JP7733458B2 - Switchgear - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to an opening and closing device, and in particular to an opening and closing device that has a fire extinguishing function for fires near an opening.

[0003] Conventionally, a slat-type shutter device having a shutter curtain made of multiple connected long metal plates called slats has been known as one type of opening and closing device installed at entrances and exits of buildings such as buildings, or in passageways inside buildings. Some slat-type shutter devices have a fire prevention function in the event of a fire. Patent Document 1 discloses a fire shutter device that obtains a fire prevention function by providing a first fire-resistant sheet and a second fire-resistant sheet made of non-combustible sheets on the back side of the shutter curtain that opens and closes the opening, so that they can be opened and closed in the same way as the shutter curtain.
Furthermore, Patent Document 2 discloses an opening and closing device in which a cover body is attached to the rear side of the slats that make up the shutter curtain, forming a closed space between the slats, and a heat-shielding agent that foams and expands due to heat during a fire is applied to the closed space, and the heat-shielding agent foams and expands during a fire, thereby providing a fire prevention effect.

JP 2011-153454 A Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2017-115511

However, according to Patent Documents 1 and 2, although fire prevention functions are provided, there is no fire extinguishing function that can actively extinguish a fire, and therefore in the event of a fire, fire extinguishing equipment such as sprinklers, mist sprayers, or fire extinguishers installed near the opening are required. The present invention aims to provide an opening and closing device with a fire extinguishing function in order to solve the above problem.

To solve the above problems, a switching device is provided, which includes an opening/closing body capable of opening and closing an opening in a structure, capable of ejecting a fire extinguishing agent when the ambient temperature reaches a predetermined temperature, and includes a fire extinguishing sheet attached to the front and rear sides or the rear side of the opening/closing body, and a protective sheet attached to the rear surface of the fire extinguishing sheet attached to the rear side of the opening/closing body to protect the fire extinguishing sheet from damage. The fire extinguishing sheet and the protective sheet can appear and disappear in conjunction with the opening and closing operation of the opening/closing body, and the protective sheet is a mesh-like material that has fire resistance higher than the operating temperature of the fire extinguishing sheet and does not interfere with the ejection of the fire extinguishing agent, or a material that melts or disappears at a temperature lower than the operating temperature of the fire extinguishing sheet. Furthermore, when the opening/closing body closes the opening, the opening/closing body is configured to cover at least the entire exposed area of the opening/closing body that closes the opening. Furthermore, the fire extinguishing sheet is attached to the opening/closing body. Furthermore, the fire extinguishing sheet is attached to the opening/closing body via a thermal insulating material.

The above configurations make it possible to provide an opening and closing device with a fire extinguishing function.

FIG. 2 is a plan view of the slat-type shutter device. FIG. 2 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the shutter curtain and the winding mechanism. 10A and 10B are diagrams showing other arrangements of fire extinguishing sheets. FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram showing another installation form of the fire extinguishing sheet. FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram showing another installation form of the fire extinguishing sheet. FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram showing another installation form of the fire extinguishing sheet. FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram showing another installation form of the fire extinguishing sheet. FIG. 10 is a diagram showing another configuration of the fire extinguishing body.

The present invention will be described in detail below through embodiments of the invention. However, the following embodiments do not limit the invention as defined in the claims, and not all of the combinations of features described in the embodiments are necessarily essential to the solution of the invention, and include configurations that may be selectively adopted.

Figure 1 is a plan view of a slat-type shutter device, and Figure 2 is a schematic vertical cross-sectional view of the shutter curtain and winding mechanism. As shown in the figure, a slat-type shutter device 10 (hereinafter sometimes simply referred to as a shutter device) serving as an opening and closing device is installed in an opening 12 formed in a structural body 11. The structural body 11 is, for example, an exterior wall that separates the inside and outside of a structure such as a house, building, warehouse, or factory, or an interior wall that separates the internal space within a structure. The opening 12 is opened in the structural body 11 and is formed as a space that connects the inside and outside.

