Vehicle fire prevention and detection system

• US 20100320021A1
• Filed: 06/22/2010
• Published: 12/23/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 06/23/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Charles J. Groeller, Guy T. Rini
• Original Assignee: Charles J. Groeller, Guy T. Rini
• Inventors: Rini, Guy T., Groeller, Charles J.
• Granted Patent: US 8,307,934 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 180/271
• CPC Class Codes: A62C 3/07 in vehicles, e.g. in road vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 28/14 responsive to accident or emergency, e.g. deceleration, tilt of vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 3/0007 Measures or means for preventing or attenuating collisions
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 3/04 Cutting off the power supply under fault conditions protective devices and circuit arrangements in general H01H; H02H

Abstract

This invention provides fire prevention and detection for heavy-duty and medium-duty commercial and military vehicles by ensuring the engine is automatically and immediately shut down upon the occurrence of a catastrophic event that may lead to a fire. The shutdown is achieved through the isolation of the vehicle batteries and alternator and the disconnecting of those devices from all electrical circuits. Anomalies that cause the shutdown and disconnect include battery and vehicle load currents that are outside a preset range, excessive temperatures, detection of smoke in the drive compartment or sleeper, or detection of a frontal impact accident or vehicle rollover. Once disconnected, the battery contactor must be manually reset in order to restore electrical power to the vehicle.

Claims

1. An engine-powered land vehicle comprising and engine and electrical control system for proper engine functioning, a battery bank for providing startup and electrical system power during normal engine off time, an electrical starter motor for starting the engine by drawing current from the battery bank, a series of electrical loads associated with normal vehicle operation and vehicle monitoring that are fed through both a battery disconnect means and a vehicle electrical load disconnect means, and a fire prevention and detection means for controlling engine operation and for automatically shutting the engine down upon the occurrence of at least one variance from preset parameters loaded into the fire prevention and detection means corresponding to normal vehicle operating conditions.

2. The vehicle housing the fire prevention and detection means of claim 1 further including a series of sensors to detect vehicle operating parameters arrayed at locations on or in said vehicle and its electrical system for providing instantaneous sensor values to said fire prevention and detection means.

3. The sensors of claim 2 being of the type that detect temperature ranges, vehicle motion, current flow within electrical circuits, and particulate gas borne materials in operator utilized compartments.

4. The fire prevention and detection means of claim 1 comprises monitoring channels to ascertain the vehicle operating parameters from the various sensors, compare the obtained values from the sensors with preset parameters for the said vehicle operating parameters and, upon detecting over value or limit exceeding vehicle operating parameters trigger an operator warning and then, after a predetermined time period, automatically disconnect electrical power to the vehicle electrical load circuits and isolate the battery bank and the alternator by initiating command signals to the battery and vehicle load connectors to disengage resulting in the opening of the electrical circuit pathways therebetween.

5. The battery disconnect and vehicle load disconnect means of the fire prevention and detection means of claim 1 further include manually resetable contactors.

6. The fire prevention and detection means of claim 1 further comprises data links to other onboard vehicle data devices and through such data links is capable of automatic and manual communication with such data devices.