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The present invention relates to an emergency evacuation system. More specifically, the invention concerns an emergency safety slide, designed and manufactured in particular to allow, in the case of fire, chemical attack, terrorism, earthquake, etc., escaping from windows, balconies, roofs, terraces or raised floors, etc., of high edifices, such as buildings and the like.

In the following the description will be directed to the application to buildings, but it is clear that the same should not be considered limited to this specific use.

As is currently well known, in case of emergency, in a building or multi-floors structures in urban areas, people in high floors may not be able to reach the lower floors, due to the unavailability of traditional escape routes or for temporary or permanent movement disabilities, as well as not being protected from the exhalation effects, poor visibility and panic.

In such situations, firefighters climb telescopic ladders to reach the windows and save the people. This practice takes a very long time and therefore does not guarantee a sufficient evacuation capacity to guarantee the quick safety of the buildings occupiers.

Currently, with reference to buildings with several floors, the traditional exit ways consist of emergency stairs; stairs that due to their very nature constitute an architectural barrier for disabled people and which, therefore, represent an unsolved problem for the rescue of the aforementioned category or those temporarily incapacitated.

For this reason, when the number of people to be evacuated is high, suitable slides or devices are preferred, capable of facilitating and speeding people's descent. An example of an inflatable device is described in the European patent application EP2858724 A, of the same applicant, which describes inflatable slides both of helicoidal shape and linear, capable of allowing a fast evacuation in case of fire or imminent danger. The problem of devices and systems in general according to the prior art is that they are particularly heavy, (inflatable tubulars also on the external wall) bulky (additional inflation system, bulky and complex for the realization), as well as often unstable.

In fact, the inflatable structures, being light, especially in case of high buildings, can suffer serious instability, oscillating in case of wind, for example, in case of, in panic situations or other similar conditions, many people get in the slide.

There are, of course, also non-inflatable structures, but, being very heavy, they are difficult to transport, uncomfortable and cumbersome and require much longer times.

Another problem of remarkable importance is represented by the many historic buildings that, due to the constraints, which they are subjected to, are not equipped with exit systems perfectly adapted to the outflow capacity. In fact, not being able to place the fire escape stairs on the external facades, they are forced to place them inside the atrium, which, according to the law, is not a "safe place". This gap is usually remedied by "measures of equivalent security", from time to time subject to derogation to the current provisions of the binding legislation. Moreover, in case of evacuation from historic buildings, it is often very complicated to carry out rescue operations, both for the reduced spaces surrounding the buildings and for the high risks of compromising or ruining the historical heritage.

It is apparent that the solutions according to the prior art can have costly problems in social terms.

The relevant prior art also includes the utility model application CN 202020803 U and the patent application DE 19708438 A1 .

In light of the foregoing, it is therefore object of the present invention to propose a helical slide, which overcomes the problems of those according to the prior art.

It is also object of the present invention to propose a helical slide, which can have a very light but at the same time stable structure.

Finally, it is also object of the present invention to provide a helical slide that can be easily transported.

It is therefore specific object of the present invention a system for the emergency evacuation from a structure, to which soil is close, said system comprising a supporting structure or supporting frame having an upper part

and a lower part, said supporting frame comprising a central column and an external wall, and at least one slide, fixed to said supporting structure, to which in its turn said wall is fixed, said slide having a helical shape and being fixed to said central column, characterized in that it comprises anchoring means for anchoring said lower portion of said supporting frame to said soil surrounding said structure, and in that said slide is inclined with respect to said central column.

Always according to the invention, the angle of said inclination, formed by said slide with a plane that cuts transversely and parallelly with respect to the soil said central column (21 ), could be comprised between 4° and 10 °.

Still according to the invention, said inclination angle could be 4,7°. Always according to the invention, said anchoring means could comprise a first portion, fixed to said lower portion of said supporting frame, and a second portion, which can be removably fixed to said soil, in correspondence with the arrangement of said first portion, said first and second portion being removably coupled.

Still according to the invention, said first portion of said anchoring means may comprise an inner element, preferably circular-shaped, fixed to the lower edge of said central column.

Further according to the invention, said inner element may be made of magnetic material and said second portion of said anchoring means may comprise an inner element that can be fixed to the soil by means of removable fixing means, such as quick-setting cement and the like, and made of magnetic material, preferably circular-shaped, so as to magnetically couple with said inner element of said first portion of said anchoring means.

Preferably according to the invention, said second portion of said anchoring means may comprise one or more hooks that can be removably fixed to the soil, such as by means of nails, quick-setting cement and the like, intended to hook with said inner element.

Advantageously according to the invention, said first portion of said anchoring means may comprise an outer element, preferably circular- shaped, fixed to the lower edge of said wall.

Always according to the invention, said outer element of said first portion of said anchoring means may be made of magnetic material, and said second portion of said anchoring means may comprise an outer element, preferably circular-shaped, that can be fixed to the soil by means of removable fixing means, such as quick-setting cement and the like, and made of magnetic material, so as to be magnetically couple with said outer element of said first portion of said anchoring means.

