Emergency Exit Route Illumination System and Methods

• US 20160003428A1
• Filed: 09/11/2015
• Published: 01/07/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 12/12/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sonja J. Zozula
• Original Assignee: Sonja J. Zozula
• Inventors: Anderson, Jerry T, Zozula, Sonja K
• Granted Patent: US 9,689,542 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 4/26 of rope form, e.g. LED lighting ropes, or of tubular form
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 8/032 the surface being a floor or like ground surface, e.g. pavement
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 8/033 the surface being a wall or like vertical structure, e.g. building facade
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 9/024 using a supplementary light source for emergency lighting
• CPC Class Codes: F21Y 2115/10 Light-emitting diodes [LED]
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 17/10 Actuation by presence of smoke or gases , e.g. automatic alarm devices for analysing flowing fluid materials by the use of optical means
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 7/062 indicating emergency exits
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 7/066 guiding along a path, e.g. evacuation path lighting strip

Abstract

A system and method that helps evacuees exit a residential structure in the event of an emergency such as a fire, earthquake, security breach or the like, by providing emergency illumination around the periphery of an exit door and/or an alternative safe exit portal together with floor/ground level illumination along the path to the portal, and by providing an audible tone or voice recording to guide occupants to the exit portal. Various forms of linear illuminators parallel to and near the floor of an interior room or hallway provide the floor-level identification and illumination of the exit route to be used in the event of emergency, with some linear illuminators having directional aspects along hallways to lead evacuees toward an exit, and other illuminators outlining the perimeter of portals that are safe to exit through, the illuminators normally being hardly noticeable but having controllers and energizers to light up the planned exit route when emergency conditions are detected.

Claims

1. A system for enabling visual orientation and providing illumination to evacuees in the event of an emergency requiring evacuation of a residential, commercial, industrial, institutional, vehicular or marine structure or enclosure having portals such as doorways, passageways and/or egress windows, wherein there is a planned path of safe emergency egress from an interior space such as a room, quarters or hallway of said structure or enclosure and wherein said path passes through a portal such as an interior or exterior doorway or window of said structure or enclosure, said system comprising:

a housing mountable relative to a wall of said interior space;

an electricity source;

an illuminator, at least a portion of said illuminator being positionable on a portion of said wall;

an energizer mounted relative to said housing and associated with said illuminator, said energizer being electrically powered;

a signal generator mounted relative to said housing and associated with said energizer, said signal generator being adapted to generate a trigger signal in response to a signal produced by a danger detector such as a fire detector, smoke detector, carbon monoxide detector, earthquake detector, power failure detector, radon gas detector, or a monitoring system that itself produces signals in response one or more other danger detectors; and

a controller mounted relative to said housing and being associated with said electricity source and said signal generator, said controller being operatively connected to control a supply of electricity from said electricity source to cause operation of said energizer, to thereby enable said illuminator to illuminate, in the event that said signal generator generates a trigger signal in response to a danger detector signal.

2. The system as in claim 1, further comprising an electrical connector whereby said system is connected with a control panel associated with a security system, an emergency lighting system, and/or an access control system located within said structure or enclosure such that said system is hard-wired to and integrated with said security system, said emergency lighting system, and/or said access control system, whereby said control panel energizes said illuminator to illuminate upon detection of a condition by said security system, said emergency lighting system, and/or said access control system including a security breach, power failure, and/or a breach of controlled access.

3. The system as in claim 1, further comprising a rechargeable power source, said rechargeable power source being in electrical communication with an alternating current (AC) power source, wherein said AC power source recharges said rechargeable power source, said system further comprising said controller being adapted and connected to control a supply of electricity from said rechargeable power source to cause actuation of said energizer in the event of a power failure in said structure or enclosure, whereby said controller causes said energizer to illuminate said illuminator in a steady mode as an emergency light source.

4. The system as in claim 1, wherein said rechargeable power source comprises a battery backup system, and wherein said battery backup system comprises a wall pack.

5. The system as in claim 1, wherein said illuminator comprises an electroluminescent light source.

6. The system as in claim 5, wherein said electroluminescent light source comprises a strand of electroluminescent wire.

7. The system as in claim 6, wherein said strand of electroluminescent wire provides a bright aqua blue illumination when energized by said energizer, and wherein said bright aqua blue illumination is highly visible to evacuees in said interior space.

8. The system as in claim 1, wherein said electricity source comprises a rechargeable battery, said rechargeable battery being associated with a photocell, said photocell being adapted to provide a trickle charge to said rechargeable battery.

9. The system as in claim 1, wherein said illuminator is installed on a lower portion of said wall by direct adhesives, tapes and/or mechanical fasteners.

10. The system as in claim 1, wherein said housing is adapted to be mounted on the top edge of a trim member on a wall surface in close proximity to an exit portal using direct adhesives or mechanical fasteners.

11. The system as in claim 10, wherein said housing comprises a low-profile injection-molded housing, and wherein said energizer and said controller are contained within said low-profile injection-molded housing.

12. The system as in claim 1, wherein one or more components of said system are contained in protective materials, said protective materials being waterproof.

13. The system as in claim 1, further comprising a controller associated with said energizer for regulating illumination of said illuminator, and wherein said controller is adapted such that said energizer energizes said illuminator section to flash in a pattern.

14. The system as in claim 1, wherein said illuminator is installed in a routed channel at any elevation in or on said wall, in molding or trim, and/or in a floor of said structure or enclosure.

