Patent Publication Number: US-8973671-B2

Title: Smart compact indoor firefighting robot for extinguishing a fire at an early stage

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     None 
     STATEMENT AS TO RIGHTS TO INVENTIONS MADE UNDER FEDERALLY-SPONSORED RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT 
     None 
     BACKGROUND OF INVENTION 
     Field of the Invention 
     The current invention is an indoor firefighting robot which has the capability to climb stairs and negotiate several types of floor materials inside buildings especially at an early stage. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Technical Field 
     This invention is directed to the fire fighting robots to assist in the indoor fighting. 
     2. Description of the Prior Art 
     Indoor fire fighting subjects rescue personnel to severe risks; both physical and mental. There are numerous risks for fire fighting personnel who go in to battle this indoor fires such as intense heat, explosion, falling parts of buildings, sharp objects, and the risk of falling when the range of vision is reduced or is nonexistent and mental risks due to extremely stressful situations. 
     The current means to fight indoor fires are for the fireman to enter the burning areas to fight the fires and to perform rescues. This a very dangerous for the firefighter. There also exists a need for a device to pre-install a firefighting device within a house, business or building to fight indoor fights. 
     The ability to fight a fire at an early stage before it spreads is paramount in the fighting of fires. It can save lives and money. 
     There exists a need for firefighters to combat the fire and assist in fire rescue that reduces their risks in hot and smoke-filled indoor areas especially during the early stages of the fire. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     Considering the above, a primary object is therefore to provide an indoor firefighting robot to assist those in need in a fire. 
     The current invention is an indoor firefighting robot. It has the capability to climb stairs and negotiate several types of floor materials inside buildings with a design so that it can withstand very high temperature up to 700 celsius for as long as 60 minutes using multiple thermal insulation techniques. 
     The robot will be able to communicate with trapped and injured persons inside the fire scene and can send back video and audio information describing the fire environment inside the building to the controller. It has also an insulated container at the rear with oxygen masks to help victims to breathe safely in the smoke environment in the early stage of the firefighting process. Several of these compact firefighting robots can be launched and can work together inside the room or multiple rooms under fire with assistance of remote control unit. The fire robot can avoid obstacles while trying to rescue injured victims. If the robot is outside the building it can use camera and sensors for navigation. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       These and other features of the invention will be more clearly understood from a consideration of the following description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which: 
         FIG. 1  shows the device with its major components; 
         FIG. 2  shows a side view of the device; 
         FIG. 3  shows a bottom view of the device; 
         FIG. 4  shows a front view of the device; 
         FIG. 5  shows a top and side view of the carriage of the device without the Pan/Tilt mount; 
         FIG. 6  shows a front and back view of the Pan/Tilt mount; 
         FIG. 7  shows the extinguishing system; 
         FIG. 8  displays the driving means; 
         FIG. 9  displays the different track formations; 
         FIG. 10  displays the Pan/Tilt mount and how it moves; 
         FIG. 11  shows the oxygen mask container and an oxygen mask; 
         FIG. 12  shows the oxygen mask container being connected to the platform; 
         FIG. 13  shows the components being protected by thermal insulation; and 
         FIG. 14  shows the power system components. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     The proposed invention is an indoor firefighting robot which has the capability to climb stairs and negotiate several types of floor materials inside buildings. It is designed to withstand very high temperature up to 700 Celsius for as long as 60 minutes using multiple thermal insulation techniques. It can communicate with trapped and injured persons inside the fire scene and can send back video and audio information describing the fire environment inside the building to the controller. It has also an insulated container at the rear with oxygen masks to help victims to breathe safely in the smoke environment in the early stage of the firefighting process. Several of these compact firefighting robots can be launched and can work together inside the room or multiple rooms under fire with assistance of a remote control unit  750 . The fire robot  1  can avoid obstacles while trying to rescue injured victims. If the robot  1  is outside the building it can use camera  100  and sensors for navigation. 
     The fight fighting robot  1  has some major components as shown in  FIG. 1  and  FIG. 2 . There is an Smart platform  250  with adaptable track shape, temperature resistant tracks  90  and gears  65 , thermally isolated electronic modules and controllers, thermally isolated cameras  100 , specially designed nozzle  30  for optimum fire extinguishing, smoke detectors, water tank for electronics cooling  70 , cylinders with fire distinguishing agent  10 , Navigation sensors, Pan/tilt mechanism  300 , Oxygen Mask  52  and an Oxygen Mask Container  80 . 
