Background of the invention

[0001] The invention relates in general to preventing dust from spreading and especially to a temporary door solution intended for preventing locally created dust from spreading to clean areas.

[0002] For instance, a renovation in an apartment often creates considerable amounts of dust that may even be asbestos dust that is hazardous to health. The renovation area is often limited to the wash room or a specific room, for, instance. If the spreading of dust is not prevented, the dust created in one area also spreads to the areas where no renovation is done. For instance in connection with an asbestos renovation, already due to work safety, the work area must be contained so as to prevent the dust from spreading into other areas.

[0003] Conventionally, in connection with renovation work, for instance, this problem is solved by separating the room being renovated from the clean area by fastening plastic sheeting in the doorway by means of wood strips or tape. The problem with the solution is how to move through this type of doorway, how to arrange electric current and ventilation through the plastic- coated doorway, and how to remove refuse material from the closed area. It is also difficult to make the arrangement dustproof, if the door needs to be used continuously. In addition, the arrangement can only be used once or it may even be necessary to re-coat the door during the renovation.

Brief description of the invention

[0004] An object of the invention is thus to provide a device and system that solve the above-mentioned problems. The object of the invention is achieved by a device and system which are characterised by what is disclosed in the independent claims. Preferred embodiments of the invention are disclosed in the dependent claims.

[0005] The invention is based on using a protective door unit arranged to be fastened to existing structures. The protective door unit comprises a protective door, through which it is possible to pass through the protective door unit and transport building and refuse materials. The protective door unit comprises a technical terminal area, through which the necessary electric energy, ventilation and material flow are arranged by means of suitable connections. The protective door unit may be fastened to an existing door frame, doorway or corridor, for instance, by means of adjustable or modular adjusting elements, for instance, in such a manner that a dustproof partitioning of space is established. The protective door unit may have or it may be possible to connect to it a negative pressure unit, with which negative pressure may be created into the unclean area in comparison with the clean area.

[0006] The device and system of the invention provide the advantage that installation is fast and provides a substantially dustproof door arrangement. Another advantage is that ventilation and electricity are arranged through their own panel instead of the doorway, whereby the doorway remains free and can be closed tightly. Yet another advantage is the suitability for corridors and openings of different sizes thanks to the adjustable and/or modular adjusting elements that also permit easy detachment and re-usability of the protective door unit.

Brief description of the figures

[0007] The invention will now be described in more detail in connection with preferred embodiments and with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 shows an example of a protective door unit according to an embodiment, which comprises one technical terminal area and an adjusting element;

Figure 2 shows an example of a protective door unit according to an embodiment, which comprises two technical terminal areas and an expansion part of the protective door; and

Figure 3 shows attaching means of a protective door unit according to an embodiment engaged with an existing structure.

Detailed description of the invention

[0008] In the example of Figure 1 of a protective door unit according to an embodiment, the protective door unit comprises a protective door 12, a technical terminal area 14, means 16 for temporarily fastening the protective door unit to an existing structure, and an adjustable or modular adjusting element 20. In an embodiment, the means 16 for temporarily fastening the protective door unit to an existing structure comprise the adjusting element 20.

[0009] In a protective door unit according to an embodiment, the protective door 12 is fastened with hinges or slide bars to the inner frame of the protective door unit, for instance. When opening, the door may fold at one or more places, which makes it an accordion door. Less free space is needed in front of a folding door than in front of an ordinary, one-part door to permit it to open. The opening direction or handedness of the door is preferably changeable according to the requirements of the installation site. The location of the adjusting element 20 in relation to the protective door 12 can also be changed according to the installation site. The protective door and/or the inner frame have preferably seals that prevent dust from passing between the protective door 2 and inner frame. The protective door may be equipped with a door closer so that it will not be left open by mistake. In an embodiment, the door is mechanically lockable into its closed and/or open position. In an embodiment, two protective doors are mounted on one inner frame and the doors are preferably sealed against the inner frame and each other when they are closed. The protective doors can then be spring-loaded, so that it is possible to walk through them in both directions by pushing the protective doors open, after which the protective doors return to the middle position and seal the doorway to be substantially dustproof.

