Abstract:
A fire escape mechanism that utilizes a web configuration of heat tolerant, low heat conductive, light weight, and high strength material that is extended along the height of a multi-story building such that individuals in the building an escape from a fire in the building by exiting the building directly onto the fire escape web and lower themselves to safety by climbing down its length.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS  
       [0001]    This applications claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/206,227, filed May 22, 2000, which is incorporated herein by reference. 
     
    
     
       STATEMENTS REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT  
         [0002]    Not applicable.  
         REFERENCE TO A MICROFICHE APPENDIX  
         [0003]    Not applicable.  
         BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0004]    1. Field of the Invention  
           [0005]    With the advent of multi-story buildings came the need for a way of escaping from such buildings in the event of a fire. Many solutions were proposed in the decades to follow, some to be implemented, others not. One solution was to include multiple stairwells in multi-story buildings. However, the cost of multiple stairwells was significant and multiple stairwells also had its problems such as all the stairwells could become impassable at the same time as smoke filled each of the stairwells, or where fire would engulf an entire lower floor causing all of the stairwells to be blocked.  
           [0006]    Another solution which was widely implemented was that of the use of metal stairwells attached to the outside surface of buildings. Outside stairwells provided the advantage of providing a wall between the fire within the building and those individuals trying to escape. Also, being located outside meant that the problems of smoke inhalation was greatly reduced. However, over time, the use of metal stairwells fell out of favor due to a variety of factors. One such factor was that the cost of installing and maintaining such systems was high. In addition, the perceived negative impact the device had on the aesthetic appeal of building design was another downfall. Yet another reason, was that as multi-story buildings reached the heights of modern skyscrapers, the use of such metal stairwells became impractical.  
           [0007]    2. Description of the Related Art  
           [0008]    There has been a number of such escape mechanisms proposed that utilize an unraveling of latter like structures from the top of buildings. One early example is the 1877 patent, now expired, U.S. Pat. No. 192,693, which utilized ladder-like devices wrapped around a shaft attached to the top edge of the exterior of the building. The ladders were said to be made out of “incombustible but flexible material” and be connected to a cable that travels inside the building for the height of the building. Another ladder device, patented in 1875, now expired, U.S. Pat. No. 170,281, included a flexible ladder that was wound around a shaft, and as that shaft is rotated, the ladder was lowered from the top of the multi-story building. The patent also discusses that the rungs made of metal tubes, and discusses how the use of rungs will be fire proof. Yet another patent from the late 1800&#39;s, now expired, U.S. Pat. No. 638,600, discussed the use of asbestos-fiber cloth sleeves which covers steel or iron ropes of a ladder-type device.  
         BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0009]    A fire escape mechanism for use with multi-story buildings using a web of interconnected members using material that is highly heat tolerant, light weight, and high strength, which when deployed extends along the height of the building allowing individuals in the building to exit the building onto the web and lower themselves to safety by climbing down its length. 
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0010]    The object, advantages, and features of the invention will become more apparent by reference to the drawings which are appended hereto and wherein like numerals indicate like parts and wherein an illustration of the invention is shown, of which:  
         [0011]    [0011]FIG. 1 is a perspective elevational view of the preferred embodiment of the fire escape netting system deployed in its extended state on a multi-story building.  
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
       [0012]    The fire escape netting system of the present invention is shown in FIG. 1. The preferred embodiment comprises: a web, generally indicated at  10 , and storage compartment, generally indicated at  20 . Although the preferred embodiment is shown in regards to a rectangular building with a planar surface, the fire escape netting system can be deployed on buildings of a wide variety of shapes.  
         [0013]    As shown in the Figure, web  10  includes web top  18 , web bottom  16 , web members  12 , web cross members  13 , and web connections  14 . The preferred embodiment includes a web  10  with width  10   w  that is equal to the building width  100   w.  In addition, the preferred embodiment includes web  10  with a length  10   h  that is equal to building height  100   h.  The web is preferably made out of a composite material of polymers and/or plastics, which is flame retardant and heat resistant, and preferably a good insulator. Other embodiments may use a web  10  width  10   w  that is smaller than, or larger than building width  100   w.  Other embodiments may also use a web  10  of height  10   h  that is longer than or shorter than building height  100   h.  For example, multiple webs can be deployed at various floors of a building forming a web of overlapping webs. The web need not be entirely one material. In some embodiments, the web, for example, is to include reinforcement material that has characteristics different from the material those escaping from the building would principally climb upon. The web as constructed needs to support its own weight. In addition, the web needs to support the weight of all those individuals using the web during a fire evacuation. Further, in those embodiments in which the web is deployed at a controlled rate, for example, by a rotating shaft, the deployment mechanism may be designed such that it would accommodate the additional forces introduced by individuals who engage the web before its full deployment. The preferred embodiment also is formed such that when unfurled, the web does not cover the doors at ground level, thus allowing emergency personnel unobstructed access to the lower floor of the building. On very tall buildings the web may only unfurl far enough down to reach ladder ranges.  
