U.S. patent application number 14/543523 was filed with the patent office on 2015-05-21 for insulating sealing element for head-of-wall joints.
This patent application is currently assigned to Hilti Aktiengesellschaft. The applicant listed for this patent is Hilti Aktiengesellschaft. Invention is credited to Manfred KLEIN, Herbert MUENZENBERGER, Mario PAETOW, Peter SCHULZE, Sebastian SIMON.
Application Number | 20150135622 14/543523 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 51932340 |
Filed Date | 2015-05-21 |
United States Patent
Application |
20150135622 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
MUENZENBERGER; Herbert ; et
al. |
May 21, 2015 |
INSULATING SEALING ELEMENT FOR HEAD-OF-WALL JOINTS
Abstract
An insulating strip is disclosed. The insulating strip includes
a support layer and a plurality of insulating material strips
secured to the support layer where the plurality of insulating
material strips are spaced apart from each other.
Inventors: |
MUENZENBERGER; Herbert;
(Wiesbaden, DE) ; SCHULZE; Peter; (Weil, DE)
; SIMON; Sebastian; (Buchloe Lindenberg, DE) ;
PAETOW; Mario; (Igling, DE) ; KLEIN; Manfred;
(Kaufering, DE) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
Hilti Aktiengesellschaft |
Schaan |
|
LI |
|
|
Assignee: |
Hilti Aktiengesellschaft
Schaan
LI
|
Family ID: |
51932340 |
Appl. No.: |
14/543523 |
Filed: |
November 17, 2014 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
61905711 |
Nov 18, 2013 |
|
|
|
Current U.S.
Class: |
52/407.1 ;
428/195.1; 428/68 |
Current CPC
Class: |
E04B 1/948 20130101;
E04B 2/7411 20130101; E04B 1/6801 20130101; Y10T 428/23 20150115;
Y10T 428/24802 20150115 |
Class at
Publication: |
52/407.1 ;
428/195.1; 428/68 |
International
Class: |
E04B 1/94 20060101
E04B001/94; E04B 1/68 20060101 E04B001/68 |
Claims
1. An insulating strip, comprising: a support layer; and a
plurality of insulating material strips secured to the support
layer; wherein the plurality of insulating material strips are
secured to a same side of the support layer and wherein the
plurality of insulating material strips are spaced apart from each
other.
2. The insulating strip according to claim 1, wherein the plurality
of insulating material strips are secured to the support layer by
an adhesive.
3. The insulating strip according to claim 1: wherein the
insulating strip includes a first side section, a second side
section, and a middle section disposed between the first side
section and the second side section; and wherein a first insulating
material strip is disposed in the first side section, a second
insulating material strip is disposed in the second side section,
and a third and a fourth insulating material strip are disposed in
the middle section.
4. The insulating strip according to claim 3, wherein the first,
the second, the third, and the fourth insulating material strips
have a same width.
5. The insulating strip according to claim 3, wherein a width of
the first and the second insulating material strips is different
from a width of the third and the fourth insulating material
strips.
6. The insulating strip according to claim 3, wherein a width of
the first and the second insulating material strips is greater than
a width of the third and the fourth insulating material strips.
7. The insulating strip according to claim 1, wherein the plurality
of insulating material strips include a fire-resistant material
and/or an acoustically insulating material.
8. The insulating strip according to claim 1, wherein the support
layer is a tape and wherein the plurality of insulating material
strips are a sticky putty which includes an intumescent
additive.
9. The insulating strip according to claim 1, further comprising a
removable cover layer disposed on the plurality of insulating
material strips.
10. An insulating strip, comprising: a support layer; and a
plurality of insulating material strips secured to the support
layer; wherein a first and a second insulating material strip are
secured to a first side of the support layer, wherein a third and a
fourth insulating material strip are secured to a second, opposite
side of the support layer, and wherein the plurality of insulating
material strips are spaced apart from each other.
11. The insulating strip according to claim 10, wherein the
plurality of insulating material strips are secured to the support
layer by an adhesive.
12. The insulating strip according to claim 10: wherein the
insulating strip includes a first side section, a second side
section, and a middle section disposed between the first side
section and the second side section; and wherein the first
insulating material strip is disposed in the first side section,
the second insulating material strip is disposed in the second side
section, and the third and the fourth insulating material strip are
disposed in the middle section.
13. The insulating strip according to claim 10, wherein the first,
the second, the third, and the fourth insulating material strips
have a same width.
14. The insulating strip according to claim 10, wherein a width of
the first and the second insulating material strips is different
from a width of the third and the fourth insulating material
strips.
15. The insulating strip according to claim 10, wherein a width of
the first and the second insulating material strips is greater than
a width of the third and the fourth insulating material strips.
16. The insulating strip according to claim 10, wherein the
plurality of insulating material strips include a fire-resistant
material and/or an acoustically insulating material.
17. The insulating strip according to claim 10, wherein the support
layer is a tape and wherein the plurality of insulating material
strips are a sticky putty which includes an intumescent
additive.
18. A wall joint, comprising: a header track; a horizontal support
structure; and an insulating strip disposed between the header
track and the horizontal support structure, wherein the insulating
strip includes: a support layer; and a plurality of insulating
material strips secured to the support layer; wherein the plurality
of insulating material strips are secured to a same side of the
support layer and the plurality of insulating material strips are
spaced apart from each other; wherein the insulating strip includes
a first side section, a second side section, and a middle section
disposed between the first side section and the second side
section; and wherein a first insulating material strip is disposed
in the first side section, a second insulating material strip is
disposed in the second side section, and a third and a fourth
insulating material strip are disposed in the middle section;
wherein the first insulating material strip of the first side
section is attached to a first leg of the header track, the second
insulating material strip of the second side section is attached to
a second leg of the header track, and the third and the fourth
insulating material strips of the middle section are attached to a
portion of the header track that is disposed between the first leg
and the second leg.
