초록 ▼

A system and method for rapidly and reliably sealing off a selected opening from the passage of smoke, noxious fumes, or contaminated air includes a powered clutch and viscous governor that provides a fail-safe mode of operation. A curtain is positioned in a housing adjacent to an upper limit of an

A system and method for rapidly and reliably sealing off a selected opening from the passage of smoke, noxious fumes, or contaminated air includes a powered clutch and viscous governor that provides a fail-safe mode of operation. A curtain is positioned in a housing adjacent to an upper limit of an opening such as a hoist access-way. The curtain is wrapped around a spindle that is connected to a spool via two cords. The curtain is held in the housing in a stored configuration by a powered clutch so that upon removal of power, either via a controller or by power loss, the clutch releases the spool allowing the cord to unwind lowering and thus deploying the curtain. A capacitor can be included to prevent inadvertent deployments due to momentary power loss. The speed at which the spool rotates, and correspondingly the curtain deploys, is limited by a viscous governor coupled to the spool. The curtain includes flexible magnets that attach to ferrous side rails forming a nearly air tight seal preventing the passage of smoke, noxious fumes or contaminated air through the opening.

대표청구항 ▼

We claim: 1. A barrier assembly for sealing off an opening having a top portion, comprising: a housing mountably adjacent to the top portion of the opening; a curtain assembly coupled to the housing, the curtain assembly being movable between a stored position and a deployed position, the curtain a

