Fire protection device including fireproof cover

Abstract

The present invention relates to a fire protection device including a fire protection cover (3) positioned in a parking space (5) and capable of covering a potentially flammable object, in particular an electric vehicle (6), etc., in order to counteract spreading combustion spreading from an object or flashover spreading to an object. This fire protection cover (3) is compactly grouped into a package (32), in particular wound up and / or folded, and is accommodated in a box-shaped housing (1) that can be attached to or is attached to the parking space (5), and is connected to a pulling-out device (4). Using this pulling-out device (4), in the event of a fire or a fire hazard, the fire protection cover (3) can completely cover the object manually or automatically so that its side section (31) is placed completely or at least sufficiently around the floor of the parking space to prevent the inflow of oxygen as much as possible.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a fire protection device including a fire protection cover that can cover a conventional vehicle or a potentially flammable object such as a battery-powered vehicle positioned in a parking space in order to counteract the spread of fire burning from an object or the spread of fire to an object, as well as a method for preventing or suppressing a fire in an object positioned as such.

[0002] This type of fire protection device equipped with a fire protection cover or a fire extinguishing cover is suggested to be known from the German Utility Model No. 202020106119. This fire extinguishing cover / fire protection cover is used to cover, in particular, battery-powered electric vehicles in order to cut off the fire and suppress its further spread. The fire extinguishing cover is folded and stored in a transport box. The fire protection device has an alarm device that triggers an alarm and further recognizes when the transport box leaves its storage space, for example, for the request of a specialized rescue team by the fire brigade. The fire extinguishing cover must be able to withstand the heat of the fire until the arrival of the specialized rescue team. Positioning the fire extinguishing cover on a vehicle is rather time-consuming because of its relatively heavy weight, and in many cases, precious time until the occurrence of the fire is recognized and extinguished is lost.

[0003] The Chinese Utility Model No. 215461549 shows a fire protection device that is, for example, oriented longitudinally with respect to a vehicle and mounted above the vehicle in a garage. In this case, the fire protection cover is grouped into two rolls extending in the longitudinal direction, and these rolls are dissociable between two half-shells that can be automatically deployed laterally during a fire in a longitudinal central transfer region in a holding device having electromagnets and are held so as to spread over the vehicle.

[0004] German Utility Model No. 202016008488 describes a fire protection device comprising a fire extinguishing cover housed within a box, the fire extinguishing cover being removable through an opening in the lower part of the box without opening the box.

[0005] German Utility Model No. 202022101021 describes a flame-retardant cover for covering an automobile, consisting of a surface element made of a high-temperature woven fabric.

[0006] German Patent Application Publication No. 102021005719 describes a further fire protection device comprising at least one flexible fire extinguishing cover, the fire extinguishing cover comprising at least one fastening belt formed as an infinite loop for fastening the fire extinguishing cover. By using this fastening belt, the fire extinguishing cover can be fastened easily and as needed, thereby providing security, for example, on an object.

[0007] German Utility Model No. 202019106371 describes a fire extinguishing cover having a three-layer structure consisting of a glass fiber fabric and a second layer of bentonite placed between them, in which case the structure provides a good compromise in terms of weight, rigidity, fire resistance and airtightness or filtering function. For handling the fire extinguishing cover, it is proposed that the fire extinguishing cover be equipped with a handling device on the edge side, such as a loop-shaped handgrip made of webbing or edge tape. In addition, fastening means, particularly Velcro fasteners, are attached on the edge side. The fire extinguishing cover must be applicable to multiple uses and must effectively protect the surroundings from the consequences of lithium-ion battery burnout. Such a fire extinguishing cover cannot be easily handled when dealing with large objects such as automobiles.

[0008] German Patent Application Publication No. 102016225871 describes a fire and smoke protection system with a self-expanding cover including a self-expanding shield. The shield struts are formed by hose-like conduits that can be pressurized with a pressure medium. Commercial vehicles equipped with such a fire and smoke protection system have also been proposed, for example, to shield transported goods in the event of a fire or smoke. This device can also be applied to private cars in, for example, automobile factories or underground parking lots. Such structures are relatively complex, and in many cases the spatial conditions for them are not favorable.

