Eddy current retarder for use in emergency escape as from higher stories of a building
First Claim
1. An eddy current retarder for use in controlled descent of an evacuee as from higher stories of buildings in the event of an emergency, comprising:
- (a) a frame (10) having a pair of opposing disks (24);
(b) a payoff reel (12) rotatably mounted between said disks for paying off an elongated flexible member (14), said reel having a hollow interior around its axis of rotation passing centrally of said disks perpendicularly to the same;
(c) a carrier disk (18) mounted on the frame rotatably around said axis of rotation with one of said disks interposed between the carrier disk and the payoff reel;
(d) overdrive means (20) in the form of a planetary gear train (34, 40,
44) disposed in said hollow interior of the payoff reel, said gear train connecting the payoff reel to said carrier disk for transmitting the rotation of the payoff reel to the carrier disk to rotate the latter at an increased speed in response to the rotation of the payoff reel;
(e) permanent magnet means (22) fixedly mounted on that surface of said one of the disks, facing said carrier disk, said magnet means being of generally annular arrangement concentrically and closely opposed to said carrier disk;
(f) a rotor (16) in the form of a flat ring secured to that surface of the carrier disk facing the magnet means, said rotor being of electrically conductive material and closely opposed to the same whereby upon rotation of the carrier disk eddy current is induced in the rotor to produce braking action; and
(g) a plurality of fins (96) fixedly secured to that surface of the carrier disk remote from the magnet means, said fins disposed radially of the carrier disk so as to produce braking and heat dissipating function upon rotation of the carrier disk.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
A device utilizing energy conversion into heat by eddy currents for braking the descent of a refugee as from higher stories of a building in the event of a fire or other emergency. Included is a payoff reel rotatably mounted on a frame for paying off wire rope. The payoff reel is coupled via overdrive gears to a rotor of electrically conductive material which also is rotatably mounted on the frame and which rotates at a greatly increased speed in response to the rotation of the payoff reel. A permanent magnet or magnets of generally annular configuration are secured to the frame in an opposed relation to the rotor for inducing eddy currents therein upon rotation of the payoff reel. The induced eddy currents convert the energy of the revolving payoff reel into heat.
70 Citations
6 Claims
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1. An eddy current retarder for use in controlled descent of an evacuee as from higher stories of buildings in the event of an emergency, comprising:
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(a) a frame (10) having a pair of opposing disks (24); (b) a payoff reel (12) rotatably mounted between said disks for paying off an elongated flexible member (14), said reel having a hollow interior around its axis of rotation passing centrally of said disks perpendicularly to the same; (c) a carrier disk (18) mounted on the frame rotatably around said axis of rotation with one of said disks interposed between the carrier disk and the payoff reel; (d) overdrive means (20) in the form of a planetary gear train (34, 40,
44) disposed in said hollow interior of the payoff reel, said gear train connecting the payoff reel to said carrier disk for transmitting the rotation of the payoff reel to the carrier disk to rotate the latter at an increased speed in response to the rotation of the payoff reel;(e) permanent magnet means (22) fixedly mounted on that surface of said one of the disks, facing said carrier disk, said magnet means being of generally annular arrangement concentrically and closely opposed to said carrier disk; (f) a rotor (16) in the form of a flat ring secured to that surface of the carrier disk facing the magnet means, said rotor being of electrically conductive material and closely opposed to the same whereby upon rotation of the carrier disk eddy current is induced in the rotor to produce braking action; and (g) a plurality of fins (96) fixedly secured to that surface of the carrier disk remote from the magnet means, said fins disposed radially of the carrier disk so as to produce braking and heat dissipating function upon rotation of the carrier disk. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
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Specification