FIE LD

The disclosure relates to a building ventilation apparatus, and more particularly to a fire-safety building ventilation apparatus.

BACKGROUND

When there is an accidental fire in a building, smoldering combustion may also occur. An abnormally high temperature condition may be produced by the smoldering combustion, which not only damages the building structure, but also makes extinguishing the fire difficult. More critically, a flashover can take place because of a sudden supply of oxygen into the building where smoldering combustion is occurring, making firefighting extremely dangerous. Therefore, building regulations require ventilation of the building for prevention of smoldering combustion during the fire.

Accordingly, a conventional building ventilation apparatus is provided with manual operation for ventilation of the building during the fire or an existing building ventilation apparatus is electrically controlled by a main control that is connected with a smoke detector to ventilate the building when the smoke detector detects excessive smoke in the building. However, electrical control of the existing building ventilation apparatus is likely to fail if circuits or wires of the main control are damaged during the fire . Thus, the building ventilation apparatus needs to be further improved for ensuring normal operation of ventilating the building during the fire .

SUMMARY

Therefore, an object of the disclosure is to provide a fire-safety building ventilation apparatus that can automatically ventilate a building during a fire.

According to the disclosure, a fire-safety building ventilation apparatus is mountable on a building wall of a building, and includes a cover plate unit, a first actuating unit, and a second actuating unit.

The cover plate unit is pivotable to move between a closing position to close a ventilation opening of the building wall and a ventilating position to uncover the ventilation opening to allow communication between an inside of the building and an outside of the building.

The first actuating unit is connected between the cover plate unit and the building wall for biasing the cover plate unit to move to the ventilating position.

The second actuating unit includes an electric telescopic member having a fixed end and an extendable end, a first connection member connected to the cover plate unit and the extendable end, and a second connection member connected to the fixed end and the building wall. The electric telescopic member is electrically operated such that the extendable end extends outward and pushes the cover plate unit to the ventilating position and such that the extendable end retracts inward and pulls the cover plate unit to the closing position.

At least one of the first and second connection members includes a metallic material that has a low melting point and that is meltable when an ambient temperature is higher than the low melting point.

When the cover plate unit is pulled to the closing position against the first actuating unit, the first actuating unit stores a mechanical restoring force.

When the metallic material melts, the at least one of the first and second connection units is dismantled such that the cover plate unit is moved to the ventilating position by the mechanical restoring force of the first actuating unit.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Other features and advantages of the disclosure will become apparent in the following detailed description of the embodiment with reference to the accompanying drawings, of which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a fire-safety building ventilation apparatus according to an embodiment of the disclosure;

Figure 2 is a side view of the embodiment; Figure 3 is a sectional view taken along line III-III of Figure 2 illustrating a cover plate unit of the fire-safety building ventilation apparatus at a closing position;

Figure 4 is a fragmentary sectional view of the embodiment illustrating retraction of a first actuating unit of the fire-safety building ventilation apparatus ;

Figure 5 is a view similar to that of Figure 3, but illustrating the cover plate unit at a ventilating position;

Figure 6 is view similar to that of Figure 4, but illustrating extension of the first actuating unit;

Figure 7 is a fragmentary sectional view of the embodiment illustrating retraction of a second actuating unit of the fire-safety building ventilation apparatus; and

Figure 8 is a view similar to that of Figure 7, but illustrating extension of the second actuating unit.

DE TAI LED DE SCRI PT ION

Figures 1 to 3 illustrate a fire-safety building ventilation apparatus mountable to a building 9 according to an embodiment of the disclosure. The building 9 includes a building wall 91 that has a ventilation opening 92. The fire-safety building ventilation apparatus of the disclosure includes a housing frame unit 1, a cover plate unit 2, a first actuating unit 3, and a second actuating unit 4.

The housing frame unit 1 is attached to the building wall 91 around the ventilation opening 92. The housing frame unit 1 includes a surrounding wall 11, and an air passage 12 that is bounded by the surrounding wall 11 , that communicates with the ventilation opening 92, and that has an air inlet opening 13 to communicate with an outside of the building 9. In addition, the housing frame unit 1 further includes a mount platform 14 disposed around the surrounding wall 11 proximally of the air inlet opening 13, and two side frame portions 15 disposed respectively at two opposite sides of the surrounding wall 11. Each side frame portion 15 has a convection channel 16 communicating the air passage 12 with the outside of the building 9.

