Fire and smoke curtain

Abstract

A fire and smoke curtain assembly (20) comprising a roller (26) with a fire and smoke curtain (24) for rolling onto and deployment from the roller. The top end of the curtain is attached to the roller; and the bottom end (28) provided with weighted pockets (30). The assembly also comprises means for maintaining the fire and smoke curtain rolled onto the roller, the means incorporating a fusible link (60) adapted to fuse in the event of a fire, releasing the curtain, which deploys under its own weight, a non-powered brake (50, 52; 70, 72) or centrifugal clutch for controlling the speed of deployment of the curtain, and manual means for rolling the curtain onto roller in the form of a crank.

Description

Introduction

[0001] The present invention relates to a fire and smoke curtain and an arrangement thereof, particularly, although not exclusively for, use in car parks.Background to the Invention

[0002] Fire and smoke curtains are designed to stop or at least slow the progress of smoke and fire around a building or area, and to create safe routes for the evacuation of persons in the building. Smoke curtains generally extend a short distance from the ceiling and are intended to direct the flow of smoke around the building, and preferably towards a smoke exit. Fire or smoke and fire curtains typically extend from the ceiling of a building to the floor and are intended to prevent the passage of smoke into certain areas to allow for the escape of persons from the building and also to slow or stop the spread of fire.

[0003] Car parks may be provided in areas in buildings specially design this this purpose, including car parks that are provided underneath a building. Some buildings are designed exclusively as car parks, with underground and above ground parking. Other buildings can have several purposes, including a car park. For example, office buildings, shopping buildings or housing buildings may have a car parking area underneath and / at lower levels of the building, either below ground level and at ground level.

[0004] Fires starting in car parks can be of particularly high intensity due in part to the fuel stored within the cars and can thus spread rapidly and be difficult to control once they have taken hold and started to spread. In most car parks, no fire protection is provided between cars or between rows of cars. Typically, the only fire protect will be fire doors between the main parking areas and the exits.

[0005] It would therefore be advantageous to provide some means for slowing the spread of fire in a car park and containing the fire.

[0006] The object of the invention is to provide a fire and smoke curtain for use in a car park, an arrangement of fire and smoke curtains for a car park and a method of delaying the spread of a fire in a car park.Summary of the Invention

[0007] According to the invention there is provided a fire and smoke curtain assembly comprising:- a roller; a fire and smoke curtain for rolling onto and deployment from the roller, the curtain having: a top end attached to the roller; and a bottom end provided with weighted pockets; retaining means for maintaining the fire and smoke curtain rolled onto the roller, the retaining means incorporating a fusible link adapted to fuse in the event of a fire, releasing the curtain, which deploys under its own weight; means for controlling the speed of deployment of the curtain; and manual means for rolling the curtain onto roller.

[0008] Such a fire and smoke curtain assembly does not require a constant power supply to maintain the first and smoke curtain in the retracted position, as is standard with most fire and smoke curtains. Standard fire and smoke curtains require a motor, break and gear box arrangement with the break usually on to hold the curtain in the retracted position. This requires a constant power supply to be fed to the roller. The power supply also provides the means for retracting of the curtain following a test or deployment.

[0009] For a car park where many curtains are required for deployment between and possibly around car parking bays, the provision of a constant power supply would be costly over the lifetime of the arrangement.

[0010] With standard fire curtains regular testing is necessary to ensure full functionality in the event of a fire. With the fire-curtains of the present invention, a full test would include the fusing of the fusible link and so is not possible. However, the design may include a manual bypass of the fusible link to allow for testing without having to activate the link. Nevertheless, in situations where many fire and smoke curtain arrangements are used in a conjunction, such as this arrangement for a car park, it is not a significant problem if one or two out of the multitude, fails. Regular inspection can take place in addition to any testing.

[0011] In some arrangements a side guide may be provided at one or both sides of the curtain, for holding the curtain on deployment. The provision of a side guide will be dependent on the arrangement of the building into which the fire and smoke curtain is placed. In some car parks pillars are provided between some of all of the parking bays, while in others, no such pillars are provided. Where pillars are provided a side guide may be provided. Some car parking bays may be situated against a wall within the parking area, for example a front, wall, back wall or partition wall. Where a wall is provided a side guide may be provided. In many situations, no side guide will be provided, particularly as they may case obstruction for vehicles.

