Patent Abstract:
A visual indicating device for mounting on a hose includes a body having an outer wall and defining a central passage extending axially through the body between a first end and a second end, and a plurality of lights arranged around the annular body so as to be visible from beyond the outer wall. A power source is arranged within the annular body, and a switch selectively energizes the plurality of lights from the power source. The visual indicating device includes groups of differing colored lights. Mounted on a hose, one of the groups indicates the general direction of the nozzle and another of the groups indicates the general direction of an exit. The switch automatically energizes the lights upon pressurization of the hose.

Full Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
     This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 61/027,884, filed on Feb. 12, 2008, the contents of which are herein incorporated by reference in their entirety. 
    
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to hose mounted indicators, and particularly, to visual indicator devices for enhancing firefighter safety. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Firefighting is an inherently dangerous occupation, particularly when firefighting efforts require entrance into a burning building or other enclosed structure. In addition to the flames and attendant heat, the large quantities of unvented smoke can quickly reduce visibility to inches. Under such conditions it is easy for firefighters to become disoriented. The fire hose serves as a critical lifeline for firefighters, both for its ability to combat the fire and as a guide to help firefighters reliably find their way to the fire or to safety. 
     Under real fire conditions, firefighters can lose hold of the fire hose, either by accident or to accomplish some other mission. To find the fire hose again in the smoke and confusion of a fire, it is often necessary for firefighters to crawl on the floor and seek out the hose with their hands. Once regained, it can be difficult, if not impossible, for the firefighter to determine which direction to follow the hose to safety outside the building, or else to the nozzle, if necessary. This difficulty is greatly increased where multiple hoses are employed and firefighters often encounter a tangled mess of hoses. Unfortunately, several tragedies have resulted when firefighters have needed to leave a building but could not, in the stress and confusion of a fire, successfully follow a hose to safety. 
     One example of an attempt to facilitate a firefighter&#39;s ability to follow a fire hose to safety can be found in U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2007/00663512. In the &#39;512 publication, a collar with tactile directional indicating shapes is fitted into hose couplings. With the heavy gloves that firefighters must typically don for safety, properly identifying tactile indicators is difficult. In one embodiment, reflective or luminescent coatings are applied on outer surfaces of the collar. However, to be effective, reflective coatings require that a firefighter have an operable flashlight, and, in conditions of extremely reduced visibility, as are common in building fires, luminescent coatings can have very limited usefulness. Moreover, many luminescent coatings require prior exposure to light for activation. Under many conditions, for instance during nighttime firefighting, adequate prior exposure may not be feasible. 
     Another example of an attempt to facilitate a firefighter&#39;s ability to follow a fire hose to safety can be found in U.S. Pat. No. 6,257,750. In the &#39;750 patent, a light emitting element is provided along the exterior surface of a fire hose. The various light emitting elements of the &#39;750 patent extend along the entire length of the hose, in the form of a strip or string woven into, or otherwise affixed to, the exterior surface. The incorporation of such strips or strings of light emitting elements requires either a specially fabricated hose, or substantial modification to the entire length of an existing hose. Subsequently, the costs of implementing the &#39;750 patent can be prohibitively high, particularly for a fire department with a limited budget. Moreover, these costs can be expected to recur each time a hose must be replaced. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     From the foregoing, it will be appreciated that there is a need for a hose mounted indicator device that provides visual indications to firefighters and others and does not require a specially fabricated, or substantially modified, hose. Accordingly, it is the object of the present invention to provide a visual indicating device that can be easily retrofitted onto an existing fire hose, and can be easily transferred to a new fire hose. It is another object of the present invention to provide a visual indicating device that can be automatically activated by pressurization of a fire hose. 
     According to an embodiment of the present invention, a visual indicating device for mounting on a hose includes a substantially annular body having an outer wall and defining a central passage extending axially through the body between a first end and a second end, a plurality of lights arranged around the annular body so as to be visible from beyond the outer wall, a power source arranged within the annular body, and a switch for selectively energizing the plurality of lights from the power source. 
