Emergency evacuation system for buildings

Abstract

The invention relates to an emergency evacuation system (10) for buildings, characterized by an abseiling device (12) attached to or in a facade of the building, comprising a rescue rope (16) which can be unwound from a reel (18) and a free end of which is provided with a first stop point, wherein the reel (18) is in the form of a self-winding reel (18) which automatically decelerates or limits its unwinding speed.

Description

[0001] Emergency evacuation system for buildings

[0002] The present invention relates to an emergency evacuation system for buildings.

[0003] In large buildings, emergencies often require the rapid evacuation of all occupants. This applies particularly to fires, but also to other emergencies such as earthquakes, gas leaks, terrorist threats, or similar events.

[0004] Past experience has shown that evacuating large, multi-story buildings is particularly challenging. Escape routes within the building are often blocked, forcing people to be rescued by other means. Despite numerous precautions and fire safety regulations, such as designated escape routes, fire escape stairs on exterior facades, and similar measures, catastrophic incidents with high casualty figures repeatedly occur because victims were unable to leave the building on their own and could not be rescued in time.

[0005] It is therefore an object of the present invention to create a novel emergency evacuation system for buildings which enables the safe and rapid rescue of persons even from great heights, in particular from the upper floors.

[0006] This problem is solved according to the invention by an emergency evacuation system with the features of claim 1.

[0007] The emergency evacuation system according to the invention comprises a rappelling device that is attached to or within a building facade. This device includes a rescue rope that can be unwound from a spool and is provided with a first anchor point at one free end. This spool is designed as a self-winding spool that automatically brakes or limits its unwinding speed.

[0008] In an emergency, a person can securely attach themselves to the anchor point of the rescue rope and rappel down. This happens automatically as soon as the person makes the connection and leaves the building, so that their weight is fully supported by the rescue rope. Because the unwinding speed of the spool is automatically braked or limited, the person can safely slide down the facade to the ground at a moderate speed. Once the person reaches the ground, they can be detached from the anchor point of the rescue rope, and the rescue rope is automatically rewound by the spool; that is, its free end with the anchor point is pulled back up, so that another person in need of rescue can attach themselves and rappel down, if necessary. This automatic rewinding can be load-controlled, so that the spool rewinds the rescue rope when a predetermined tensile load is no longer exceeded.

[0009] The rappelling process therefore takes place safely even if the person being roped in is unable to control the descent themselves. The rappelling device according to the invention also enables the rappelling of a helpless person who is roped in by another person at the anchor point of the rescue rope.

[0010] The emergency evacuation system presented here is simply designed and immediately understandable and operable even by untrained individuals. Several such abseiling devices can be installed at various points on the facade of a building, particularly at different windows.

[0011] Preferred embodiments of this invention are set out in the dependent claims.

[0012] According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, the first attachment point is designed as an open hook, carabiner, or eyelet. A person can clip themselves onto the rescue rope at this attachment point.

[0013] Preferably, the emergency evacuation system according to the invention further comprises a harness system with a second anchor point that can be connected to the first anchor point. The second anchor point of the harness system can therefore be designed to complement the first anchor point on the rescue rope. For example, if the first anchor point is an open hook at the end of the rescue rope, the second anchor point in the harness system can be designed as an eyelet for hooking into this hook, or vice versa. If the first and second anchor points are connected to each other, the person cannot accidentally detach themselves from the rescue rope during the descent. This represents an additional safety feature.

[0014] The restraint system can be designed, for example, as a simple loop or sling, or as a more complex harness system for attaching to the person being evacuated. It can be kept in a storage container for emergency use, located in or on the building near the abseiling device.

[0015] According to a preferred embodiment, the abseiling device further comprises a safety rope, one end of which is fixed to an upper attachment point and extends downwards along the facade. A person being evacuated can use this rope to pull themselves down or slide along it while suspended from the rescue rope and lowered to the ground. This provides them with additional support during the abseil. The guidance provided by the safety rope is particularly useful for preventing pendulum or swaying movements during abseiling from a great height.

