Cable Feedthrough Housing With Airtight Firestop Foam Blocks
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing fire-resistant wall penetration devices fail to allow easy addition or removal of cables or piping components without disrupting airtightness, provide both fire-resistant compartmentation and restricted air permeability, and often require multiple modules and secondary sealants, making installation tedious and lengthy.
Innovation Solution
A firestop device with a box-like structure featuring flaps and intumescent material plates and sealing foam blocks that maintain airtightness and fire resistance, allowing easy access and installation without tools, and transitioning to full seal during a fire.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If fire-resistant wall penetration devices use sealed structures to maintain airtightness and fire resistance, then fire compartmentation and air permeability control are improved, but cable addition or removal becomes difficult without disrupting airtightness
Solution Approach 1:
The penetration device is divided into a fixed sealed housing and removable sealing components (foam blocks and intumescent pads). This segmentation allows the housing to remain permanently installed maintaining fire compartmentation, while the sealing components can be removed and reinstalled to accommodate cable changes without compromising the sealed structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The sealing system incorporates flexible foam blocks and adjustable intumescent pads that can be dynamically repositioned or removed. This dynamic capability enables maintenance operations while preserving the fire-resistant sealed structure, as the flexible components can adapt to different cable configurations.
2Reliability
If fire-resistant penetration devices use recessed positioning and multiple modules to achieve fire sealing, then fire resistance is improved, but installation becomes lengthy and tedious
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple sealing functions (mechanical seal, fire seal, and air seal) are merged into a single integrated housing unit with pre-installed foam blocks and intumescent pads. This consolidation eliminates the need for multiple separate modules and secondary sealants, reducing installation time while maintaining fire resistance.
Solution Approach 2:
The housing is pre-assembled with foam blocks and intumescent pads during manufacturing, so that during installation, the unit is already prepared to provide fire sealing. This preliminary preparation eliminates the need for time-consuming on-site assembly of multiple components.
3Reliability
If fire-resistant penetration devices use fixed sealed structures to prevent air leakage, then air permeability control is improved, but adaptability to cable changes is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The sealing system uses different materials with specialized properties in different locations: flexible foam blocks for general sealing, and intumescent pads specifically positioned around cables. This local differentiation allows the system to maintain airtightness while adapting to cable changes, as the intumescent pads can be repositioned to match new cable configurations.
Solution Approach 2:
The intumescent pads automatically expand when exposed to heat, self-adjusting to seal around cables without requiring manual intervention. This self-service capability maintains air permeability control even when cable configurations change, as the pads adapt to the new arrangement during fire conditions.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The device maintains passive fire compartmentation and minimizes air permeability under normal conditions while enabling easy maintenance and installation, transitioning to a full seal during a fire, compatible with active gas suppression systems.
Implementation Method 1
plates of intumescent material, covering a first part of the inner face of the housing on the rear side of the housing
Implementation Method 2
sealing foam blocks on the front side of the housing covering a second part of the inner face of the housing, said foam blocks filling a first space between the wall(s) of the housing and said passing elements
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3~4
Figure 5
AI summary
Firestopping device for sealing an opening defined at the level of a separating element (1) and traversed by penetrating elements (2), in particular consisting of cables, conduits or the like, this device having the form of a housing (4) of rectangular, circular or oval cross-section provided with a first opening (7) on a first face (5) for entry of said penetrating elements into the housing, referred to as the front face of the housing, and a second opening (8) on a second face (6), referred to as the rear face of the housing, opposite the first face and forming an exit opening for said penetrating elements (2), such that the housing has flaps (411, 412, 413) forming a frame for the first opening (7) of the housing, said device includes plates of intumescent material (11, 12, 13, 14) covering a first part of the inner face of the housing on the rear face of the housing and sealing foam blocks (21, 22, 23,24) front face of the housing covering a second part of the inner face of the housing, said foam blocks filling a first space between the wall(s) of the housing and said through elements and said flaps (411, 412, 413, 421) form retaining edges for said foam blocks.