GB2174901A - Fire escape equipment - Google Patents

Abstract

Fire escape equipment comprises a rescue bag (20) of non-inflammable material for accommodating a person to be rescued and an escape line (4) attached to the bag by which the bag can be lowered to the ground from an upper storey of a building the bag having an access opening (25) through which the person to be rescued enters the bag and closure means (26) for closing the access opening during lowering of the bag. The rescue bag is intended primarily for babies and young children. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Fire escape equipment This invention relates to improvements in or relating to fire escape equipment for use in escaping from an upper storey of a building in the event of a fire in the building.

It is well known that multi-storey buildings present considerable problems in poviding for the survival and escape of occupants of the upper floors of the building in the event of a fire.

It is an object of the present invention to provide improved fire escape apparatus to facilitate the rescue of the occupants, particularly children, from the upper storeys of a multi-storey building in the event of fire.

Accordingly, the present invention provides fire escape apparatus comprising a rescue bag of noninflammable material for accommodating a person to be rescued and an escape line attached to the bag by which the bag can be lowered to the ground from an upper storey of a building, the bag having an access opening through which the person to be rescued enters the bag and closure means for closing the access opening during lowering of the bag to protect the occupant.

In one embodiment of the invention, the rescue bag comprises a pouch with an open top for accommodating the person to be rescued and the closure means is constituted by a flap for overlying and closing the opening of the pouch to protect the head and face of the rescued person.

In another embodiment of the invention, the rescue bag has a longitudinal front wall having an access opening therein which is arranged to close during lowering of the bag to protect the occupant.

Preferably, fire escape apparatus according to the invention is housed in a container made of noncombustible material for storage adjacent a window, for example by being provided with attachment means for cooperation with supporting means fitted to the interior of the building adjacent a window.

In order that the invention may be readily understood, embodiments thereof will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accom panying drawings, in which: Figure lisa schematic view of fire escape apparatus in accordance the present invention in its storage position; Figure 2 is a schematic view of a rescue bag of apparatus in accordance with a first embodiment of the invention; Figure 3 is a perspective view of a rescue bag of apparatus in accordance with a second embodiment of the present invention, showing the bag lying on a floor with a child accommodated therein; Figure 4 is a perspective view of the rescue bag of Figure 3, showing the bag in the condition which it adopts while the child is being lowered to safety; and Figure 5 is a cross-sectional view on the line V-V of Figure 1, showing a ladder of the fire escape apparatus in use.

Referring firstly to Figure 1, a fire escape apparatus 1 embodying the present invention comprises a container 2, such as the illustrated holdall bag, preferably made of non-combustible material. The holdall 2 contains a rescue bag and lowering line, two embodiments of which will be described hereinafter with reference to Figures 2 to 4. The holdall 2 is stored in an upper storey room of a building in an accessible position and could, for example, be hung on a bracket 5 or otherwise supported by a wall 6 adjacent to window 7 from which escape is envisaged in the event of a fire.

Figure 2 shows one embodiment of the rescue bag which is normally stored in a rolled or folded condition in the holdall 2. The rescue bag comprises a rescue receptacle 3 intended primarily for babies and young children. The receptacle 3 is made of non-inflamable material and is attached to a lowering line 4 also made of non-inflammable material.

The receptacle comprises an open topped pouch portion 10 in which a baby or young child may be placed with its head 11 above a top edge of the front wall of the pouch. A flap 12 attached to the top edge of a rear wall of the pouch portion 10 is adapted to be turned over and secured to the front wall of the pouch by a suitable fastening means, such as spring clips and attachment rings, so as to cover and protect the child's head.

With a child thus enclosed in the rescue receptacle 3, it may be lowered down from the upper storey of the building to safety using the lowering line 4.

Figures 3 and 4 illustrate a rescue bag 20 in accordance with a second embodiment of the present invention.

As shown in Figures 3 and 4, the rescue bag 20 takes the form of an elongate bag having approximately rectangular end walls 21, side walls 22, a front wall 23 and a rear wall 24.

The walls of the bag are preferably of two-layer construction, the outer layer being a flame-retardent canvass material. The inner layer or lining, if provided, is made of a fire-resistant mineral material, such as is used to construct fire blankets.

The front wall 23 of the bag has a longitudinal opening 25 extending centrally from that one of the end walls 21 of the bag which is intended to be uppermost in use for part of the length of the front wall 23. A central gusset 26 is provided in the front wall 23 and extends between the other end wall 21 of the bag and the opening 25.

A longitudinal periperal reinforcing band 27 of webbing extends around the bag and is attached, such as by stitching, to the end and sidewalls 21 and 22 of the bag.

A narrower band 28 of webbing extends transversely around the bag and is attached to the front, back and sidewalls of the bag, for example by stitching, leaving a handhold 29 by which the bag may be gripped and lifted.

