Fire extinguisher operating lever

Abstract

This invention provides a fire extinguisher operating lever that enables safe and easy use of unfamiliar fire extinguishers in emergency situations such as fires. [Solution] The operating lever body 20 includes a pivot portion 50 that can be rotatably supported around pin holes 51 and 52 relative to the main body container of the fire extinguisher, a grip portion 40 extending from one side of the pivot portion 50 and that can be gripped together with the fixing lever of the fire extinguisher, and a hose guide portion 60 extending from the other side of the pivot portion 50 and that can guide (regulate) the range of motion of the fire extinguisher hose. The operating lever body 20 has a safety pin hole 53 and a hose insertion hole 61. When the operating lever body 20 is gripped, it rotates around the pin holes 51 and 52, allowing the hose to move within the range of the hose insertion hole and lifting the nozzle hose in the recess 62. This suppresses the erratic movement of the nozzle hose when the extinguishing agent is sprayed and allows the extinguishing agent to be sprayed in the correct direction toward the target. This significantly improves the probability of achieving initial fire suppression.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an operation lever for a fire extinguisher.

Background Art

[0002] Patent Document 1 is a device for automatically releasing the safety plug of a fire extinguisher. A unlocking portion is provided at the curved portion of the hose of the fire extinguisher. When the hose is directed towards the fire source, the unlocking portion operates around a fulcrum, the spring is released, and the safety plug pops out. Thus, in case of a fire, when the hose is directed towards the fire source, the safety plug is automatically released, enabling the initial fire extinguishing effect.

[0003] Also, Patent Document 2 is a safety device for a fire extinguisher. The rotating piece can rotate with the raising and lowering of the hose, and an annular portion formed at the tip of the rotating piece loosely fits over the hose to lock the hose. Thus, the activation lever can be freely pushed down, enabling smooth activation of the fire extinguisher in case of an incorrect operation.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Patent Document 2

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] Generally widely spread known fire extinguishers include powder-based, water-based, or gas-based fire extinguishers. A cylindrical main body container is placed vertically on the floor, and the nozzle at the tip of the hose pulled out from the upper end of the main body container is locked to the outer wall on the side of the main body container. In many cases, the basic principle of the fire extinguisher has not been substantially changed for a long time.

[0006] Conventional fire extinguishers work by carrying the main container to the scene of the fire, detaching the nozzle from the hose, pulling up the operating lever located at the top of the container, and pointing the nozzle towards the fire. This causes the extinguishing agent to be sprayed from the nozzle. Because high-pressure gas is sprayed when the extinguishing agent is released from the nozzle, the nozzle or the hose near the nozzle must be held with one hand, and the nozzle's direction adjusted to direct the gas and extinguishing agent towards the fire.

[0007] If the operator fails to grip the nozzle at the end of the hose with one hand, the nozzle or hose may slip from their palm, causing the hose to thrash about independently. Once the hose begins to move erratically, it becomes difficult to control its uncontrolled motion. When the hose starts to move erratically, it not only hinders the intended firefighting activity, but the extinguishing agent sprayed from the nozzle scatters into the surrounding area, contaminating the floor, walls, equipment, and surroundings, as well as splashing onto the operator's body, resulting in significant losses for cleanup and recovery.

[0008] Furthermore, some standard fire extinguishers include a warning in the instruction manual's "How to Use a Fire Extinguisher" section stating, "Operating the extinguisher without holding the hose, or letting go of it, can cause the hose to shake violently, which is extremely dangerous."

[0009] In actual use of a standard fire extinguisher, there is often no time to read these kinds of handling instructions, and it is not always possible to properly direct the sprayed powder, water, or high-pressure gas from the nozzle towards the target. Even with regular fire extinguishing training, situations may arise where the operation cannot be reliably performed in an emergency.

[0010] Even if fire extinguishing training is conducted, the reality is that it mostly consists of posing, with little to no practical training involving pressing a lever and spraying fire extinguishing agent from the nozzle at the end of the hose. Even if training is conducted on how to spray the extinguishing agent from a standard fire extinguisher, there is no guarantee that one will be able to perform such an unusual operation correctly in an emergency situation at an actual fire scene.