15. The system as in claim 1, wherein said illuminator comprises a linear illuminator.

16. The system as in claim 1, wherein said linear illuminator is installed such that two courses run at a low height, such as along a floor of a hallway, on opposite sides of said hallway, from said at energizer to terminal points above said exit portal to designate the path toward said exit portal.

17. The system as in claim 16, wherein a segment of said linear illuminator is installed along the perimeter of said exit portal, for illuminating the perimeter of said exit portal to aid in identification of said exit portal.

18. The system as in claim 1, further comprising a controller associated with said energizer for regulating illumination of said illuminator, and wherein said controller is adapted to actuate said energizer in response to a radio frequency (RF) switching mechanism initiated in response to detection of emergency conditions by said danger detector.

19. The system as in claim 1, wherein said signal generator comprises an audio sensor that generates a trigger signal in response to an audio signal produced by a detector such as a fire detector, smoke detector, carbon monoxide detector, or radon gas detector when emergency conditions are detected, said audio sensor being mounted in said housing.

20. A system for enabling visual orientation and providing illumination to evacuees in the event of an emergency requiring evacuation of a residential, commercial, industrial, institutional, vehicular or marine structure or enclosure having portals such as doorways, passageways and/or egress windows, wherein there is a planned path of safe emergency egress from an interior space such as a room, quarters or hallway of said structure or enclosure and wherein said path passes through a portal such as an interior or exterior doorway or window of said structure or enclosure, said system comprising:

a housing mountable relative to a wall of said interior space;

an electricity source;

an illuminator comprising at least two linear illuminator segments installed on portions of said wall, a first segment of said at least two linear illuminator segments being installed at a low height in said interior space, parallel to and along a floor of said interior space such as along a baseboard, and a second segment of said at least two linear illuminator segments being installed along a perimeter of said exit portal;

an energizer mounted relative to said housing and associated with said illuminator, said energizer being electrically powered; and

a controller mounted relative to said housing and being associated with said electricity source, said controller being operatively connected to control a supply of electricity from said electricity source to cause operation of said, to thereby enable said first and second segments of said at least two linear illuminator segments to illuminate during emergency conditions, thereby illuminating said perimeter of said exit portal to aid in identification of said exit portal.

21. A system for enabling visual orientation and providing illumination to evacuees in the event of an emergency requiring evacuation of a residential, commercial, industrial, institutional, vehicular or marine structure or enclosure having portals such as doorways, passageways and/or egress windows, wherein there is a planned path of safe emergency egress from an interior space such as a room, quarters or hallway of said structure or enclosure and wherein said path passes through a portal such as an interior or exterior doorway or window of said structure or enclosure, said system comprising:

a housing mountable to a wall of said interior space;

an electricity source within said housing;

an illuminator, at least a portion of said illuminator being positionable on a portion of said wall;

an energizer for said illuminator, said energizer being mounted within said housing;

a sensor that generates a trigger signal in response to an audible, visual or wireless signal produced by a detector such as a fire detector, smoke detector, carbon monoxide detector, or radon gas detector when emergency conditions are detected, said sensor being mounted in said housing;

a controller mounted within said housing and associated with each of said electricity source, said sensor, and said energizer, said controller being adapted and connected to control a supply of electricity from said electricity source to cause actuation of said energizer in in the event said sensor generates said trigger signal, whereby said controller causes said energizer to illuminate said illuminator in response to said trigger signal;

an electrical connector whereby said system is in electrical communication with a control panel, said control panel being associated with a security system, an emergency lighting system, and/or an access control system within said structure or enclosure such that said system is hard-wired to and integrated with said security system, said emergency lighting system, and/or said access control system, and wherein said control panel is adapted to energize said illuminator to illuminate upon detection of a condition including a security breach, a power failure, and/or a breach of controlled access;

a rechargeable power source being in electrical communication with an alternating current (AC) power source, wherein said AC power source recharges said rechargeable power source, said system further comprising said controller being adapted and connected to control a supply of electricity from said rechargeable power source to cause actuation of said energizer in the event of a power failure in said structure or enclosure, whereby said controller causes said energizer to illuminate said illuminator in a steady mode as an emergency light source;

said rechargeable power source comprises a battery backup system;

said controller being calibrated such that said energizer energizes said illuminator to flash in a pattern;

said illuminator comprises an electroluminescent light source, wherein said electroluminescent light source comprises a strand of electroluminescent wire, and wherein said strand of electroluminescent wire comprises a clear, flexible, sleeve-like outer casing;

said illuminator is installed on a lower portion of said wall by direct adhesives, tapes, and/or mechanical fasteners;

said illuminator comprises a linear illuminator;

said linear illuminator is installed such that two courses run at a low height on opposite sides of a hallway, from said energizer to terminal points above said exit portal, and wherein a segment of said linear illuminator is installed along the perimeter of said exit portal, for illuminating the perimeter of said exit portal to aid in identification of said exit portal;

said housing comprises an enclosure, wherein said enclosure is recessed into said wall such that said enclosure is flush with the surface of said wall;

said housing further comprises a low-profile injection-molded housing, and wherein said energizer and said controller are contained within said low-profile injection-molded housing;

said controller is further adapted to actuate said energizer in response to a radio frequency (RF) switching mechanism initiated in response to detection of emergency conditions by said detector; and

said sensor is an audio sensor that generates a trigger signal in response to an audio signal produced by a detector such as a fire detector, smoke detector, carbon monoxide detector, or radon gas detector when emergency conditions are detected, said audio sensor being mounted in said housing.