Automatic fire door

In the framework of civil engineering, the invention belongs to the field of doors, more particularly to the field of fire doors. On the other hand, likewise in the framework of civil engineering, the invention ranks also among the door-wing opening or closing assemblies, operating on the basis of a spring force.

According to this, the invention is based on the problem, how to design an automatic fire door, namely an automatically operating fire door in the normal regime of operation, as well as a door, which, in emergencies, is automatically and unconditionally adaptable to the critical regime of operation, i.e. a door, the mounting of which will require as little room as possible, and which will allow a reliable and safe use in complying with all standards in the field of fire protection.

The fire door, described in SI 21048, consists of a translatorily, along adequate guides, movable wing, in which a swingable wing is installed. In the normal regime of operation, the frame, together with the wing, blocked in this case, is translatorily movable to and fro along the guides, by which the door is opened or closed. In emergency conditions, the frame moves to a predetermined position, in which the door is closed, while the frame is blocked, so that its translatory motion is made impossible since that moment. Simultaneously, the door wing is released and can be swung, and thus the door can be opened and closed in the critical regime of operation.

In the normal regime of operation, the movement of the frame is enabled generally by means of an electrical drive, while in an emergency event, an automatic transformation of the door operation is performed, namely the normal regime of operation changes into a critical regime of operation, in which the power supply is disconnected; the putting of the frame into a desired position, including the blocking of the frame and releasing of the door wing, can be then achieved exclusively by means of the accumulated potential energy, which is thanks to a weight, installed in a special housing, usually in a post, placed directly at the frame in the door opening or in its direct vicinity, similarly as it is described in DE 203 05 720 Ul or DE 34 44 215 C2 or DE-OS 2 244 927 or AT 368 597 or also EP 0 868 588 Bl. The weight is connected to an adequate tightener through a rope gear (a rope transmission unit), by means of which the wing is movable, and furthermore, through adequate levers, also to an assembly for blocking and releasing of the door frame as well as to an assembly for blocking and releasing of the door wing.

With the purpose to ensure fire protection, the sealing of the door wings is provided by means of front gaskets, resembling, in their cross-section profile, to the letter "L", so that the front gasket of one wing hooks into the gasket of the other wing, and when the wings are closed, the gaskets overlap at least partially. This type of the sealing concept for the door wings seems, is, in practice, perfectly suitable, at least in the normal regime of operation and from a viewpoint of mere functionality. On the other hand, troubles may occur in the critical regime of operation, particularly during the automatic closing of the swingable door wings, which can lead to severe consequences. Besides, this kind of the wing concept can be problematic also from the viewpoint of safety during the operation of the door in the normal regime. In the translation of the relatively heavy door frames, the gaskets of the each time engaged wings come close to each other, in which it is sometimes difficult or even impossible to entirely exclude the possibility of catching a user between the door wing and its frame, which might be connected to severe consequences as well.

The installation of the weight is, in principle, a good and cheap method of accumulating energy, which can be activated later at any time, also in the event of an electric power failure. It should be pointed out that also the transmission of this energy through numerous levers and other devices to the assemblies for activating or deactivating of the door wings or door frames, is always connected with a certain risk of getting stuck and similar complications, which may occur with time from several reasons, e.g. corrosion, intrusion of impurities, broods of insects and similar difficultly predictable phenomena. The consequences of this kind of a problem can be that the stored potential energy is simply not sufficient for the performance of all the steps necessary in the transition of the door from the normal to the critical regime of operation. Consequently, the existing solution requires maintenance and control inspections, if they are, at all, sufficiently efficient. Last but not least, the installation of the weight, which shall be rather ample, takes up rather a lot of room, therefore the dimensions of such a door type are relatively large, which, however, has an adverse impact on its functionality in the areas of passages, where space is usually limited, while, simultaneously, their aesthetic appearance can mostly not be an optimum one.

On the other hand, DE 196 52 600 C2, for example, proposes a door solution, in which the two swingable, and besides foldable wings are movable also by means of a spring force. In principle, it is not a sliding door, but rather a door of rail vehicles or similar vehicles, in which the consumption of energy stored in adequate springs is envisaged for the movement of the door wings in emergency events. However, such door is, in principle, not designed as a fire door, and it is thus envisaged for operation under entirely different conditions compared to the door according to the invention.