[0011] Unlike instruction manuals for general household goods, there is room for technical improvement not only in the content of practical training but also in the tools themselves when it comes to emergency products (tools) used only in emergencies. Conventional fire extinguishers are widely distributed and installed throughout Japan, numbering approximately 4.2 million. While existing fire extinguishers are regularly inspected after purchase, for example every six months, the reality is that most of these inspections do not include training on how to hold the hose, operate the lever, and spray high-pressure gas.

[0012] The present invention aims to provide a fire extinguisher operating lever and a fire extinguisher that enable safe and easy use of unfamiliar fire extinguishers in emergency situations such as fire outbreaks. [Means for solving the problem]

[0013] The fire extinguisher operating lever of the present invention is the main body container of the fire extinguisher (2) from of via hose Ta Start spraying fire extinguishing agent. for It is an operating lever, The aforementioned Hold the fire extinguisher together with the locking lever (5). It will be done Gripping part (40) and The gripping portion Body content In a bowl In contrast hand Rotation To become free support do Rotating part (50) and The rotating part On the side opposite to the side with the gripping portion, the rotating portion is supported by the rotating portion and has a guide hole (61), and as the gripping portion rotates, the rotating portion is inserted into the guide hole. Fire extinguisher hose (11) guidance The system employs a configuration that includes a hose guide section (60) and a hose guide section.

[0014] According to the fire extinguisher operating lever of the present invention, it can be rotatably supported and mounted on the main body container of the fire extinguisher, and the movable lever of the fire extinguisher's operating lever can be easily replaced and retrofitted. According to the operation lever for a fire extinguisher of the present invention, when manufacturing a fire extinguisher, the operation lever for a fire extinguisher of the present invention can be assembled instead of the conventional movable lever.

[0015] According to the operation lever for a fire extinguisher and the fire extinguisher of the present invention, at the start of a fire extinguishing operation, the shape of the hose of the fire extinguisher can be kept "straight". Since the hose maintains straightness in a shape that extends straight, the hose does not flail freely in three-dimensional space. Therefore, the fire extinguishing agent emitted from the nozzle is basically ejected in the direction desired by the operator. Therefore, it is possible to properly operate without flailing the hose toward the location of the fire, and it is possible to prevent the fire extinguishing agent, etc. from scattering around. Thereby, even in an emergency, when conducting a fire extinguishing operation at the location of the fire, the direction of the nozzle can be properly handled without the hose flailing. Thereby, the success rate of initial fire extinguishing can be significantly improved.

[0016] According to the operation lever for a fire extinguisher of the present invention, it can be easily attached or replaced by retrofitting to an existing general fire extinguisher or a general fire extinguisher before sale.

[0017] According to the operation lever for a fire extinguisher of the present invention, by applying it around the safety pin of an existing fire extinguisher and attaching or replacing it to the fire extinguisher, from when the fire extinguisher is installed inside and outside houses, factories and other buildings, the probability of avoiding incomplete operations that are likely to occur during a fire can be increased. Therefore, when using a fire extinguisher, the occurrence rate of hose flailing that has occurred over the years can be significantly reduced.

[0018] Thereby, the disaster risk and pollution risk during a fire extinguishing operation at the time of initial fire extinguishing can be reduced, and the effect of supporting true fire extinguishing operations, especially initial fire extinguishing operations, can be significantly improved.

[0019] According to the operating lever for a fire extinguisher of the present invention, at the fire scene, instead of the three steps of pulling out the safety plug, releasing the nozzle from the main body container, and gripping the operating lever, the fire extinguishing agent is ejected from the nozzle by the two simple steps of pulling out the safety plug and gripping the operating lever. When ejecting, the flailing of the hose can be suppressed, and the fire extinguishing agent can be ejected in an accurate direction toward the target. Thereby, the probability of achieving initial fire extinguishing can be significantly improved.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0020] [Figure 1] Side view of the operating lever for a fire extinguisher according to the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] View in the direction of arrow II of the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 3] Cross-sectional view taken along line III-III of FIG. 2. [Figure 4] Perspective view of a fire extinguisher to which the operating lever for a fire extinguisher according to the first embodiment of the present invention is applied. [Figure 5] Front view of a fire extinguisher to which the operating lever for a fire extinguisher according to the first embodiment of the present invention is applied. <000010​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​An operating lever for a fire extinguisher according to the first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Figures 1 to 3.