The shutter device 10 generally comprises guide rails 20;20 erected at a distance from each other on both sides of the width of the opening 12; a shutter curtain 30 that moves along the length of the guide rails 20;20 to open or close the opening 12; a shutter case 14 disposed above the opening 12 and guide rails 20;20; a winding mechanism 50 installed in the storage space inside the shutter case 14; a fire extinguishing sheet 40 disposed on the front and rear sides of the shutter curtain 30; and a protective sheet 42 disposed over the fire extinguishing sheet 40. While this example uses a lightweight shutter as an example of the shutter device 10, the shutter device 10 can also be applied to heavy-duty shutters, etc., which have thicker slats 31 (described below) than lightweight shutters and are used for the management, fire prevention, and smoke prevention purposes of buildings, factories, warehouses, etc.

In this specification, the "width direction" refers to the direction (left-right direction) perpendicular to the opening and closing (up-down) direction of the shutter curtain 30, and the "depth direction" refers to the thickness (front-to-back) direction of the shutter curtain 30. Furthermore, the "rolling direction" refers to the direction in which the shutter curtain 30 rises along the guide rail 20 and opens the opening 12, and the "unwinding direction" refers to the direction in which the shutter curtain 30 falls along the guide rail 20 and closes the opening 12.

As shown in Figure 1, the guide rails 20;20 are erected with a portion embedded in the structure frame 11 so that their longitudinal direction is perpendicular to the structure frame 11. The guide rails 20;20 are hollow members with an internal structure that is approximately U-shaped in cross section. The guide rails 20;20 are arranged so that the U-shaped openings face each other. Both widthwise ends of the shutter curtain 30 (described below) are inserted into the guide rails 20;20. As a result, the widthwise ends of the shutter curtain 30 are guided in the opening and closing direction (up and down) by the guide rails 20;20.

Figure 2 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the shutter curtain 30 and slats 31. As shown in each figure, the shutter curtain 30 is composed of multiple slats 31. Each slat 31 is made of a metal such as steel, stainless steel, or aluminum, and is a plate-shaped member extending along the width of the opening 12. Curved curled portions 32 and 33 are formed at the end (upper end) in the winding direction and the end (lower end) in the unwinding direction of each slat 31, respectively.

The curled portion 32 curves radially inward of the cylindrical wheel 52 that constitutes the winding mechanism 50 and engages with the curled portion 33 formed on the slat 31 adjacent in the winding direction. The curled portion 33 curves radially inward of the wheel 52 and engages with the curled portion 32 formed on the slat 31 adjacent in the payout direction. This allows the slats 31 adjacent to each other above and below to be rotatably connected to each other.

A seat plate 35 engages the end of the shutter curtain 30 in the extension direction. The seat plate 35 is a plate with a rectangular cross-section that extends along the width of the shutter curtain 30 and is the part that comes into contact with the floor or ground when the opening 12 is fully closed. The seat plate 35 is also set shorter than the width dimension of the slats 31. Specifically, it is set slightly shorter than the distance between the guide rails 20;20, so that both ends of the seat plate are not swallowed up by the guide rails 20;20.

Next, we will provide an overview of the winding mechanism 50, which operates the shutter curtain 30 in the winding or unwinding direction. As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the winding mechanism 50 is installed inside the shutter case 14 and is a mechanism that winds or unwinds the shutter curtain 30. The winding mechanism 50 includes left and right brackets 15; 15 that form part of the shutter case 14, a shaft 51 installed between the left and right brackets 15; 15, wheels 52; 52 that can rotate in the winding and unwinding directions in synchronization with the rotation of the shaft 51, and a motor (not shown) that rotates the shaft 51 in the winding or unwinding direction.

The shaft 51 is a support column extending in the width direction of the guide rails 20;20, and both ends are rotatably supported by holding means (not shown) attached to the brackets 15;15. A driven wheel 53 is attached to one end of the shaft 51 around its axis and connected to a connecting member 55 such as an endless chain or belt. The driven wheel 53 is connected via the connecting member 55 to a driving wheel attached to the output shaft of a motor (not shown), and the rotational force of the motor is transmitted to the shaft 51 via the driving wheel, connecting member 55, and driven wheel 53.

The wheels 52;52 are cylindrical metal members spaced a predetermined distance apart from the shaft 51. The wheels 52;52 are fitted to the shaft 51 via a not-shown insertion hole located in the center, allowing them to rotate freely around the shaft 51. The wheels 52;52 are connected to each other by multiple take-up members 54. The take-up members 54 are pillars extending parallel to the shaft 51, with both ends fitted into not-shown connection holes located at equal intervals in the circumferential direction around the wheel 52;52 insertion hole.