Further, DE 80 16 371 Ul describes a sliding and a swingable door. It relates to an assembly consisting of a fixed wing and a sliding wing, which closes the door opening. In the normal regime of operation, the sliding wing is movable on adequate guides arranged overhead and at the bottom, parallelly to the fixed wing and along it, while, in a

critical situation, the sliding wing is firstly closed, then the guides, together with the two wings, turn around their pivot points for 90 degrees; the pivot points are placed one above the other in the central area of the door opening. Also in this case, the said turn is performed through an adequate rope transmission unit on the basis of the energy, stored for this purpose in the springs. Such door is not envisaged as a fire door, but rather as an emergency exit from department stores in the event of an electric power failure. When swung off, or turned, the door wings are poorly seen in the direction of escape or entry / exit; besides, the concept of opening in the event of emergency or panic is questionable; holding back the effects of fire including the sealing of the door is not even mentioned in the above quoted source.

The present invention relates to an automatic fire door, which consists of at least one frame, which is translatorily movable along the adequate guides, and at least one wing,, which is swingably embedded in the said frame, which are embodied in such a manner that in the normal operation mode, the said frame is movable, while the wing is blocked, and in the critical operation mode, the frame is blocked and the wing is deblocked. By this the translatory movement of each respective frame is enabled, on the one hand, by means of an adequate electric drive motor and an adequate drive, while, on the other hand, the movement of the frame can be blocked in a predetermined position by means of a latch, which either enables or disables the movement of the frame and/or the toothed catch, adapted for engagement with the geared strip, which is fixedly fastened to the basis in the vicinity of the said guide, in which each respective wing, equipped with at least one of the front gaskets projecting into the direction of the movement of the frame, and optionally, with the automatic closer, is embedded, in a swingable and particularly hinged manner, in the respectively belonging frame, where, on the one hand, it can be blocked by means of the appropriate locking plate and the snap latch engaged with it, while on the other hand, it can be swung off for opening the door, when its opening is made possible, by means of the arresting strip or an adequate door handle, in which case, in the normal operation mode, the frame together with the wing mounted in the frame

and blocked against swinging off, is translatorily movable to and fro along the guides, while, in the critical operation mode, the frame is blocked in a predetermined position, while each respective wing, available in the framecan be swung off.

The door according to the invention comprises

- an assembly for forced closing, which includes at least one spring and is equipped with a pushing projection, which is movable by means of said spring and envisaged for engagement with the frame in the sense of a shift of the latter into the position of blocking by means of the latch during the transition from the normal to the critical regime of the door operation;

- an electromagnetic latch envisaged for blocking the frame in a predetermined position, which enables the translatory movement of the frame, when the latch is connected to the each time available source of electric power supply, or disables it, when disconnected;

- an electromagnetic snap latch, which includes at least one electromagnet, and the toothed catch, movable with its help and against the force of the spring, while the toothed catch is adapted for engagement with the geared strip, fixedly fastened to the basis, so that in the event, when the electromagnet is connected to the each time available source of electric power, the toothed catch is held at an adequate distance from the strip, and in the opposite case, it is pressed against the said strip by means of the spring;

- an electromagnetic snap latch, which includes at least one electromagnet, and the snap latch, which is mechanically connected to the electromagnet and can snap, against the force of the spring, into the adequate locking plate, when the wing in the frame is blocked through the connection of the electromagnet to the each time available electric power source, while in the opposite case, it is unbolted, thanks to the said spring, by which the wing is deblocked, i.e. can be swung off the plane of the frame. Said electromagnetic latch for blocking the swinging of the wing in regard to the frame is placed in the area of the frame directly above the wing, which is equipped with a locking plate adapted for receiving the snap latch in the direct vicinity of the said latch. The

