Fire fighting device

Abstract

The invention relates to a fire fighting device (1) configured to be transported by a helicopter (2). The device (1) comprises a bucket (3) configured to hold a fluid inside, the bucket (3) comprising a top opening (3a) and a bottom opening (3b), fastening means for suspending the bucket (3) from the helicopter (2), a discharge valve (4) attached to the bottom opening (3b) of the bucket (3) for emptying the fluid from the bucket (3), and an actuator configured to open and close the discharge valve (4). The actuator is a pneumatic cylinder comprising a piston attached to the discharge valve (4) by means of a cord or cable (7), and the fastening means comprise a support (8) comprising a case (9), the case (9) containing the pneumatic cylinder and a pressurised air chamber for the pneumatic cylinder.

Description

[0001] DESCRIPTION

[0002] Firefighting device

[0003] TECHNICAL SECTOR

[0004] The present invention relates to firefighting devices configured to be transported by a helicopter.

[0005] PRIOR STATE OF THE ART

[0006] Known firefighting devices include a bag suspended from a helicopter by means of fastenings, which carries a fluid that is poured onto the fires. The bag typically has an upper and a lower opening, and the device usually includes a discharge valve coupled to the lower opening of the bag for emptying the fluid. The discharge valve is opened and closed by an actuator.

[0007] US2012 / 0222874A1 and US2010 / 0018725A1 describe devices of this type comprising a bulky actuator disposed in the bag above the discharge valve.

[0008] US2010 / 0230121A1 describes such a device with an actuator arranged outside the bag. The actuator comprises a plurality of hydraulic cylinders.

[0009] EXPLANATION OF THE INVENTION

[0010] The object of the invention is to provide a device for fighting fires, as defined in the claims.

[0011] The device of the invention is configured to be transported by a helicopter and comprises a bag configured to hold a fluid inside, the bag comprising an upper opening and a lower opening, fastening means for suspending the bag from the helicopter, a discharge valve coupled to the lower opening of the bag for emptying the fluid from the bag, and an actuator configured to open and close the discharge valve.

[0012] The actuator is a pneumatic cylinder comprising a piston connected to the discharge valve by a rope or cable, and the fastening means comprise a support comprising a housing, the housing comprising inside the pneumatic cylinder and a pressurised air chamber for the pneumatic cylinder.

[0013] This design provides a firefighting device with a simple, compact actuator that occupies little space and is housed within a support casing that forms part of the mounting system. This allows the device to be easily stored in the helicopter's cargo basket. Thus, when the helicopter is far from the fire, it is not necessary to carry the device suspended from the helicopter during the journey; instead, it is transported in the cargo basket. This allows the helicopter to travel at higher speeds, consume less fuel, and avoids the added risk of flying with the empty firefighting device suspended from the helicopter.

[0014] These and other advantages and features of the invention will become evident from the figures and the detailed description of the invention.

[0015] DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0016] Figure 1 shows an embodiment of a firefighting device according to the invention transported by a helicopter.

[0017] Figure 2 shows the realization of Figure 1.

[0018] Figure 3 shows a first perspective view of the support for the realization of Figure 1.

[0019] Figure 4 shows a perspective view of the support of the embodiment of Figure 1, in which the side wall of the housing has been removed to reveal the interior of the support. Figure 5 shows a cross-sectional view of the support of the embodiment of Figure 1 in its first operating position.

[0020] Figure 6 shows a cross-sectional view of the support of the embodiment of Figure 1 in a second operating position.

[0021] Figure 7 shows a plan view of the support of the embodiment of Figure 1 in which the top wall of the housing has been removed to show the inside of the support.

[0022] Figure 8 shows a second perspective view of the support for the realization of Figure 1.

[0023] Figure 9 shows a second embodiment of the device support of the invention.

[0024] Figure 10 shows an exploded view of the embodiment of the device support of the invention shown in Figure 9.

[0025] Figure 11 shows a perspective view of the discharge valve of the embodiment of Figure 1.

[0026] DETAILED EXPLANATION OF THE INVENTION

[0027] Figures 1 and 2 show an embodiment of the firefighting device 1 of the invention. As shown in Figure 1, the device 1 is configured to be transported by a helicopter 2. The device 1 comprises a bag 3 configured to hold a fluid inside, the bag 3 comprising an upper opening 3a and a lower opening 3b. The device 1 also comprises fastening means for suspending the bag 3 from the helicopter 2, a discharge valve 4 coupled to the lower opening 3b of the bag 3 for emptying the fluid from the bag 3, and an actuator configured to open and close the discharge valve 4.

[0028] As shown in Figures 5 and 6, the actuator is a pneumatic cylinder 5 comprising a piston 6 that is connected to the discharge valve 4 by means of a rope or cable 7, shown in Figures 1 and 2, and the clamping means comprise a support 8 comprising a housing 9, the housing 9 comprising the pneumatic cylinder 5 and a pressurised air chamber 10 for the pneumatic cylinder 5. Figures 3 to 8 show the support 8 of the embodiment of Figures 1 and 2.

[0029] Since, as shown in Figures 1 and 2, this configuration provides a device 1 with a simple, compact actuator that occupies little space and is housed in the casing 9 of the support 8, the device 1 can be easily stored in the cargo basket 30 of helicopter 2, as the bag 3 is typically made of a textile material. Thus, when helicopter 2 is far from the fire, it is not necessary to carry the device 1 suspended from the helicopter 2 during the journey, as shown in Figure 1, but rather it is transported in the cargo basket 30 of helicopter 2. This allows helicopter 2 to travel at a higher speed, consume less fuel, and avoids the added risk of flying with the empty device 1 suspended from the helicopter 2.

[0030] The pneumatic cylinder 5 comprises a solenoid valve 51, shown in Figures 4 to 7, configured to be actuated from the helicopter 2, either via a cable or wirelessly. The pneumatic cylinder 5 comprises, as shown in Figures 5 and 6, a first chamber 52 and a second chamber 53, and the solenoid valve 51 is connected to said first chamber 52 and said second chamber 53 respectively by means of a flexible tube 54 and a flexible tube 55, as shown in Figure 4, in which wall 11 has been removed to show the interior of the housing 9 of the support 8.

[0031] In a preferred embodiment, as shown in Figures 1 and 2, the fastening means comprise ropes, cables or tapes 20 by means of which the bag 3 is suspended from the support 8.

[0032] As shown in Figure 3, in this embodiment the housing 9 of the support 8 is a cylindrical body comprising a perimeter side wall 11, a top wall 12, and a bottom wall 13, although it could also be a prismatic body, for example, with a hexagonal base. As shown in Figures 5 and 6, the walls 11, 12, and 13 define an interior space in which the pneumatic cylinder 5 is vertically arranged. The bottom wall 13 of the housing 9 includes a through-hole 14 for the piston 6 of the pneumatic cylinder 5 to protrude from the housing 9. With this configuration, the pneumatic cylinder 5 becomes a structural part of the support 8 itself. In a preferred embodiment, the pressurized air chamber 10 at least partially surrounds the pneumatic cylinder 5, which contributes to the compactness of the housing 9 of the support 8. Preferably, the side wall 11 of the housing 9 houses the pressurised air chamber 10 inside.

[0033] In the embodiment shown in the figures, the side wall 11 of the housing 9 is a hollow wall and delimits the pressurised air chamber 10 inside, as shown in figures 5 and 6.

[0034] In a preferred embodiment, as shown in Figures 5 and 6, the upper wall 12 comprises a conduit 22 that connects the pressurized air chamber 10 to the pneumatic cylinder 5. More specifically, the conduit 22 connects the pressurized air chamber 10 to the solenoid valve 51 of the pneumatic cylinder 5. This conduit 22 comprises an outlet opening connected to the interior space enclosed by walls 11, 12, and 13, which is connected to the solenoid valve 51 by a flexible tube 23. This contributes to a more robust solution, because the pressurized air chamber 10 communicates with the pneumatic cylinder 5 not through the hollow wall 11, but through the upper wall 12.

[0035] In an alternative embodiment, not shown in the figures, the pressurized air chamber 10 is bounded by the walls 11, 12 and 13 of the housing 9 and the pneumatic cylinder 5, whereby wall 11 is not hollow.

[0036] In a preferred embodiment, the pneumatic cylinder 5 comprises a prismatic or cylindrical main body 50 bounded by a first face 50a and a second face 50b, the piston 6 being housed in the main body 50 such that it protrudes from the second face 50b of the main body 50. In the embodiment shown in the figures, as can be seen in Figure 7, the main body 50 of the pneumatic cylinder 5 is prismatic, specifically having a square base with rounded edges. Commercially available pneumatic cylinders 5 having these characteristics can be used in the device 1 of the invention.

[0037] To make the support 8 compact and to maximize the function of the pneumatic cylinder 5 as a structural part of said support 8, in a preferred embodiment the first face 50a of the main body 50 is fixed to the upper wall 12 of the housing 9, and the second face 50b of the main body 50 is fixed to the lower wall 13 of the housing 9. This is shown in Figures 4, 5, and 6. In a preferred embodiment, the upper wall 12 of the housing 9 is a top cover coupled to the side wall 11, said upper wall 12 being screwed to the main body 50 of the pneumatic cylinder 5. In Figure 7, in which the upper wall 12 has been removed to show the inside of the housing 9 of the support 8, it can be seen that in the embodiment shown in the figures, the upper wall 12 is screwed to the main body 50 of the pneumatic cylinder 5 by means of four screws.

[0038] Likewise, in a preferred embodiment, the lower wall 13 of the housing 9 is a bottom cover coupled to the side wall 11, said lower wall 13 being screwed to the main body 50 of the pneumatic cylinder 5.

[0039] In a preferred embodiment, the support 8 comprises a plurality of columns 63, preferably two, joining the upper wall 12 and the lower wall 13. These columns 63 are structural elements that are preferably fixed to the upper wall 12 and the lower wall 13 by means of screws.

[0040] As shown in Figure 8, in a preferred embodiment the lower wall 13 of the housing 9 comprises a lower face with a plurality of housings 15 with a respective fastening pin 16 for securing ropes, cables or tapes 20. In the embodiment shown in the figures, the lower face of the lower wall 13 comprises four equally distributed housings 15.

[0041] As shown in Figures 3 to 6, in a preferred embodiment the upper wall 12 of the housing 9 comprises an upper face 12a with a vertical mounting plate 17 having a hole 18 for suspending the support 8 from the helicopter 2. In Figure 1 the support 8 is suspended from the helicopter 2 by means of a rope or sling 19, but it could be suspended directly from the helicopter 2 by means of a shackle.

[0042] Device 1 of the invention also comprises an air compressor connected to the pressurized air chamber 10. In the embodiment shown in Figures 1 to 8, the air compressor is connected to the pressurized air chamber 10 by means of an air tube 56 and is arranged inside the helicopter 2; therefore, it is not shown in the figures. In an alternative embodiment of Device 1 of the invention, not shown in the figures, the air compressor is suspended from the helicopter 2, and the housing 9 is in turn suspended from the air compressor by means of a rope or sling.

[0043] As shown in Figures 9 and 10, in another alternative embodiment of Device 1 of the invention, the support 8 comprises the air compressor 57. Preferably, the air compressor 57 is coupled to the upper wall 12 of the housing 9. Preferably, the connection of the air compressor 57 to the upper wall 12 of the housing 9 is effected by means of a pin 58. In the embodiment shown in Figures 9 and 10, the air compressor 57 comprises an extension 59 with a housing into which the vertical plate 17 of the upper wall 12 of the housing 9 is inserted. This extension 59 comprises a through hole 60, and the vertical plate 17 is fixed to the extension 59 by means of a pin 58 passing through the hole 18 of the vertical plate 17 and the hole 60 of the extension 59. Furthermore, the air compressor 57 preferably comprises a plate vertical 61 tie-down with a hole 62 for suspending the helicopter support 8 2.

[0044] In a preferred embodiment, as shown in Figure 11, the relief valve 4 is a downward-opening flap valve. This relief valve 4 comprises flaps 4a and 4b connected to one end of the piston 6 of the pneumatic cylinder 5 by means of the cord or cable 7. In this way, the piston 6 comprises a closed position in which the relief valve 4 is closed, as shown in Figure 5, and open positions in which the piston 6 moves downward and the relief valve 4 opens. Figure 6 shows the position of the piston 6 corresponding to a maximum opening position of the relief valve 4. Figure 11, in which the cord or cable 7 is not shown, shows the relief valve 4 in the maximum opening position.

