Triangular Wire-Suspended Firefighting Mount for High-Rise Reach
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Solution Overview
Problem
Fighting fires in high-rise buildings is challenging due to the limited reach of firefighting equipment from outside the building, as ladders and traditional methods cannot extend far enough to effectively combat the fire from the ground.
Innovation Solution
A method involving at least three anchor points, a mount plate, and winches to deploy firefighting equipment from outside the building, allowing for extended reach and stability, with anchor locations positioned to keep the distance to the fire within 75 meters, preferably less than 50 meters, and most preferably 10 meters.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Length of stationary object
If ladders are used to extend the reach of firehoses, then the reach from outside the building is improved, but the maximum height is still limited and cannot reach high-rise buildings
Solution Approach 1:
The invention transitions from ground-level external firefighting to aerial positioning by deploying a mount plate suspended from multiple anchor points above the building. This dimensional change allows firefighters to position equipment directly over the fire, achieving effective reach that neither ground-based ladders nor internal building access can provide alone.
Solution Approach 2:
The anchor points are positioned above the building before the fire incident occurs, and the mount plate system is pre-configured with winches and wiring. This preliminary preparation enables rapid deployment when fire occurs, eliminating the need to assemble complex equipment at the scene and allowing immediate effective firefighting intervention.
2Device complexity
If a single wire suspension system is used for the mount plate, then device complexity is reduced, but stability of the device is compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The invention applies different functional qualities to different parts of the suspension system: multiple wires provide distributed support and stability, winches provide localized tension control at each anchor point, and the mount plate provides a stable local mounting surface. This distribution of functional qualities across multiple components achieves overall system stability without excessive complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The multiple wires arranged in a triangular configuration create counterbalancing forces that stabilize the mount plate. The winches can actively adjust tension in each wire to counteract external forces such as wind or movement, maintaining stability through active counterbalancing rather than passive single-point suspension.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If anchor points are positioned far from the fire, then safety distance is improved, but the distance exceeds the effective reach of firehoses
Solution Approach 1:
By positioning anchor points in the aerial dimension above the building rather than on the ground, the system achieves a compromise: the mount plate can be suspended close to the fire (within 75 meters as specified) while the anchor points remain at a safe distance on the ground or on adjacent structures. This vertical dimensionality resolves the contradiction between safety distance and effective firefighting reach.
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
Enables effective firefighting from outside the high-rise building by positioning the mount plate within a defined anchor triangle, providing stability and reach, even in high wind conditions, and allowing for the use of high-pressure hoses and rescue operations.
Implementation Method 1
providing winches, wherein each winch is arranged for winching the respective wire for changing the length of wire between the anchor point and the mount plate
Data Source
AI summary
Disclosed is a method for firefighting a fire (120) in a high-rise building (50), comprising: providing at least three anchor points (40, 45, 47) each having an anchor location; providing a mount plate (60) arranged for mounting firefighting equipment on the mounting plate; arranging wires (70, 75, 80) between the respective anchor points and the mount plate; and providing winches (15, 20, 25), wherein each winch is arranged for winching the respective wire for changing the length of wire between the anchor point and the mount plate; wherein the at least three anchor locations define an anchor triangle; and wherein the at least three anchor locations are positioned such that a distance from the anchor triangle to at least part of the fire is at most 75 metres, preferably less than 50 metres, more preferably 25 metres, most preferably 10 metres.