Method and apparatus for protecting buildings from contamination during chemical or biological attack

• US 6,688,968 B2
• Filed: 08/01/2001
• Issued: 02/10/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 01/22/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Original Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Inventors: Krafthefer, Brian C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Boles, Derek
• Application Number:
  US09/920,219
• Publication Number:
  US 20020098794A1
• Time in Patent Office: 923 Days
• Field of Search: 454/322, 454/333, 454/239, 454/256, 454/257, 454/170, 454/171, 454/172, 454/902, 251/61.1
• US Class Current: 454/333
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/33 to fire, excessive heat or smoke
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/89 Arrangement or mounting of control or safety devices
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 13/02 Ducting arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 13/10 movable, e.g. dampers
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 2110/52 of the outside air
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 30/70 Efficient control or regulation technologies, e.g. for control of refrigerant flow, motor or heating

Abstract

Methods and systems are provided for preventing contamination of building regions or zones from unwanted chemical or biological agents during and after a chemical or biological attack. One or more inflatable occlusion devices are preferably provided for occluding or filling selected regions within a building. The occlusion devices can be inflated to, for example, help prevent the building HVAC system or corresponding duct work from delivering a chemical or biological agent from one location to another within a building. The occlusion devices can also be used to occlude or occupy entire building regions or sections, such as entire rooms, hallways, windows, doorways, etc., or parts thereof, to help protect these regions from a harmful agent during an attack, and/or to provide a protective shell over or around selected equipment.

Claims

1. A method for protecting a building region other than an air duct section from harmful agent contamination, wherein the building region has at least one pre-identified protection zone or region, the method comprising the steps of:

providing at least one inflatable bladder having an inflatable bladder interior, wherein the bladder has an un-inflated configuration, an un-inflated volume, an inflated configuration, and an inflated volume;

providing an inflator for inflating the at least one bladder from the un-inflated configuration to the inflated configuration, wherein the inflator has an initiator for initiating the inflating;

locating the at least one inflatable bladder near a pre-identified protection zone or region; and

initiating the inflating of the at least one bladder using the initiator so that the at least one bladder occupies the at least one pre-identified protection zone or region; and

wherein the building region includes a room having a volume, and the pre-identified protection zone corresponding to substantially the entire volume of the room.

2. A method for protecting a building region other than an air duct section from harmful agent contamination, wherein the building region has at least one pre-identified protection zone or region, the method comprising the steps of:

providing at least one inflatable bladder having an inflatable bladder interior, wherein the bladder has an un-inflated configuration, an un-inflated volume, an inflated configuration, and an inflated volume;

providing an inflator for inflating the at least one bladder from the un-inflated configuration to the inflated configuration, wherein the inflator has an initiator for initiating the inflating;

locating the at least one inflatable bladder near a pre-identified protection zone or region; and

initiating the inflating of the at least one bladder using the initiator so that the at least one bladder occupies the at least one pre-identified protection zone or region; and

wherein the building region includes a room having a volume, and the pre-identified protection zone corresponding to only part of the entire volume of the room.

3. A method for protecting a building region other than an air duct section from harmful agent contamination, wherein the building region has at least one pre-identified protection zone or region, the method comprising the steps of:

providing at least one inflatable bladder having an inflatable bladder interior, wherein the bladder has an un-inflated configuration, an un-inflated volume, an inflated configuration, and an inflated volume;

providing an inflator for inflating the at least one bladder from the un-inflated configuration to the inflated configuration, wherein the inflator has an initiator for initiating the inflating;

locating the at least one inflatable bladder near a pre-identified protection zone or region; and

initiating the inflating of the at least one bladder using the initiator so that the at least one bladder occupies the at least one pre-identified protection zone or region; and

wherein the building region includes a hallway section having a hallway section volume, the pre-identified protection zone corresponding to the hallway section volume.

