Abstract:
A device for closing a conduit ( 30 ) in case of fire includes a housing ( 11 ) having a receptacle ( 17 ) for receiving the conduit ( 30 ), a cutting and blocking member ( 20 ) arranged in the housing ( 11 ) and displaceable, in case of fire, by a drive element out of the housing ( 11 ) over the receptacle ( 17 ) to its blocking position ( 42 ) for cutting the conduit ( 30 ) off and closing same, with the housing ( 11 ) having at least one stop ( 15 ) that cooperates with a counter-stop ( 25 ) provided on the cutting and blocking member ( 20 ) and defines the blocking position ( 42 ) thereof the cutting and blocking member ( 20 ).

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0001]     1. Field of the Invention  
         [0002]     The present invention relates to a device for closing a conduit in case of fire and including a housing having a receptacle for receiving the conduit and attachment sections for receiving fastening elements, a cutting and blocking member arranged in the housing and displaceable, in case of fire, out of the housing through the receptacle to a blocking position for cutting the conduit off and closing same, and a drive element for displacing the cutting and blocking member in case of fire.  
         [0003]     2. Description of the Prior Art  
         [0004]     Devices of the type described above are used for cutting off and closing of tubular conduits or cable channels, which extend through walls or ceilings, in case of fire. The conduits and channels are formed, in particular, of plastic materials or other materials which yield or soften in case of fire.  
         [0005]     U.S. Pat. No. 5,257,641 discloses a fire-stop device having a cutting member displaceable in the device housing and which is driven through a plastic tubular conduit, in case of fire, by drive means. The cutting member is arranged on a slider that closes the tubular conduit. As drive means, e.g., an intumescent material or a spring element is used. The housing is formed of two parts and surrounds the tubular conduit in a mounted condition of the device. To this end, the housing has a circular opening or a receptacle and on which the slide with the cutting member is arranged, sidewise of the receptacle in the initial position of the device. A housing part, which is located opposite the slide, defines a maximal displacement path of the slide.  
         [0006]     A drawback of the fire-stop device of U.S. Pat. No. 5,257,641 consists in that it can be arranged only on a conduit that extends through a wall at a distance from a second wall parallel to the conduit or a ceiling. This is because a backward constructional space for the second housing part should be provided.  
         [0007]     Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a device for closing conduits or channels in which the foregoing drawback is eliminated, which can be easily mounted, and which provides for a reliable sealing or closing of a tubular conduit, e.g., a plastic tubular conduit which is yieldable in case of fire.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0008]     These and other objects of the present invention, which will become apparent hereinafter, are achieved by providing a device in which the receptacle is open at its side remote from the cutting and blocking member, and the housing has at least one stop that cooperates with at least one counter-stop provided on the cutting and blocking member and which defines the blocking position of the cutting and blocking member.  
         [0009]     Such a device can be mounted on a conduit which extends through a wall or a ceiling and directly adjacent to another wall. During mounting, the conduit can be easily displaced in an open receptacle of the device, with the device capable of being displaced over the conduit. Further, a precisely defined closing position insures an exact closing of the conduit because the cutting and blocking member is not displaced too far from the housing and, thus, no faulty function occurs.  
         [0010]     Advantageously, the housing is provided with tongue-shaped projections which engage regionwise the circumference of the conduit, which insures a good positioning and centering of the device. The at least one or each stop is advantageously provided on one of the housing projections. Thereby, a most reliable guidance of the cutting and blocking member is achieved.  
         [0011]     Advantageously, there are provided two housing projections, with a stop provided on a free end of each of the two housing projections. This insures a very precise limitation of the displacement path of the cutting and blocking member and a precise longitudinal guidance of the cutting and blocking member. This also prevents tilting of the cutting and blocking member in the closing position.  
         [0012]     According to a technically advantageous embodiment of the present invention, the cutting and blocking member has two guide sections formed on its respective longitudinal sides, and two counter-stops provided on the ends of respective guide sections which are adjacent to the receptacle. With these measures, the guiding of the cutting and blocking member and limiting the displacement path can be effected only with one element (a dual one, if necessary).  
         [0013]     Advantageously, the housing has a bottom which is located adjacent to a wall through which the conduit extends, in a mounted condition of the device, and which has an opening in a region of the receptacle. This opening functions as an access opening through which the intumescent material can penetrate into the interior of the conduit when the cutting and blocking member is displaced to its closing position. The conduit becomes flue gas-proof sealed by the penetrated intumescent material.  