electromagnet is mechanically connected with the snap latch through at least one lever and/or each time suitable connecting members. The lower electromagnetic snap latch is placed in the lower area of the frame in the direct vicinity of the front guide and the geared strip. The toothed catch of the latch is mechanically connected to the belonging electromagnet, preferably at least through the control rod, especially directly through said control rod. In the critical regime of operation, when the frame is blocked and the wing is deblocked, said toothed catch of the lower snap latch assembly is placed so as to rest on and engage with the geared strip, by which, besides blocking of the frame, an excessive sagging of the swung-off wing is prevented. Each respective frame can be moved together with the belonging wing into a closed position, in which it is found during the critical operation mode, exclusively by means of the spring of the assembly for forced closing. By this, said spring of the assembly for forced closing is preferrably a helical spring. Each respective wing is equipped, on its locking front surface, with the front gasket, which can be fixed to the wing by means of the fastening metal sheet pieces, and which comprises a deformable cleat on one side of the wing, and a resilient cuff on the other side of the wing. The gasket can be divided into two parts in the each time available dividing plane, found between the cleat and the cuff, in which the parts are mutually parallelly separated by means of the fastening sheet pieces , and they can be, simultaneously and in the same manner as the undivided gasket, fixed on the wing. The resilient cuff, curved in the direction away from the dividing plane and backwards, i.e. away from the direction of the protruding of the gasket from the wing. The gasket is preferrably made of incombustible rubber, which meets the standards in the field of fire protection. All electrical and electromagnetic parts, i.e. at least the drive motor and the electromagnets are controlled and operated by means of the same electronic control unit, which includes sensors and other electronic members for detecting emergency conditions, and is connected to the each time available electric power source. The electric power supply is disconnected, in the event of any occurrence of emergency situations, simultaneously in all electrical and electromagnetic members, i.e. at least in the drive motor.

Hereinafter, the invention will be explained in detail on the basis of an example of the embodiment and in connection to the sketches attached, where

Fig. 1 shows the automatic fire door in the front view;

Fig. 2 shows the door in the section along the A - A line according to Fig. 1 ;

Fig. 3 shows a detailed sketch of an assembly for forced closing of the door, in the top view;

Fig. 4 shows the lower electro-mechanical snap latch, in the top view;

Fig. 5 shows the upper electro-mechanical snap latch, in the top view;

Fig. 6 shows Detail B according to Fig.l;

Fig .7 shows Detail C according to Fig.2;

Fig. 8 shows Detail D according to Fig.2; and

Fig. 9 shows a profile or cross-sectional view of the gasket of one of the door wings.

Fig.l shows the front view of an example of the embodiment of the automatic fire door according to the invention; the example shows two door wings 9, mutually equal in size and mirror-like in their form, swingably mounted in the slidingly movable frames 8. An expert will understand that, undoubtedly, also other kinds of the door embodiment are possible, e.g. an embodiment with two slidingly movable frames 8 and only one door wing 9, or an embodiment with two door wings 9 of different size, or an embodiment with one door frame 8 and one door wing 9, and others.

The door according to the invention is envisaged to operate in two operating regimes, namely in the normal regime and in the critical regime of operation. In the normal regime, the door operates as a usual sliding door, in which the opening of the door is envisaged to be performed by moving the frames 8 translatorily in the direction apart from each other, while the closing of the door is performed by moving the frames 8 in the direction towards each other; in the critical regime of operation, the respective frame 8 is blocked, while the each time belonging wing 9 is released, i.e. deblocked, so that the

opening and/or closing of the door in the critical regime of operation are carried out by means of the swingable wings 9, while the frame 8 stands still. The transformation from the normal to the critical regime of operation is carried out automatically, and moreover, without any need for electric power supply.

In principle, this door comprises a drive 1 with the belonging drive motor 2, carrying wheels 3, which ensure the translatory movability of the frame 8, further, an electromagnetic latch 4 for blocking the frame 8 in a predetermined position, and further more, an assembly 5 for forced closing, and an overhead electromechanical snap latch 6, envisaged to be engaged with the locking plate 7, besides also the two afore mentioned carrying sliding frames 8 with the two installed door wings 9. In the direction of the translatory movement, the frames 8 are guided by means of lateral guides 11, while an automatic door closer 130 is preferably envisaged on each of the respective wings 9. The latch 4 is one of the embodiments, known to experts under the name "bistable latch" or also "bistable lock", which, in the event of an electric power failure, puts the latch 4 into a position, which enables the latching or blocking of the carrying sliding frame 8, which thus can not be moved any more.

