Fire containment device

Abstract

Provided herein are fire containment devices having a bag, a bag closure for selectively obstructing a bag opening to prevent fluid communication between a bag internal cavity and an ambient environment, a bag fastener configured to maintain the bag closure in the closed state when a pressure in the bag internal cavity is below a bag failure pressure, and a vent extending through an aperture in the bag wall, the vent including a vent inlet exposed to the bag internal cavity and a vent outlet exposed to the ambient environment to permit a flow of off-gas material to pass therethrough in a direction from the vent inlet to the vent outlet, the vent configured to maintain pressure in the bag internal cavity below bag failure pressure and flow of off-gas material exiting the vent at a flammability density below a lower flammability limit of the off-gas material.

Description

FIRE CONTAINMENT DEVICECROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

[0001] This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63 / 516,004, filed on July 27, 2023, the contents of which are incorporated by reference herein in their entirety.BACKGROUND

[0002] Portable electronic devices (PEDs), such as smart phones, tablet computers, laptops, e-readers, MP3 players, electronic toys, electric scooters, and e-bikes are powered by lithium- ion batteries. When improperly handled, manufactured or overcharged, lithium-ion batteries are subject to thermal runaway ie., the battery spontaneously increases in temperature and begins to vent hot and toxic pressurized gases. This causes the lithium-ion fluid within the battery to ignite and reach temperatures in excess of 2,000 degrees Fahrenheit. While it is possible to extinguish the flames by applying large amounts of water, the lithium inside of the battery may react with the electrolytes and water to generate hydrogen which can accelerate the fire. Sand or other granular minerals can be applied to a lithium-ion battery fire; however, these materials are fire resistant only and do not provide fire extinguishing properties. Accordingly, application of granular minerals to a lithium battery fire is unreliable, ineffective, or impractical.

[0003] In this regard, the recent increase in the popularity of e-bikes and electric scooters (hereinafter “e-bikes” for convenience) is of particular and growing concern. Thermal runaway in e-bike batteries, typically the largest lithium-ion battery associated with portable, interior residential storage and charging, can present a significant, long lasting fire risk to the user and / or to any building in which the e-bike battery is being charged. In the absence of any suitable solution for containing or extinguishing such a lithium-ion fire, many homeowners’ association (HO A) rules and municipal ordinances are being developed and / or implemented in order to ban indoor charging of e-bike batteries, which would functionally deny access to e-bikes and electric scooters to users who may rely on them for transportation and / or access to outdoor recreation.SUMMARY

[0004] The present technology provides a fire containment device for providing fire containment during combustion of a combustible object contained within an internal cavity ofa containment bag thereof having a closure in a closed state, thereby preventing fluid communication between the bag internal cavity and an ambient environment. The fire containment device is able to provide such containment by the inclusion of a vent installed through an aperture in the bag wall to permit controlled venting of combustion gases to permit a flow of off-gas material passing through the vent to simultaneously maintain an interior pressure of the bag below a bag failure pressure and maintain a flammability density of the off-gas material exiting the vent outlet below a lower flammability limit (LFL) of the off-gas material.

[0005] In one aspect, a fire containment device is provided. The fire containment device includes a bag. The bag includes a bag wall defining a bag internal cavity and a bag opening. The bag also includes a bag closure transitionable between a closed state, in which the bag closure obstructs the bag opening to prevent fluid communication between the bag internal cavity and an ambient environment, and an open state, in which the bag closure permits fluid communication between the bag internal cavity and the ambient environment via the bag opening. The bag also includes a bag fastener configured to maintain the bag closure in the closed state when a pressure in the bag internal cavity is below a bag failure pressure. The fire containment device also includes a vent extending through an aperture in the bag wall, the vent including a vent inlet exposed to the bag internal cavity and a vent outlet exposed to the ambient environment. The vent is configured to permit a flow of an off-gas material to pass therethrough in a direction from the vent inlet to the vent outlet during a fire event in which the bag closure is in the closed state and a combustible object stored in the bag internal cavity is combusting. The vent is also configured such that the flow of the off-gas material passing therethrough has a flow rate sufficient to maintain the pressure in the bag internal cavity below the bag failure pressure during the fire event. The vent is also configured such that the flow of the off-gas material exiting the vent outlet during the fire event has a flammability density that is below a lower flammability limit (LFL) of the off-gas material.

