Color-coded evacuation signaling system

• US 6,646,545 B2
• Filed: 11/20/2001
• Issued: 11/11/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 11/15/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Maurice Bligh
• Original Assignee: Maurice Bligh
• Inventors: Bligh, Maurice
• Primary Examiner(s): SWARTHOUT, BRENT
• Application Number:
  US09/988,833
• Publication Number:
  US 20020057204A1
• Time in Patent Office: 721 Days
• Field of Search: 340/286.05, 340/286.11, 340/293, 340/326, 340/331, 340/332, 340/628, 340/691, 340/815.4, 362/227
• US Class Current: 340/286.05
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 7/062 indicating emergency exits
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 7/066 guiding along a path, e.g. evacuation path lighting strip
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 19/22 Advertising or display means on roads, walls or similar surfaces, e.g. illuminated
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 3/00 Labels, tag tickets, or similar identification or indication means medals or badges A44C3/00; making labels B31D1/02; sheets temporarily attached together B42F; labelling B65C; labels on record carriers G11B23/38, G11B23/40; Seals; Postage or like stamps

Abstract

A battery powered, illuminated, color-coded evacuation signalling system embodying symbols and text messages in any language or combination of languages, configured by LED'"'"'s in a network of floor laid display units installed in land-based buildings or maritime structures. The system induces automatic dissemination of walking or crawling evacuees during an emergency, particularly in smoke, fog and low-light conditions, by guiding them away from deemed danger zones, then along assessed safe routes leading towards assessed safe designated exits. LEDs shine through transparent covered, narrow strip assembly units laid in the center of walkways. Red denotes predetermined and developing ‘danger zones’. Green denotes safety ‘go-routes’. Amber indicates system status. In-going firefighters may access a time-identified schematic picture relating to the spread of fire, temperatures and air quality, to evaluate what areas of a structure are safe or unsafe to enter.

Claims

1. A color-coded evacuation signaling system wherein temperature and air-quality data is received from a network of smoke, heat, CO2, CO, toxic gas, combustible gas or related hazardous-element detectors, then processed by a power supply processor, being also a programmable interactive micro processing unit which accesses pre-programmed schematic data relative to the location of designated exits, and which evaluates said temperature and air-quality and schematic data for the purpose of illuminating direction-indicating symbols and text messages, displayed in any required language or combination of required languages, configured by light emitting diodes (LED'"'"'s) contained in transparent-covered assembly units, connected in series to form a continuous strip or array laid flush in the center of uncovered or covered floors, corridors, walkways within land-based buildings and maritime structures, to guide walking or crawling evacuees who may find themselves in low-light conditions or in a smoke fog during a fire or general emergency, initially away from predetermined and assessed developing danger zones, represented by the color red, and then via assessed safe routes, represented by the color green, leading to their nearest and safest assessed designated exits, the color of respective illuminated assembly units being variable based on the location of danger zones.

2. A color-coded evacuation signalling system, as claimed in claim 1, wherein illuminated red colored LEDs configure ‘

X’

symbols, inverted triangle warning symbols and danger warning text messages displayed in flashing or static mode, to indicate specific features, areas, routes and designated exits within a structure assessed as unsuitable for use during the process of evacuation.

3. A color-coded evacuation signalling system, as claimed in either claim 1 or claim 2, wherein illuminated green coloured LEDs configure elongated arrow symbols, arrow-head symbols and advisory text messages displayed in forward or reversed traversing mode, bi-directionally, omni-directionally, to indicate specific safe assessed routes leading to safe assessed designated exits during the process of evacuation.

4. A color-coded evacuation signalling system, as claimed in either claim 1 or claim 2 wherein amber coloured LEDs are illuminated during normal or standby mode to indicate system status for the attention of maintenance personnel, and wherein a secondary or back-up electrical circuit is incorporated for the purpose of re-routing power and coded instructions to individual LED display units within the network of system units, in the event that one or more of the said units are destroyed by fire, or by other means, during an emergency.

5. A color-coded evacuation signalling system as claimed in either claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the system may be activated in a simulated emergency such as a routine fire-drill, or during a bomb-scare or other non-fire emergencies, for the purpose of encouraging automatic dissemination of evacuees from wherever they are located in proximity to escape walkways, by guiding them via predetermined shortest distance routes leading to their nearest respective designated exits.

6. A color-coded evacuation signalling system wherein a power supply processor being also a programmable, interactive micro processing unit, contains pre-programmed schematic and alpha-numeric data relating to the location of designated exits within land-based buildings and maritime structures;

also the location of predetermined hazards or areas deemed to be danger zones;

also the location of a structure'"'"'s network of detectors, multi-functional or otherwise, for detecting smoke, heat, Co₂, CO, combustible gas, toxic gas, or related hazardous elements;

also the location of the signalling system'"'"'s LED display units for the purpose of mapping and holding in memory pre-determined distances between said exits, detectors and LED display units for cross-referencing and correlating the whereabouts of detected fire and smoke;

also for time-identifying an outbreak and progress of fire and smoke;

also for tracking the spread of fire and smoke;

also for recording detected temperatures and air quality influenced by fire and smoke;

also for the purpose of assessing and re-assessing what areas of a structure are consequently to be deemed as red-colored danger zones or green-colored safety zones, and for the purpose of instructing the system'"'"'s center-floor laid LED display units to illuminate and define, or re-define, assessed danger routes/exits, and assessed safety routes/exits, with advisory text messages relating to distances, for the routing and re-routing of evacuees during a fire or gas-leak emergency.

7. A color-coded evacuation signalling system as claimed in claim 6, wherein a programmable micro processor unit stores pre-programmed data relating to a reference table of safety parameters defining to what degree detected temperatures and air quality is humanly survivable, or un-survivable, for the purpose of adapting the system'"'"'s LED display units to define or re-define assessed dangers and assessed safe routes/exits during a fire or gas-leak emergency.

8. A color-coded evacuation signalling system, as claimed in either claim 6 or claim 7, wherein a programmable micro processing unit reacts to input data received from a structure'"'"'s network of detectors for the purpose of registering temperatures and air-quality during normal or standby mode, and wherein the said power supply processor also reacts to, and is automatically activated by input data received from a structure'"'"'s emergency alarm system, for the purpose of illuminating and adapting the color-coded evacuation signalling system'"'"'s LED display units to indicate routes and designated exits deemed dangerous or safe for use by evacuees during an emergency.

9. A color-coded evacuation signalling system, as claimed in either claim 6 or claim 7, wherein a network display of illuminated symbols and text messages indicate which features, areas and routes of a structure are predetermined as dangerous for use by evacuees during an emergency, including elevators, electrically-operated revolving or sliding doors, stairs and escalators leading up or down to no-exit areas, dead-end corridors, no-exit toilets, no-exit store rooms, no-exit basements, no-exit offices, no-exit apartments or dwelling accommodation, no-exit lofts or areas of a structure wherein evacuees are denied free access to routes leading to assessed safe designated exits.

10. A color-coded evacuation signalling system, as claimed in either claim 6 or claim 7, wherein a programmable micro processor unit stores data relative to an update status report or schematic picture of registered temperatures/air quality within a structure, accessible for electronic downloading via external communication links, for the purpose of assisting in-going firefighters to determine what areas of a structure are safe or unsafe to enter, prior to or on arrival at the scene of a fire or gas-leak emergency.