       FIG. 1  displays the track covers  60  that cover the track  90  and the gears  65 . The tracks  90  are on the sides of the platform and provide movement for the platform. The driving camera  100  is in the central front of the platform. 
       FIG. 3  shows the bottom of the platform with the shape shift motor  130 , a pair of driving motors  120  which drive a double shafts  200  to move the robot  1  forward or backward. Since the driving motors  120  each drive a track  90  the tracks  90  can move in opposite directions allowing the robot  1  to turn in place and allows for maximum movement abilities such as allowing the robot  1  to spin and move 360 degrees. The pan/tilt motor  140  which comprises of a DC motor and linear actuator which is used to move the Pan/Tilt Mount ( 300 ) 360 degrees and move the pan/tilt extinguishing system platform  320  up and down. There is a connecting link  210  on the back of platform  250  on to which the oxygen mask container  80  connects to. 
       FIG. 4  shows a front view of the robot  1  and its components. The driving camera  100  is located on the front of the robot  1 . 
     The platform  250  without the extinguishing device  260  or the Pan/Tilt Mount  300  is shown in  FIG. 5 . It shows the water tank  70  that is connected to the water sprinkler unit  170 . The water sprinkler unit  170  sprays water to lower the temperature of the platform  250  when needed. The platform  250  also has the driving camera  100  which is used by the user to know where the robot  1  is going so that they can control the direction and movement of the robot  1  if needed through a remote control device  750 . The driving camera  100  is installed within the platform that is thermally insulated and has a quartz glass cover. 
     The extinguishing system  260  is located on the Pan/Tilt Mount  300  as shown in  FIGS. 6 and 7 . It consists of a plurality of extinguishing agent canisters  10  (3 in the preferred embodiment) that are connected to an extinguisher nozzle  30  through a nozzle open/close wire unit  130 . The extinguishing system also has a vision optical fiber bundle  105  located on the rear portion of the Pan/Tilt mount  300 . The vision optical fiber bundle  105  is used for vision from the extinguishing system. The nozzle  30  expellant spray location is controlled by the Pan/Tilt mount  300  which can control the direction and angle that the nozzle  30  is facing to deliver the extinguishing agent. The vision optical cable and the nozzle open/close wire unit is protected by a flexible metal tube  45 . As shown in  FIGS. 1 ,  2  and  12  the extinguishing system  260  is protected by an extinguisher cover  20  which is connected to the Pan/Tilt Mount  300  and covering the extinguishing system  260 . The robot  1  has an extinguisher vision system  40  located at the front of the Pan/Tilt Mount  300  below the extinguishing system  260  and it is used for providing vision information to the operator. 
       FIG. 8  displays the driving means shape shift consisting of a motor  130 , a pair of driving motors  120  which drive a double shafts  200  to move the robot  1  forward or backward. The double shafts  200  move the gears  65  which drives the tracks  90 . Since the driving motors  120  each drive a track  90  the tracks  90  can move in opposite directions allowing the robot  1  to turn in place and allows for maximum movement abilities such as allowing the robot  1  to spin and move 360 degrees. 
     The firefighting robot  1  can have different track formations as shown in  FIG. 9 . This is accomplished using a shape shift motor to change the track  90 . This is done to overcome obstacles. The track  90  is driven by track gears  65  which in the preferred embodiment are set two per track wheel base  67 . The shape shift motor changes the angle of the track wheel base  67  and changes the shape of the track  90 . 
       FIG. 10  displays the pan/tilt mount  300  and how it moves. There is a pan/tilt motor  140  which comprises of a DC motor  550  and linear actuator  500  which is used to move the Pan/Tilt Mount ( 300 ) 360 degrees and move the pan/tilt extinguishing system platform  320  up and down. The pan/tilt mount  300  is comprised of the pan/tilt extinguishing system platform  320  connected to a pan/tilt base  310  by a pan/tilt axis  330 . The linear actuator  500  moves the pan/tilt pole  520  up and down and the pan/tilt pole  520  is connected to the extinguishing system platform  320  moving the extinguishing system platform  320  up and down while connected to the pan/tilt axis  330 . The DC motor  550  rotates the pan/tilt pole  520  which is connected to and rotates the Pan/Tilt mount  300 . 
