is applied to the drive (4), the flap leaf (3) is pivoted by the drive (4) against the restoring force of the spring element (22) from its closed position into its open position, which is preferably aligned parallel to the direction of flow (8), and held in the open position, and, in the event of a voltage interruption, either due to the melting of at least one fusible link (6) and / or due to the tripping of a thermoelectrically trippable release device or else due to the actuation of an actuating device (7), the flap leaf (3) is pivoted by the spring element (22) from its open position to its closed position, wherein - on the one hand either the fire damper has a control device (10) and an electric braking device (11) to slow down the closing process, wherein the control device (10), upon detection of a voltage interruption caused by the actuating device (7), sends a control signal to the braking device (11), so that the flap leaf (3) is actuated by the spring element (22) and the flap leaf (3), in turn braked by the braking device (11), is pivoted from its open position to its closed position within an extended closing time or the fire damper has a control device (10) to slow down the closing process, wherein the control device (10), upon detection of a voltage interruption caused by the actuating device (7), exerts a braking effect, for example by applying a voltage to the drive (4) to cause the flap leaf (3) to remain open temporarily, and reduces this braking effect, preferably continuously, in a gradual manner, for example by reducing this applied voltage, preferably continuously, in a gradual manner, so that the flap leaf (3) is actuated by the spring element (22) and the flap leaf (3) is pivoted, under braking, from its open position to its closed position within an extended closing time; - and wherein on the other hand either in the event of a voltage interruption, either due to the melting of at least one fusible link (6) and / or due to the tripping of a thermoelectrically trippable release device, the flap leaf (3) is pivoted by the spring element (22) from its open position to its closed position within a normal closing time or the fire damper has a control device (10) and an electric braking device (11) to slow down the closing process, wherein the control device (10), upon detection of a voltage interruption due to the melting of at least one fusible link (6) and / or due to the tripping of a thermoelectrically trippable release device, sends a control signal to the braking device (11), so that the flap leaf (3) is actuated by the spring element (22) and the flap leaf (3), in turn braked by the braking device (11), is pivoted from its open position to its closed position within an extended closing time or else the fire damper has a control device (10) to slow down the closing process, wherein the control device (10), upon detection of a voltage interruption either due to the melting of at least one fusible link (6) and / or due to the tripping of a thermoelectrically actuated release mechanism, exerts a braking effect, for example by applying a voltage to the drive (4) to cause the flap leaf (3) to remain temporarily open and preferably continuously reducing this braking effect in a gradual manner so that the flap leaf (3) is actuated by the spring element (22) and the flap leaf (3) is pivoted, under braking, from its open position to its closed position within an extended closing time.
2. Method according to the preceding claim, characterised in that at least one fusible link (6) and / or at least one thermoelectrically trippable release device is (are) configured to act directly on the drive (4).
3. Method according to one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the actuating device (7) is an integral part of a higher-level control system, preferably the building management system (BMS).
4. Method according to any of the preceding claims, characterised in that a thermoelectric release device with at least one external housing temperature fuse and at least one internal housing temperature fuse is used as the at least one fusible link (6).
5. Method according to any of the preceding claims, characterised in that an electric spring return motor comprising the spring element (22) is used as the drive (4).
6. Method according to any of the preceding claims, characterised in that, upon detection of a voltage interruption caused by the actuating device (7) and / or upon detection of a voltage interruption due to the melting of at least one fusible link (6) and / or due to the tripping of a thermoelectrically trippable release device, the flap leaf (3) is braked, preferably uniformly, over the entire pivot path from its open position to its closed position.
7. Method according to any of the preceding claims, characterised in that, upon detection of a voltage interruption caused by the actuating device (7) and / or upon detection of a voltage interruption due to the melting of at least one fusible link (6) and / or due to the tripping of a thermoelectrically trippable release device, braking takes place within a braking zone which ends before the flap leaf (3) reaches the closed position.
8. Method according to the preceding claim, characterised in that the braking zone ends approximately 10° to 5° before the closed position of the flap leaf (3).
