Patent Grant
9514859
This application is based on my previously filed Provisional Patent No. 61/964,542 dated Jan. 9, 2014 the basis on which this application relies and incorporates herein.
Field of the Invention
This invention relates to communications equipment and more specifically to communications equipment that is used by emergency and other responders such as first responders, fire fighters and the like. This invention also relates to a reliable communications system that can be accessed by the aforementioned first responders during time when such are subject to high temperatures such as fires. This invention also relates to a communications cable and/or cord that connect such a communications system to the mouthpiece employed by the first responders when extra help might be needed under unsafe high temperature produced, for example, by heat and fire conditions.
Discussion of the Prior Art
It is well-known that emergency and other responders to requests for ensuring the safety of people, such as first responders and especially those associated with the fire-fighting teams, must often enter dangerous areas and must be in contact with the rest of the team as well as those on the outside in case help might be needed. This is especially so when fire-fighters enter a burning building in order to rescue those who might be occupying the facility or other fire-fighters also within the building. They often face fierce conditions of fire and smoke and need to be in constant contact with other members of the team and those who might need to apply fire-fighting material as requested. These conditions often lead those who must enter in a confusing state unable often to tell up from down or where the nearest exit might be. First responders and the firefighters mentioned herein know exactly how their communications know exactly how their communications systems are supposed to work. Fire departments need communications systems that are reliable especially within a large, dense down-town area, in high-rise buildings with lots of concrete and steel and one that operates well in rural areas with varying terrains. The radio system here is a lifeline for the people who put their lives on the line in a daily basis. Thus, communications applied in these instances are of the upmost importance.
Communications used conventionally by first responders and the police are usually portable communications equipment attached to the responder and usually protected by the fire resistant clothing of the fire-fighters, for example. In many instances, however, the microphone, which must be close to the user's mouth, is more exposed and the cord or cable that connects the microphone to the portable communications equipment is also exposed. It is vital that the first responder be in touch with any other first responder so that the can communicate quickly and provide any vital help quickly. For example, if a fire-fighter enters a burning building and finds him or her in a risky place, they might need to call for help or for the direction of additional water or other fire-fighting material and thus the need for the communications equipment is more than vital. If the heat of the fire, directly affects anything outside of the fire-resistant clothing or other protective gear, then the use of the instrument or equipment may be lost. As mentioned above, normally, the cord or cable that connects the microphone to the communications equipment is located outside of the clothing and might be exposed to high heat and thus must resist such heat in order to remain serviceable.
Although the need is great for heat-resistant elements within the first responder's communications systems, no one to date has been able to give such resistance for use within a fire containing building or the like. Thus, the risks to first responders still exist and if the fire burns hotly they might not be able to communicate with other responders or those outside to give them aide. Thus, there is a pressing need to provide adequate fire protected communication systems that will permit fire responders such as fire, rescue and police the ability to communicate with all others under fire and heat containing areas of practice. These and yet other needs can be accomplished by providing cable or cord connector elements that are attached to a communications system at one end and a microphone or other voice transmitting device on the other end whereby said cable or cord connector comprises a series of wire transmitting systems each of said wire being enclosed within an insulating layer, and an optional layer of a tightly wound metallic closely formed wire shield is formed around all of the series of wires followed by a novel polychloroprene rubber-type layer surrounding said sheath and all of said wire systems.
The
Looking now closely at the 3 drawings included with this specification and details,
The communications systems used within this invention are all well-known and widely used within the first responder industry. The materials of construction are also well known and even some of the materials used to provide extra fire resistance have been used as materials of construction in that same industry. The difference, however, is the combination necessary fire and heat resistant insulation materials, one of which has been modified per above, that allows the cord to maintain electrical functionality after exposure to temperatures of at least 500° F.
The transmitting equipment can achieve a certain amount of resistance to fire since it is usually carried under any fire-fighting wear. But, the exterior cords or cables to the microphone are exposed and thus these materials need to be heat and fire-resistant.
Preferred Formulae for this Invention
A particularly preferred modified polychloroprene rubber-like material has been produced within the ambit of this invention from the following ingredients wherein PHR stands for Parts per Hundred Rubber and wherein “rubber” refers to the whole formulation formed from this mixture:
A description of the various components from above is as follows:
The Polychloroprene component is a compound entitled “Neoprene GRT” which is a product from E. I. DuPont deNemours & Co. and is a sulfur modified crystallization resistant chloroprene copolymer stabilized with a thiuram disulfide and a non-staining antioxidant. Although we used this particular Polychloroprene other manufacturers furnish similar formulae all of which can be used herein.
Carbon Black Grade N 762 is one of the semi-active grades of carbon black.
Carbon Black Grade N 550 is similar to the above but the particle size is larger.
The Soft White Clay a low cost reinforcing filler material entitled “Suprex Kaolin Clay”.
Oxylated diphenylamine is an antioxidant and is an Agerite Stalite.
A fatty acid (stearic acid) is added to activate the cure.
Napthenic oil is a process oil as is the paraffinic distillate solvent.
Magnesium oxide helps prevent premature curing of the product.
Zinc oxide is a curing/crosslinking activator.
The antizonant is a mixed diaryl-p-phenylene diamine.
Paraffin wax serves as an antidegredant.
In a test run to see how effective the cords or cables of this invention were resistant to high heat from a heat from fire, as opposed by standard material available on the market, a test procedure was set up. In this procedure, a vertical test structure that permits one to hang up a coil cord similar to that described above, was placed within an oven preheated to 500° F. A coiled cord mounted on the test structure and stretched out to 15 inches by making the bottom attachment to permit such a stretch, was placed inside the oven and the temperature allowed to return to 500° F. (ramp up was <30 seconds). The test structure was set up so the coiled part of the cord was located near the thermocouple in the oven. Cord was conditioned at this temperature for 5 minutes and then withdrawn from the oven and permitted lie on a flat surface. A 500 volt DC potential was applied between all conductors to shield and then all conductors to each other. This cycle was repeated 10 times on the same cord. The cord representing this invention passed this test after each cycle and the test was stopped at 10 cycles. A similar test was run using a conventional coiled cord element designed for use with a portable, hand-held land mobile radio and currently used within the industry and currently on the market. Two of these connectors were tested and both failed completely after the first cycle described above indicating that they were not heat resistant.
In order to test the fire resistance of yet another conventionally available cord very similar in shape and construction to the type described herein and made by Motorola Corp., and said to be “resistant to heat”, was tested to a Vertical Flame Test UL 2556 page 120. The competitor's cord failed completely and was almost consumed by the heat of the test whereas the cord of this invention passed the same test. The outer jacket of the failed element is standard and commercially available chlorinated polyethylene (which would have replaced the polychloroprene shown as item 8 in
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