4. A method for protecting a building region other than an air duct section from harmful agent contamination, wherein the building region has at least one pre-identified protection zone or region, the method comprising the steps of:

providing at least one inflatable bladder having an inflatable bladder interior, wherein the bladder has an un-inflated configuration, an un-inflated volume, an inflated configuration, and an inflated volume;

providing an inflator for inflating the at least one bladder from the un-inflated configuration to the inflated configuration, wherein the inflator has an initiator for initiating the inflating;

locating the at least one inflatable bladder near a pre-identified protection zone or region; and

initiating the inflating of the at least one bladder using the initiator so that the at least one bladder occupies the at least one pre-identified protection zone or region; and

wherein the building region includes a false ceiling plenum section disposed between a false ceiling and a true ceiling of the building, the pre-identified protection zone corresponding to the false ceiling plenum section.

5. A method for protecting a building region other than an air duct section from harmful agent contamination, wherein the building region has at least one pre-identified protection zone or region, the method comprising the steps of:

providing at least one inflatable bladder having an inflatable bladder interior, wherein the bladder has an un-inflated configuration, an un-inflated volume, an inflated configuration, and an inflated volume;

providing an inflator for inflating the at least one bladder from the un-inflated configuration to the inflated configuration, wherein the inflator has an initiator for initiating the inflating;

locating the at least one inflatable bladder near a pre-identified protection zone or region; and

initiating the inflating of the at least one bladder using the initiator so that the at least one bladder occupies the at least one pre-identified protection zone or region; and

wherein the building region corresponds to a room having a room volume, and wherein there are more than one room sections in the room and one or more inflatable bladders in each room section, the inflating step includes inflating the bladders in each room section so as to occupy at least a majority of the room volume.

6. A method for protecting a building region other than an air duct section from harmful agent contamination, wherein the building region has at least one pre-identified protection zone or region, the method comprising the steps of:

providing at least one inflatable bladder having an inflatable bladder interior, wherein the bladder has an un-inflated configuration, an un-inflated volume, an inflated configuration, and an inflated volume;

providing an inflator for inflating the at least one bladder from the un-inflated configuration to the inflated configuration, wherein the inflator has an initiator for initiating the inflating;

locating the at least one inflatable bladder near a pre-identified protection zone or region; and

initiating the inflating of the at least one bladder using the initiator so that the at least one bladder occupies the at least one pre-identified protection zone or region; and

wherein the building region corresponds to a region around an equipment piece, wherein the inflatable bladder has a cavity for covering the equipment piece when inflated, and wherein the bladder does not cover the equipment piece when un-inflated.

7. A method as in claim 6, wherein the equipment piece is a computer and/or other electronic equipment.

8. A system for protecting at least one building region other than an air duct section from harmful agent contamination, wherein the building region has a region volume, the system comprising:

at least one inflatable bladder for each building region to be protected, the at least one bladder having an inflatable bladder interior, the at least one bladder having an un-inflated configuration, an un-inflated volume, an inflated configuration, and an inflated volume, wherein the at least one inflatable bladder is disposed near the at least one region to be protected;

an inflator for inflating the at least one bladder from the un-inflated configuration to the inflated configuration, wherein the inflator has an initiator for initiating the inflating;

a controller for causing the initiator to initiate the inflating selected bladders; and

a communication link for linking the controller to the initiator; and

wherein the one or more inflatable bladders are dimensioned and configured to fill at least part of a room, a hallway section, a false ceiling plenum section, or an entry way.

9. A system for protecting at least one building region other than an air duct section from harmful agent contamination, wherein the building region has a region volume, the system comprising:

at least one inflatable bladder for each building region to be protected, the at least one bladder having an inflatable bladder interior, the at least one bladder having an un-inflated configuration, an un-inflated volume, an inflated configuration, and an inflated volume, wherein the at least one inflatable bladder is disposed near the at least one region to be protected;

an inflator for inflating the at least one bladder from the un-inflated configuration to the inflated configuration, wherein the inflator has an initiator for initiating the inflating;

a controller for causing the initiator to initiate the inflating selected bladders; and

a communication link for linking the controller to the initiator; and

wherein at least one of the inflatable bladders includes a bladder that inflates to form a cavity for covering an equipment piece, and to not cover the equipment piece when un-inflated.