Patent Publication Number: US-8523622-B2

Title: Fire/water rescue sled for handicapped and elderly

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/263,278, entitled “Fire/Water Rescue Sled for Handicapped and Elderly,” filed Nov. 20, 2009 , the entire disclosure of which is hereby incorporated herein by reference. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND 
     Various embodiments described herein relate generally to appliances for evacuating a physically-compromised person, and more particularly for appliances for evacuating a handicapped and/or elderly person from a fire or flood emergency. Such an appliance can be kept nearby to the physically-compromised person so as to be readily available if an emergency evacuation situation arises. 
     Moving a handicapped and/or elderly person can be challenging in normal situations, and can be especially challenging in emergency situations. A handicapped/elderly person may not be able to walk, or even crawl, and thereby may require considerable assistance to move from location to location. Some handicapped/elderly persons may also weigh significantly more than what can be managed by their caregiver(s). An emergency situation, such as a fire, often complicates the situation, for example, by adding smoke and heat as additional obstacles to be dealt with. In a fire emergency, it may be necessary to stay close to the floor so as to avoid exposure to smoke. One existing method for a care giver to get a patient out of a burning home or care facility today is to put a sheet or blanket on the floor, put the patient on it, and drag the patient out. To drag the patient out, the care giver must stand, albeit somewhat bent over at the waist. However, if the smoke gets below the care giver&#39;s face so that the care giver can no longer breathe, the care giver may abandon the patient, get on the floor, and crawl out as fast as possible. Such a reaction may be understandable given the situation. Imagine the difficulty of getting a relatively heavy patient out of a burning building this way. In addition to a fire emergency, a flooding emergency can also present additional obstacles to be dealt with when evacuating a handicapped and/or elderly person. 
     Recent emergencies, such as major hurricanes, have resulted in the injury or death of handicapped and/or elderly persons that may have been avoided if more effective means were available to evacuate such persons from danger. Accordingly, it is desirable to develop more effective means to evacuate a physically-compromised person(s) from danger, particularly from all-to-common emergencies like fires and floods. 
     BRIEF SUMMARY 
     The following presents a simplified summary of some embodiments of the invention in order to provide a basic understanding of the invention. This summary is not an extensive overview of the invention. It is not intended to identify key/critical elements of the invention or to delineate the scope of the invention. Its sole purpose is to present some embodiments of the invention in a simplified form as a prelude to the more detailed description that is presented later. 
     Rescue appliances in accordance with various aspects and embodiments are provided for use in evacuating a physically-compromised person (e.g., a handicapped person, an elderly person) in an emergency situation. The disclosed appliances can be used to support the evacuee in a prone position close to the floor, which helps to avoid overhead smoke in a fire emergency. In many embodiments, the disclosed appliances include a protection assembly that is configurable to surround (and in many embodiments encase) the prone evacuee to protect the evacuee from a fire. In many embodiments, the protection assembly holds the prone evacuee in place so as to prevent the evacuee from falling off of the rescue appliance. The disclosed appliances can include wheels, which make it easier for a care giver to move the evacuee over the floor. The disclosed appliances can also be sufficiently buoyant, for example, via a buoyant perimeter member, so that the appliance can be used in a flooding emergency. Such appliances can be kept nearby physically-compromised persons for use in an emergency, which may serve to significantly decrease related injuries and/or death of handicapped and/or elderly persons in such emergency situations. 
     Thus, in a first aspect, a rescue appliance is provided. The rescue appliance includes a platform configured to support a prone evacuee, a set of wheels coupled with the platform to support the platform relative to a floor surface, and a protection assembly coupled with the platform. The protection assembly is configurable to surround the prone evacuee to protect the evacuee from a fire. 
     In many embodiments, the rescue appliance includes one or more additional features. For example, the rescue appliance can include a plurality of carrying handles coupled with the platform. The rescue appliance can include a towing tension member (e.g., a strap, a rope, a cable, a chain, a lanyard, etc.) coupled with the platform for pulling the rescue appliance over the floor surface. The rescue appliance can include a coupling feature to couple the rescue appliance with a second rescue appliance so, for example, a care giver(s) can pull two (or more) evacuees to safety simultaneously. Each of the wheels can include a castoring mechanism. Each of the wheels can be retractable to permit the rescue appliance to be slid up or down stairs. 