[0009] German Utility Model No. 202013102471 describes a device for emergency activities within a building, including a housing, which houses emergency response means in the event of a fire, particularly fire extinguishers and fire covers. The housing is connected via a wireless link to a smoke detector or a notification center for activating the emergency device.

[0010] German Patent Application Publication No. 102020102191 describes a device for detecting an emergency in the area of ​​a vehicle in order to derive threats from the surrounding environment and, if necessary, to output an emergency signal, and a method for automatically determining the current value of a vehicle battery state variable.

[0011] German Patent Application Publication No. 102017213408 presents an autonomous charging and firefighting vehicle, which includes, in particular, a firefighting system.

[0012] The problem on which the present invention is based is to provide a fire prevention device of the type described at the beginning that can provide the most effective containment of fire spread in objects placed in parking spaces, particularly in battery-powered vehicles, and that can provide a good and effective method for fire prevention.

[0013] This problem is solved in a fire protection device having the features of claim 1, or by the method described in claim 13. According to the present invention, the fire protection cover is compactly packaged, in particular folded and / or wound onto an axle, and housed in a box-shaped housing that is installable or installed in a parking space and connected to a drawer device, which allows the fire protection cover to be manually or automatically fully covered in the event of a fire or fire hazard, so that its lateral sections are placed completely around the floor of the parking space in order to block as much oxygen as possible from entering and thus best isolate the vehicle.

[0014] In this method, it is assumed that the fireproof cover is manually or automatically pulled out from the housing onto the object using a pull-out device, and then lowered.

[0015] These features allow the fire protection device to provide simple manual operation in the event of a fire or recognized fire hazard, or to provide spontaneous and automatic operation when fully extending a fire protection or fire extinguishing cover over an object, particularly an electrically powered battery-operated vehicle, positioned in a parking space, and further to provide fully or at least sufficiently lowering the edge section of the fire protection cover around the object, thereby effectively combating the spread of fire until a fire brigade or fire department arrives and takes over further firefighting efforts. Thus, the means according to the present invention contribute to substantially efficient and early firefighting efforts.

[0016] An advantageous configuration for a fire protection housing installed or mountable in a parking space is such that the housing, which is installed or mountable in a longitudinal direction, particularly laterally or perpendicular to the vehicle longitudinal direction, includes a wall section that shields a drawer opening extending longitudinally with respect to the housing, and the wall section is capable of moving away automatically in the event of a fire hazard, either manually or automatically, based on an opening signal triggered by a sensor assembly to open the drawer opening. On the one hand, the fire protection cover is housed within the housing, protected and protected from damage using its own mechanism, and on the other hand, it is released for easy and uninterrupted application as needed. For example, the wall section may be formed as a cover that extends in the direction of the longitudinal axis of the housing and folds downward, or as a shiftable cover.

[0017] To facilitate the removal and relocation of the fireproof cover from the housing, it is advantageous to assume that the fireproof cover is rolled up or folded and housed within the housing, and connected to a pull-out mechanism.

[0018] A configuration advantageous for installation in a parking space for applications on objects, particularly vehicles, is such that the housing is attached to a parking space partition, particularly a wall or cover, in front of and above the object in the extension direction, and deflection means are attached to a support portion at the rear and above the object, with two extension means, particularly in the form of tow ropes, connected to the fire cover so as to extend in the extension direction on the sides and above the object and guided around the deflection means, so that the fire cover can be extended along the entire length of the object in the extension direction, and then the edge section can be lowered to the floor of the parking space. The extended fire cover on the object then, due to its flexibility and weight, loosens when its lateral section is lowered, and contacts the floor of the parking space so as to adequately block airflow from the surroundings to the object. The lateral section of the fire cover, as well as the front and rear section of the fire cover, are configured to have a large enough area to rest on the floor around the parking space.

