Auxiliary fire defense system

Aspects of the disclosure include providing additional sources of water, and additional means for delivering the additional water, as needed in a fire emergency. A system in accordance with an aspect of the present disclosure provides pumping means, conduit for delivering water from a local source to the pump, and conduit for delivering the water as needed to fight a fire.

BACKGROUND

Field

Aspects of the present disclosure generally relate to fire suppression, and more particularly to an auxiliary fire defense system.

Background

Large scale wildfires have become more common occurrences in the past several years. What was formerly considered an event that occurred once in every one hundred years now occurs approximately once every decade. In California alone during calendar year 2018, over fifty separate fires each burned more than 1000 acres; approximately one hundred people were killed. Billions of dollars of damages were incurred, and billions of dollars were spent fighting the fires. The entire western portion of the United States faces “fire season” every year in the summer months. In 2017, wildfires consumed areas the size of New Jersey, Connecticut, Delaware, and Rhode Island combined.

Some of the problems faced when fighting large fires is the lack of available resources. Providing manpower to fight multiple fires, when such fires are spread across a large geographical area, is logistically difficult. Equipment, such as fire engines, aerial support tankers, fire retardant sprayers, etc., are in short supply and must be shared. Water supplies are also difficult to manage, as pressure in the supply system must be shared by the various firefighting agencies, and may not be readily available where the fire is located at.

SUMMARY

Aspects of the disclosure include providing additional sources of water, and additional means for delivering the additional water, as needed in a fire emergency. A system in accordance with an aspect of the present disclosure provides pumping means, conduit for delivering water from a local source to the pump, and conduit for delivering the water as needed to fight a fire.

An apparatus in accordance with an aspect of the disclosure comprises a chassis, a motor coupled to the chassis, a pump, coupled to the motor, an inlet conduit coupled to the pump, and an outlet conduit coupled to the pump, in which the apparatus is configured to deliver water from a water source on a property for fire suppression.

Such an apparatus further optionally comprises the water source being a swimming pool, the motor being a gasoline-powered motor, and the outlet conduit comprising a valve. Such an apparatus may also further comprise a beacon for indicating the presence of the apparatus at a property, and the apparatus being configured to match the property where the water source is located.

A method of fire suppression in accordance with an aspect of the present disclosure comprises assessing a property comprising a water source, installing a system configured to match the property comprising the water source, maintaining the system, and operating the system when a fire incident occurs.

Such a method further optionally includes the system comprising a chassis, a motor coupled to the chassis, a pump, coupled to the motor, an inlet conduit coupled to the pump, and an outlet conduit coupled to the pump, in which the system is configured to deliver water from the water source. The method may further comprise notifying a first responder about a location of the system, notifying the first responder through setting a beacon at the property, the motor being a gasoline-powered motor, and the water source being a swimming pool.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Overview

The present disclosure describes an auxiliary fire suppression system that can be used to support firefighting efforts. The system may provide homeowners, residents, and/or firefighters with additional resources to assist in fire suppression during a wildfire event.

In a wildfire event there are limited resources that are available for fighting the fire. In each case, fire professionals review the available fire-fighting materials/equipment, and the status of the fire in each location, to determine where best to deploy the resources. Part of this determination is a calculation involving whether a particular structure can be saved, the safety of the firefighters, and what resources are available at a given location. Further, in many wildfire events, the first responders are from divergent geographical locations, and thus unfamiliar with the neighborhoods where the fire is burning.

One of the most precious resources during a fire event is water. A fire engine carries approximately 500 gallons of water. The engine may use 400 gallons of this water to protect a home and reserve 100 gallons for crew safety. Thus, fire crews are often very prudent on water use, as 400 gallons may only be several minutes of water available to fight the fire. Although fire hydrants are available during emergencies, the demand for water at multiple hydrants may reduce the pressure and amount of water available at any given hydrant, and the hydrant may not be located where the water is most urgently needed. Home water systems, e.g., garden hoses connected to a house, tap water, etc., have very little pressure during a fire event, and do not provide enough volume of water to adequately extinguish larger fires. Further, fire events often disrupt electrical power delivery to houses, rendering electrically-powered water pumps effectively useless.

