Patent Application
20060272858
The invention relates to a fire barrier having a recess for a device. More particularly, the invention relates to a recessed box installed in a building for use with maintaining a minimum fire endurance of a building surface.
Typically, a surface of a building such as a floor or a ceiling provides a fire barrier. A fire barrier resists the spread of a fire through it by providing a resistance to flammability, a resistance to heat transmission, and sufficient structural integrity to resist decomposing when exposed to heat or flames. The effectiveness of a fire barrier is often rated by exposure to a fire of specified and increasing intensity and a rating is a period of time, typically in hours during which the fire barrier is effective. When an aperture is made in one of these fire barriers, the effectiveness of the fire barrier is decreased dramatically. Often it is nonetheless desirable to create an aperture in a fire barrier, for example, to install recessed lighting or a floor drain. To restore the fire barrier and maintain an effective minimum resistance to fire, a construction worker will typically build a box of gypsum board and install it around the recessed fixture proximate the aperture created in the fire barrier. The construction of this box is a time-consuming task and provides no mechanism to ascertain to what degree the effectiveness of the fire barrier is restored. Moreover, many fixtures have large conduits such as pipes or cable servicing them. Constructing a box that provides egress for these conduits while maintaining integrity as a fire barrier is often a time-consuming and chancy process. It is also frequently difficult to install a fixture such as a box light into a fire box that is only slightly larger.
One embodiment pertains to a fire resistant box to maintain the integrity of a fire barrier in a building, while permitting the easy installation of a recessed fixture such as a light. The box may be made from steel or other suitable material and may have a flange for convenient mounting to structural members such as ceiling joists or wall studs. The box has a first opening through which the fixture may be mounted and a second opening which provides access to provide service to the fixture. The second opening has a first larger size for use when installing the box and the fixture into the box and a reduced size for allowing conduit such as electrical cable through the box wall while maintaining the integrity of the fire barrier. The second opening may be reduced in size by installing a panel on the box. In one embodiment, shifting the location of the panel may shift the location of the reduced state second opening. Another contemplated embodiment permits the use of the fire resistant box in a hanging ceiling.
The above summary of some embodiments is not intended to describe each disclosed embodiment or every implementation of the present invention. The figures and detailed description which follow more particularly exemplify these embodiments.
The invention may be more completely understood in consideration of the following detailed description of various embodiments of the invention in connection with the accompanying drawings in which:
Reference is now made to the figures, in which like element numbers refer to like elements throughout.
Wall 104 includes an additional opening 112 for providing service to a fixture installed in cavity 102. Opening 116 is generally significantly larger than may be required simply to pass conduit through. Opening 116 may be large enough to install a ballast to a light fixture or may be large enough to work on a fixture installed in cavity 102. Opening 112 is covered by a panel 114. Panel 114 includes a panel opening 116 and may include holes 118 for the installation of fasteners such as self-tapping screws. Panel 114 and opening 112 are configured in this embodiment as covering two faces of wall 104. Other configurations, for example a flat panel covering only one face, are contemplated. Panel 114 may be installed over opening 112 and may be wide enough to cover opening 112 and to be installed in a preferred position. For example, panel 114 may be positioned more to one side but still cover opening 112 so that panel opening 116 may be installed in a preferred position. Panel opening 116 may be just large enough to pass conduit through or may be larger, for example to make it easier to grab conduit and pass it through. Panel opening 116 and opening 112 may be preformed or may be punch-outs.
Refer to
Boxes 100 and 200 are made from a fire-resistant material such as steel. In one embodiment, a box is made from 24-gauge galvanized stainless steel. The box should be impervious to air where an opening as described above is not designed into the box. This may be accomplished during the manufacturing process. For example, if the faces of the box are welded together, the weld may run the length of the seam. The box may also be made using techniques such as stamping or hydroforming. Hydroforming is a technique where fluid pressure is used in the place of a punch to form material. These latter techniques eliminate the need to seal seams, as no seams need be created during the manufacturing process.