This door is illustrated also in Fig.2, this time in the cross-section and in the previously explained manner. Each of the respective carrying sliding frames 8, in which the each time belonging wing 9 is swingably embedded, is translatorily movably placed into the each time belonging lateral guide 11. As evident from Fig.2, the door comprises also a geared strip 12 fixedly fastened to the base, the lower electromechanical snap latch 13 and two lateral guides 14, while, in this example, two arresting strips 15 are envisaged on the wings, then front gaskets 16, a mechanical lock 17 and the counterpart lock assembly 18.

The fully mechanically functioning assembly 5 for forced closing, shown in detail in Fig.3, is placed on the door beam 1 and comprises a spring assembly 20 with spiral

springs 24, a guide assembly 21, a sliding guide 22, a pushing projection 23, a winder 25 with a detent brake and a steel rope 26.

The lower electromechanical snap latch 13, presented in Fig.4, comprises an electromagnet 28, a pressure spring 29, a geared catch 30, a switch support 31, a control rod 32 and a switch 33.

Fig.5 shows the upper electromechanical snap latch 6, which comprises a mechanical lock 34, a lever 35, a connecting member 36, a pressure spring 37, an electromagnet 38, a control rod 39, a support member 40, a switch 41, and a snap latch 42. The upper electromagnetic snap latch 6 is installed into the carrying sliding frame 8 directly at the wing 9, which is illustrated in Fig.l, and in particular in Fig.6, which illustrates also the closing of the snap latch 42 in the aperture of the locking plate 7, and thus the blocking of the wing 9 in the frame 8.

The front gasketing of the wings 9 is presented in Fig.7, in which it is evident that one front gasket 16 is envisaged on each wing; in the presented example the gasket is fastened by means of fastening sheet pieces 43 to the belonging wing 9. The gasket 16, which is separately presented also in Fig.9, is made of special rubber, which meets the requirements in regard to fire protection. The gasket 16 is adapted to rest on the fastening sheet pieces 43; on the one hand, it is equipped with a deformable cleat 45, and on the other hand, with a resilient cuff 46. Besides, the gasket 16 is relatively simply dividable in the area of its dividing plane, thanks to which this very gasket can be used for various thicknesses of the wings 9. The gasket 16 can be fixed to the wing 9 by means of the metal sheet pieces 43 in the same manner, whether integral, i.e. non- divided (Fig.7) or divided, in which case the parts of the gasket 16 are placed at a suitable distance from each other along the wing 9.

The lateral gasketing of the door according to the invention is presented in Fig.8, in which also other component parts are illustrated in their installed status, such as the lateral guide 11, the carrying sliding frame 8 of the wing 9, the geared strip 12 with the belonging toothed catch and the lateral gasket 14, which is, similarly as the afore mentioned gasket 14, made of special rubber, which meets the fire protection requirements.

The automatic fire door in the normal regime of operation operates as an automatic sliding door, which means that it opens and closes by means of a translatory movement of the frames 8, while the respective wing 9 in the belonging frame 8 is bolted i.e. blocked and thus closed, and it can not be swung off from this position, and thus opened, during the time of its normal operating regime.

In the critical regime of operation, i.e. in the event of an active fire signal, electric power failure or a system breakdown, the translatory movement of the respective frame 8 into the closed position is carried out in the first place, and unconditionally, whereupon the latch 6 is released, which enables the opening of the door by swinging off the respective door wing 9, which is achieved by means of a door handle (Fig.2) or arresting strips 15, in which the automatic closing of the door is ensured, in this case on the basis of the returning of each respective wing to its initial position in the frame 8 by means of automatic door closers 130.

In the installation of the door, i.e. after the placing of the guides 11 and an adequate number of the frames 8 with the belonging wings 9 and other component parts, the actuation of the automatic door is carried out in such a manner that the winder 25 on the unit 5 for forced closing stretches the spiral springs 24, which are then held in the stretched or tensioned position until the commencement of the critical regime operation. After that, each of the wings 9 is bolted by means of the upper electromechanical snap latch 6, and simultaneously, each of the frames 8 in the area of the each time belonging

lower electromechanical snap latch 13 is released, i.e. deblocked, by eliminating the engagement of the toothed catch 30 and the belonging geared strip 12; the frame 8 can be then translatorily moved along the belonging lateral guide 1 1. Thus the door is prepared for automatic operation; when the control electronics detects that all the said electromechanical assemblies are prepared for a sliding operation in the normal operating regime, the adequate automation mechanisms are actuated for the automatic operation of the door in the normal regime, i.e. for sliding opening or closing, while the swinging of the wings 9 is made impossible.

