GB2322108A

GB2322108A - Reusable inflatable escape slide

Info

Publication number: GB2322108A
Application number: GB9624461A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Ian Trevor Hopper
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1996-11-25
Filing date: 1996-11-25
Publication date: 1998-08-19
Also published as: GB9624461D0

Abstract

An inflatable escape slide device for mounting on a wall below a window of a building, comprising an inflatable slide 11 housed in a container 10. The device is manually activated, either by a button or a lever, which causes door 23 of the container 10 to open and slide 11 to be inflated by an inert gas from cylinder 12. Preferably the slide 11 includes a coilable material 27 and a release valve, so that after use the release valve can be opened causing the slide 11 to retract to it's initial position ready for reuse. The bottom of the slide 11 may be formed with a stop 21 to cushion the descent of a user and the housing 10 may be fitted with a warning light 24 to attract attention.

Description

DOMESTIC SAFETY SLIDE THIS INVENTION RELATES TO A DOMESTIC SAFETY SLIDE DOMESTIC AND PERSONAL SAFETY EQUIPMENT FOR THE HOME IN THIS FORMAT IS RARE IN VIEW OF THE INCREASE IN DEATHS OF PEOPLE IN THE HOME, FROM FIRE AND SMOKE INHALATION ESPECIALLY IN CHILDREN THIS EQUIPMENT HAS BEEN DESIGNED TO HELP MINIMIZE LOSS OF LIFE.

THE INVENTION WILL HELP OCCUPANTS TO EVACUATE A BUILDING FROM LIFE THREATENING FORCES QUICKLY, EQUIPMENT THAT CAN BE OPERATED BY THEMSELVES WHILST AWAITING THE RESCUE SERVICES.

THE EQUIPMENT IS SELF INFLATING USING AN INERT GAS, AND IS FITTED WITH AN OVERLOAD VALVE AND NON RETURN VALVE, A FEATURE OF THE SLIDE IS IT WILL INFLATE AND EXTEND TO THE REQUIRED LENGTH , AND DEFLATE AND RETRACT TO ITS STARTING POSITION BY MEANS OF THE RELEASE VALVE.

THIS IS POSSIBLE BY BUILDING INTO THE SLIDE , A COILED MATERIAL WHICH ALLOWS THIS MOVEMENT, AND ALLOWS THE EQUIPMENT TO BR USED REPEATEDLY WITH MAINTENANCE, THE SLIDE IS DEEP SIDED FOR SAFETY REASONS AND BUILT IN THE SLIDE IS A BUMP STOP FEATURE TO REDUCE MOMENTUM WHEN IN USE.

THE EQUIPMENT IS HOUSED IN A SUITABLE BOX OR CONTAINER WITH INTERNAL PARTS ALL SUITABLY LINED AND WRAPPED IN FIRE PROOF MATERIAL, AN AWARENESS LIGHT IS FITTED TO HELP ATTRACT ATTENTION WHEN IN USE.

BUMP STOP FEATURE MAY HAVE TO BR WEIGTED TO GAIN GROUND TOUCH, A SPECIAL NOTEWORTHY FEATURE IS IT CAN BR BPERATED BY A CHILD OF 6 YEARS OF AGE OR OVER.

THE EQUIPMENT WILL BE WALL MOUNTED IN A SUITABLE POSITION NAMELY UNDER AN OPENING WINDOW, IN A SUITABLE BOX OR CONTAINER, BY OPERATING A BUTTON OR LEVER THE FRONT OF THE BOX WILL OPEN AND SWING DOWN , THIS WILL ACTIVATE THE GAS BOTTLE TO INFLATE THE SLIDE WHICH WILL UNROLL AND EXTEND TO THE PREDETERMINED LENGTH, ie, GROUND LEVEL.

GRAB HANDLES ARE FITTED FOR SAFETY TO ENABLE OCCUPANTS TO TAKE UP THE SITTING POSITION FOR PUSH OFF ON THE SLIDE, ON PUSH OFF PERSONS WILL SLIDE TO SAFETY AND ENCOUNTER THE BUMP STOP AT THE BOTTOM, AND THIS WILL HELP BREAK THERE MOMENTUM.

WHEN THE EQUIPMENT IS NOLONGER REQUIRED A RELEASE VALVE CAN BR OPERATED AND THE SLIDE WILL RETRACT TO ITS POSITION, INTO THE BOX OR CONTAINER AND WILL NOW BE READY FOR A NEW GAS BOTTLE AND A SERVICE CHECK, READY FOR USE SHOULD IT BE NEEDED AGAIN.

A SPECIFIC EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION WILL NOW BE DESCRIBED BY WAY OF EXAMPLE , WITH REFERANCE TO THE ACCOMPANYING DRAWINGS : FIG 1/6 SHOWS INVENTION WALL MOUNTED IN A BOX OR CONTAINER 10 POSITIONED UNDER AN OPENING WINDOW.

FIG 2/6 SHOWS SLIDE INFLATING AND UNROLLING 11 FROM BOX OR CONTAINER WITH HINGED FRONT IN THE DROP DOWN POSITION 23.

FIG 3/6 SHOWS END VIEW OF SLIDE 11 AND DEEP SIDES 19, ALSO BUMP STOP CURL 21 AND 27 RETRACTABLE MATERIAL FITTED INTO SLIDE.

