Fire-safety device with wiring-tracking conduits
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing fire-safety systems fail to detect and extinguish electrical fires at their source efficiently, as they require significant heat or smoke to trigger activation and often cannot reach critical areas within devices, leading to ineffective prevention and extinguishment of potential fires.
Innovation Solution
An automatic fire prevention or extinguishing system with heat and smoke sensors connected to a container holding fire-retarding material, which dispenses the material through conduits tracking electrical wiring, ensuring the material reaches critical areas within a device, such as circuit boards and wiring looms, to prevent or extinguish fires quickly.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If conventional fire-detecting devices (smoke detectors) are used to detect fires, then fires can be detected and alerted, but the systems fail to detect early signs of electrical fires (small amounts of heat and smoke) and only activate when fires have already spread
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the detection and extinguishing functions into multiple independent sensors and dispensing points distributed throughout the electrical device. Multiple heat sensors and smoke sensors are positioned at different locations to detect early fire signs, and multiple fire-retarding material dispensing points are distributed to provide targeted extinguishing at the source before fire spread occurs.
2Area of stationary object
If fire-extinguishing systems operate over large areas, then fires can be addressed, but the systems cannot concentrate solely on the affected area and reach critical points efficiently
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements local quality by distributing multiple fire-retarding material dispensing points throughout the electrical device housing, each positioned to target specific critical areas such as circuit boards, wiring looms, and electrical components. This allows concentrated fire-retarding material delivery at the fire source rather than uniform distribution over the entire device area.
3Quantity of substance
If self-contained smoke actuated extinguishing systems flood an area from a single dispensing point, then fire-control material is released, but the material cannot reach all critical points and hard-to-reach areas quickly enough
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transitions from single-point dispensing to multi-point distributed dispensing throughout the three-dimensional space of the electrical device housing. Fire-retarding material is dispensed simultaneously from multiple locations positioned near critical electrical components, circuit boards, and wiring areas, enabling rapid coverage of all critical zones including hard-to-reach areas.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The system effectively detects and extinguishes electrical fires at their source by rapidly dispensing fire-retarding material through conduits, preventing the spread of fires and reducing the risk of electrical component ignition, thereby enhancing fire safety and prevention in electrical devices.
Implementation Method 1
at least one heat and/or smoke sensor
Implementation Method 2
at least one heat and/or smoke sensor
Implementation Method 3
fire-retarding, fire-extinguishing or fire-prevention material
Data Source
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AI summary
This invention provides for an electrical device comprising a housing containing at least one electrical component and an automatic fire prevention or extinguishing system comprising at least one heat and/or smoke sensor, wherein the at least one heat and/or smoke sensor is operably connected to a container holding a fire-retarding, fire- extinguishing or fire-prevention material and wherein the container is arranged to dispense the fire-retarding, fire-extinguishing or fire-prevention material into the housing and/or onto the electrical component when the at least one heat and/or smoke sensor detects heat and/or smoke inside the housing, wherein the fire-retarding, fire- extinguishing or fire-prevention material is dispensed through at least one conduit operably connected to the container holding the fire-retarding, fire-extinguishing or fire-prevention material, and wherein the or each conduit is arranged to track electrical wiring of the electrical device or track at least part of an outer surface of at least one electrical component of the device.