TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a fire safety rated storage unit facility. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

A storage unit facility of the kind consisting of a number of storage units or garages, are a common place. A facility is provided by a storage operator where users lease storage space where they can securely store possessions. Users are provided with a storage unit that they can lock and unlock at will and can usually visit at any time of the day to store and/or retrieve goods.

Such a storage unit facility may provide storage units in a multi level configuration.

Especially in multi-storey storage facilities, fire risks exist. Accordingly in order to meet fire safety and/or building regulations the physical structure of a storage unit facility needs to comply with certain minimum standards.

Fire rated floor structures may need to be incorporated that can meet minimum fire ratings. Such fire ratings are normally determined on a time basis. For example a floor structure having a one hour fire rating needs to resist the progression of fire to a certain extent from below the floor structure for at least one hour. Floor structures having a half hour fire rating may have a reduced resistance to the progress of fire through the floor structure than a one hour fire rated floor structure. A floor structure that has a one hour fire rating is more likely to be more complex and/or more expensive to construct than a half hour fire rated floor structure. This is usually due to the fact that more materials are incorporated in the floor structure that will retard the advancement of fire from below to above the floor structure. In addition to having a certain fire rating, a selected fire rated floor structure may also require to be used in combination with a unit and/or adjacent units or space to be equipped with a fire sprinkler. For example a floor of one particular unit of a facility that has a half hour rating may also require a sprinkler to be present in that unit to effectively increase the fire rating of the floor structure. The provision of a sprinkler will, in the event of a fire, also retard the advancement of

flame from below that unit through its floor structure through cooling of the floor by sprinkler water. This will delay the advancement of a fire through the facility thereby giving the fire sendee sufficient time to identify the hot spots within a building, reach such hot spots and undertake any fire fighting or necessary defensive measures that are warranted.

Addressing a fire at its source or at its hottest point is most desired when attempting to fight a fire. The location of a fire within a facility may take fire fighters significant rime to identify thereby adding to the time it may take for them to reach the fire. Sprinkler systems are expensive to install. A trade-off against this expense is to have a higher fire rated floor structure that is more expensive than a lower rated one. OBJECT OF THE INVENTION

Accordingly it may be an object of the present invention to provide a storage facility structure that has the advantage of a reduced cost floor structure yet still allow for it to meet fire safety standards and/or allow for the rapid identification of the location or locations within the structure at where fire fighting needs to occur in the event of a fire.

It may also be an object of the present invention to address the abovementioned desiderata and or to at least provide the public with a useful choice.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Accordingly in a first aspect the present invention consists in a 1 hour fire safety rated storage unit facility comprising a plurality of storage units, at least one of the units being located above another, wherein a floor structure of said at least one unit is of a construction that can resist the progress of casual fire from below the floor structure to above the floor structure for at least 30 minutes and wherein at least one of (i) the unit and (ii)

a unit below the floor structure, also includes at least one of a smoke and heat sensor to, once triggered by fire and or smoke, send a signal.

According to a second aspect the present invention consists in a 2 hour fire safety rated storage unit facility comprising a plurality of storage units, at least one of the units being located above another, wherein a floor structure of said at least one unit is of a construction that can resist the progress of casual fire from below the floor structure to above the floor structure for at least 60 minutes and wherein at least one of (i) the unit and (ii) a unit below the floor structure, also includes at least one of a smoke and heat sensor to, once triggered by fire and or smoke, send a signal.

According to a further aspect the present invention consists in an X minute fire safety rated storage unit facility comprising a plurality of storage units, at least one of the units being located above another, wherein a floor structure of said at least one unit is of a construction that can resist the progress of casual fire from below the floor structure to above the floor structure for at least X-Y minutes and wherein at least one of (i) the unit and (ii) a unit below the floor structure, also includes at least one of a smoke and heat sensor to, once triggered by fire and or smoke, send a signal, wherein Y is any positive number (excluding zero) less than X. Preferably the signal is sent to a remote location.

Preferably the signal manifests itself visually.

Preferably the signal is an audible alarm.

Preferably the audible alarm emanates from the detector.

