Portable battery-powered smoke ventilator fan and emergency lighting assemblies
First Claim
1. A pressure ventilator of a type carried by fire fighters and rescue workers to a burning building to provide either positive or negative pressure ventilation in the burning building, said pressure ventilator being further of a type that has a fan connected mechanically to, and driven by, an electric motor, said fan and electric motor being mounted together on a frame as a ventilator unit that includes the fan, the electric motor, and the frame and that has a first electric cable with two electric conductors, each of which electric conductors has two ends, one of said ends of each electric conductor of said first electric cable being connected electrically to the electric motor and the other end of each electric conductor of said first electric cable terminating in a first connector receptacle, said pressure ventilator being further characterized by a first battery carrying case containing a battery pack, a motor controller connected electrically to the battery pack, a second electric cable with two electric conductors, each of which electric conductors has two ends, one of said ends of each electric conductor of said second electric cable being connected electrically to the motor controller and the other end of each electric conductor of said second electric cable terminating in a first connector plug that is adapted in size and shape to mate with said first connector receptacle in a manner that provides secure, but releaseable, electrical connection between electric conductors of the second electric cable and electric conductors of the first electric cable, and an on/off switch mounted on said battery carrying case and positioned electrically between said battery pack and said first connector plug, said battery pack having sufficient battery cells to power said electric motor to drive said fan for at least twenty minutes without falling below a minimum voltage threshold and said motor controller being operative to compare battery voltage with said minimum voltage threshold and to connect the battery pack electrically to the second electric cable when the battery voltage is above said minimum voltage threshold and to disconnect the battery pack electrically from the second electric cable when the battery voltage is below said minimum voltage threshold, said first battery carrying case having a handle for convenient grasping, whereby said first battery carrying case containing said battery pack, said motor controller, and said second electric cable is stowable on a fire or rescue vehicle and carryable by fire fighters or rescue workers to a burning building separate from the ventilator unit that includes said fan, said motor, said frame, and said first electric cable, and then which the battery pack and motor controller in the battery carrying case being connectable electrically to the electric motor in the ventilator unit at the burning building to power the electric motor to drive the fan to pressurize the burning building for at least twenty minutes by connecting the first plug to the first receptacle and actuating the on/off switch to on mode.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A pressure ventilator of a type carried by firefighters and rescue workers to a burning building to provide either positive or negative pressure ventilation is characterized by a modular structure in which one module comprises a fan and electric motor unit mounted together in a frame on wheels with a handle and another module comprises a battery pack, motor controller, circuits, and connectable electric cables mounted together in a carrying case. The ventilator module has a carrying structure for mounting and holding the battery module, and the battery module has enough capacity to drive the fan in the ventilator module for at least twenty minutes without falling below a minimum voltage threshold. The motor controller in the battery module compares actual voltage to the threshold and disconnects the batteries from the motor in the ventilator unit when the actual voltage falls below the threshold. Convenient cable mountings and connectors, parallel circuit connectors, and optional flood light with mountings and mating cable connectors are also provided.
32 Citations
4 Claims
- 1. A pressure ventilator of a type carried by fire fighters and rescue workers to a burning building to provide either positive or negative pressure ventilation in the burning building, said pressure ventilator being further of a type that has a fan connected mechanically to, and driven by, an electric motor, said fan and electric motor being mounted together on a frame as a ventilator unit that includes the fan, the electric motor, and the frame and that has a first electric cable with two electric conductors, each of which electric conductors has two ends, one of said ends of each electric conductor of said first electric cable being connected electrically to the electric motor and the other end of each electric conductor of said first electric cable terminating in a first connector receptacle, said pressure ventilator being further characterized by a first battery carrying case containing a battery pack, a motor controller connected electrically to the battery pack, a second electric cable with two electric conductors, each of which electric conductors has two ends, one of said ends of each electric conductor of said second electric cable being connected electrically to the motor controller and the other end of each electric conductor of said second electric cable terminating in a first connector plug that is adapted in size and shape to mate with said first connector receptacle in a manner that provides secure, but releaseable, electrical connection between electric conductors of the second electric cable and electric conductors of the first electric cable, and an on/off switch mounted on said battery carrying case and positioned electrically between said battery pack and said first connector plug, said battery pack having sufficient battery cells to power said electric motor to drive said fan for at least twenty minutes without falling below a minimum voltage threshold and said motor controller being operative to compare battery voltage with said minimum voltage threshold and to connect the battery pack electrically to the second electric cable when the battery voltage is above said minimum voltage threshold and to disconnect the battery pack electrically from the second electric cable when the battery voltage is below said minimum voltage threshold, said first battery carrying case having a handle for convenient grasping, whereby said first battery carrying case containing said battery pack, said motor controller, and said second electric cable is stowable on a fire or rescue vehicle and carryable by fire fighters or rescue workers to a burning building separate from the ventilator unit that includes said fan, said motor, said frame, and said first electric cable, and then which the battery pack and motor controller in the battery carrying case being connectable electrically to the electric motor in the ventilator unit at the burning building to power the electric motor to drive the fan to pressurize the burning building for at least twenty minutes by connecting the first plug to the first receptacle and actuating the on/off switch to on mode.
Specification