     In many embodiments, the rescue appliance is configured to support an evacuee in a prone position close to the floor level. For example, in many embodiments the rescue appliance is configured to elevate the evacuee by less than twelve inches relative to the floor surface. In many embodiments, the rescue appliance is configured to elevate the evacuee by less than six inches relative to the floor surface. 
     In many embodiments, the protection assembly is configurable to surround the evacuee with fire-resistant material. For example, the protection assembly can include a base portion comprising fire-resistant material disposed on top of the platform so as to be disposed between the evacuee and the platform, a first longitudinally-oriented flap comprising fire-resistant material, and a second longitudinally-oriented flap comprising fire-resistant material. The first flap is coupled with a first longitudinal side of the base portion and is configurable to at least partially cover the evacuee. The second flap is coupled with a second longitudinal side of the base portion and is configurable to overlap with the first flap so that the evacuee is surrounded by the base portion, the first flap, and the second flap. The first and second flaps can include a plurality of complementary attachment features configured and positioned to secure the second flap relative to the first flap when the first and second flaps cover the evacuee. For example, the complementary attachment features can include a hook and loop type fastener. The complementary attachment features can include a tie-down strap. The first and second flaps can include regions configured to cover the evacuee&#39;s head and protect the evacuee&#39;s head from the fire while allowing the evacuee to breathe. The head covering regions can include a fire-resistant material sufficiently permeable to air to allow the evacuee to breathe through the head covering regions. In many embodiments, the protection assembly is configured to encase the evacuee. 
     In many embodiments, the rescue appliance is sufficiently buoyant to support the evacuee on water. For example, the rescue appliance can include a buoyant perimeter member. The buoyant perimeter member can be removably coupled with the platform. The rescue appliance can include an inflatable member. The protection assembly can include an inflatable member. 
     For a fuller understanding of the nature and advantages of the present invention, reference should be made to the ensuing detailed description and accompanying drawings. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  illustrates the use of a rescue appliance to evacuate a physically-compromised person from a smoke-filled room, in accordance with many embodiments. 
         FIG. 2  illustrates the use of two coupled rescue appliances to evacuate two physically-compromised persons from a smoke-filled room simultaneously, in accordance with many embodiments. 
         FIG. 3  illustrates top, side, and front views of a rescue appliance (shown without a protection assembly) in accordance with many embodiments. 
         FIG. 4A  illustrates a top view of a rescue appliance in an evacuee receiving configuration, in accordance with many embodiments. 
         FIG. 4B  illustrates a top view of the rescue appliance of  FIG. 4A  showing a first side flap positioned over an evacuee, in accordance with many embodiments. 
         FIG. 4C  illustrates a top view of the rescue appliance of  FIGS. 4A and 4B  in an evacuee protecting configuration, in accordance with many embodiments. 
         FIGS. 5A and 5B  illustrate top and side views of a rescue appliance having a buoyant perimeter member, in accordance with many embodiments. 
         FIG. 6  illustrates the underside of a prototype rescue appliance in accordance with many embodiments. 
         FIG. 7  further illustrates the prototype rescue appliance of  FIG. 6 , showing the rescue appliance in an evacuee receiving configuration, in accordance with many embodiments. 
         FIG. 8  further illustrates the prototype rescue appliance of  FIG. 6 , showing protection assembly side flaps folded over the evacuee supporting platform. 
         FIG. 9  further illustrates the prototype rescue appliance of  FIG. 6 , showing a towing tension member used to tow the appliance and a coupling feature to couple the rescue appliance with a second rescue appliance. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     In the following description, various embodiments of the present invention will be described. For purposes of explanation, specific configurations and details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the embodiments. However, it will also be apparent to one skilled in the art that the present invention may be practiced without the specific details. Furthermore, well-known features may be omitted or simplified in order not to obscure the embodiment being described. 