Houses with swimming pools are often on larger lots, and the pool may be too far away from the fire engine for the fire engine to access the pool water. Although fire engines have pumps that can pull water from water sources, a hose must be placed between the pool and the fire engine, and firefighters have no idea of whether a given house has a pool or not. The time it takes for firefighters to determine if the pool can be accessed and to install the hoses may reduce or eliminate the ability to use the available water. Although the fire department may have water available on their own equipment, knowing that a second water source is present may allow for different firefighting tactics to be applied in a given fire event.

FIG. 1illustrates a scenario in accordance with an aspect of the present disclosure.

Neighborhood100comprises street102, fire hydrant104, and houses106-116. During a fire event, firefighters may use hydrant104as a water source to suppress fire occurring near houses106-116.

In a wildfire event, fire may be approaching neighborhood100from multiple directions, e.g., neighborhood100may be or near the point of convergence where multiple fires join together to become a single fire (also known as a “complex” fire, e.g., the Mendocino Complex fire in Northern California in 2018). With only a single water source, i.e., hydrant104, it may be difficult to fight fire that threatens houses106-110while fighting a separate fire threatening other houses, e.g., house114. Even if a fire engine (not shown) is able to deliver water from the engine tanks, the available water to protect houses106-116is limited.

House114is shown as having a water source118, e.g., swimming pool, koi pond, etc. and an auxiliary fire suppression system120. The homeowner/resident of house114, and/or firefighters may use water source118and system120to protect house114while hydrant104is being used to protect houses106-110.

Hardware Environment

FIG. 2is a diagram of a fire suppression system in an aspect of the present disclosure.

Carriage202may be a uniform mounting frame and/or chassis for mounting various components of system200. Carriage202may be of such a design that maintenance of system120is made easier. For example, and not by way of limitation, one particular system120at house114may be interchanged with another system120during periods of maintenance, etc., such that house114may have a system120present at all times. A substantially uniform carriage202may allow for interchangeability of entire systems120at various houses114, or may allow for interchangeability of components within system120, as desired.

Motor204may be a power source for pump206. Motor204may be a gasoline powered motor, e.g., a Honda GX270 Series engine, but may be other engines without departing from the scope of the present disclosure. Although described as a gasoline-powered engine, motor204may be natural gas powered, electrically powered, etc., without departing from the scope of the present disclosure. Motor204may be coupled directly to pump206, in that the crankshaft of motor204may be coupled to the impeller of pump206; however, motor204may be coupled to pump206in other ways without departing from the scope of the present disclosure.

Pump206may be a single-stage centrifugal impeller-type pump, however, two-stage and/or multi-stage impeller pumps, internal gear pumps, piston pumps, diaphragm pumps, rotary, linear, and/or reciprocating type positive displacement pumps, etc., may be used without departing from the scope of the present disclosure. Pump206and motor204may be an integrated unit, e.g., such as NorthStar item number106471, but can also be separate units that are combined during manufacturing of system120.

Inlet hose208may be a standard-type garden hose. However, inlet hose may need to allow for a large volume of fluid214(e.g., water from water source118) to be transferred to outlet hose210via pump206, and thus may need to have a larger diameter and/or have a greater resistance to collapsing and/or kinking than a standard-type garden hose. As such, hoses having a larger diameter, larger vacuum rating, and/or stiffer wall material compositions may be employed without departing from the scope of the present disclosure. For example, and not by way of limitation, a three-inch inlet hose208, having an aluminum/polyvinyl chloride (Al/PVC) reinforced hose wall, may be used to reduce the possibility of inlet hose208becoming disabled when in use. Other diameters, e.g., 1.5 inches, 2 inches, etc. may also be used without departing from the scope of the present disclosure.

Outlet valve209may allow for multiple outlet hoses210to be connected to system120. For example, and not by way of limitation, a “wye” valve may be attached to the outlet of pump206. The wye valve may allow for one or more of the outlets to be disabled, i.e., from not delivering fluid through the outlet valve209, in which case the valve may be known as a “gated wye” valve. In an aspect of the present disclosure, additional gated wye valves can be added to outlet valve209, or to one or more of outlet hoses210, to provide additional connections to system120for additional outlet hoses210.