[0012] Preferably, the roller is stored in a headbox mounted on a ceiling in the building. The headbox may be open at its base to allow for deployment of the curtain. However, the headbox may be provided with a base, which is held normally closed by a fusible link, adapted to fuse in the event of a fire, opening the base of the headbox to allow for deployment of the curtain. This fusible link may be the fusible link that maintains the curtain in a rolled position or may be a separate fusible link.

[0013] The retaining means for maintaining the fire and smoke curtain rolled onto the roller incorporating a fusible link adapted to fuse in the event of a fire may comprise a thermal or fusible link wire attached to opposing ends of the headbox, or to where the roller is mounted, and round spirally around the curtain rolled onto the roller. The spiral may comprise one, two, three, four or more winds. Typically, one or two winds will be provided.

[0014] Alternatively, the means for maintaining the fire and smoke curtain rolled onto the roller incorporating a fusible link may comprise a thermal fuse connecting a brake wheel on the roller to the headbox, ceiling or wall to which the roller is attached to prevent rotation. In the event of a fire, the fusible link fuses releasing the break and allowing deployment.

[0015] The means for controlling the speed of deployment of the curtain may be a non-powered brake, such as a friction brake. In such an arrangement an element is provided that acts on the roller to slow the speed of rotation and thus the speed of deployment of the curtain. This may be a strap or a friction pad.

[0016] Alternatively, the means for controlling the speed of deployment of the curtain may be a centrifugal clutch.

[0017] The manual means for rolling the curtain onto roller may be a manual crank. Typically, a handle for the crank may be removable, for storage away from the arrangement, for safely, security and .

[0018] The fire and smoke curtain may be a standard fire and smoke curtain, such as for example EFP2 / 1000S, EFP / A1 or EFP / VEF materials from Coopers Fire Limited, of Waterlooville, Hampshire, UK, which comprises a woven metal material. Such materials are generally considered fireproof as they prevent a fire from passing from one side of the curtain to another for a certain period of time or until a certain temperature has been reached. The fire and smoke curtain may additionally comprise a material that is considered to be both insulating as well as fireproof. Such materials are also available from Coopers Fire Limited as set out above. Such materials prevent both the passage of fire and the passage of heat, again for a period of time or until a certain temperature has been reached on the fire side of the curtain.

[0019] Traditional fire and smoke curtains are provided with a bottom bar to weight the curtain for deployment and one deployed to maintain its position. Such a bottom bar is made of metal and can cause manage to anything that is contact during deployment. For use in a car park, when cars are frequently not parked exactly in the bays provided, such a bottom bar could cause damage. In accordance with the present invention, the bottom of the curtain is provided with pockets containing weights. The weights thus provide the weight necessary to ensure deployment of the curtain, but as they are provided in pockets at the bottom of the curtain, they do not cause damage to cars or any other object. Preferably the weighted pockets are provided spaced along the bottom of the curtain. A bottom end of the curtain may be folded back up the curtain and sewn to provide a pocket. This may be divided into many pockets by vertical stitching. Weights may be provided in all or some of the pockets. The weights will typically be of metal as these are dense and fire resistant to a high temperature. The weights may be provided a steel or lead shot. Alternatively, the weights may be provided as steel or lead discs, or be curtain weights.Detailed Description of the Invention

[0020] To help understanding of the invention, a specific embodiment thereof will now be described by way of example and with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:- Figure 1 is a front view of a car park with cars arranged in parking bays; Figure 2 is a front perspective view of cars in a car park with curtain deployed between the cars; Figure 3 is a front view of the curtain when deployed; Figure 4 is a side view of a curtain assembly when deployed of Figure 3; Figure 5 is a sectional view of the base of the curtain, showing the weighted pockets; Figure 6 is a side view of one option for retaining the curtain in a retracted position; Figure 7 is a side view of a second option for retaining the curtain in a retracted position and slowing its descent on release; and Figure 8 is a side view of a further option for retaining the curtain in a retracted position and slowing its descent on release.