     Referring now to the drawings, in which like reference numerals represent like parts throughout the several views,  FIG. 1  diagrammatically illustrates the use of a rescue appliance  10  to evacuate a physically-compromised person  12  from a smoke-filled room  14 , in accordance with many embodiments. The rescue appliance  10  includes a platform  16  configured to support a prone evacuee, a set of wheels  18  coupled with the platform  16  to support the platform  16  relative to a floor surface  20 , and a protection assembly  22  coupled with the platform  16 . The protection assembly  22  is configured to surround the prone evacuee to protect the evacuee from the fire. In many embodiments, the protection assembly  22  is configured to encase the evacuee. In many embodiments, castoring wheels are used so that the rescue appliance  10  can be moved over the floor surface  20  in any desired direction. A towing tension member  24  (e.g., a strap, a rope, a cable, a chain, a lanyard, etc.) is coupled with an end of the rescue appliance  10 , and can be used to pull the rescue appliance  10  along the floor surface  20 . The towing tension member  24  can be coupled with a suitable harness feature (e.g., a loop) that can be coupled with a rescuer, for example, around the rescuer&#39;s waist and/or shoulder(s), so as to free the rescuer&#39;s hands for crawling. In operation, the evacuee is placed on the platform  16  in the prone position and is surrounded (and in many embodiments encased) using the protection assembly  22 . A rescuer (e.g., a caregiver, an emergency responder, etc) can then crawl along the floor  20  while pulling the rescue appliance  10  behind via the towing tension member  24 . The ability to crawl along the floor enhances the rescuer&#39;s chances of avoiding smoke, thereby enhancing the likelihood of a successful evacuation. 
     Two or more rescue appliances can be coupled together to form a train, thereby enabling the simultaneous evacuation of two or more persons.  FIG. 2  diagrammatically illustrates the use of two coupled rescue appliances  10 ,  26  to evacuate two physically-compromised persons from a smoke-filled room  14 , in accordance with many embodiments. Each rescue appliance  10 ,  26  is equipped with both a front end coupling feature  28  and a back end coupling feature  30 , which can be used to link the rescue appliances  10 ,  26  into a train configuration. A rescuer(s) can then pull on the towing tension member  24  coupled with the front end coupling feature  28  of the front rescue appliance  10  so as to pull the two evacuees to safety. Two or more rescue appliances can be linked together in such a fashion, and one or more rescuers can pull the resulting train via the towing tension member  24 . 
       FIG. 3  diagrammatically illustrates top, side, and front views of a rescue appliance  10  (shown without the protection assembly  22 ) in accordance with many embodiments. The rescue appliance  10  includes the platform  16 , the set of wheels  18  coupled with the platform  16  to support the platform  16  relative to the floor surface, a plurality of carrying handles  32  coupled with the platform, and the protection assembly (not shown). When in use, the evacuee is placed in a prone position on the platform  16  between the carrying handles  32 , and then surrounded (and in many embodiments encased) with the protection assembly. In the embodiment shown, the rescue appliance  10  includes six carrying handles  32 , which permits, for example, six rescuers to jointly lift an evacuee via the rescue appliance  10 . The platform is appropriately configured to react the associated applied forces that arise, for example, when the evacuee and rescue appliance are towed along the floor and when the evacuee is carried via the rescue appliance  10 . 
     Any suitable material can be used to make the rescue appliance  10 . For example, the platform  16  can be fabricated from fiberglass, aluminum, or any other suitable structural material with sufficient strength and rigidity. Preferably, the materials used to make the rescue appliance  10  are sufficiently non-flammable and non-heat conducting so as to provide the evacuee with sufficient shielding from fire related hazards. Additionally, the rescue appliance  10  is preferably configured to be relatively light weight for ease of use by a rescuer(s). For example, the platform  16  can be constructed using a composite material(s) (e.g., fiberglass, graphite, etc.) and a core member (e.g., honeycomb, wood, foam, etc.) so as to provide a light-weight, strong, and relatively rigid platform. The core member can be limited in size to be disposed in the central region of the platform so as to provide for solid laminate construction around the periphery of the platform. Known wheel assemblies can be attached (e.g., bolted) to the platform  16 , for example, to a solid laminate portion of the platform in many embodiments. The rescue appliance  10  can be configured with retractable wheel assemblies so that the wheels  18  can be retracted to, for example, enhance the ability of a rescuer to slide the rescue appliance  10  up or down stairs. Likewise, the carrying handles  32  can be attached (e.g., bolted, bonded, etc) to the platform  16 , for example, to a solid laminate portion of the platform in many embodiments. 
