Fire fighting trainer and apparatus

• US 5,335,559 A
• Filed: 05/11/1993
• Issued: 08/09/1994
• Est. Priority Date: 08/30/1988
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Kidde Fire Trainers, Inc. (Kidde Fire Trainer Holdings LLC)
• Original Assignee: Symtron Systems, Inc. (Carrier Global Corporation)
• Inventors: Rogers, William, Williamson, Steven, Musto, Dominick J., Ernst, James J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Williams, Hezron E.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Dombroske, George M.
• Application Number:
  US08/059,308
• Time in Patent Office: 455 Days
• Field of Search: 434/226, 434/219, 356/438, 356/439, 340/630, 250/343, 73/866
• US Class Current: 73/866
• CPC Class Codes: A62C 99/0081 Training methods or equipment for fire-fighting
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 19/00 Teaching not covered by other main groups of this subclass teaching or practice apparatus for gun-aiming or gun-laying F41G3/26
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 9/00 Simulators for teaching or training purposes for the use of weapons F41; computing aspects G06; protocols for games, networked simulations or virtual reality H04L67/131

Abstract

A fire fighting trainer for use in training fire fighters is provided. The fire fighting trainer includes a structure having a plurality of chambers having concrete or grating floors. Each chamber contains one or a series of real or simulated items, which are chosen from a group of items, such as furniture and fixtures and equipment. The trainer also includes a smoke generating system having a smoke generator having a smoke line with an outlet for each chamber. The trainer also includes a propane gas flame generating system having at least one propane gas pressure controller and a gas line with a burner control and one or more single element or multi-element burners for each chamber. The trainer has a main control panel for regulating the flame generating system and the smoke generating system and for controlling the fire, or fires, and smoke in each chamber. The trainer also has one or more sensor assemblies in each chamber, which senses water, foam, powder and inert gas agent application, and which is connected to the main control panel to sense and report what and where and how an extinguishing material or medium or agent is being used in each chamber during a test of trainees or fire fighters, so that the single fire or spreading fire and smoke can be simultaneously regulated or reset to suit the conditions in the chamber. The trainer includes a combination of individual sensors forming a detector assembly which may include different sensing element types, and also include temperature sensors to monitor heat levels in the chambers.

Claims

1. A fire fighting trainer comprising:

one or more chambers having respective contents including items chosen from a group of items including furniture and fixtures and equipment;

a smoke generating means having a plurality of outlets disposed in the respective chambers;

a flame generating means having a plurality of outlets disposed in the respective chambers; and

a sensing means having a plurality of sensor assemblies disposed in the respective chambers and each sensor assembly connecting to a main control panel, wherein

each said sensor assembly includes a plurality of sensors and each said sensor is capable of sensing and reporting a particular extinguishing agent,

recording and control means for controlling the operation of the trainer and recording the results, and

a powder sensor for use in the sensor assembly for sensing the utilization of powder as an extinguishing agent comprising;

a collection funnel for collecting a portion of the powder, and

an infrared source and detector mounted inside the collection funnel for detecting the presence of the powder.

2. The fire fighting trainer as defined in claim 1 wherein the powder is fed to the sensor through the funnel and an electronic signal means indicates the presence of the powder.

3. The fire fighting trainer as defined in claim 1 which includes two shields.

4. A fire fighting trainer comprising:

one or more chambers having respective contents including items chosen from a group of items including furniture and fixtures and equipment;

a smoke generating means having a plurality of outlets disposed in the respective chambers;

a flame generating means to simulate a fire having a plurality of outlets disposed in the respective chambers; and

a sensing means having a plurality of sensor assemblies disposed in the respective chambers and each sensor assembly connecting to a main control panel, wherein

each said sensor assembly includes a plurality of sensors and each said sensor is capable of sensing and reporting a particular extinguishing agent,

recording and control means for controlling the operation of the trainer and recording the results, and

a powder sensor for use in the sensor assembly for sensing the utilization of powder as an extinguishing agent comprising;

a collection funnel for collecting a portion of the powder, and

an infrared source and detector mounted inside the collection funnel and located in the area of the fire for sensing the presences of a cloud of powder in the collection funnel or in the area of the fire.

5. The fire fighting trainer as defined in claim 4 wherein the powder is fed to the sensor through a funnel and an electronic signal means indicates the presence of the powder.

6. The fire fighting trainer as defined in claim 4 which includes two shields.