We claim: 1. A barrier assembly for sealing off an opening having a top portion, comprising: a housing mountably adjacent to the top portion of the opening; a curtain assembly coupled to the housing, the curtain assembly being movable between a stored position and a deployed position, the curtain assembly in the deployed position covering the opening; a spool coupled to the curtain assembly; a cord coupled to the spool; a drive shaft coupled to the cord and the spool, the drive shaft being rotatable to wind the cord around at least one of the drive shaft and the spool to move the curtain assembly toward the stored position, and to unwind the cord to allow the curtain assembly to move toward the deployed position; a powered drive coupleable to the drive shaft and movable to rotate the drive shaft in one rotational direction to move the curtain assembly toward the stored position and configured to hold the curtain assembly in the stored position; a coupler connected to the drive shaft, the coupler being movable between an engaged position and a released position and configured to couple the drive shaft to the powered drive when in the engaged position and to uncouple the drive shaft from the powered drive when in the released position allowing the cord to unwind and the curtain assembly to move toward the deployed position, wherein the coupler is a clutch that is in the engaged position when power is applied to the clutch, and the clutch moves to the released position when power to the clutch is interrupted; and a deployment governor connected to the drive shaft and positioned to limit a speed at which the drive shaft rotates when the cord unwinds and the curtain assembly moves toward the deployed position, thereby controlling a rate of deployment of the curtain assembly over the opening. 2. The assembly of claim 1, further including a secondary power source coupled to the clutch to prevent inadvertent releases of the curtain assembly due to momentary power loss from a primary power source. 3. The assembly of claim 1 wherein the deployment governor limits the rate of deployment of the curtain assembly to a substantially constant rate. 4. The assembly of claim 1 wherein a resistance of the deployment governor is directly proportional to the weight of the curtain assembly as the curtain assembly moves toward the deployed position. 5. The assembly of claim 1 wherein the coupler is connectable to a primary power supply, and further comprising a secondary power supply wherein the coupler is operatively coupled to the secondary power supply. 6. The assembly of claim 5 wherein the secondary power supply provides power to the coupler when power from the primary power supply is interrupted and retains the coupler in the engaged position for a selected time period before the coupler moves to the released position. 7. The assembly of claim of 5 wherein the secondary power supply is a capacitor capable of preventing the coupler from moving to the released position for at least approximately a ten second loss of power from the primary power supply. 8. The assembly of claim of 1, further comprising a flexible sealing mechanism sealably engaging side portions of the opening when the curtain assembly is in the deployed position. 9. The assembly of claim of 1 wherein the curtain assembly sealably covers the opening when in the deployed position. 10. The assembly of claim of 1, further comprising a flexible magnetic strip attached to the curtain assembly and a ferrous metal frame attachable to side portions of the opening, the curtain assembly being sized such that as the curtain assembly moves toward the deployed position, the flexible magnetic strip magnetically attach to the ferrous metal frame. 11. The assembly of claim of 1 wherein the curtain assembly includes a curtain wound on a spindle and wherein the cord is coupled to the spindle and positioned to wind around, and unwind from, at least one of the spindle and a pulley coupled to the spindle. 12. The assembly of claim of 1 wherein the curtain assembly includes a substantially gas impervious material. 13. The assembly of claim of 1 wherein the coupler is coupled to a power supply and moves to the released position to deploy the curtain assembly when power to the coupler fails, and the assembly further comprising a rewind control switch configurable to automatically move the curtain assembly toward the stored position with a resumption of power to the coupler. 14. A barrier assembly for sealing off an opening having a top portion, comprising: a housing mountably adjacent to the top portion of the opening; a curtain assembly coupled to the housing, the curtain assembly being movable between a stored position and a deployed position, the curtain assembly in the deployed position covering the opening; a spool coupled to the curtain assembly; a cord coupled to the spool; a drive shaft coupled to the cord and the spool, the drive shaft being rotatable to wind the cord around at least one of the drive shaft and the spool to move the curtain assembly toward the stored position, and to unwind the cord to allow the curtain assembly to move toward the deployed position; a powered drive coupleable to the drive shaft and movable to rotate the drive shaft in one rotational direction to move the curtain assembly toward the stored position and configured to hold the curtain assembly in the stored position; a coupler connected to the drive shaft, the coupler being movable between an engaged position and a released position and configured to couple the drive shaft to the powered drive when in the engaged position and to uncouple the drive shaft from the powered drive when in the released position allowing the cord to unwind and the curtain assembly to move toward the deployed position, wherein the coupler is coupled to a power supply and moves to the released position to deploy the curtain assembly when power to the coupler fails; a deployment governor connected to the drive shaft and positioned to limit a speed at which the drive shaft rotates when the cord unwinds and the curtain assembly moves toward the deployed position, thereby controlling a rate of deployment of the curtain assembly over the opening; and a rewind control switch configurable to automatically move the curtain assembly toward the stored position with a resumption of power to the coupler. 15. A barrier assembly for sealing off an opening, comprising: a substantially smoke impervious curtain assembly being movable between a stored position and a deployed position, the curtain assembly in the deployed position sealably covering the opening; a drive shaft coupled to the curtain assembly and being rotatable to move the curtain assembly from the deployed position to the stored position; a powered drive coupleable to the drive shaft and configured to rotate the drive shaft; a coupler connected to at least one of the drive shaft and the powered drive, the coupler being positionable in an engaged position coupling the drive shaft to the powered drive and positionable in a released position to uncouple the drive shaft from the powered drive allowing the drive shaft to rotate and the curtain assembly to deploy from the stored position toward the deployed position, wherein the coupler is a clutch that is in the engaged position when power is applied to the clutch, and the clutch moves to the released position when power to the clutch is interrupted; and a deployment governor connected to the drive shaft and positioned to limit a speed at which the drive shaft rotates when the curtain assembly moves toward the deployed position to cover the opening. 16. The assembly of claim 15, further including a secondary power source coupled to the clutch to prevent inadvertent releases of the curtain assembly due to momentary power loss from a primary power source. 17. The assembly of claim 15 wherein the deployment governor limits the rate of deployment of the curtain assembly to a substantially constant rate. 18. The assembly of claim 15 wherein a resistance of the deployment governor is directly proportional to the weight of the curtain assembly as the curtain assembly moves toward the deployed position. 19. The assembly of claim 15 wherein the coupler is connectable to a primary power supply, and further comprising a secondary power supply wherein the coupler is operatively coupled to the secondary power supply. 20. The assembly of claim 19 wherein the secondary power supply provides power to the coupler when power from the primary power supply is interrupted and retains the coupler in the engaged position for a selected time period before the coupler moves to the released position. 21. The assembly of claim of 19 wherein the secondary power supply is a capacitor capable of preventing the coupler from moving to the released position for at least approximately a ten second loss of power from the primary power supply. 22. The assembly of claim of 15, further comprising a flexible sealing mechanism sealably engaging side portions of the opening when the curtain assembly is in the deployed position. 23. The assembly of claim of 15, further comprising a flexible magnetic strip attached to the curtain assembly and a ferrous metal frame attachable to side portions of the opening, the curtain assembly being sized such that as the curtain assembly moves toward the deployed position, the flexible magnetic strip magnetically attach to the ferrous metal frame. 24. The assembly of claim of 15 wherein the curtain assembly includes a curtain wound on a spindle and wherein a cord is coupled to the spindle and positioned to wind around, and unwind from, at least one of the spindle and a pulley coupled to the spindle. 25. A barrier assembly for sealing off an opening, comprising: a substantially smoke impervious curtain assembly being movable between a stored position and a deployed position, the curtain assembly in the deployed position sealably covering the opening; a drive shaft coupled to the curtain assembly and being rotatable to move the curtain assembly from the deployed position to the stored position; a powered drive coupleable to the drive shaft and configured to rotate the drive shaft; a coupler connected to at least one of the drive shaft and the powered drive, the coupler being positionable in an engaged position coupling the drive shaft to the powered drive and positionable in a released position to uncouple the drive shaft from the powered drive allowing the drive shaft to rotate and the curtain assembly to deploy from the stored position toward the deployed position, wherein the coupler is coupled to a power supply and moves to the released position to deploy the curtain assembly when power to the coupler fails; a deployment governor connected to the drive shaft and positioned to limit a speed at which the drive shaft rotates when the curtain assembly moves toward the deployed position to cover the opening; and a rewind control switch configurable to automatically move the curtain assembly toward the stored position with a resumption of power to the coupler. 26. A method for sealing off an opening, comprising: maintaining a curtain in a housing with a powered drive and a coupler, the housing being located adjacent to an upper portion of the opening, the coupler being movable between an engaged position and a released position and configured to couple a drive shaft to the powered drive when in the engaged position and to uncouple the drive shaft from the powered drive when in the released position, the drive shaft being coupled to the curtain to move the curtain toward a stored position wherein the curtain is contained in the housing, and to allow the curtain to move toward a deployed position covering the opening, the powered drive being movable to rotate the drive shaft and move the curtain toward the stored position and configured to hold the curtain in the stored position, and wherein when the coupler is in the released position the curtain is free to move toward the deployed position, the coupler being configured to move from the engaged position to the released position when power to the coupler is interrupted; moving the coupler to the released position; controlling with a governor the speed at which the drive shaft rotates and the curtain moves toward the deployed position; and automatically moving the curtain toward the stored position with a resumption of power after a power interruption. 27. The method of claim 26 wherein the curtain includes a substantially gas impervious material. 28. The method of claim 26 wherein the opening includes an opening of a hoistway. 29. The method of claim 26, further comprising detecting a selected event and wherein moving the coupler includes moving the coupler to the released position in response to detecting the selected event. 30. The method of claim 26, further comprising detecting the presence of smoke, noxious fumes, or contaminated air at a selected location relative to the opening, and wherein moving the coupler includes moving the coupler to the released position in response to detecting the presence of smoke, noxious fumes, or contaminated air at a selected location relative to the opening. 31. The method of claim 26 wherein maintaining the curtain in the housing with the coupler includes maintaining the curtain in the housing with a coupler that moves from the engaged position to the released position when power to the coupler is removed, the method further comprising removing power from the coupler. 32. The method of claim 26 wherein maintaining includes wrapping the curtain around a spindle, the spindle is moveable upwardly and downwardly across the opening, the spindle being rotatable to unroll the curtain as the spindle moves downwardly and the curtain moves toward the deployed position. 33. The method of claim 26 wherein controlling includes controlling the rate of rotation of the drive shaft as the curtain moves to the deployed position. 34. The method of claim 26, further comprising sealing the curtain around the opening when the curtain is in the deployed position. 35. The method of claim 26, further comprising raising the curtain from the deployed position toward the stored position using the powered drive. 36. The method of claim 26 wherein maintaining the curtain in the housing with the coupler includes maintaining the curtain in the housing with a coupler coupled to a primary power source, the coupler configured to move from the engaged position to the released position when power to the coupler is removed, and wherein the method further comprises maintaining an secondary power source coupled to the coupler, the secondary power source capable of preventing the coupler from moving to the released position during a temporary loss of the primary power source. 37. The method of claim 36 wherein the secondary power source provides power to the coupler for at least 10 seconds after the loss of the primary power source. 38. The assembly of claim of 15 wherein the coupler is coupled to a power supply and moves to the released position to deploy the curtain assembly when power to the coupler fails, and the assembly further comprising a rewind control switch configurable to automatically move the curtain assembly toward the stored position with a resumption of power to the coupler.