     In many embodiments, a protection assembly made from a fire-resistant material(s) is coupled with the rescue appliance.  FIG. 4A  diagrammatically illustrates a top view of a rescue appliance  10  in an evacuee receiving configuration, in accordance with many embodiments. The rescue appliance  10  includes an attached protection assembly  22  that includes a base portion  34 , a first longitudinally-oriented flap  36 , and a second longitudinally-oriented flap  38 . The protection assembly  22  can be made from a fire-resistant material. The protection assembly  22  can be attached to the platform using any suitable approach (e.g., glue, mechanical attachment, etc.). 
     The base portion  34  is disposed on top of the platform  16  so as to be disposed between the evacuee and the platform  16 . The base portion  34  can include clearance openings  40  for the carrying handles  32 . The base portion  34  can be attached to the platform  16  using any suitable approach (e.g., glue, mechanical attachment, etc.). 
     Each of the first flap  36  and the second flap  38  are attached to the base portion  34  and/or the platform  16  along the length of the flaps  36 ,  38  (e.g., by sewing, by mechanical fasteners, other suitable means). The flaps  36 ,  38  can include areas not attached to the base portion  36  to form openings  42  that can be used to access the adjacent carrying handles  32  when the flaps  36 ,  38  are folded to cover the evacuee. The flaps  36 ,  38  can include a plurality of hook and loop type fastener strips  44  configured and positioned to mate with each other to secure the flaps  36 ,  38  when covering an evacuee. Each of the flaps  36 ,  38  can include a head covering region  46  to protect the evacuee&#39;s head from the fire while allowing the evacuee to breathe. For example, the head covering regions  46  can be made from a fire-resistant material sufficiently permeable to air to allow the evacuee to breathe through the head covering regions  46 . 
     To evacuate a person using the rescue appliance  10 , the rescue appliance  10  is placed on the floor in the configuration shown in  FIG. 4A . Next, the evacuee is placed onto the platform  16  on top of the base portion  34  in a prone position. The first flap  36  is then folded over the evacuee, thereby placing the rescue appliance  10  into the configuration illustrated in  FIG. 4B . The second flap  38  is then folded over the first flap  36 , thereby placing the rescue appliance  10  into the configuration illustrated in  FIG. 4C . Folding the second flap  38  over the first flap  36  causes engagement between the fastener strips  44 , which can be pressed together to ensure a desired level of engagement between the fastener strips  44 . The evacuee is now wrapped within the protection assembly, thereby serving to protect the evacuee from fire related injury during the evacuation process. In many embodiments, the protection assembly further serves to hold the prone evacuee in place so as to prevent the evacuee from falling off of the rescue appliance. The rescue appliance can now be used to tow, carry, float, and/or slide the evacuee to safety. 
     In many embodiments, the rescue appliance  10  can be used to evacuate a physically-comprised person in a flooding emergency by being sufficiently buoyant to support the evacuee on water. For example, the platform  16  can be configured to be sufficiently buoyant to support the evacuee and/or an additional buoyant member (e.g., a buoyant perimeter member) can be used to supply any additional level of buoyancy required. 
       FIGS. 5A and 5B  diagrammatically illustrate top and side views of a rescue appliance  10  having a buoyant perimeter member  48 , in accordance with many embodiments. The buoyant perimeter member  48  can be formed in any suitable fashion (e.g., from a buoyant material such as foam, as an inflatable member, etc.). The buoyant perimeter member  48  can be attached directly to the perimeter of the platform  16 , can be attached directly to the protection assembly, and/or can be integral to the protection assembly. For example, the protection assembly can include an inflatable perimeter member that can be manually or automatically inflated (e.g., via a manual pump, via a carbon-dioxide cartridge, etc.). The use of a buoyant perimeter may be preferred so as to provide enhanced stability when the rescue appliance  10  is used to support an evacuee on water. 
