US-12616861-B2 - Heat sensitive protective barrier and a method for its use

US12616861B2US 12616861 B2US12616861 B2US 12616861B2US-12616861-B2

Abstract

A protective barrier that will typically be installed beneath ceilings during construction work being performed on ceilings or roofs of buildings. The protective barrier can be comprised entirely of one material or of different materials connected by seams. Some or all of these materials can be designed to fail when contacted by water via dissolution, melting or through some other destructive process initiated by contact with water. Some or all of the materials comprising the protective barrier can be designed to fail at a certain temperature. This failure can create access points from the ceiling through the protective barrier to the area being protected by the barrier, which can allow water from a fire suppression system to reach a fire located below the protective barrier.

Inventors

David Landis Campbell

Assignees

David Landis Campbell

Dates

Publication Date: 20260505
Application Date: 20230710

Claims (17)

1 . A protective barrier suspended below a fire suppression sprinkler system for protecting people and property from falling dust and debris, comprising: at least two planar sections of polyethylene; and a plurality of seams comprising a temperature sensitive material that melts or disintegrates when subjected to temperatures between 140 degrees and 180 degrees Fahrenheit connecting the at least two planar sections of polyethylene to create at least one larger planar section of polyethylene, wherein the connected at least two planar sections exist within the same plane.
2 . The protective barrier as recited in claim 1 , wherein the temperature sensitive material is a thread comprising copolyamide.
3 . The protective barrier as recited in claim 1 , wherein the temperature sensitive material is a thread comprising polycaprolactone.
4 . The protective barrier as recited in claim 1 , wherein the temperature sensitive material is a glue.
5 . The protective barrier as recited in claim 1 , wherein the seams are located along edges of the planar sections.
6 . A protective barrier suspended below a fire suppression sprinkler system for protecting people and property from falling dust and debris, comprising: at least two planar sections of waterproof or water resistant material; and a plurality of seams comprising a temperature sensitive material that melts or disintegrates when subjected to temperatures between 140 degrees and 180 degrees Fahrenheit connecting the at least two planar sections of waterproof or water resistant material to create at least one larger planar section of waterproof or water resistant material, wherein the connected at least two planar sections exist within the same plane.
7 . The protective barrier as recited in claim 6 , wherein the temperature sensitive material is a thread comprising copolyamide.
8 . The protective barrier as recited in claim 6 , wherein the temperature sensitive material is a thread comprising polycaprolactone.
9 . The protective barrier as recited in claim 6 , wherein the temperature sensitive material is a glue.
10 . The protective barrier as recited in claim 6 , wherein the seams are located along edges of the planar sections.
11 . The protective barrier of claim 6 , wherein the waterproof or water resistant material comprises polyethylene or vinyl.
12 . A protective barrier suspended below a fire suppression sprinkler system for protecting people and property from falling dust and debris, comprising: at least two planar sections of waterproof or water resistant material; and a plurality of seams comprising a temperature sensitive material that melts or disintegrates when subjected to temperatures between 140 degrees and 180 degrees Fahrenheit connecting the at least two planar sections of waterproof or water resistant material to create at least one larger planar section of waterproof or water resistant material, wherein the connected at least two planar sections exist within the same plane.
13 . The protective barrier as recited in claim 12 , wherein the temperature sensitive material is a thread comprising copolyamide.
14 . The protective barrier as recited in claim 12 , wherein the temperature sensitive material is a thread comprising polycaprolactone.
15 . The protective barrier as recited in claim 12 , wherein the temperature sensitive material is a glue.
16 . The protective barrier as recited in claim 12 , wherein the seams are located along edges of the planar sections.
17 . The protective barrier of claim 12 , wherein the waterproof or water resistant material comprises polyethylene or vinyl.

Description

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS This application is a continuation of application Ser. No. 15/413,353 filed on Jan. 23, 2017, which is a continuation of application Ser. No. 13/965,137 filed Aug. 12, 2013, which is a continuation-in-part of U.S. nonprovisional patent application Ser. No. 12/616,817 filed Nov. 12, 2009, which is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety, which claims benefit to U.S. provisional application No. 61/243,866 filed Sep. 18, 2009, which is also incorporated by reference herein in its entirety. This application also claims the benefit of U.S. provisional patent application No. 61/769,659 filed Feb. 26, 2013, which is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety. FIELD OF THE INVENTION The present device relates to protective barriers that are typically installed beneath ceilings during construction work being performed on ceilings or roofs buildings. A protective barrier can comprise sections connected by scams. These scams or the entire protective barrier can be designed to fail when contacted by water, either by dissolution, melting or by some other destructive process. Failure of one or more of the seams can create access points from the ceiling through the protective barrier to the area being protected by the barrier. BACKGROUND Protective barriers, such as those described herein, prevent dust and debris from falling on floors, on people, or on equipment located below a ceiling or roof being repaired or constructed. In this way, the protective barrier protects from added costs from damage or injury resulting from this falling material and allows work to continue below the ceiling or roof. Such barriers are commonly constructed from polyethylene sheets or similar materials, which have proven to be durable, easy to work with, and inexpensive. However, a problem can arise with this type or protective barrier when it is installed below a fire suppression sprinkler system, which is often required in order to meet performance expectations. Such an installation can impair the flow of water from the fire suppression sprinkler system to a fire located beneath the protective barrier. What is needed is a protective barrier that can perform its primary function of protecting people and property from falling dust and debris, but also has the capacity to allow water from a fire suppression sprinkler system to gain access to a fire located below the barrier. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an aspect of the present device to provide a protective barrier which can protect people and property from falling dust and debris, but also has the capacity to allow water from a fire suppression sprinkler system to gain access to a fire located below the barrier. The above aspects can be obtained by a protective barrier, comprising: at least two sections of waterproof material; and a plurality of seams comprising a temperature sensitive material attaching the at least two sections of waterproof material. The above aspects can also be obtained by a protective barrier that comprises at least two sections of waterproof material and a plurality of seams comprising a material that reacts exothermically with water, the seams attaching the at least two sections of waterproof material. The above aspects can also be obtained by a method that comprises providing a planar sheet comprising a material that is either water soluble or reacts exothermically with water; and elevating the planar sheet above a floor and under a sprinkler system, wherein the planar sheet prevents dust or debris from reaching the floor. These together with other aspects and advantages which will be subsequently apparent, reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming a part thereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Further features and advantages of the present device, as well as the structure and operation of various embodiments of the present device, will become apparent and more readily appreciated from the following description of the preferred embodiments, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings of which: FIG. 1 is a schematic drawing of a protective barrier comprised of a water soluble material or a material that reacts exothermically with water according to an embodiment; FIG. 2 is a schematic drawing of a protective barrier comprising water soluble seams, according to an embodiment; FIG. 3 is a schematic drawing of a protective barrier comprising seams, which further comprise a material that can react exothermically with water, according to an embodiment; FIG. 4 is a perspective drawing of a protective barrier installed beneath a fire suppression system, according to an embodiment; FIG. 5 is a perspective drawing of a protective barrier installed beneath a fire suppression system, wherein a fire is located beneath the protective barrier and a