Outlet hose210may also be a standard-type garden hose; however, as with inlet hose208, pump206may deliver a larger amount of fluid214than a standard-type garden hose can deliver without failing (e.g., rupturing). As such, outlet hose210may also have a larger diameter, higher vacuum rating, and/or stiffer wall construction than a standard-type garden hose, such that outlet hose210can withstand the volume and pressure of fluid214being delivered by pump206.

Inlet hose208and outlet hose210may have standard couplings to allow for interchangeability for the hoses208and210with any pump206. For example, and not by way of limitation, inlet hose208and outlet hose210may have National Pipe Thread (NPT) standardized threads, e.g., a taper rate of 1 inch of diameter in 16 inches of length at an off-center angle of 1.7899 degrees, but other connections may be used without departing from the scope of the present disclosure. Further, the connectors that couple inlet hose208and outlet hose210to pump206may differ, the colors of inlet hose208and outlet hose210may be different, etc., such that in a fire event, it will be easy to determine which hose couples to which port on pump206and in what orientation.

Container212may contain accessories/specialty items that may be employed with system200. For example, and not by way of limitation, inlet hose208and outlet hose210may be stored in container212, such that inlet hose208and outlet hose210are not deleteriously affected by exposure to sunlight, weather conditions, dirt, etc., and/or are readily accessible should system200be placed into service. Container212may also contain hose nozzles, filters, etc., that can be coupled to inlet hose208/outlet hose210to make operation of system200more reliable.

Container212may also hold beacon216. Beacon216may be a flashing/specialty light, which may be battery powered, that may act as an indicator to firefighters that a system120is present. In a fire event, container212may be opened and beacon216placed in front of house114(or wherever system120is located) such that firefighters are aware that a system120is available to them. Additional information related to beacon216may include location information that has been pre-delivered to firefighting agencies such that firefighting agencies have the location of systems120before the fire event occurs; beacon216may act, in such cases, as a confirmation to firefighters that system120is present and ready for use should firefighters need such system(s)120. Other information that may be included with beacon216is information that may be useful to first responders upon arrival at a fire event, e.g., location of system120, number of outlet hoses210available, length of outlet hoses210attached, amount of water in water source118, etc.

The presence of system120may be used as an additional asset for first responders since first responders may not need to remove hoses from the fire engine, utilize the limited fire engine stored water supply, etc., to fight a fire in a given location. Further, knowing that some hoses, e.g., outlet hoses210are already in place, first responders may be able to connect their own hoses to system120and fight fires at a greater distance from the water source.

Installation of Auxiliary System

FIG. 3illustrates an installation of a system in accordance with an aspect of the present disclosure. (rental approach, operation, assessment prior to installation, etc.).

Block300illustrates an assessment of a given property to determine what, if any, additional protection may be provided through the installation of one or more systems120. Such an assessment may include recommendations to the property owner/occupant regarding fire safety, e.g., brush clearance, possible emergency escape routes, etc. Further, such an assessment may include the recommendations for placement of the system(s)120at a given residence.

Assessment may also include Computer-Aided Drawing (CAD) plans and/or other documents showing how system120may be available to the fire department, reference materials for education of the home owner/resident, and/or other materials.

Block302illustrates installation of one or more systems120at a given residence. Installation of a system120may include an instructional walk-through for the property owner/resident such that proper operation may be enabled in the case of an emergency. For example, and not by way of limitation, a representative, who may be trained in firefighting, may instruct the property owner/resident on how to start the system, where to put the hoses208and210, where to place beacon216, how to energize beacon216, etc., such that either the property owner/resident can operate system120, or that first responders may know the location and placement of system120when an emergency occurs.

Block304illustrates operation of system120. Operation may include the initial setup of system120, e.g., laying out hoses208and210, starting motor204, etc., as well as pumping water214from source118.

Block306illustrates maintenance of system120. Maintenance may include periodic checks of system120performed either by home owner/resident or by professionals trained in maintaining such systems120. For example, and not by way of limitation, motor204may be a gasoline engine, and gasoline stored in system120may degrade over time. Any degraded gasoline would need to be removed from system120and replaced with gasoline that would properly run motor204in the event of an emergency. Home owners/residents may not be equipped to properly remove and/or dispose of gasoline, and, as such, professionals may be employed to perform such tasks.