19. A wall joint, comprising: a header track; a horizontal support
structure; and an insulating strip disposed between the header
track and the horizontal support structure, wherein the insulating
strip includes: a support layer; and a plurality of insulating
material strips secured to the support layer; wherein a first and a
second insulating material strip are secured to a first side of the
support layer, wherein a third and a fourth insulating material
strip are secured to a second, opposite side of the support layer,
and wherein the plurality of insulating material strips are spaced
apart from each other; wherein the insulating strip includes a
first side section, a second side section, and a middle section
disposed between the first side section and the second side
section; and wherein the first insulating material strip is
disposed in the first side section, the second insulating material
strip is disposed in the second side section, and the third and the
fourth insulating material strips are disposed in the middle
section; wherein the first insulating material strip of the first
side section is attached to a first leg of the header track, the
second insulating material strip of the second side section is
attached to a second leg of the header track, and the third and the
fourth insulating material strips of the middle section are
attached to a portion of the horizontal support structure that is
disposed between the first leg and the second leg of the header
track.
Description
[0001] This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional
Application No. 61/905,711, filed Nov. 18, 2013, the disclosure of
which is expressly incorporated by reference herein.
BACKGROUND AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0002] The present invention deals generally with the field of
acoustical or firestopping insulation for head-of-wall joints,
including, possibly, intumescent components.
[0003] In the building construction trade, a head-of-wall joint
(also sometimes referred to as a top-of-wall joint) refers to the
linear junction or interface existing between a top section of a
framing or wallboard wall assembly and the ceiling, where the
ceiling may be a next-level floor or corrugated pan roof deck, for
example. Head-of-wall joints often present a serious challenge in
terms of reducing or preventing the spread of smoke and fire during
a building fire. In this regard and in common practice, a wall to
ceiling connection of many newly constructed buildings consists
essentially of metal framing assemblies. These metal framing
assemblies are generally constructed from a plurality of metal
framing members including studs, joints, trusses, and other metal
posts and beams formed from sheet metal and frequently fabricated
to have the same general cross-sectional dimensions as standard
members used for similar purposes. Although many cross-sectional
shapes are available, the primary shapes used in building
construction are C-shaped studs and U-shaped tracks. These C-shaped
studs and U-Shaped studs may vary in their size, which, however,
are standardized. The steel track (or channel) is configured to
receive steel studs between the legs of the shaped channel. A
wallboard is generally attached to at least one side of the studs.
The studs and wallboard are in many instances spaced apart from the
ceiling a short gap distance in order to allow for ceiling
deflections caused by seismic activity or moving overhead loads.
Track and stud assemblies that allow for ceiling deflections are
commonly referred to as dynamic head-of-wall systems. Exemplary
steel stud wall constructions may be found in U.S. Pat. Nos.
4,854,096 and 4,805,364 both to Smolik, and U.S. Pat. No. 5,127,203
to Paquette. Exemplary dynamic head-of-wall systems having steel
stud wall constructions may be found in U.S. Pat. No. 5,127,760 to
Brady, and U.S. Pat. No. 6,748,705 to Orszulak et al.
[0004] Firestops are thermal barrier materials or combinations of
materials used for filling gaps and openings such as in the joints
between fire-rated walls and/or floors of buildings. For example,
firestops can be used in walls or floors to prevent fire and smoke
from passing through the gaps or openings required for cables,
pipes, ducts, or other conduits. Firestops are also used to fill
joint gaps that occur between walls, between a ceiling and the
head-of-wall joints.
[0005] So-called head-of-wall joints pose a number of challenges
for the fireproofing industry. Walls are increasingly being made of
gypsum wallboard affixed to a framework of metal studs capped by a
horizontally extending track. Ceilings are increasingly being made
by pouring concrete onto fluted steel. Although the distance
between the horizontally extending track at the top of the wall is
often fixed in relationship to the ceiling, the gypsum wallboards
are subject to expansion and contraction due to motion of other
building components, ground settling, or other causes.
[0006] In order to contain the spread of smoke and fire, a fire
resistant material such as, for example, mineral wool is often
times stuffed into the gaps between the ceiling and wallboard (see,
e.g., U.S. Pat. No. 5,913,788 to Herren). For example, mineral wool
is often stuffed between a steel header track (e.g., an elongated
U-shaped channel) and a corrugated steel roof deck (used in many
types of steel and concrete building constructions); a fire
resistant and generally elastomeric spray coating is then applied
onto the exposed mineral wool to thereby form a fire resistant
joint seal (see, e.g., U.S. Pat. No. 7,240,905 to Stahl). In
certain situations where the ceiling to wallboard gap is relatively
small, a fire resistant and elastomeric caulk is commonly applied
so as to fill any small gaps. In still another approach and as
disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,471,805 and 5,755,066 both to Becker,
a slidable non-combustible secondary wall member is fastened to an
especially configured steel header track and immediately adjacent
to the wallboard. In this configuration, the secondary wall member
provides a fire barrier that is able to accommodate ceiling
deflections. All of these approaches, however, are relatively labor
intensive and thus expensive.
[0007] Intumescent materials have long been used to seal certain
types of construction gaps such as, for example, conduit
through-holes. In this regard, intumescent and fire barrier
materials (often referred to as firestop materials or fire
retardant materials) have been used to reduce or eliminate the
passage of smoke and fire through openings between walls and floors
and the openings caused by through-penetrations (i.e., an opening
in a floor or wall which passes all the way through from one room
to another) in buildings, such as the voids left by burning or
melting cable insulation caused by a fire in a modern office
building. Characteristics of fire barrier materials suitable for
typical commercial fire protection use include flexibility prior to
exposure to heat, the ability to insulate and/or expand, and the
ability to harden in place upon exposure to fire (i.e., to char
sufficiently to deter the passage of heat, smoke, flames, and/or
gases). Although many such materials are available, the industry
has long sought better and more effective uses of these materials
and novel approaches for better fire protection, especially in the
context of dynamic head-of-wall construction joints and gaps.
[0008] Thus, and although construction joints and gaps are
generally sealed in some manner (e.g., mineral wool and/or
elastomeric coatings; see also, U.S. Patent Application No.
2006/0137293 to Klein), there are relatively few products and
methods available that effectively and efficiently seal
head-of-wall construction joints and gaps to thereby significantly
enhance the ability of such joints and gaps to withstand smoke and
fire penetration. In particular, there are very few products and
methods available that address the needs for adequate fire
protection and sealing of dynamic head-of-wall systems associated
with steel stud wall constructions.
