DESCRIPTION

The invention concerns a natural smoke and heat vent suited to let out smoke and heat from the rooms of a building in case of fire.

In particular, the vent that is the subject of the invention is of the type suited to be installed on a wall or in any case on substantially vertical surfaces.

It is known that the safety rule currently in force, UNI 9494 standard of 2007, specifies that buildings are provided with automatic opening devices that in case of fire ensure the quick extraction of smoke and heat from the rooms. Said devices, called smoke and heat vents, substantially comprise a cover that is connected by means of hinges to a fixed frame or to a base that delimits an opening made in the roof of a building, which is in communication with one or more rooms positioned under it.

Drive means automatically open the cover towards the outside in case of fire. Smoke and heat vents are also known that are installed on walls in all the cases where installation on the roof isn't possible or when the extraction effect produced by the vents installed on the roof must be enhanced.

According to a known embodiment of the invention, the wall-mounted vents available on the market substantially comprise a fixed frame that delimits an opening made in a wall and a flap that can be opened towards the outside and is provided with a movable sash that cooperates with the fixed frame.

The lower side of the movable sash is hinged to the fixed frame and therefore the flap can be opened towards the outside like a hopper window to define an opening at the level of the upper side.

In order to prevent the vent from being subjected to a positive pressure, that is, to a flow of incoming air that would tend to prevent the natural outflow of smoke in case of fire or in the presence of wind, the regulations currently in force require the installation of a vent also on the opposite wall and of a control unit that in case of fire opens only the vent with respect to which the wind direction creates a depression effect that favours the outflow of smoke.

Furthermore, on each side of the flap there is a side wall connected to the fixed frame and to the movable sash, having a varying surface so that it can be opened and closed like a fan following the flap during the opening and closing manoeuvres.

In this way, the presence of the side walls also prevents the inflow of air from the outside through the sides of the flap when this is completely open.

It can be understood, in fact, that in case of fire the inflow of air from the outside through the sides of the flap would create a transversal flow that would hinder the evacuation of smoke.

According to a known embodiment of the invention, each side wall consists of two or more rigid thin surfaces, a moving one connected to the movable sash and a fixed one connected to the fixed frame, which are maintained adherent to each other and free to slide on each other during the movement of the flap by a guide element belonging to one of them and coupled into a slot provided in the other.

The embodiment described above poses a first drawback represented by the fact that when the flap is closed the rigid thin surface connected to the fixed frame remains constantly projecting from the wall and this represents a danger especially if the vent is applied to the wall in an accessible position, especially considering that the reduced thickness of the thin surface makes it potentially sharp and therefore dangerous and likely to cause personal injuries in case of impact.

Another drawback lies in that when the flap is closed the thin surface connected to the movable sash projects towards the inside of the room and also in this case represents a danger for the people present in the room.

A further drawback lies in that the bending and deformation even of only one of the thin surfaces, for example due to an accidental impact with things or persons or due to adverse weather conditions, for example wind, or due to purposeful vandalism, would prevent the opening of the flap with serious consequences in case of fire.

In addition to the above, a further drawback is represented by the fact that the presence of said thin surfaces projecting both towards the outside of the building and towards the inside of the rooms negatively affects the appearance of the building.

A further, yet not the last drawback is represented by the fact that in the known vents if the wind hits the vent frontally when it is open, the evacuation of smoke is hindered or even made impossible.

The present invention aims to overcome all the drawbacks listed above.

In particular, it is a first object of the invention to provide a smoke and heat vent that can be applied to the walls of a building and is provided with side walls that don't project towards the outside and/or towards the inside of the building when the flap is closed.

It is another object of the invention to provide a vent whose operation is more reliable compared to similar vents of the known type.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a vent that can be opened even in the presence of wind.

It is another object of the invention to provide a vent that allows the evacuation of smoke even in the case where, when it is open, the winds hits it frontally.

It is another, yet not the last object of the invention to provide a vent whose aesthetic appearance is better than that of the known vents.

The objects described above are achieved by a smoke and heat vent having the characteristics described in the main claim, to which the reader should refer for the sake of brevity.

Other details of the invention are described in the dependent claims.

According to the invention each one of the side walls of the vent consists of extensible laminas suited to be completely housed in a cavity provided at the sides of the fixed frame when the flap is closed.

As already explained when illustrating the state of the art, these side walls serve to prevent the inlet of external air from the sides of the flap.

Advantageously, the vent that is the subject of the invention can be applied to the walls of civil or industrial buildings when it cannot be installed on the roof, for example in the case of multi-storey buildings.