[0016] Preferably, the upper attachment point of the safety rope is located next to or directly below the spool.

[0017] Preferably, the harness system also includes a third anchor point that can be attached to the safety rope in such a way that it can slide along the rope. This third anchor point thus provides an additional safety feature. In this case, a person rappelling does not have to pull themselves along the safety rope with their hands or slide them over it during the descent.

[0018] Preferably, the abseiling device further comprises a bracket projecting from the facade, on which the spool and the upper attachment point of the safety rope are mounted at a distance in front of the facade. This is intended to prevent the person abseiling from striking the facade and injuring themselves during the downward movement.

[0019] According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, the coil is designed with a centrifugal brake as a braking device. More preferably, the coil is equipped with an electromagnetic brake.

[0020] Preferably, the spool is equipped with a fluid brake comprising a hydraulic pump and a connected hydraulic circuit with a throttle valve. The hydraulic pump is driven by the rotation of the spool to force hydraulic fluid through the throttle valve within the hydraulic circuit. This brakes the hydraulic pump and thus the spool. The throttle valve can be a control valve with adjustable flow, allowing the braking effect to be controlled. The hydraulic pump can be coupled to the rotating spool body, which holds the rescue rope, via a gearbox.

[0021] According to a preferred embodiment, the emergency evacuation system according to the invention comprises an energy storage device which is configured to be charged with energy for rewinding the rescue rope onto the spool while the rescue rope is being unwound from the spool. In this case, rewinding does not require an external energy source.

[0022] Preferably, the energy storage device comprises a mechanical spring for storing mechanical energy. This can, for example, be a coil spring that is tensioned during the unwinding of the rescue rope from the spool. The mechanical spring can be coupled to the rotating spool body, which holds the rescue rope, by means of a gear mechanism.

[0023] According to an alternative embodiment, the energy storage device comprises an electrical energy storage device for storing electrical energy. This can be a battery.

[0024] The emergency evacuation system according to the invention preferably comprises an electric motor-generator coupled to the coil, which is designed to drive the coil as a motor for rewinding the rescue rope and to be driven as a generator by the coil during the unwinding of the rescue rope. The electrical energy gained during unwinding by the motor-generator can be stored in an electrical energy storage device and reused for rewinding the rescue rope by the same motor-generator. The motor-generator can be coupled to the rotating coil body, which holds the rescue rope, by means of a gearbox.

[0025] According to a further preferred embodiment, the emergency evacuation system according to the invention can include a hand crank for manually operating the spool. This can be used to rewind the rescue rope manually, i.e., by muscle power, if necessary, for example, if a drive primarily intended for rewinding the rescue rope, such as the aforementioned electric motor generator, fails.

[0026] Furthermore, preferably the emergency evacuation system according to the invention can comprise at least one alarm device which is designed to automatically generate an alarm signal when the coil is operated.

[0027] This AI alarm device can be designed to generate and transmit a wireless radio signal.

[0028] The radio signal can be a GPS signal, which contains location information about the geographical location where the emergency evacuation system is located.

[0029] The alarm device can alternatively or additionally be designed to generate an acoustic warning signal.

[0030] The alarm device may alternatively or additionally be designed to generate a visual warning signal.

[0031] The invention further relates to a building with windows that can be opened, at least one of which is equipped with an emergency evacuation system of the type according to the invention, which is attached to the respective window in such a way that the abseiling device is accessible from the interior of the building when the window is open.

[0032] In the present document, a preferred embodiment of the present invention is explained in more detail with reference to the drawing. Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a first embodiment of the emergency evacuation system according to the invention;

[0033] Figures 2, 3 and 4 are each a front view, a side view and a perspective detail view of a part of the emergency evacuation system from Figure 1; and

[0034] Fig. 5 is an exploded view of a second embodiment of the emergency evacuation system according to the invention.

[0035] Fig. 1 shows an emergency evacuation system 10 for a building (not shown). It includes a rappelling device 12 mounted above a window 14 set into a facade of the building (not shown). The rappelling device 12 is located on the outside of the building on the facade.

[0036] Specifically, the abseiling device 12 comprises a rescue rope 16, which can be unwound from a spool 18 and is shown in the figures in the state wound onto the spool 18. The winding axis of the spool 18 is horizontal.

[0037] The coil 18 is attached to a bracket 20 that projects from the facade, so that the coil 18 is positioned at a distance from the outer surface of the facade. The bracket 20 is designed as an angled sheet metal section, from which a horizontal leg 20a extends from the outer surface of the facade, while a vertical leg 20b extends vertically downwards from it. The coil 18 is attached to this vertical leg 20b of the bracket 20. Reinforcements to the bracket 20, which provide it with additional stability, are not shown in detail.

[0038] A first attachment point in the form of an open hook 22 is attached to the free end of the rescue rope 16. This hook 22 is designed so that a person being evacuated from the building can attach themselves to it or be attached to it. The weight of the person hanging from the hook 22 causes the rescue rope 16 to unwind automatically from the spool 18. The unwinding speed of the spool 18, and thus of the rescue rope 16, is limited by a centrifugal brake. If the unwinding speed exceeds a certain limit, the centrifugal brake engages and temporarily stops or significantly slows down the rescue rope 16. In this way, the person hanging from the hook 22 can slide to the ground at a moderate speed, which is limited by the centrifugal brake.

[0039] Furthermore, the spool 18 is self-winding. This means that the spool 18 exerts a retraction force to rewind the rescue rope 16. This retraction force is small compared to the tensile load acting on the rescue rope 16 when a person is rappelling, so that the unwinding of the rescue rope 16 is not hindered. After rappelling, when the connection is released between the anchor point at the free end of the rescue rope 16, i.e., the hook 22, and the person being lowered, the rescue rope 16 is relieved of tension and can be rewound, so that the anchor point at the end of the rescue rope 16 slides upwards and, in the state shown in the figures, is available for hooking and rappelling another person.

[0040] It is possible to design the attachment point at the free end of the rescue rope 16 in a different way, for example as a carabiner hook or as an eyelet.

[0041] For connection to the first anchor point at the end of the rescue rope 16, the abseiling device 12 can further comprise a harness system (not shown in detail), for example in the form of a sling or a more complex webbing system. The harness system is provided with a further (second) anchor point that can be connected to the first anchor point at the free end of the rescue rope 16. If the first anchor point on the rescue rope 16 is, for example, the open hook 22, as is the case in the present embodiment, the second anchor point can be designed, for example, as an eyelet into which the hook 22 is to be hooked, or vice versa, i.e., the eyelet is located as the first anchor point on the rescue rope 16, while a hook or carabiner is attached as the second anchor point on the harness system.

[0042] The person to be evacuated can put on the restraint system and connect the second anchor point to the first anchor point on the rescue rope 16. This connection makes accidental detachment from the rescue rope 16 impossible, and the person can then be safely lowered in the manner described above. The abseiling device 12 also includes another rope, namely a safety rope 24, which in the present embodiment hangs freely from or in front of the facade. Its upper end is firmly attached to the bracket 20 next to the spool 18, and it extends downwards from this end along the facade. The safety rope 24 serves to secure a person being lowered on the rescue rope 16 in the manner described above. While the rescue rope 16 unwinds from the spool 18, the person attached to the first anchor point (i.e., the first anchor point) can be secured.Here, the person hanging from the open hook 22) can pull themselves down along the safety rope 24 or loosely grasp the safety rope 24 with their hands so that they can slide down along the safety rope 24. This is intended to prevent swinging and pendulum movements of the person being lowered, which can occur when rappelling rapidly from a great height, especially under the influence of wind.

[0043] When using the harness system described above, it can also include a further (third) anchor point that can be attached to the safety rope 24 in such a way that it can slide along the safety rope 24 during the person's descent. For example, the third anchor point can be a carabiner for the detachable attachment of the harness system to the safety rope 24. In this embodiment, the person being rappelled does not need to grasp the safety rope 24 themselves. In particular, even a helpless person can be lowered by attaching the harness system to them, attaching the second anchor point of the harness system to the first anchor point of the rescue rope 16, and attaching the third anchor point of the harness system to the safety rope 24. The person being rescued can then passively slide downwards along the safety rope 24 while suspended from the rescue rope 16.

[0044] The safety rope 24 can alternatively be attached at its lower end to or in front of the facade or to the ground, so that it is either relatively taut or hangs relatively loosely between its upper and lower ends. It is also conceivable to attach the lower end of the safety rope 24 at a certain distance from the facade, so that the person being lowered on the rescue rope 16 is not guided vertically downwards, but rather away from the building somewhat during the descent until they reach the ground. This can potentially increase safety during evacuation, as the distance from the facade is increased during the descent.

[0045] While the rescue rope 16 can be a steel rope, the safety rope 24 can be made of a different material, for example polyamide or another synthetic material, as is common in the field of climbing ropes.

[0046] Figures 2, 3, and 4 show details of the abseiling device 12, including the spool 18 with the rescue rope 16 wound on it, which is provided at its free end with the first anchor point, an open hook 22, as already shown in Figure 1. The safety rope 24 is not shown here for the sake of clarity. The spool 18 is attached to the vertical leg 20b of the bracket 20, which is angled vertically downwards from the horizontal leg 20a.

[0047] A building can be equipped with several of the emergency evacuation systems 10 described here, with, for example, one emergency evacuation system being attached to at least one window 14 on an upper floor. The bracket 20 can be mounted directly above an openable window 14, so that the abseiling system 12 is accessible when the window is open.

[0048] However, the present invention is not limited to this type of installation. For example, it is conceivable to install the abseiling device 12 on the facade in the area of ​​the roof of the building, which includes installation on a parapet. In contrast to the embodiment shown here, the abseiling device 12 can also be integrated into the facade, so that, in particular, the spool 18 is not visible from the outside, but is located in a box-shaped recess in the facade, which is clad on the outside.

[0049] Fig. 5 shows a second embodiment of the emergency evacuation system 100 according to the invention in an exploded view. This emergency evacuation system 100 comprises a rappelling device 120, which in its basic features corresponds to the rappelling device 12 of the first embodiment of the emergency evacuation system 10 and also includes a spool 180 on which a rescue rope, corresponding to the rescue rope 16 of the first embodiment (not shown in detail here), is wound. All features of the rescue rope 16, the restraint system with a second and third anchor point, and the safety rope 24 disclosed in connection with the first embodiment of the emergency evacuation system 10 according to the invention are individually or in combination applicable to and combinable with the second embodiment of the emergency evacuation system 100 according to the invention.

[0050] The coil 180 comprises a cylindrical coil body 182, which receives the wound rescue rope on its cylindrical surface. The ends of a shaft 184 extend from the axial ends of the coil body 182. These ends of the shaft 184 are mounted in bearings in the side walls of an approximately box-shaped housing 186, which contains the coil body 182.

[0051] The left end of shaft 184 in Fig. 5 is connected via a first gearbox 188 to a hydraulic pump 190, which can be driven by the rotating coil body 182 via the first gearbox 188. The hydraulic pump 190 and the first gearbox 188 are housed in a separate casing 192, which is mounted laterally on the lowering device 120. A hydraulic circuit, in which a hydraulic fluid circulates, is connected to the hydraulic pump 190 in a manner not shown in detail. A throttle valve is located within the hydraulic circuit. The hydraulic fluid is pumped by the hydraulic pump 190 through the hydraulic circuit against the resistance of the throttle valve. This resistance exerts a braking effect on the hydraulic pump 190 and, via the first gearbox 188, on the coil body 182. The smaller the flow rate through the throttle valve, the greater the braking effect exerted on the coil body 182 during its rotation.The hydraulic pump and the hydraulic circuit with the throttle valve thus form a fluid brake, which slows down the spool 180 when the rescue rope is unwound.

[0052] The fluid brake described above can also be replaced by an alternative braking system, such as an electromagnetic brake that exerts a braking effect on the coil body 182 by means of an electromagnetic force during its rotation. The centrifugal brake described in connection with the first embodiment of the emergency evacuation system 10 can also be used here. The rotational speed of the coil 180, and thus the descent speed, can therefore be limited equally by a centrifugal brake, an electromagnetic brake, a fluid brake, or a combination thereof, according to the embodiment shown here.

[0053] On the axially opposite side of the spool body 182, the right end of the shaft 184 (as shown in Fig. 5) is connected to a spiral spring 196 via a second gear 194. This spiral spring 196 serves as an energy storage device and is wound up during the rappelling process, i.e., during the unwinding of the rescue rope from the spool body 182 and its rotation via the second gear 194. When the end of the rescue rope is released, the tension force of the wound spiral spring 196 acts to rewind the rescue rope onto the spool 180; that is, the spool body 182 is rotated in the opposite direction and rewinds the rescue rope onto the spool body 182.

[0054] The second gear unit 194 serves to translate the rotational speeds between the coil former 182 and the shaft 198, which is rigidly connected to the spiral spring 196. While the first gear unit 188, for coupling the coil former 182 to the hydraulic pump 190, comprises several meshing gears on parallel, offset shafts, the second gear unit 194, located between the coil 180 and the spiral spring 196, is designed as a ring gear unit. It comprises a ring gear 200 with an inner rim in which three planet gears 202 run. The axes of these planet gears are held in a triangular, plate-shaped holder 204, to which the shaft 198 is rigidly attached at the center of the spiral spring 196. When the ring gear 200 is driven to rotate, the planet gears 202 meshing within it are themselves rotated, and their axes revolve around a central axis of rotation, so that the holder 204 also rotates together with the shaft 198.

[0055] The coil spring 196 is held in its own housing 206 with a cylindrical outer box 206a and an inner cover 206b. Screws 206c serve to fasten the outer box 206a to the inner cover 206b.

[0056] As described above, the spiral spring 196 is wound up during the unwinding of the rescue rope and stores the energy mechanically. Alternatively, an electrical energy storage device, such as a battery, can be provided to electrically store the energy released during the unwinding of the rescue rope. For example, the coil 180 with the rotating coil body 182 can drive an electric generator, and the electrical energy generated by this generator can be stored in the battery and subsequently used to rewind the rescue rope.

[0057] In particular, the present emergency evacuation system 100 can include an electric motor-generator coupled to the coil 180, which can operate either as a motor or as a generator. While the rescue rope is being unwound from the coil body 182, the motor-generator operates as a generator and produces electrical current, which is stored in a battery, as previously described. Subsequently, the motor-generator can serve as a motor to rewind the rescue rope 16 onto the coil 18 by driving the coil body 182 to rotate in the opposite direction.

[0058] Such a motor-generator can also be used with the function described above in connection with the first described embodiment of the emergency evacuation system 10 from Figures 1 to 4. This applies equally to the spiral spring 196 and its coupling to the coil former 182 by the second gearbox 194.

[0059] The embodiment of the emergency evacuation system 100 shown in Fig. 5 further comprises a hand crank 208, which is shown here only schematically, and which can be used to drive the coil 180 manually, i.e., by the muscle power of an operator, if necessary, for example, if a primary drive of the type described above (e.g., by a motor generator or the spiral spring 196) fails. The hand crank 280 can also drive the coil 180 via a corresponding transmission. Such a hand crank 280 can also be used on the coil 18 of the first embodiment.