         [0014]     Advantageously, the cutting and blocking member has two blocking elements extending parallel to each other and offset relative to each other along a step that extends substantially perpendicular to a drawn-out direction of the cutting and blocking member. The step, on the one hand, can be provided with one or more counter-stops and function as displacement means that can be engaged by the drive means. On the other hand, the step can serve for leading the intumescent mass, which advantageously forms the drive means, into the interior of the conduit in case of fire.  
         [0015]     Advantageously, there are provided, on the housing adjacent to the bottom, aeration openings or slots, which provide for a better heat exchange between the housing and a wall or ceiling on which the invention device is mounted.  
         [0016]     The novel features of the present invention, which are considered as characteristic for the invention, are set forth in the appended claims. The invention itself, however, both as to its construction and its mode of operation, together with additional advantages and objects thereof, will be best understood from the following detailed description of preferred embodiments, when read with reference to the accompanying drawings. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0017]     The drawings show:  
         [0018]      FIG. 1 a  perspective view of a first embodiment of a device for closing a conduit according to the present invention in the initial position of the device;  
         [0019]      FIG. 2 a  perspective view of the conduit closing device shown in  FIG. 1 , with the bottom of the device housing being removed;  
         [0020]      FIG. 3 a  longitudinal cross-sectional view of the device shown in  FIG. 1  and mounted on a wall adjacent to the conduit in the initial position of the device;  
         [0021]      FIG. 4 a  longitudinal cross-sectional view similar to that of  FIG. 3  in an operational position of the device;  
         [0022]      FIG. 5 a  perspective view of a second embodiment of a device for closing a conduit according to the present invention in the initial position of the device;  
         [0023]      FIG. 6 a  longitudinal cross-sectional view of the device shown in  FIG. 5  and mounted on a wall adjacent to the conduit in the initial position of the device;  
         [0024]      FIG. 7 a  longitudinal cross-sectional view similar to that of  FIG. 6  in an operational position of the device; and  
         [0025]      FIG. 8 a  partial side view of the device shown in  FIG. 1  mounted on a wall in a wall corner region.  
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
       [0026]     A device  10  according to the present invention for closing a conduit  30 , such as a plastic pipe or a plastic cable channel, which is shown in  FIGS. 1-4 , is formed as a fire-stop slide. The device  10  includes a housing  11  and a cutting and blocking member  20  displaceably arranged in the housing  11 . The housing  11  is provided on its side, which is located adjacent to a wall  50  in the mounted condition of the device  10 , with a bottom  12 . The bottom  12  can be formed integrally with the housing  11  or be formed as a separate part. At one end of the housing  11 , there is provided a receptacle  17  which is open, parallel to a housing plane  40  that is defined by the housing  11 , at two sides. The receptacle  17  is also open at its side extending in the longitudinal direction of the housing  11  and remote from the cutting and blocking member  20 . The receptacle  17  is surrounded on its sides regionwise, in a tongue-like manner, by two housing projections  13 . The interior space of the housing  11  is provided with an opening  31  which opens toward the receptacle  13  and through which the cutting and blocking member  20  can be displaced from the housing  11  and into the receptacle  17 .  
         [0027]     In the initial position  41 , which is shown in  FIGS. 1 and 3 , the cutting and blocking member  20  is located essentially in the housing  11 .  
         [0028]     At its end adjacent to the receptacle  17 , the cutting and blocking member  20  has a cutting element  21  such as a cutter. On the longitudinal sides of the cutting and blocking member  20 , there are provided guide sections  26  that are formed as wall sections that project from a blocking section  23  of the cutting and blocking member  20 . The guide sections  26  are displaced in guides  16  of the housing  11 .  
         [0029]     In the portion of the housing  11  remote from the opening  31 , there is provided drive means  28  such as, e.g., an intumescent material or a spring element which expands in response to heat in case of fire. The cutting and blocking member  20  has, at its end adjacent to the drive means  28 , displacement means  48  that the drive means  28  can engage. The cutting an blocking member  20  is displaced out of the housing  11  by expanding drive means  28 . The displacement means  48  is formed, e.g., as a wall section projecting from the blocking section  23  perpendicular thereto. The projecting wall section extends transverse to the longitudinal extent of the cutting and blocking member  20 .  
