Inflatable Emergency Evacuation System with Pneumatic Helical Chutes
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current evacuation systems, such as stairs and ladders, are inadequate for quick and safe evacuation from high structures during emergencies like fires or structural collapses, especially for large numbers of people, including those with disabilities, due to technical limitations and safety concerns.
Innovation Solution
An inflatable emergency evacuation system comprising a foldable supporting structure with helical chutes, a pneumatic inflation system, and a container that unfolds to provide a safe and heat-resistant evacuation route, activated by fire detectors or manual means, suitable for installation on buildings or mobile vehicles.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If traditional evacuation routes (stairs, ladders) are used, then the evacuation system is simple and easy to implement, but the evacuation speed and safety are insufficient for high structures and large numbers of people
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs a pneumatic inflation system using compressed air storage tanks and inflatable membranes to create a rigid evacuation structure. The compressed air rapidly inflates the evacuation route from a compact state, providing a stable, load-bearing structure that can support multiple people simultaneously, thereby dramatically increasing evacuation speed while maintaining manageable system complexity through the use of stored pneumatic energy.
Solution Approach 2:
The evacuation system transitions from a compact, low-profile state to an expanded, rigid structure through pneumatic inflation. This dynamic transformation allows the system to adapt from a stored configuration to a functional evacuation route, providing both speed (rapid deployment) and structural integrity (rigid support for occupants) without requiring a permanently complex structure.
2Loss of time
If evacuation routes are designed for quick exit, then the evacuation time is reduced, but the safety and stability of the evacuation route during emergencies like fire or structural collapse is compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The patent specifies using heat-resistant and fire-resistant materials for the evacuation route structure, including specialized fabrics and coatings that can withstand high temperatures and fire exposure. These composite materials provide both the rapid deployability needed for quick evacuation and the thermal stability required for safety during fire emergencies, eliminating the trade-off between speed and reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
The system pre-stores compressed air in high-pressure tanks before an emergency occurs. This beforehand preparation allows the evacuation structure to be rapidly inflated to full structural integrity when needed, ensuring both quick deployment (reducing evacuation time) and full structural strength (ensuring safety and reliability) without compromise.
3Productivity
If the evacuation system is designed to accommodate large numbers of people including those with disabilities, then the evacuation capacity is increased, but the device complexity and space requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The inflatable evacuation structure is designed with a universal geometry and support system that can accommodate various types of occupants including those with disabilities. The rigid yet flexible structure provides stable walking surfaces, handrails, and support points that serve multiple functions: structural support, safety guidance, and accessibility assistance. This multi-functionality increases evacuation capacity without proportionally increasing system complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The system transitions from a two-dimensional flat membrane to a three-dimensional rigid structure through pneumatic inflation. This dimensional transformation creates volumetric space that can accommodate multiple people simultaneously with proper spacing, handrails, and support features, dramatically increasing evacuation capacity while the inflation mechanism itself remains a relatively simple single-action system.
4Adaptability or versatility
If the evacuation system uses inflatable structure, then the compact storage and versatility are improved, but the structural stability and heat resistance may be compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses high-pressure compressed air (stored in pre-charged tanks) to inflate the evacuation structure to rigid structural levels. The pneumatic pressure creates internal forces that stabilize the membrane structure, providing rock-solid structural stability comparable to traditional rigid construction. This allows the system to maintain compact storage form while achieving full structural strength when deployed.
Solution Approach 2:
The evacuation route uses specialized composite materials with inherent heat-resistant and fire-resistant properties. These materials maintain their structural integrity and stability even when exposed to high temperatures and fire conditions, ensuring that the inflatable structure achieves both the desired versatility/compactness and the required structural strength/stability.
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 enables rapid and safe evacuation of multiple people, including those with disabilities, by providing a stable and heat-resistant evacuation route, increasing evacuation capacity and safety, while being compact and versatile for various installations.
Implementation Method 1
a inflating pneumatic system connected with said supporting structure, said system being capable of assuming a closed position, wherein said supporting structure and said chutes are folded into said container, and an open position, wherein said inflation pneumatic system inflates said supporting structure
Implementation Method 2
said supporting structure could be made of a material with high thermal resistance, so as to protect people who are evacuating from heat, from any flames and from fumes
Data Source
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AI summary
The present invention concerns an inflatable system (1,1') for emergency evacuation from structure (S) comprising a rescue unit (10, 10'), having a supporting structure or support frame (2, 2'), at least one chute (3, 3'), fixed to said supporting structure (2, 2'), and a container (26, 26'), in which said supporting structure (2, 2') and said chutes (3, 3') are foldabie, and a inflating pneumatic system (4) connected with said supporting structure (2, 2'), said system (1, 1') being capable of assuming a closed position, wherein said supporting structure (2, 2') and said chutes (3, 3') are folded into said container (26, 26), and an open position, wherein said inflation pneumatic system (4) inflates said supporting structure (2, 2'), so that said supporting structure (2, 2') comes out from said container (26, 26') together with said chutes (3, 3'), and they are unfolded.