During the time of the normal operating regime of the door as a sliding door, the said spiral springs 24 are tensioned thanks to each of the units 5 for forced closing (Fig.3), while the control rod 39 of the upper electromechanical snap latch 6 (Fig.l and 5) on the carrying sliding frame 8 of the wing 9 is engaged by means of the electromagnet 38, by which the snap latch 42 is held in the locking plate 7 on the wing 9 through the lever 35 and the connecting member 36. Simultaneously, the toothed catch 30 is held at an adequate distance from the geared strip 12 by means of the electromagnet 28 of the lower electromechanical snap latch 13 (Fig.4), so that the sliding or the translatory movement of the frame 8 with the wing 9 past the guide 11 and the geared strip 12 is enabled. The control electronics secures a constant control of the status of the tensioned springs 24 in the assembly 5 for forced closing by means of suitable sensors; the same electronics provides also a constant control of the status of the upper electromechanical snap latch 6 and the lower electromechanical snap latch 13.

In the event of an emergency, all electric power supply sources are disconnected immediately by means of the control electronics, which sets up the critical regime of operation (disconnected status). In this case the detent brake of the winder 25 of the drive motor of the assembly 5 for forced closing is released, in which the carrying sliding frame 8 together with the wing 9 is moved into the closed position over the pushing projection 23 of the guide assembly 21 (Fig. 3) thanks to the sufficient quantity

of accumulated potential energy of the tensioned spiral springs; then the movement of each respective frame 8 together with the wing 9 is blocked by means of the electromagnetic latch 4, and simultaneously, thanks to the electromechanical snap latches 6, 13, the transformation of the door operation from the normal regime of operation into the critical regime of operation is enabled, in which the opening of the door is carried out by the swinging off of at least one wing 9. In this situation, the snap latch 42 is lifted or removed by means of the lever 35 and the connecting member 36 thanks to the tensioned pressure spring 37 of the electromagnet 38 on the upper electromechanical snap latch 6, by which the wing 9 is released, and can be swung off, i.e. opened from then on. At the same time the toothed catch 30 is set into the engagement with the geared strip 12, fastened on a fixed basis, thanks to the tensioned pressure spring 29 of the electromagnet 28 on the lower electromechanical snap latch 13, by which also the sagging of the wing 9 is prevented during the door wing opening. After the termination of emergency conditions, the critical regime operation is eliminated by resetting the electric power supply, whereupon the status of all electromechanical assemblies is examined by means of the control electronics, and the automatic operation of the door in the normal regime, i.e. the translatory movement of the frames 8 and of the blocked wings 9 is restarted. Because the door under discussion is primarily a fire door, and because this door is installed generally in the buildings, in which a lot of people are present, including children, old people, sick people and similar persons, which require a special care in the sense of logistics, the door solution includes also the selection of adequate gasketing, which ensures a safe operation of the door in both possible operating regimes, and simultaneously also in the event of critical circumstances. Each front gasket 16 shall, in principle, effectively seal the door for at least a definite time and prevent thus fire and smoke from passing through the door in the event of fire. The gasket 16 is made of incombustible rubber and equipped with a resilient cleat 45, by which it prevents the injury of the person, who would not be able to escape in time during the closing of the door. The gasket 16, which is separately presented in Fig.9, is distinguished from the already said facts for the resilient cuff 46,

which is arranged on the opposite side of the dividing plane 47 as the said cleat 45. The cuff 46 is curved outwards and back, i.e. away from the plane intended for the fixing of the fastening sheet pieces 43; in this way it is adapted for resting on the cleat 45 of each respective complementary gasket 16. Such a concept of the gasket 16 enables excellent sealing and prevents the each time mutually engaged wings 9 to get stuck, and in particular, to prevent the user to be injured during the closing of the door, if the user fails to escape from the area of the door in time.