Boxes 100 and 200 may also include an intumescent material. An intumescent material is one that expands when in contact with fire or high heat but resists further deterioration. Many intumescent materials expand to eight or more times their original volume, producing a char which has a high fire resistance. Suitable intumescent materials may be procured from 3M Corporation or other suitable supplier. The intumescent material may seal gaps which are not sealed during the manufacturing process. For example, panel 114 may be coated with an intumescent paint or mastic or opening 116 may be filled with an intumescent gasket or putty, either before or after the conduit is passed through. In another alternative, opening 116 may be defined by a preinstalled intumescent gasket. Thus, if the box is exposed to fire, the intumescent material will expand to seal any gaps in the box, rendering the box impervious to air, smoke or flame flow.
Lumen 322 generally has a perimeter which may be smaller than the perimeter 230 of opening 106. Layer 320, therefore, may extend over flange 108. A device 327 may be disposed in lumen 322 and extend into cavity 102. This device may be any device installed in a fire barrier. Device 327 is a fluorescent fixture having wires 328 extending therefrom. Wires 328 extend through panel opening 116 and opening 112. Panel 114 has been attached to wall 104 using self-tapping screws 330. Of course, any suitable alternative to self-tapping screws may be used. For example, a high-temperature adhesive may be used. Installed between panel 114 and box wall 104 is an intumescent gasket 332. There may be a gap 334 between wall 104 and layer 324, and there may also be a gap 336 between device 327 and wall 104. These gaps may enhance the fire resistance of fire barrier 200.
Layers 320 and 324 may comprise materials well known by those of skill in the art such a gypsum board, plywood, plaster or tile. Box 100 may be comprised of steel or other material having a melting temperature, for example, above 1700° Fahrenheit such as ceramic. For example, box 100 may be comprised of 24-gauge stainless steel. This material may be galvanized to resist corrosion. Wall 100 may have a perimeter wall 338 that has an angle with the flange of greater than 90 degrees. This may facilitate stacking of boxes 100.
Fire barrier 200 may have an ASTM E-119 fire resistance rating of at least 1 hour or at least 2 hours. The term “fire resistant” is herein defined to refer to the ability of a structure to serve as a barrier to the spread of fire. To serve as an effective barrier to the spread of fire, a structure must exhibit the following characteristics. First, it must not pass flame or hot gas from one side to the other. Second, the structure must support the imposed design loads without structural failure or collapse. Third, the structure must resist the transmission of heat so that the surface not exposed to the fire does not exceed the temperature of 250° Fahrenheit. Fourth, the structure must withstand lateral impacts from falling debris. This is definition of the term “fire resistant” as understood by those of skill in the art.
A fire resistance rating of 1 hour exposes one side of the fire barrier to the following sequence of temperatures: 1000° F. for 5 minutes, 1400° F. for 15 minutes, 1550° F. for 30 minutes, and 1700° F. for 10 minutes. A fire resistance rating of 2 hours exposes the side of the fire barrier to 1700° F. for an additional 50 minutes and to a temperature of 1850° F. for 10 minutes. At no time during this test should the fire barrier permit flames or hot gases through to the unexposed surface or allow the unexposed surface to exceed 250° F. This test was designed to simulate the conditions to which a real fire might expose a fire barrier. Of course, if this test is updated to reflect new understandings of the conditions of a fire, the fire barrier should be capable of a comparable rating under the new test.
Fire barrier 300 may be rated under ASTM E-119 or a comparable test. The process of rating includes creating a fire barrier 300 and subjecting it to the test. A rated fire barrier 300 may permit installation of box 100 in fire barriers governed by regulations. Certification of the rating may be included with box 100. Certification may also be affixed on box 100, either on a label or permanently impressed into box 100 by stamping, etching or some similar process.
Numerous advantages of the invention covered by this document have been set forth in the foregoing description. It will be understood, however, that this disclosure is, in many respects, only illustrative. Changes may be made in details, particularly in matters of shape, size and arrangement of parts without exceeding the scope of the invention. The invention's scope is, of course, defined in the language in which the appended claims are expressed.
This application is a continuation application of U.S. application Ser. No. 11/142,568 filed Jun. 1, 2005.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Parent | 11142568 | Jun 2005 | US |
| Child | 11380740 | Apr 2006 | US |
