Emergency exit route illumination system and methods
First Claim
1. A system for enabling visual orientation and providing illumination to evacuees of a structure with doors and windows in the event of an emergency requiring evacuation of said structure, where there is a planned path of safe emergency egress from an interior space such as a room or hallway of said structure and said path passes through a portal such as an interior or exterior doorway or window of said structure, said system comprising:
- a first linear illuminator section positioned along a wall of said interior space in an orientation that is generally parallel to a floor of said space and that is generally near and along the base of a wall of said space, such as along the top or bottom edge of a baseboard of the wall;
a second linear illuminator section that is positioned in a generally vertical orientation along said wall in a location adjacent said portal in said planned emergency egress path;
at least one energizer for energizing said first and second illuminator sections, said energizer(s) being associated with said sections in a manner that causes said sections to illuminate when said energizer(s) is actuated;
said energizer(s) being actuated in response to a signal such as an electrical, electromagnetic or audible signal that is present when emergency conditions are detected by a detector such as a fire detector, smoke detector, carbon dioxide detector, or radon gas detector;
a length of said first linear illuminator section being adapted and positioned to provide illumination along a line leading generally toward said second linear illuminator section;
said first linear illuminator section comprising an intertwined combination of a plurality of linear illuminator strands, such as a twisted, braided or woven combination; and
a controller associated with said at least one energizer for cycling illumination of at least one strand of said intertwined combination in a sequencing mode in order to indicate a direction along its length, the indicated direction being generally toward said second linear illuminator section and, thereby, said portal;
said first section being capable of leading evacuees toward said second section when said first section is energized to provide illumination.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A system and method that helps evacuees exit a building in the event of an emergency such as a smoke event, a fire, an earthquake, a security breach, and/or the presence of unsafe levels of hazardous gasses, using linear illuminators parallel to and near the floor of an interior room or hallway to provide floor-level identification and illumination of the exit route to be used in the event of such an emergency, with some linear illuminators having directional aspects along hallways to lead evacuees toward an exit, and other illuminators outlining the perimeter of windows or doors that are safe to exit through, the illuminators normally being hardly noticeable but having controllers and energizers linked to the alarm and security systems of hospitals, hotels, residences and other occupied building structures to light up the planned exit route when emergency conditions are detected.
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Citations
8 Claims
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1. A system for enabling visual orientation and providing illumination to evacuees of a structure with doors and windows in the event of an emergency requiring evacuation of said structure, where there is a planned path of safe emergency egress from an interior space such as a room or hallway of said structure and said path passes through a portal such as an interior or exterior doorway or window of said structure, said system comprising:
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a first linear illuminator section positioned along a wall of said interior space in an orientation that is generally parallel to a floor of said space and that is generally near and along the base of a wall of said space, such as along the top or bottom edge of a baseboard of the wall; a second linear illuminator section that is positioned in a generally vertical orientation along said wall in a location adjacent said portal in said planned emergency egress path; at least one energizer for energizing said first and second illuminator sections, said energizer(s) being associated with said sections in a manner that causes said sections to illuminate when said energizer(s) is actuated; said energizer(s) being actuated in response to a signal such as an electrical, electromagnetic or audible signal that is present when emergency conditions are detected by a detector such as a fire detector, smoke detector, carbon dioxide detector, or radon gas detector; a length of said first linear illuminator section being adapted and positioned to provide illumination along a line leading generally toward said second linear illuminator section; said first linear illuminator section comprising an intertwined combination of a plurality of linear illuminator strands, such as a twisted, braided or woven combination; and a controller associated with said at least one energizer for cycling illumination of at least one strand of said intertwined combination in a sequencing mode in order to indicate a direction along its length, the indicated direction being generally toward said second linear illuminator section and, thereby, said portal; said first section being capable of leading evacuees toward said second section when said first section is energized to provide illumination.
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2. The system of claim 1 wherein at least one of said first and second linear illuminator sections comprises electroluminescent wire.
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3. The system of claim 1 wherein at least one of said first and second linear illuminator sections comprises optical fiber, and said at least one energizer comprises a fiber optic laser illuminator.
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4. The system of claim 1 wherein said at least one energizer comprises a low-voltage energizer that is engaged when an alternating current power source is disengaged from said controller.
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5. The system of claim 1 wherein said at least one energizer comprises a low-voltage energizer that is engaged when an alternating current power source is disengaged from said controller through a switching mechanism.
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6. The system of claim 1 wherein said controller is adapted to actuate said at least one energizer in response to said signal that is present when emergency conditions are detected by said detector.
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7. The system of claim 6 wherein said controller is adapted to actuate said at least one energizer in response a radio frequency (RF) switching mechanism initiated in response to detection of emergency conditions by said detector.
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8. A system for enabling visual orientation and providing illumination to evacuees of a structure with doors and windows in the event of an emergency requiring evacuation of said structure, where there is a planned path of safe emergency egress from a first interior space such as a room of said structure, to a second interior space such as a hallway of said structure, and then to a third space such as an exterior space or another hallway or stairwell of said structure, and said path passes through a first portal such as a doorway between said first interior space and said second interior space and then through a second portal such as another doorway between said second interior space and said third space, said system comprising:
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a first linear illuminator section in said first interior space, said first section being positioned in a generally vertical orientation along said wall in a location adjacent said first portal in said planned emergency egress path; a second linear illuminator section and a third linear illuminator section, both being in said second interior space; said second linear illuminator section being positioned along the base of a wall of said second interior space in an orientation that is generally parallel to a floor of said second interior space; said third linear illuminator section being positioned in a generally vertical orientation along said wall in a location adjacent said second portal in said planned emergency egress path; at least one energizer for energizing said first, second and third illuminator sections, said energizer(s) being associated with said sections in a manner that causes said sections to illuminate when said energizer(s) is actuated; said energizer(s) being actuated in response to a signal such as an electrical, electromagnetic or audible signal that is present when emergency conditions are detected by a detector such as a fire detector, smoke detector, carbon dioxide detector, or radon gas detector; a length of said second linear illuminator section being adapted and positioned to provide illumination along a line leading generally from said first portal toward said second portal; said second linear illuminator section comprising an intertwined combination of a plurality of linear illuminator strands, such as a twisted, braided or woven combination; and a controller associated with said at least one energizer for cycling illumination of at least one strand of said intertwined combination in a sequencing mode in order to indicate a direction along its length, the indicated direction being generally toward said third linear illuminator section and, thereby, said second portal; said first section being capable of illuminating a border of said first portal to aid evacuees within said first space to find said first portal; and said second section being capable of leading evacuees in said second space toward said second portal when said second section is illuminated.
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Specification