9. Fire damper for use in an air duct of a ventilation and air-conditioning system, preferably in an air duct of such a system configured as an extract duct or discharge duct for a commercial kitchen, wherein the fire damper comprises a housing (1) having a housing wall, and a flap leaf (3), preferably made of calcium silicate, which is mounted so as to be pivotable about a rotation axis (2) between an open position and a closed position, preferably centred on the housing cross-section, and which comprises two opposing flap surfaces connected to one another by a circumferential end face, wherein the rotation axis (2) divides the flap leaf (3) into two flap leaf halves and two opposed mounting points forming the rotation axis (2) are provided for mounting the flap leaf (3), wherein the fire damper comprises an electric motor drive (4) connected directly or indirectly to the flap leaf (3) and arranged on the outside of the housing (1), having at least either a thermally trippable fusible link (6) and / or a thermoelectrically trippable release device, as well as a spring element (22) acting directly or indirectly on the flap leaf (3), preferably a spring element (22) configured as a torsion spring, and wherein the drive (4) is connected to an actuating device (7), wherein, when a voltage is applied to the drive (4), the flap leaf (3) can be pivoted by the drive (4) against the restoring force of the spring element (22) from its closed position into its open position, which is preferably aligned parallel to the direction of flow and held in the open position, and in the event of a voltage interruption, either due to the melting of at least one fusible link (6) and / or due to the tripping of a thermoelectrically trippable release device, or else due to the actuation of an actuating device (7), the flap leaf (3) can be pivoted by the spring element (22) from its open position to its closed position, in particular in order to carry out the method according to any of the previous claims, wherein - on the one hand either the fire damper has a control device (10) and an electric braking device (11) to slow down the closing process, wherein the control device (10), upon detection of a voltage interruption caused by the actuating device (7), sends a control signal to the braking device (11), so that the flap leaf (3) can be actuated by the spring element (22) and the flap leaf, in turn braked by the braking device (11), can be pivoted from its open position to its closed position within an extended closing time or the fire damper has a control device (10) to slow down the closing process, wherein the control device (10), upon detection of a voltage interruption caused by the actuating device (7), exerts a braking effect, for example by applying a voltage to the drive (4) to cause the flap leaf (3) to remain open temporarily and reducing this braking effect, preferably continuously, in a gradual manner, for example by gradually reducing this applied voltage, preferably continuously, in a gradual manner, so that the flap leaf (3) can be actuated by the spring element (22) and the flap leaf (3) can be pivoted, under braking, from its open position to its closed position within an extended closing time; - and wherein on the other hand either in the event of a voltage interruption, either due to the melting of at least one fusible link (6) and / or due to the tripping of a thermoelectrically trippable release device, the flap leaf (3) is pivoted by the spring element (22) from its open position to its closed position within a normal closing time or the fire damper has a control device (10) and an electric braking device (11) to slow down the closing process, wherein the control device (10), upon detection of a voltage interruption due either to the melting of at least one fusible link (6) and / or due to the tripping of a thermoelectrically trippable release device, sends a control signal to the braking device (11), so that the flap leaf (3) can be actuated by the spring element (22) and the flap leaf in turn braked by the braking device (11), can be pivoted from its open position to its closed position within an extended closing time or else the fire damper has a control device (10) to slow down the closing process, wherein the control device (10), upon detection of a voltage interruption due either to the melting of at least one fusible link (6) and / or due to the tripping of a thermoelectrically trippable release device, exerts a braking effect, for example by applying a voltage to the drive (4) to cause the flap leaf (3) to remain open temporarily and reducing this braking effect, preferably continuously, in a gradual manner, for example by gradually reducing this applied voltage, preferably continuously, in a gradual manner, so that the flap leaf (3) can be actuated by the spring element (22) and the flap leaf (3) can be pivoted, under braking, from its open position to its closed position within an extended closing time.
10. Fire damper according to the preceding claim, characterised in that at least one fusible link (6) and / or at least one thermoelectrically trippable release device is (are) configured to act directly on the drive (4).
11. Fire damper according to one of claims 9 or 10, characterised in that the actuating device (7) is an integral part of a higher-level control system, preferably the building management system (BMS).
12. Fire damper according to any of claims 9 to 11, characterised in that at least one fusible link (6) is configured as a thermoelectric release device with at least one external housing temperature fuse and at least one internal housing temperature fuse.
13. Fire damper (1) according to any of claims 9 to 12, characterised in that the drive (4) is configured as an electric spring return motor comprising the spring element (22).
14. Fire damper according to any of claims 9 to 13, characterised in that the control device (10) is an integral part of the drive (4).
15. Fire damper according to any of claims 9 to 14, characterised in that the braking device (11) is integrated into the drive (4).
16. Fire damper according to any of claims 9 to 15, characterised in that the braking device (11) is configured as an eddy current brake.
17. Fire damper according to any of claims 9 to 16, characterised in that the control device (10) is configured such that the flap leaf (3) is braked, preferably uniformly, over the entire pivot path from its open position to its closed position.
18. Fire damper according to any of claims 9 to 17, characterised in that the control device (10) is configured such that braking takes place within a braking zone which ends before the flap leaf (3) reaches the closed position.
19. Fire damper according to the preceding claim, characterised in that the braking zone ends approximately 10° to 5° before the closed position of the flap leaf (3).