Closed wall assembly for filling spaces

Abstract

The invention relates to a closed wall assembly (10) for filling a space (14), comprising at least one closed wall element (12), which has sealing elements (18) at lateral boundary surfaces and at a boundary surface facing the ground and can be connected to a base structure (16) and / or another closed wall element (12) at a lateral connection point (26) for sealing the space (14) and subsequently filling the space (14) with fire extinguishing agent, wherein the closed wall element (12) has a discharge opening (22) which is variably adjustable in the height direction of the closed wall element (12).

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a closing wall assembly for filling a space, in particular for flooding a power battery of a vehicle located in the space. Background Art

[0002] When an electric vehicle's power battery or vehicle battery catches fire, a large amount of fire extinguishing agent is often required to extinguish the vehicle. This is because the fire extinguishing agent cannot be sprayed directly onto the burning power battery. The battery compartment of an electric vehicle is tightly sealed, so in the event of a fire, only a small amount of fire extinguishing agent can penetrate the power battery. The burning electric vehicle is particularly critical when located in a garage. The poor access to the vehicle makes firefighting difficult. Furthermore, the flames can cause significant damage to vehicles and buildings. Summary of the Invention

[0003] The purpose of the present invention is to provide an effective method for extinguishing a fire of a power battery.

[0004] This object is achieved by the independent claims. Advantageous developments of the invention are disclosed in the dependent claims, the following description and the drawings.

[0005] The present invention is based on the concept of forming a watertight tank around an electric vehicle to extinguish a burning power battery. This tank can be filled with a fire extinguishing agent, particularly water. This floods the vehicle battery with the fire extinguishing agent, effectively extinguishing the fire. To form the watertight tank, one or more enclosing wall elements can be arranged around the vehicle, wherein the space formed by the enclosing wall elements can be filled with the fire extinguishing agent.

[0006] The present invention provides a closed wall assembly for filling a space, the closed wall assembly having at least one closed wall element, the closed wall element having sealing elements at lateral boundary surfaces and boundary surfaces facing the ground, and being connectable to a base structure and / or another closed wall element at lateral connection positions for sealing the space and subsequently filling the space with a fire extinguishing agent, wherein the closed wall element has a discharge opening that is variably adjustable in the direction of the height of the closed wall element.

[0007] In other words, at least one closed wall element can be provided, i.e. a wall designed to hold back liquids, in particular water. The closed wall element can have sealing elements at least on the lateral boundary surfaces and the boundary surface facing the ground, so that the closed wall element is essentially sealed at these locations, for example by rubber seals. The sealing elements at the lateral boundary surfaces can preferably be arranged on the base structure so that the sealing elements together with the base structure seal the space. In this case, the closed wall element can be fastened to the base structure and / or to another closed wall element via a connection point to form a space in which a motor vehicle, preferably having a power battery, is located, wherein the space sealed in this way can subsequently be filled with a fire extinguishing agent. Preferably, a liquid or gel-like fire extinguishing agent, for example water or an aerogel, can be used as the fire extinguishing agent.

[0008] The base structure to which the closed wall element can be connected can be, for example, a garage, in particular a garage opening, into which the closed wall element can be hung, so that the interior of the garage forms a space that can be filled with fire extinguishing agent. Alternatively, a plurality of closed wall elements, preferably at least four closed wall elements, can be connected to one another to form an at least quadrilateral space that can then be filled with fire extinguishing agent.

[0009] The enclosing wall element is preferably portable and, in the event of a power battery fire, is suitably arranged to seal the space containing the vehicle's power battery. For example, the height of the enclosing wall element can be predetermined so that, when the space is filled with fire extinguishing agent, the agent reaches at least the power battery. The enclosing wall element is preferably relatively high, and the fire extinguishing agent height is adjusted via a variably adjustable discharge port. For example, the height of the enclosing wall element can range from 60 cm to 1.20 m, preferably 1 m.

[0010] To ensure that only the power battery is extinguished while other vehicle components are not damaged by the fire extinguishing agent, the enclosing wall element further comprises a discharge opening designed to limit the level of the fire extinguishing agent in the space to a predetermined height. The height to which the discharge opening can be adjusted is preferably predetermined by the height of the power battery in the vehicle. This variably adjustable discharge opening has the advantage that the enclosing wall element can be appropriately adjusted to suit different vehicle types, as the power battery may be located at different heights in different vehicle types. The discharge opening thus ensures that only the power battery is flooded with fire extinguishing agent while other vehicle components, particularly the vehicle interior, are not flooded.

[0011] The advantage achieved by the present invention is that a sealed space for filling with fire extinguishing agent can be provided, through which a fire in the power battery can be effectively extinguished, because the fire extinguishing agent reaches the power battery directly, wherein further vehicle components are protected by the variably adjustable discharge opening, because the fire extinguishing agent only reaches the height of the power battery by appropriately adjusting the discharge opening.

[0012] The present invention also includes several embodiments through which additional advantages are achieved.

[0013] One embodiment provides that the discharge opening is arranged in a sliding element that is movable in the height direction of the enclosing wall element. In other words, the discharge opening can be a hole in the sliding element that can slide upward and downward in the height direction of the enclosing wall element. Preferably, markings can also be provided on the sliding element, indicating which position of the sliding element can achieve which extinguishing agent level and / or which vehicle type has the appropriate position of the sliding element for flooding the power battery. This embodiment has the advantage of providing a preferred embodiment of the discharge opening.

[0014] Another embodiment provides that the enclosing wall element has an extinguishing agent connection via which extinguishing agent can be introduced for filling the space. The extinguishing agent connection can be designed, for example, for a rubber hose and / or a fire hose, via which the extinguishing agent can be introduced into the space. This embodiment has the advantage that filling the space can be achieved more easily.

[0015] Another embodiment provides that at least one closed wall element is composed of a heat-resistant material and / or a heat-resistant coating. In other words, at least one closed wall element can be composed of a heat-resistant material, such as metal and / or ceramic, preferably composed of aluminum. Alternatively or additionally, the closed wall element can include a heat-resistant coating. Here, the closed wall element can be composed of plastic, for example, on which a coating made of ceramic and / or aerogel is constructed at least in the direction of the space. The advantage obtained by this embodiment is that in the event of a fire in the power battery, the closed wall element is not damaged, thereby achieving better sealing of the space.

[0016] Another embodiment provides that at least one closing wall element is made of a lightweight material, in particular plastic and / or aluminum. Lightweight means that the total weight of the closing wall element remains below a predetermined weight value, so that the closing wall element can be transported by one or two people and can be arranged to seal the space. In particular, due to the construction using lightweight materials, the predetermined weight value for the closing wall element can be less than 20 kg, preferably less than 10 kg. This embodiment has the advantage that the closing wall element can be better transported and arranged.

[0017] In another advantageous embodiment, at least one of the closing wall elements has a hollow cavity. In other words, the wall of the closing wall element can have a hollow cavity, which can further reduce the weight of the closing wall element. This has the advantage that the closing wall element has a lower weight and can thus be better transported and arranged to seal a space.

[0018] Preferably, the hollow cavity is designed to be filled with fire extinguishing agent during the filling of the space. Thus, the corresponding hollow cavity can, for example, have openings facing the space to be filled, through which the fire extinguishing agent enters the hollow cavity. This has the advantage of cooling the enclosing wall element and thus protecting it from thermal effects in the event of a power battery fire. Another advantage is that the weight of the fire extinguishing agent presses into the hollow cavity toward the ground and the sealing element arranged there, thereby effectively sealing the space.

[0019] Another embodiment provides that the sealing element is a plug-in seal and / or that at least the sealing element at the interface facing the ground is configured as a self-adhesive seal. In other words, the sealing element can be plugged into the enclosed wall element and / or the infrastructure / ground. Alternatively or additionally, at least the sealing element arranged at the interface facing the ground can be configured as a self-adhesive seal, whereby it adheres firmly to the ground after the enclosed wall element is arranged, resulting in an even better sealing effect. For example, a rubber seal can be used as the sealing element, which is specifically designed to withstand high temperatures.

[0020] In another embodiment, it is provided that a plurality of closed wall elements are connected via lateral connection positions to form an at least quadrilateral assembly to form a space. In other words, at least four closed wall elements can be connected via lateral connection positions, for example inserted, thereby forming a substantially quadrilateral space. The space can preferably have the dimensions of a motor vehicle. The advantage obtained by this embodiment is that even in the area of ​​an outdoor parking lot or an underground parking lot, a space that can be filled with a fire extinguishing agent can be formed using closed wall elements. For example, in the event of a power battery fire, a quadrilateral assembly of closed wall elements can be quickly achieved by connecting individual closed wall elements around the motor vehicle, or the closed wall elements can be connected in advance to form at least a quadrilateral assembly, and the quadrilateral assembly can be buckled onto the motor vehicle to create a space.

[0021] It is preferably provided that the corresponding lateral connection points of the closed wall elements are connected by corresponding sealing strips, the height of which is the same as that of the closed wall elements, wherein the closed wall elements are supported in an articulated manner at the lateral connection points by means of the sealing strips. Preferably, the sealing strips can have a sealing element in the direction of the ground or be inserted into the sealing element so that sealing can also be achieved there. The advantage obtained by the sealing strips is that the quadrilateral assembly is sealed at the corners so that no fire extinguishing agent can overflow, and the closed wall assembly consisting of a plurality of closed wall elements can be supported in an articulated manner and can be more easily adapted to existing conditions. In particular, the individual closed wall elements can also be folded together in an overlapping manner when not in use in order to achieve a smaller packaging size.

[0022] The present invention also includes combinations of features from the described embodiments. Therefore, the present invention also includes implementations that each have a combination of features from a plurality of the described embodiments, as long as these embodiments are not described as mutually exclusive. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0023] The following describes an embodiment of the present invention, wherein:

[0024] Figure 1 shows a closure wall assembly according to an exemplary embodiment;

[0025] Figure 2 The lateral connection locations of the closing wall elements to the base structure are shown;

[0026] Figure 3 shows a closure wall assembly according to another exemplary embodiment;

[0027] Figure 4 shows a cross section of a closing wall element according to an exemplary embodiment;

[0028] Figure 5 The lateral connection point between two closing wall elements is shown. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0029] The embodiments described below are preferred embodiments of the present invention. However, in these embodiments, the components of the embodiments are each individual, independently considered features of the present invention, and these features also independently improve the present invention. Therefore, this disclosure also includes feature combinations that differ from the feature combinations of the illustrated embodiments. Furthermore, the embodiments may also be supplemented by other features of the present invention.

[0030] In the figures, the same reference numerals respectively denote elements with the same function.

[0031] exist Figure 1, a closing wall assembly 10 according to an exemplary embodiment is shown. In this exemplary embodiment, the closing wall assembly 10 can have at least one closing wall element 12 , which is designed to retain an extinguishing agent, in particular water, and thus keep it within a space 14 .

[0032] This is particularly advantageous when a motor vehicle with a power battery is located in the space 14 and the power battery must be cooled or a fire must be extinguished. In this case, a watertight tank can be formed by means of the closing wall element 12, which can be filled with fire extinguishing agent in order to directly reach the power battery, which would be difficult to achieve using conventional fire extinguishing methods only from the outside.

[0033] In this case, the closing wall element can be connected to the base structure 16, in particular to the wall of the garage, at a lateral connection point (not shown in this figure). For example, the closing wall element can be placed in front of the garage door to thereby create a space 14 that can be filled with fire extinguishing agent together with the garage wall.

[0034] The closing wall element 12 has sealing elements 18 on the lateral boundary surfaces and the boundary surface facing the ground, wherein the sealing elements 18 can be plug-type seals, which can thus be connected to the closing wall element 12 and / or the base structure 16. Alternatively or additionally, the sealing elements 18 can be designed as self-adhesive seals, which can be glued to the floor and / or walls of the garage for sealing the space 14.