[0019] To achieve rapid lowering of the fire cover to the floor, it is advantageous to assume that, in order to lower the fire cover to the floor, there is a separation device at the rear of the object (away from the housing) for separating the connection of the drawer mechanism from the fire cover, or for cutting the drawer mechanism. After the drawer mechanism is separated from the fire cover, or after the drawer mechanism itself is cut, the fire cover can fall onto the object or vehicle without obstruction, and its lateral sections can be placed on the floor around the vehicle.

[0020] A configuration advantageous for the automatic operation of a fire protection device is one in which a pull-out device for automatically pulling out a fire protection cover, particularly connected to a control unit, is linked to a drive unit, the drive unit being activatable manually or in response to notification signals from one or more fire detectors. When triggered by a notification signal in a sensory manner during a fire, the fire protection cover is positioned as needed without the assistance of human intervention on the object, but can be moved more precisely by the user as needed. Simultaneously, the notification signal can be used to trigger an alarm (transmitted, for example, acoustically, optically, or wirelessly), or to switch off a fire alarm system (BMA) (if present) to alert fire safety assistants or fire brigades for firefighting operations.

[0021] To provide driving energy for a drive device, various means are possible, for example, consisting of an electric, pneumatic, hydraulic, or mechanical energy source, particularly an energy source having a spring device. In this case, the advantage is the existence of a self-sufficient energy source that continues to function even in the event of a fire, especially without electricity, which is, for example, a preloaded mechanical spring device in which its stored energy is released when triggered by an activation signal, for example by a notification signal or manual operation, thereby operating the drive device, and for example, a drawer means is drawn out via a deflection means for positioning a fire cover on an object.

[0022] Advantageously, it is assumed that there is an electric, pneumatic, hydraulic, or mechanical energy source, particularly one having a spring mechanism, to provide the driving energy for the drive unit.

[0023] Furthermore, to facilitate the extension and positioning of the fireproof cover, it is advantageously assumed that the drive mechanism is connected to the extension mechanism.

[0024] Further configurations that are advantageous in terms of structure and function consist of a drive unit configured to rotationally drive and comprising an implement for a winding device or a pull-out means for applying tensile force. An implement that can apply tensile force to the pull-out means is, for example, a friction roller that transports the pull-out means.

[0025] A further advantage for firefighting operations would be that the fire cover is made of a high-performance material designed for temperatures up to 1500°C for continuous loads (24 hours or more) or up to 2500°C for maximum load resistance (approximately 15 minutes), as specified by the manufacturer.

[0026] A favorable means of adapting to local given conditions or different object dimensions is provided by a height-adjustable and / or width-adjustable device (H, B, H+B), via which the housing can be mounted or installed in a parking space in a height-adjustable and / or width-adjustable manner.

[0027] In this method, an advantageous procedure is that the pull-out device for pulling out has a pull-out means, particularly a tow rope, connected to the fire cover, the pull-out means is guided via a deflection element, and in the event of a fire, it is cut in order to lower the pulled-out fire cover.

[0028] The present invention will be described in more detail below based on examples and with reference to the drawings. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0029] [Figure 1] It is a perspective view schematically showing a fire protection device arranged at a vehicle installation location.

[0030] The embodiment shown in FIG. 1 schematically depicts a parking space 5 on which an object is placed and a fire protection device arranged in the parking space and attached thereon. By using this fire protection device, for example, until a fire protection assistant or a fire brigade arrives, an object that may be exposed to flames can be sufficiently protected from fire spread. The object is, in this example, a vehicle, particularly a vehicle 6 electrically driven using a battery (for example, a lithium-ion battery). In this case, the parking space 5 may be a parking space in a garage such as an underground parking lot or a carport, or a charging space for charging the battery.