[0010] In connection with the protective door, there is a technical terminal area 14, which in one embodiment is above the protective door, so the door can be arranged to be as wide as possible within the limits of the existing structure, such as door frame or corridor. The technical terminal area 14 preferably comprises connections and/or lead-throughs for heat, electricity, ventilation, water, incoming air, outgoing air, machining tool exhaust air, negative pressure unit, material conveyor and/or other devices and materials needed in the space separated by the protective door unit. The technical terminal area may also comprise one or more light fittings as well as switches or regulators for regulating lighting, or one or more connections or lead- throughs. Locating the technical terminal area above the door is also advantageous, because the necessary wiring, tubing, piping and other connection means can be brought to the protective door unit along the ceiling or wall, whereby the connection means do not present a tripping hazard or possibly narrow the corridor leading to the protective door. In an embodiment, the technical terminal area 14 is located beside the protective door on the side edge of the protective door unit so that the protective door can be kept as high as possible. In another embodiment, the technical terminal area 14 is located below the protective door so that refuse material is easy to remove by pushing it from the floor straight into an opening serving as a connection to the material conveyor of the technical terminal area. In an embodiment, the technical terminal area 14 is located beside the protective door on the side edge of the protective door unit so that the protective door can be kept as high and wide as possible.

[0011] In the example of Figure 1 , a frame 16 surrounds the outer edge of the protective door unit and comprises or has in connection thereto attaching means 17 for fastening the protective door unit to an existing structure 19. In an embodiment, the attaching means 17 is a profile protruding from the frame, for instance a panel profile that is formed to correspond to the shape of the door frame. The attaching means 17 is arranged to fit the existing structure, for instance inside the frame surrounding the doorway, in such a manner that the attaching means is fastened to the door frame and the rest of the protective door unit remains outside the doorway. It is then always possible to use a protective door of the same size, or even one that is larger than the existing doorway, which facilitates the manufacturing of protective door units. The protruding profile of the attaching means 17 is preferably arranged to be detachable and re-attachable to a door frame of different width, height and/or shape or a profile that attaches to an even opening of a door frame. When using the adjusting element 20 or several consecutive adjusting elements, the attaching means can be moved to the outermost adjusting means to attach it to the edge of the door opening that is at the location of the outermost adjusting element.

[0012] The attaching means 17 may be positioned along the entire length of the edge on the vertical edges of the protective door unit or only on a section of the edges. The attaching means can also be set to be at the location of the adjusting element or protective door, if the protective door unit is mounted on a doorway that is clearly narrower than the protective door unit or, if the doorway is close to a corner, for instance. The attaching means 17 may be flexible or flexibly fastened to the protective door unit, on the frame 16 of the protective door unit, on the adjusting element 20, the inner frame of the protective door and/or some other part of the protective door unit, for example. The position of the attaching means may be changeable and lockable in relation to the protective door, whereby the attaching means may be turned against the protective door unit during storage and transport, and during installation, the attaching means is turned to an angle of approximately 90 degrees to the protective door unit for attaching to an existing structure. The attaching means can also be spring-loaded in one or all of the profiles. In an embodiment, the frame of the top edge of the protective door unit has as the attaching means a spring-loaded protruding profile that is shaped according to the frame head, and the spring load also presses the profiles of the attaching means on the side edges of the protective door unit against the door frame. In an embodiment, the top edge of the protective door unit, on top of the door, a flexible adjusting element is used, which settles between the rigid protective door structure and ceiling and seals the gap. The flexible adjusting element may comprise an air filter, through which the negative-pressure space defined by the protective door unit gets its replacement air. The air filter of the flexible adjusting element is preferably a P3-grade filter. A seal can also be used on the surface of the attaching means profile to provide tighter fastening, to improve sound insulation and/or to prevent dust from spreading. A profile shaped to the threshold can be used as the attaching means on the bottom edge of the protective door unit.

