SAMSON, Mark, Stephen (836 West Cape Estates Circle, Cape Coral, FL, 33993, US)
OSBORNE, David (Si-Lite Limited, Unit 12 Vinehall Business Centre Mountfield, Robertsbridge Sussex TN32 5JW, GB)
SAMSON, Mark, Stephen (836 West Cape Estates Circle, Cape Coral, FL, 33993, US)
CLAIMS
1. A fire-rated lighting assembly comprising a lighting part attached to a fire can part; wherein the lighting part includes securing means for securing a spring to the lighting part for fitting the lighting part to a cavity wall when not attached to the fire can part, and wherein the fire can part includes intumescent material and securing means for securing a spring to the fire can part for fitting the fire can part to a cavity wall when attached to the lighting part.
2. An assembly according to claim 1 wherein the securing means of the lighting part are not used to secure a spring for fitting the lighting part to a cavity wall when the lighting part is attached to the fire can part.
3. An assembly according to claim 1 or claim 2 wherein the lighting part is attached to the fire can part using the securing means of the lighting part.
4. An assembly according claim 3 wherein the fire can part further comprises a detent for engaging with a recess formed by the securing means of the lighting part for attaching the lighting part to the fire can part.
5. An assembly according to any of claims 1 to 4 wherein the lighting part can be readily removed and reattached to the fire can part.
6. A method of assembling a fire-rated lighting assembly comprising the steps of:
(i) providing a lighting part including securing means securing a spring to the lighting part for fitting the lighting part to a cavity wall;
(ii) removing the spring from the lighting part;
(iii) providing a fire can part including intumescent material and securing means for securing a spring to the fire can part for fitting the fire can part to a cavity wall;
(iv) attaching the lighting part to the fire can part; and
(v) attaching a spring to the fire can part.
7. A method according to claim 6 wherein step (v) is done before step (iv).
8. A method according to claim 6 or claim 7 wherein the lighting part is a downlighter and the cavity wall is a ceiling.
9. A fire-rated lighting assembly comprising a lighting part and a fire can part comprising intumescent material, wherein the lighting part can be readily removed and reattached to the fire can part.
10. An assembly according to claim 9 wherein the fire can part further comprises a detent for engaging with a recess of the lighting part for attaching the lighting part to the fire can part. |
DESCRIPTION
A FIRE-RATED LIGHTING ASSEMBLY AND CORRESPONDING METHOD OF ASSEMBLY
This invention relates to a fire-rated lighting assembly and, in particular but not exclusively, to a downlighter assembly for fitting to a ceiling cavity; and to a corresponding method of assembly.
Light fittings recessed in ceiling cavities, known as downlighters, are of course known and can represent a fire hazard by virtue of generating substantial heat in the enclosed environment of a ceiling cavity and also by providing a path for fire and smoke to travel through a ceiling from one room to another room located above.
Figure 1 of GB patent application 2297609 discloses a ventilated, fire resistant cover for a downlighter including a substantially cylindrical cover formed of a fibrous woven cloth supported by wires sewn in to the fabric. The cover further includes an intumescent gasket which allows ventilation and electrical wires to pass through the cover, and also which will quickly expand when exposed to heat generated from a fire to isolate the fitting from a surrounding structure, thereby confining the fire and maintaining the fire resistance of the structure.
Figure 1 of GB patent application 2326467 and figure 8 of GB patent application 2325728 disclose further ventilated, fire resistant covers for downlighters in which the cover is provided with a flexible clip to assist location of the downlighter within a ceiling cavity. That is, where a flange of the cover is urged against the exposed surface of ceiling by a spring biased against the hidden surface of the ceiling.
In accordance with a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a fire-rated lighting assembly comprising a lighting part attached to a fire can part; wherein the lighting part includes securing
means for securing a spring to the lighting part for fitting the lighting part to a cavity wall (including an upstanding wall or ceiling) when not attached to the fire can part, and wherein the fire can part includes intumescent material and securing means for securing a spring to the fire can part for fitting the fire can part to a cavity wall when attached to the lighting part.
Such an arrangement allows conventional, non-fire-rated downlighters to be readily converted to fire-rated downlighters by attachment of a fire can part. This may enable a retailer to reduce the number of stock variations in a given range of such products (e.g. where there is different downlighter models adapted for high and low voltage use but compatible with the same fire can part). Also, such an arrangement enables an existing downlighter to be retro-fitted with a fire can, thereby upgrading the fire-rating of that downlighter. After conversion, the securing means of the lighting part may be redundant and not used to secure a spring for fitting the lighting part to a cavity wall. Alternatively, the lighting part may be attached to the fire can part using the securing means of the lighting part and where this is the case, the fire can part may further comprise a detent for engaging with a recess formed by the securing means of the lighting part for attaching the lighting part to the fire can part.