As shown in Figure 2, the shutter curtain 30 is connected to the wheel 52 by a hanging member 58 fastened to the circumferential surface of the wheel 52. The hanging member 58 is a metal plate with a curved shape that corresponds to the curvature of the circumferential surface of the wheel 52. The hanging member 58 is fastened integrally to the wheel 52 by fastening means such as bolts and nuts through fastening holes opened in the circumferential surface of the wheel 52. In addition, a curled connecting portion 58A is formed at the end of the hanging member 58 in the unwinding direction. The connecting portion 58A engages with the curled portion 32 of the slat 31 located furthest from the winding direction among the multiple slats 31 that make up the shutter curtain 30.

The fire extinguishing sheets 40 are placed on the front and rear sides of the shutter curtain 30 when the shutter curtain 30 closes the opening 12. The fire extinguishing sheets 40 are made of a flexible sheet containing an aerosolized potassium compound as an extinguishing agent, and are configured to eject the aerosolized potassium compound as an extinguishing agent when the ambient (atmospheric) temperature rises above a predetermined temperature (e.g., 300°C) due to radiant heat during a fire.

The fire extinguishing sheet 40 is formed in a rectangular shape that follows the shape of the shutter curtain 30 when viewed in plan, and is attached to match the shape of the shutter curtain 30. For example, one side of the fire extinguishing sheet 40 corresponding to the width dimension of the shutter curtain 30 is fixed to the front and rear surfaces of the main body 34 of the slat 31 located furthest in the roll-up direction using a fixing means such as adhesive. Apart from this fixed portion, the fire extinguishing sheet 40 is in a free state, not fixed to the shutter curtain 30. In other words, the fire extinguishing sheet 40 is suspended from the slat 31.

The fire extinguishing sheet 40 is attached to the shutter curtain 30 as described above, and its dimensions in the width direction and roll-up direction can be set so that it covers the entire front and rear sides of the opening 12 when the shutter curtain 30 closes the opening 12. The fire extinguishing sheet 40 should be sized to cover at least the area that is exposed and visible to the outside when the shutter curtain 30 closes the opening 12, in other words, the entire area excluding the area that is enclosed within the guide rails 20; 20.

As shown in Figure 2(a), the protective sheet 42 is placed over the rear side of the shutter curtain 30 and is a component that prevents the slats 31 from coming into contact with the fire extinguishing sheets 40 on the front and rear sides when the shutter curtain 30 is rolled up. The protective sheet 42 may be made of a sheet-like component, such as a highly fire-resistant and breathable mesh or film. The protective sheet 42 is formed, for example, in a rectangular shape of approximately the same size as the fire extinguishing sheet 40 so as to cover the entire surface of the fire extinguishing sheet 40. The protective sheet 42 is attached to the main body 34 of the slat 31 to which the fire extinguishing sheet 40 is fixed, overlying the fire extinguishing sheet 40, using a fixing means such as an adhesive.

The aforementioned fire resistance refers to the ability to withstand temperatures higher than the operating temperature of the fire extinguishing sheet 40. Furthermore, a highly breathable mesh structure refers to a mesh size that allows the fire extinguishing sheet 40 to activate in the event of a fire and does not prevent the fire extinguishing agent from being sprayed. It goes without saying that the protective sheet 42 is strong enough to prevent the slats 31 from coming into contact with the fire extinguishing sheet 40; 40 when the shutter curtain 30 is rolled up, and is flexible enough to accommodate deformation during roll-up.

Furthermore, the protective sheet 42 is not limited to a mesh-like material, and the fire extinguishing sheet 40 may be protected by a sheet or film with no openings. In this case, the protective sheet 42 should be made of a material that melts or disappears due to the heat of the fire at a temperature lower than the operating temperature of the fire extinguishing sheet 40, allowing the surface of the fire extinguishing sheet 40 to be exposed.

Furthermore, while one protective sheet 42 is shown to cover the entire rear side of the fire extinguishing sheet 40, this is not limited to this. For example, the protective sheet 42 may be in the form of a strip of a predetermined width, and this strip-shaped protective sheet 42 may be arranged at predetermined intervals across the width of the shutter curtain 30, reaching from one end of the shutter curtain 30 in the opening and closing direction to the other.

In this way, by placing the protective sheet 42 over the rear fire extinguishing sheet 40, as shown in Figure 2(a), it can be interposed between the rolled-up front and rear fire extinguishing sheets 40;40 together with the shutter curtain 30, preventing a reduction in the fire extinguishing effect in the event of a fire due to prior damage to the fire extinguishing sheets 40;40.