[0023] The operating lever body 20, which corresponds to the fire extinguisher operating lever (movable lever) of the present invention, is a long, elongated member as shown in Figures 1 to 3, and has a U-shaped basic cross-sectional shape. The operating lever body 20 is functionally divided into a gripping portion 40 that can be grasped by the operator, a rotating portion 50 that can be rotatably supported with respect to a member fixed to the fire extinguisher body 1, and a hose guide portion 60 that guides the hose 11. The gripping portion 40, the rotating portion 50, and the hose guide portion 60 of the operating lever body 20 are integrally formed.

[0024] Furthermore, the operating lever body 20 has a shape that includes a bent portion 21 that bends in the direction of the legs 201 and 202 in the U-shaped cross-section. This makes the overall size of the fire extinguisher body 1, including the hose 11, more compact when the operating lever body 20 is assembled to the fire extinguisher body 1, without hindering the hose 11 from bending flexibly towards the shoulder side of the main container 2.

[0025] The gripping portion 40 is the part that the operator can grip together with the fixing lever 5. The maximum longitudinal length of the rotating portion 50 of the gripping portion 40 from the pin holes 51 and 52 is shorter than the maximum longitudinal length of the hose guide portion 60 from the pin holes 51 and 52.

[0026] The rotating part 50 has pin holes 51 and 52 through which a pin (not shown) can be inserted, which is inserted into a pin hole formed in a member fixed to the main body container 2. The pin holes 51 and 52 are formed in the U-shaped cross-sectional portions 201 and 202 of the operating lever body 20. The rotating part 50 has a safety pin hole 53 through which the safety pin 7 on the fire extinguisher body can be inserted after assembly. During firefighting, the safety pin 7 can be pulled out from the main container 2 through the safety pin hole 53.

[0027] The hose guide section 60 is a portion that extends from the rotating section 50 toward the opposite gripping section and has a hose insertion hole 61 corresponding to a first guide hole through which the hose 11 can be guided (inserted). When the locking of the nozzle 13 is released from the locking section 30 during firefighting, the hose 11 changes shape from a curved state to a straight state, and the hose guide section 60 restricts the movement of the hose 11 through the hose insertion hole 61, preventing the hose 11 from extending straight.

[0028] Furthermore, the hose guide section 60 has a U-shaped recess 62 at its tip. When the gripping section 40 of the operating lever body 20 is gripped, the rotating section 50 uses the pin holes 51 and 52 as pivot points to guide the recess 62 at the tip of the hose guide section 60 so that it lifts the hose 11. Also, when the nozzle 13 is released from the locking section 30 during firefighting, the recess 62 guides the movement of the hose 11 within an acceptable range when the curved hose 11 transitions to a straightened state, restricting the hose 11 from moving erratically and assisting in the straightening of the hose 11.

[0029] (Fire extinguisher configuration) Figure 4 shows an example of a fire extinguisher to which the above-mentioned fire extinguisher operating lever is applied. The fire extinguisher using the operating lever for the fire extinguisher according to the first embodiment has a basic configuration similar to that of a general fire extinguisher, except for the movable lever, and includes a cylindrical pressure vessel that encloses the extinguishing agent and high-pressure gas.

[0030] The fire extinguisher 1 comprises a main container 2, a main outlet 3, a safety pin 7 that blocks a passage (not shown) inside the main outlet 3, a discharge port 15 that has a passage communicating with the pressure chamber of the main container 2 and switches the passage to an open state when the safety pin 7 is pulled out, a fixing lever 5 and an operating lever body 20 that intermittently open the passage, an indicating pressure gauge 8 that detects the pressure in the passage on the inlet side of the fixing lever 5 and the operating lever body 20, and a cap 4 that fixes the indicating pressure gauge 8 to the main container 2. One end of the hose 11 is connected to the main body outlet 3, and the other end, the tip end, is connected to the nozzle 13. The locking portion 30 formed on the side of the main body container 2 has a locking hole 31 into which the nozzle 13 can be fitted and locked.

[0031] As shown in Figure 5, when the nozzle 13 is locked to the locking part 30, the hose 11 bends and flexes, and the nozzle 13 connected to the hose 11 is locked to the locking part 30.

