Fire Door Wedge Tongue-and-Groove Seal
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing fire protection doors made of multiple leaf elements are not sufficiently tight against gases and liquids, and they represent thermal bridges, which compromises their effectiveness in withstanding fire exposure and assembly ease.
Innovation Solution
The fire protection door design incorporates a tongue-and-groove connection with wedge-shaped cross sections that create a labyrinthine seal, eliminating the need for additional thermal insulation and simplifying assembly, while the sheet metal shells and heat-insulating core enhance fire resistance and prevent heat conduction.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If traditional tongue and groove connections are used to assemble door leaf elements, then assembly is simplified, but the joints create thermal bridges and are insufficiently tight against gases and liquids
Solution Approach 1:
The invention transitions from a simple linear tongue-and-groove connection to a three-dimensional labyrinthine seal structure. The groove is designed with multiple levels and ledges that create a complex path perpendicular to the main sealing surface, adding dimensional complexity that blocks thermal conduction and gas/liquid penetration while maintaining assembly simplicity.
Solution Approach 2:
The door leaf elements use composite construction with a heat-insulating core material sandwiched between sheet metal shells. This composite structure eliminates thermal bridges at the joints while the metal shells provide structural integrity and the insulating core provides thermal barrier, simultaneously addressing both tightness and thermal insulation requirements.
2Reliability
If additional thermal insulation strips are added to the joints, then fire protection is improved, but assembly complexity and manufacturing effort increase
Solution Approach 1:
The invention merges the thermal insulation function directly into the door leaf element structure itself by using a heat-insulating core material between the sheet metal shells. This eliminates the need for separate external insulation strips, as the insulation is an integrated part of the door leaf, thereby improving fire protection without increasing assembly complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The door leaf elements are designed to be self-insulating through their composite construction. The heat-insulating core material is permanently bonded between the sheet metal shells, creating a self-contained thermal barrier that does not require additional insulation components or complex assembly steps, making the system self-sufficient for fire protection.
3Reliability
If door leaf elements are made tightly sealed against gases and liquids, then fire protection is enhanced, but manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The tight sealing and thermal insulation properties are built into the door leaf elements during manufacturing through the composite construction with heat-insulating core material bonded between sheet metal shells. This preliminary integration of sealing and insulation functions during production eliminates the need for complex post-assembly operations, achieving gas/liquid tightness and fire protection without increasing manufacturing complexity.
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 wedge-shaped tongue-and-groove connection ensures a tight, insulating joint that prevents gas and heat passage, reducing assembly complexity and enhancing fire protection without additional insulation, allowing for smooth, level surfaces and easy installation.
Implementation Method 1
The cross section of the first tongue and/or the second tongue extends in a wedge shape towards the respective end face, or the cross section of the first groove and/or the further groove extends in a wedge shape towards the respective base area in such a way that the door leaf elements are held together by a wedge effect
Implementation Method 2
the joints represent a weak point for fire protection, since they are not sufficiently tight for gases and liquids and also represent a thermal bridge
Implementation Method 3
Each door leaf element can be constructed identically and therefore have a tongue on a first side and a groove on a second side
Implementation Method 4
the sheet metal shells and heat-insulating core enhance fire resistance and prevent heat conduction
Data Source
Figure 1a
Figure 1b
Figure 2a~2c
AI summary
The unit has a spring (3) and a groove (4) that are arranged at the front sides of the unit such that the spring (3) engages in the groove (4). Another spring (6) is arranged at a base surface of the groove (4). Another groove (7) is arranged at the front side of the spring (3) such that the spring (6) engages in the groove (7). The cross section of the grooves and the springs are tapered in a wedge-shaped manner with respect to the base surface. An independent claim is also included for a fire protection gate or fire protection door comprising a door leaf unit.