Patent Publication Number: US-8109316-B2

Title: Slat member and fireproof, heat-insulating slat and rolling door

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates to a slat and a rolling door, and particularly to a fireproof, heat-insulating slat and a fireproof, heat-insulating rolling door. 
     2. Description of the Related Art 
     A general fireproof rolling door is used for staff access control in peacetime. However, when a fire accident occurs, it works to block smokes, flames and heat. According to the heat resistant standard, instituted by Bureau of Standards, Metrology and Inspection of Taiwan for fireproof rolling doors set in buildings, when the temperature of the fire side of the fireproof rolling door reaches 1,000° C. for one or more hours, the temperature of the other side thereof shall be below 170° C. 
     In order to improve the fireproofing of the traditional fireproof rolling door to conform to the national heat resistant standard of Taiwan, for example, as shown in  FIG. 8 , the inventor of the present invention disclosed a “fireproof, heat-insulating slat and rolling door thereof” in Taiwanese Patent Application No. 98114934, wherein it provides a slat member ( 10 ), having a projecting hinge ( 12 ) on the top end thereof and a recessed hinge part ( 14 ) on the bottom end thereof. A hollow air chamber ( 16 ) is formed within the slat member. Viewed in the cross-section of the slat member ( 10 ), an upper shoulder ( 15   a ) is formed on one side of the top end, and a lower shoulder ( 15   b ) is formed on the other side of the top end; an upper base ( 17   a ) is formed on one side of the bottom end, and a lower base ( 17   b ) which is relatively lower is formed on the other side of the bottom end. A layer of fireproof, heat-insulating material ( 11 ) is coated on the front surface and rear surface of the slat member, and the fireproof, heat-insulating material ( 11 ) is covered with a metal plate ( 13 ). Smoke-isolating gaskets ( 18 ) are provided on the upper and lower shoulders ( 15   a ,  15   b ) of the slat member ( 10 ). Thus, a rolling door curtain consisting of a plurality of fireproof, heat-insulating slats forms a firewall with the fireproof, heat-insulating material for heat isolation. 
     Although the above prior art can basically isolate heat effectively, such a slat has a complex structure and is hard to manufacture easily, causing the manufacture cost being relatively expensive. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     A main object of the present invention is to provide a fireproof, heat-insulating slat and a rolling door with the same for insulating heat effectively. 
     To achieve the above and other objects, the fireproof, heat-insulating slat according the present invention consists of a pair of slat members having the same structure and disposed upside down, wherein an enclosed space is formed between the pair of slat members, and the enclosed space is filled with fireproof, heat-insulating material. The slat comprises: a first upper shoulder and a first lower shoulder, formed on the top end; a first recess, formed between the first upper shoulder and the first lower shoulder; a second lower shoulder and a second upper shoulder, formed on the bottom end; a second recess, formed between the second lower shoulder and the second upper shoulder; an upper hinge part, extending upward from the first lower shoulder and bent toward the first upper shoulder; a lower hinge part, extending downward from the second lower shoulder and bent toward the second upper shoulder. Thus, a fireproof, heat-insulating rolling door consisting of a plurality of slats is formed with the firewall of the curtain of the rolling door efficiently insulating heat. 
     According to the present invention, a plurality of slats are used to form a door curtain having a desired height and length by engaging the upper hinge part of a slat with the lower hinge part of another slat, and thus it is much easier to apply to any size of a general rolling door. Also, two slat members is assembled into a slat in a simple manner, and the space between the two slat members is filled with fireproof, heat-insulating material easily, and cut down cost of production. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a side view of a slat member of the present invention; 
         FIG. 2  shows a door curtain consisting of slat members of  FIG. 1 , wherein the door curtain is being rolled up; 
         FIG. 3  shows a door curtain consisting of slat members of  FIG. 1 , wherein the door curtain is already rolled down; 
         FIG. 4  is a schematic view of an embodiment of a fireproof, heat-insulating slat according to the present invention; 
         FIG. 5  shows a door curtain consisting of the fireproof, heat-insulating slats of  FIG. 4 , wherein the door curtain is being rolled up; 
         FIG. 6  shows a door curtain consisting of the fireproof, heat-insulating slats of  FIG. 4 , wherein the door curtain is already rolled down; 
         FIG. 7  is a schematic view of a fireproof, heat-insulating rolling door according to the prevent invention; and 
         FIG. 8  shows a traditional fireproof, heat-insulating slat, which is described in Taiwanese Patent Application No. 98114934 filed by the present inventor previously. 
     
