Device for fighting forest fires

• US 4,776,403 A
• Filed: 07/24/1986
• Issued: 10/11/1988
• Est. Priority Date: 06/14/1985
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Murray, Inc. (Briggs & Stratton Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Murray, Inc. (Briggs & Stratton Corporation)
• Inventors: Lejosne, Alain
• Primary Examiner(s): Barefoot, Galen
• Assistant Examiner(s): Kannofsky, James M.
• Application Number:
  US06/899,388
• Time in Patent Office: 810 Days
• Field of Search: 169/61, 169/60, 169/51, 169/67, 169/70, 169/9, 169/13, 169/26, 169/91, 169/52, 169/54, 169/56, 169/57, 169/125, 239/203, 239/204, 340/602, 340/589
• US Class Current: 169/61
• CPC Class Codes: A62C 3/0292 by spraying extinguishants directly into the fire A62C3/0242 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A62C 35/023 the extinguishing material being expelled by compressed gas, taken from storage tanks, or by generating a pressure gas for foam generation A62C5/02

Abstract

A device having a first tank which is equipped with a telescopic vertical column which is contained in the folded state in the tank which contains a liquid and which bears a diffuser. The device includes a second reserve tank and further includes flame detectors distributed on the periphery of the tanks. When a flame is detected, an electronic central unit automatically controls pyrotechnical obturators which place bottles of compressed gas in communication with the first tank.

Claims

1. Device for fighting forest fires, characterized in that it comprises:

a first tank (5) containing an extinguishing liquid which is equipped with a telescopic vertical column (8) which bears at its top a rotary diffuser (9) and which is contained inside said first tank in the folded state;

a source of compressed gas (10) which is connected to said first tank (5) through obturation means (21);

and means for controlling the opening of said obturation means in the event of a fire, with the result that said compressed gas places said extinguishing liquid under pressure and the latter rises in said column whilst unfolding it, with the result that said diffuser (9) is located above the trees.

2. Device according to claim 1, characterized in that said source of compressed gas is constituted by bottles of compressed gas (10) which are each equipped with a pyrotechnical obturator (21) whose firing establishes the communications between said bottles (10) and said first tank (5).

3. Device according to claim 1, characterized in that said first tank (5) is equipped with a purge valve (51), with a high level sensor (39) and a low level sensor (40) and said central unit comprises a microprocessor (53) which automatically controls the opening of said purge valve when it receives a signal from said low level sensor (40).

4. Device according to claim 1, characterized in that said central unit (1) comprises a hygrometry sensor (48) and a microprocessor (53) which automatically controls the opening of said flaps (13, 14) when it receives from said hygrometry sensor a signal indicating that the hygrometric degree has exceeded a determined threshold.

5. Device according to claim 4, characterized in that said central unit (1) comprises a temperature sensor (49), a photo-electric cell (50) and a spray pump (12) which pumps the water contained in said second tank and said microprocessor (53) automatically controls operation of said spray pump (12) during the night when certain combinations of hydrometric degree and of temperature are combined.

6. Device for fighting forest fires comprising:

a first tank containing an extinguishing liquid which is equipped with a telescopic vertical column which bears at its top a rotary diffuser, which column is contained inside said tank in the folded state;

a source of compressed gas which is connected to said first tank via obturation means;

a plurality of flame detectors which are distributed in the forest about said first tank and at a distance therefrom, said flame detectors being constituted by ambient temperature sensors associated with electronic circuits which calculate the rate of variation of the temperature and which compare this rate with a determined threshold; and

a central unit which comprises a radio station which communicates with said flame detectors and which automatically opens said obturation means when one of the detectors transmits to said radio station a flame detection signal with the result that said compressed gas places said extinguishing liquid under pressure and said liquid rises in said column while unfolding it with the result that said rotary diffuser is located above the trees.

7. Device according to claim 6, characterized in that said source of compressed gas is constituted by bottles of compressed gas which are each equipped with a pyrotechnical obturator whose firing establishes the communications between said bottles and said first tank.