[0006] In some embodiments, the fire containment device excludes a fire suppression material. In some embodiments, the vent includes a filter between the vent inlet and the vent outlet. In some embodiments, the filter is configured to reduce the flammability density of the flow of off-gas material as the flow passes through the filter. In some embodiments, the filter includes a filter body and a filter flange extending from the filter body. In some embodiments, the vent includes a filter mount configured to fix the filter to the bag wall. In some embodiments, the filter mount includes an exterior clamping plate having an exterior clamping plate aperture and an interior clamping plate having an interior clamping plate aperture. Insome embodiments, the exterior clamping plate aperture and the interior clamping plate aperture are shaped and sized to accept the filter body therethrough and to not accept the filter flange therethrough. In some embodiments, the exterior and interior clamping plates each include at least one fastener aperture sized to receive a fastener therethrough for compressing the filter flange and the bag wall together between the exterior and interior clamping plates. In some embodiments, the vent inlet is a first vent inlet, the vent outlet is a first vent outlet, and the filter is a first filter. In some embodiments, the vent further includes a second vent inlet, a second vent outlet, and a second filter between the second vent inlet and the second vent outlet. In some embodiments, the first filter is configured to reduce the flammability density of a first portion of the flow of off-gas material as the first portion passes through the first filter. In some embodiments, the second filter is configured to reduce the flammability density of a second portion of the flow of off-gas material as the second portion passes through the second filter. In some embodiments, the filter flange is at least one of sealed and welded to the bag wall. In some embodiments, the filter is a respirator filter oriented to permit flow of the off-gas material therethrough in the direction from the vent inlet to the vent outlet during the fire event in which the bag closure is in the closed state and the combustible object stored in the bag internal cavity is combusting.

[0007] In some embodiments, the combustible object stored in the bag internal cavity is a battery. In some embodiments, the combustible object stored in the bag internal cavity is a lithium-ion battery. In some embodiments, the lithium-ion battery is for at least one of an e- bike and an e-scooter. In some embodiments, the bag closure is configured to permit a charging cord to extend through the bag opening when the bag closure is in the closed state. In some embodiments, is configured such that a ratio between a volume of the bag internal cavity and an electrical energy of the component stored therein is at least .015 cubic inches per watt-hour. In some embodiments, the bag wall is non-rigid. In some embodiments, the bag wall is flameresistant. In some embodiments, the bag wall is gas-impermeable. In some embodiments, the bag wall includes at least a first bag wall panel fixed to a second bag wall panel to define a seam of the bag wall. In some embodiments, the first bag wall panel is fixed to the second bag wall panel via at least one of stitching, adhesive, and welding. In some embodiments, the bag wall includes at least an interior layer defining the bag internal cavity and an exterior layer exposed to the ambient environment. In some embodiments, the interior layer is a fiber mat material. In some embodiments, the exterior layer is a fiber textile substrate being at least one of coated or impregnated with silicone. In some embodiments, the bag closure includes at least one of a latch, a buckle, a strap, a hook and loop fastener, and a zipper.BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0008] FIG. 1 A illustrates a perspective view of a fire containment device in accordance with various embodiments.

[0009] FIG. IB illustrates a side view of the fire containment device of FIG. 1 A.

[0010] FIG. 1C illustrates a top plan view of the fire containment device of FIG. 1 A wherein a closure is in an open state.

[0011] FIG. ID illustrates a top plan view of the fire containment device of FIG. 1A wherein the closure is in a closed state.

[0012] FIG. IE illustrates a top plan view of the fire containment device of FIG. 1A wherein the closure is in a closed state and cinched.

[0013] FIG. 2 illustrates a cross section of a gas-impermeable flame-resistant material in accordance with various embodiments.

[0014] FIG. 3A illustrates a cross section, taken along M-M of FIG. IB, of the fire containment device of FIG. 1A.

[0015] FIG. 3B illustrates an exploded view of the cross section of FIG. 3 A.DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0016] Provided herein are fire containment devices. Referring now to FIGS. 1A-1E, such fire containment devices 10 includes a containment bag 100 having a bag wall 101 defining an internal cavity 110 and an opening 111, a closure 150 for selectively permitting or preventing fluid communication between the bag internal cavity 110 and an ambient environment, and a vent 200 installed through an aperture 113 in the bag wall 101 to permit controlled venting of combustion gases. The vent 200 includes a vent inlet (not shown but see vent inlet 307 shown in FIGS. 3A-3B) exposed to the bag internal cavity and a vent outlet 205 exposed to the ambient environment to permit a flow of an off-gas material to pass therethrough in a direction from the vent inlet (not shown but see e.g., vent inlet 307 of FIGS. 3A-3B) to the vent outlet 205 during a fire event in which the bag closure 150 is in the closed state and an object stored in the bag internal cavity is combusting. The flow of off-gas material passing through the vent 200 is configured to simultaneously maintain an interior pressure of the bag 100 below a bag failure pressure and maintain a flammability density of the off-gas material exiting the ventoutlet below a lower flammability limit (LFL) of the off-gas material. In some embodiments, the vent 200 can include two or more vent inlets and two or more vent outlets 205 to provide two or more off-gas outflows as needed to maintain the interior pressure below bag failure pressure and flammability density below LFL.Balancing Interior Pressure and Flammability Density

[0017] The fire containment device 10 and its containment bag 100 can be of any desired shape and / or size sufficient for accepting a battery (e.g., an e-bike or e-scooter battery) or other combustible object therein while providing enough additional interior volume to contain a fire associated therewith, as will be discussed in more detail hereinbelow.

[0018] The containment bag 100 includes the bag wall 101 defining an internal cavity 110 for receiving a combustible object and a bag opening 111 and the bag closure 150, which is configured, in a closed state, to obstruct the bag opening 111 to substantially prevent fluid communication between the internal cavity 110 and an ambient environment and also configured, in an open state, to permit access and fluid communication between the bag internal cavity 110 and the ambient environment via the bag opening 111.

[0019] As noted above, the vent 200 can be installed through an aperture in the bag wall 101 of the containment bag 100 to permit controlled depressurization (venting) of combustion gases from within the fire containment device 10. Such functionality is critical to proper containment of a fire, including, for example, a lithium-ion fire.

[0020] In particular, in an unvented container, combustion gases result in a buildup of excessive pressure, causing failure of the container. Thus, controlled release of at least some of the combustion gases from the containment bag 100 of the fire containment device 10 is necessary. Furthermore, off-gassing from such fires can include flammable elements such as, for example, hydrocarbons (e.g., methane, butane) and hydrogen gas. Thus, it is also critical that the vent 200 control such depressurization to avoid ignition of the vented gases. In particular, gas pressure at the filter exit must be maintained below LFL so that the combustion gases cannot ignite upon exiting the fire containment device 10.

[0021] In general, the LFL can be determined as a function of a percentage of a space that would be needed to fill to ignite. For example, for hydrogen, LFL is 4%. That is, if the interior volume of a fire containment device reaches 4% hydrogen, the off-gas can ignite via deflagration upon venting. As used herein, deflagration is the process by which off-gases collect and ignite. In further example, LFL Methane, another off-gas associated with lithium- ion combustion, is 4.4%. In general, the true LFL of Li-ion battery off-gas will depend onconcentrations of a combination of flammable and non-flammable components. In general, industry has established a reference LFL of about 25% for Li-ion batteries. That is, Li-ion battery off-gas can occupy approximately 25% of the interior volume of the fire containment device 10 before deflagration begins at the vent 200.

[0022] In this regard, the vent 200 used herein is configured to create a zone of depressurization for reducing the pressurized concentrations of the off-gas below the critical limit of 25% while simultaneously maintaining an interior pressure of the bag 100 below a mechanical failure pressure of the bag wall 101 and seams 107. As noted above, 25% is an industry standard estimate and the critical LFL may vary according to a specific off-gas profile associated with any particular design case, which may require adjustment of the depressurization zone and, therefore, the design of the vent 200. This zone of depressurization will generally be determined as a function of the energy of the battery versus the negative space in internal cavity 110 of the bag 100.

[0023] Experimentation has shown that preventing deflagration requires the interior cavity 110 to provide approximately between about 0.015 to about 0.05 cubic inches of negative space per watt hour of the battery. In some embodiments, the interior cavity 110 can provide about 0.035 cubic inches of negative space per watt hour of the battery or 28 interior cavity 110 of negative space per 800-watt hours. Negative space within the internal cavity 110 can be adjusted, in some embodiments, by loosening or cinching the strap 179 of the closure 150 in the closed state as discussed with reference to FIGS. 1C-1E below.

