Patent Application
20110088152
1) Readily Available
Unlike other fire protective wear, which are usually put away in storage, FireSafety cushion or pillow is placed in the open living space as part of the décor or the seat or be, that is, wherever people sit or sleep. The fact that it is right at hand will give the precious seconds/minutes that saves a life in case of fire.
2) Affordable
The design is to be compact and simple, so as to cut down the cost to reach the general public. It is hoped that the price in mass production can be so affordable that all public transport or facilities will be willing to provide it for the safety of their customers. Note: the design is for fire escape, not for firefighting.
According to USFA “national Fire Statistics, nationally, there are millions of fires, thousands of deaths and injuries, and billions of dollar loss—which makes the U.S. fire problem one of great national importance. Between 1999 and 2008, there was an average of 1,634,150 fires, resulting in an estimated $11,634,800,000 in direct dollar loss each year. An average of 3,625 Americans lost their lives and another 18,765 were injured annually as the result of fire. These averages do not reflect the events of Sep. 11, 2001”.
Even though people are aware of the devastation of fire, few people, other than professionals, are prepared for sudden fire eruptions. Modern advances have created many environments which magnify fire hazards. Although statistics show almost equal number of deaths from fire per year as those from drowning, we see only the widespread provision of life jackets, but nothing for personal protection from fire. This is what prompted the present invention.
It is the inventor's intention to introduce an affordable, lightweight and compact fire protective wear that can be packaged into a small cushion-like packet that can be placed anywhere there is a seat or bed so as to make instantly accessable the much needed basic protection from fire.
It is envisioned that all public lounges, transportation vehicles would have these packages imbedded into the seats as a public safety measure. The cushion or pillow could function as part of the filling for the seat. Just as the lifejackets are now stowed away under the seats, so also, these cushions or pillows can be attached to the seats with Velcro or other fasteners to seats, functioning as back support or headrest. They can be placed on headboards in a hotel or cruise ship beds. They should be recognizable and easily detachable and grabbed at a moment's notice, whenever fire is detected. Concerned people, especially those living or working in a hard to reach high-rise building may obtain for themselves such a cushion for their favorite chair or bed. People can have a number of these scattered in places where they frequent, such as their cars, their workshops, kitchen or family room.
The design of the cushion or pillow can be varied. The one constant factor is an easy-to-open pocket that contains a folded poncho-like flame resistant safety-wear of light to heavyweight, flame-resistant material, plus other options to be specified by manufacturers according to the needs of their targeted clientele.
The design of the poncho-like safety wear 3 placed inside the packet can be customize according to the needs of the clientele.
The material of the poncho must be professionally-treated, fire resistant material (such as Firewall™ FR) of light to medium weight that meets NFPA standards or other similar standards of various countries. The standards may vary according to the needs of the surrounding environment. The protective properties of the poncho material could be graded and indicated on the package to facilitate customer choice.
The marketing of the FireSafety-Cushion: The cost of the cushion or pillow should be within reach of the general public. This low-cost, simple but functional fire protection packet, takes the item out of the specialized fire safety market. As a cushion or pillow, it can enter into any department store, supermarket, furniture store, and be considered by major builders of cruise lines, trains, buses etc. for the safety of their customers. It is a very little price to pay for a great sense of security and care. But in case of special professional needs, such as military, high hazard occupations, the requirements maybe more stringent, hence more costly.