Furthermore, by attaching the fire extinguishing sheets 40;40 and protective sheet 42 to the shutter curtain 30, a mechanism for winding and unwinding the fire extinguishing sheets 40;40 and protective sheet 42 is no longer necessary, and the fire extinguishing sheets 40;40 and protective sheet 42 can be automatically deployed and stored as the shutter curtain 30 opens and closes.

When the fire extinguishing sheet 40 and the protective sheet 42 are fixed to the slats 31 with adhesive, it is recommended to use a heat-resistant adhesive to prevent the fire extinguishing sheet 40 from falling off due to heat or aging before it reaches its operating temperature.

The operation of the shutter device configured as described above will now be described. As shown in Figure 2(a), when the shutter curtain 30 opens the opening 12 (fully open state), the motor is driven and controlled by operating a control panel (not shown), causing the shaft 51 to rotate in the unwinding direction. This causes the wheel 52 to rotate in response to the rotation of the shaft 51, and the stacked shutter curtain 30 is unwound sequentially from the outer periphery of the wheel 52, along with the fire extinguishing sheets 40/40 and protective sheet 42. Then, as shown in Figure 2(b), the wheel 52 continues to rotate in the unwinding direction, until the entire opening 12 is closed by the shutter curtain 30 (fully closed state), and the fire extinguishing sheets 40/40 are positioned on the front and rear sides of the shutter curtain 30.

Furthermore, when the motor is driven in the reverse direction and the shaft 51 rotates in the winding direction from the state in which the shutter curtain 30 closes the opening 12 (fully closed state) shown in Figure 2(b), the wheel 52 rotates in response to the rotation of the shaft 51, and the shutter curtain 30, together with the fire extinguishing sheets 40/40 and protective sheet 42, is gradually wound up along the outer periphery of the wheel 52, opening the opening 12. Then, as shown in Figure 2(a), as the wheel 52 continues to rotate in the winding direction and the shutter curtain 30 is wound up to a length equal to or greater than the circumference of the wheel 52, the shutter curtain 30 wound up in the second and subsequent revolutions is wound up together with the fire extinguishing sheets 40/40 and protective sheet 42 while being stacked on top of the shutter curtain 30 that was wound up together with the fire extinguishing sheets 40/40 and protective sheet 42 during the first revolution, and the entire opening 12 is opened (fully open state).

The operation of the fire extinguishing sheet will now be explained. As shown in Figure 2(b), assume that a fire is occurring on the front side of the shutter curtain 30 when the shutter curtain 30 is closed. When the temperature of the front side of the shutter curtain 30 reaches approximately 300°, the fire extinguishing sheet 40 attached to the front side of the shutter curtain 30 comes into action, causing the fire extinguishing agent to be forcefully ejected, and the ejected fire extinguishing agent floats in the space in front of the shutter curtain 30 in the form of smoke. The floating fire extinguishing agent reacts with oxygen and hydrogen to suppress the combustion cycle of the fire, extinguishing the fire that has occurred on the front side of the shutter curtain 30 and preventing the fire from spreading.

Note that, although the winding mechanism 50 in the above embodiment is an electric winding mechanism 50 having a motor, a manual winding mechanism using a biasing means such as a coil spring inserted around the axis of the shaft 51 may also be used.

Figure 3 shows another arrangement of the fire extinguishing sheet 40. In the above embodiment, the fire extinguishing sheet 40 is arranged so as to directly overlap the front and rear sides of the shutter curtain 30, but as shown in Figure 3, a heat insulating material 44 may be interposed between the shutter curtain 30 and the fire extinguishing sheet 40.

The heat insulating material 44 is, for example, a sheet-like member for suppressing heat transfer from one surface side to the other surface side.
It is preferable that the insulating material 44 be flexible enough to follow the deformations caused by the winding and unwinding of the shutter curtain 30, and that the material and thickness be set so that when the temperature on one side reaches the operating temperature of the fire extinguishing sheet 40, the temperature on the other side will be lower than this.

The insulating material 44 is formed, for example, in a rectangular shape of approximately the same size as the fire extinguishing sheet 40 so as to cover the entire area of the fire extinguishing sheet 40 between the shutter curtain 30 and the sheet, and is attached by adhesive or other fixing means to the main body 34 of the slat 31 to which the fire extinguishing sheet 40 is fixed. The fire extinguishing sheet 40 is then layered on top of the insulating material 44 on the front side of the shutter curtain 30, and the fire extinguishing sheet 40 and protective sheet 42 are layered on top of the insulating material 44 on the rear side.