[0021] Referring to the Figures, Figures 1 and 2 show a car 1 on fire in a car park 2. Other cars 4, 6 are also parked in the car park in spaces 8, 10 close to the car 1 that is on file. In order to prevent or at least delay the fire from the first car 1 spreading to the other cars 4, 6, fire and smoke curtain arrangements 20 are provided between the cars 1, 4, 6, whose deployment is caused by the heat of the fire in the first car 1.

[0022] As can be seen, the fire curtains 12 adjacent the car 1 on fire have deployed, while the fire curtains 14, 16 further aware from the fire in the first car 1, have deployed later as the heat from the fire has reached them. Thus, the fire curtain 14 at the far end space 8 adjacent to the one in which the care 1 on fire has been parked is almost fully deployed, while the fire curtain 16 in the next space 10 has only just started its descent.

[0023] As the heat of the fire spreads around the car park, the fire curtains arranged in the car park will deploy as the heat reaches them.

[0024] Turning now to Figures 3 and 4, which shows a fire curtain arrangement 20 according to the invention. Provided within the car par and positioned above edges of the car parking spaces are headboxes, 22 in each of which a fire curtain 24 is provided, rolled onto a roller 26. The fire curtain is made of a fire-resistant material, typically formed from woven metallic fabric, possibly including further insulating materials. Materials such as example EFP2 / 1000S, EFP / A1 or EFP / VEF materials from Coopers Fire Limited are suitable and may be used. Other fireproof materials and fabrics are also known.

[0025] The curtain 24 is fixed to the roller 26 at one end and wound onto the roller. The other end 28 of the curtain is formed to provide pockets 30, which are provided with weights 32 to weight the curtain to ensure its descent and to hold the end 28 of the curtain against the floor 3 of the car park once fully descended, thus forming a barrier extending from the headbox on the ceiling to the floor.

[0026] Standard fire curtains are typically provided with a solid bottom bar, which acts to close the headbox neatly, weight the curtain and to sit flush on the floor of a building in which it is deployed. However, such bottom bars are solid with sharp edges and may damage cars, particular those that are not parked within the designated spaces. Thus, the bottom of the curtain 14 has been designed with weighted packets 20 to prevent damage to cars. In addition, the weighted pockets have the advantage that they will still sit flush against an uneven floor as it more likely to be found in a car park.

[0027] Weights 32 are provided in the weighted pockets. These may be ball bearings, metal discs, curtain weights, or indeed any suitable weight. As shown, the weights are ball bearings.

[0028] To retain the curtain in the retracted position, several options are possible. In an option shown in Figure 6, a loop of wire 40, incorporating a fusible link is wound around the curtain, which itself is wound onto the roller 42. The wire 40 is attached to edges 44 of a headbox 46 in which the roller 42 is held, or if the roller is not provided within a headbox, it is attached to the walls or ceiling to which the roller is attached. The wire 40 may be wound once around the roller, or more than once.

[0029] In an alternative, shown in Figure 7, the retaining means for maintaining the curtain 14 on the roller 16 includes a brake wheel 50 provided on the end of the roller. A leather strap 52 is held against the brake wheel 50, being secured at either end to the headbox 54, at one end by a pin 56 and at the other end by a spring 58 providing tension, which itself is attached to the headbox. A fusible link 60 is connected between the pin 56 and the brake wheel, preventing rotation of the brake wheel and thus deployment of the curtain 14 until the fusing of the link 60 in the event of a fire. Braking or fusing of the fusible link releases the break, allowing deployment of the curtain 14.

[0030] A further alternative is show in Figure 8, in which a brake drum 70 and brake hub 72 are attached to the roller 16 and mounted to the headbox 74. A thermal link 76 is connected between the brake hub 72 and a pin 78 on the headbox 74, prevents rotation of the brake 70 and thus the roller 16, and thus prevent development of the curtain 12. In the event of a fire and the fusing of the fusible link, the brake 70 is released, releasing the roller 16 and curtain 14 for deployment.

[0031] Each embodiment of the curtain arrangement 20 includes means for controlling the descent of the curtain 12, to ensure that the speed of descent is not too fast and risks providing a hazard to any persons in the carpark.