Referring to Figure 5 in combination with Figures 1 and 3, the cover plate unit 2 is pivotally connected to the housing frame unit 1 to move between a closing position for closing the air inlet opening 13 to close the ventilation opening 92 of the building wall 91, and a ventilating position for uncovering the air inlet opening 13 to uncover the ventilation opening 92 to allow communication of an inside of the building 9 with the outside of the building 9 via the air inlet opening 13.

In this embodiment, the cover plate unit 2 includes a looped frame member 21, a plate member 22 surrounded by the looped frame member 21, and a pivot joint 23 connecting the looped frame member 21 to the mount platform 14 of the housing frame unit 1. The looped frame member 21 has a main loop portion 211 of U-shaped cross-section which defines a frame hole, and a looped inner flange 213 that is indented from the main loop portion 211 and that extends inwardly into the frame hole from the main loop portion 211. The main loop portion 211 has a first lateral side 2110 pivoted to the housing frame unit 1 by the pivot joint 23, and a second lateral side 2111 opposite to the first lateral side 2110. The plate member 22 is received in the frame hole and is supported on the looped inner flange 213 in such a manner that the plate member 22 is sealingly engaged with the main loop portion 211 and the looped inner flange 213. The plate member 22 is made of a transparent material (e.g. glass) to allow light to pass through the cover plate unit 2. When the cover plate unit 2 is at the closing position, the cover plate unit 2 is disposed on the mount platform 14, and the main loop portion 211 is in sealing contact with the mount platform 14 of the housing frame unit 1, thereby allowing the cover plate unit 2 to seal the air inlet opening 13. When the the cover plate unit 2 is at the ventilating position, the second lateral side 2111 of the cover plate unit 2 moves away from the frame unit 1 to allow communication between the ventilation opening 92 and the outside of the building 9 through the air passage 12 and the air inlet opening 13.

The first actuating unit 3 is connected between the cover plate unit 2 and the building wall 91 for biasing the cover plate unit 2 to move to the ventilating position. When the cover plate unit 2 is pulled to the closing position against the first actuating unit 3, the first actuating unit 3 stores a mechanical restoring force. The mechanical restoring force is provided by springs in this embodiment, but may be implemented via other mechanical components, such as a pneumatic cylinder.

Referring to Figures 4 and 6 in combination with Figure 3, the first actuating unit 3 includes a tubular body 31 pivotally connected to the surrounding wall 11, a telescopic rod 32 pivoted to the cover plate unit 2 proximally of the second lateral side 2111, and first and second springs 33, 34 both of which are disposed within the tubular body 31. The telescopic rod 32 has a rod portion 321 that is movably inserted into the tubular body 31 and that is partially surrounded by the second spring 34. The rod portion 321 has an inner flanged end 322 disposed between the first and second springs 33, 34 in the tubular body 31. The inner flanged end 322 is pushed by the first spring 33 to move the rod portion 321 outward such that the cover plate unit 2 is moved to the ventilating position from the closing position. When the cover plate unit 2 is at the ventilating position, the inner flanged end 322 is kept at a balanced position by resilient forces of the first and second springs 33, 34.

To stabilize the cover plate unit 2 at the ventilating position, the tubular body 31 and the telescopic rod 32 in this embodiment are inclined relative to the air inlet opening 13. However, in other embodiments, the tubular body and the telescopic rod 32 can be disposed in a direction substantially transverse to the air inlet opening 13.

Referring to Figures 7 and 8 in combination with Figure 3, the second actuating unit 4 includes an electric telescopic member 43 having a fixed end 420 and an extendable end 410, a first connection member 41 connected to the cover plate unit 2 and the extendable end 410, and a second connection member 42 connected to the fixed end 420 and connected to the building wall 91 via the surrounding wall 11. The electric telescopic member 43 is electrically operated such that the extendable end 410 extends outward and pushes the cover plate unit 2 to the ventilating position and such that the extendable end 410 retracts inward and pulls the cover plate unit 2 to the closing position. The electric telescopic member 43 has a barrel body 431, a screw rod set 430 movably disposed within the barrel body 431, and a drive motor 433 for driving the screw rod set 430 to extend and retract. The screw rod set 430 has an internally threaded screw 432 disposed within the barrel body 431 and connected to a motor shaft of the drive motor 433, and an externally threaded screw 435 threadedly inserted into the internally threaded screw 432 and having a non-threaded section 434 that extends outwardly of the barrel body 431 and that has the extendable end 410 connected to the first connection member 41. By virtue of the drive motor 433 activated to drive the the internally threaded screw 432 to rotate about an axis of the internally threaded screw 432, the externally threaded screw 435 is controllably extended or retracted to push or pull the cover plate unit 2 through the extendable end 410.

