Patent Grant
10226653
A portion of the disclosure of this patent document contains material that is subject to copyright protection. The copyright owner has no objection to the facsimile reproduction by anyone of the patent document or the patent disclosure as it appears in the Patent and Trademark Office patent files or records, but otherwise reserves all copyrights whatsoever.
Described are embodiments for containing and combating fires.
Forest fires typically occur during periods of drought caused by extended periods of lack of rain and have the potential to devastate hundreds of thousands, of acres of land. A current method of attempting to stop such fires is to drop volumes of water and other fire retardant substances from airplanes and helicopters onto existing fires and employing on-the-ground firefighters. Unfortunately, these methods can prove ineffective, and too frequently result in the loss of life as well as the destruction of thousands of acres of land and extensive property damage.
According to embodiments, disclosed is a device comprising: a fire resistant wall, the wall comprising an inlet for receiving fire suppressant fluid a chamber connected to the inlet and configured to keep the fluid under pressure; and a dispenser connected to the chamber and configured to dispense the fluid through the wall. Any of the embodiments of the wall can comprise materials selected from the group of concrete, titanium, stainless steel, heavy gauge aluminum, and galvanized steel. In embodiments, the wall can be portable. The wall can comprise a fastener for connecting to an adjacent wall. The wall can comprise one or more openings at a base of the wall and extending through the wall. The opening can be configured to allow wildlife to pass through the wall. The opening can be configured to allow drainage to pass through the wall. The wall can include footholds to facilitate a person's movement over the wall.
In embodiments the device can comprise a plurality of the walls. In embodiments the walls can be connected in series.
In embodiments the wall can be configured as a single wall. In embodiments the wall can be configured to be used alone or with one or more other walls.
In embodiments the chamber can comprise a main artery, and one or more angled channels extending from the main artery to one or more corresponding apertures on a face of the wall. In embodiments the chamber can be configured to be operatively connected to a chamber of an adjacent wall such that fluid can flow through a plurality of the walls when the walls are connected.
In embodiments the device can comprise a plurality of the walls connected in series, and can include a main artery that extends through a plurality of the respective chambers of the plurality of the walls. The device can include a plurality of the walls connected in series by at least one connector connecting respective chambers for each of the plurality of walls. The connector can include a valve. The chamber can be configured to hold the fluid under pressure.
Embodiments are illustrated in the figures of the accompanying drawings, which are meant to be exemplary and not limiting, and in which like references are intended to refer to like or corresponding things.
Referring to the drawings,
The device 10 comprises an inlet 16 for receiving a fire suppressant fluid. The fluid can be supplied via either permanent pipelines or portable supplies, such as water tanker vehicles. In an embodiment, the suppressant fluid may be introduced to a wall 12 via an inlet 16 and/or a wall 12 connector, although as will be appreciated, the inlet 16 can be placed anywhere that provides for a practical fluid inlet. For example, as shown in
In an embodiment, the device 10 comprises a chamber 18. The chamber can be configured to receive, hold, and/or dispense the fluid. For example, once fluid enters the wall 12 through inlet 16, it can be received in a chamber 18 that extends the length of the wall 12, and then the fluid can be dispensed through dispenser 32. In an embodiment the chamber 18 can include an internal assembly, a pipe assembly for example, comprising a main artery 13 extending lengthwise through the wall and connected to one or more crosswise channels 15 extending from the main artery and ending one or more corresponding apertures 14 on a face of the wall 12. The chamber 18 can be filled with fluid under sufficient pressure to force the fluid through the apertures 14 to a desired distance. As shown in
In an embodiment the chamber can be configured to hold the fire suppressant fluid until such time as it is needed. For example, the dispenser 32 can be configured with a door or cap (not shown) on the aperture(s) 14, which opens to dispense the pressurized fluid. In embodiments the door or cap can be opened remotely (e.g. wirelessly), or can be triggered to open under appropriate environmental conditions, for example high temperatures indicating a fire.
