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Patent Searching and Data


Title:
FIRE-FIGHTING CARPET
Document Type and Number:
WIPO Patent Application WO/2003/103776
Kind Code:
A1
Abstract:
The fire-fighting carpet comprises the carpet (1) to which there are fitted longitudinal hoses (2), Fig. 4., where along the carpet longitudinal edges there are fitted hoses of larger diameters and between them, at certain distances, there are fitted several longitudinal hoses of smaller diameter. Through the longitudinal hose walls there are fitted sprinklers (3), where in the larger-diameter hoses there are fitted more sprinklers. Connecting of the longitudinal hoses and the carpet is also made by sprinklers. At the carpet front and back sides, the longitudinal hoses are connected to distribution hoses (4). At the front end, there is fitted the irreversible valve (7) through which the high-pressure pump (9) drives the fire-extinguishing fluid to the longitudinal hoses and the sprinklers. When the carpet is in use, its side with longitudinal hoses is turned downwards. This produces water mist below and above the carpet, which wets the terrain below the carpet, thus extinguishing the fire or preventing its spread. The carpet length and width are not determined. The carpet is transported airborne.

Inventors:
SMIRCIC CELESTIN (HR)
Application Number:
PCT/HR2003/000030
Publication Date:
December 18, 2003
Filing Date:
June 02, 2003
Export Citation:
Click for automatic bibliography generation   Help
Assignee:
SMIRCIC CELESTIN (HR)
International Classes:
A62C2/08; A62C3/02; A62C8/06; (IPC1-7): A62C2/08; A62C3/02; A62C8/06
Foreign References:
GB636590A1950-05-03
US4162041A1979-07-24
DE19949093A12001-04-19
Attorney, Agent or Firm:
Diatus (21 000 Split, HR)
Download PDF:
Claims:
PATENT CLAIMS
1. Firefighting carpet, wherein, it consists of the carpet (1) to which there are fitted the longitudinal hoses (2) in which walls there are fitted vertical sprinklers (3), distribution hoses (3) fitted at the carpet front and back sides to which there are connected the longitudinal hoses (2), the inflow hose (5) to which there is fitted the irreversible valve (7) preventing the fireextinguishing fluid from returning from the longitudinal hoses, the highpressure pump (9) that drives fluid from the connecting hose (10) through the connecting hose (8), the irreversible valve (7), the inflow hose (5) and the distribution hose (4), into the longitudinal hoses (2) and through the sprinklers (3) into the surrounding space below and above the carpet; it also consists of the outflow hose (6) that is connected to the distribution hose (4) at the back side of the carpet, and the connecting hose (12) that may be closed or connected to another firefighting carpet.
2. Firefighting carpet as claimed in Claim 1., w h e r e i n the longitudinal hoses (2) of larger diameter are fitted along the longitudinal edges of the carpet, whereas between them, at certain distances, there are fitted several longitudinal hoses (2) of smaller diameter.
3. Firefighting carpet as claimed in Claims 1. and 2., wherein the longitudinal hoses (2) are connected to the carpet (1) by the sprinklers (3).
4. Firefighting carpet as claimed in Claims 1. to 3., w h e r e i n the carpet is laid with its longitudinal hoses (2) side turned down, to the soil.
5. Firefighting carpet as claimed in Claims 1. to 4., wherein the drum (14) with the carpet rolled around it is transported by helicopter from which the carpet unrolling, laying down and collection is controlled.
Description:
FIRE-FIGHTING CARPET INVENTION DESCRIPTION 1. FIELD OF APPLICATION The invention relates to the carpet made of hoses through which flow the fire extinguishing fluid and in whose walls there are fitted sprinklers through which pressurised fluid sprinkles over the area, thus extinguishing and preventing further spreading of fire.

In the International Patent Classification as A-Human necessities, A62-Life- saving, fire-fighting, A62C-Fire-fighting.

The subject matter of the invention can also be classified as B05-Spraying or atomising in general; applying liquids or other fluent materials to surfaces, in general.

2. TECHNICAL PROBLEM The technical problem is how to successfully extinguish and prevent further spreading of fire over an area, especially over uneven areas, unapproachable by fire engines, where fire-fighting with hand held devices is inefficient and use of special aircraft is uneconomic.

The technical problem solved by the invention relates to a carpet to which there is fixed a number of longitudinal, parallel hoses of various diameters, connected at their ends into a single inflow and a single outflow hose. The carpet dimensions are not limited. In the hose walls, circumferentially, at certain distances, there are fixed water sprinklers, more of them at hoses of larger diameter and less at those of lesser diameter. The hoses are supplied with fire-extinguishing liquid under a certain pressure, sprinkling in all directions. The fire-fighting carpet is rolled around a drum for transportation to the site.

The carpet is to be used firstly over areas yet not reached by the fire, so that the land under the carpet is soaked with fluid before reached by the fire, and the space above the carpet is also sprinkled the liquid to prevent water from spreading over the carpet.

The carpet, the hoses and sprinklers, are made of fire-resistant materials.

3. STATE OF THE ART Presently, various devices and techniques are being used in fire-fighting. The most widely used are various fire engines, with or without water tanks, efficiently extinguishing fires if the fire is approachable by such vehicles. There are also various hand-held devices for extinguishing lesser fires, carried on the back. In extinguishing larger, especially forest, fires, the most efficient present devices are special airplanes. They collect water while flying over larger water surfaces such as seas, rivers or lakes, filling their tanks, and then discharging the water while flying over the area on fire. The water bomb falls over the fire and extinguishes it by depriving it from oxygen. Helicopters carrying water tanks are being use as well.

