Flame arrester for electric vehicles

Abstract

The present invention relates to a flame blocking device for an electric vehicle in a ground parking lot, which is implemented to include: a housing having an internal receiving portion that is open upward and is positioned on the front and rear partition lines forming the parking space of a ground parking lot; and a flame-retardant unit positioned in the receiving portion of the housing that rotates upward and unfolds to block the transmission of flames and heat to surrounding vehicles when a fire occurs in the parked vehicle, thereby enabling the device to function as a partition that quickly rotates upward and unfolds to partition the space between surrounding vehicles when a fire occurs in an electric vehicle parked in a ground parking lot, and thereby preventing flames and high-temperature heat from spreading to surrounding vehicles.

Description

Technology Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a flame blocking device for electric vehicles in a ground parking lot, which prevents flames and high-temperature heat from spreading to surrounding vehicles by rotating and unfolding a flame-retardant sheet upward when a fire occurs in an electric vehicle parked in a parking space of a ground parking lot, and significantly reduces the risk of the fire spreading to other vehicles or structures. Background Technology

[0002] Electric vehicles present a problem in that fire suppression is more difficult compared to gasoline, diesel, and gas vehicles. Electrical factors accounted for the largest share of fire causes in electric vehicles, at 58%. These are presumed to be caused by batteries and related components, or by electrical shocks. Cases where the cause was unknown accounted for as much as 14.5%. Other causes included mechanical factors (14.5%), traffic accidents (7.0%), and negligence (3.0%).

[0003] Currently, conventional electric vehicles in Korea do not use solid-state batteries, which are safe against impact and fire, or lithium iron phosphate batteries, which have relatively low efficiency. Although solid-state batteries are next-generation batteries that are safe against impact and fire, they are not yet mass-produced due to high production costs, and as a result, lithium-polymer batteries, which are vulnerable to impact, are being used in electric vehicles.

[0004] Fires caused by impact (accidents) of electric vehicles occur due to the destruction of the separator between the positive and negative electrodes of lithium-polymer batteries. The heat generated at this time is close to 1,000 degrees Celsius, and the fire lasts for a very long time.

[0005] A method of extinguishing a fire by submerging the burning vehicle to a depth sufficient to cover the lithium-polymer battery under the vehicle can be used; however, this approach has a drawback in that it requires a significant amount of manpower and time to transport the immersion tank to a charging station, install the tank, and extinguish the fire in the event of an electric vehicle fire.

[0006] Furthermore, when a fire occurs in an electric vehicle battery due to pressure, overheating, vibration, shock, short circuit, overcharging, or discharge, the separator, which is a safety device, is damaged, accompanied by a thermal runaway phenomenon in which the temperature soars to thousands to tens of thousands of degrees. Since the fire does not go out until the battery is completely burned, the reality is that the flames appearing on the outside must be suppressed with firefighting water until the battery is completely burned. Due to these characteristics of thermal runaway fires in electric vehicles, it is impossible to suppress the fire once it has been activated until it is completely burned.

[0007] In addition, when an electric vehicle catches fire, the flames can spread to adjacent vehicles, causing continuous fires or damage such as melting due to high heat.

[0008] Technologies related to electric vehicle fire suppression or disaster prevention to solve these problems include:

[0009] Korean Patent Publication No. 10-2024-0063255 (published May 10, 2024, hereinafter referred to as 'Document 1') presents a "Charging Station Fire Suppression System for Suppressing Electric Vehicle Fires,"

[0010] Reference 1 describes a charging station fire suppression system for suppressing electric vehicle fires in an electric vehicle charging parking lot, comprising two lateral partitions positioned on both sides of an electric vehicle parking space, a front partition positioned in front of the electric vehicle parking space, and a rear partition positioned in the rear of the electric vehicle parking space, wherein at least one of the two lateral partitions, the front partition, and the rear partition is positioned in a first state in which it is inserted below the parking lot ground or laid horizontally with respect to the parking lot ground so that an electric vehicle can enter the parking space, and in the event of a fire, the lateral partition, the front partition, and the rear partition become upright in a second state to form a fire water receiving space. According to the present invention, a partition wall is installed on each perimeter surface of an electric vehicle parking space, and normally, at least one of the partition walls forming the perimeter is positioned so as to be laid horizontally with respect to the ground or inserted into the ground so that the electric vehicle can be parked in the parking space. However, in the event of a fire, the partition wall is erected to surround the perimeter of the parking space to form a fire water receiving space, thereby reducing the time required to transport the fire water immersion tank to the charging station and the time required to install the fire water immersion tank in the event of a fire in an electric vehicle being charged.