[0032] When using the fire extinguisher, from the state shown in Figure 5, the safety pin 7 is pulled out in the direction of arrow 9, and the fixing lever 5 and the operating lever body 20 are gripped and activated. The operating lever body 20 then rotates around the pivot point of the rotating part 50, causing the hose guide part 60 to lift. As shown in Figure 6, the movement of the hose 11 is restricted by the hose insertion hole 61, which corresponds to the guide hole, and the tip of the hose 11 is lifted by the recess, which corresponds to the guide part at the tip of the hose 11. At this time, the hose 11 is lifted with a light feel using the lever principle, and the hose 11 is guided to extend in a straight line. When the hose 11 rises, high-pressure gas and fire extinguishing agent try to flow out from the container body 2 through the outlet 3, but this causes high-pressure fluctuations in the passage inside the hose 11, causing the hose 11 to thrash around. However, the hose insertion hole 60 and recess 62 of the hose guide part 60 suppress the thrashing of the hose 11.

[0033] Therefore, the hose 11 is prevented from moving violently, significantly increasing the success rate of initial firefighting. This can greatly reduce social losses, economic losses, and psychological damage.

[0034] According to the fire extinguisher using the operating lever of this embodiment, by installing the fire extinguisher 1 inside or outside a building such as a house or factory after purchasing it, in the event of an emergency, when the lock on the nozzle 13 and the safety pin 7 are released and the lever is operated, high-pressure gas passes through the main body outlet 3 from the main body outlet 3, causing pressure fluctuations in the passage. At this time, the hose guide 60 restricts the shape change of the hose 11 inserted into the hose insertion hole 61 of the fire extinguisher operating lever 10, guiding the hose 11 to extend straight, thereby suppressing the swaying motion of the hose 11 beyond the main body mounting bracket 16. When the lever is operated with both hands, even if the gripping motion of the hands is released from the hose 11, it is possible to prevent the fire extinguishing agent from scattering from the nozzle 13 into the surrounding area. After spraying begins, the hose guide 60 prevents the hose 11 from swaying, so the fire extinguishing agent can be sprayed in the desired and appropriate direction at the fire scene by manual operation.

[0035] At a fire scene, instead of the three-step process of "ping, pong, pan," the extinguishing agent is sprayed from the nozzle with a simple two-step operation: "ping" and "pan." This suppresses hose movement during spraying, allowing the extinguishing agent to be sprayed precisely towards the target. This significantly improves the probability of achieving initial fire suppression.

[0036] According to this embodiment, even if the operator is unfamiliar with the operation, the turbulence of the hose 11 during high-pressure spraying is suppressed, and the fire extinguishing agent can be reliably sprayed in the direction of spraying. The technical ingenuity of this embodiment leads to effective disaster mitigation, and by adopting this device, social losses, economic losses, and psychological damage can be significantly reduced.

[0037] (Comparison with comparative example) <Comparative Example 1> Here, we will refer to a standard fire extinguisher (conventional fire extinguisher) as a comparative fire extinguisher. In the comparative fire extinguisher 70 shown in Figure 9, the fire extinguisher body and nozzle are connected by a hose.

[0038] When using a fire extinguisher, if the extinguishing powder, water, or gas is ejected along with the high-pressure gas from the extinguisher body, and the powder, water, or gas is ejected from the nozzle at the end of the hose, and the nozzle is not held properly at that time, the hose will shake as it leaves the user's hand. Once the hose starts shaking, the hose and nozzle will become unstable, not only hindering the intended firefighting activity, but the extinguishing agent ejected from the nozzle at the end of the hose will scatter into the surrounding area, contaminating floors, equipment, buildings, etc., and also falling on the operator's body, resulting in significant losses.

[0039] During the initial operation of a comparative fire extinguisher, if the hose and nozzle are released due to misoperation or carelessness, the hose may shake violently, causing the extinguishing agent sprayed from the nozzle to scatter in an unintended direction. Once the hose begins to shake violently, it is not easy to stop the shaking. The instruction manual for the comparative fire extinguisher states, "Never perform a test discharge." Therefore, the prohibition against test discharge indicates that a problem exists in locations where such comparative fire extinguishers are deployed, as operators are typically unfamiliar with using the fire extinguisher hose.