[0009] Recently more advanced head-of-wall fire block arrangements
have been developed based on fire block header tracks. These fire
block header tracks utilize an expandable fire-resistant material,
such as an intumescent material, applied along a length of the
header track of a wall assembly. The intumescent material is either
positioned on the web of the header track, on the legs (hereinafter
also referred to as flange) of the header track or alternatively
wraps around a corner of the header track, extending both along a
portion of a web of the header track and a flange of the header
track. The intumescent material advantageously is held in place
between the web of the header track and the floor or ceiling above
the wall. When exposed to a sufficient temperature, the intumescent
material expands to fill gaps at the head-of-wall. The portion of
the intumescent trapped between the header track and the floor or
ceiling ensures that the intumescent stays in place as it expands
and does not become dislodged as a result of the expansion.
[0010] With the use of such fire-resistant material, the metal
tracks often require a unique construction on the exterior surface
of the metal track which can have a predefined area such as a
recess or the like which identifies the specific location required
for placement of such an intumescent and/or acoustic layer of
insulation material. In particular, as the joint moves responsive
to normal expansion and contraction of the building components, the
insulating tape and/or the coatings of insulating material which is
attached directly to the surfaces of flanges can become dislodged
from components of the head-of-wall area, that is, particularly
dislodging from the surfaces of the downwardly extending side
sections of the track or runner. Also these systems do not
specifically address variations in the contour or profile of the
ceiling or roof area which comes into direct abutment with the
upper portion of the metal track. Such variations in the
configuration of the building construction in this area can form
gaps between the track and the adjacent roof or ceiling area which
are not adequately addressed for insulation by the above described
prior art systems.
[0011] A further significant disadvantage of the prior art
head-of-wall fire block arrangements is that they consist of an
intumescent insulating material which expands up to ten times its
normal thickness when exposed to sufficient heat. In order to
achieve such high expansion, a material comprising additives which
additives cause the swelling of the material must be used. These
additives, however, are expensive making the insulating material
expensive.
[0012] One of the advantages of the apparatus of the present
invention is that it is usable with conventionally OEM metal track
construction and does not require any customized design for the
ceiling runner, primarily, because the present construction works
best when not attached in any manner to the track side surfaces
sections particularly where it is important to allow for some
amount relative movement therebetween during normal expansion and
contraction of building materials and sections which occurs
commonly. The inventors now have found out that it is not necessary
to use an intumescent material as firestop material in order to
provide reliable fire prevention provided that the material is fire
resistant, i.e., material must not burn away but builds a stable
ash crust.
[0013] It is an object of the sealing element for insulating
head-of-wall joints of the present invention to effectively seal
between conventionally designed metal track sections and the
immediately adjacent roof or ceiling area for firestopping and/or
acoustic insulating thereof.
[0014] It is an object of the sealing element for insulating
head-of-wall joints of the present invention to be usable with
conventional steel framing and gypsum board wall constructions.
[0015] It is an object of the sealing element for insulating
head-of-wall joints of the present invention to be usable with
floor or roof constructions of any conventional construction
including solid concrete or a composite material installed atop a
corrugated steel deck.
[0016] It is an object of the sealing element for insulating
head-of-wall joints of the present invention to prevent the spread
of sound, noise, fire, super-heated gases, flames and/or smoke in
these areas.
[0017] It is an object of the sealing element for acoustical and/or
thermal insulating head-of-wall joints of the present invention to
provide more effective insulating by providing attachment of the
insulating material to the metal track only in the central upper
portion thereof or at the lowermost edges of the track side walls
without any attachment whatsoever to the surfaces of the downwardly
extending track side sections to facilitate insulating therearound
irrespective of the normal expansion and contraction of building
structural components that take place over the time period prior to
the occurrence of the fire conditions.
[0018] It is an object of the sealing element for insulating
head-of-wall joints of the present invention to minimize costs and
maintenance requirements.
[0019] It is an object of the sealing element for insulating
head-of-wall joints of the present invention to expedite
installation and minimize labor costs.
[0020] Many patents have been applied or granted for various
constructions for insulating head-of-wall joints as described above
such as shown in U.S. Patent Application Publication No.
2011/247281 A1 published Oct. 13, 2011 to Don A. Pilz et al.
assigned to California Expanded Metal Products Company on a
"FIRE-RATED WALL CONSTRUCTION PRODUCT"; U.S. Patent Application
Publication No. 2013/031856 A1 published Feb. 7, 2013 to Don A.
Pilz et al. assigned to California Expanded Metal Products Company
on a "FIRE-RATED WALL CONSTRUCTION PRODUCT"; U.S. Pat. No.
8,281,552 B2 patented Oct. 9, 2012 to Don A. Pilz et al. assigned
to California Expanded Metal Products Company on a "EXTERIOR WALL
CONSTRUCTION PRODUCT"; U.S. Pat. No. 8,499,512 B2 patented Aug. 6,
2013 to Don A. Pilz et al. assigned to California Expanded Metal
Products Company on a "EXTERIOR WALL CONSTRUCTION PRODUCT"; U.S.
Patent Application Publication No. 2013/0086859 A1 published Apr.
11, 2013 to Donald A. Pilz et al. assigned to California Expanded
Metal Products Company on a "FIRE-RATED WALL AND CEILING SYSTEM";
U.S. Pat. No. 7,617,643 B2 patented Nov. 17, 2009 to Donald A. Pilz
et al. assigned to California Expanded Metal Products Company on a
"FIRE-RATED WALL AND CEILING SYSTEM"; U.S. Pat. No. 7,950,198 B2
patented May 31, 2011 to Donald A. Pilz et al. assigned to
California Expanded Metal Products Company on a "FIRE-RATED WALL
AND CEILING SYSTEM"; U.S. Pat. No. 8,087,205 B2 patented Jan. 3,
2012 to Don A. Pilz et al. assigned to California Expanded Metal
Products Company on a "FIRE-RATED WALL AND CEILING SYSTEM"; U.S.