[0011] As another technology, Republic of Korea Patent Registration No. 10-2652696 (registered on March 26, 2024, hereinafter referred to as 'Document 2') "Electric Vehicle Charging Station Fire Prevention Device" is presented,

[0012] Literature 2 relates to a device structure capable of preventing and extinguishing fires occurring at an electric vehicle charging station. It describes a technology regarding an electric vehicle charging station fire prevention device that can significantly reduce material damage to adjacent vehicles caused by fire by primarily preventing the spread of flames and smoke to adjacent vehicles in the event of a fire, by providing a column-type charging unit equipped with a flame-blocking member in a parking area where an indoor or outdoor electric vehicle charging station is provided.

[0013] Another technology is presented in Korean Patent Registration No. 10-2716568 (registered on Oct. 8, 2024, hereinafter referred to as 'Literature 3'), titled "Electric Vehicle Fire Suppression System in Electric Vehicle Charging Station."

[0014] Literature 3 describes a technology for an electric vehicle fire suppression system within an electric vehicle charging station that includes a floor plate; a support unit; a height adjustment unit; a partition unit; a fire water supply pipe; and a fire water drain pipe. When a fire occurs in a vehicle parked in the parking area, the floor plate is lowered so as to be inserted to a predetermined depth into the interior of the flooded space, and simultaneously, fire water is supplied to the flooded space through the fire water supply pipe so that the vehicle is submerged in the fire water and the fire is suppressed. The partition unit is configured to rise by buoyancy according to the water level of the fire water supplied to the flooded space so as to surround the vehicle, and the water level of the fire water rises to more than 1 / 2 of the height of the vehicle. This allows for the rapid suppression of a fire in an electric vehicle parked or charged within the electric vehicle charging station without the fire spreading to the surroundings. Prior art literature

[0015] Reference 1. Korean Patent Publication No. 10-2024-0063255 (Published May 10, 2024) Reference 2. Korean Patent Registration No. 10-2652696 (Registered March 26, 2024) Reference 3. Korean Patent Registration No. 10-2716568 (Registered October 8, 2024) The problem to be solved

[0016] The present invention aims to provide a flame blocking device for electric vehicles in a ground parking lot that functions as a firewall to partition the space between the electric vehicle and surrounding vehicles in the event of a fire in the electric vehicle parked in the ground parking lot, as well as blocking the spread of flames and heat to surrounding vehicles. means of solving the problem

[0017] In order to solve the above-mentioned problem, the electric vehicle flame blocking device for a ground parking lot according to the present invention is,

[0018] A housing having an internal receiving portion that is open upward and is positioned on the front and rear partition lines forming the parking spaces of a ground parking lot; and

[0019] A flame-retardant unit disposed in the receiving portion of the above-mentioned housing, which rotates upward and unfolds to block the transfer of flames and heat to surrounding vehicles when a fire occurs in a parked vehicle;

[0020] It is characterized by including Effects of the invention

[0021] The electric vehicle flame blocking device for a ground parking lot according to the present invention is,

[0022] In the event of a fire in an electric vehicle parked in a ground-level parking lot, it rapidly unfolds upward to function as a firewall that partitions the space between the vehicle and surrounding vehicles, offering the greatest effect in preventing the spread of flames and high temperatures to nearby vehicles.

[0023] In addition, by tilting the fire-retardant sheet toward the vehicle where the fire occurred to surround the vehicle, it is possible to increase the efficiency of suppressing the flames and heat of the vehicle where the fire occurred.

[0024] In addition, the automated detection and operation system can minimize damage to life and property, and since it can be applied to existing parking facilities, it offers high utility. Brief explanation of the drawing

[0025] FIG. 1 is a front view configuration showing an electric vehicle flame blocking device for a ground parking lot according to the present invention and the installation state thereof. FIG. 2 is a side view showing an electric vehicle flame blocking device for a ground parking lot according to the present invention. FIG. 3 is a front view showing the housing and flame retardant unit, FIG. 4 is a plan view and enlarged configuration view of key parts showing an electric vehicle flame blocking device for a ground parking lot according to the present invention. FIG. 5 is a configuration diagram for showing the operating state of the rotation means of the flame retardant unit, FIG. 6 is a side view illustrating the tilting means and lifting means of the flame retardant unit, FIG. 7 is a front configuration diagram showing the tilting means and lifting means of the flame retardant unit, FIGS. 8 and 9 are configuration diagrams for showing the operating state of the rotation means, tilting means, and lifting means of the flame retardant unit. FIG. 10 is a front and key part enlarged configuration view to show the state in which a flame-retardant sheet surrounds a vehicle by a tilting means and the state in which it is attached and fixed by a magnet, FIG. 11 is a block diagram showing the control structure of the controller. Specific details for implementing the invention

[0026] Preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the attached drawings.

