Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
Description
ESCAPE/RESCUE SYSTEM
Background of the Invention
This invention relates to an emergency evacuation guide
5 svstem defining a tactile path serving to direct occupants of
inhabited structures toward emergency exits when the interior
of the structure is dark or sm~ke-filled to the point that
occupants must rely on their sense of touch.
In the past, SUCll emergency routes were marked with
semi-continuous railings similar to that of U.S. Patent
259,544 or with continuous, shaped strips of material as in
U.S. Patent 3,408,025. In the prior art the guidance system
presented a surface that was rough to the touch as a person's
fingers moved along the guide in a direction away from the es-
cape area while movement toward the escape area presented thefeeling of a smooth surface. No method or device has previous-
ly been devised which would impart tactually information re-
garding both direction and distance to the escape exit. The
present invention seeXs to fill this void.
Summary of the Invention
It is the object of this invention to provide a means
for marking an evacuation route through a hotel!motel or the
like which may ~ecome dark, smoke filled, or otherwise undis-
cernible as to the nearest exit during such emergencies as
fire or storm. In cases of sudden alarm, or in the event of
smoke-producing emergencies, confusion and loss of direction
are common. This invention is designed to provide an indica-
tion of direction and distance to the evacuation exit; direc-
tion and distance being provided without requirement for sight ~
on the part of a person seeking such exit.
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The invention comprises a series of individual devices,
shaped generally in the form of an arrowhead with the small,
generally pointed, end indicating the proper direction to pro-
ceed to the nearest evacuation exit. On the surface of each
5 device is an ordered number of contacts, such number relating
to the relative distance to the exit. The combination of
shape and surface contacts, on devices being arranged in a row
at an appropriate height above the floor, pr~sents escape
information which may be transmitted by the sense of touch -to
anyone walking, crawling or proceeding in a wheelchair. A
person moving along a darkened hallway can feel the arrow
shape and count the contacts by touch and know he is going in
the right direction and has, say, three more doors to the
exit.
Brief Description of the Drawings
Fig. 1 provides a perspective view of a system of de-
vices in the preferred arrangement on a hotel/motel corridor
wall;
Figs. 2 and 3 provide a partial view of two successive
doors in a hotel/motel hallway with the novel devices placed
to provide distance and direction information to a person in
the hallway;
Figs. 4 and 5 provide a top and end view, respectively,
of the preferred device;
Figs. 6 and 7 provide a top and end view, respectively,
of an alternate arrangement of tactile contacts on the novel
device;
Fig. 8 is a frontal view of my novel device incorporat-
ing an illumination feature;
Fig~ 9 is a cross-sectional view taken on the line 9-9
of Fiy. 8; and
Fig. 10 is a cross-sectional view taken on the line
10~10 of Fig. 8.
Descr~ on of Preferre _Embodiments
A preferred system for use of the invention is shown in
Figs. 1 through 5. Device 20, Fig. 4, used in the manner of
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sil-nilar devices shown in Figs. 1 through 3, provides both di-
rection and distance information to a person seeking a route
to exit a hotel or motel corridor or hallwav. ~he devices 20
are arranged in horizontal rows on the wall 30 at a height E
5 convenient to a person walking or a height F convenient to a
person crawling in the corridor. The general shape of the
device indicates direction, the smaller end 21 pointing in the
direction of the exit, while the surface of the device pro-
vides a tactile reference to distance as will be explained.
Device 20, Figs. 4 and 5, is generally arrow-shaped,
with longitudinal dimension G greater than lateral dimension
H, both G and H being substantially greater than thickness J.
A device constructed according to this embodiment will provide
two major surfaces, the back 22 and the front 24. Back 22 is
flat, to be in fixed contact with a similar flat surface, such
as a wall, when the device is in place for its intended us~.
The front 24 is beveled or smoothly curved to eliminate sharp
or protruding edges and may be provided with a contact point
26 of sufficient projection to be a tactile prominence. The
device of Fig. 4, for purposes of illustration, shows three
such contact points 26 in the form of protrusions. In Fig. 6,
instead of protrusions, the contact points are depressions 27,
three such being shown. They are disposed in a row above the
centerline of the device. In Fig. 7 the protrusion 29 is
above the centerline of the device. Whether protrusions 26 or
29 or depressions 27 are used, individual tactile contact
points are positioned to be touched by a person running their
hand along the wall 30. The number of such contact points
depends on the distance of the device from the exit, as herein-
after explained. Device 20 is to be fixedly attached to wall30 by any suitable means intended to be permanent; Fig. 4
shows the attachment to be by screw means 28. Although the
attachrnent is shown by means of screws, other forms and means
of attachment may occur to those skilled in the art.
Referring to Figs. 1 through 3, a system for using de-
vice 20 i5 shown. A plurality of such devices constructed as
described above are placed on corridor wall 30 in vertically
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spaced horizontal rows above floor 32, at heights convenient
to the to~ch of a person walking or crawling, as previously de-
scribed, with the devices pointing in the direction of the
exit door shown in Fig. 1. Such devices will direct a person
to proceed from the observer's right to left. The devices 31
on the left side of door A and devices 33 on the left side of
door B at about the height of the door Xnob in Figs. 2 and 3
also indicate the direction from right to left, and in addi-
tion by their number indicate the number of doors to the exit.