Pat. No. 8,322,094 B2 patented Dec. 4, 2012 to Don A. Pilz et al.
assigned to California Expanded Metal Products Company on a
"FIRE-RATED WALL AND CEILING SYSTEM"; U.S. Pat. No. 7,752,817 B2
patented Jul. 13, 2010 to Don A. Pilz et al. assigned to California
Expanded Metal Products Company on a "TWO-PIECE TRACK SYSTEM"; U.S.
Pat. No. 8,132,376 B2 patented Mar. 13, 2012 to Don A. Pilz et al.
assigned to California Expanded Metal Products Company on a
"TWO-PIECE TRACK SYSTEM"; U.S. Pat. No. 8,413,394 B2 patented Apr.
9, 2013 to Don A. Pilz et al. assigned to California Expanded Metal
Products Company on a "TWO-PIECE TRACK SYSTEM"; U.S. Pat. No.
8,555,566 B2 patented Oct. 15, 2013 to Don A. Pilz et al. assigned
to California Expanded Metal Products Company on a "TWO-PIECE TRACK
SYSTEM"; U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2011/214371 A1
published Sep. 8, 2011 to James A. Klein assigned to Blazeframe
Ind. Ltd. on an "OFFSET LEG FRAMING ELEMENT FOR FIRE STOP
APPLICATIONS"; U.S. Pat. No. 8,468,759 B1 patented Jun. 25, 2013 to
James A. Klein assigned to Blazeframe Ind. Ltd. on a "FIRE
RETARDANT COVER FOR FLUTED ROOF DECK"; U.S. Patent Application
Publication No. 2011/146180 A1 published Jun. 23, 2011 to James A.
Klein assigned to Blazeframe Ind. Ltd. on an "ACOUSTICAL AND
FIRESTOP RATED TRACK FOR WALL ASSEMBLIES HAVING RESILIENT CHANNEL
MEMBERS"; U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2011/167742 A1
published Jul. 14, 2011 to James A. Klein assigned to Blazeframe
Ind. Ltd. on "HEAD-OF-WALL FIREBLOCK SYSTEMS AND RELATED WALL
ASSEMBLIES"; U.S. Pat. No. 7,681,365 B2 patented Mar. 23, 2010 to
James A. Klein on "HEAD-OF-WALL FIREBLOCK SYSTEMS AND RELATED WALL
ASSEMBLIES"; U.S. Pat. No. 7,814,718 B2 patented Oct. 19, 2010 to
James A. Klein on "HEAD-OF-WALL FIREBLOCKS"; U.S. Pat. No.
7,866,108 B2 patented Jan. 11, 2011 to James A. Klein on
"HEAD-OF-WALL FIREBLOCK SYSTEMS AND RELATED WALL ASSEMBLIES"; U.S.
Pat. No. 8,056,293 B2 patented Nov. 15, 2011 to James A. Klein on
"HEAD-OF-WALL FIREBLOCK SYSTEMS AND RELATED WALL ASSEMBLIES"; U.S.
Pat. No. 8,136,314 B2 patented Mar. 20, 2012 to James A. Klein on
"HEAD-OF-WALL FIREBLOCKS"; U.S. Pat. No. 8,151,526 B2 patented Apr.
10, 2012 to James A. Klein on "HEAD-OF-WALL FIREBLOCK SYSTEMS AND
RELATED WALL ASSEMBLIES"; U.S. Patent Application Publication No.
2012/0297710 A1 published Nov. 29, 2012 to James A. Klein on
"CONTROL JOINT BACKER AND SUPPORT MEMBER ASSOCIATED WITH STRUCTURAL
ASSEMBLIES"; U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2011/0099928
A1 published May 5, 2011 to James A. Klein and Alastair Malcolm on
"DEFLECTION AND DRIFT STRUCTURAL WALL ASSEMBLIES"; CA Patent
Application Publication No. 2550201 A1 published Dec. 15, 2007 to
James A. Klein on "HEAD-OF-WALL FIREBLOCKS AND RELATED WALL
ASSEMBLIES"; U.S. Pat. No. 8,181,404 B2 patented May 22, 2012 to
James A. Klein on "HEAD-OF-WALL FIREBLOCKS AND RELATED WALL
ASSEMBLIES"; U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2013/0186020
A1 published Jul. 25, 2013 to Don A. Pilz assigned to California
Expanded Metal Products Company on a "FIRE-RATED JOINT SYSTEM";
U.S. Pat. No. 8,353,139 B2 patented Jan. 15, 2013 to Don A. Pilz et
al. assigned to California Expanded Metal Products Company on a
"WALL GAP FIRE BLOCK DEVICE, SYSTEM AND METHOD"; U.S. Patent
Application Publication No. 2013/118102 A1 published May 19, 2011
to Don A. Pilz et al. assigned to California Expanded Metal
Products Company on a "WALL GAP FIRE BLOCK DEVICE; SYSTEM AND
METHOD"; U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2013/205694 A1
published Aug. 15, 2013 to James P. Stahl assigned to Specified
Technologies Inc. on "INSULATING GASKET CONSTRUCTION FOR
HEAD-OF-WALL JOINTS"; U.S. Pat. No. 8,375,666 B2 patented Feb. 19,
2013 to James P. Stahl et al. assigned to Specified Technologies
Inc. on "FIRESTOPPING SEALING MENAS FOR USE WITH GYPSUM WALLBOARD
IN HEAD-OF-WALL CONSTRUCTION"; U.S. Patent Application Publication
No. 2013/091790 A1 published Apr. 18, 2013 to James P. Stahl et al.
assigned to Specified Technologies Inc. on "FIRESTOPPING MEANS FOR
USE WITH GYPSUM WALLBOARD IN HEAD-OF-WALL CONSTRUCTION"; U.S. Pat.
No. 7,240,905 B2 patented Jul. 10, 2007 to James P. Stahl on
"METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR SEALING A JOINT GAP BETWEEN TWO
INDEPENDENTLY MOVABLE STRUCTURAL SUBSTRATES"; U.S. Pat. No.
6,698,146 B2 patented Mar. 2, 2004 to Michael D. Morgan et al.
assigned to W.R. Grace & Co.-Conn. on "IN SITU MOLDED THERMAL
BARRIERS"; U.S. Pat. No. 6,783,345 B2 patented Aug. 31, 2004 to
Michael D. Morgan et al. assigned to W.R. Grace & Co.-Conn. on
"IN SITU MOLDED THERMAL BARRIERS"; U.S. Pat. No. 7,043,880 B2
patented May 16, 2006 to Michael D. Morgan et al. assigned to W.R.