Still advantageously, the absence of projecting thin surfaces improves the appearance, the safety and the reliability of the vent of the invention.

The objects and advantages described above will be highlighted in greater detail in the description of different embodiments of the invention that are illustrated here below as indicative, non-limiting examples with reference to the enclosed drawings, wherein:

- Figure 1 shows an axonometric view of the vent that is the subject of the invention in the open position;

- Figure 2 shows the vent of Figure 1 arranged in the closed position;

- Figure 3 shows an axonometric view of a construction variant of the vent of the invention arranged in a partially open position;

- Figure 4 shows a detail of Figure 3;

- Figure 5 shows an axonometric view of another construction variant of the vent of the invention arranged in a partially open position;

- Figure 6 shows a detail of Figure 5;

- Figures from 7 to 10 show details of other construction variants of the vent that is the subject of the invention;

- Figure 11 shows a side axonomethc view of an enlarged detail of Figure 1 ;

- Figures 12 and 13 show enlarged details of Figure 11.

The smoke and heat vent of the invention is shown in Figure 1 and Figure 2, where it is indicated as a whole by 1.

It can be observed that it comprises a fixed frame 2 delimiting an opening A made in the wall P of a building and a flap 3 provided with a movable sash 4 that cooperates with the fixed frame 2 to open or close the opening A.

The movable sash 4 is provided with the following:

- an upper edge 4a delimiting the flap 3 at the level of the upper area 5 from which smoke and heat are evacuated when the flap 3 is open;

- a lower edge 4b, opposing the upper edge 4a, which delimits the lower part of the flap 3 and is associated with the fixed frame 2 via hinge means 6 defining a rotation axis X for opening and closing the flap 3 like a hopper window towards the outside;

- a first side edge 4c and a second side edge 4d opposing each other and laterally delimiting the flap 3.

Each side edge 4c, 4d of the movable sash 4 is connected to the fixed frame 2 via a side wall 7 with variable surface, having its maximum area when the flap 3 is completely open.

In particular, the variability of the surface of the wall 7 during the movement of the flap 3 makes it possible to maintain the side areas 7a of the flap 3 closed when this is open, thus preventing the outlet of smoke and heat through the upper opening 5 from being affected by external air currents flowing in through the side areas 7a.

Drive means are provided, indicated as a whole by 80 and visible in Figures 1 , 11 , 12 and 13, which will be described in greater detail below, for the rotation of the flap 3 during the closing and opening manoeuvres according to the rotation axis X defined by the hinge means 6.

Opening means make it possible to arrange the flap 3 in open position, with the movable sash 4 diverging from the fixed frame 2 starting from the rotation axis X. In this way an upper opening 5 is defined at the level of the upper edge 4a, starting from the condition in which the flap 3 is closed with the movable sash 4 resting against the fixed frame 2.

Said opening means may comprise, for example, electromagnets that cooperate with each other and are arranged on the fixed frame 2 and on the flap 3 and allow the flap 3 to open by gravity when the electromagnets are de-energized.

Alternatively, also retaining and/or thrusting means of another type may be provided.

Obviously, it should also be possible to close the flap 3 manually.

The opening means are preferably replaced by drive means 80 that make it possible to move the flap 3 from a closed position in which the movable sash 4 rests against the fixed frame 2 to an open position towards the outside in which the movable sash 4 diverges from the fixed frame 2 in order to define the upper opening 5, like a hopper window, and vice versa.

According to the invention, each side wall 7 consists of an extensible sheet 9, 10, 20, 30, 40, 50, 60 suited to be completely housed in a cavity 70 present at the sides of the fixed frame 2 when the flap 3 is closed.

According to a construction variant, the extensible sheet 9 is a continuous flat sheet made of an elastic material.

It extends and retracts spontaneously due to its own elasticity during the movement of the flap 3 so as to have the maximum surface area when the flap 3 is completely open as shown in Figure 1 and the minimum surface area when the flap 3 is completely closed.

In particular, when the flap 3 is closed, the extensible sheet is completely enclosed in the cavity 70, as shown in Figure 2.

According to other construction variants of the invention that can be observed in Figures from 3 to 10 the extensible sheet 10, 20, 30, 40, 50, 60 comprises a plurality of lamina-shaped elements 11 , 21 , 31 , 41 , 51 , 61 with mainly longitudinal development, arranged side by side and included between the fixed frame 2 and the movable sash 4 that can be opened and closed like a fan during the closing manoeuvre of the flap 3.