In this way, by interposing the insulating material 44 between the shutter curtain 30 and the fire extinguishing sheets 40;40, malfunction of the fire extinguishing sheets 40;40 can be prevented. For example, suppose the shutter device 10 is installed in the middle of a passageway, and a fire blocks the passageway with the shutter curtain 30. The fire occurs on the front side of the shutter curtain 30. In such a case, the rear side of the shutter curtain 30 is the passage side for evacuees and others. When the front side of the shutter curtain 30 reaches a predetermined temperature due to the heat of the fire, the fire extinguishing agent is ejected from the front side fire extinguishing sheet 40. However, if the insulating material 44 is not present, heat may be transferred through the slats 31, causing the rear side fire extinguishing sheet 40 to function. Therefore, by interposing the insulating material 44 between the shutter curtain 30 and the fire extinguishing sheet 40, malfunction of the fire extinguishing sheet 40 on the side not affected by the fire can be prevented. If the direction of fire outbreak can be predicted to some extent, the insulating material 44 may be installed on either the front or rear side of the slat 31.

In the above embodiment, the fire extinguishing sheet 40 is attached to the shutter curtain 30, but it may also be attached to, for example, the hanging member 58 that, together with the shutter curtain 30, constitutes the winding mechanism 50. Furthermore, the fire extinguishing sheet 40 is configured to utilize the winding mechanism 50 of the shutter curtain 30 to wind and unwind the fire extinguishing sheet 40 and the accompanying protective sheet 42 and insulating material 44 together with the shutter curtain 30, but this is not limited to this.

In the above embodiment, the winding mechanism 50 was described as winding up and unwinding the fire extinguishing sheet 40 and the accompanying protective sheet 42 and insulating material 44 along with the shutter curtain 30, but the fire extinguishing sheet 40 and the accompanying protective sheet 42 and insulating material 44 may also be wound up and unwinded by a different winding mechanism.

Figure 4 is a schematic diagram showing another installation configuration of the fire extinguishing sheet 40. As shown in Figure 4, the fire extinguishing sheet 40 can be configured as a fire extinguishing unit 80, including, for example, a winding device. In the following description, items attached to the fire extinguishing sheet 40, such as the fire extinguishing sheet 40 alone, the fire extinguishing sheet 40 combined with a protective sheet 42, or the fire extinguishing sheet 40 combined with a protective sheet 42 and insulating material 44, will be collectively referred to as fire extinguishing element A. The fire extinguishing element unit 80 can be configured from the fire extinguishing element A, a winding shaft 82 that winds up the fire extinguishing element A, a bearing (not shown) that rotatably supports the winding shaft 82, a winding spring (not shown) that applies a biasing force to the winding shaft 82 in the direction in which the winding shaft 82 winds up the fire extinguishing element A, and a case 84 that houses these.

The fire extinguishing element A is formed, for example, in a rectangular shape that can cover the entire opening 12 in which the shutter device 10 is installed, and is housed in the case 84 in a state where it is wound around the winding shaft 82 by the biasing force of the winding spring.

As shown in FIG. 4, the fire extinguisher units 80 are arranged, for example, on the front and rear sides of the shutter curtain 30 within the shutter case 14. Each of the front and rear fire extinguisher units 80 is fixed within the shutter case 14 so that the winding shaft 82 of the fire extinguisher A is parallel to the axis of the shaft 51 of the winding mechanism 50 of the shutter curtain 30. The fire extinguisher A wound around the winding shaft 82 is pulled out from each of the front and rear fire extinguisher units 80, and one pulled-out edge (hereinafter referred to as the pulled-out end) is fixed to the front and rear sides of the seat plate 35 by fixing means not shown, thereby being incorporated into the shutter device 10.