Grace & Co.-Conn. on "IN SITU MOLDED THERMAL BARRIERS"; U.S.
Pat. No. 7,152,385 B2 patented Dec. 26, 2006 to Michael D. Morgan
et al. assigned to W.R. Grace & Co.-Conn. on "IN SITU MOLDED
THERMAL BARRIERS"; U.S. Pat. No. 5,010,702 patented Apr. 30, 1991
to T. L. Daw et al and assigned to Daw Technologies, Inc. on a
"Modular Wall System"; and U.S. Pat. No. 5,127,203 patented Jul. 7,
1992 to R. F. Paquette on a "Seismic/Fire Resistant Wall Structure
and Method"; and U.S. Pat. No. 5,755,066 patented May 26, 1998 to
D. W. Becker on a "Slip Track Assembly; and U.S. Pat. No. 5,913,788
patented Jun. 22, 1999 to T. R. Herren on a "Fire Blocking And
Seismic Resistant Wall Structure"; and U.S. Pat. No. 5,921,041
patented Jul. 13, 1999 to J. D. Egri, II on a "Bottom Track For
Wall Assembly"; and U.S. Pat. No. 5,950,385 patented Sep. 14, 1999
to T. R. Herren on an "Interior Shaft Wall Construction"; and U.S.
Pat. No. 6,058,668 patented May 9, 2000 to T. R. Herren on a
"Seismic And Fire-Resistant Head-of-Wall Structure"; and U.S. Pat.
No. 6,176,053 patented Jan. 23, 2001 to Roger C. A. St. Germain and
assigned to Robert C. A. St. Germain on a "Wall Track Assembly And
Method For Installing The Same".
[0021] Although the known fire block header tracks provide
exceptional performance, there still exists a need for fire block
arrangements that can be applied to any desired structure, such as
the top of a stud wall assembly or to header tracks. Furthermore,
as described herein, preferred embodiments of the wall gap fire
blocks can be applied to a wall bottom track to protect a
foot-of-wall gap or a (vertical or horizontal) gap in a location
other than the head or foot of a wall. In addition, the intumescent
material in the known fire block header tracks preferably is
applied at the factory during the manufacturing process. In some
circumstances, it may be desirable to apply the insulating material
on site. Thus, certain preferred embodiments of the present fire
blocks are well-suited to application on the job site.
[0022] Preferred embodiments of the present invention provide an
elongated, and optional adhesive, insulating material strip that
can be applied to a header track or other head-of-wall structure to
create a head-of-wall insulation block, including, fire block. The
insulating strip may include strip portions of another material, or
the material itself may include material portions of another
material if desired.
[0023] The insulating strip comprises a support layer and at least
four insulating material strips, and optionally at least one cover
layer that is assigned to one of the insulating material strips and
preferably covers only the one insulating material strip.
[0024] The support layer, which is an elongated layer, is designed
as a continuous strip defining two faces, an upper and a bottom
face. The width of the continuous strip is selected depending on
the size of the header track or other construction product to which
the insulating strip shall be attached. The continuous strip
defines a middle section which extends generally horizontally and
which will be positioned on the web of, for example, a header track
and defines side sections (hereinafter also referred to as first
and second side section), so that the total width of the tape is
larger than the width of the web. While installing the insulating
strip the side sections shall cover at least partially both flanges
of the header track or other head-of-wall structure.
[0025] In a first embodiment the four insulating material strips
are arranged side-by-side on the same face of the support layer,
either the upper or the bottom face. The strips are elongated
strips and extend along the web when the insulating strip is
positioned on the header track, i.e., in length direction. The
insulating material strips are positioned at a certain distance
between each material strip to define separated material strips and
to define sections without any insulating material
therebetween.
[0026] Preferably one insulating material strip is positioned on
each of the side sections so that one insulating material strip is
positioned on the first side section and another insulating
material strip is positioned on the second side section of the
continuous strip. The other two insulating material strips are
positioned in the middle section of the continuous strip so that
they are positioned between the insulating material strip of the
first side section and the insulating material strip of the second
side section. After installing the insulating strip, the insulating
material strips either are facing towards the header track or other
construction product or towards the supporting stricter, like the
floor, wall or ceiling. It is preferred that the insulating strips
are facing towards the header track so that the support layer
serves as a protective layer to protect the insulating strips as
discussed further below.
[0027] In a further embodiment the four insulating material strips
are arranged so that two of the insulating material strips are
arranged on one face of the continuous strip and two of the
insulating material strips are arranged on the opposite face of the
continuous strip. After installing the insulating strip two
insulating material strips are arranged on the bottom face and the
other two insulating material strips are arranged on the upper face
of the continuous strip.
[0028] Preferably one insulating material strip is positioned on
each of the side sections so that one insulating material strip is
positioned on the first side section and another insulating
material strip is positioned on the second side section of the
continuous strip. The other two insulating material strips are
positioned on the middle section of the continuous strip so that
they are arranged between the insulating material strip of the
first side section and the insulating material strip of the second
side section. The insulating material strips are arranged at a
certain distance from each other. The two insulating material
strips which are positioned on the first and the second side
section are arranged on the same face of the continuous strip. The
other two insulating material strips which are positioned on the
middle section are arranged on an opposite face of the continuous
strip.
[0029] The insulating material strips will preferably include a
fire-resistant material and/or an acoustically insulating material.
The insulating material strips may be made from the same or
different material.
[0030] The term "fire-resistant material" shall include a
non-inflammable material, a flame-proof material, that is
flame-proof by itself or a material comprising additives to make
the material flame-proof. The material shall form a stable ash
crust in case of fire. Fire-resistant material also may include
intumescent materials. These intumescent materials may be
constructed partially or entirely from an intumescent material such
as CP 646 from Hilti, for example.
[0031] It also can be made solely from an acoustical insulating
material for applications where sound transmissions are found to be
desirable. Such acoustical insulating configurations can preferably
be formed of a felt acoustical insulating material. Alternatively,
it can be formed of a foamed insulating material. It is also
possible for the insulating material of the present invention to
have components of both fire-resistant and acoustical sealing
therewithin.