In particular, in the construction variant shown in Figures 3 and 4 each extensible sheet 30 is provided with lamina-shaped elements 31 made of a flexible material and having the edges 31a fixed to each other through a glued joint 32 that extends over their entire length.

In the construction variant shown in Figures 5 and 6 each extensible sheet 40 has the lamina-shaped elements 41 made of a flexible material and having the edges 41a fixed to each other by means of a heat welded joint 42.

In the construction variant shown in Figure 7 each extensible sheet 50 has the lamina-shaped elements 51 made of a flexible material and having the edges 51a fixed to each other by means of a stitched joint 52.

In the construction variant shown in Figures 8, 8a and 8b each extensible sheet 60 has the lamina-shaped elements 61 made of a flexible material and having the edges 61a fixed to each other by means of a hinge joint 62.

Each single hinge 62, as shown, comprises tubular elements 62a belonging to each pair of consecutive shaped elements 61 , axially spaced one after the other so that each tubular element 62a of a lamina-shaped element is housed between two tubular elements 62a belonging to the consecutive lamina- shaped element.

When the tubular elements 62a are arranged so that they are coaxially aligned one after the other, they are connected by means of a through pin 63 that forms the hinge 62.

In the construction form shown in Figure 9 each extensible sheet 10 is a continuous sheet made of a flexible material in which the lamina-shaped elements 11 are obtained by means of permanent pleats 12 impressed in the extensible sheet itself.

In this way this assumes the pleated configuration that can be seen in Figure 9 and that allows it to be opened and closed like a fan during the manoeuvres for opening and closing the flap 3.

In the construction form shown in Figure 10 each extensible sheet 20 is a continuous sheet made of a flexible material in which the lamina-shaped elements 21 are obtained by means of permanent grooves 22 with C-shaped profile impressed in the extensible sheet itself.

The shaped elements, in all the embodiments described herein, can thus be opened and closed like a fan, respectively during the opening and closing of the flap 3.

Regarding the cavities 70 that house the extensible wall when the flap 3 is in closed position, each one of them has a transversal U-shaped profile that can be seen in Figure 2 when the flap 3 is closed and is defined by an L-shaped blade 71 present in each side edge 4c, 4d of the movable sash 4 and by a corresponding counter-blade 72, L-shaped, too, present in the corresponding fixed frame 2.

Obviously, the length of the sides that form each shaped blade 71 , 72, and if necessary even their profile and therefore in other words the volume of the cavity 70, depends on the thickness of the material of which the extensible wall is made and on the width it assumes when the flap is closed.

Furthermore, the volume of the shaped cavity 70 will vary according to the construction form of the extensible wall that it is intended to house, when the flap 3 is closed.

There is also a deflector barrier 75 applied to the movable sash 4 along the upper edge 4a which, as shown in Figure 1 and in Figure 11 where it is indicated by a dashed line, consists of a foil-shaped body 75a that projects upwards outside the movable sash 4 when the flap 3 is open.

The presence of the deflector barrier 75 serves to deviate upwards air flows that, if directed frontally against the vent when the flap 3 is open, would hinder the outflow of smoke.

When, on the other hand, the flap 3 is closed, the deflector barrier 75 moves to a recessed position with respect to the upper edge 4a, parallel to and against the movable sash 4 as shown in Figure 11 , where the deflector barrier 75 is represented by a dashed line.

An operating unit indicated as a whole by 90 and operatively cooperating with the drive means 80, visible in the Figures from 10 to 13, allows the deflector barrier 75 to rotate during the opening and closing of the flap 3.

In particular, as can be observed, the drive means 80 and the operating unit 90 mutually cooperate so that the rotation of the deflector barrier 75 is induced by the operating unit 90 during the operation of the drive means 80 that open and close the flap 3.

Regarding in particular the drive means 80, they comprise an air actuator 81 having the cylinder 82 hinged to the fixed frame 2 and the rod 83 having its end 83a connected to the movable sash 4 so that the opening and closing of the flap 3 respectively correspond to the outward and inward movement of the rod 83 in the cylinder 82.

It is evident that the actuator may also be of another type, for example hydraulic or electric or even manual. Distributor valves of the known type, not illustrated herein, convey and release the pressurized air in/from the cylinder 82 in order to have the stem 83 respectively slide out and in, in order to open and close the flap 3.

It can be observed that the connection of the end 83a of the rod 83 to the movable sash 4 takes place through a lever 84 provided in an intermediate position with a pin 85 for hinging to the movable sash 4 and having a first end 84a connected to the end 83a of the stem 83 and a second end 84b connected to a cable 86.