Yet, they carry lesser quantities of water and are, therefore, less efficient than airplanes. However, fire-fighting by aircraft is very expensive, due to their high purchase and maintenance costs.

4. DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION The fire-fighting carpet is a new technical solution for efficient extinguishing and prevention of spreading of fire over various terrains. Along the carpet there are longitudinally fixed hoses. At the ends of the carpet, the longitudinal hoses are connected to one inflow and one outflow hose. The inflow and outflow hoses are connected to a pump or another carpet. At the beginning of the carpet, between the pump and the inflow hose, there is an irreversible valve, preventing the fluid to flow back from longitudinal hoses into the pump. The hoses at outer edges of the carpet are of larger diameters, and the inner ones are of smaller diameter. In the longitudinal hoses there are fitted sprinklers that spray the fluid in the surrounding space. Hoses of larger diameters carry larger numbers of sprinklers. Before use, the fire-fighting carpet is kept rolled on a special drum, equipped with engine and breaks. The drum with the carpet are transported to the fire location by helicopter, from which the carpet unrolling and laying is controlled. The carpet is laid with the hoses side down. When water is let through the hoses and the sprinklers, it produces water mist that, like rain, soaks the land under the carpet. The mist produced by sprinklers above the carpet prevents hot particles to fly over and to ignite new fire at the other side of the carpet.

5. ILLUSTRATION DESCRIPTIONS Figure 1. shows the fire-fighting carpet-view from the longer lateral side.

Figure 2. shows the fire-fighting carpet-view from above.

Figure 3. shows the fire-fighting carpet-view from below.

Figure 4. shows the fire-fighting carpet-cross-section A-A in Fig. 2.

Figure 5. shows the fire-fighting carpet-cross-section B-B in Fig. 2.

Figure 6. shows hose sprinkler-view from above.

Figure 7. shows sprinkler-view from front side, partial cross-section C-C in Fig. 6.

Figure 8. shows sprinkler turned by 90° as shown in Fig. 6.

Figure 9. shows sprinkler turned by 90°, partial cross-section D-D in Fig. 8.

Figure 10. shows hose connected with the carpet by a sprinkler-view from above.

Figure 11. shows connected hose from Fig. 10-side view, partial cross-section E- E.

Figure 12. shows fire-fighting carpet while being used-longitudinal view.

Figure 13. shows fire-fighting carpet while being used-transversal view.

Figure 14. shows drum for rolling the fire-fighting carpet on-perspective view.

6. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF AN INVENTION EMBODIMENT The fire-fighting carpet, as shown in Figs. 1., 2. and 3., consists of: carpet 1, longitudinal hoses 2, sprinklers 3, distribution hoses 4, inflow hose 5, irreversible valve 7, connecting hose 8, high-pressure pump 9, connecting hose 10, outflow hose 6, connection hose 12 and supports 11.

The carpet 1 is a long stripe to which there are connected longitudinal hoses 2, Fig. 4., the hoses by the edges being of larger diameter. Between the hoses 2, at certain distances, there are several longitudinal hoses of smaller diameter. At a certain, arbitrary, distance, perpendicularly through the longitudinal-hose 2 walls, Figs. 4., 7. and 9., there are fitted sprinklers 3, where hoses of larger diameter are fitted larger number of sprinklers. The longitudinal hoses are connected to the carpet by sprinklers 3, Fig. 11., fitted at certain distances, about 1 meter.

The carpet width, according to the invention, is not defined and can be as much as 20 meters. The carpet length is also arbitrary.

At the carpet front and back ends there are fitted distribution hoses 4, to which there are connected longitudinal hoses 2. At the front side, to the distribution hose 4 there is connected the inflow hose 5 with the irreversible valve 7, while and at the back side there is connected the outflow hose 6. The irreversible valve 7 is connected by the connecting hose 8 to the pump 9, which is supplied with water by the connecting hose 10. The pressurised pump 10 drives the fire-extinguishing liquid through the longitudinal hoses 2 and the sprinklers 3. The connecting hose 10 can be immersed into the sea, lake, river or pool, or to a water supply coming from another source.

The connecting hose 12 can be closed at the outlet or connected to another carpet, closing thus the circle around the fire.

The carpet is transported to the place of its use rolled on the drum 14, Fig. 14. The drum may be equipped with an electro-motor and breaks 15. The drum is transported by helicopter from which carpet unrolling and rolling is controlled.

The fire-fighting carpet is laid with its longitudinal hoses 2 down. Water that is atomised into mist 13 below the carpet 1, Figs. 12. and 13., waters the terrain below, thus preventing the fire to spread below the carpet. Above the carpet there is also formed water mist that extinguishes burning particles that may fly across the carpet and cause fires at its opposite side.

The carpet 1, the longitudinal hoses 2, the distribution hoses 4, the inflow and outflow hoses 6 and 7, are made of fire resistant materials. The sprinklers may be produced of metal or another heat-resistant material.

7. INVENTION APPLICATION The invention application is obvious from its description. The fire-fighting carpet is particularly applicable on hardly approachable locations where other fire-fighting devices cannot approach. The carpet is firstly to be applied on areas still not on fire. The fire will hardly spread over such a wet terrain and will be quickly isolated with no consequences.

Manufacturing of particular parts of the carpet, according to the invention, is economic and quick, and its transportation and application is simple.