Maintenance may also include a check of system120, to ensure that system120has not been tampered with, that all parts of system120installed at a given location are present and properly located, that instructions are properly included and legible, etc.

Although the presence of system120at a given residence may encourage a particular resident to remain in an evacuation area to protect the residence, system120does not provide, and is illustrated to the resident as not providing, adequate safety precautions to survive any given emergency. System120representatives would, during assessment and/or installation, as well as during maintenance visits, encourage home owners/residents to follow evacuation orders when requested by the proper authorities. However, should a home owner/resident be unable to evacuate, e.g., because the fire approached too rapidly for a proper evacuation, the home owner/resident may be provided with proper instruction on the use of system120such that they can properly use system120in an emergency.

Fire departments may be given information as to the location of systems120within their jurisdiction. As such, the presence of beacon216, and/or other information available to local fire departments, may also indicate to first responders the presence of system120at a given residence.

The present disclosure may be implemented using a computer400, which generally includes, inter alia, a processor402, random access memory (RAM)404, data storage devices406(e.g., hard, floppy, and/or CD-ROM disk drives, etc.), data communications devices408(e.g., modems, network interfaces, etc.), monitor410(e.g., CRT, LCD display, etc.), mouse pointing device412and keyboard414. It is envisioned that attached to the computer400may be other devices such as read only memory (ROM), a video card, bus interface, printers, etc. Those skilled in the art will recognize that any combination of the above components, or any number of different components, peripherals, and other devices, may be used with the computer400.

The computer400usually operates under the control of an operating system416. The present invention may be implemented in one or more application programs418that operate under the control of the operating system416. The application program418may be a location-based program. In an embodiment of the present disclosure, the application program418provides one or more objects420.

Generally, the application program418and objects420comprise instructions and/or data that are embodied in or retrievable from a computer-readable device, medium, or carrier, e.g., the data storage device406, a remote device coupled to the computer400via the data communications device408, etc. Moreover, these instructions and/or data, when read, executed, and/or interpreted by the computer400cause the computer400to perform the steps necessary to implement and/or use the present disclosure.

Thus, the present invention may be implemented as a method, apparatus, or article of manufacture using standard programming and/or engineering techniques to produce software, firmware, hardware, or any combination thereof. The term “article of manufacture” (or alternatively, “computer program product”) as used herein is intended to encompass a computer program accessible from any computer-readable device, carrier, or media. Of course, those skilled in the art will recognize many modifications may be made to this configuration without departing from the scope of the present disclosure.

Computer400may be a personal computer, or may be a hand-held device such as a smart phone, cellular telephone, tablet, etc. Computer400may have the ability to geolocate using Global Positioning System (GPS) satellite data, Graphical Information System (GIS) data, and/or other positioning systems and/or data.

FIGS. 5 and 6illustrate a carriage in accordance with one or more aspects of the present disclosure.

FIG. 5illustrates a carriage202in accordance with an aspect of the present disclosure. Carriage202may be made from steel, aluminum, and/or other materials, and may be designed to hold motor204and pump206in chassis500, inlet hose208and/or outlet hose(s)210in channel502, container212above chassis500, and may include wheels504to make system120easier to maneuver. Other configurations of carriage202are possible without departing from the scope of the present disclosure. The chassis500has a carriage frame lower support structure510with four corners, three U-shaped horizontal members506and four vertical side frame members508extending from each of the four corners of the carriage frame lower support structure510. A strengthening support member528can be provided at each corner connecting two adjacent members of the lower support structure. Upper chassis horizontal frame members512are provided that connect the vertical side frame members508at an upper surface forming an upper opening of the carriage202. The carriage frame lower support structure510, vertical side members508and upper horizontal frame members512outline container212. Extending on one side of the chassis500from the carriage frame lower support structure510is a channel502. The channel502includes a channel base structure522, which extends from the carriage frame lower support structure510, and a vertical channel frame member524positioned on a side of the channel base structure522opposite the carriage frame lower support structure510. The vertical channel frame member524comprising two vertical channel side frame members and a horizontal upper channel frame member. An upper perpendicular horizontal channel frame member526extends from an upper chassis horizontal frame member512to perpendicularly engage the vertical channel frame member524.