8. Device according to claim 6, wherein each flame detector comprises:

a temperature sensor, which delivers an electric signal proportional to the ambient temperature;

an analog to digital converter which samples said signal and which has a digital output which delivers digital values of each sample;

a microprocessor having an input connected to the digital output of said converter and which is programmed to calculate the rate of variation of the signal, to compare this rate with a threshold and to emit a signal when said threshold is reached; and

a radio emitter-receiver which is connected to said microprocessor and which emits a signal when it receives said signal emitted by said microprocessor and photo-voltaic cells coupled with a battery of accumulators which supplies said sensor, said microprocessor and said radio emitter-receiver.

9. Device according to claim 8, characterized in that said source of compressed gas is constituted by bottles of compressed gas which are each equipped with a pyrotechnical obturator whose firing establishes the communications between said bottles and said first tank.

10. Device according to claim 6, characterized in that said source of compressed gas is constituted by bottles of compressed gas which are each equipped with a phyrotechnical obturator whose firing establishes the communications between said bottles and said first tank.

11. Device for fighting forest fires comprising:

a first tank containing an extinguishing liquid which is equipped with a telescopic vertical column which bears a rotary diffuser at the top thereof, which column is contained in said tank in the folded state;

a source of compressed gas which is connected to said first tank through obturation means; and

a plurality of flame detectors which are distributed in the forest about said tank and at a distance therefrom and which command the opening of said obturation means in the event of a fire, with the result that said compressed gas places said extinguishing liquid under pressure and that said liquid rises in said column while unfolding it so that said rotary diffuser is located above the top level of the trees;

wherein said tank comprises articulated flaps which are normally folded down above said tank and means for automatically unfolding said flaps in the event of rain in order to collect the rainwater into said tank.

12. Device according to claim 11, wherein each of said flame detectors comprises:

a temperature sensor which delivers an electric signal proportional to the ambient temperature;

an analog to digital converter which samples said signal and which has a digital output which delivers digital values of each sample;

a microprocessor having an input connected to the digital output of said converter and which is programmed to calculate the rate of variation of the signal, to compare this rate with a threshold and to emit a signal when said threshold is reached; and

a radio emitter-receiver which is connected to said microprocessor and which emits a signal when it receives said signal emitted by said microprocessor and photovoltaic cells coupled with a battery of accumulators which supplies said sensor, said microprocessor and said radio emitter-receiver.

13. Device for fighting forest fires, characterized in that it comprises:

a first tank containing an extinguishing liquid which is equipped with a telescopic vertical column which bears at its top a rotary diffuser and which is contained inside said first tank in the folded state;

a source of compressed gas which is connected to said first tank through obturation means;

means for controlling the opening of said obturation means in the event of a fire, with the result that said compressed gas places said extinguishing liquid under pressure and the latter rises in said column while unfolding it, with the result that said diffuser is located above the trees;

a second tank which is equipped with a pump for transferring a liquid from the second tank into the first tank; and

articulated flaps which are folded down above said tanks and which are automatically opened in the event of rain in order to collect the rainwater and to send it into said second tank.

14. Device according to claim 13, wherein said first tank is equipped with a purge valve, with a high level sensor and a low level sensor and said central unit comprises a microprocessor which automatically controls the opening of said purge valve when it receives a signal from said low level sensor.

15. Device according to claim 13, wherein said central unit comprises a hygrometry sensor and a microprocessor which automatically controls the opening of said flaps when it receives from said hygrometry sensor a signal indicating that the hygrometric degree has exceeded a determined threshold.

16. Device according to claim 15, wherein said central unit comprises a temperature sensor, a photo-electric cell and a spray pump which pumps the water contained in said second tank, and said microprocessor automatically controls operation of said spray pump during the night when certain combinations of hydrometric degree and of temperature are combined.

17. Device according to claim 13, wherein said source of compressed gas is constituted by bottles of compressed gas which are each equipped with a pyrotechnical obturator whose firing establishes the communications between said bottles and said first tank.

18. Device according to claim 13, wherein each flame detector comprises a temperature sensor, an analog-to-digital converter, a microprocessor, a radio emitter-receiver station, photovoltaic cells and a battery of accumulators which supplies the electronic circuits.