[0027] Prior to this, terms and words used in this specification and claims should not be interpreted as being limited to their ordinary or dictionary meanings, but should be interpreted in a meaning and concept consistent with the technical spirit of the invention, based on the principle that the inventor can appropriately define the concept of the terms to best describe his invention. Accordingly, the embodiments described in this specification and the configurations illustrated in the drawings are merely one preferred embodiment of the invention and do not represent all of the technical spirit of the invention; therefore, it should be understood that various equivalents and modifications capable of replacing them may exist at the time of filing this application.

[0028] Based on Figure 1, the direction of the housing side on the left is designated as the left or left direction, and the housing side on the right is designated as the right or right direction. Also, based on Figure 2, the direction of the rod side on the left is designated as the front or front, and the rod side on the right is designated as the rear or rear direction.

[0029] As illustrated in FIGS. 1 to 11, the electric vehicle flame blocking device for a ground parking lot according to the present invention is,

[0030] It is largely composed of a housing (10) and a flame-retardant unit (20).

[0031] If we look at each component,

[0032] The above housing (10)

[0033] As illustrated in FIGS. 1 to 4,

[0034] It is formed as a hollow housing structure having an internal receiving section (11) that is open upward and is positioned in the front and rear partition lines forming the parking space (1) of the ground parking lot.

[0035] In particular, it is preferable that the above housing (10) has a front-to-back length corresponding to the front-to-back partition line of the parking space (1).

[0036] The above flame retardant unit (20) is

[0037] As illustrated in FIGS. 1 to 10,

[0038] It is positioned in the receiving portion (11) of the above housing (10) and rotates upward and unfolds when a fire occurs in a parked vehicle to block the transfer of flames and heat to surrounding vehicles.

[0039] A pair of rods (21) arranged side by side along the length direction of the housing (10) in the receiving portion (11) of the housing (10),

[0040] A flame-retardant sheet (22) connected to each of the above rods (21) and placed in the receiving portion (11) of the housing (10), forming a square when unfolded, and

[0041] A rotation means (23) for rotating upward based on opposite ends facing each other at each of the above rods (21)

[0042] It consists of including

[0043] At this time, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, each rod (21) is formed as a bar structure with a circular cross-section, and is particularly arranged side by side from left to right when viewed from the front. Additionally, each rod (21) is rotated upward so that when the flame retardant sheet (22) is unfolded, it is desirable to have an appropriate length so that the height of the flame retardant sheet (22) is higher than the height (overall height) of the vehicle in fire.

[0044] Also, as shown in Fig. 10, a magnet (211) that attaches to each other by magnetism is embedded at the end of each rod (21).

[0045] Eventually, each rod (21) and the flame retardant sheet (22) connected thereto are tilted toward the fire vehicle by means of the tilting means (24) to be described later. Also, since the blocking device of the present invention is installed on each of the two partition lines of the adjacent blocking device, that is, the blocking device of the present invention, the rod (21) and the flame retardant sheet (22) located on the other partition line are also tilted toward the fire vehicle. As a result, the end of each rod (21) on one side and the end of each rod (21) on the other side face each other, and the magnets (211) embedded in them are attached to each other by magnetism. Through this, the fire vehicle is surrounded by both flame retardant sheets (22), thereby more efficiently blocking the transmission of flames and heat to the outside, and can also provide great assistance in suppressing the fire vehicle.

[0046] And the flame retardant sheet (22) is made of a square sheet structure made of non-combustible non-woven fabric, and is received in a folded state in the receiving portion (11) of the housing (10) with both ends connected to each rod (21). In other words, it is received in a folded state so that it is concealed in the receiving portion (11) of the housing (10) and is not visible to the naked eye from the outside. At this time, "folded state" means a state in which it is folded in a zigzag shape or rolled up in a spiral shape, and specifically means a state that helps to easily unfold into a square shape when each rod (21) rotates upward while it is folded.

[0047] And as shown in FIGS. 2 to 4, the rotation means (23) comprises a rotator (231) formed at opposite ends facing each other on each rod (21), a shaft (232) axially coupled to the rotator (231), a U-shaped top bracket (233) to which both ends of the shaft (232) are rotatably coupled, a driven pulley (234) axially coupled to the shaft (232), a driving pulley (235) arranged parallel to the driven pulley (234), a rotation drive motor (236) fixedly installed on the top bracket (233), and a belt (237) connecting the driven pulley (234) and the driving pulley (235). This is an example, and various modifications and changes may be made within the range that satisfies the conditions for rotating each rod (21) upward.

