| CLAIMS A rescue device (1), which rescue device includes one or more fastening parts (7) releasably or fixedly fastenable in a window frame, a railing or other suitable part and one or more ladder parts (18) fastenable in the fastening part by a lock part (17), which ladder part includes at least two support cables ( 19) between which support cables is fitted at least one ladder rung (4), characterised in that in the ladder rungs are fitted support pieces (3) supporting them and preventing them from wobbling, and that in the fastening part is fastened at least one descending device (2), such as a rope brake, cable brake or chain brake, decelerating the descend of a person to a desired speed and preventing him from falling and that in the descending device is fastened by means of a joint element (5), such as a cable or rope or chain, at least one safety harness (6) to be worn. A rescue device according to claim 1, characterised in that the descending device is fastened in the fastening part by a quick lock (11). A rescue device according to claim 1, characterised in that two or more descending devices are fastened in the fastening part. A rescue device according to claim 1, characterised in that the fastening part includes fastening elements (14, 9, 10) for fastening it fixedly in a desired structure, such as a balcony. A rescue device according to claim 1, characterised in that the rescue device is totally or in part fittable into a carrier bag (21). A rescue device according to claim 1, characterised in that one or more light sources (20) are fitted into the rescue device. A rescue device according to claim 1, characterised in that the support cables (19) are fastened in the fastening part by the quick lock (17). A rescue device according to claim 1, characterised in that the support pieces are of plastic, rubber or composite material. A rescue device according to claim 1, characterised in that the rope is of fireproof material. 10. A rescue device according to claim 1, characterised in that several support cables (19) are successively connectable by joint pieces (16) in them. |
This invention relates to a rescue device which can be used e.g. in ships, residential buildings, industrial buildings etc. The function of the rescue device in a fire or other dangerous situation is to enable people to access shelter e.g. via a window or a balcony, when other exits cannot be used or are not chosen for use. Various arrangements of the rescue device are known. Multi-floor detached houses and multi-floor blocks of flats are commonly built with additional emergency exits on their upper floors, and the additional emergency exits are traditionally fixed metal ladders or equivalents mounted next to a window. However, it has not been possible to use these ladders e.g. in serious fires of detached houses and blocks of flats, and thus they are of no use for rescuing.
The object of this invention is to provide an effective arrangement for a rescue device which can be used in various dangerous situations (such as e.g. fire situations or other emergencies requiring evacuation) and accordingly in such situations in which accessing fixed ladders mounted in the building is impossible or extremely difficult.
Hence, the rescue device according to the invention is characterised in that in ladder rungs are fitted support pieces supporting them and preventing them from wobbling, and in a fastening part is fastened at least one descending device, such as a rope brake, cable brake or chain brake, decelerating the descend of a person to a desired speed and preventing him from falling and in the descending device is fastened via a joint element, such as a cable or rope or chain, at least one safety harness.
The rescue device according to the invention is further characterised by what is stated in the enclosed patent claims 2-10.
The arrangement according to the invention has significant practical advantages. The arrangement according to the invention ensures the safe evacuation of people due to the brake device included in it and the safety harness to be worn joined to it by the joint element, which enables safe descend and prevents the person from falling. Compared to known arrangements, an advantage of the arrangement according to the invention is its portability, i.e., it is easily portable to a desired location as it requires no fixed mounting. The arrangement according to the invention is also quick and easy as well as reliable in operation, and this is especially important in a dangerous situation, such as in a fire situation. A further advantage of the arrangement according to the invention is its extendability, i.e., the length of the ladders is easily obtained as desired by changing the number of steel cables and rungs. Because the rescue device according to the invention is manufactured of fireproof materials, it endures the great heat of a fire situation well.
Furthermore, the rescue device according to the invention is well visible in the dark, because it has reflective surfaces in the ladder rungs or other parts, and light sources can be joined to it.
Next, the invention will be described in more detail with reference to the enclosed drawings l-2b in which Fig. 1 shows a projection of a rescue device and Figs. 2a and 2b show a carrier bag being a part of it.
According to Fig. 1, the rescue device according to the invention includes one or more fastening parts 7 (which can be e.g. of carbon fibre, metal, plastic material) releasably or fixedly fastenable in a window frame, a railing or other suitable part and one or more ladder parts 18 fastenable in the fastening part by a lock part 17, which ladder part includes at least two support cables 19. Between the support cables is fitted at least one ladder rung 4. Furthermore, in the ladder rungs 4 are fitted support pieces 3 supporting them and preventing them from wobbling, which support themselves on a desired surface, such as a wall (not shown in the figure), and in the fastening part 7 (or the ladder rungs 13 being in connection with it) is fastened at least one descending device 2, such as a rope brake, cable brake or chain brake, decelerating the descend of a person to a desired speed in which descending device is fastened via a joint element 5, such as a cable or rope or chain, at least one safety harness 6. The safety harness 6 can be fastened by a quick lock 12, such as e.g. a shackle or a carabiner, in the joint element. The ladder part 18 consists of the ladder rungs 4 one or more of which are fitted into the support cables 19. The ladder rungs are supported in the support cables by means of the support pieces 3. At the end of the support cables there is a lock, such as the quick lock 17, which can be e.g. a shackle or carabiner, by which the ladder part 18 can be quickly fastened in the fastening part 7. Because there are quick locks at both ends of the support cables if required, it is possible to join several ladder parts to each other, whereby a ladder part of desired length can be formed.
The ladder rungs can be of steel pipe or steel bar or aluminium pipe or aluminium bar or some other durable material suitable for ladder rungs.
The ladder rungs 7 can also be covered with a coarse and/or reflective material 14 in order for them to be visible in the dark and not to slip.
In the arrangement according to the invention, the descending device can be fastened in the fastening part by the quick lock and, if required, two or more descending devices can be fastened in the fastening part.
With the descending device, it is possible to decelerate the descending speed to a desired speed, such as e.g. 1 m/s, but the speed can be some other, e.g. between 0.5-3.0 m/s, depending on the requirement and application. If required, it is also possible to lift a person upwards with the descending device, i.e., it then operates as a lifting device.
In the rescue device according to the invention, its fastening part can include fastening elements 14, 9, 10 by which it can be fixedly fastened in a desired structure, such as a balcony.
The rescue device according to the invention is totally or in part fittable into a foldable carrier bag 21, such as shown in Figs. 2a and 2b. The carrier bag can include carrying straps 22 to carry it easily e.g. on one's back to a desired place or e.g. to hang it in a desired place of use.
In Figs. 2a and 2b, reference number 18 designates the ladder part fittable into the carrier bag, which includes the support cables 19 and the ladder rungs 4 as well as the support pieces 3. The rescue device can also be fitted with one or more light sources 20, such as light sticks, or battery-operated or accumulator-operated light sources to improve its use in the dark. It is well known by those skilled in the art that the various embodiments of the invention are not solely limited to the examples described above, and thus they can vary within the scope of the appended claims.
In a rescue device according to the invention, the support pieces can be of plastic, rubber, composite material, or metal material, such as aluminium.
The rope used in the rescue device is of fireproof material. It is possible to connect another safety harness or another safety harness can have been readily connected, e.g. a safety harness or safety bag intended for a child or a pet, to the safety harness used in the arrangement according to the invention.