METHOD, SYSTEM AND DEVICE FOR SIGNALING, GUIDING AND ALERTING

• US 20110089869A1
• Filed: 06/04/2009
• Published: 04/21/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 06/19/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: MariMils Oy (MariCap Oy)
• Original Assignee: MariMils Oy (MariCap Oy)
• Inventors: Sundholm, Göran
• Granted Patent: US 8,717,162 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 315/323
• CPC Class Codes: A62B 3/00 Devices or single parts for facilitating escape from buildings or the like, e.g. protection shields, protection screens; Portable devices for preventing smoke penetrating into distinct parts of buildings A62B1/00 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/01225 control of expansion volume
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/01552 detecting position of specific human body parts, e.g. face, eyes or hands
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 7/066 guiding along a path, e.g. evacuation path lighting strip
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 45/10 Controlling the intensity of the light
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/105 in response to determined parameters

Abstract

A method for controlling guiding, signal or alert lights, particularly signal lights for an emergency escape route in a fire situation, in which method there are controlled sequentially arranged light sources, such as LED light sources. In the method, in the first step the sequentially arranged light sources (40), which are most advantageously arranged as a light source string (4) or at least as part thereof, are activated, on the basis of a signal received from a fire detector (3), to be switched to a first mode, in which first mode the sequentially arranged light sources are used for indicating the direction of an escape route, and/or to a second mode, where the light sources (40) are switched to emit continuous light. The invention also relates to a system and a device.

Claims

1. A method for controlling guiding, signal or alert lights, particularly the signal lights of an emergency escape route in a fire situation, in which method there are controlled sequentially arranged light sources, such as LED light sources, characterized in that in the method, in the first step there are activated sequentially arranged light sources (40), which are most advantageously arranged in a light source string (4) or at least as part of a light source string, on the basis of a signal received from a fire detector (3), to a first mode, on which first mode the sequentially arranged light sources are used for indicating the direction of an escape route, and/or to a second mode, in which the light sources (40) are switched to emit continuous light.

2. A method according to claim 1, characterized in that in the second step, the light sources (40) of a light source string (4, 4′

) or at least part of it are switched from the first mode to a second mode, a static mode, where the light sources (40) are switched to emit continuous light, on the basis of a heat detection or flame detection signal received from a fire detector (3).

3. A method according to claim 1, characterized in that in the method, in order to activate sequentially arranged light sources (40), i.e. a light source string (4), to a first mode, there are needed at least two fire detection signals from fire detectors, for instance two smoke detection signals from two separate fire detectors (3), or both a smoke detection signal and a heat or flame detection signal from one and the same fire detector.

4. A method according to claim 1, characterized in that sequentially arranged light sources, i.e. a light source string (4, 4′

), or at least part thereof, are switched to a second mode, a static mode, on the basis of a fire detection signal, particularly heat or flame detection signal, received from a fire detector (3) connected thereto.

5. A method according to claim 1, characterized in that the light source string (4, 4′

) or at least part thereof is switched from the first mode to the second mode on the basis of a fire detection signal received from at least one fire detector connected thereto, said fire detector (3′

) being arranged in the same space with the light source string, particularly in a corridor space (2), preferably along a section where the light source string (4, 4′

) is located, or in the vicinity thereof.

6. A method according to claim 4, characterized in that at least one fire detection signal is a heat or flame detection signal, received from a fire detector (3′

), particularly from a corridor space (2).

7. A method according to claim 1, characterized in that the pointing direction of a light source string (4) that is adjacent to a light source string (4′

) switched to the second mode, the static mode, said light source string (4) being most suitably in the first mode, i.e. the dynamic mode, is arranged to point away from the light source string (4′

) that is in the static mode.

8. A method according to claim 1, characterized in that in targets with several escape routes (5), the sequentially arranged light sources i.e. light source strings (4) are in the first mode arranged to indicate the nearest escape route, and/or arranged to divide the people present in the target evenly towards the different escape routes (5).

9. A method according to claim 1, characterized in that the light source string (4) or at least part thereof is switched to receive a control signal from one or several fire detectors (3).

