Modular emergency exit route illumination system and methods

• US 8,376,567 B1
• Filed: 01/22/2011
• Issued: 02/19/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 12/12/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sonja K. Zozula
• Original Assignee: Sonja K. Zozula
• Inventors: Zozula, Sonja K., Anderson, Jerry T.
• Primary Examiner(s): Alavi, Ali
• Application Number:
  US13/011,878
• Time in Patent Office: 759 Days
• Field of Search: 362/145, 362/147, 362/217.01, 362/276, 340/691.1, 340/693.1, 340/540, 340/815.4, 340/815.5, 315312-315
• US Class Current: 362/147
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 4/26 of rope form, e.g. LED lighting ropes, or of tubular form
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 8/032 the surface being a floor or like ground surface, e.g. pavement
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 8/033 the surface being a wall or like vertical structure, e.g. building facade
• CPC Class Codes: F21Y 2115/10 Light-emitting diodes [LED]
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 17/10 Actuation by presence of smoke or gases , e.g. automatic alarm devices for analysing flowing fluid materials by the use of optical means
• 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

Abstract

A system and method that helps evacuees exit a residential structure in the event of an emergency such as a fire, earthquake, security breach or the like, by providing emergency illumination around the periphery of an exit door and/or an alternative safe exit portal together with floor/ground level illumination along the path to the portal, and by providing an audible tone or voice recording to guide occupants to the exit portal. Various forms of linear illuminators parallel to and near the floor of an interior room or hallway provide the floor-level identification and illumination of the exit route to be used in the event of emergency, with some linear illuminators having directional aspects along hallways to lead evacuees toward an exit, and other illuminators outlining the perimeter of portals that are safe to exit through, the illuminators normally being hardly noticeable but having controllers and energizers to light up the planned exit route when emergency conditions are detected.

Claims

1. A system for enabling visual orientation and providing illumination to evacuees of a residential structure with portals such as doorways and windows in the event of an emergency requiring evacuation of said structure, where there is a planned path of safe emergency egress from an interior space such as a room or hallway of said structure and said path passes through a portal such as an interior or exterior doorway or window of said structure, said system comprising:

a first linear illuminator section positioned along a wall of said interior space in an orientation that is generally parallel to a floor of said space and that is generally near and along the base of a wall of said space, such as along the top or bottom edge of a baseboard of the wall;

a second linear illuminator section that is positioned in a generally vertical orientation along said wall in a location adjacent said portal in said planned emergency egress path;

at least one energizer for energizing said first and second illuminator sections, said energizer(s) being associated with said sections in a manner that causes said sections to illuminate when said energizer(s) is actuated;

said energizer(s) being actuated in response to a signal such as an electrical, electromagnetic or audible signal that is present when emergency conditions are detected by a detector such as a fire detector, smoke detector, carbon dioxide detector, or radon gas detector;

a length of said first linear illuminator section being adapted and positioned to provide illumination along a line leading generally toward said second linear illuminator section;

said first linear illuminator section comprising an intertwined combination of a plurality of linear illuminator strands, such as a twisted, braided or woven combination; and

said first section being capable of leading evacuees toward said second section when said first section is energized to provide illumination.

2. The system of claim 1 further comprising a controller associated with said at least one energizer for cycling illumination of at least one strand of said intertwined combination in a sequencing mode in order to indicate a direction along its length, the indicated direction being generally toward said second linear illuminator section and, thereby, said portal.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein at least one of said first and second linear illuminator sections comprises electroluminescent wire.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein at least one of said first and second linear illuminator sections comprises optical fiber, and said at least one energizer comprises a fiber optic laser illuminator.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein said at least one energizer comprises a low-voltage energizer that is engaged when an alternating current power source is disengaged from said controller.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein said at least one energizer comprises a low-voltage energizer that is engaged when an alternating current power source is disengaged from said controller through a switching mechanism.

7. The system of claim 1 wherein said controller is adapted to actuate said at least one energizer in response to said signal that is present when emergency conditions are detected by said detector.

8. The system of claim 7 wherein said controller is adapted to actuate said at least one energizer in response a radio frequency (RF) switching mechanism initiated in response to detection of emergency conditions by said detector.