Claims

CLAIMS 1. Firefighting device configured to be transported by a helicopter, comprising a bag (3) configured to hold a fluid inside, the bag comprising (3) an upper opening (3a) and a lower opening (3b), fastening means for suspending the bag (3) from the helicopter (2), a discharge valve (4) coupled to the lower opening (3b) of the bag (3) for emptying the fluid from the bag (3), and an actuator configured to open and close the discharge valve (4), characterized in that the actuator is a pneumatic cylinder (5) comprising a piston (6) connected to the discharge valve (4) by means of a rope or cable (7), and the fastening means comprise a support (8) comprising a housing (9), the housing (9) comprising within it the pneumatic cylinder (5) and a pressurised air chamber (10) for the pneumatic cylinder (5).

2. Device according to claim 1, wherein the fastening means comprise ropes, cables or tapes (20) by means of which the bag (3) is suspended from the support (8).

3. Device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the housing (9) of the support (8) is a cylindrical or prismatic body comprising a peripheral side wall (11), an upper wall (12) and a lower wall (13), said walls (11, 12, 13) delimiting an interior space in which the pneumatic cylinder (5) is arranged vertically, the lower wall (13) of the housing (9) comprising a through hole (14) so ​​that the piston (6) of the pneumatic cylinder (5) can protrude from the housing (9).

4. Device according to claim 3, wherein the pressurised air chamber (10) at least partially surrounds the pneumatic cylinder (5).

5. Device according to claim 4, wherein the side wall (11) of the housing (9) houses the pressurized air chamber (10) inside, the side wall (11) of the housing (9) preferably being a hollow wall that delimits the pressurized air chamber (10) inside.

6. Device according to claim 5, wherein the upper wall (12) comprises a duct (22) that connects the pressurised air chamber (10) with the pneumatic cylinder (5).

7. Device according to claim 4, wherein the pressurized air chamber (10) is delimited by the walls (11, 12, 13) of the housing (9) and the pneumatic cylinder (5).

8. Device according to any of claims 3 to 7, wherein the pneumatic cylinder (5) comprises a prismatic or cylindrical main body (50) delimited by a first face (50a) and a second face (50b), the piston (6) being housed in the main body (50) in such a way that it protrudes from the second face (50b) of the main body (50), the first face (50a) of the main body (50) being fixed to the upper wall (12) of the housing (9), and the second face (50b) of the main body (50) being fixed to the lower wall (13) of the housing (9).

9. Device according to claim 8, wherein the upper wall (12) of the housing (9) is a top cover attached to the side wall (11), said upper wall (12) being screwed to the main body (50) of the pneumatic cylinder (5), and / or the lower wall (13) of the housing (9) is a bottom cover attached to the side wall (11), said bottom wall (13) being screwed to the main body (50) of the pneumatic cylinder (5).

10. Device according to any of claims 3 to 9, wherein the lower wall (13) of the housing (9) comprises a lower face with a plurality of housings (15) with a respective fastening pin (16) for securing ropes, cables or tapes (20), preferably comprising four equally distributed housings (15).

11. Device according to any of claims 3 to 10, wherein the upper wall (12) of the housing (9) comprises an upper face (12a) with a vertical mounting plate (17) having a hole (18) for suspending the housing (9) from the helicopter (2) by means of a rope or sling (19), or by means of a shackle.

12. Device according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the pneumatic cylinder (5) comprises a solenoid valve (51) configured to be actuated from the helicopter (2).

13. A device according to any of the preceding claims, comprising an air compressor communicated with the pressurised air chamber (10) by means of an air tube (56).

14. A device according to any of claims 1 to 12, wherein the support (8) comprises an air compressor (57) coupled to the housing (9).

15. Device according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the discharge valve (4) is a downward-opening flap valve, the flaps (4a, 4b) of the valve (4) being attached to one end of the plunger (6) of the pneumatic cylinder (5) by means of the rope or cable (7), such that the plunger (6) comprises a closed position in which the discharge valve (4) is closed, and open positions in which the plunger (6) moves downwards and the discharge valve (4) opens.

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