Emergency lighting system

• US 7,800,511 B1
• Filed: 03/07/2007
• Issued: 09/21/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 03/07/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Living Space International, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Living Space International, Inc.
• Inventors: Yamazaki, Masato, Hutchison, James R.
• Primary Examiner(s): BLOUNT, ERIC
• Application Number:
  US11/714,943
• Time in Patent Office: 1,294 Days
• Field of Search: 340/691.1, 340/532, 340/540, 340/3.1, 340/286.05, 340/332
• US Class Current: 340/691.1
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 7/066 guiding along a path, e.g. evacuation path lighting strip

Abstract

An emergency lighting system comprises a control system, guide light devices, having multiple light members, guide light controllers, and signal devices. Each guide light controller is adapted to activate at least one guide light device operatively connected to the guide light controller to emit sequentially flashing light signals. Each signal device is adapted to selectively detect an emergency situation and transmit an emergency signal to the control system in response thereto, with each guide light controller being associated by the control system with one of the signal devices. The control system is adapted to transmit control signals in response to the emergency signals to selected ones of the guide light controllers, whereby the guide light controllers receiving emergency signals activate the guide light devices to emit sequentially flashing light signals in one of either two directions with the direction of flashing being controlled by the control signals.

Claims

1. An emergency lighting system adapted to guide occupants from an interior location of a structure, said emergency lighting system comprising:

at least one guide light device, said at least one guide light device adapted for installation within an interior location, said at least one guide light device including a plurality of illumination sources selectively activatable to emit light signals;

a selectively programmable guide light controller connected to said at least one guide light device, said programmable guide light controller including a manually selectable directional input switch and being selectively preset via said directional input switch to cause said illumination sources to provide a directional indication in a fixed one of two selectable directions based on the manually selected position of said directional input switch; and

a signal device operatively connected to said programmable guide light controller, said signal device operable to generate an emergency input signal in response to an emergency situation with said programmable guide light controller activating said at least one guide light device in response to said emergency input signal to direct occupants from an interior location of a structure;

said at least one guide light device being mountable to a generally vertical surface within said interior location proximate a floor of said interior location.

2. The emergency lighting system of claim 1, wherein said light signals comprise a sequentially flashing signal, and wherein said programmable guide light controller includes a manually adjustable rate selector, said rate selector being manually adjustable to increase or decrease the rate at which said light signals sequentially flash.

3. The emergency lighting system of claim 2, further comprising a plurality of said guide light devices, a plurality of said programmable guide light controllers, and a plurality of said signal devices, wherein each said guide light controller is connected to a separate said guide light device and each said signal device is operatively connected to a said programmable guide light controller.

4. The emergency lighting system of claim 1, further including a control system with said signal device and said programmable guide light controller being connected to said control system, said signal device being adapted to generate said emergency input signal in response to an emergency situation, and wherein said control system selectively activates said programmable guide light controller in response to said emergency input signal to activate said guide light controller to emit said light signals in the preprogrammed direction to guide occupants generally away from the emergency situation.

5. The emergency lighting system of claim 4, further including a plurality of said guide light devices, a plurality of said programmable guide light controllers, and a plurality of said signal devices located within said interior location, and wherein each said signal device is adapted to selectively generate an emergency input signal in response to an emergency situation proximate said signal device, and wherein said control system is adapted to selectively activate at least one said guide light device to emit said light signals to guide occupants away from said signal devices generating said emergency input signals.

6. The emergency lighting system of claim 1, wherein said emergency input signal is generated by at least one selected from the group consisting of a manual signal device and an automated signal device.

7. The emergency lighting system of claim 6, wherein said automated signal device is at least one selected from the group consisting of a smoke detector, a heat sensor, a water flow sensor, and a gas sensor.

8. The emergency lighting system of claim 1, wherein said at least one guide light device is adapted to form at least a portion of a base molding adjacent a floor surface.

9. The emergency lighting system of claim 2, wherein said programmable guide light controller is further programmable to control the rate at which said light signals sequentially flash.

10. The emergency lighting system of claim 4, further including a warning detection device, said warning detection device being adapted to transmit an alert signal to an emergency response service in response to said at least one emergency input signal.

11. A method of guiding occupants from an interior location of a structure in which an emergency situation has arisen, said at least one method comprising:

providing at least one guide light device having a plurality of light members there along;

providing a programmable guide light controller, said programmable guide light controller being connected to said guide light device and including a manually selectable directional input switch for selectively presetting the light members to provide a directional indication in a fixed one of two selectable directions based on the manually selected position of said directional input switch;

attaching said at least one guide light device to a generally vertical surface within the interior location proximate a floor of the interior location;

presetting said programmable guide light controller to activate the light members to provide a directional indication toward an exit;

detecting the existence of an emergency situation within an interior location;

generating at least one emergency signal in response to said detecting;

selectively activating said at least one guide light device to emit light signals in response to the at least one emergency signal; and

guiding occupants toward an exit with the light signals.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the guide light device is adapted to form at least a portion of a base molding adjacent a floor surface.

13. The method of claim 11, further including a signal device, and wherein said generating at least one emergency signal in response to said detecting comprises generating said emergency signal by said signal device.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein emitting light signals comprises emitting sequentially flashing light signals.

19. The method of claim 14, wherein said programmable guide light controller includes a manually adjustable rate selector to control the rate at which said light signals sequentially flash, and wherein said presetting said programmable guide light controller to activate the light members includes adjusting said manually adjustable rate selector to set the rate at which said light signals sequentially flash.

15. An emergency lighting system adapted to guide occupants from an interior location of a structure, said emergency lighting system comprising:

a control system;

a plurality of guide light devices, each said guide light device including a plurality of light members selectively activatable to emit light signals;

a plurality of selectively programmable guide light controllers, each said programmable guide light controller being connected to separate said guide light devices and adapted to activate at least one said guide light device, each said programmable guide light controller including a manually selectable directional input switch and being preset via said directional input switch to cause said at least one guide light device to emit sequentially flashing light signals in a fixed one of two selectable directions based on the manually selected position of said directional input switch;

a plurality of signal devices, each said signal device being operatively connected to at least one said programmable guide light controller and adapted to selectively detect an emergency situation within an interior location and transmit an emergency signal;

said control system being adapted to transmit control signals in response to the detection of an emergency situation to selected ones of said guide light controllers, whereby said guide light controllers receiving said control signals activate said guide light devices to emit sequentially flashing light signals in the preselected direction of said directional input switches of the selected said guide light controllers.

16. The emergency lighting system of claim 15, wherein said signal devices and said programmable guide light controllers are connected to said control system, and wherein said control system activates said programmable guide light controllers in response to the detection of an emergency situation.

17. The emergency lighting system of claim 15, wherein said signal devices are connected to said control system and wherein each said signal device is connected to at least one said programmable guide light controller, and wherein said guide light devices are activated by said signal devices.

18. The emergency lighting system of claim 15, wherein said control system comprises a fire alarm panel.