FIG. 6illustrates a carriage202with an attached rack600. Rack600may be used to store other equipment that may be used in conjunction with system120, e.g., additional outlet hoses210, an enclosure that may be more heat resistant than the remainder of carriage202to store fuel for motor204, additional inlet hose202and/or outlet hose210fittings, etc. Other configurations of carriage202with one or more racks600attached to various points on carriage202are possible without departing from the scope of the present disclosure.

Those skilled in the art will recognize that any combination of the above components, or any number of different components, including computer programs, peripherals, and other devices, may be used to implement the present disclosure, so long as similar functions are performed thereby.

In the present disclosure, a processor, microprocessor, and/or computer may be employed in one or more aspects of the disclosure. The use of a processor, microprocessor, and/or computer in and of itself does not render such aspects of the present disclosure as being directed to a judicial exception to patent-eligible subject matter, i.e., a law of nature, a natural phenomenon, or an abstract idea without significantly more. Further, aspects of the present disclosure may claim patent-eligible applications of the concepts of laws of nature, natural phenomena, and abstract ideas.

For example, and not by way of limitation, the present disclosure is directed toward a patent-eligible concept. Aspects and embodiments of the present disclosure, when taken individually and as an ordered combination, are to be considered when determining whether the additional element(s) transform the nature of the claim.

The present application comprises something more than organizing human activity, either through the use of a processor, microprocessor, and/or computer, and/or otherwise, because the processor does not organize human activity; the processor in aspects of the present disclosure provides data to first responders, people within an emergency area, etc., such that a more informed choice of responding to the emergency can be achieved. Such a result has not been available prior to the present disclosure.

Even if the present disclosure may be directed to a patent-ineligible concept, the elements of the present disclosure, both individually and as an ordered combination, are to be considered to determine whether the additional elements transform the nature of the claim into a patent eligible application. The present disclosure comprises an inventive concept sufficient to ensure that the disclosure in practice amounts to significantly more than a patent upon an ineligible concept. Because the judicial exceptions to patent protection of abstract ideas must be construed carefully, applications of such concepts to a new and useful end remain eligible for patent protection within the present disclosure.

Even if in some instances the present disclosure describes concepts that may be directed to an abstract idea and/or another judicial exception, the present disclosure still describes patentable subject matter that remains eligible for patent protection. For example, and not by way of limitation, the present disclosure does not merely apply applicable laws that are well known in the related art.

Further, the present disclosure describes additional patent-eligible concepts such as a process designed to solve a technological problem in conventional industry practice, and a problem that the industries involved had not been able to obtain previously. Further, the present disclosure is not simply steps previously known and merely implemented on a computer, but feature improvements on an existing technological process. The present disclosure provides solutions and improvements on existing processes that were not previously available.

Because a computer, processor, and/or microprocessor can serve as a patent-eligible structure for a computer-implemented function when the claimed function is coextensive with the microprocessor itself, and a standard microprocessor can serve as sufficient structure for functions that can be achieved by any general purpose computer without special programming, the present invention provides such patent eligibility.

Those of skill would further appreciate that the various illustrative logical blocks, modules, and algorithm steps described in connection with the disclosure herein may be implemented as various different types of materials and/or various different combinations of materials. To clearly illustrate this interchangeability, various illustrative components, blocks, modules, and steps have been described above generally in terms of their functionality. The various materials and/or combinations of materials employed to implement the present disclosure depends upon the particular application and design constraints imposed on the overall system. Skilled artisans may implement the described functionality in varying ways for each particular application, but such implementation decisions should not be interpreted as causing a departure from the scope of the present disclosure.

Although several embodiments have been described in detail for purposes of illustration, various modifications may be made without departing from the scope and spirit of the present disclosure. Accordingly, the disclosure is not to be limited by the examples presented herein, but is envisioned as encompassing the scope described in the appended claims and the full range of equivalents of the appended claims.