Ideally, the lighting part can be readily removed and reattached to the fire can part.
In accordance with a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a corresponding method of assembling a fire-rated lighting assembly comprising the steps of: (i) providing a lighting part including securing means securing a spring to the lighting part for fitting the lighting part to a cavity wall; (ii) removing the spring from the lighting part; (iii) providing a fire can part including intumescent material and securing means for securing a spring to the fire can part for fitting the fire can part to a cavity wall; (iv) attaching the lighting
part to the fire can part; and, either before or after step (iv), (v) attaching a spring to the fire can part.
In accordance with a third aspect of the present invention, there is provided a fire-rated lighting assembly comprising a lighting part and a fire can part comprising intumescent material, wherein the lighting part can be readily removed and reattached to the fire can part, for example, using the detect described above.
The invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the following figures in which:
Figures Ia and Ib show, schematically, a first embodiment of a fire-rated lighting assembly in accordance with the present invention;
Figures 2a and 2b show, schematically, a second embodiment of a fire-rated lighting assembly in accordance with the present invention;
Figure 3 shows the detent of the second embodiment of a fire- rated lighting assembly of figures 2a and 2b.
Referring to figures Ia and Ib, a first embodiment of a fire-rated lighting assembly in accordance with the present invention is shown consisting of a downlighter 1 1 and a fire can 10.
The downlighter 1 1 has a flange 12 which in use will abut an exposed surface of a ceiling and a body which will be housed in a ceiling cavity. The body has apertures 13, 13' which form spring holders for securing a spring (not shown) for urging the flange against the exposed surface of the ceiling, thereby securing the downlighter to the ceiling.
The fire can 10 has a hollow, cylindrical body with ventilation holes 17 for preventing the build up of heat in the fire can and also through which electrical cables (not shown) may be passed. In addition,
the fire can also houses a band of intumescent material (not shown) which will quickly expand when exposed to heat generated from a fire to seal the downlighter 1 1 and thus confining such a fire to one room and not permit the fire to spread to though the ceiling of that room to a room above.
Both the fire can 10 and the downlighter 1 1 have corresponding fixing holes 14, 14', 15 (only one shown on the fire can) which may be aligned to receive respective fixing screws (not shown) for the purpose of attaching the fire can to the downlighter. The attachment of the fire can to the downlighter converts the downlighter in to a fire-rate downlighter.
Referring to figures 2a and 2b, a second embodiment of a fire- rated lighting assembly in accordance with the present invention is shown consisting of a downlighter 21 and a fire can 20 of the same type as those shown in figures Ia and Ib except for the following differences.
First, the area of the fire can 20 surrounding the apertures 25
(only one shown) which form spring holders are reinforced by a thicker wall section 25 for the purpose of more rigidly securing springs 26, 26' in place. Secondly, the fire can 20 is attached to the downlighter 21 by use of detents 23 (only one shown) which are each secured to the inner surface of the fire can by a pair of rivets 24, 24' (only one pair shown). The configuration of the detents is shown in greater detail in figure 3. When the fire can is placed over the downlighter, the detent engages with the apertures 13, 13' of the downlighter which would form spring holders for the downlighter when the downlighter is not attached to the fire can, and which would otherwise be redundant when downlighter is attached to the fire can.
The downlighter 21 can be readily removed from the fire can 20 by urging the detents 23 out of the apertures 13, 13' of the downlighter with access though corresponding apertures 22 in the fire can.
One might expect the lighting part 21 to be supplied with the springs 26, 26' pre-fϊtted to the securing means 13, 13'. Hence, in order to convert the lighting part in to a fire-rated lighting part, one would first have to remove the springs from the lighting part before attaching a fire can 20 with such springs or a fire can without such springs but then subsequently attaching such springs to the fire can when connected to the lighting part.
The downlighter part 11 would typically be made from die-cast aluminium and the fire can part 10 from steel. From a reading of the present disclosure, other modifications will be apparent to the skilled person and may involve other features which are already known in the design, manufacture and use of fire-rated lighting equipment and component parts thereof and which may be used instead of or in addition to features already described herein. For example, the downlighter may be supplied in different styles, e.g. a down lighter with lamp retaining clip, an adjustable "gimbal" downlighter with lamp retaining clip, a downlighter with twist and lock lamp retainer, an adjustable "gimbal" downlighter with twist and lock lamp retainer, an IP65 rated shower light etc. Also, the fire can part may be provided in various sizes to fit the various styles of downlighter and other light fittings.