[0031] The front partition, for example, is structured from a solid wall or, for example, a strut, and when a vehicle is parked facing forward, the partition wall located in front of the vehicle preferably has a cassette-shaped or box-shaped elongated housing 6 mounted horizontally (with respect to gravity or geodetic direction) at least the height of the top surface of the object or vehicle 6, via, for example, a height adjustment device H and / or a width adjustment device B, and the housing 6 extends longitudinally over, for example, the width of the vehicle 6 or the possible parking space for the vehicle 6. Inside the housing 1 is a fire cover 3 (also called a fire extinguishing cover) compressed and bundled in a packaging 32, for example, rolled up or alternatively folded. The fire cover usually has standard dimensions of 6 × 8 m. In the state shown in Figure 1, the fire cover 3 is fully extended (in the extension direction Z) from the housing 1 over the rear portion on the vehicle 6, and the flexible and relatively heavy fire cover 3 has lateral sections 31 hanging down on both sides, following the upper section 30, which are folded inward in a rolled-up or folded state for storage inside the housing 1. The longitudinal extension of the housing 1 can also be made narrower than the vehicle 6, for example, or the length extension of the housing 1 can be made adjustable to accommodate different parking space widths, and the width of the fire cover 3 can be adapted to the longitudinal extension of the housing 1 by folding it once or multiple times in the longitudinal direction, for example, thereby allowing the fire cover 3 to be housed inside the housing 1.

[0032] A pull-out device 4 is provided for pulling out the fire cover 3. This pull-out device 4 has pull-out means in particular in the form of two lateral towing ropes 40, which are connected to the fire cover 3, thereby allowing the fire cover 3 to be pulled out on the vehicle in the event of an imminent or already occurring fire. The pull-out means extends over a guide device located on the rear side of the parking space or on the rear side of the vehicle, which includes a deflection device having deflection means 41 such as a curved deflection track or deflection rollers. The tensile force for pulling out the fire cover 3 can be procured manually by one or more operators accessing the pull-out means, or preferably by using a drive device 2. The drive device 2 may be located, for example, in the area of ​​the deflection means 41, or preferably in or within the housing 1, in which case the deflection of the pull-out means is performed via the deflection means 41.

[0033] The drive unit 2 is driven, for example, by an electric motor, in a pneumatic, hydraulic, or mechanical manner, in which case the energy source is preferably allocated to the fire protection device, thereby supplying the drive unit with energy self-sufficiently in the event of a fire. One advantageous configuration is that the drive energy is stored mechanically in a spring device, for example, using a coil spring. To pull out the fire protection cover 3, a pull-out means, i.e., a tow rope 40 extending laterally in the longitudinal direction of the fire protection cover, in the pull-out direction, or above them on the side of the parking space or vehicle 6, can be wound up using the winding device 20 of the pull-out device 4. At this time, the fire protection cover 3 is unwound, for example, by a winding device inside the housing 1, or unfolded from a folded package.

[0034] The fire cover 3 is protected when there is no danger and is preferably fully enclosed and housed within the housing 1. To enable the fire cover 3 to be quickly extended over the object, particularly over the vehicle 6, in the event of a fire hazard or fire, a wall section is attached to its front facing the parking space 5 or the vehicle 6, which opens quickly in response to a trigger signal and shields the drawer opening. This wall section is formed, for example, as a flap supported by a hinge and pivoting downward due to gravity, or alternatively, for example, as a slider, or to be formed to unfold upward using spring force. The release signal can be triggered, for example, manually by the user of the fire protection device, or automatically by a sensor assembly 11 that detects a fire hazard or fire, in order to release the drawer opening. The drive control of the actuator device for releasing the wall section shielding the drawer opening is performed, in particular, using the control device 10. For example, the release signal is triggered in response to a notification signal from a fire detector, and subsequently, the drawer device 4 or the drive device 2 is also released or activated.