[0032] The insulating material may preferably be constructed
partially or entirely from a pressure-resistant material such as
acrylate based polymer or a hard putty such as rubber, e.g.,
polyisobutylene based rubber. These materials may comprise a
reinforcing member such as glass fibers or a glass fiber fabric to
enhance strength of the material. The term "pressure-resistant"
means that while installing the wallboard the material shall be
deformed only slightly so that in case of vertical movement of the
wallboard tilting and entanglement of the insulating material is
always avoided.
[0033] In another embodiment the insulating material may be
constructed partially or entirely from a compressible material such
as plasticines, fabric (non-woven or woven) or a felt, e.g., glass
fiber braid, glass fiber fabric or glass fiber mat. Plasticines,
which are also referred to as putties, are frequently used for this
application. They generally consist of a liquid polymer such as
butyl rubber, plasticizers (paraffin oil, phthalates, adipates,
etc.) and fillers, with a filler content of up to 80 percent. In
particular the plasticine contains, as liquid polymer, at least one
representative of the group comprising polyurethanes, polyvinyl
acetates, polyvinyl ethers, polyvinyl propionates, polystyrenes,
natural or synthetic rubbers, poly((meth)acrylates) and
homopolymers and copolymers based on (meth)acrylates,
acrylonitrile, vinyl esters, vinyl ethers, vinyl chloride and/or
styrene, preferably poly(alkyl methacrylate), poly(alkyl acrylate),
poly(aryl methacrylate), poly(aryl acrylate) and/or copolymers
thereof with n-butyl acrylate and/or styrene. The plasticine may
comprise fire-protection additives. In this regard reference is
made to the U.S. patent application No. 2005/032934 A1, which is
incorporated in its entirety by reference herein.
[0034] More preferably the insulating material is also
abrasive-resistant to resist abrasion caused by the wall member
rubbing against the insulating material when moving up and down to
movement of the building. The material may either be
abrasive-resistant by itself, i.e., due to the material or may be
made abrasive-resistant by including a protective layer.
[0035] In a preferred embodiment of the invention the insulating
strip comprises insulating material strips made from different
materials.
[0036] Enhanced strength or reinforcement of the material can be
provided by including a reinforcing cover layer (herein also
referred to as cover layer or protective layer) on one side of the
insulating material. This is important in particular when the
insulating material strip itself is made from a soft and
compressible material. In case the insulating material is hard and
pressure-resistant the cover layer can be omitted. However, as a
matter of precaution and for aesthetic reasons a hard and/or
pressure-resistant material may also be provided with a facing
member. Preferably the cover layer is made of an abrasion-resistant
material to avoid abrasion resulting in loss of the insulating
material caused by repeatedly rubbing of the wallboard over the
insulating material. The cover layer can be a film material,
preferably a synthetic film like plastic or poly-type material such
as polyalkylene material, for example polyethylene material.
Alternatively the cover layer can be a fabric made of
abrasion-resistant fibers, like glass fibers or any other suitable
material. The cover layer provides protection in the event that the
wall is designed to accommodate vertical movement, which could
result in the wallboard rubbing against the insulating material.
However, the facing member still permits the insulating material to
expand in case it comprises an intumescent material. In one
embodiment the cover layer has a printable surface. A positioning
aid can be provided by including a mark in form of an optionally
colored line on the cover layer which helps to affix the insulating
strip on the header track in an ideal position. This may be
important in case the insulating strip extends/protrudes beyond the
surface of the web of the header track, in particular when the
insulating strip is installed on site.
[0037] After having attached the insulating material strip of the
first embodiment (all insulating material strips positioned on the
same side of the support layer) to the track the cover layer will
constitute the outer surface of the material. The cover layer will
be in contact with either the ceiling or wallboard or both the
ceiling and the wallboard.
[0038] In case the insulating material will be positioned only on
the web of the track a cover layer protecting these material strips
can be omitted since the material is secured to the ceiling by
fixing the track to the ceiling so that no movement between the
ceiling or other part of the wall assemblies and the insulating
material takes place that would cause abrasion of the material.
[0039] In one embodiment the cover layer includes both a fabric and
a synthetic film, whereas preferably the film constitutes the outer
surface of the insulating strip so that the fabric is positioned
between the insulating material and the synthetic film.
[0040] In each of the various embodiments the cover layer does not
extend beyond the insulation material, that is, the cover layer is
of the same size as the insulating material or insulating material
portion.
[0041] In a preferred embodiment the support layer of the
insulating strip is at the same time the cover layer. In
particular, in case the insulating material includes sticky putty
which provides sufficient adhesion to attach the insulating strip
to the header track, the continuous strip serves as a cover layer
to protect the putty against abrasion caused by the wall member
rubbing against the insulating material when moving up and down to
movement of the building.
[0042] The underneath surface of the insulating material strip or
in case the insulating strip includes a support layer the
underneath surface of the support layer may include an adhesive, if
desired. In the latter case, an adhesive may be provided on the
underneath surfaces of both the insulating material strip and the
support layer. Preferably a removable protective layer covers the
underneath surface of the entire insulating material strip and/or
the support layer until the insulating strip is ready to be
applied. In case the insulating material strip is made of a sticky
material, such as soft or hard putty, an adhesive will not be
necessary since the material itself provides sufficient adhesive
power to the insulating strip.
[0043] In one embodiment one or both faces of the continuous strip
may include an adhesive, if desired. Preferably both faces of the
continuous strip includes an adhesive, whereas more preferably the
adhesive on one face of the continuous strip provides a stronger
adhesion power that other face of the continuous strip. An
additional cover layer may be provided on some of the insulating
strips, if desired.