[0048] Accordingly, as shown in [a] of FIG. 5, the flame retardant sheet (22) is concealed in the receiving portion (11) of the housing (10), and as shown in [b] of FIG. 5, when the rod (21) is rotated upward by the rotation means (23), the flame retardant sheet (22) is unfolded in a square shape, thereby blocking the transmission of flames and heat generated from the burning vehicle to surrounding vehicles.

[0049] Meanwhile, in the electric vehicle flame blocking device of the ground parking lot according to the present invention, the flame retardant unit (20) is further equipped with a tilting means (24) and a lifting means (25).

[0050] The above tilting means (24) is

[0051] As illustrated in FIGS. 7 to 10,

[0052] The above rod (21) that has been rotated upward is tilted toward the side of the parked vehicle where the fire occurred.

[0053] A circular bar (241) arranged in a manner that supports the top bracket (233) in the receiving portion (11) of the housing (10),

[0054] A bottom bracket (242) to which the above circular bar (241) is rotatably coupled,

[0055] A pair of pushing heads (243) positioned to contact the left and right ends of the top bracket (233), and

[0056] A pushing head drive unit (244) that moves each of the above pushing heads (243) left and right

[0057] It consists of.

[0058] At this time, it is preferable that each pushing head (243) be made of an elastic material to prevent damage to the top bracket (233) and to prevent contact noise when in contact with the top bracket (233).

[0059] And as shown in FIG. 7, the pushing head drive unit (244) comprises a link (244a) that interconnects each pushing head (243), a link holder (244b) fixedly coupled to the link (244a), a driving cylinder body (244c) fixedly installed on the bottom bracket (242) and having a portion of a piston with its end coupled to the link holder (244b) built in to move the piston back and forth by selective supply of air, and a link guide (244d) with its upper end fitted into the link (244a) and its lower end fixed to the bottom bracket (242) to guide the linear movement of the link holder (244b) when the piston moves back and forth by the driving cylinder body (244c). This is an example, and it can be varied and changed in various ways within a range that satisfies the condition of being able to move each pushing head (243) to the left or right simultaneously. It is.

[0060] Ultimately, as shown in Fig. 9, the bottom bracket (242) can be tilted at a certain angle toward the fire vehicle side by the pushing head drive unit (244).

[0061] The above lifting means (25)

[0062] As illustrated in FIGS. 7 to 9,

[0063] The above bottom bracket (242) is for raising and lowering,

[0064] It comprises a piston (251) connected to the lower surface of the bottom bracket (242) and a pneumatic cylinder body (252) in which a part of the piston (251) is embedded, which raises and lowers the piston (251) by selective supply of air, and which is fixedly installed on the bottom of the receiving portion (11) of the housing (10). This is an example, and various modifications and changes may be made within the range that satisfies the condition of being able to raise and lower the bottom bracket (242).

[0065] Eventually, as shown in Fig. 8, the bottom bracket (242) is raised to a certain height by the lifting means (25), thereby coming out to the upper side of the receiving portion (11) of the housing (10).

[0066] In this way, the bottom bracket (242) is moved upward from the receiving portion (11) of the housing (10), thereby securing an angle at which the flame retardant sheet (22) can be tilted by the tilting means (24).

[0067] Meanwhile, the electric vehicle flame blocking device for a ground parking lot according to the present invention further includes a fire detection sensor (30) and a controller (40).

[0068] The above fire detection sensor (30) is

[0069] As shown in FIGS. 3 and FIGS. 11,

[0070] It is positioned on the left and right outer walls of the above housing (10) to detect fire when a fire occurs in a parked vehicle,

[0071] It can be composed of various sensors, mainly optical sensors, ionization sensors, thermal sensors, and combination sensors.

[0072] Here, optical sensors detect fire by sensing smoke, ionization sensors detect fire by sensing ions generated from flames, thermal sensors detect fire by sensing heat caused by the fire, and combination sensors perform more accurate fire detection by combining various sensors.

[0073] As the above fire detection sensors (30) are installed on the left and right outer walls of the housing (10), the fire detection sensor (30) adjacent to the vehicle where the fire occurred among the parked vehicles detects the fire first, and when this sensing value is transmitted to the controller (40), the rotation means (23), the tilting means (24), and the lifting means (25) are controlled so that the flame retardant sheet (22) can be tilted to surround the vehicle with the fire.