[0035] Immediately after the fire cover 3 is pulled out over the object or vehicle 6, the edge section of the fire cover 3 must be lowered over the object or vehicle 6 so that it rests on the floor 51 around the vehicle, in order to eliminate as much as possible the inflow of oxygen into the area of ​​the object below the cover, at least until fire support personnel or a fire brigade arrive (e.g., 5 to 20 minutes later). The fire cover must provide a high level of protection against the spread of fire for at least such a period, and may also be left on the object after the arrival of the fire brigade until the fire is extinguished or the "thermal runaway" has ended.

[0036] The fireproof cover 3 is designed to meet high fire protection requirements. For example, the fireproof cover 3 has a special coating and is manufactured from a highly heat-resistant material based on silicate or graphite. Therefore, the flexible cover is relatively heavy. To quickly lower the extended cover over the object, a separation device 42, such as a cutting device, is present, particularly in the area of ​​the rear deflection means 41, which cuts or separates the extension means, i.e., the towing rope 40, from the fireproof cover 3. In the rear and front areas, the fireproof cover 3 overlaps sufficiently with the object or vehicle 6, so after lowering, its weight also causes it to loosen and rest on or stick to the floor 51 along with the surrounding partitions. A separation device may also be present in the front area, or the front edge area of ​​the fireproof cover 3 may be housed loosely within the housing 6, thereby allowing the extended fireproof cover 3 to be easily lowered to the floor. If additional positioning is required, this can be done by the user. Support personnel can, for example, issue alarms via fire detectors, acoustic, optical, and / or wireless notification devices.

[0037] In a first variant embodiment, the fire protection device presented herein provides manual positioning of a fire cover 3 over a potentially flammable object on a parking space 5, particularly a vehicle 6. The fire cover 3 is mounted on or housed within a housing 1 or wall cassette attached to the wall 50 of the parking space 5. In this embodiment, the fire cover 3 is positioned by a user or firefighter over a potentially hazardous or already burning vehicle 6. Subsequently, the fire cover 3 can be further fine-tuned by the user, if necessary, to accommodate specific protections. In this configuration stage, the fire protection device is, for example, fully mechanical and self-sufficient, with the assumption of supplementary manual intervention, such as a trigger signal for opening the cassette and / or drawing out the fire cover 3 using a drawer device 4.

[0038] In the second variant, the opening of the housing or cassette can be triggered, for example, manually or automatically, and the withdrawal process can be triggered by manual operation, but thereafter it is performed automatically and autonomously via the withdrawal device 4 and the drive device 2.

[0039] In the third variant embodiment, the automatic triggering of the pull-out device 4 and the operation using the drive device 2 are assumed to be at least sufficiently self-sufficient, with or without external energy supply, and possibly using redundant means, under the triggering of the sensor assembly 11 and the control device 10. This provides the fire protection device with an advantageous means of protection against the fire hazard of the vehicle 6, which is electrically driven, in particular using a battery such as a lithium-ion battery, or an advantageous means of protection in the event of a fire. In the final variant embodiment, it is also assumed that the initiation of the pull-out process of the fire cover 5 is performed via an automatic operation using the sensor assembly 11, in which case there may be, for example, dependencies between two sensors or dependencies with further sensors, and adaptation to customer requirements for fully automatic control or closed-loop control. For this purpose, it is advantageous that an interface to a charging station or wall box may be assumed for de-energized switching at the time of triggering. This variant embodiment functions fully automatically, for example, in communication with the vehicle 6 and / or further automated sensor systems.

