Patent Publication Number: US-9428904-B2

Title: Modular joint barrier retainer assembly and method

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates generally to a modular joint barrier retainer assembly and method for anchoring a fire/smoke barrier, vapor/moisture barrier, sound barrier, insulation, or the like to a building substrate. More specifically, the present invention relates to a modular joint barrier retainer assembly and method that utilizes a retainer strip that is attached to the barrier and an anchor flange that attaches the barrier to the building substrate. This assembly may be used in conjunction with expansion and other joints or openings. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Fire barriers, for example, are commonly used in expansion joints in buildings to provide the required fire protection, such that the “chimney effect” does not speed the proliferation of fire from one area to another. Typically, such fire barriers consist of a plurality of material layers backed by a metallic foil layer, fabric layer, or the like. The fire barriers are often “hung” in building expansion joints or other openings requiring the continuation of a fire rating from substrate to substrate. The fire barriers are installed either vertically or horizontally in a substantially U-like configuration, engaging the associated expansion joint covers and/or building substrates. Such installation can be made difficult by the wide variety of expansion joint/expansion joint cover sizes, shapes, and configurations, for example, making frequent fire barrier material splices and the like necessary, thereby increasing installation effort and reducing the effectiveness of the fire barriers in preventing the proliferation of fire from one area to another. Similar principles apply to vapor/moisture barriers, sound barriers, insulation, and the like. 
     Thus, what is needed in the art is a modular expansion joint barrier retainer assembly and method that essentially allows one configuration of barrier to be produced by a manufacturer that may be installed in a wide variety of expansion joints or other openings by selecting anchor flanges for the application, thereby making installation more simple and uniform, and reducing the number of splices and the like that are necessary, thereby maintaining the structural integrity of the fire/smoke barrier, vapor/moisture barrier, sound barrier, insulation, or the like. 
     BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     Accordingly, in various exemplary embodiments, the present invention provides a modular expansion joint barrier retainer assembly and method that utilizes a retainer strip that is attached to the barrier and an anchor flange that attaches the barrier to the building substrate. 
     In one exemplary embodiment, the present invention provides a modular barrier retainer assembly, including: a barrier including one or more material layers; a retainer strip coupled to the barrier; and an anchor flange selectively coupled to the retainer strip at a first end of the anchor flange, wherein a second end of the anchor flange is configured to be selectively coupled to one or more of an expansion joint cover and a building substrate. The barrier also may include a metallic foil layer, a high temperature fabric layer, and/or a scrim layer or the like coupled to the one or more material layers. The barrier is selectively disposed within an expansion joint or other gap of a building. The retainer strip includes a substantially vertical portion and a lip portion that is disposed at an angle to the substantially vertical portion. Optionally, the retainer strip, which may be continuous or consist of several short pieces, is coupled to a top portion of the barrier. Optionally, the retainer strip is coupled to the barrier via one or more mechanical fasteners that are disposed through the one or more material layers and secured to the retainer strip. Optionally, the anchor flange includes a substantially vertical portion that is coincident with the substantially vertical portion of the retainer strip, a substantially horizontal portion that traverses a top portion of the barrier, and one or more additional vertical and/or horizontal portions for selectively coupling the anchor flange to one or more of the expansion joint cover and the building substrate. The anchor flange also includes a hook portion that selectively engages the lip portion of the retainer strip. Optionally, the anchor flange is selectively secured to the retainer strip via one or more fasteners. Optionally, the anchor flange and the retainer strip are selectively secured to the one or more material layers via the one or more fasteners. 
     In another exemplary embodiment, the present invention provides a modular barrier retainer method, including: providing a barrier including one or more material layers; providing a retainer strip coupled to the barrier; selectively coupling an anchor flange to the retainer strip at a first end of the anchor flange; and selectively coupling a second end of the anchor flange to one or more of an expansion joint cover and a building substrate. The barrier also includes a metallic foil layer, a high temperature fabric layer, and/or a scrim layer coupled to the one or more material layers. The barrier is selectively disposed within an expansion joint or other gap of a building. The retainer strip includes a substantially vertical portion and a lip portion that is disposed at an angle to the substantially vertical portion. Optionally, the retainer strip, which may be continuous or consist of several short pieces, is coupled to a top portion of the barrier. Optionally, the retainer strip is coupled to the barrier via one or more mechanical fasteners that are disposed through the one or more material layers and secured to the retainer strip. Optionally, the anchor flange includes a substantially vertical portion that is coincident with the substantially vertical portion of the retainer strip, a substantially horizontal portion that traverses a top portion of the barrier, and one or more additional vertical and/or horizontal portions for selectively coupling the anchor flange to one or more of the expansion joint cover and the building substrate. The anchor flange also includes a hook portion that selectively engages the lip portion of the retainer strip. Optionally, the anchor flange is selectively secured to the retainer strip via one or more fasteners. Optionally, the anchor flange and the retainer strip are selectively secured to the one or more material layers via the one or more fasteners. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The present invention is illustrated and described herein with reference to the various drawings, in which like reference numbers are used to denote like assembly components/method steps, as appropriate, and in which: 