[0040] As shown in Figure 9, the comparative fire extinguisher 70 is normally operated by placing the bottom surface of the fire extinguisher body 71 on the floor surface 42 in the direction of arrow 43, and gripping the fixed lever 5 and the movable lever 6 with the fire extinguisher body 71 in an upright position. If, for example, both levers are gripped with one hand and the hose 11 is not held with the other hand, the force of the high-pressure gas flowing inside the hose 11 will cause the hose 11 to thrash around, for example in the direction of arrow 44, and once the hose 11 starts to thrash around, it is not easy to stop the thrashing hose 11.

[0041] <Comparative Example 2> As shown in Figure 10, when using the fire extinguisher body 71 in an upright position, holding the fixed lever 5 and the movable lever 6, and lifting the fire extinguisher body 71 off the floor 42, if you lift it with both hands, you will release the hose 11 and the nozzle 13 at the end of the hose, causing the hose 11 to thrash around, and once it thrashes, it cannot be stopped.

[0042] Similar to Comparative Example 1, the instruction manual states, "Never test-fire a standard fire extinguisher." Therefore, since test-firing is not possible, the operator is usually unfamiliar with operating the fire extinguisher, and there is a risk and challenge that the hose could become uncontrollably dangerous.

[0043] While fire extinguishing drills were conducted, in many cases, the comparative fire extinguishers did not actually receive training in operation. Even when training was carried out, the losses caused by the nozzle malfunction resulting from the aforementioned misoperation or carelessness were enormous, yet no technical solutions for fire extinguishers had been proposed for many years.

[0044] For many years, this issue has been left unresolved, without any effective solutions being offered. The resulting losses due to the inability to effectively use fire extinguishers are immeasurable.

[0045] According to this embodiment, technical improvements have been made to enable easy and reliable spraying of the fire extinguishing agent in the desired direction, even for unfamiliar operators in emergency situations. This leads to effective disaster mitigation, and by adopting this device, social losses, economic losses, and psychological damage can be significantly reduced.

[0046] (Second embodiment) In a second embodiment of the present invention, the conventional movable lever of the operating lever of a conventional fire extinguisher is removed, and the operating lever body 20 according to the first embodiment is attached, thereby configuring a fire extinguisher equipped with the fire extinguisher operating lever of the present invention.

[0047] According to the present invention, existing fire extinguishers can be easily retrofitted or fitted with the fire extinguisher lever of this embodiment. When assembling or manufacturing a fire extinguisher, the fire extinguisher operating lever of this embodiment can be used instead of the conventional movable lever and hose. The method of using the fire extinguisher with the fire extinguisher operating lever of this embodiment is the same as that described in the first embodiment.

[0048] (Third embodiment) The third embodiment is a configuration in which the operating lever body according to the present invention is placed over the upper surface of the conventional movable lever 6 of a general fire extinguisher. The configuration of the operating lever body in the third embodiment is basically the same as that of the operating lever body in the first embodiment described above, so a description of the configuration will be omitted.

[0049] As shown in Figure 8, the U-shaped legs 201 and 202 of the operating lever body according to the present invention are attached to the upper surface of the movable lever 6, spanning over the movable lever 6, and are used in this manner. In this third embodiment, the configuration of the operating lever body is such that, if the cross-sectional shape of the movable lever 6 to be mounted is, for example, U-shaped, the operating lever body will have a U-shaped cross-section with inner wall widths greater than the outer wall widths of the legs of the movable lever 6.

[0050] An example of the configuration of a fire extinguisher to which the operating lever body according to the third embodiment is applied is as follows: The fire extinguisher 1 comprises a main container 2, a main outlet 3, a safety pin 7 that blocks a passage (not shown) inside the main outlet 3, a discharge port 15 that has a passage communicating with the pressure chamber of the main container 2 and switches the passage to an open state when the safety pin 7 is pulled out, a fixed lever 5 and a movable lever 6 that intermittently open the passage, an indicator pressure gauge 8 that detects the pressure in the passage on the inlet side of the fixed lever 5 and the movable lever 6, and a cap 4 that fixes the indicator pressure gauge 8 to the main container 2.