FIG 4/6 OUTLINES FRONT VIEW OF BOX 10 AND GRAB HANDLES 14.

FIG 5/6 ILLUSTRATES SLIDE 11 AT FULL INFLATION AND BUMP STOP CURL 21 IN POSITION.

FIG 6/6 OUTLINES SIDE VIEW OF BOX 10 AND AIR PIPES 15, ALSO ALL VALVES CONSTRUCTED INTO EQUIPMENT18,25,22, AND GAS CYLINDER 12, SLIDE 11 IN ROLLUP POSITION PLUS 26 SLIDE INFLATION BOARD.

REFERING TO THE DRAWINGS THE INVENTION COMPRISES, A FIRE PROOF LINED BOX OR CONTAINER 10 CONSISTING OF A SLIDE 11, GAS CYLINDER12 AIR PIRES 15, WHEN THE EQUIPMENT IS TO BE USED A STRIKE BUTTON 13 WILL BE ACTIVATED WHICH WILL BRING IN 18 THE OPERATION VALVE TO ALLOW AIR TO RUN ALONG PIPES 15 AND INFLATE SLIDE 11, HINGED FRONT WILL DROP DOWN 23 AND WILL HELP SUPPORT SLIDE WHEN IN USE.

SLIDE 11 WILL UNROLL AND INFLATION WILL COMMENCE TO THE REQUIRED LENGTH WHICH WILL HAVE BEEN DETERMINED WHEN INSTALLED, AN AWARENESS LIGHT WILL ACTIVATE 24.

PERSONS WILL MOUNT ONTO THE SLIDE 11 AND STEADY THERE BODIES BY MEANS OF THE GRAB HANDLES FITTED 14 AND PUSH OFF DOWN THE SLIDE, THE DEEP SIDES 19 WILL HELP TO CONTROL THE DOWNWARD SLIDE OF THE PERSON AND WHEN REACHING THE BOTTOM THE BUMP STOP CURL 21 WILL STOP MOMENTUM.

BY FITTING A RETRACTABLE MATERIAL 27 INTO THE SLIDE 11, WHEN THE RELEASE VALVE 22 IS TURNED THE SLIDE WILL RETRACT TO ITS ORIGINAL POSITION, ENABLING PROLONGED USE.

IN ORDER TO PROVIDE SAFETY IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE BOX OR CONTAINER 10 WHEN IN USE, A FIRE PROOF LINER IS FITTED 16 PIPE WORK 15 IS ALSO WRAPPED FOR PROTECTION AND CYLINDER 12 IS WRAPPED, AN OVERLOAD PRESSURE VALVE IS FITTED 25 FOR ADDED SAFETY.

THE DRAWINGS ALSO INCLUDE SOME CONSTRUCTION NUMBERS, 20 ILLUSTRATES END VIEW OF THE SLIDE11 26 IS THE SLIDE INFLATION BOARD 17 INDICATES THE HINGES ON THE FRONT OF THE BOX.

Claims

1) A SELF INFLATING SAFETY SLIDE, THE SAFETY EQUIPMENT WILL BE IN A SUITABLE BOX OR CONTAINER BOLTED TO THE WALL BELOW A SUITABLE OPENING WINDOW ABOVE GROUND LEVEL AT A HEIGHT TO BE DETERMINED WHEN INSTALLED.

IN NEED OF USE, A PERSON WILL OPEN THE WINDOW AND OPERATE THE BUTTON OR LEVER MOUNTED ON THE TOP OF THE BOX THE FRONT OF THE BOX WILL OPEN AND SWING DOWN THE SLIDE WILL INFLATE AND UNROLL TO THE PRE DETERMINED LENGTH , GROUND LEVEL, GRAB HANDLES ARE FITTED FOR SAFETY TO HOLD WHEN OBTAINING THE SITTING POSITION FOR PUSH OFF ON THE SLIDE, PEOPLE CAN SLIDE TO SAFETY AND A BUMP STOP ARRANGEMENT AT GROUND LEVEL WILL BREAK THERE MOMENTUM ASSURING SAFETY.

2) A SAFETY SLIDE AS IN CLAIM 1) WHICH IS SELF INFLATING FOR USE IN AN EMERGENCY, USING AN INERT GAS.

3) A SAFETY SLIDE AS IN CLAIM 1 AND 2, WITH DEEP SIDES FOR SAFE STABILITY WHEN IN USE BY PEOPLE FOR QUICK ESCAPE, ALSO BUMP STOP AT END OF DECENT TO BREAK PERSONS MOMENTUM.

4) A SAFETY SLIDE AS IN CLAIM 1) OR ANY PRECEDING CLAIM, WHICH WILL EXTEND AND RETRACT BY MEANS OF A BUILT IN FEATURE IN THE EQUIPMENT THEREBY ENABLING CONTINUED USE, WITH PERIODICAL SERVICING.

5) A - SAFETY SLIDE, AS IN PRECEDING CLAIMS WHICH CAN BR OPERATED BY A CHILD AGE 6 AND UPWARDS FROM ESCAPE OF FIRE OR FUMES OR ANY PERSONAL DANGER.

6) A SAFETY SLIDE SUCCESSIVELY AS DESCRIBED HEREIN WITH REFERENCE TO FIGURES 1 TO 6 OF THE ACCOMPANYING DRAWINGS.