     According to another embodiment of the present invention, a fire hose assembly includes at least one length of hose, and at least one visual indicating device associated with the at least one length of hose. 
     According to an aspect of the present invention, the at least one visual indicating device is slidably disposed over the at least one length of hose. According to another aspect of the present invention, the at least one visual indicating device is associated with a coupling on an end of the at least one length of hose. 
     According to a further aspect of the present invention, the hose assembly includes a plurality of lengths of hose with a nozzle arranged on a terminal end of the lengths. A plurality of visual indicating devices are associated with the lengths. Each of the visual indicating devices includes a first group of lights and second group of lights, the first group of lights being closer to the nozzle than the second group of lights. 
     According to a method aspect of the present invention, a plurality of visual indicating devices are connected to an existing fire hose. The fire hose is pressurized to activate the plurality of visual indicating devices. 
     These and other objects, aspects and advantages of the present invention will be better understood in view of the drawings and following detailed description of preferred embodiments. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is schematic view of a fire hose  10  equipped with a plurality of visual indicating devices, according to an embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 2  is a perspective view of one of the visual indicating devices of  FIG. 1 , with hidden components shown in broken lines; 
         FIG. 3  is a partially exploded view of the visual indicating device of  FIG. 2 , with certain hidden components shown in broken lines; 
         FIG. 4  is a side view of one of the components of  FIG. 3 ; 
         FIG. 5  is a side view of the visual indicating device of  FIG. 2 , with certain components removed to show details and certain hidden components shown in broken lines; 
         FIG. 6  is a schematic view of certain electrical and electronic components of the visual indicating device of  FIG. 2 ; 
         FIG. 7  is a perspective view of a visual indicating device integrated into a coupling, according to another embodiment of the present invention, with hidden components shown in broken lines; 
         FIG. 8  is a perspective view of a visual indicating device interposed into a coupling, according to an additional embodiment of the present invention, with hidden components shown in broken lines; and 
         FIG. 9  is a schematic view of a feeder line equipped with a plurality of visual indicating devices, according to a further embodiment of the present invention. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     Referring to  FIG. 1 , a fire hose  10  is equipped with a plurality of visual indicating devices  12 , according to an embodiment of the present invention. The devices  12  encircle the hose  10  at regular intervals. Referring to  FIGS. 2 and 3 , each indicating device  12  includes an annular body  14  with an inner wall  16  defining a central passage  18  extending through the body  14 . A push switch  20  extends into the central passage  18  through the inner wall  16 . 
     The annular body  14  also has an outer wall  24  with a central portion  26 , a first end portion  28  and a second end portion  30 . The central portion  26  extends substantially in parallel with the inner wall  16 . The first and second end portions  28 ,  30  slope inwards from the central portion  26  toward annular end surfaces  32 . The annular end surfaces  32  are substantially perpendicular to the inner wall  16  and each end surface  32  extends between respective ends of the inner wall  16  and end portions of the outer wall  24 . 
     A plurality of recesses  34  extend into the annular body  14  from the outer wall  24 . A light emitting diode (LED)  36  is arranged in each recess  34 . A clear transparent cover  38  is arranged over each of the recesses  34  and LEDs  36  in the central portion  26 . A red transparent cover  40  is arranged over each of the recesses  34  and LEDs  36  in the first end portion  28 . A green transparent cover  42  is arranged over each of the recesses  34  and LEDs  36  in the second end portion  30 . The covers  40 ,  42  are arrow shaped and point away from the central portion  26  towards respective annular end surfaces  32 . The covers  38 - 42  each form a watertight seal for their respective recesses  34 . 
     Referring to  FIG. 3 , under the central portion  26  of the outer wall  24 , the body  14  includes removable segments  50 . The removable segments  50  are semi-circular and are secured in place in the body  14  by being secured to each other. The removable segments  50  are secured to each other by threaded fasteners  52  inserted through oblique openings  54  in the removable segments  50  and into respective threaded bores  56 . 
     Gaskets  60  are arranged under the removable segments  50  to form a watertight seal. Referring to  FIG. 4 , each gasket  60  defines open areas  62  through which electrical connections are made inside the body  14 . Between open areas  62 , each gasket  60  includes a solid area  64  corresponding to a junction between removable segments  50 . 