The latter, as shown in particular in Figure 13, is fixed to a revolving rod 87 supported by the upper edge 4a of the movable sash 4, to which teeth 88 for coupling the movable sash 4 and therefore the flap 3 to the fixed frame 2 are connected.

Regarding, on the other hand, the operating unit 90 of the deflector barrier 75, it comprises, as shown in the Figures from 11 to 13, a first series of rods 91 , 92 hinged between the fixed frame 2 and the movable sash 4 and a second series of rods 92, 93 hinged between the movable sash 4 and the deflector barrier 75 in order to set it rotating around the revolving rod 87 to which it is connected by means of the sleeves 75b.

It can be observed, in particular, that the rod 92 belongs to both series of rods and precisely its first end 92a belongs to the first series of rods while its second end 92b belongs to the second series of rods.

A dampener 98 is interposed between the fixed frame 2 and the movable sash 4, said dampener being preferably but not necessarily of the hydraulic type known per se and being suited to slow down the travel of the flap 3 during the opening operation.

Operatively, when the vent 1 is arranged with the flap 3 in the closed position, it assumes the configuration shown in Figure 2, in which each side wall 7 is completely housed inside the shaped cavity 70.

In this position the coupling teeth 88 connect in a permanent manner the movable sash 4 and therefore the flap 3 to the fixed frame 2.

Operating the drive means 80 and in particular feeding the cylinder 82 with pressurized air means making the rod 83 slide out, which causes:

- the instantaneous rotation of the lever 84 that tightens the cable 86 causing the release of the teeth 88;

- as the travel continues, the rotation of the flap 3 until its complete opening due to rotation along the axis X defined by the hinges 6.

During the opening of the flap 3 that opens like a hopper window towards the outside, the movable sash 4 opens also each side wall 7.

In this way the side areas 7a of the flap 3 remain constantly closed and in case of fire, during the evacuation of the smoke from the room, this prevents the generation, at the sides of the flap 3, of transversal air currents that slow down, prevent or even force towards the inside of the room the smoke produced by combustion.

At the same time, during the opening of the flap 3, the articulation of the first series of rods 91, 92 and of the second series of rods 92, 93 causes the rotation of the deflector barrier 75 around the revolving rod 87 from the recessed position indicated with a dashed line in Figure 11 when the flap 3 is closed to the operative position that can be observed, always indicated by a dashed line, again in Figure 11 and also in Figure 1 , guaranteeing the required wind deflecting action.

When it is necessary to close the flap 3, the feeding of compressed air to the cylinder 82 is inverted, so as to obtain the return of the rod 83 that moves the flap together with the movable sash 4 against the fixed frame 2.

During said rotation the side wall 7 follows the movable sash 4 during the rotation that moves it back against the fixed frame 2 and the operating unit 90 moves the deflector barrier 75 back to the recessed position.

At the end of the stroke of the rod 83 and when the movable sash 4 rests against the fixed frame 2, a recovery spring 99, wound on the revolving rod 87, brings the teeth 88 back to the coupling position in order to ensure the closure of the flap 3.

When the flap 3 is completely closed, the side wall 7 returns to be completely contained in the cavity 70.

According to a construction variant of the flap of the invention, not illustrated herein, the flap of the vent is hinged to the fixed frame at the level of the upper edge instead of being hinged at the level of the lower edge.

In this case, when the flap is open, the opening faces downwards.

The above clearly shows that the vent of the invention achieves all the set objects.

In particular, the invention achieves the object to eliminate from the vent every construction element that when the flap is closed projects both towards the outside of the building and towards the inside of the room and thus may cause personal injuries in case of impact.

Furthermore, the absence of permanently projecting elements that may be deformed due to accidental or intentional impacts ensures the reliable operation of the vent, contrary to what happens with similar vents of known type provided with projecting side walls.

Furthermore, the absence of projecting elements also improves the aesthetic appearance of the vent of the invention compared to equivalent vents of the known type.

Finally, the presence of the deflector barrier prevents any contrary wind directed frontally against the flap from hindering or disturbing the evacuation of smoke when the flap is open.

In the construction stage, the vent that is the subject of the invention may be subjected to changes and modifications that are neither described herein nor shown in the drawings.

Said changes and modifications must all be considered protected by the present patent, provided that they fall within the scope of the claims expressed below.

Where technical features mentioned in any claim are followed by reference signs, those reference sings have been included for the sole purpose of increasing the intelligibility of the claims and accordingly such reference signs do not have any limiting effect on the protection of each element identified by way of example by such reference signs.