         [0030]     At the free ends  14  of the housing projections  13 , there are provided stops  15  that limit the drawing-out path of the cutting and blocking member  20  and define the blocking position  42  shown in  FIGS. 2 and 4 . The cutting and blocking member  20  is provided with counter-stops  25  which abut, in the blocking position  42 , the stops  15  provided on the housing projection  13 . The counter-stops  25  are provided, in this embodiment of the inventive device, at the ends  27  of the guide sections  26 .  
         [0031]     In the blocking position  42 , the cutting and blocking member  20  is drawn out of the housing  11  to a maximum, completely blocking or sealing the conduit  30 .  
         [0032]     In  FIGS. 3, 4 , and  8 , the device  10  is mounted on a wall  50  closely adjacent to a conduit  30  which is formed as a plastic tubular conduit. To this end, the device  10  has attachment section  29  with which the device  10  can be fixedly secured on the wall  50  by fastening elements  59 , e.g., screws or nails. The conduit  30  substantially fills in the receptacle  17  and becomes regionwise surrounded by the housing projections  13 . Preferably, the housing projections  13  surround maximum a 180° section or about half of the circumferential surface of the conduit  30  which is formed, as mentioned above, as a plastic tubular conduit. As it is particularly shown in  FIGS. 3 and 4 , the housing bottom  12  is spaced from the wall  50 , and aeration openings  18  are provided between the housing bottom  12  and the wall  50 . The aeration openings  18  insure, in case of fire, a more rapid heat exchange between the heated air or hot flue gases and the entire device  10 . Thereby, in case of fire, the reaction time of the device  10  is reduced.  
         [0033]      FIG. 4  shows the device  10  in it operational or actuated condition, with the cutting and blocking member  20  having been displaced in its drawn-out direction  43  to its blocking or sealing position  42  by the drive means  38  formed, as it has already been discussed previously, of an intumescent mass. Initially, the cutting element  21  of the cutting and blocking member  20  cut through the conduit  30  that became soft as a result of action of heat generated by the fire, with the blocking element  23  closing the conduit  30 . The expanding intumescent mass flows through an opening  19  in the bottom  12  and past the displacement means  48 , expanding into the interior space of the conduit  30 . Thereby, a flue gas-proof sealing of the conduit  30  is achieved.  
         [0034]     As shown in  FIG. 8 , the advantage of the device  10  according to the present invention also consists in that it can be used with conduits  30  which are extendable through a wall  50  at corners of a room or other space. In this case, the conduit  30  can extent in a corner directly adjacent a further wall  51  and/or ceiling  52  which prevent(s) a complete surrounding of the conduit  30  with a mounting yoke or the like. The conduit  30  can be extended through the receptacle  17 , which is open at three sides, with the device  10  being directly secured on the wall through which the conduit  30  is extendable.  
         [0035]     The device  10 , which is shown in  FIGS. 5-7  differs from the device  10  shown in  FIGS. 1-4  in that the cutting and blocking member  20  has two blocking elements or sections  23 ,  24  which extend parallel to each other and are offset relative to each other by a step  22  that is formed by a wall section extending transverse to the blocking sections  23 ,  24 . At the side ends of the step  22 , there are provided counter-stops  25  which can be seen in particular in  FIG. 5 . The step  22  also forms the displacement means  48  on which the drive means  28  acts. The embodiment of the device  10 , which is shown in  FIGS. 5-7 , does not have an opening in the bottom  10  and aeration openings in side section of the housing  11 .  
         [0036]     The device  10  is mounted on the wall  50  with fastening elements  29 , as it has been described previously.  
         [0037]      FIG. 7  shows the second embodiment of the device  10  in a condition after it has been actuated by fire, and the cutting and blocking member  20  has been displaced in its blocking position  42  by the drive means  28  formed of the intumescent mass. In this condition, the counter-stops  25  on the step  22  abut the stops  15  which are provided on the housing projections  13 . The cutting and blocking member  20  cut through, with its cutting element  21 , the conduit  30  which was soften by the heat produced by fire, closing the conduit  30  with the blocking elements  23 ,  24 . The intumescent mass expands into the interior space of the conduit  30  through the receptacle  17  along the blocking element  23 , whereby a flue gas proof sealing of the conduit  30  is achieved.  
         [0038]     Though the present invention was shown and described with references to the preferred embodiments, such are merely illustrative of the present invention and are not to be construed as a limitation thereof, and various modifications of the present invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art. It is therefore, not intended that the present invention be limited to the disclosed embodiments or details thereof, and the present invention includes all variations and/or alternative embodiments within the spirit and scope of the present invention as defined by the appended claims.