Ceiling-Mounted Fire-Fighting Cannon for Shadow-Free Ground Coverage

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing fire-fighting systems in waste disposal centers suffer from shadow cones, require numerous installations, and are slow and inefficient in extinguishing fires due to their fixed positioning, leading to increased costs and environmental pollution.

Innovation Solution

A fire-fighting cannon with a tubular body that can be mounted on ceilings or walls, featuring movement means to orient the emission direction in various positions, including inversion, allowing it to cover the entire room surface without shadow cones and intervene promptly and accurately.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If fire-fighting cannons are arranged on the ground or on support shelves around the perimeter, then they can intervene in specific zones, but shadow cones form below and around the cannons where intervention is impossible

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecoverage areaVSAvoidshadow cones

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSObject-generated harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The fire-fighting cannon is inverted and mounted on the ceiling instead of being placed on the ground or support shelves. This inversion allows the cannon to direct its jet downward and outward, eliminating the shadow cone problem that occurs when cannons are positioned on the ground. The jet can now reach all areas below including previously shadowed zones.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #13The other way round (Inversion)

Solution Approach 2:

The cannon is repositioned from a ground-level horizontal arrangement to a ceiling-mounted vertical arrangement. This dimensional change allows the jet to be emitted downward at various angles, providing three-dimensional coverage of the entire room surface including areas that would be shadowed by ground-based cannons.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

2Area of stationary object

If numerous fire-fighting cannons are installed to obtain good surface coverage, then coverage is improved, but purchase, installation and maintenance costs increase significantly

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesurface coverageVSAvoidnumber of cannons

Core Design Contradiction:

Area of stationary objectVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

A single ceiling-mounted cannon is designed to perform multiple functions by rotating and tilting to cover the entire room surface. This multi-functional design replaces the need for multiple fixed cannons, as one versatile cannon can achieve what previously required many stationary units.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Solution Approach 2:

The cannon is made dynamic with rotation and tilting capabilities rather than being fixed in position. This allows a single cannon to dynamically adjust its jet direction and cover the entire room surface, replacing the need for multiple fixed cannons that would be required to achieve the same coverage.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

3Area of stationary object

If fire-fighting cannons follow a pre-set zig-zag path to cover the entire fire surface, then complete coverage is achieved, but the system operates slowly and requires large quantities of water

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvefire surface coverageVSAvoidresponse speed

Core Design Contradiction:

Area of stationary objectVSSpeed

Solution Approach 1:

The cannon can directly orient its jet toward the fire location and maintain continuous focused action on the fire source rather than following a slow zig-zag path. The rotation and tilting mechanisms enable the cannon to continuously adjust and maintain optimal positioning, eliminating the intermittent and slow zig-zag movement pattern.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #20Continuity of useful action

Solution Approach 2:

The mechanical zig-zag movement system is replaced with a more efficient rotation and tilting mechanism that allows direct positioning of the jet toward the fire. This substitution enables faster response and more precise targeting, reducing the time and water required compared to the traditional zig-zag approach.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

Data Source

PatentUS20250332459A1Fire-fighting cannon for the management of fires

Publication Date: 2025.10.30 EMICONTROLS SRL

AI summary

A fire-fighting cannon for the management of fires, in particular in a waste disposal centre, comprises a fixed base constrainable to a ceiling or to a vertical wall of a room defining a corresponding lying plane, a tubular body extending along an emission direction of at least one jet of fire-fighting fluid. In particular, the tubular body is arranged below or alongside the fixed base with respect to a normal direction to the lying plane. The fire-fighting cannon further comprises movement means configured to orient the tubular body between a plurality of operating positions, including an initial position in which the emission direction has a predefined angle of inclination with respect to the normal direction. The movement means is configured to orient the tubular body also in a position of inversion in which the emission direction is parallel to the normal direction, so as to emit the jet of fire-fighting fluid in a zone of the ground arranged underneath the fire-fighting cannon if the fixed base is constrained to the ceiling, or in a zone with horizontal output if the fixed base is constrained to the wall.