Preferably the audible alarm emanates from the remote location. In a further aspect the present invention consists in a method of reducing damage by fire for a period of X minutes to a building that includes a plurality of storage units wherein at least two storage units are located one above the other and wherein a floor structure between said two storage units is of a construction that can resist the progress of casual fire from below the floor structure to above the floor structure for at least X-Y minutes, said method comprising:

- A -

sensing for the presence of at least one of smoke and heat in at least one of the two storage units, triggering a signal when at least one of smoke and heat is sensed, wherein Y is any positive number (excluding zero) less than X.

Preferably the signal is in a location remote from the two units. Preferably the signal manifests itself visually. Preferably the signal is an audible alarm.

In still a further aspect the present invention consists in a storage unit facility comprising: a plurality of storage units, at least one of the units being located immediately above another, wherein an intermediate floor structure is of a construction that can resist the progress of casual fire from below the floor structure to above the floor structure for a period of time and that is less than that specified by fire safety regulations for a building of the same kind, and wherein at least one of (i) the unit and (ϋ) a unit below the floor structure, also includes at least one of a smoke and heat sensor to, once triggered by fire and or smoke, send a signal to a remote location. This invention may also be said broadly to consist in the parts, elements and features referred to or indicated in the specification of the application, individually or collectively, and any or all combinations of any two or more of said parts, elements or features, and where specific integers are mentioned herein which have known equivalents in the art to which this invention relates, such known equivalents are deemed to be incorporated herein as if individually set forth.

As used herein the term "and/or" means "and" or "or", or both. As used herein "(s)" following a noun means the plural and/or singular forms of the noun.

The term "comprising" as used in this specification means "consisting at least in part of. When interpreting statements in this specification which include

that term, the features, prefaced by that term in each statement, all need to be present but other features can also be present. Related terms such as "comprise" and "comprised" are to be interpreted in the same manner.

A preferred form of the present invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings in which BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a storage unit facility, and

Figure 2 is a sectional view through a vertical section of the storage unit facility of Figure 1. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

With reference to Figure 1 there is shown a storage unit facility 1. It may consist of a plurality of storage units 2. The storage units are preferably contiguous each other and may be a single or multilevel structure.

In particular where a multilevel structure is provided, elevated floor structures 3 are included to separate lower from upper units.

The elevated floor structure 3 can be subject to fire as a result of fire in a unit below. With reference to Figure 2, the lower unit 4 may have a fire that can progress to the unit 5 above.

The elevated floor structure 3 separates the units 4 and 5 and provides some resistance to the progression of fire from unit 4 to unit 5. The elevated floor structure may consist of a floor surface 6 supported by joists 7 that sit on a bearer or bearers 8. Further ceiling cladding may be proλάded against the bottom surface of the joist 8 or bearers, providing a lined ceiling to the unit 4. Other constructions of a floor structure are also envisaged. In order to allow for a rapid attendance to a location for fire fighting purposes, each unit or at least those units incorporating a fire rated floor structure, are equipped with a heat or smoke sensor 9. This heat or smoke sensor is preferably remotely or by wiring, such as wiring 10, able to send a signal to a remote indicator board or indicator device such as a computer. Fire fighters in attendance at a facility can refer to the indicator board 11 to determine the location of hotspots

within a structure and thereby rapidly make their way to the location at where fire fighting is required. As a result of efficiencies gained in identification of the location of a fire, a floor structure of a lower fire rating may be employed. A floor structure of a lower fire rated construction is cheaper to manufacture and install than a floor structure with a higher fire rating structure.

Monitoring of heat and/or smoke in a unit can allow for fire fighters arriving at a storage unit facility to save time in identifying the location where their presence and attention is required. Sensors for other purposes such as for detecting the presence of people may also be incorporated in the units which may or may not have a combined benefit in emergency situations for the purposes of evacuation.

Heat and/or smoke detectors may also be present in other parts of the facility for facilitating the abovementioned benefits.

Other status detection may also be occurring including door lock/unlock condition status sensing and light detection sensing. In addition some form of control over door locking may also be included in the storage unit facility for locking and/or unlocking doors to storage units remotely.