[0024] In general, these negative space requirements can be reduced by the incorporation of fire suppression materials (e.g., free flowing granulate) and / or a fire suppression system within the fire containment device 10. Although the fire containment devices 10 provided herein can be configured to include such suppression materials and systems, they are typically too large and cost prohibitive to be practical for small consumer applications such as the in-residence charging of e-bike batteries and are better suited to larger-scale or more critical use cases such as cargo stored in shipping containers, transported on ships or aircraft, in larger packaging for ground shipping, warehouse storage, etc. Thus, the fire containment devices 10 include a containment bag 100 having an internal cavity 110 configured to provide functionality of the fire containment devices 10 without any suppression systems or materials.Exemplary Filtered Vent Assembly

[0025] As shown in FIGS. 3A and 3B, in some embodiments vent 300 can include one or more filters 301 having a flame-resistant configuration and capable of being securely installedin a gas-impermeable manner through the aperture 113 in the bag wall 101 of the containment bag 10. As shown herein, each filter 301 can include a filter vent inlet 307 and a filter vent outlet 305 to facilitate an outflow of off-gas material therethrough. Although shown and described herein as having a single vent 300 constructed as an assembly including two filters 301, in various embodiments a single vent 300 can be used which does not include any filters 301. Alternatively, in some embodiments, a single vent 300 may include more than two filters 301 (e.g., four filters to eight filters, or more). In some embodiments, the fire containment device 10 may include two or more vents 300, wherein each may include one or more filters 301, or no filters. For example, in some such embodiments, separate vents 300 may be installed through the bag wall 101 on both a front side and a back side of the bag 100 of the fire containment device 10.

[0026] Each filter 301 can be preferably constructed of metal (e.g., aluminum, steel, or stainless steel) or another flame-resistant material. Each filter 301 can primarily be configured to provide safe regulation of the outflow of combustion gases therethrough as discussed above so as to achieve fire containment. In some embodiments, the filter 301 can be additionally configured to remove one or more toxic gases from the off-gassed material. However, some combustion gases may not be able to be filtered in order to avoid overconcentration of flammable material leading to LFL conditions and consequent deflagration.

[0027] Each filter 301 includes a flange 303 extending therearound for engaging the bag wall 101 on a gas-impermeable face thereof (e.g., the exterior surface of exterior layer 103 as shown). The flange 303 can be positioned around the filter 301 between the vent outlet 305 and the vent inlet 307 of the filter 301. In particular, the aperture in the containment bag 100 can be sized to accept one of the vent outlet 305 or the vent inlet 307 of the filter 301 therethrough and to not accept the flange 303 therethrough. Thus, the flange overlaps the bag wall 101 proximate the aperture in the containment bag 100 for clamping or sealing thereto, as described in greater detail below.

[0028] In some embodiments, the filter 301 can be a respirator (gas mask) cartridge oriented to permit outflow, rather than inflow, of gas. That is, the filter 301 is oriented to permit filtered flow of the off-gas from the interior cavity 110, through the vent inlet 307 to the vent outlet 305 and the into the ambient environment. Such cartridges can include, for example, Pl 00 filters and / or combo filters such as MSA 815, including MSA 815182 cartridges. In addition, although shown herein as substantially cylindrical, the cartridges can have any suitable shape or combination of shapes capable of accommodating a flange extending therearound including, for example, rectangular prisms, octagonal prisms, hexagonal prisms, square prisms, cubes,spheres, hemispheres, or any other shape or combination of shapes having any suitable dimensions. Furthermore, it will be apparent in view of this disclosure that any type, size, or shape of filter 301 capable of providing a venting functionality can be used in connection with various embodiments.

[0029] The flange 303 of the filter 301 can be clamped to the bag wall 101 via an exterior clamping plate 309 and an interior clamping plate 311. In some embodiments, the exterior plate 309 can include one or more exterior plate apertures 313 and the interior plate 311 can include one or more interior plate apertures 315, the exterior and interior plate apertures 313, 315 each sized to accept at least one of the vent outlet 305 or the vent inlet 307 of one of the filters 301 therethrough and to overlap the flange 303 such that the flange 303 cannot pass therethrough. Although shown herein as include a single exterior plate 309 and a single interior plate 311, each accommodating two filters 301, in some embodiments the exterior and interior plates 309, 311 can include any number of plate apertures. In addition, in some embodiments, the exterior and interior plates 309, 311 can each include only a single cartridge aperture and multiple sets of exterior and interior plates 309, 311 can be provided, one for each filter 301. Furthermore, the shape of each of the exterior and interior plate apertures 311, 313 can vary and will preferably correspond to the shape of the filter(s) 301 and corresponding flanges 303 as discussed above.