[0060] Each of the embodiments of the emergency evacuation system 10, 100 described herein can further include an alarm device configured to automatically generate an alarm signal when the coil 180 is operated. This alarm signal can, for example, be a wireless radio signal for alerting rescue services or warning people in the vicinity of a danger. This wireless radio signal can, in particular, be a GPS signal containing location information about the geographic location of the emergency evacuation system 10, 100. Alerted rescue services can then proceed directly to this location.

[0061] Alternatively or additionally, such an alarm device can generate an audible and / or a visual warning signal. For example, the emergency evacuation system 10, 100 can include a siren, a bell, or the like as an audible warning device and / or a warning light as a visual warning device, clearly visible on the facade of the building in question. All described alarm devices can be designed to be activated automatically when the coil 180 is rotated, i.e., when the abseiling device 12, 120 is put into operation. It can be a single alarm device for generating different types of signals, such as audible, visual, or radio signals, or it can be several alarm devices, each generating a specific type of signal.

Claims

Patent claims 1. Emergency evacuation system (10) for buildings, characterized by a rappelling device (12) attached to or in a facade of the building, comprising a rescue rope (16) which can be unwound from a spool (18) and is provided at a free end with a first anchor point, wherein the spool (18) is designed as a self-winding spool (18) which automatically brakes or limits its unwinding speed.

2. Emergency evacuation system (10) according to claim 1, characterized in that the first attachment point is designed as an open hook (22), carabiner hook or eyelet.

3. Emergency evacuation system (10) according to claim 1 or 2, characterized by a restraint belt system with a second anchor point that can be connected to the first anchor point.

4. Emergency evacuation system (10) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the abseiling device (12) further comprises a safety rope (24) which is fixed at one end to an upper attachment point and extends downwards from this point along the facade.

5. Emergency evacuation system (10) according to claim 4, characterized in that the upper attachment point of the safety rope (24) is arranged next to or directly below the spool (18).

6. Emergency evacuation system (10) according to claim 4 or 5 in conjunction with claim 3, characterized in that the restraint strap system comprises a third attachment point which can be attached to the safety rope (24) in such a way that it can slide along the safety rope (24).

7. Emergency evacuation system (10) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the abseiling device (12) comprises a bracket 20 projecting from the facade, on which the spool (18) and, if present, the upper attachment point of the safety rope (24) are mounted at a distance in front of the facade.

8. Emergency evacuation system (10) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the coil (18) is equipped with a centrifugal brake.

9. Emergency evacuation system (10) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the coil (18) is equipped with an electromagnetic brake.

10. Emergency evacuation system (10) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the spool (18) is equipped with a fluid brake comprising a hydraulic pump and a hydraulic circuit connected thereto with a throttle valve, the hydraulic pump being driven by a rotation of the spool (18) to force a hydraulic fluid within the hydraulic circuit through the throttle valve.

11. Emergency evacuation system (10) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by an energy storage device which is configured to be charged with energy for rewinding the rescue rope (16) onto the spool (18) while the rescue rope (16) is being unwound from the spool (18).

12. Emergency evacuation system (10) according to claim 11, characterized in that the energy storage device comprises a mechanical spring for storing mechanical energy.

13. Emergency evacuation system (10) according to claim 11, characterized in that the energy storage device comprises an electrical energy storage device for storing electrical energy.

14. Emergency evacuation system (10) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by an electric motor generator coupled to the coil (18), which is provided to drive the coil (18) as a motor for rewinding the rescue rope (16) and to be driven by the coil (18) as a generator during the unwinding of the rescue rope (16).

15. Buildings with windows that can be opened, at least one of which is equipped with an emergency evacuation system (10) according to one of the preceding claims, which is attached to the respective window (14) in such a way that the abseiling device (12) is accessible from the interior of the building when the window is open.

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