Still according to the invention, said second portion of said anchoring means may comprise one or more hooks that can be removably fixed to the soil, such as nails, quick-setting cement and the like, intended to hook with said outer element.

Further according to the invention, said system may comprise a pneumatic inflation system and in that said central column is inflatable by said pneumatic inflation system, said central column being made of selectively inflatable modules by means of said pneumatic inflation system, and/or said central column may comprise telescopically rigid modules coupled to each other and/or it is foldable.

Preferably according to the invention, the outer wall of said slide may be made of a fireproof fabric.

Always according to the invention, said system may comprise fixed or removable fixing members, such as hooks, brackets or the like, arranged on said upper part of said supporting frame, for coupling or fixing to a wall or a window of said building.

Still according to the invention, said system may comprise a containment unit, in which said supporting frame and said slide are containable, said containment unit being open or openable at the top to allow the access to said slide from the top. Advantageously according to the invention, said fixing members may be fixed to said containment unit.

Further according to the invention, said side wall may have a lower opening for the exit, and said side wall may have one or more lateral openings through which the user, who has to evacuate from said building, can pass and access to said slide, and/or said containment unit is open or openable at the top to allow the access to said slide from the top by said user.

It is also specific object of the present invention an operating method of a system for emergency evacuation from a structure which soil is close to, as described above, said method comprises the following steps: A. applying said system to said structure, by means of said fastening members; B. activating said pneumatic inflation system allowing said slide to open, developing downwardly; and C. fixing said system to said soil by said anchoring means.

The present invention will be now described, for illustrative but not limitative purposes, according to its preferred embodiments, with particular reference to the figures of the enclosed drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 shows the application of two emergency evacuation systems according to the present invention to a four-floors building;

Figure 2 shows a transparent view of the two emergency evacuation systems according to Figure 1 ;

Figure 3 shows a single system for emergency evacuation;

Figure 4 shows means for fixing the system for emergency evacuation;

Figure 5 shows a first embodiment of anchoring means according to the present invention;

Figure 6 shows a second embodiment of anchoring mens according to the present invention; and

Figure 7 shows a detail of the coupling between the slide and a central column of the emergency evacuation system.

In the various figures, similar parts will be indicated by the same reference numbers. With reference to Figures 1 and 2, the application of a pair of inflatable emergency evacuation systems 1 respectively applied to the second and third floor of a building E is observed.

As can be seen, each one of said emergency evacuation inflatable systems 1 comprises a containment unit 10, a supporting structure or supporting frame 2, a slide 3 and anchoring means 4.

In particular, the containment unit 10 comprises a container 1 1 and a pneumatic inflation system 13, the operation of which will be better explained below.

Said container 1 1 is open or openable above, to allow the access to the slide 3 also from the top and at the same time to allow the installation of the emergency evacuation system 1 also at the lower portion of the window F, from which users U can escape.

The containment unit 10 comprises suitable fixing members 12 to the building E, such as those shown in Figure 4, having the shape of two hooks.

Alternatively, the containment unit 10 can also be installed and fixed to the building E.

The support frame 2 has in use an upper part 2', in correspondence of the containment unit 10, and a lower part 2". Said supporting frame 2 further comprises a central inflatable column 21 by means of said pneumatic inflation system 13, which develops vertically.

Said central column 21 can be made in modules, so as to adjust its height.

In fact, it is possible to selectively inflate only a few consecutive modules of the central column 21 , leaving folded or deflated others, to adapt the emergency evacuation system 1 to the height of the building E from which to evacuate people.

The slide 3 has a helical shape and is fixed to the central column 21 .

Advantageously, as can be seen in Figure 7, said slide 3 is inclined with respect to the longitudinal plane A associated with said central column 21 . In particular, said slide 3 forms an inclination angle a, included in a range from about 4° to 10 °, with a plane B parallel to said soil S and perpendicular to said longitudinal plane A.

In an embodiment of the present invention, said inclination angle a is preferably equal to 4,7°.

The slide 3 is made of fireproof fabric. Users U can slide along the slide 3, until they reach the soil S adjacent to the building E to be evacuated. Laterally, the supporting frame 2 has an outer cylindrical wall 22, also made of fabric, possibly fixed to said slide 3. Said wall 22 also has a lower outlet opening 24, in correspondence of the soil S, from which users U can exit after sliding along the slide 3. Said wall 22 can also possibly provide openings 23, through which user U to evacuate from the building E can pass and access the slide 3. In particular, the upper opening 23 is indicated, which allows installation at the upper part of the window F, from which the U users can be evacuated.

The slide 3 is possibly surrounded by a tubular or fabric made of fire-retardant fabric.

The anchoring means 4 are adapted to fix the lower part 2" of the support frame 2 to the soil S surrounding the building E, from which it is necessary to evacuate persons or users U.

By means of the anchoring means 4 the emergency evacuation system 1 remains fixed to the soil S, so that it remains fixed both above, by the fixing members 12 of said containment unit 1 0, and below, and in particular to the soil S.