[0030] The exterior and interior plate apertures 313, 315 can also be sized to overlap the flange 303 on respective exterior and interior sides thereof in order to compress the flange 303 against the bag wall 101. Thus, compression of the flange 303 against the bag wall 101 can be achieved via one or more fasteners 317 extending through fastener apertures 319 of each of the exterior clamping plate 309 and the interior clamping plate 311. The fasteners 317 can include any suitable fastener including, for example, rivets (as shown) or bolts and nuts. In some embodiments the exterior and interior clamping plates 309, 311 can further be adhered or welded to one or more of the cartridge flange 303 and / or the bag wall 101 on its respective exterior or interior surface. For example, a silicone gasket, sealant, and / or adhesive (not shown) can be applied on the flange 303, the bag wall 101 proximate the flange 303, the fasteners 317, and / or one or both of the exterior and interior clamping plates 309, 311 at the exterior and interior plate apertures 313, 315 and fastener apertures 319 to better adhere and seal the components in a gas-tight manner, leaving the filter(s) 200 as substantially the only gas egress point.

[0031] Although not shown, in some embodiments the flange 303 can be positioned at one of the vent outlet 305 or the vent inlet 307 rather than between them. In such embodiments,the flange 303 may be enlarged such that it includes one or more fastener apertures 319 and may serve as one of the clamping plates such that only a single other clamping plate is required opposite the flange 303 on either the interior or the exterior. In such embodiments the fasteners 317 would extend through fastener apertures 319 in the flange 303 itself and through those in the opposing clamping plate.Containment Bag and Closure

[0032] The closure 150, as noted above, is configured to be transitionable between a closed state (see e.g., FIGS. 1D-1E), in which the bag closure 150 obstructs the bag opening 111 to prevent fluid communication between the bag internal cavity 110 and an ambient environment, and an open state (see e.g, FIGS. 1A-1C), in which the bag closure permits fluid communication between the bag internal cavity and the ambient environment via the bag opening. In some embodiments, the closure 150 is configured to permit a charging cord to extend through the bag opening 111 when the bag closure 150 is in the closed state. In this manner, the fire containment device 10 can be used while charging a battery or other combustible electronic device to contain any fires that may occur.

[0033] As shown, the closure 150 includes a flap 125 and one or more flame-resistant fastener features 175. The fastener features 175 can include, for example, a buckle 177 and strap 179 (as shown), hook and loop fasteners, zippers, or any other suitable flame-resistant fastener 175 capable of maintaining the flap 125 in the closed state when a pressure within the bag internal cavity 110 is below the bag mechanical failure pressure. The buckle 177 can be constructed of any suitable heat- or flame-resistant material. The strap 179 can be constructed of any suitable heat- or flame-resistant material including, for example, Kevlar, steel core aramid thread, other aramid fibers, or combinations thereof. In some embodiments, the buckle 177 can include a safety latch for preventing inadvertent opening of the fire containment device 10.

[0034] As shown in FIGS. 1C-1E, in use, the buckle 177 and strap 179 configuration can advantageously permit resizing of the fire containment device 10 for accommodating combustible objects of varying size by adjustment (e.g, loosening and cinching / tightening) of the strap 179 in the closed state. In addition, such adjustment can aid a user in ensuring maintenance of a suitably gas-impermeable condition in the closed state of the closure 150. As noted above, this functionality.

[0035] The bag wall 101 itself, in order to prevent egress of out gas other than through the vent(s) 200, can be constructed of a flame-resistant, gas-impermeable material. As shown inFIG. 2, in some embodiments, the bag wall 101 can include an exterior layer 103 including a flame-resistant, gas-impermeable fabric. For example, the exterior layer can include a fiber fabric impregnated and / or or coated with a silicone for providing heat resistance and preventing the egress of combustion gases therethrough. Such materials can include, for example, a silica glass fiber or other flame-resistant fiber substrate impregnated and / or coated with a silicone coating to provide gas-impermeability.

