Fire-Rated Lighting Housing With Integrated Sidewall Barrier
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing lighting housings with fire-retarding materials are often associated with trim or reflectors, which can compromise the fire rating if these components are replaced, and do not effectively target the hottest parts of the lighting fixture, such as the driver or LED chip.
Innovation Solution
A fire-rated lighting housing with a fire-retarding material physically associated with the sidewall, particularly in regions closest to the driver, LED chip, and heat sink, ensuring the material is in contact during the cool state to maintain a predetermined fire rating, such as two hours, without compromising the integrity of the fire-resistant barrier.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If fire-retarding material is associated with trim or reflector, then fire rating is achieved, but fire rating is compromised if trim/reflector is replaced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the fire-retarding material from the trim/reflector assembly and relocates it to the housing structure. Specifically, the fire-retarding material is positioned at the bottom of the housing or on the ceiling contact surface, separating the fire protection function from the replaceable trim/reflector components. This allows trim and reflectors to be changed without affecting the fire rating, as the fire protection is now an integral part of the housing rather than the trim assembly.
2Duration of action of stationary object
If fire-retarding material is placed away from hottest parts, then material durability is improved, but fire protection effectiveness is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces the housing structure as an intermediary between the heat source (LED chip/driver) and the fire-retarding material. The housing, particularly its bottom portion or ceiling contact surface, serves as a thermal barrier that protects the fire-retarding material from direct exposure to high temperatures while still maintaining effective fire protection. This intermediary approach allows the fire-retarding material to be positioned optimally for fire protection without direct thermal degradation.
3Reliability
If fire-retarding material is in contact with housing during cool state, then fire rating is maintained, but material may degrade under thermal expansion during operation
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies fire-retarding material specifically to localized areas where fire protection is most critical, such as the bottom of the housing or the ceiling contact surface, rather than uniformly across all surfaces. This localized application reduces the total material exposed to thermal stress while maintaining fire rating effectiveness at the most vulnerable points. The material is positioned to provide fire protection where the housing contacts the ceiling, which is the primary fire spread pathway.
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 solution effectively maintains a minimum predetermined fire rating by ensuring the fire-retarding material is in contact with the hottest parts of the lighting housing, preventing fire spread between floors while allowing for component replacements without compromising the fire rating.
Implementation Method 1
a fire-retarding material that is physically touching at least some portion of the sidewall when the sidewall is in a cool-state (non-fire state)
Data Source
AI summary
A fire rated lighting housing (can) has: (a) a bottom that is open; (b) a top that is at least mostly closed or entirely closed; (c) a sidewall that runs from the bottom to the top; and (d) a fire-retarding material that is physically touching at least some portion of the sidewall when the sidewall is in a cool-state. The cool-state is when a temperature of the housing is at or below a predetermined normal operating temperature for the housing. This fire rated lighting housing, with the fire-retarding material, is configured to slow a fire from a lower floor reaching an above located adjacent floor with a minimum predetermined fire rating, which may be at least one (1) hour or more. Additionally, the top and the sidewall at least mostly enclose an internal-volume that is configured to directly house a light emitting element, like a LED (light emitting diode).