[0013] In an embodiment, an L-profile-shaped frame is used, whereby the protective door unit can be placed as such directly in the mounting opening and fastened in place with screws or nails by means of openings made or to be made to the protruding part of the L-profile. In an embodiment, the profile of the protective door unit frame is even on the outer surface and partly or entirely surrounded by an elastic seal. The protective door unit can then be wedged in place, whereby the friction of the seal against the surface of the existing structure keeps the protective door unit in place assisted by wedges.

[0014] In the example of Figure 1 , the side edge of the protective door unit has a variable adjusting element 20. The adjusting element can be connected to the rest of the protective door unit by slide rails or by using the frame 16 as a slide rail, for instance. With the adjusting element 20, the width of the protective door unit can be made suitable for the existing structure. After this, the adjusting element is locked in place with a hook, pin, screw or some other locking means, for instance. This way, the protective door unit is tightly mounted in the door frame and separates the space at an existing door frame into clean and unclean areas, and the protective door unit is also easily detachable from the door frame when no longer needed.

[00 5] In the adjusting element, it is possible to use a panel, folding plastic film or fabric or an accordion door system, for example, to cover the gap between the frame of the adjusting element and the rest of the protective door unit, when the adjusting element is adjusted by increasing the width of the protective unit. One embodiment has one or more modular adjusting elements 20 on both sides of the protective door, on top and on the side of the protective door, below and on the side of the protective door, several consecutive modular adjusting elements on the side or on top of the protective door, or a combination of the above-mentioned alternatives, for example.

[0016] Figure 2 shows an example of a protective door unit according to another embodiment, which comprises two technical terminal areas 14, 15, a protective door 12, and an expansion part 13 of the protective door. The first technical terminal area 4 can be arranged above the protective door and the second technical terminal area 15 can be arranged on the bottom edge of the protective door unit beside the protective door, for instance. The second technical terminal area can then be used to connect a refuse conveyor, for example, in which case the discharge pipe of the refuse conveyor can be located nearly level with the floor and its use is easy. A separate negative pressure unit, for instance, can also be connected to the second technical terminal area, in which case the negative pressure unit can be connected to the protective door unit with short electrical cabling and air ducts and it can be kept on the floor of either the unclean or clean area next to the protective door unit. The negative pressure unit either sucks air from the unclean area or blows filtered and/or purified air from the unclean area to the clean area, whereby negative pressure is created in the unclean area and dust cannot travel through possible holes with the air flows. In an embodiment, the negative pressure unit is built in a technical terminal area of the protective door unit, whereby no separate unit is needed.

[0017] The second technical terminal area 15 of the protective door unit of Figure 2 narrows the protective door 12, which means that conveying large articles may become a problem. The protective door unit may have an expansion part 13 of the protective door above or below the second technical terminal area for widening the doorway of the protective door unit as necessary, whereby even larger articles can be conveyed through the protective door unit. The surface area of the protective door unit can be increased by adding one or more modular and/or variable adjusting elements to the protective door unit. [0018] Figure 3 shows the attaching means 17 of a protective door unit according to an embodiment engaged with an existing structure 19. The location of the attaching means 17 can be varied in accordance with the existing structure and the profile of the attaching means is preferably shaped to fit the existing structure 19, whereby the attaching means are arranged to attach to the existing structure. The attaching means may be made of bent sheet metal, some other metal or plastic, for example. The attaching means is preferably shaped to permit attachment to both the door frame and an even- edged doorway as well as to the modular adjusting element 20.

[0019] It will be apparent to a person skilled in the art that as technology advances, the basic idea of the invention may be implemented in many different ways. The invention and its embodiments are thus not restricted to the examples described above but may vary within the scope of the claims.