Claims

1. In order to prevent the spread of fire from an object or the fire from spreading to an object, a fireproof cover (3) is provided that can cover a potentially flammable object, such as a battery-powered vehicle (6), which is positioned in the parking space (5). The fireproof cover (3) is compactly assembled into a packaging body (32), and in particular rolled up and / or folded, and housed in a box-shaped housing (1) that is attachable to or attached to the parking space (5), and is connected to a pull-out device (4), which allows the fireproof cover (3) to be manually or automatically fully cover the object so that its lateral partitions (31) are completely or at least sufficiently positioned around the floor of the parking space in the event of a fire or fire hazard, in order to prevent as much oxygen as possible from entering. The fireproof cover (3) is rolled up or folded and housed inside the housing (1) and connected to a pull-out mechanism. The housing (1) is attached to the parking space partition, particularly the wall, in front of and above the object in the pulling direction. A deflection mechanism is attached to a support portion located at the rear and above the object. In particular, two pull-out means in the form of tow ropes (40) are connected to the fire cover (3) so as to extend in the pull-out direction to the side and above the object and are guided around the deflection means, so that the fire cover (3) can be pulled out in the pull-out direction along the entire length of the object, and then the edge section can be lowered to the floor (51) of the parking space (5), a fire protection device.

2. The fire protection device according to claim 1, wherein the housing (1) is provided with a wall section that shields the drawer opening, and the wall section is capable of moving away from the drawer opening manually or automatically based on an opening signal triggered by a sensor assembly (11) in the event of a fire hazard.

3. The fire protection device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein, in order to lower the fire protection cover (3) to the floor (51), a separation device (42) for separating the connection part of the drawer means from the fire protection cover (3), or a separation device (42) for cutting the drawer means itself is located behind the object.

4. In particular, the drawer device (4) for automatically drawing out the fire cover, which is connected to the control device (10), is connected to a drive device (2), and the drive device (2) can be activated manually or in response to a notification signal from a fire detector, according to claim 1 or 2.

5. The fire protection device according to claim 4, wherein an electric, pneumatic, hydraulic, or mechanical energy source, particularly an energy source having a spring mechanism, is provided for providing the driving energy to the drive device (2).

6. The fire protection device according to claim 5, wherein the energy source is located in or within the housing (1).

7. The fire protection device according to claim 4, wherein the drive device (2) is connected to the drawer means.

8. The fire protection device according to claim 4, wherein the drive device (2) is configured to rotate and includes an execution means for a winding device (20) or an extension means for applying tensile force.

9. The fire protection device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the fire protection cover is made of a high-performance material designed for temperatures up to 1500°C for continuous load (24 hours or more) and / or up to 2500°C for maximum load (within approximately 15 minutes).

10. The fire protection device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein a height adjustment and / or width adjustment device (H, B, H+B) is provided, and the housing is mounted or can be mounted in the parking space in a height-adjustable and / or width-adjustable manner via the height adjustment and / or width adjustment device (H, B, H+B).

11. To prevent the spread of fire from an object or the fire from spreading to an object, a fireproof cover (3) is provided that can cover a potentially flammable object, such as a battery-powered vehicle (6), which is positioned in a parking space (5), The fireproof cover (3) is compactly assembled into a packaging body (32), and in particular rolled up and / or folded, and housed in a box-shaped housing (1) that is attachable to or attached to the parking space (5), and is connected to a pull-out device (4), which allows the fireproof cover (3) to be manually or automatically fully cover the object so that its lateral partitions (31) are completely or at least sufficiently positioned around the floor of the parking space in the event of a fire or fire hazard, in order to prevent as much oxygen as possible from entering. A fire protection device comprising height-adjustable and / or width-adjustable devices (H, B, H+B), wherein the housing is mounted or can be mounted in the parking space in a height-adjustable and / or width-adjustable manner via the height-adjustable and / or width-adjustable devices (H, B, H+B).

12. A method for preventing or suppressing a fire that spreads from an object located in a parking space, particularly a vehicle (6), or a fire that spreads to said object, The fireproof cover (3), housed as a rolled-up or folded packaging (32) within the housing (1), is released, and the edge section to be placed on the floor is prepared on the object. The fireproof cover (3) is manually or automatically pulled out from the housing (1) onto the object using the pull-out device (4), and then lowered. The method wherein the pull-out device (4) has a pull-out means, particularly a tow rope (40), connected to the fire cover (3), the pull-out means is guided via a deflection element, and in the event of a fire, is cut to lower the pulled-out fire cover (3).

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