     The robot  1  has an insulated container at the rear with oxygen masks  52  to help victims to breath safely in the smoke environment in the early stage of the firefighting process.  FIG. 11  shows the oxygen mask container  80  which is insulated and an oxygen mask  52  where the oxygen mask  52  goes into the oxygen mask container  80 . The oxygen container  80  is comprised of a oxygen mask cylinder  88  which has two free wheel  85  attached allowing it to by pulled by the platform  250 . The oxygen mask container  80  has a platform link unit  82  which connects to the connecting link  210  on the back of platform  250  as shown in  FIG. 12 . The oxygen mask  52  is placed inside the oxygen mask container  80  by opening the oxygen mask container door  89  as shown in  FIG. 12 . The oxygen mask container  80  is designed be pulled behind the platform  250  to provide an oxygen mask  52  to persons trapped by the fire or firefighters fighting the fires. 
     The firefighting robot  1  is designed to withstand very high temperature up to 700 Celsius for as long as 60 minutes using a multiple thermal insulation technique. The device&#39;s thermal insulation concept is displayed in  FIG. 13 . The device  1  has a Double thermal insulation structure with a cooling system  610  between first  600  and second  615  thermal structure with the thermal structure being comprised of a ceramic or glass material which has a low thermal conductivity and strong thermal shock resistance. The cooling system  610  protects the electronics of the robot  1  including the camera  100 , antenna  605  and power source  600 . The robot&#39;s outer layer is comprised of a strong heat resistant material such as stainless steel  620 . 
       FIG. 14  is a simplified layout of the power source  600  and the electronic components. The power source  600  in the preferred embodiment would be a battery which would provide power to the motors, camera, cooling system, the extinguisher vision system, and the water sprinkler unit. The robot  1  has a computing means  700  which contracts the robot  1 . It will be programmed for the the robot  1  to analyze and fight fires. It will relay messages from a remote control device  750  from the user when the user needs to control the robot  1  by the antenna  605 . In the preferred embodiment, the robot  1  will also have one or more smoke detectors  630 . 
     The robot  1  will be able to communicate with trapped and injured persons inside the fire scene and can send back video and audio information describing the fire environment inside the building to the controller. It has also an insulated container at the rear with oxygen masks to help victims to breath safely in the smoke environment in the early stage of the firefighting process. Several of these compact firefighting robots can be launched and can work together inside the room or multiple rooms under fire with assistance of remote control unit. The fire robot can avoid obstacles while trying to rescue injured victims. If the robot is outside the building it can use camera and sensors for navigation. 
     Operation 
     In the preferred embodiment, the fire fighting robot  1  would be pre-installed in house. The robot  1  will automatically detect a fire or is notified by user that there is fire in the house. The user can remotely control fire fighting robot  1  to get it to the location of fire and the robot will work to extinguish the fire. 
     The device can provide search and rescue and provide environmental information to the user and/or human fire fighters. The robot moves by using the camera and pre-known map. The Fire fighting robots  1  enter a building and climb one or two floors-through stairs- to the fire area using remote control assistance. The robot  1  can search for injured people while extinguishing fire and send video information to controller. 
     Due to its compact design the Firefighting robot  1  can enter into high rise building through windows by using cranes (in case of elevator failure) to directly extinguish fire at early stage as well as search for injured people while extinguishing fire and send video information to controller. The robot  1  can be used in groups to fight larger fires or work for larger buildings. 
     A Plurality of robots  1  can serve as sensing sensor network in the building for early detection and extinguish. The fire robot can avoid obstacles while trying to rescue injured victims. If the robot is outside the building it can use camera and sensors for navigation utilizing the antenna. The robots  1  can enter the fire area in building and can put the fire with group of similar robots. It can deliver and provide portable oxygen mask  52  to those in building with fire. The robot  1  can secure exit path for those trapped inside. The set of robots  1  can serve as a fire-sensing sensor network in the building for early detection and extinguishing system. 
     As to a further discussion of the manner of usage and operation of the present invention, the same should be apparent from the above description. Accordingly, no further discussion relating to the manner of usage and operation will be provided. 
     With respect to the above description, it is to be realized that the optimum dimensional relationships for the parts of the invention, to include variations in size, materials, shape, form, function and manner of operation, assembly and use, are deemed readily apparent and obvious to one skilled in the art, and all equivalent relationships to those illustrated in the drawings and described in the specification are intended to be encompassed by the present invention. 
     Therefore, the foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention.