Water Umbrella (Multifunctional water sprinkler system for residential use, fire prevention, and environmental control)

Abstract

This invention provides a multi-functional sprinkler system for residential use that mitigates damage from the spread of fires in neighboring areas or wildfires, reduces the risk of collapse due to heavy snowfall in winter, and suppresses the rise in indoor temperature during extreme summer heat. [Solution] The multi-functional sprinkler system for residential use comprises a roof sprinkler hose 10 (first sprinkler means) installed at the top of the roof of the house to sprinkle water onto the roof surface, an exterior wall sprinkler nozzle 20 (second sprinkler means) installed at the eaves to spray pressurized water downward (along the exterior wall) and outward, and a high-pressure pump unit 30 and a switching valve 40 that supply pressurized water to these. In summer, the evaporative cooling effect (sprinkling effect) from the water sprayed from the roof sprinkler hose 10 cools the roof surface and suppresses the rise in temperature inside the house.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a multifunctional sprinkler device for houses, which has a disaster prevention function to mitigate damage from flying embers and fire spread caused by neighboring fires or wildfires, a snow protection function to reduce snow damage to roofs in winter, and an environment adjustment function to suppress an increase in indoor temperature through the cooling effect of sprinkling water onto the roof surface during intense heat in summer. Background Art

[0002] Conventional water sprinkling equipment for houses mainly includes sprinklers intended for indoor fire extinguishing and simple snow-melting sprinkler devices arranged on roofs. However, few devices have been adequately equipped with an external spraying mechanism to protect outer walls from incoming firebrands (flying embers) and radiant heat during neighboring fires or large-scale wildfires. In addition, in response to the problem that the roof surface of houses is heated to a high temperature by direct sunlight, which increases the load on indoor air conditioning during severe summer heat accompanying global warming in recent years, no simple and multifunctional system that can actively suppress the temperature rise of the entire house by effectively utilizing disaster-prevention water sprinkling equipment has been proposed. Prior Art Documents Patent Documents

[0003] Patent Document 1 Japanese Patent No. 6820123 (technology related to high-pressure washers) Patent Document 2 Japanese Patent No. 7259412 (technology related to high-pressure water supply hoses) Patent Document 3 Japanese Patent No. 5648981 (technology related to a valve device for branching and switching fluid into a plurality of systems) Summary of the Invention Problem to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] The present invention aims to provide a multi-functional residential sprinkler system that is easy to install and highly convenient throughout the year, which can effectively mitigate damage to houses from fires spreading from neighboring properties and from wildfires, reduce the risk of collapse due to snow accumulation on roofs in winter, and effectively suppress the rise in temperature inside the house by lowering the temperature of the house itself through sprinkling water on the roof surface (cooling effect) during the hottest summer months. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] To solve the above problems, the multi-functional sprinkler system for residential use of the present invention comprises a first sprinkler means (roof sprinkler hose) installed on the rooftop of the house and sprinkling water onto the roof surface from above; a second sprinkler means (exterior wall sprinkler nozzle) installed on the eaves of the house and sprinkling water downward and outward; and a high-pressure pump unit that pressurizes and supplies water to the first and second sprinkler means. [Effects of the Invention]

[0006] According to this invention, the first watering means forms a water film over the entire roof to prevent sparks from igniting, and the second watering means prevents the exterior walls from igniting and repels sparks with an outward-directed pressurized spray, thereby significantly mitigating damage from the spread of fire. Furthermore, in winter, the watering function over the entire roof promotes snow melting and prevents the collapse of houses due to snow accumulation. Moreover, during the heat waves of summer, the watering of the roof surface by the first watering means functions as a "sprinkling of water," lowering the temperature of the roof surface and the house itself through the heat of vaporization of water. This blocks the inflow of heat into the house, suppressing the rise in indoor temperature and greatly contributing to improved cooling efficiency and energy saving effects (heatstroke prevention). In other words, three effects—disaster prevention, snow protection, and environmental adjustment—can be obtained throughout the year. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0007] [Figure 1] This is an overall system diagram showing the device of this invention installed in a house. [Figure 2] This is a detailed cross-sectional view showing the installation state of the first watering means at the top of the roof. [Figure 3]This is a cross-sectional view showing the nozzle arrangement of the second watering means at the eaves. [Figure 4] This is a unit configuration diagram showing the connection relationships between the pump, faucet, and diverter valve. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0008] A high-pressure pump unit is connected to the outdoor water supply unit, and this device is installed with hoses and watering nozzles at the top (ridge) and eaves of the roof. The high-pressure pump unit is connected to an exterior wall nozzle that supplies water to the top (ridge) of the roof and to the eaves via a switching valve that divides the water supply to the east, west, north, and south. By stopping the water supply to the eaves, it is possible to water only the top (ridge) of the roof. By limiting the water supply to each of the eaves in the east, west, north, and south, it is possible to suppress unnecessary water supply. [Examples]

[0009] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to Figures 1 to 4.

[0010] Figure 1 is an overall system diagram showing a multi-functional sprinkler system (water umbrella) according to one embodiment of the present invention installed in a detached house. The system mainly comprises a roof sprinkler hose 10 (first sprinkler means) installed at the top (ridge) of the roof 50 of the house, an exterior wall sprinkler nozzle 20 (second sprinkler means) installed at the eaves of the roof 50, a high-pressure pump unit 30 installed near a water source such as on the ground to pressurize and supply water to each sprinkler means, and a switching valve 40 to switch between water supply systems.

[0011] Figure 2 is a detailed cross-sectional view showing the arrangement of the roof watering hose 10 at the top of the roof 50. The roof watering hose 10 is made of a high-pressure resin hose with elasticity and pressure resistance, and is firmly fixed to the roof top via fixing saddles provided at multiple locations. Multiple watering holes are formed along the longitudinal direction of the roof watering hose 10, and pressurized water is sprayed or distributed upwards and diagonally downwards to the left and right to widely cover the roof surface. As a result, the water spreads by flowing down along the sloping surface of the roof 50, efficiently forming a strong water film that covers the entire roof.

[0012] Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view showing the arrangement of the exterior wall watering nozzles 20 at the eaves. The exterior wall watering nozzles 20 are arranged either partially or all around along the four sides (east, west, north, and south) of the eaves, which are the ends of the roof 50. Pressurized water is supplied to these exterior wall watering nozzles 20 from a high-pressure pump unit 30 that has a water supply capacity equivalent to that of a high-pressure washer.

[0013] The nozzle 20 is equipped with multiple nozzles. One nozzle sprays water directly downwards along the surface of the exterior wall 60, forming a water curtain to prevent ignition and damage from radiant heat to the exterior wall 60. Another nozzle sprays water at high pressure diagonally upwards (for example, at a 45-degree angle) or horizontally outwards towards the outside of the house. This outward high-pressure spray forms a spatial barrier (a canopy of water) that physically pushes back and repels sparks and embers flying in from the outside.

[0014] Figure 4 is a diagram showing the pump unit configuration, including the drive source and control unit of this device. The high-pressure pump unit 30 is connected to a standard water supply or well water pumping pipe (faucet) and increases the water pressure using an internal pressure pump to deliver the water. A switching valve 40 is provided downstream of the high-pressure pump unit 30.

[0015] This switching valve 40 has a function of arbitrarily switching between "water supply to the roof sprinkling hose 10 (system A)", "water supply to the outer wall sprinkling nozzle 20 (system B)", and "simultaneous water supply to both systems (system A+B)" by manual or electrical control. This makes it possible to limit the installation of hoses and sprinkling in response to the risk of fire spread from a specific direction, and maximum effectiveness can be exerted even in situations where the water source is limited.

[0016] Next, the operation and multifunctional applications of the present embodiment will be described.

[0017] As a first application, when a neighboring fire or wildfire occurs (during disaster prevention), the switching valve 40 is switched to simultaneous water supply. The roof sprinkling hose 10 prevents the spread of fire and collapse of the entire roof 50, while simultaneously sprinkling water downward from the outer wall sprinkling nozzle 20 to prevent ignition of the outer wall 60, and blocks incoming flying sparks by outward spraying. This can greatly reduce the total destruction risk of the installed house, and can also be expected to have effects such as reducing the burden of fire insurance.

[0018] As a second application, during snowfall in winter (during snow protection), the switching valve 40 is switched to the roof system, and water is sprinkled from the roof sprinkling hose 10. This actively melts the snow accumulated on the roof 50 and promotes snow sliding, thereby preventing damage caused by house collapse due to the weight of accumulated snow.

[0019] As a third application, during a severe heatwave in summer (during environmental adjustment), a certain amount of water is regularly sprinkled from the roof sprinkling hose 10. This produces a "cooling sprinkling effect" on the surface of the roof 50, and the latent heat of vaporization when water evaporates rapidly reduces the temperature of the roof 50, and consequently the temperature of the structure of the house itself. As a result, heat inflow from the attic into the house is suppressed, and the cooling efficiency of the indoor air conditioner is greatly improved. [Industrial Applicability]

[0020] The multi-functional sprinkler system of this invention can be widely used in the fields of manufacturing, construction, and sales of fire extinguishing and disaster prevention equipment, snow melting equipment, and heat shielding and energy saving equipment for all types of buildings, including detached houses, apartment buildings and condominiums, shops, factories, warehouses, and various public facilities. In particular, as a measure against the extreme summer heat caused by recent global warming (heat shielding and reduction of air conditioner load), and as a measure against the spread of fire and fires spreading from other sources in areas with many large-scale forest fires and densely populated wooden houses (disaster prevention), this system offers a variety of benefits throughout the year and has extremely high market potential. Furthermore, because it can be constructed inexpensively by combining existing industrial and household components such as existing high-pressure washers, general-purpose high-pressure resin hoses, piping, and valve devices, its industrial applicability is very broad, including widespread adoption in general housing, commercialization as a retrofitting method, and the development of new disaster prevention businesses linked to preferential fire insurance premium systems. [Explanation of symbols]

[0021] 10…Hose for watering roofs (first watering method) 20… Exterior wall watering nozzle (second watering method) 30…High-pressure pump unit 40… Switching valve 50...roof 60…Exterior walls

Claims

[Claim 1] A first watering means is installed at the top of the roof of a house and sprays water onto the roof surface from above, A second watering means is installed at the eaves of the aforementioned house and sprays water downward and outward, A high-pressure pump unit that provides pressurized water to the first and second watering means, A multi-functional sprinkler system for residential use, characterized by having the following features.

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