[0036] In addition, in some embodiments, the bag wall 101 can also include an insulating layer 105 interior inside the exterior layer 103 and having a high R-value for preventing overheating of the exterior layer 103. Such high R-value materials can generally include, for example, mats having a high R-value. Such mats can generally include silica mats, black carbon pan material mats, materials commercially available for use and placement to the exterior of a kiln or similar oven, products commercially sold as Belcotex®, or any other such fibrous mat capable of withstanding temperatures in excess of 500°C, preferably in excess of 1000°C.

[0037] Although not shown herein, in some instances, one or more additional layers can be included. For example, in some embodiments, depending on the insulating material selected, the insulating layer can be delicate and fragile to the touch. In such embodiments it may be desirable to sandwich the insulating layer 105 within the exterior layer 103 and at least one other layer, interior to the insulating layer 105.

[0038] Referring again to FIGS. 1A-1E, the containment bag 100 can be preferably constructed from a single sheet of the bag wall 101 material and can be stitched, adhered, and / or welded along seams 107 to form the bag 100 having an opening 111 and a flap 125, which generally forms at least a portion of the closure 150. However, although shown and described herein as having a one-piece design, it will be apparent in view of this disclosure that two or more pieces or sheets of the bag wall 101 can be used to construct the containment bag 100 in accordance with various embodiments. Although the bag 100 is shown and described herein in the context of having a pouch-like form and having a flexible bag wall 101, it will be apparent in view of this disclosure that, in some embodiments, the bag 100 can be any suitable shape capable of enclosing a combustible object including, for example, a cube, a rectangular prism, a cylinder, shapes similar to drums, duffel bags, boxes, etc., other irregular shapes, or combinations thereof. In addition, the bag wall 101 material or portions thereof used in connection with bags 100 of any shape can be fully flexible or can be stiffer (e.g., resilient and / or semi-rigid), in whole or in part, to provide, for example, a degree of shape retention when the bag 100 is unpressurized or empty.

[0039] The seams 107 can be stitched using flame-resistant thread such as, for example, steel core aramid thread having a tensile strength between about 6 to about 30 pounds. In some embodiments, the seams can be single stitched or can use a stronger stitching scheme such as, for example, double stitching, triple stitching, quad stitching, or any other suitable method.

[0040] In order to maintain gas-impermeability of the containment bag 100 and to provide structural reinforcement at the relatively weak seams 107, the containment bag 100 can also include one or more seam-sealing reinforcements 109 adhered, welded, or otherwise laminated over the seams 107. The seam-sealing reinforcements 109 can generally be constructed from gas-impermeable flame-resistant material which can, for example, be a same material as the exterior layer 103 and / or any other suitable such material.

[0041] The inclusion of such seam-sealing reinforcements 109 can, for example, prevent egress of gas through stitching at the seams 107. In addition, by adding structural strength at the seams 107, the seam-sealing reinforcements 109 can further increase the amount of internal pressure withstandable by the containment bag 100 before mechanical bag failure. Such added pressure resistance advantageously permits a slower, more regulated discharge through the vent(s) 200 of gases generated by a lithium-ion thermal runaway fire.

[0042] In some embodiments, seam 107 sealing can alternatively or additionally include impregnation and / or coating of the stitched seam with a silicone in order to seal any off-gas egress points formed by stitching or other seaming techniques.

[0043] The various features describe herein provide a fire containment device 10 for combustible objects wherein, when closed (and preferably latched) the fire containment device 10 can be configured to contain combustion of the combustible objects therein without the use of fire suppression. In some embodiments the fire containment device 10 may be configured to contain such fires for an entire length of the combustion event. In some embodiments the fire containment device 10 may instead be configured to contain such fires for a shorter duration (e.g., 10-15 minutes) to facilitate removal of the fire containment device 10 and the combustible object contained therein to a non-flammable, preferably outdoor (or at least well- ventilated), location for subsequent extinguishment and / or further containment procedures.

[0044] While example embodiments have been particularly shown and described, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes in form and details may be made therein without departing from the scope of the embodiments encompassed or contemplated herein.

