Fire-Resistant Door Edge Beam with Cured Epoxy Grooves
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing fire-resistant doors are either too thick and heavy due to tropical hardwood frameworks, leading to warping and increased risk of fire breakthrough, and require expensive and time-consuming laminate construction with fire-resistant plywood, which does not meet current fire safety standards.
Innovation Solution
A fire-resistant door with a thin, lightweight edge beam manufactured from a solid elongate body featuring longitudinal grooves filled with a cured fire-resistant material, such as epoxy resin, providing a partition and enhancing fire sealing without the need for tropical hardwood, and allowing for simpler and cost-effective production.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If tropical hardwood framework is used to achieve fire resistance, then fire-resistant properties are improved, but weight increases and warping risk occurs
Solution Approach 1:
The door framework is segmented into a lightweight core structure (pine or fir wood) and fire-resistant zones (edge beams and panels). The fire resistance is concentrated in specific segments rather than the entire structure, reducing overall weight while maintaining fire safety standards.
Solution Approach 2:
The door uses composite construction combining lightweight wood (pine or fir) with fire-resistant materials (gypsum boards, mineral fibreboard, or cement boards). This composite approach provides fire protection without requiring the entire structure to be made of heavy tropical hardwood.
2Reliability
If tropical hardwood framework is used to achieve fire resistance, then fire-resistant properties are improved, but the door becomes prone to warping under heat
Solution Approach 1:
The framework is divided into stable structural elements (pine or fir wood) and fire-resistant protective layers. This segmentation allows the core structure to maintain dimensional stability while the fire-resistant layers provide thermal protection during fire exposure.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention changes the material parameters by selecting woods with low warping characteristics (pine or fir) and combining them with fire-resistant materials that have stable thermal properties, creating a composite structure that resists warping under heat.
3Reliability
If laminate construction with fire-resistant plywood is used, then fire resistance is improved, but manufacturing complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The door is segmented into simple structural components (stiles, beams, panels) that can be manufactured separately and assembled. This reduces manufacturing complexity compared to creating complex laminated structures, while fire resistance is achieved through material selection in key zones.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention uses readily available, inexpensive materials (pine or fir wood combined with standard fire-resistant boards) instead of expensive fire-resistant plywood laminates. This reduces both material cost and manufacturing complexity while meeting fire safety requirements.
4Reliability
If increased thickness is used to achieve fire resistance, then fire-resistant properties are improved, but weight and difficulty of installation increase
Solution Approach 1:
Fire resistance is concentrated in specific segments (edge beams and panel cores) rather than increasing the thickness of the entire door. This allows the door to meet fire safety standards with reduced overall thickness and weight.
Solution Approach 2:
The door structure has varying local qualities: fire-resistant materials are concentrated in edge beams and panel cores where they are most effective, while other areas use lighter materials. This optimized distribution reduces overall weight while maintaining fire resistance.
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 provides effective fire sealing and meets current fire safety standards with a thinner, lighter door that is easier to manufacture and install, reducing the risk of warping and improving operational conditions.
Implementation Method 1
a fire-resistant material introduced in liquid state and subsequently cured
Implementation Method 2
which has the property that at high temperatures it forms a ceramic foam which serves to seal the edges of the door and its surrounding structure
Data Source
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AI summary
Door which is provided along at least one peripheral side with a f ire-retardant edge beam, for instance a fire- retardant stile or beam, door provided with a stabilizing strip and a reinforcement strip therefor, and door provided with glazing beams for receiving a glass panel, wherein the edge beam, the reinforcement strip and each of the glazing beams is manufactured from a solid elongate body, in which at least one longitudinal groove is formed extending in the position of use in a direction parallel to the main plane of the door, in which longitudinal groove is received a fire- resistant material introduced in liquid state and subsequently cured, and method for manufacturing such edge beams, reinforcement strips and glazing beams.