Patent Application
20130269588
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an emergency rescue device. Particularly, the present invention relates to an emergency rescue pod which can resist impact from falling objects and float in the water.
Natural disasters, such as tsunami, flooding and earthquake, have caused great financial, environmental and human losses. In 2011 alone, FEMA has declared 99 major disasters. Especially, earthquake and tsunami in recent years had caused many losses in human lives. The huge tsunamis trigged by 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake cost the lives of at least 229,000 people. In the 2011 Tohoku earthquake and tsunami, the death toll from the earthquake and tsunami is over 13,000, and over 12,000 people are still missing. Most direct earthquake-related deaths are caused by the collapse of structures and impacts from falling objects, such as ceiling, roof, beam, etc. The secondary earthquake-related deaths are caused by tsunamis trigged by the earthquake.
Huge reductions of death is still possible during such disasters if people are prepared. For example, educating and training people to take the actions of “DROP, COVER, HOLD ON” may reduce the injury and death during earthquakes. Yet, what is in greater need is an emergency device which can resist impacts from collapsed structures and float in water provide safer protection during earthquakes and tsunamis.
In an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, there is disclosed an emergency rescue pod which resists impacts from falling objects and float in the water. The said emergency rescue pod comprises of a sphere enclosure and a circular base. The said sphere enclosure further comprises of an ingress/egress door, windows and vents. The said circular base further comprises of storage space for emergency supplies such as food, water and others. The said sphere enclosure and circular base are put together by means of fastening. The said emergency rescue pod may be made of fiberglass material or other similar materials.
The more important features of the invention have thus been outlined in order that the more detailed description that follows may be better understood and in order that the present contribution to the art may better be appreciated. Additional features of the invention will be described hereinafter and will form the subject matter of the claims that follow.
Before explaining at least one embodiment of the invention in detail, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and the arrangements of the components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the drawings. The invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced and carried out in various ways. Also it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology employed herein are for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting.
As such, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the conception, upon which this disclosure is based, may readily be utilized as a basis for the designing of other structures, methods and systems for carrying out the several purposes of the present invention. It is important, therefore, that the claims be regarded as including such equivalent constructions insofar as they do not depart from the spirit and scope of the present invention.
The foregoing has outlined, rather broadly, the preferred feature of the present invention so that those skilled in the art may better understand the detailed description of the invention that follows. Additional features of the invention will be described hereinafter that form the subject of the claims of the invention. Those skilled in the art should appreciate that they can readily use the disclosed conception and specific embodiment as a basis for designing or modifying other structures for carrying out the same purposes of the present invention and that such other structures do not depart from the spirit and scope of the invention in its broadest form.
Other aspects, features, and advantages of the present invention will become more fully apparent from the following detailed description, the appended claim, and the accompanying drawings in which similar elements are given similar reference numerals.
Referring to
In one embodiment of the present invention, the said ingress/egress door 3 further comprises nylon straps 4 both inside and outside, and a window 5. In another embodiment of the present invention, the said ingress/egress door 3 further comprises of Rib Edge, Rubber Gasket and lockable assemblies. In another embodiment of the present invention, the said ingress/egress door may be 34½″ in size and the said window 5 may be a 6″Ø plexiglass window.
In another embodiment of the present invention, the said sphere enclosure may comprise of a top half 1 and a bottom half 2. The top and bottom half are put together by means of fastening. The means of fastening may include, but not limit to bolting, flanging and (please add some means of fastening as appropriate here!!!). In one particular embodiment of the present invention, the means of fastening is flange 11 (also
In another embodiment of the present invention, a steel pipe 6 is reinforced to the body of the pod located at the center of the pod. The said steel pipe also have circular plates placed on the top of threaded coupler 17.
In another embodiment of the present invention, the top half of the sphere enclosure further comprises of four 1″ Ø openings 9 for air ventilation. In another embodiment of the present invention, the top half of the sphere enclosure comprises of a 4″ Ø opening 8 which can be opened from inside and a nylon strap 7 at the top of the opening. Yet in another embodiment of the present invention, the top half of the sphere enclosure comprises of two windows. The said windows are each placed at 120° orientation. The said windows may be Plexiglass 6″ Ø in size and ¼″ thick.
In another embodiment of the present invention, the said emergency rescue pod may be made of fiberglass or other similar materials. The sphere enclosure may be made of fiberglass, 60″Ø in size and painted yellow at exterior 12.
In another embodiment of the present invention, the bottom half of the sphere enclosure may include a Plesiglass window 15, 6″ Ø in size and ¼″ thick. located 10¼″ above the bottom of the sphere enclosure.
In another embodiment of the present invention, the bottom of the sphere enclosure 28 comprises of removable plywood planks 13 and 14. In a particular embodiment of the present invention, the said planks may be 8″×10″×¼″, cut at 45° angle, with carpet and removable panels for storage space.
In another embodiment of the present invention, sealant is applied to site where sphere enclosure 100 and circular base 200 are fastened together and/or at the site where the top 1 and bottom 2 half of the sphere enclosure are fastened for water proof.
While there have been shown and described and pointed out the fundamental novel features of the invention as applied to the preferred embodiments, it will be understood that the foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention and not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise forms disclosed. Obvious modifications or variations are possible in light of the above teachings. The embodiments discussed were chosen and described to provide the best illustration of the principles of the invention and its practical application to enable one of ordinary skill in the art to utilize the invention in various embodiments and with various modifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated All such modifications and variations are within the scope of the invention as determined by the appended claims when interpreted in accordance with the breadth to which they are entitled.
