Fire barrier box for membrane penetrations

Abstract

A fire barrier box for placement within a fixture membrane in a fire barrier wall provides a metallic side panel box of multiple box sides, each side having a slot, and a selectively attached back panel. An intumescent liner attaches to the inner side panel walls and to the interior surface of the back panel. When a fixture is received within the side panel box, the intumescent liner, and the slots cooperatively receive fixture supply lines enabling their connection with the fixture. The selective attachment of the back panel occurs once rear access to the side panel box interior is no longer required. The completed fire barrier box attaches to the stud framing, maintaining the rating protection of the fire barrier wall.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A fire barrier box configured for receipt within a fixture membrane penetration in a fire barrier wall, comprising:
 a side panel box having inner side walls defining an interior space adapted to receive the fixture of the fixture membrane penetration, wherein said side panel box is metallic and wherein said side panel box comprises a plurality of box sides, each of the plurality of box sides having a slot formed therein;   an intumescent liner attached to and extending over an entirety of the inner side walls of the side panel box, wherein the intumescent liner and at least one of the slots formed in each of the plurality of box sides are adapted to cooperatively receive in a thermally-sealing manner a fixture supply line extending from a location outside of the side panel box to a connection with a fixture located within the interior space;   a back panel selectively attached to the side panel box in a manner defining a closed bottom to the interior space and an interior surface of the back panel; and   an intumescent back panel piece attached to and covering the interior surface of the back panel.   
     
     
         2 . The fire barrier box of  claim 1 , wherein said side panel box is rectangular and comprises four box sides. 
     
     
         3 . The fire barrier box of  claim 2 , wherein the intumescent liner and each of the slots in the four box sides are adapted to cooperatively receive a separate fixture supply line. 
     
     
         4 . The fire barrier box of  claim 2 , wherein the back panel is adapted to attach to the side panel box after receipt of the fixture within the interior space of the side panel box. 
     
     
         5 . The fire barrier box of  claim 4 , wherein the back panel is adapted to attach to the side panel box after completion of any connections between the fixture and one or more fixture supply lines. 
     
     
         6 . The fire barrier box of  claim 4 , wherein the back panel is adapted to attach to the side panel box after receipt of the side panel box over the fixture and connected supply lines in a retrofit installation. 
     
     
         7 . The fire barrier box of  claim 1 , wherein a box flange extends from and along a front edge of each of the plurality of box sides, and wherein at least one of the box flanges is adapted for attachment to a steel channel support extending within a fire barrier wall. 
     
     
         8 . The fire barrier box of  claim 7 , wherein a pair of box flanges are adapted for attachment to a pair of steel channel supports extending within the fire barrier wall. 
     
     
         9 . A fire barrier box comprising:
 a side panel box defining an interior space adapted to receive a fixture, wherein the side panel box comprises a plurality of box sides, each of said plurality of box sides having an inner side wall and at least one of said plurality of box sides having a slot formed therein;   an intumescent liner attached to and extending over each of the inner side walls, wherein the intumescent liner and the said at least one of the plurality of box sides having the slot formed therein are adapted to cooperatively receive a fixture supply line extending into the interior space; and   a back panel having an interior surface formed thereon, the back panel selectively attached to the side panel box in a manner defining a closed bottom to the interior space, wherein an intumescent mat is attached to and overlies an interior surface of the back panel.   
     
     
         10 . The fire barrier box of  claim 9 , wherein the side panel box comprises four box sides, and wherein each of the four box sides is adapted to cooperatively receive a separate fixture supply line. 
     
     
         11 . A fire barrier box comprising:
 a side panel box for being received within a fixture membrane penetration in a fire barrier wall, the side panel box having an inner side wall that defines an interior space adapted to receive a fixture, wherein the inner side wall has at least one slot formed therein;   an intumescent liner attached to and extending about a circumference of the inner side wall, the intumescent liner and the at least one slot adapted to cooperatively receive a fixture supply line extending into the interior space and establishing a connection with the fixture;   a back panel selectively attached to the side panel box in a manner defining a closed bottom to the interior space and an interior surface of the back panel; and   an intumescent back panel piece attached to and covering the interior surface of the back panel.   
     
     
         12 . The fire barrier box of  claim 11 , wherein said side panel box is rectangular and comprises four box sides. 
     
     
         13 . The fire barrier box of  claim 12 , wherein the intumescent liner and each of the slots in the four box sides are adapted to cooperatively receive a separate fixture supply line. 
     
     
         14 . The fire barrier box of  claim 12 , wherein the back panel is adapted to attach to the side panel box after receipt of the fixture within the interior space. 
     
     
         15 . The fire barrier box of  claim 14 , wherein the back panel is adapted to attach to the side panel box after completion of any connections between the fixture and one or more fixture supply lines. 
     
     
         16 . The fire barrier box of  claim 14 , wherein the back panel is adapted to attach to the side panel box after receipt of the side panel box over the fixture and connected supply lines in a retrofit installation. 
     
     
         17 . The fire barrier box of  claim 12 , wherein a box flange extends from and along a front edge of each of the four box sides, and wherein at least one of the box flanges is adapted for attachment to a steel channel support extending within the fire barrier wall. 
     
     
         18 . The fire barrier box of  claim 17 , wherein a pair of box flanges are adapted for attachment to a pair of steel channel supports extending within a fire barrier wall.