         [0014]    The preferred embodiment discloses web members  12  diagonally connected between web cross members  13  at web connections  14  such that the web members  12  extend substantially at a 45° angle to web cross members  13 . Other embodiments may use other configurations, and other angles, for example, the web members  12  may be connected vertically such that their web connection  14  is substantially 90° with web cross members  13 . In addition, although the preferred embodiment shows multiple web members  12  connected between two web cross members  13 , other embodiments may use a single “Z” shaped web member  12  connected between two consecutive web cross members  13 . In other embodiments, a wide variety of other web members  12  and web cross members  13  shapes and interconnections are possible, for example, “Z” shaped web cross members  13  in conjunction with circular members  12 . In addition, other embodiments may use a preformed, continuous sheet as web  10  therefore eliminating what might be considered web connections  14  as the web is continuous throughout its length. Yet, other embodiments may use a ladder-like design where web members  12  are arranged into a single pair of vertical columns extending the building height  100   h  and where such columns are connected to one another by a series of substantially equally spaced web cross members  13  that are connected at substantially a 90° angle to each column via web connections  14 . In addition, other embodiments may incorporate other structures within the web itself, or attachments thereto, forming, or capable of forming, features having a third dimension such as pockets, ledges, troughs or tubular formations.  
         [0015]    Storage compartment  20 , also known as housing  20 , is the location and device where web  10  is stored while in its non-deployed or retracted state. In the preferred embodiment storage compartment  20  is referred to as the roll housing. The preferred embodiment has web  10  wrapped about shaft  22  which when rotated results in the lowering of web  10  down the height  100   h  of building  100  where web  10  remains substantially next to the surface of building  100   t  as it is lowered. In the preferred embodiment the storage compartment  20  is located at the top of the building, offset from the edge of the building top  100   t  such that it is not readily visible from typical observational views. The installation dictated by the preferred embodiment will not distract from the building&#39;s appearance. In addition, in the preferred embodiment weights are attached at web bottom  16  to insure proper deployment of web  10 . Other embodiments may not use a shaft  22 ; for example, web  10  may be wrapped about itself or loosely placed in the storage compartment  20 . Yet other embodiments may not unfurl web  10  entirely at the top  100   t  of building  100 , for example, web  10  may be deployed by sending the rolled web  10  off the top of the building allowing it to unfurl along the height  100   h  of building  100 . Other embodiments may not use weights to deploy web  10  or may use such weights but place them in locations other than web bottom  16 .  
         [0016]    In its typical state, web  10  would be in a rolled-up state at the top  100   t  of building  100  within storage compartment  20 . Upon detection of fire, shaft  22  would rotate such that web bottom  16  would begin to extend down the face of building  100 . Shaft  22  would continue to rotate until web  10  was fully extended along web height  10   h,  as shown in FIG. 1. In its fully extended state, individuals in the building would exit the building windows and openings onto web  10  and lower themselves along the face of building  100  until they reach the web bottom  16  and the building bottom  100   b.  After web  10  had been fully extended, and the fire having been extinguished, and the use of the web  10  deemed to have been complete, web  10  is then raised along the face of building  100  by the rotation of shaft  22  such that web  10  returns to its rolled-up state at the top  100   t  of building  100  within storage compartment  20 . A number of alternatives are possible, such as a “trap door” style mechanism to drop the web  10  where the web  10  is stored loosely in storage compartment  20 .  
         [0017]    The foregoing disclosure and description of the preferred embodiment are illustrative and explanatory thereof, and various changes in the components, circuit elements, circuit configurations, and signal connections, as well as in the details of the illustrated circuitry and construction and method of operation may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.