[0051] When assembling the operating lever body, remove the pin (not shown) that rotatably supports the movable lever 6 on the fire extinguisher body side, place the operating lever body 20 over the top surface of the movable lever 6, and insert the pin (not shown) through the pin hole (not shown) on the main container 2 side, the pin hole (not shown) on the movable lever 6, and the pin holes 51 and 52 on the operating lever body 20, thereby attaching the movable lever 6 and the operating lever body 20 integrally to the main container 2 so that they can rotate and do not fall off.

[0052] The movable lever 6 and the operating lever body 20 operate as a single unit. The function and effect of the operating lever body 20 in this operation are the same as in the first embodiment. With the operating lever body of this embodiment, by using the movable lever of a conventional fire extinguisher as is, removing the pin that fits into the pinhole and reusing or replacing the pin, and then assembling the operating lever body, the probability of quickly extinguishing a fire with simple operation during firefighting activities can be greatly improved, as described above.

[0053] (Other embodiments) In the above embodiment, the fire extinguisher operating lever of the present invention has a bent portion 21 in the shape of a V-shape on the outer surface of the operating lever body. This prevents interference with the shoulder portion of the fire extinguisher body when it is assembled to the fire extinguisher body. In other embodiments, the shape of the operating lever body of the present invention may be a straight, extending shape.

[0054] The configuration of a fire extinguisher to which the fire extinguisher hose of the present invention is applied is not limited to the configuration of a fire extinguisher described above. As stated above, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, and can be implemented in various forms without departing from its essence.

[0055] The fire extinguisher operating lever of the present invention may be formed by integral molding, or each part may be formed separately and connected. The operating lever body of the present invention may be configured to be operable integrally with the movable lever (6) that initiates the spraying of the fire extinguishing agent, to be gripped together with the fixed lever, and to have a shape that covers the upper surface of the movable lever. The fire extinguisher operating lever of the present invention may have a shape that covers the upper surface of the movable lever (6). [Explanation of Symbols]

[0056] 1 fire extinguisher, 2. Main container, 3 Main body outlet, 5. Fixed lever (operating lever), 6. Movable lever (operating lever), 10. Fire extinguisher operating lever, 11 hoses, 13 nozzles, 20 Operating lever body, 21. Bent section, 30 Locking part, 40 grip part, 50 rotating parts, 51, 52 pin holes 53 Safety plug hole 60 Hose guide section, 61 Hose insertion hole (guide hole), 62 Recess (guide section).

Claims

1. An operating lever for initiating the spraying of fire extinguishing agent from the main container (2) of the fire extinguisher via the hose, The gripping portion (40) is held together with the fixing lever (5) of the fire extinguisher, A rotating part (50) that supports the gripping part so that it can rotate with respect to the main container, A fire extinguisher operating lever comprising: a hose guide portion (60) supported on the side of the rotating portion opposite to the side with the gripping portion, having a guide hole (61), and guiding the fire extinguisher hose (11) inserted through the guide hole as the gripping portion rotates.

2. The fire extinguisher operating lever according to claim 1, A fire extinguisher operating lever in which the gripping portion, the rotating portion, and the hose guide portion are integrally formed, and the overall component is long.

3. The operating lever for a fire extinguisher according to Claim 2, A fire extinguisher operating lever with a U-shaped cross-section perpendicular to its longitudinal direction.

4. The fire extinguisher operating lever according to claim 2 or 3, which is operable integrally with the movable lever (6) for initiating the spraying of the fire extinguishing agent in the fire extinguisher, and has a shape that covers the upper surface of the movable lever.

5. The hose guide portion is an operating lever for a fire extinguisher according to any one of claims 1 to 3, having a recess (62) at its tip.

6. The fire extinguisher operating lever according to claim 2 or 3, wherein the hose guide portion has a bent portion (21) on the rotating portion side and is inclined toward the main container side with respect to the extension line of the gripping portion.

7. The fire extinguisher operating lever according to claim 2 or 3, wherein at least the gripping portion of the gripping portion and the rotating portion has a safety pin hole (53) through which the safety pin (7) of the fire extinguisher can be inserted.

8. A fire extinguisher equipped with an operating lever for a fire extinguisher as described in any one of claims 1 to 3.

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