Integrated firefighter safety monitoring and alarm system

• US 5,157,378 A
• Filed: 08/06/1991
• Issued: 10/20/1992
• Est. Priority Date: 08/06/1991
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: North-South Corporation
• Original Assignee: North-South Corporation
• Inventors: Stumberg, L. Herbert, Fulton, James A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Swann, III, Glen R.
• Application Number:
  US07/741,269
• Time in Patent Office: 441 Days
• Field of Search: 340/521, 340/540, 340/573, 340/539, 340/504, 340/626, 340/586, 2/94, 2/69, 2/84, 2/7, 2/8
• US Class Current: 340/521
• CPC Class Codes: A62B 9/006 Indicators or warning devices, e.g. of low pressure, contamination
• CPC Class Codes: A62B 99/00 Subject matter not provided for in other groups of this subclass
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 19/00 Alarms responsive to two or more different undesired or abnormal conditions, e.g. burglary and fire, abnormal temperature and abnormal rate of flow
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/02 Alarms for ensuring the safety of persons
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/0415 detecting absence of activity per se
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/0453 worn on the body to detect health condition by physiological monitoring, e.g. electrocardiogram, temperature, breathing detecting, measuring or recording for diagnostic purposes A61B5/00
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/016 Personal emergency signalling and security systems emergency non-personal manually actuated alarm activators G08B25/12

Abstract

A monitoring and alarm system allows a firefighter to monitor a variety of safety related parameters during firefighting activities through audible and/or visual means. The system monitors the pressure in the firefighter'"'"'s breathing system and also monitors ambient temperature and motion of the firefighter. An audible alarm is activated to indicate a potential emergency situation relating to low remaining air time, impending thermal breakthrough or lack of motion of the firefighter.

Claims

1. A monitoring and alarm system for use in conjunction with a firefighter'"'"'s pressurized breathing system comprising:

means for measuring air pressure in said breathing system;

means for measuring ambient air temperature; and

means for providing an audible alarm when said air pressure falls below a predetermined pressure level or said ambient temperature rises above a predetermined level for a predetermined length of time.

2. The monitoring and alarm system according to claim 1, said means for measuring air pressure comprising means for repetitively sampling the air pressure in said breathing system and means for calculating the remaining air time based on the measurements obtained from said repetitive samples.

3. The system according to claim 2, further comprising means for displaying said remaining air time.

4. The system according to claim 3, further comprising means for detecting motion of a firefighter, said audible alarm means being activated upon failure to detect motion for a predetermined period of time.

5. The system according to claim 4, said means for providing an audible alarm comprising means for producing first and second audible alarm signals, said first audible alarm signal having a first intensity indicating an advisory condition, said second audible alarm signal having a second intensity indicating an emergency condition.

6. The system according to claim 5, further comprising manually operated switching means for activating said means for providing said audible alarm to cause said alarm to emit said signal indicating an emergency condition.

7. A monitoring and alarm system for use in conjunction with a firefighter'"'"'s breathing system comprising:

a means for measuring air pressure in said breathing system;

means for measuring ambient air temperature;

means for detecting motion of a firefighter; and

means for providing an audible alarm corresponding either to an advisory condition or to an emergency condition relating to air pressure in said breathing system, ambient air temperature, or lack of motion of said firefighter.

8. The system according to claim 7, said means for measuring ambient air temperature further comprising means for calculating a temperature factor corresponding to a quantity proportional to a value determined by the reciprocal of the integral of the temperature above 200°

F.

9. The monitoring and alarm system according to claim 8, said means for measuring air pressure comprising means for repetitively sampling the air pressure in said breathing system and means for calculating the remaining air time based on the measurements obtained from said repetitive samples.

10. The system according to claim 9, further comprising means for displaying said remaining air time.

11. The system according to claim 10, said means for providing an audible alarm comprising means for producing first and second audible alarm signals, said first audible alarm signal having an intensity indicating an advisory condition, said second audible alarm signal indicating an emergency condition.

12. The system according to claim further comprising manually operated switching means for activating said means for providing said audible alarm to cause said alarm to emit said second audible alarm signal indicating an emergency condition.