     Prototype Rescue Appliance 
       FIGS. 6 through 9  illustrate a prototype rescue appliance  50 , in accordance with many embodiments.  FIG. 6  illustrates the underside of the prototype rescue appliance  50 . As shown in  FIG. 6 , the rescue appliance  50  includes a platform  52  constructed from sheet aluminum. The platform  52  includes a perimeter flange  54 , which was attached to the central portion of the platform via welding. Castoring wheel assemblies  56  were bolted to the platform  52 , four carrying handles  58  (shown in  FIG. 7 ) were bolted to the platform  52 , and a protection assembly  60  made from fire-resistant material was attached to the platform  52 . Openings  62  were formed in both ends of the platform  52  for use as attachment features by which the rescue appliance  50  can be towed via a towing tension member  64 , or by which the rescue appliance  50  can be coupled with one or more additional rescue appliances to form a rescue appliance train. 
       FIG. 7  further illustrates the prototype rescue appliance  50  of  FIG. 6 , showing the rescue appliance  50  in an evacuee receiving configuration, in accordance with many embodiments. As describe above, the rescue appliance  50  can be placed on the ground and side flaps  66 ,  68  of the protection assembly  60  can be arranged as shown to prepare the rescue appliance  50  to receive an evacuee. 
     Once the evacuee is place in the prone position on the rescue appliance  50 , the side flaps  66 ,  68  of the protection assembly  60  can be folded over the evacuee.  FIG. 8  further illustrates the prototype rescue appliance  50  of  FIG. 6 , showing protection assembly side flaps folded over the evacuee supporting platform. 
       FIG. 9  further illustrates the prototype rescue appliance  50  of  FIG. 6 , showing the towing tension member  64  used to tow the rescue appliance  50 , and a coupling feature  70  that can be used to couple the rescue appliance  50  with a second rescue appliance. The towing tension member  64  shown includes an end loop  72 , which can be placed around the rescuer (e.g., over a shoulder, around the waist, etc.) so as to free the rescuer&#39;s hands for crawling. The coupling feature  70  can include, for example, a short length of cable and a clasp that can be used to couple the rescue appliance  50  with a second rescue appliance. 
     Other variations are within the spirit of the present invention. Thus, while the invention is susceptible to various modifications and alternative constructions, certain illustrated embodiments thereof are shown in the drawings and have been described above in detail. It should be understood, however, that there is no intention to limit the invention to the specific form or forms disclosed, but on the contrary, the intention is to cover all modifications, alternative constructions, and equivalents falling within the spirit and scope of the invention, as defined in the appended claims. 
     The use of the terms “a” and “an” and “the” and similar referents in the context of describing the invention (especially in the context of the following claims) are to be construed to cover both the singular and the plural, unless otherwise indicated herein or clearly contradicted by context. The terms “comprising,” “having,” “including,” and “containing” are to be construed as open-ended terms (i.e., meaning “including, but not limited to,”) unless otherwise noted. The term “connected” is to be construed as partly or wholly contained within, attached to, or joined together, even if there is something intervening. Recitation of ranges of values herein are merely intended to serve as a shorthand method of referring individually to each separate value falling within the range, unless otherwise indicated herein, and each separate value is incorporated into the specification as if it were individually recited herein. All methods described herein can be performed in any suitable order unless otherwise indicated herein or otherwise clearly contradicted by context. The use of any and all examples, or exemplary language (e.g., “such as”) provided herein, is intended merely to better illuminate embodiments of the invention and does not pose a limitation on the scope of the invention unless otherwise claimed. No language in the specification should be construed as indicating any non-claimed element as essential to the practice of the invention. 
     Preferred embodiments of this invention are described herein, including the best mode known to the inventors for carrying out the invention. Variations of those preferred embodiments may become apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art upon reading the foregoing description. The inventors expect skilled artisans to employ such variations as appropriate, and the inventors intend for the invention to be practiced otherwise than as specifically described herein. Accordingly, this invention includes all modifications and equivalents of the subject matter recited in the claims appended hereto as permitted by applicable law. Moreover, any combination of the above-described elements in all possible variations thereof is encompassed by the invention unless otherwise indicated herein or otherwise clearly contradicted by context. 
     All references, including publications, patent applications, and patents, cited herein are hereby incorporated by reference to the same extent as if each reference were individually and specifically indicated to be incorporated by reference and were set forth in its entirety herein.