         FIG. 1  is a schematic side view of one exemplary embodiment of the modular expansion joint fire barrier retainer assembly of the present invention, highlighting the retainer strip attached to the fire barrier; 
         FIG. 2  is a schematic side view of one exemplary embodiment of the modular expansion joint fire barrier retainer assembly of the present invention, highlighting the retainer strip attached to the fire barrier and the anchor flange for attaching the retainer strip to the building substrate; and 
         FIG. 3  is a partial schematic side view of the retainer strip attached to the fire barrier and the anchor flange for attaching the retainer strip to the building substrate as shown in  FIGS. 1 and 2 . 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     Referring now specifically to  FIG. 1 , in one exemplary embodiment, the present invention provides a modular expansion joint fire barrier retainer assembly  10  that includes a conventional fire barrier  12  including one or more material layers  14 . Optionally, the fire barrier  12  also includes a metallic foil layer, high temperature fabric layer, scrim layer, or the like  16  coupled to the exterior, intermediate, or interior surface(s) of the one or more material layers  14 . The fire barrier  12  is selectively disposed within an expansion joint or other gap  18  of a building, between what is referred to herein as the building substrate  20 . The fire barrier  12  is designed to fill and fireproof the expansion joint or other gap  18 , carrying the fire resistance rating of the adjacent substrates across the opening between them. Accordingly, the one or more material layers  14  are made from ceramic fibers, fiberglass, mineral wool, intumescent materials, fabrics, metals, basalt, metal foam, synthetic fire resistant materials, or the like. Typically, the fire barrier  12  is a compliant structure that can be “folded” into or “hung” in the gap, requiring some attachment mechanism, including a friction fit, to secure it to the corresponding expansion joint cover and/or building substrate  20 . It should also be noted that most of the components illustrated and described herein are elongate structures that typically run the length of the expansion joint  18  in question. Although the fire barrier  12  is generally described herein, it will be readily apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art that a smoke barrier, a vapor/moisture barrier, a sound barrier, insulation, or the like could readily be substituted for the fire barrier  12  without departing from the spirit or scope of the present invention. 
     A formed metal retainer strip  22  is coupled to the fire barrier (by the manufacturer, for example). In this exemplary embodiment, the retainer strip  22  includes a substantially vertical portion  24  and a lip portion  26  that is disposed at an angle to the substantially vertical portion  24 . Preferably, the retainer strip  22  is coupled to the top lineal edge of the fire barrier  12  and is made from sheet metal, foil, expanded metal, fabric, or the like. The retainer strip  22  is coupled to the fire barrier  12  via one or more mechanical fasteners  28  that are disposed through the one or more material layers  14  and  16  and secured to the retainer strip  22  along its length. For example, each mechanical fastener  28  may include a metal pin  30  that is inserted through the one or more material layers  14  and  16  with a head, disc, or plate portion  34  and  36  disposed on either side of the one or more material layers  14  and  16 , essentially forming a large rivet or the like that holds the one or more material layers  14  and  16  together and secures them to the retainer strip  22 . In this exemplary embodiment, one retainer strip  22  is attached to each side of the fire barrier  12 , and multiple retainer strips  22  can be used end-to-end on each side of the fire barrier  12 . It will be readily apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art that other mechanisms may perform the same function and/or achieve a like result, and the use of all such equivalent mechanisms is contemplated herein. 
     Referring now specifically to  FIGS. 2 and 3 , in one exemplary embodiment, the modular expansion joint fire barrier retainer assembly  10  also includes an anchor flange  38  that is selectively coupled to the retainer strip  22  at a first end of the anchor flange  38 , wherein a second end of the anchor flange  38  is configured to be selectively coupled to one or more of the expansion joint cover and the building substrate  20 , thereby securing the fire barrier  12  within the expansion joint or other gap  18 . This coupling is performed in the field, for example and minimizes the number of splices that have to be made. This allows the fire barrier assembly and anchor flange(s)  38  to be produced in independent lengths, with each customized as needed. The anchor flange  38  includes, for example, a substantially vertical portion  40  that is coincident with the substantially vertical portion  24  of the retainer strip  22 , a substantially horizontal portion  42  that traverses the top portion of the fire barrier  12 , and one or more additional vertical and/or horizontal portions  44  for selectively coupling the anchor flange  38  to one or more of the expansion joint cover and the building substrate  20 . It should be noted that the anchor flange  38  may include any suitable vertical, horizontal, or angled portions along its length such that the anchor flange  38 , the retainer strip  22 , and the fire barrier  12  can be secured within the expansion joint or other gap  18  of a building, and specifically to the floor, wall, ceiling, or other structure of the building. Importantly, the anchor flange  38  includes a hook portion  44  that selectively engages the lip portion  26  of the retainer strip  22 . In this manner, the fire barrier  12  is essentially hung by the retainer strip  22  from the anchor flange  38 , which establishes the proper position of the fire barrier  12  and supports its weight. The anchor flange  38  is selectively secured to the retainer strip  22  via one or more screws  46  or the like. Optionally, the anchor flange  38  and the retainer strip  22  are also selectively secured to the one or more material layers  14  via the one or more screws  46  or the like. 
     Although the present invention is illustrated and described herein with reference to preferred embodiments and specific examples thereof, it will be readily apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art that other embodiments and examples may perform similar functions and/or achieve like results. All such equivalent embodiments and examples are within the spirit and scope of the present disclosure, are contemplated thereby, and are intended to be covered by the following claims.