[0032] As shown in Figure 7, the speed of descent of the curtain 14 is controlled by the friction of the leather strap 52 against the brake wheel 50. This friction ensures that the roller, to which the brake wheel 50 is attached, rotated slowly, slowing deployment of the curtain.

[0033] As shown in the embodiment of Figure 7, the speed of descent of the curtain is controlled by brake pads within the break hub 72 on the brake drum 70. Fusing of the fusible thermal link 76 releases the brake 70, 72, which then enables rotation of the roller 16 and descent of the curtain 14. The speed of rotation and thus descent is controlled by the friction of the brake pads within the brake hub 72.

[0034] In a further alternatively, a centrifugal clutch may act as a brake, showing descent of the curtain.

[0035] In order to wind the curtain only the roller, for example after testing, or for a fire curtain that has received no damage, a crank will typically be provided. A crank shaft may be provided on a wall adjacent the curtain arrangement, with the handle provided separately to avoid tampering.

[0036] In a car park, an array of curtain assemblies 20 will be provided, as shown in Figures 1 and 2, which curtain assemblies provided above the edges of car parking spaces. The assemblies 20 will be provided at the sides, front and back of the parking spaces where no structural element of the car park is provided, specifically walls. The precise location and number of arrangements 20 will be determined by the shape and structure of the car park and will be easily determined by the skilled person.

[0037] Thus, the arrangement of the curtain assemblies can provide a delay or even stop to the spread of fire within a car park, particularly an underground car park, and allow further time for the emergency services, including fire fighters, to tackle the fire.

Claims

1. A fire and smoke curtain assembly comprising:- a roller; a fire and smoke curtain for rolling onto and deployment from the roller, the curtain having: a top end attached to the roller; and a bottom end provided with weighted pockets; retaining means for maintaining the fire and smoke curtain rolled onto the roller, the retaining means incorporating a fusible link adapted to fuse in the event of a fire, releasing the curtain, which deploys under its own weight; means for controlling the speed of deployment of the curtain; and manual means for rolling the curtain onto roller.

2. A fire and smoke curtain assembly according to claim 1, wherein a bypass is provided for the fusible link to allow for testing of the assembly.

3. A fire and smoke curtain assembly according to claim 1 or claim 2, further including one or more side guides for retaining sides of the curtain during and after deployment.

4. A fire and smoke curtain assembly according to any preceding claim, wherein the roller is held within a headbox, protecting the curtain, the headbox being mounted on a ceiling in a building, the headbox comprising a top, a front, a back and two sides.

5. A fire and smoke curtain assembly according to claim 4, wherein the headbox further comprises a base which is openable or partially openable, and held normally closed by a fusible link.

6. A fire and smoke curtain assembly according to any preceding claim, wherein the retaining means comprising a wire containing a fusible link, the wire being wound round the curtain and attached to opposing ends of the headbox or ceiling.

7. A fire and smoke curtain assembly according to any one of claims 1 - 5, wherein the retaining means comprises a brake attached to the roller, and a fusible link attached between the brake and headbox or ceiling, preventing rotation of the brake and roller.

8. A fire and smoke curtain assembly according to any preceding claim, wherein the means for controlling the speed of deployment of the curtain is a non-powered brake.

9. A fire and smoke curtain assembly according to claim 8, wherein the non-powered brake is a friction brake.

10. A fire and smoke curtain assembly according to claim 9, wherein the friction is provided by a leather strap acting against a brake wheel.

11. A fire and smoke curtain assembly according to claim 9, wherein the friction is provided by brake pads within a brake hub acting against a brake drum.

12. A fire and smoke curtain assembly, according to any one of claims 1 - 7, wherein the means for controlling the speed of deployment of the curtain is a centrifugal clutch.

13. A fire and smoke curtain assembly, wherein the manual means for rolling the curtain onto the roller is a crank.

14. An array of fire and smoke curtain assemblies arranged for deployment between car parking spaces in a car park, the fire and smoke curtain assemblies being according to any one of claims 1-13.

15. An array of fire and smoke curtain assemblies according to claim 14, wherein the assemblies are provided are provided between, at the front and at the back of the car parking spaces where no wall is provided.

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