The operation of the fire extinguisher unit 80 will be described below. When the opening is closed by the shutter curtain 30 as shown in FIG. 4(a) from an open state as shown in FIG. 4(b), the shutter curtain 30 is unwound, and the fire extinguishing element A, which has extinguishing function, is pulled out from the winding shaft 82, and the fire extinguishing element A, which has extinguishing function, is positioned on the front and rear sides of the shutter curtain 30. Furthermore, when the opening is opened from a state in which the shutter curtain 30 has closed the opening as shown in FIG. 4(a) to a state in which the shutter curtain 30 has opened, as shown in FIG. 4(b), the shutter curtain 30 is wound up, and the traction on the fire extinguishing element A by the seat plate 35 is released, and the fire extinguishing element A is wound up on the winding shaft 82 without sagging due to the biasing force of the winding spring.

Figure 5 is a schematic diagram showing another installation configuration for the fire extinguishing sheet 40. As shown in the figure, the fire extinguishing unit 80 does not need to be housed within the shutter case 14, but may be attached to the underside of the shutter case 14, etc.

Figure 6 is a schematic diagram showing another installation configuration of the fire extinguishing sheet 40. When fire extinguishing element A is provided on the front and rear sides of the shutter curtain 30, two fire extinguishing unit 80 are provided on the front and rear sides of the shutter curtain 30. However, as shown in the same figure, fire extinguishing element A can also be provided on both the front and rear sides of the shutter curtain 30 using a single fire extinguishing unit 80. In this case, a roller 86 extending along the width of the seat plate 35 is rotatably provided on the underside of the seat plate 35, and the fire extinguishing element A pulled out from the fire extinguishing unit 80 is attached to the underside of the shutter case 14 via the roller 86, with its end attached. Even with this configuration, fire extinguishing element A can be wound up and pulled out in conjunction with the winding and unwinding of the shutter curtain 30 without sagging.

Figure 7 is a schematic diagram showing another installation configuration of the fire extinguishing sheet 40. As shown in Figure 7(a), the base plate 35 may be hollow and box-shaped, and the fire extinguishing element A, a winding shaft 82 for winding up the fire extinguishing element A, a bearing (not shown) for rotatably supporting the winding shaft 82, and a winding spring (not shown) for applying a biasing force to the winding shaft 82 in the direction in which the winding shaft 82 winds up the fire extinguishing element A may be provided to form a fire extinguishing element unit 80. In other words, the single fire extinguishing element unit 80 described above can be considered to be attached to the lower end of the slat 31 in place of the plate-shaped base plate 35. In this case, the withdrawal end of the fire extinguishing element A can be fixed to the underside of the shutter case 14 or the like by a fixing means (not shown). Note that while Figure 7(a) illustrates an example in which the fire extinguishing element A is installed on the rear side of the shutter curtain 30, it may also be installed on the front side.

Furthermore, as shown in Figure 7(b), by storing two fire extinguisher units 80 inside the hollow box-shaped seat plate 35, it is possible to provide fire extinguishers A on the front and rear sides of the shutter curtain 30. Even when the fire extinguisher units 80 are configured as shown in Figures 7(a) and (b), the fire extinguisher A can be wound up and pulled out in conjunction with the winding and unwinding of the shutter curtain 30 without sagging.

Figure 8 shows another configuration of the fire extinguisher A. In the above embodiment, the fire extinguisher A is in the form of a single sheet that can be wound around the winding shaft 82 and dispensed, but it may also be foldable by accordion folding, as shown in the figure.

As shown in Figure 8, by folding the fire extinguisher A in an accordion-like manner, it becomes expandable and scalable in the folded direction. In this case, for example, the base plate 35 is shaped like a box with an opening at the top, and the fire extinguisher A folded in an accordion-like manner is housed inside. The bottommost folded piece is then fixed to the base plate 35 by gluing or the like, and the topmost folded piece is fixed to the underside of the shutter case 14 by gluing or the like.

In accordion folding, the bottom and top folding pieces move apart, causing the curtain to expand in the folding direction, and the bottom and top folding pieces move closer together, causing the curtain to contract in the folding direction. Therefore, as shown in Figure 8(b), by rolling up the shutter curtain 30 and then unrolling it from a state in which the opening 12 is open, the seat plate 35 gradually moves away from the shutter case 14. In conjunction with this movement, the fire extinguishing element A deploys and extends. Then, as shown in Figure 8(a), when the shutter curtain 30 completely closes the opening 12, the fire extinguishing element A covers the entire front and rear sides of the shutter curtain 30.