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     First, please referring to  FIG. 1 , a slat member  100  according to the present invention is formed by bending the top end and the bottom end of an elongated sheet material. From the left to the right, the top end comprises: an upper shoulder  101  formed on the top end, a recess  102  located on one side of the upper shoulder  101  and lower than the upper shoulder  101 ; and an upper hinge part  103 , extending upward from the recess  102  and bent toward the upper shoulder  101  to be a hook shape. The bottom end of the slat member  100 , from the left to the right, comprises: a lower shoulder  104 , formed on the bottom end; and a lower hinge part  105 , extending downward from the lower shoulder  104  and bent toward a direction away from the lower shoulder  104  to be a hook shape. 
     According to the present invention, the radius of curvature of the hook of the lower hinge part  105  is larger than that of the upper hinge part  103 , and a semirounded hook hinge part  106  bent inward is formed on the end of the lower hinge part  105 . The side face of the slat member  100  between the upper shoulder  101  and the lower shoulder  104  is recessed as an inward recessed face  107 . A plurality of slat members forms a door curtain having a desired height and length by connecting the upper hinge part and the lower hinge part of the adjacent slat members, and this can be applicable to a general rolling door (as shown in  FIG. 2  and  FIG. 3 ). The inward recessed face  107  between the upper shoulder  101  and the lower shoulder  104  can effectively reduce the radius of a door curtain roll, which is formed by rolling the door curtain. 
       FIG. 4  shows an embodiment of a fireproof, heat-insulating slat  10  according to prevent invention, which consists of the slat members  100 . According to the prevent invention, the fireproof, heat-insulating slat  10  consists of a pair of slat members  100  having the same structure and disposed upside down. That is, in a pair of slat members  100 , the upper hinge part  103  of one slat member is connected to the lower hinge part  105  of the other slat member, and the connection of the slat members is maintained by the hook parts  106  on the ends of the lower hinge part  105  of the two slat members. Between the pair of slat members, an enclosed space  10   a  is formed, and the enclosed space  10   a  is filled with a fireproof, heat-insulating material  10   b . The slat  10  from the left to the right, comprises: a first upper shoulder  11  and a first lower shoulder  13 , formed on the top end of the slat  10 ; and a first recess  12 , formed between the first upper shoulder  11  and the first lower shoulder  13 . The slat  10  from the left to the right, comprises: a second lower shoulder  13 ′ and a second upper shoulder  11 ′, formed on the bottom end of the slat  10 ; and a second recess  12 ′, formed between the second lower shoulder  13 ′ and the second upper shoulder  11 ′. The second lower shoulder  13 ′ and the second upper shoulder  11 ′ corresponds to the first upper shoulder  11  and the first lower shoulder  13 , respectively. An upper hinge part  14  extends upward from the first lower shoulder  13  and a hook formed on the top end of the slat  10  and is bent toward the first upper shoulder  11 . Also, a lower hinge part  15  extends downward from the second lower shoulder  13 ′ and another hook is formed on the bottom end of the slat  10  and is bent toward the second upper shoulder  11 ′. According to the present invention, the position of the curvature center of the hook of the upper hinge part  14  is higher than the first upper shoulder  11  formed on the top end of the slat  10 ; the position of the curvature center of the hook of the lower hinge  15  is lower than the second upper shoulder  11 ′ formed on the bottom end of the slat  10 . The two main surfaces of the slat  10  are recessed as inward recess-curved faces  16  with a radius of curvature, respectively. The two main surfaces are located between the first upper shoulder  11  and the second lower shoulder  13 ′ and between the second upper shoulder  11 ′ and the first lower shoulder  13 , respectively. 
     As shown in  FIGS. 5 to 7 , two adjacent slat  10  are connected to each other by the upper hinge part  14  of the lower one of the two adjacent slats  10  and the lower hinge part  15  of the upper one of the two adjacent slats  10 , so that a door curtain  2  having a desired height or length can be formed, and such a door curtain can be applicable to a fireproof, heat-insulating rolling door  1  for a building. Winding or unwinding the door curtain  2  via a traditional winding shaft  3 , the door curtain  2  can be rolled up or down along a track.  FIG. 5  shows that the door curtain  2  is being rolled up, i.e., the door curtain  2  is to be opened. According to the present invention, a first gap is formed between the first recess  12  and the upper hinge part  14  on the top end of the slat  10 , and the lower hinge part  15  of another upper slat  10  can move up and down in the first gap; a second gap is formed between the second recess  12 ′ and the lower hinge part  15  on the bottom end of the slat  10 , and the upper hinge part  14  of another lower slat  10  can move up and down in the second gap, so that two adjacent slats  10  can move in a direction toward each other or away from each other. This arrangement is beneficial for rolling the slats. Furthermore, the two main surfaces of each slat  10  are recessed as inward recessed curved faces  16 , so that the radius of a door curtain roll, which is formed by winding the slats, can be reduced effectively. 
       FIG. 6  shows that the door curtain  2  is already rolled down, i.e., the rolling door  1  is in a closed state. When the winding shaft  3  unwinds the door curtain  2  to reach a down stop point, two adjacent slats  10  are abutted against each other due to gravity. On one main surface side, the first upper shoulder  11  of the lower slat  10  is abutted against the second lower shoulder  13 ′ of the upper slat  10 , while on the other main surface side, the first lower shoulder  13  of the lower slat  10  is abutted against the second upper shoulder  11 ′ of the upper slat  10 . The door curtain  2  from the top to the bottom, forms a firewall with the fireproof, heat-insulating material  10   b  for complete heat insulation. The joint of two adjacent slats  10  can be insulated by the fireproof, heat-insulating material  10   b . The fireproof, heat-insulating rolling door according to the prevent invention, not only block smokes and flames, but also insulate heat. 
     While this invention has been described with reference to the embodiments, it should be understood that various changes and modifications could be made within the spirit and scope of the inventive concepts described. Accordingly, it is intended that the invention shall not be limited to the disclosed embodiments but have the full scope permitted by the language of the following claims.