[0044] The overall width of the elongated insulating strip from one
outside edge of the insulating strip to the other outside edge
varies depending on the size of the header track or other
construction product on which the insulating strip shall be
installed. The width of the middle section depends on the width of
the web of the header track or other construction product. The
width of the side sections depend on the desired application, e.g.,
normal and slotted tracks, and/or the desired deflection
requirement of the insulating strip. The width of the side sections
again depend on the size of the legs or the type of the leg. In any
event, the insulating strips on the side sections and the
insulating strips on the middle section are only positioned on the
legs and on the web of the header track or other construction
product, respectively. The edge of the header track will be free of
any insulating material. The width of the insulating material
strips on the side sections and the width of the insulating
material strips on the middle section may be same or different. In
one embodiment all insulating material strips are the same. It is,
however, not necessary that the width of the insulating material
strip on the middle section is the same as the width of the
insulating material strips on the side section, to provide
sufficient fire, smoke, and sound insulation. Therefore, in another
embodiment the width of the insulating material strips on the side
sections is greater that the width of the insulating material
strips on the middle section.
[0045] The insulating strip can be applied to a header track or
other construction product, such as a bottom track, metal stud,
metal flat strap or any other framing member that needs an open gap
between the wallboard and a perimeter structure, in particular for
movement (deflection or drift) but not restricted thereto. In other
words, the elongated insulating strip can be used for sealing any
open gap between the wallboard and the construction product or
between the construction product and a perimeter structure, like
the support structure, for example floor, side walls or ceiling.
The insulating strip allows the gap to stay open for movement and
provides fire and smoke protection and/or sound reduction.
[0046] In one arrangement two material strip portions may be
positioned on the top of the header track or other head-of-wall
structure facing away from the header track towards the ceiling or
wall to provide a smoke, air and sound seal at the head-of-wall.
The other two material strip portions may then be positioned on a
side flange of the header track or side face of the other
head-of-wall structure so that the other two material portion are
positioned between the header track or other head-of-wall structure
and the wall board.
[0047] The compressible material strip portion may be positioned on
the top of the header track or other head-of-wall structure to
provide a smoke, air and sound seal at the head-of-wall. The
pressure-resistant material strip portion may be positioned on a
side flange of the header track or side surface of the other
head-of-wall structure so that the pressure-resistant portion is
positioned between the header track or other head-of-wall structure
and the wall board. Preferably the two insulating material strips
that are to be positioned on the web of the track are arranged near
the edges of the track.
[0048] The above-described and other features, aspects and
advantages of the present invention are described below with
reference to drawings of preferred embodiments, which are intended
to illustrate, but not to limit, the invention.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0049] FIG. 1a is a cross-sectional view of the insulating strip
assembly according to a first embodiment of the invention having
certain features, aspects and advantages of the present
invention.
[0050] FIG. 1b is a cross-sectional view of the insulating strip
assembly according to a further embodiment of the invention having
certain features, aspects and advantages of the present
invention.
[0051] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the embodiment of the
insulating strip assembly according to FIG. 1b.
[0052] FIG. 3 is a stud wall assembly with the insulating strip
assembly of FIG. 1a installed at the head-of-wall.
[0053] FIG. 4 is a stud wall assembly with the insulating strip
assembly of FIG. 1b installed at the head-of-wall.
[0054] FIG. 4a is an extended view of a portion of the wall
assembly of FIG. 4 identified by the circle 4a in FIG. 4.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0055] FIG. 1a illustrates an insulating strip assembly 1, which is
also referred to herein as insulating strip. The insulating strip 1
is an elongated strip assembly that preferably is constructed as an
integrated assembly of multiple components. The insulating strip 1
may be supplied on a roll, in a folded arrangement or any other
suitable manner. Preferably, the insulating strip 1 is provided as
a separate component that is applied to a head-of-wall on site, as
is described in greater detail below.
[0056] The illustrated insulating strip 1 includes fire-resistant
material strips 3 and 4. All fire-resistant strips 3 and 4 are
positioned on the same face of the support layer 2 spaced apart
from each other. The fire-resistant strips 4 are arranged at a
certain distance from each other to form a section inbetween where
no insulating material is arranged. The insulating strips 3 and 4
may be secured to the support layer 2 by adhesives 5 applied to the
bottom of the insulating strips 3 and 4. The dotted lines indicate
the position of the insulating strip 1 which aligns with the edge
of a header track during or after installation of the insulating
strip. The portions of the insulating strip 1 extending to the left
hand side and the right hand side of the dotted line shall
constitute the side section, namely the first side section on the
left hand side and the second side section on the right hand side.
The portion inbetween the side sections (inbetween dotted lines)
constitutes the middle section. After installation of the
insulating strip 1 the side sections are aligned with the legs of a
header track or other construction product.
[0057] The overall width of the insulating strip 1 from one outside
edge of the insulating strip 1 to the other outside edge varies
depending on the size of the header track 20 or other construction
product. The width of the middle section depends on the width of
the web of the header track. The width of the side sections depend
on the desired application, e.g. normal and slotted tracks, and/or
the desired deflection requirement of the insulating strip 1. The
width of the side section is selected so that the insulating strip
3 is only arranged at the leg of the header track so that the edge
of the header track is free of any insulating material. The width
of the insulating material strips 3 may be the same as the width of
the insulating material 4 or may be different. In one embodiment
the width of the insulating material strip 3 is the same as the
width of the insulating material strip 4. It is, however, not
necessary that the width of the insulating material strip 4 is the
same as the width of the insulating material 3, to provide
sufficient fire, smoke, and sound insulation. Therefore, in another
embodiment the width of the insulating material strips 3 is greater
that the width of the insulating material strips 4.
[0058] The insulating material strips 3 and 4 of the illustrated
insulating strip 1 may be constructed from sticky putty which may
comprise intumescent additives. It is understood that the term
insulating material is to be interpreted to cover all possible
fire-resistant materials that provide sufficient fire, smoke, and
sound isolation as described above, unless otherwise indicated. In
some arrangements the support layer 2 is a tape, preferably a poly
tape such as polyethylene tape.
[0059] Due to the adhesive power of the putty the adhesives 5 may
be omitted. To assure good adhesion, however, the adhesives are
preferably applied. This also prevents tearing off the insulating
material strips 3 and 4 from the support layer while unrolling the
insulating strip 1 from the supply roll. An adhesive 5 will
preferably be used when an additional adhesive layer (not shown) is
applied to the bottom surface of the support layer 2 facing away
from the surface on which the insulating strips 4 are arranged as
shown in FIG. 2. Said adhesive layer supports positioning and
fixing the insulating strip 1 on a header track, in particular if a
long strip shall be applied in one step on-site. An adhesive 5 will
be necessary when the insulating material does not provide adhesion
by itself, e.g., in case of a material on an acrylate basis.