A fixing ring 30 encircles a free length 31 of the reinforcing band 27 at the one or upper end wall 21 and serves for the attachment of the lifting line 4 which may be a thin steel hawser or other suitable non-inflammable line.

As shown in Figure 3, when the rescue bag is laid on the floor, the opening 25 automatically adopts an open condition, so that a child may be readily intalled or removed from the bag and will not be frightened. In use of the bag to lower a child to safety from the upper storey of a building, the opening 25 automatically adopts a closed condition as a result of the weight of the child in the bag, as shown in Figure 4, so that the child is completely enclosed and protected during the lowering operation.

The bag tapers slightly from the one or upper end wall 21 to the other or lower end wall 21, so that the occupant is safely and comfortably held and does not slip down into the bottom of the bag.

It is envisaged that a suitable clip, such a caribbean clip, could be attached to the webbing 27 at the lower end wall 21,so that such a clip could be connected to the lifting line 4to form the empty bag into a sling which could be used by adults escaping from the building.

Referring to Figure 1 and 5, it is further envisaged that the holdall 2 could contain a rope or other collapsible ladder 39 for use by those occupants of the building able to ciimb down such a ladder. To this end, a pair of attachment members such as brackets 40 screwed to floor joists, could be provided beneath the window 23 of the room. One end of the rope ladder would be fitted with spring clips 41 for attachment to the brackets 40.

Fire escape apparatus in accordance with the present invention is proposed primarily as an emergency fire kit which would be stored in the bedroom of a private house or low-rise flat and would not therefore need to contain a lifting line 4 or ladder 39 of excessive length. The kit could also include other emergency devices housed in the holdall 2. For example, the holdall may also accommodate a fire extinguisher and an oxygen cylinder and mask. It could also contain a safety strap or harness to be worn by a person descending the rope ladder and connected to a cable to be held to steady the person descending the ladder.

It may be advantageous to provide transversely extending hand grips along the length of the lifting line to enable the rescue bag to be lowered without slippage. Such hand grips may, for example, take the form of tubular metal members fixed in position at intervals along the lifting line by grub screws passing transversely through the tubular hand grips into engagement with the line. It may also be advantageous for the lifting line or other security straps to extend peripherally around the rescue bag, either beneath the reinforcing band or guided through loops attached to the band.

It is envisaged that the fire escape apparatus may be supplied with an escape line 4 of a standard length suitable for use from the first storey of a building, extension lines adapted to be clipped to the standard escape line then being provided when the apparatus is intended for use on higher floors.

The rescue bag may be provided in a range of sizes to suit different age groups and may, for example, vary in length from say 3'6" (107cms) to 6' (183cms).

Claims (12)

1. Fire escape apparatus comprising a rescue bag of non-inflammable material for accommodating a person to be rescued and an escape line attached to the bag by which the bag can be lowered to the ground from an upper storey of a building, the bag having an access opening through which the person to be rescued enters the bag and closure means for closing the access opening during lowering of the bag to protect the occupant.

2. Fire escape apparatus according to Claim 1, wherein the rescue bag comprises a pouch with an open top for accommodating the person to be rescued and the closure means is constituted by a flap for overlying and closing the opening of the pouch to protect the head and face of the rescued person.

3. Fire escaping apparatus according to Claim 1, wherein the rescue bag has a longitudinal front wall having an access opening therein which is arranged to close during lowering of the bag to protect the occupant.

4. Fire escape apparatus according to Claim 3, wherein the access opening in the longitudinal front wall of the rescue bag is a slit extending from an upper end wall of the bag to which the escape line is attached for part of the length of the front wall and a gusset formed on the front wall extends between a lower end wall of the bag and the access opening.

5. Fire escape apparatus according to Claim 4, wherein the rescue bag tapers in the direction from the upper end wall to the lower end wall.

6. Fire escape apparatus according to Claim 5, wherein a longitudinal peripheral reinforcing band of webbing extends around the bag and is attached to the end walls and longitudinal side walls of the bag.

7. Fire escape apparatus according to Claim 6, wherein a fixing ring encircles a free length of the longitudinal reinforcing band at the upper end wall of the bag and serves for the attachment of the escape line.

8. Fire escape apparatus according to Claim 7, wherein a transverse reinforcing band of webbing extends around the bag and is attached to the longitudinal front and back walls and the longitudinal side walls of the bag.

9. Fire escape apparatus according to any preceding claim, wherein the rescue bag and line are housed in a container made of non-combustible material for storage adjacent a window, for example by being provided with attachment means for cooperation with supporting means fitted to the interior of the building adjacent a window.

10. Fire escape apparatus according to Claim 9, wherein the container also houses a collapsible ladder

11. Fire escape apparatus substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

12. Any novel feature or combination of features described herein.