In this embodiment, the first connection member 41 is disposed on the looped frame member 21 proximally of the first lateral side 2110 of the cover plate unit 2, and the second connection member 42 is connected to the surrounding wall 11. In addition, the second actuating unit 4 can overpower the mechanical restoring force of the first actuating unit 3 to pull the cover plate unit 2 to the closing position. Therefore, when the drive motor 433 is activated, the electric telescopic member 43 is electrically operated to move the cover plate unit 2 between the ventilating position and the closing position.

Moreover, at least one of the first and second connection members 41, 42 includes a metallic material that has a low melting point and that is meltable when an ambient temperature is higher than the low melting point. When the metallic material melts, the at least one of the first and second connection members 41, 42 is dismantled such that the cover plate unit 2 is moved to the ventilating position by the mechanical restoring force of the first actuating unit 3.

The at least one of the first and second connection members 41, 42 can be entirely or partially made of the metallic material as long as the second actuating unit 4 is unable to overpower the mechanical restoring force of the first actuating unit 3 when the metallic material melts. In this embodiment, each of the first and second connection members 41, 42 includes a connection seat and a pivot rod. In practice, for the at least one of the first and second connection members 41, 42 that includes the metallic material, only one of the connection seat and the pivot rod needs to be made of the metallic material . When the metallic material melts and the at least one of the first and second connection members 41, 42 is dismantled, the cover plate unit 2 is moved to the ventilating position by the mechanical restoring force of the first actuating unit 3.

The low melting point of the metallic material included in the at least one of the first and second connection members 41, 42 ranges between 60°C and 150°C. In an example, the metallic material contains 50 wt% of Bismuth (Bi) , 26.7 wt% of Lead (Pb) , 13.3 wt% of Tin (Sn) , and 10 wt% of Cadmium (Cd) , and the melting temperature thereof is 70°C. In another example, the metallic material contains 52.5 wt% of Bi, 32 wt% of Pb, and 15.5 wt% of Sn, and the melting temperature thereof is 95°C. However, the chemical elements contained in the metallic material are not limited to the disclosure herein, and may further include Dysprosium (Dy) and Indium (In) .

When a fire occurs inside the building 9, smoke is generated and a high temperature condition is produced in the building 9. A smoke detector (not shown) mounted inside the building 9 sends a signal to a main control (not shown) to remotely control the second actuating unit 4 so that the electric telescopic member 43 can drive the cover plate unit 2 to move to the ventilating position to increase an area of air flow into the building 9 to avoid smoldering combustion.

However, during the fire, electrically remote control of the second actuating unit 4 may fail to drive the cover plate unit 2 to the ventilating position. Meanwhile, if the ambient temperature is higher than the low melting point, because the at least one of the first and second connection members 41, 42 is dismantled when the metallic material melts, the cover plate unit 2 is moved to the ventilating position by the mechanical restoring force of the first actuating unit 3. Therefore, fire safety can be ensured by either the second actuating unit 4 or the first actuating unit 3 driving the cover plate unit 2 to the ventilating position.

In summary, when the fire occurs, the building 9 can be ventilated by the cover plate unit 2 moved to the ventilating position through either one of the first and second actuating units 3, 4. Further, the fire safety can be guaranteed because the first actuating unit 3 can drive the cover plate unit 2 to the ventilating position when the second actuating unit 4 fails during the fire.

In the description above, for the purposes of explanation, numerous specific details have been set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the embodiments. It will be apparent, however, to one skilled in the art, that one or more other embodiments may be practiced without some of these specific details It should also be appreciated that reference throughout this specification to "one embodiment," "an embodiment," an embodiment with an indication of an ordinal number and so forth means that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic may be included in the practice of the disclosure. It should be further appreciated that in the description, various features are sometimes grouped together in a single embodiment, figure, or description thereof for the purpose of streamlining the disclosure and aiding in the understanding of various inventive aspects, and that one or more features or specific details from one embodiment may be practiced together with one or more features or specific details from another embodiment, where appropriate, in the practice of the disclosure.

While the disclosure has been described in connection with what are considered the exemplary embodiments, it is understood that this disclosure is not limited to the disclosed embodiments but is intended to cover various arrangements included within the spirit and scope of the broadest interpretation so as to encompass all such modifications and equivalent arrangements .