[0060] FIG. 1b illustrates an insulating strip assembly 1, which is
very similar to the insulating strip 1 shown in FIG. 1a.
Accordingly, the same reference numbers are used to indicate the
same or similar components or features between the two embodiments.
These two embodiments only differ in the arrangement of the
insulating material strips 3 and 4. All other features are
identical.
[0061] The illustrated insulating strip 1 includes fire-resistant
material strips 3 and 4. The fire-resistant strips 3 are positioned
on the same face of the support layer 2 spaced apart to define the
side sections of the insulating strip 1. The fire-resistant strips
4 are positioned side-by-side on the opposing face of the support
layer 2, whereas these strips 4 are arranged at a certain distance
from each other to form a middle section inbetween where no
insulating material is arranged. The insulating strips 3 and 4 may
be secured to the support layer 2 by adhesives 5 applied to the
bottom of the insulating strips 3 and 4. The dotted lines indicate
the position of the insulating strip 1 which aligns with the edge
of a header track during or after installation of the insulating
strip. The portions of the insulating strip 1 extending to the left
hand side and the right hand side of the dotted line shall
constitute the side sections. After installation of the insulating
strip 1 the side sections are aligned with the legs of a header
track or other construction product.
[0062] Removable cover layers (not shown) cover the underneath
surfaces of the insulating material strips 3 and 4. An optional
adhesive layer (not shown) may be included underneath the
insulating material strips 3 or 4 or both and covered by the cover
layer. Removable cover layers preferably cover the insulating
material strips 4 when an adhesive layer is applied on the bottom
surface of the support layer 2 as described in the preceding
paragraph. Alternatively or additionally, a removable cover layer
covers the optional additional adhesive layer on the middle section
of the support layer 2.
[0063] Preferably the upper surface of the support layer 2 facing
away from the insulating material strips 3, in particular the side
sections are not provided with an adhesive. More preferably, in
particular when the insulating material is sticky putty said
surface of the side sections are coated with a thin silicon layer
to avoid sticking the insulating material strips 3 on the support
layer 2 when rolled up and prevent tearing off the insulating
material strips 3.
[0064] FIG. 3 illustrates the insulating strip 1 of FIG. 1a applied
to a head-of-wall structure, in particular to a header track 20.
The header track is a U-shaped channel that is attached to an upper
horizontal support structure 30, such as a floor of an upper floor
or a ceiling. Wall studs (not shown) are received in the header
track 20 and may be configured for vertical movement relative to
the header track 30. A wall board 21 is attached to the studs such
as by a plurality of suitable fasteners. The insulating strip 1 is
attached to the header track 20 so that a portion, namely the
middle section, is positioned between the header track 20 and the
horizontal support structure 30 and another portion, the side
sections, of the insulating strip 1 is positioned between the legs
of the header track 20 and the wall board 21. Each insulating
material strip is facing towards the header track and the support
layer is facing towards the horizontal support structure, namely
the ceiling.
[0065] FIG. 4 illustrates the insulating strip 1 of FIG. 1b applied
to a head-of-wall structure, in particular to a header track 20.
The header track is a U-shaped channel that is attached to an upper
horizontal support structure 30, such as a floor of an upper floor
or a ceiling. Wall studs (not shown) are received in the header
track 20 and may be configured for vertical movement relative to
the header track 30. A wall board 21 is attached to the studs such
as by a plurality of suitable fasteners. The insulating strip 1 is
attached to the header track 20 so that a portion, the middle
section is positioned between the header track 20 and the
horizontal support structure 30 and another portion, the side
sections, of the insulating strip 1 is positioned between the legs
of the header track 20 and the wall board 21.
[0066] With reference to FIG. 4a, preferably the insulating
material strip 3 is positioned between the leg of the header track
20 and the wall board 21 and the insulating material strip 4 is
positioned between the web of the header track 20 and the
horizontal support structure 30. In the shown arrangement, the
support layer 2 in the side section constitutes the face of the
insulating strip 1 that faces towards the wall board and comes in
direct contact with the wall board 21. The insulating material
strip 3 is fixed on the leg of the header track 20 either by its
inherent adhesion or by an optional adhesive layer on its surface
(not shown), said surface facing towards the leg of the header
track 20. Preferably, the transition between the side section and
the middle section of the insulating strip 1 (corresponding to the
dotted line in FIG. 1) is aligned with the corner between the web
and the leg of the header track 20 (also referred to as edge of the
header track). The insulating strip 1 is secured on the header
track by the adhesion of the insulating strip(s) 3. In addition, if
an adhesion layer is provided on the surface of the support layer 2
which faces towards the web of the header track, the adhesive may
assist in securing the insulating strip 1. Although only one side
of the insulating strip 1 is shown, it is understood that the same
applies to the other edge of the header track 20.
[0067] As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the insulating material strips 4
on the middle section are preferably positioned near the dotted
line, so that the material strips are aligned near the edge of the
header track 20. With such an arrangement, enhanced smoke and fire
sealing may be achieved.
[0068] When exposed to sufficient heat, the insulating material
will decompose to form a stable ash crust. When an intumescent
material is used, the material will expand when exposed to a
sufficient temperature to fill the gaps between the header track 20
and the horizontal support structure 30. Any cover layer that may
be present may degrade in response to the exposure to an elevated
temperature or in response to pressure exerted by the expansion of
the intumescent material, if used.
[0069] While particular embodiments of this invention have been
shown in the drawings and described above, it will be apparent that
many changes may be made in the form, arrangement and positioning
of the various elements of the combination. In consideration
thereof, it should be understood that preferred embodiments of this
invention disclosed herein are intended to be illustrative only and
not intended to limit the scope of the invention.
[0070] The foregoing disclosure has been set forth merely to
illustrate the invention and is not intended to be limiting. Since
modifications of the disclosed embodiments incorporating the spirit
and substance of the invention may occur to persons skilled in the
art, the invention should be construed to include everything within
the scope of the appended claims and equivalents thereof.
* * * * *