[0074] Ultimately, when a fire occurs in a vehicle parked in a parking space (1), the fire is detected by two fire detection sensors (30) located adjacent to the parked vehicle, that is, facing each other, in each housing (10) equipped with a blocking device placed on both sections of the parking space (1).

[0075] The above controller (40)

[0076] As shown in Fig. 11,

[0077] It is composed of a circuit structure that receives the sensing value of the fire detection sensor (30) and controls the rotation means (23), the tilting means (24), and the lifting means (25).

[0078] Ultimately, when the sensing value received from the fire detection sensor (30) reaches a preset value, the controller (40) drives the rotation drive motor (236) of the rotation means (23), the link drive motor (244c) of the tilting means (24), and the pneumatic cylinder body (252) of the lifting means (25), respectively, thereby tilting the flame retardant sheet (22) toward the fire vehicle and surrounding it.

[0079] In describing the present invention above, the "electric vehicle flame blocking device for a ground parking lot" having a specific shape and structure has been described primarily with reference to the attached drawings; however, the present invention is capable of various modifications and changes by those skilled in the art, and such modifications and changes should be interpreted as falling within the scope of protection of the present invention. Explanation of the symbols

[0080] 1 : Parking space 10 : Housing 11 : Reception section 20 : Flame retardant unit 21 : Load 211 : Magnet 22 : Flame retardant sheet 23 : Means of meeting 231 : Rotator 232 : Shaft 233 : Top Bracket 234 : Continuous pulley 235 : Drive pulley 236 : Rotational drive motor 237 : Belt 24 : Tilting means 241 : Circular bar 242 : Bottom bracket 243 : Pushing Head 244 : Pushing head drive unit 244a : Link 244b : Linkholder 244c : Driving cylinder body 244d : Link Guide 25 : Elevator 251 : Piston 252 : Pneumatic cylinder body 30 : Fire detection sensor 40 : Controller

Claims

Claim 1 A housing (10) having an internal receiving portion (11) that is open upward and is positioned in the front and rear partition lines forming the parking space (1) of a ground parking lot; and a flame-retardant unit (20) disposed in the receiving portion (11) of the housing (10) and rotated upward and unfolded to block the transmission of flames and heat to surrounding vehicles when a fire occurs in a parked vehicle; wherein the flame-retardant unit (20) comprises a pair of rods (21) arranged side by side along the length direction of the housing (10) in the receiving portion (11) of the housing (10), a flame-retardant sheet (22) connected to each rod (21) and disposed in the receiving portion (11) of the housing (10) and forming a square when unfolded, and a rotation means (23) for rotating upward with respect to opposite ends facing each other on each rod (21), and the rotation means (23) comprises a rotator (231) formed on opposite ends facing each rod (21), a shaft (232) axially coupled to the rotator (231), and An electric vehicle flame blocking device for a ground parking lot, characterized by comprising a U-shaped top bracket (233) to which both ends of the shaft (232) are rotatably coupled, a driven pulley (234) axially coupled to the shaft (232), a driving pulley (235) arranged parallel to the driven pulley (234), a rotary driving motor (236) fixedly installed on the top bracket (233), and a belt (237) connecting the driven pulley (234) and the driving pulley (235). Claim 2 delete Claim 3 delete Claim 4 The electric vehicle flame blocking device for a ground parking lot according to claim 1, characterized in that the flame retardant unit (20) further comprises a tilting means (24) that tilts each rod (21) rotated upward toward the side of the parked vehicle where the fire occurred. Claim 5 In claim 4, the electric vehicle flame blocking device for a ground parking lot is characterized in that the tilting means (24) comprises a circular bar (241) arranged in a manner that supports the top bracket (233) in the receiving portion (11) of the housing (10), a bottom bracket (242) to which the circular bar (241) is rotatably coupled, a pair of pushing heads (243) arranged to contact the left and right ends of the top bracket (233), and a pushing head driving unit (244) that moves each pushing head (243) left and right. Claim 6 In claim 5, the flame blocking device for an electric vehicle in a ground parking lot is characterized in that the flame-retardant unit (20) is further equipped with a lifting means (25) for raising and lowering the bottom bracket (242). Claim 7 In claim 6, the electric vehicle flame blocking device for a ground parking lot is further characterized by including a magnet (211) that attaches to each other by magnetism at the end of each rod (21), the flame retardant sheet (22) being made of non-combustible nonwoven fabric, a fire detection sensor (30) disposed on the left and right outer walls of the housing (10) to detect a fire when a fire occurs in a parked vehicle, and a controller (40) that receives the sensing value of the fire detection sensor (30) and controls the rotation means (23), the tilting means (24), and the lifting means (25).

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