10. A method according to claim 1, characterized in that the light sources (40) employed in the method are LED light sources.

11. A signaling, guiding or alert light system, particularly a signal light system for an emergency escape route, comprising sequentially arranged light sources, such as LED light sources, and fire detectors (3), characterized in that the light sources (40), which are most advantageously arranged as a light source string (4) or at least as part of a light source string, are arranged to be switched to a first mode, i.e. a dynamic mode, where they are used for indicating the direction of the escape route, and/or to a second mode, where the light sources (40) are switched to emit continuous light, on the basis of a fire detection signal received from a fire detector (3).

12. A system according to claim 11, characterized in that sequentially arranged light sources, which are most advantageously arranged as a light source string (4) or at least as part of a light source string, also have at least one second mode, a static mode, where the light sources (40) are switched to emit continuous light, on the basis of a heat or flame detection signal received from a fire detector (3).

13. A system according to claim 11, characterized in that sequentially arranged light sources, i.e. a light source string (4), are arranged to be activated to the first mode, the dynamic mode, on the basis of at least two fire detection signals, such as smoke detection signals from two different fire detectors (3), or a smoke detection signal and a heat or flame detection signal from one and the same fire detector.

14. A system according to claim 11, characterized in that sequentially arranged light sources, i.e. a light source string (4, 4′

) or at least part thereof, are arranged to be switched to the second mode, the static mode, at least on the basis of a fire detection signal, particularly a heat or flame detection signal, received from a fire detector (3) connected thereto.

15. A system according to claim 11, characterized in that a light source string (4, 4′

) or at least part thereof is arranged to be switched from the first mode to the second mode on the basis of at least one fire detection signal received from a fire detector (3) connected thereto, said fire detector (3′

) being arranged in the same space with the light source string (4), particularly in a corridor space (2), preferably along a section where the light source string (4, 4′

) is located, or in the vicinity thereof.

16. A system according to claim 11, characterized in that at least one fire detection signal is a heat detection signal received from a fire detector (3′

) located in a corridor space (2).

17. A system according to claim 11, characterized in that the fire detector (3) comprises means for giving a smoke detection signal and/or a heat detection signal and/or a flame detection signal.

18. A system according to claim 11, characterized in that the system is arranged to be installed in buildings, such as hotels, office buildings, residential buildings or the like, or in vessels, such as passenger ships.

19. A system according to claim 11, characterized in that the length of a section of the sequentially arranged light sources, such as the length of a light source string (4) or part thereof, essentially corresponds to the distance left between individual fire detectors (3), particularly in a corridor space (2).

20. A system according to claim 13, characterized in that next to a light source string (4) or part thereof, or in the vicinity thereof, there is arranged a fire detector (3), and that the light source string (3) is arranged to switch from the dynamic mode to the static mode on the basis of a heat or flame detection signal received therefrom.

21. A device for a signaling, guiding or alert light system, particularly in a signal light system for an emergency escape route, said device comprising sequentially arranged light sources, such as LED light sources, characterized in that the light sources (40) are arranged as a light source string (4) or at least as part of a light source string, and that the device comprises at least one fire detector (3), including both a smoke detector and a heat detector, which are connected directly or through a control system (10) to a light source string or part thereof.

22. A device for a signaling, guiding or alert light system, particularly in a signal light system for an emergency escape route, said device comprising sequentially arranged light sources, such as LED light sources, characterized in that the light sources (40) are arranged as a light source string (4) or at least as part of a light source string, and that the device comprises at least one fire detector (3), including both a smoke detector and a heat detector, which are connected directly or through a control system (10) to a light source string or part thereof, so that the light source string (4) or part thereof includes one fire detector that is effective thereupon.

23. A device for a signaling, guiding or alert light system, particularly in a signal light system for an emergency escape route, said device comprising sequentially arranged light sources, such as LED light sources, characterized in that the light sources (40) are arranged as a light source string (4) or at least as part of a light source string, and that the device comprises at least one fire detector (3), including both a smoke detector and a heat detector, which are connected directly or through a control system (10) to a light source string or part thereof, so that the fire detector (3) has one light source string (4) or part thereof, upon which it is effective.