Advantageously, the synergistic effect between said anchoring means 4 and the inclination of said slide 3 with respect to said central column 21 ensures stability to said emergency evacuation inflatable system 1 . In fact, the inclination of said slide 3 causes the displacement or the inclination of the weight of the persons sliding on it towards the center, thus limiting the possible oscillation of the entire supporting structure or supporting frame 2, even in case of the persons sliding on the slide 3 were not uniformly distributed with respect to the central column 21 .

In particular, this synergistic effect allows said support frame 2 in use to maintain a structure fixed without oscillations.

Figure 7 shows an embodiment of the present invention in which said slide 3 is inclined by 4,7° with respect to said plane B.

In general, the inclination of said slide 3 with respect to said plane B can be between 4 ° and 10 °.

Figure 5 shows a first embodiment of said anchoring means 4, comprising a first 41 and a second 42 portion, which can be magnetically coupled to each other. In particular, said first portion 41 is arranged on said lower part 2" of said support frame 2 and comprises an outer element 41 1 , circular shaped, fixed to the lower edge of said wall 22, and an inner element 412, also circular shaped, arranged substantially concentric with said first element 41 1 , but having a smaller diameter than the latter. Said second element 412 is fixed to the lower edge of said central column 21 .

Said second portion 42 is fixed to the ground S, for example by means of a quick-setting cement or similar adhesive system.

Said second portion 42 also comprises an outer element 421 , with shape and dimensions corresponding to those of said external element 41 1 of said first portion 41 of said anchoring means 4; and an inner element 422, with shape and dimensions corresponding to those of said inner element 412 of said first portion 41 of said anchoring means 4.

Said elements 42 and 422 of said second portion 42 of said anchoring means can be connected to one another by one or more radial bars 423.

Advantageously, said system 1 is a retractable foldable system, which can thus be installed and used in a simple and fast way in case of necessity. Moreover, being foldable, said system 1 when not in use allows a saving in terms of employed space.

The operation of the emergency evacuation system 1 described is as follows.

When a building E is to be evacuated, in correspondence with the window F of said building E from which the users U are to be exited, an emergency evacuation system 1 is applied, by means of said fixing members 12. In case of the emergency evacuation system 1 is applied or installed under the window F of the building E from which the users U are to be exited, then the users should pass through the upper opening of the container 1 1 . Otherwise, in case of the emergency evacuation system 1 were installed above the window F from which the users U should exit, then users U could access the slide 3 through the first of the openings 23 obtained on the outer wall 22.

Subsequently, by activating the pneumatic inflation system 13, the central column 21 of the supporting frame 2 is inflated developing vertically downwardly, allowing the slide 3 and the walls 22 to exit the containment unit 10.

Then, the second portion 42 of said anchoring means 4 is fixed to the soil S.

Finally, the first portion 41 and the second portion 42 of said anchoring means are magnetically coupled.

In particular, the external element 41 1 of said first portion 41 of said anchoring means 4 magnetically couples with the external element 421 of said second portion 42 of said anchoring means 4; while, the internal element 412 of said first portion 41 of said anchoring means 4 magnetically couples with the internal element 421 of said second portion 42 of said anchoring means 4.

In this way, it is possible for users U to exit and, despite the transverse stresses of the persons weight passing on the slide 3, or any external agent, such as wind and the like, which can stress the emergency evacuation system 1 , the structure remains stable due to the coordinated stabilizing effect of the fixing elements 12 and the anchoring means 4.

Once the evacuation operations have been completed, the fixing hooks 12 can be easily removed while the second portion 42 of the anchoring means 4 can be detached from the soil S by means of a pick or similar tools, in order to eliminate the quick-setting cement.

Figure 6 shows a second embodiment of the anchoring means 4. In particular, it is seen that in this case the first portion 41 ' of said anchoring means 4 comprises a circular shaped outer element 41 1 ', fixed to the lower edge of said wall 22, and an also circular shaped inner element 412', arranged substantially concentric to said first element 41 1 ', but having a smaller diameter than the latter. Said second element 412' is fixed to the lower edge of said central column 21 .

The second portion 42' of said anchoring means 4 comprises a plurality of hooks 421 ', which can be fixed to the soil S by means of nails or, also in this case, quick-setting cement.

Hooks 421 ' are designed to couple with said external element 41 1 ' and said internal element 412' of said first portion 41 ' of said anchoring means 4.

In further embodiments of the emergency evacuation system 1 , the central column 21 can be alternatively provided in rigid modules telescopically coupled to each other, or it can be foldable.

An advantage of the emergency evacuation system according to the present invention is that of allowing a high stability of the system regardless the internal or external stresses that it may undergo.

A further advantage of the system according to the invention is that it can be unfolded and/or folded and/or reusable, so that it can be easily transported and stored inside the building without occupying too much space.

The present invention has been described for illustrative but not limitative purposes, according to its preferred embodiments, but it is to be understood that modifications and/or changes can be introduced by those skilled in the art without departing from the relevant scope as defined in the enclosed claims.