Claims

CLAIMSWhat is claimed is:

1. A fire containment device, comprising: a bag including: a bag wall defining a bag internal cavity and a bag opening; a bag closure transitionable between a closed state, in which the bag closure obstructs the bag opening to prevent fluid communication between the bag internal cavity and an ambient environment, and an open state, in which the bag closure permits fluid communication between the bag internal cavity and the ambient environment via the bag opening; a bag fastener configured to maintain the bag closure in the closed state when a pressure in the bag internal cavity is below a bag failure pressure; a vent extending through an aperture in the bag wall, the vent including a vent inlet exposed to the bag internal cavity and a vent outlet exposed to the ambient environment; wherein the vent is configured to permit a flow of an off-gas material to pass therethrough in a direction from the vent inlet to the vent outlet during a fire event in which the bag closure is in the closed state and a combustible object stored in the bag internal cavity is combusting; wherein the vent is configured such that the flow of the off-gas material passing therethrough has a flow rate sufficient to maintain the pressure in the bag internal cavity below the bag failure pressure during the fire event; and wherein the vent is configured such that the flow of the off-gas material exiting the vent outlet during the fire event has a flammability density that is below a lower flammability limit (LFL) of the off-gas material.

2. The fire containment device of claim 1, wherein the fire containment device excludes a fire suppression material.

3. The fire containment device of claim 1, wherein the vent includes a filter between the vent inlet and the vent outlet; and wherein the filter is configured to reduce the flammability density of the flow of offgas material as the flow passes through the filter.

4. The fire containment device of claim 3, wherein the filter includes a filter body and a filter flange extending from the filter body; wherein the vent further includes a filter mount configured to fix the filter to the bag wall; wherein the filter mount includes an exterior clamping plate having an exterior clamping plate aperture and an interior clamping plate having an interior clamping plate aperture; and wherein the exterior clamping plate aperture and the interior clamping plate aperture are shaped and sized to accept the filter body therethrough and to not accept the filter flange therethrough.

5. The fire containment device of claim 4, wherein the exterior and interior clamping plates each include at least one fastener aperture sized to receive a fastener therethrough for compressing the filter flange and the bag wall together between the exterior and interior clamping plates.

6. The fire containment device of claim 3, wherein the vent inlet is a first vent inlet, the vent outlet is a first vent outlet, and the filter is a first filter; wherein the vent further includes a second vent inlet, a second vent outlet, and a second filter between the second vent inlet and the second vent outlet; wherein the first filter is configured to reduce the flammability density of a first portion of the flow of off-gas material as the first portion passes through the first filter; and wherein the second filter is configured to reduce the flammability density of a second portion of the flow of off-gas material as the second portion passes through the second filter.

7. The fire containment device of claim 4, wherein the filter flange is at least one of sealed and welded to the bag wall.

8. The fire containment device of claim 3, wherein the filter is a respirator filter oriented to permit flow of the off-gas material therethrough in the direction from the vent inlet to the vent outlet during the fire event in which the bag closure is in the closed state and the combustible object stored in the bag internal cavity is combusting.

9. The fire containment device of claim 1, wherein the combustible object stored in the bag internal cavity is a battery.

10. The fire containment device of claim 9, wherein the combustible object stored in the bag internal cavity is a lithium-ion battery.

11. The fire containment device of claim 10, wherein the lithium-ion battery is for at least one of an e-bike and an e-scooter.

12. The fire containment device of claim 1, wherein the bag closure is configured to permit a charging cord to extend through the bag opening when the bag closure is in the closed state.

13. The fire containment device of claim 1, where is configured such that a ratio between a volume of the bag internal cavity and an electrical energy of the component stored therein is at least .015 cubic inches per watt-hour.

14. The fire containment device of claim 1, wherein the bag wall is non-rigid.

15. The fire containment device of claim 1, wherein the bag wall is flame-resistant.

16. The fire containment device of claim 1, wherein the bag wall is gas-impermeable.

17. The fire containment device of claim 1, wherein the bag wall includes at least a first bag wall panel fixed to a second bag wall panel to define a seam of the bag wall.

18. The fire containment device of claim 17, wherein the first bag wall panel is fixed to the second bag wall panel via at least one of stitching, adhesive, and welding.

19. The fire containment device of claim 1, wherein the bag wall includes at least an interior layer defining the bag internal cavity and an exterior layer exposed to the ambient environment.

20. The fire containment device of claim 19, wherein the interior layer is a fiber mat material.

21. The fire containment device of claim 19, wherein the exterior layer is a fiber textile substrate being at least one of coated or impregnated with silicone.

22. The fire containment device of claim 1, wherein the bag closure includes at least one of a latch, a buckle, a strap, a hook and loop fastener, and a zipper.

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