[0035] In order to enable the closing wall element 12 to be quickly positioned in front of the garage door in the event of a power battery fire, it is preferably provided that the closing wall element is made of a lightweight material, in particular plastic and / or aluminum. Furthermore, the closing wall element 12 may have a hollow cavity, which can further reduce the weight of the closing wall element 12. Furthermore, it is preferably provided that the closing wall element 12 is made of a heat-resistant material and / or has a heat-resistant coating, in particular ceramic and / or aerogel. This provides at least a temporary protection against the heat from a fire.

[0036] In order to fill the space 14 sealed by the closing wall element 12, an extinguishing agent connection 20 can be arranged on the side wall of the closing wall element 12, to which an extinguishing agent hose can be fastened and via which extinguishing agent can then be introduced into the space 14. The extinguishing agent connection 20 can preferably have a threaded or plug-type closure, via which the extinguishing agent hose can be connected.

[0037] In order to prevent other components of the vehicle from being damaged when filling space 14 and, for example, to prevent the fire extinguishing agent from reaching the vehicle interior, a variably adjustable discharge opening 22 can be provided in closing wall element 12, through which the fire extinguishing agent can be discharged when a predetermined fire extinguishing agent level is reached. Discharge opening 22 can be a hole in closing wall element 12, which is arranged in a sliding element 24. Discharge opening 22 can be moved in the height direction of closing wall element 12 by sliding element 24. Discharge opening 22 can thus be adjusted appropriately for different vehicle types, so that the fire extinguishing agent reaches the power battery of the corresponding vehicle type without flooding other vehicle components with the fire extinguishing agent.

[0038] exist Figure 2 1 shows lateral connection points 26 of the closing wall element 12 to the base structure 16 according to an exemplary embodiment, wherein the connection point 26 of the closing wall element 12 to the left side of the garage 16 is shown here as an example from above. To fasten the closing wall element 12 to the garage 16, an angle profile 28 can be screwed onto the perimeter wall of the garage 16 so that the closing wall element 12 can be moved from top to bottom into the angle profile 28. A corresponding connection point 26 can also be present on the right side of the garage 16.

[0039] Furthermore, the closing wall element 12 can have a sealing element 18 at the lateral boundary surface, wherein the sealing element 18 can be present at both positions shown or at only one of the positions. In other words, the sealing element 18 can be arranged either only on the narrow side of the closing wall element 12 or on the side facing the lateral boundary surface of the closing wall element 12.

[0040] exist Figure 3 shows a closed wall assembly 10 according to another exemplary embodiment. In this embodiment, a plurality of closed wall elements 12 can be connected at corresponding lateral connection points 26 to form a quadrilateral assembly, wherein the connected closed wall elements 12 can be arranged circumferentially around a motor vehicle 30. At least one of the closed wall elements can be designed as in the previous embodiments. One of the closed wall elements 12 can also, for example, have an extinguishing agent connection 20, while another closed wall element can have a discharge opening 22 adjustable by a sliding element 24.

[0041] For example, corresponding closing wall elements 12 can be inserted alternately at the connection location 26, and / or these closing wall elements can be replaced with corresponding ones at the connection location 26. Figure 5In the event of a fire in the power battery of the motor vehicle 30, the enclosed wall assembly 10 can be constructed around the motor vehicle 30 or fastened to the motor vehicle 30 as a whole before the space 14 formed inside the enclosed wall element 12 is filled with a fire extinguishing agent, so as to cool the power battery or extinguish the fire.

[0042] exist Figure 4 , two exemplary cross sections of a closing wall element 12 are shown, wherein the closing wall element 12 shown on the left is constructed with a plurality of hollow cavities 32, which can reduce the weight of the closing wall element 12. Preferably, the hollow cavities 32 are designed to also be filled with fire extinguishing agent when the space 14 is poured, thereby increasing the weight in the direction downward toward the ground, which further improves the sealing effect promoted by the sealing element 18. The sealing element 18 can be pushed, for example, by means of a plug-type connection at the corner of the sealing element 18, wherein the sealing element 18 extends over the entire cross section of the closing wall element 12. This has the advantage that the rigidity can be increased and the closing wall element 12 is made more stable.

[0043] Figure 4 An alternative embodiment of the closed wall element 12 is shown on the right, wherein the closed wall element 12 is a flat plate, the thickness of which can be, for example, approximately 15 mm, and preferably made of a lightweight material such as aluminum. Here, a sealing element 18 can be plugged into the entire closed wall element 12, which simplifies the connection possibilities.

[0044] exist Figure 5 , an exemplary connection point 26 between two closed wall elements 12 is shown. Here, the two closed wall elements 12 can be connected by means of a sealing strip 34, wherein the sealing strip 34 is preferably highly flexible and tear-resistant. For example, the sealing strip 34 can have a thickness of approximately 5 mm, so that the sealing strip 34 can preferably be connected to the sealing element 18 on the ground. In addition, the sealing strip 34 preferably has the same height as the closed wall element 12, so that a closed space can be created. In order to fasten the sealing strip 34, it can be connected to the corresponding closed wall element 12 by means of fasteners 36. For example, auxiliary strips and screws can be used as fasteners 36.

[0045] In another exemplary embodiment, a watertight tank (space 14) is formed by means of a closing wall assembly 10, wherein a portion of the tank is formed from a heat-resistant coating and the closing wall element 12 of the closing wall assembly 10 is at least partially resting on the wall and / or floor of a garage 16. The closing wall element 12, which can be installed at a garage entrance, for example, can complete the substantially watertight tank.

[0046] In the event of a fire, the tank can be filled with water from a hose or by the fire department until the battery is submerged. The tank height can be adjusted to suit the vehicle, making it suitable for both flatbed vehicles and SUVs. After the firefighting process is complete, the water can be pumped out and disposed of in an environmentally friendly manner.

[0047] Overall, these examples show how the present invention can be used to implement a method for extinguishing a battery fire in an electric vehicle, in particular in a garage.

Claims

1. A closed wall assembly (10) for filling a space (14), comprising at least one closed wall element (12), which has a sealing element (18) at a lateral boundary surface and a boundary surface facing the ground, and can be connected to a base structure (16) and / or another closed wall element (12) at a lateral connection point (26) for sealing the space (14) and subsequently filling the space (14) with fire extinguishing agent, wherein: The closing wall element (12) has a discharge opening (22) which is variably adjustable in the height direction of the closing wall element (12).

2. The closed wall assembly (10) according to claim 1, wherein The discharge opening (22) is arranged in a sliding element (24) which is movable in the height direction of the closing wall element (12).

3. A closed wall assembly (10) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein: The closing wall element (12) has an extinguishing agent connection (20) via which extinguishing agent can be introduced to fill the space (14).

4. The closed wall assembly (10) according to claim 1 or 2, wherein: The at least one closing wall element (12) is made of a heat-resistant material and / or a heat-resistant coating.

5. The closed wall assembly (10) according to claim 1 or 2, wherein: The at least one closing wall element (12) is composed of a lightweight material.

6. The closed wall assembly (10) according to claim 5, wherein: Lightweight materials are plastic and / or aluminum.

7. The closed wall assembly (10) according to claim 1 or 2, wherein: The at least one closing wall element (12) has a hollow cavity (32).

8. The closed wall assembly (10) according to claim 7, wherein: The hollow space (32) is designed to be filled with extinguishing agent when the space (14) is filled.

9. The closed wall assembly (10) according to claim 1 or 2, wherein: The sealing element (18) is a plug seal and / or the sealing element (18) at least at the boundary surface facing the ground is designed as a self-adhesive seal.

10. The closed wall assembly (10) according to claim 1 or 2, wherein: A plurality of closed wall elements (12) are connected via lateral connection points (26) to form an at least quadrilateral assembly to form the space (14).

11. The closed wall assembly (10) according to claim 10, wherein: The corresponding lateral connection points (26) of the closed wall element (12) are connected via corresponding sealing strips (34), the height of which is the same as that of the closed wall element (12), wherein the closed wall element (12) is supported in an articulated manner at the lateral connection points (26) via the sealing strips (34).

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