Thus there are two devices 31 adjacent door A indicating there
are two doors to the exit, while there are three devices 33
indicating three doors to the exit. In addition, each of the
devices 20, 31 and 33 indicates the number of doors to the
exit by the nurnber of contact points 26, 27 or 29 on each de-
vice. Note that each device 20 and 31 between doors A and B,Fig. 1, has two contact points 26, indicating the exit to be
two doors from that area of the corridor. A person proceeding
in the direction from door B toward the e~it, after passing
door A, will find the devices now available to the touch have
only one contact point, indicating one more door to the exit.
The reduction in number of contact points on devices, as doors
are passed, gives assurance that the person is proceeding to-
ward the exit.
Devices 31 and 33 arranged in vertical arrays are placed
on one side of each door, which side of the door is signifi-
cant in that the exit is in that direction. As mentioned be-
fore, the number of devices in each such array indicates the
number of doors to the exit. The reduction in number of de-
vices in each array, as doors are passed, again assures the
person that the exit is being approached.
A person who has proceeded from the right or left on
floor 32, and arrived in front of the exit door, Fig. 1, b~
touchingly perceiving direction and distance from the devices
as described above, now has several indications available to
confirm that such doorway is the exit. A tactile search of
either side of the doorway will discover no array of devices,
thus giving no indication of direction or further distance by
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an array meclns. ~owever, a touching investigation of devices
on both sides of the doorway will disclose that the direction-
indicating shapes point toward each other, i.e., toward the
exit; each device has only one contact point, i.e., one door
5 to exit. In this manner the person can be assur~d they are at
the exit.
Device 20, heretofore described, is for the purpose of
providing a tactile means to guide a person along an emergency
route within a structure when visual means is not available.
10 Figs. 8 through 10 depict this novel tactile device in combina-
tion with a means by which visual acuity may also be employed.
Although a device might be of luminous material itself, device
42, Fig. 8 is constructed of a translucent, plastic-like mate-
rial in the general arrow shape of basic device 20. The longi-
tudinal and lateral dimensions of device 42 are of the same re-
lative relationship as those of basic device 20, however,
thickness K, FigO 10, is greater than thicXness J, Fig. 5, to
accommodate a lighting rneans as will be described. Device 42
is mounted on wall 30 by screw means 28 and mounting strip 44.
Referring to Figs. 8 through 10 in detail disclGses that
contact points 47 reside on tab 46, said tab being formed by a
3-sided cut 48 through the portion of device 42 which overlies
a hollow area or cavity 50 within device 42. Cavity 50 is
such that the general thickness L of tab 46 is less than the
thickness M taken through said tab at a contact 47. The signi-
ficance of the difference between thicknesses L and M will be
explained.
Device 42 contains a spring-like metal member 52 fixedly
attached to device 42 at 54 and extending longitudinally with-
in cavity 50. Mounting strip 44 includes an electrical cir-
cuit consisting of wire 56, bulb 58 in socket 60, said socket
having contact: point 62, and a source of el~ctrical power ~not
shown). The portion of tab 46 between ends 66 of cut 48 (Fig.
8), acts as a spring because of the resiliency of the material
used in construction of device 42; the importance of this
spring action will be dlscussed.
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Device 42, Fig. 8, has all the capabilities for use in
an escape system as described for device 20, Fig. 4. However,
if the emergency presents only darkness as an obstruction to
vision, a systeJn employing device 42 instead of d~vice 20 will
5 give another advantage to a person proceeding along floor 32
(Fig. 1). Specific reference to Fig. 10 shows that a person
proceeding as above described, and using tactile means to
receive the infonnation available from the shape, surface
contacts, and device placeJnents previously mentioned, need
only press each device 42 in the vicinity of area 6~ on tab 46
to receive a visual aid. Finger pressure on tab 46 in the
general area of 68 will cause said tab to depress. Depression
of t~b 46 will force metal spring 52 to contact electrical
wire 56 at point 64 and socket contact point 62. When spring
5~ contacts wire 56 and socket contact 62 as described, the
electrical circuit is completed. Electricity flowing through
the completed circuit causes bulb 58 to light and, because of
the translucence of device 42, the device will appear to glow~
The glowing effect caused by the lighting of bulb 58 as
described, provides visual confirmation of information pre-
viously gained by tactile means. Device 42 i9 one piece, Fig.
8, translucent rnaterial which allows passage of some light
from bulb 58. Light passing through device 42 provides a view
of the general arrow shape of said device and the shape thus
imparts direction information to the viewer. The degree of
translucence of the material is a function of the material
thickness - thicker material passing less light. Hollow 50 of
device 42, Fig. 10, is covered by tab 46 which has a general
thickness L. A contact point, in this case protuberance 47,
creates a different thickness M, and said protube~ance will
pass less light than the rest of tab 46. If the contact point
were a concavity of tactile prominence, it would pa~s more
light than tab 46. In either case, contact points of concavi-
ty or convexness will pass more or less light than does the
surrounding tab. The shading effect, caused by light passing
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through the designed thicXness variations between tab and con--
tact point, provides a visual distinction that allows a person
to see the contacts and, thus, gain information about distance
to the exit. Release of finger pressure from area 68 will al-
5 low the resiliency of device 42, at point 66, to ~ove tab 46away from the electrical circuit. ~ovement of tab 46 fr~m the
electrical circuit will remove metal spring 52 from contact
with wire 56 and bulb socket contact 62, thus opening the cir-
cuit and extinguishing bulb 58. In the above manner of using
10 device 42, Fig. 8, a person seeking the exit from a hotel/mo-
tel corridor can move from door B to the exit, Fig. 1, by tac-
tile reference only or by a combination of tactile and visual
means .