Furthermore, as shown in Figure 8(a), the shutter curtain 30 is unrolled and then wound up from a state in which the opening 12 is closed, causing the seat plate 35 to gradually approach the shutter case 14. In conjunction with this approach, the fire extinguishing element A is folded and gradually contracted. Then, as shown in Figure 8(b), when the shutter curtain 30 is wound up and the opening 12 is completely opened, the fire extinguishing element A is stored within the seat plate 35 in its most folded state.

By making the fire extinguisher A foldable in this way, a winding mechanism for winding up the fire extinguisher A is not required, and the fire extinguisher A can be easily installed on the shutter device 10. The structure of the fire extinguisher A that provides expansion and contraction functionality is not limited to accordion folding, and it can also be an expandable structure such as a pantograph or honeycomb.

As explained above, by providing a fire extinguishing sheet that sprays a fire extinguishing agent when the ambient temperature reaches a predetermined temperature on either or both the front and rear surfaces of the opening/closing body, it is possible to automatically and proactively extinguish fires near the opening/closing device and prevent the fire from spreading. Furthermore, the fire extinguishing sheet can be selectively applied to either or both the front and rear surfaces of the opening/closing body depending on the location where the opening/closing device is installed, such as at building entrances or internal corridors. Furthermore, protective sheets and insulating materials that are layered on the fire extinguishing sheet can also be selectively applied as appropriate depending on the location.

In the above explanation, the fire extinguishing sheet 40 was described as being attached to the opening/closing body, but this is not limited to this and it may be attached to each component that makes up the opening/closing device. For example, by attaching the fire extinguishing sheet 40 to cover the outer surface of the shutter case 14 that houses the opening/closing body, or the surface of the guide rails 20; 20 that guide the opening and closing movement of the opening/closing body, it is possible to strengthen the fire extinguishing function against fires.

In the above embodiment, the shutter curtain 30 is composed of multiple slats 31, but the shutter curtain 30 can also be composed of a panel curtain made up of multiple flat panels, a sheet curtain made up of a sheet of non-flammable resin, or a curtain made up of a combination of these components. Furthermore, while a slat-type shutter device was used as the opening/closing device installed at the opening, based on the concept described above, the fire extinguishing sheet can also be applied to over-sliding doors, doors used for people to enter and exit, etc.

With the opening/closing devices having the above configurations, when the opening/closing body closes the opening, it can automatically provide the opening with fire extinguishing capabilities, thereby preventing the spread of fire. Furthermore, if the fire extinguishing sheet is configured to cover at least the entire exposed area of the opening/closing body that closes the opening when the opening/closing body closes the opening, it can effectively extinguish fires near the opening. Furthermore, if the fire extinguishing sheet is configured to be attached to the opening/closing body, it can easily appear and disappear into the opening in conjunction with the opening and closing movement of the opening by the opening/closing body. Furthermore, if a protective sheet is provided over the fire extinguishing sheet to protect it, damage to the fire extinguishing sheet can be prevented. Furthermore, if the fire extinguishing sheet is configured to be attached to the opening/closing body via a thermal insulating material, it can prevent heat from being transferred from one side of the opening/closing body to the other side through the opening/closing body.

10 shutter device, 12 opening, 14 shutter case,
20 guide rail, 30 shutter curtain, 31 slat, 40 fire extinguishing sheet,
42 protective sheet, 44 insulation material.

Claims (4)

An opening and closing device including an opening and closing body capable of opening and closing an opening provided in a structure,
a fire extinguishing sheet that can spray a fire extinguishing agent when the ambient temperature reaches a predetermined temperature and is provided on the front side and rear side or the rear side of the opening/closing body;
a protective sheet provided on the rear surface of the fire extinguishing sheet provided on the rear surface side of the opening/closing body to protect the fire extinguishing sheet from damage;
The fire extinguishing sheet and the protective sheet can appear and disappear from the opening in conjunction with the opening and closing operation of the opening body,
The protective sheet is a mesh member having a fire resistance higher than the working temperature of the fire extinguishing sheet and not interfering with the ejection of the fire extinguishing agent, or
An opening and closing device characterized in that the member melts or disappears at a temperature lower than the operating temperature of the fire extinguishing sheet. The opening and closing device described in claim 1, characterized in that the fire extinguishing sheet covers at least the entire exposed area of the opening and closing body that closes the opening when the opening is closed. The opening and closing device described in claim 1 or claim 2, characterized in that the fire extinguishing sheet is attached to the opening and closing body. The opening and closing device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the fire extinguishing sheet is attached to the opening and closing body via a heat insulating material.