In an embodiment, the wall 12 tapers from a base 11 to the apex, which can provide, for example, a larger base 11 for greater stability.
In an embodiment, the wall 12 can include an escape passage 20 for animals. In the case of a wildfire, animals may become trapped between the fire and the device 10. An escape passage 20 allows these animals to flee from approaching fire through the wall 12. Such escape passage 20 can sufficiently sized so as to not compromise the device's structural integrity or fire containment purpose, but large enough that animals may pass through.
In one embodiment, appropriate structural modifications to the wall 12 may be useful, such as to provide for drainage or structural support. For example, in an embodiment, drainage arches 22 can allow for fluid to pass underneath the wall section 12.
As shown in
In embodiments, the device 10 can comprise a single wall 12, or a plurality of walls 12. For example, in an embodiment, a plurality of walls 12 can be placed in series adjacent to one another in order to form a longer firewall, as shown in
In single wall embodiments, the chamber 18 can be fully self-contained within the wall, for example, constructed without end openings or capped at either end. In embodiments where a plurality of walls 12 are employed in series, the one or more chambers 18 can be configured to extend through a plurality of the walls 12 when connected. For example, each chamber 18 can be connected to the chamber 18 of an adjacent wall 12. As such, the device 10 can be configured such that a single inlet 16 can supply fluid to multiple walls 12. In embodiments, the chambers 18 can be connected via permanent connector, for example a length of straight pipe extending through a plurality of the chambers. In another embodiment, the chambers 18 can be connected via detachable connector, for example for portable walls 12. In an embodiment, as shown in
In an embodiment, the chamber 18 can be a customized pipe assembly manufactured from a poured steel cast into a pour concrete mold. It can be held in place within a wall 12 by a skeletal rebar frame enclosed into the cast for pouring of the concrete.
The device 10 can be adapted for a variety of environmental conditions. For example,
Embodiments of the device 10 can hydrate areas of combustible vegetation by drenching the environment before the drought status escalates to dangerous levels. In addition to fire prevention, the device 10 can be used to suppress and deter fires already in existence. This can be done from a safe distance from fire in order to minimize danger to civilians as well as firefighters. The device 10 can be configured to be used alone or in tandem with conventional fire fighting methods.
The device 10 can be permanently installed in key locations, such as where there is a high probability of fires igniting, or where severe damage would occur should a fire ignite. For example, the device 10 can be installed on highways or other roadways and directed onto the landscape, or along hiking trails where the potential for forest fires exists. The device may also be used to surround commercial buildings, corporate parks, or residential areas and private homes.
The device 10 can be adapted for installation on a variety of surfaces, including steep slopes and open fields. Aesthetically, the device 10 can be modified to suit its environment, including adapting the surface for a variety of colors and textures. The height and other dimensions of the device may be varied to conform to local zoning and planning ordinances, as well as for aesthetic considerations.
The particular embodiments disclosed above are illustrative only, as the invention may be modified and practiced in different but equivalent manners apparent to those skilled in the art having the benefit of the teachings herein. Furthermore, no limitations are intended to the details of construction or design herein shown, other than as described in the claims below. It is therefore evident that the particular embodiments disclosed above may be altered or modified and all such variations are considered within the scope and spirit of the invention. Although illustrative embodiments of the invention have been described in detail herein, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to those precise embodiments, and that various changes and modifications can be effected therein by one skilled in the art without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention.
| Number | Name | Date | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3877526 | Dolbeer | Apr 1975 | A |
| 3933311 | Lemelson | Jan 1976 | A |
| 4681302 | Thompson | Jul 1987 | A |
| 4945675 | Kendrick | Aug 1990 | A |
| 6021599 | Matz | Feb 2000 | A |
| 6068083 | Takahashi | May 2000 | A |
| 6341445 | Morrison | Jan 2002 | B1 |
| Number | Date | Country |
|---|---|---|
| 104372755 | Feb 2015 | CN |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20160296776 A1 | Oct 2016 | US |