     Referring to  FIGS. 3 and 5 , a space  70  is defined in the interior of the body  14  inside of the removable segments  50 . Batteries  72  and control electronics  74  are arranged in the space  70 . The recesses  34  communicate with the space  70 , allowing connections to be made between the batteries  72 , the control electronics  74  and the LEDs  36 . The control electronics  74  are arranged on a small printed circuit board  76 . The switch  20  is also connected to the printed circuit board  76 . An O-ring  78  surrounds the switch  20  and forms a watertight seal where the switch  20  extends out of the inner wall  16  into the central passage  18 . 
     Referring to  FIG. 6 , the switch  20  and the batteries  72  are electrically connected to the control electronics  74 . Additionally, an alternate connection exists between the batteries  72  and the control electronics  74 , allowing the switch  20  to be bypassed. The LEDs  36  are powered by the batteries  72  through the control electronics  74 . The control electronics  74  include a transmitter/receiver (TX/RX)  80 , a timer  82 , a programmable logic controller (PLC)  84 , and a battery charge detector  86 . A remote device  88  can receive signals from and transmit signals to the control electronics  74 . 
     Referring to  FIGS. 1-6 , in operation, a plurality of visual indicating devices  12  are arranged around the hose  10  at periodic intervals. The devices  12  are slid over the hose  10  when the hose  10  is in a depressurized state, as represented by broken line  90  in  FIG. 3 . Each device  12  is placed around the hose  10  so that the red covers  40  will point to the nozzle end of the hose  10 , indicating the direction of the fire when the hose  10  is employed in firefighting. The green covers  42  will then indicate the direction of safety when the hose  10  is employed in firefighting. “Safety” as used herein, generally refers to the end of a hose that is opposite the end with the nozzle. 
     When the hose  10  is pressurized, as represented by broken line  92  in  FIG. 3 , the hose  10  will expand to fill the central passage  18  and press against the inner wall  16 . Expansion of the hose  10  will result in depression of the switch  20 , signaling the control electronics  74  to energize the LEDs  36 . Alternately, the remote device  88  can be used to communicate with the TX/RX  80  to signal the control electronics  74  to energize the LEDs  36 . The LEDs  36  under the clear covers  38  are preferably the brightest and facilitate initial location of the hose  10 . Once the hose  10  is located, the LEDs under red and green covers  38  are used to find the nozzle of the hose  10 , or to reach safety outside, respectively. 
     If the LEDs  36  are energized based on depression of the switch  20 , upon subsequent release of the switch  20 , indicating possible depressurization of the hose  10 , the PLC  84  will start the timer  82 . The control electronics  74  will continue to energize the LEDs  36  until the timer  82  counts to a predetermined time, ensuring the LEDs  36  are not de-energized immediately due to an inadvertent depressurization of hose  10 . The predetermined time should be of sufficient duration to allow any firefighters to exit the building, and is adjustable using the PLC  84  based on the particular employment of the device  12 . The PLC  84  will also direct the TX/RX  80  to communicate the possible depressurization to the remote device  88 . If desired, the LEDs  36  can be de-energized at any time after hose  10  depressurization using the remote device  88 . 
     The charge detector  86  monitors the state of charge of the batteries  72 . If battery  72  charge drops below a predetermined threshold, the PLC  84  directs the TX/RX  80  to communicate with the remote device  88 , indicating a low state of charge for the corresponding device  12 . Additionally, during initial pressurization of the hose  10 , or during a battery test routine, the PLC  84  can indicate a low state of charge for the corresponding device  12  by having the control electronics  74  flashing the LEDs  36  in a predetermined “low battery” pattern. 
     In addition to the predetermined pattern indicating a low battery/battery test routine, the PLC  84  is programmed with additional predetermined patterns that can be activated by communication from the remote device  88 . The additional predetermined patterns include an “advance hose” pattern, a “withdraw hose” pattern, and an “evacuate” pattern. Using the remote device  88 , the hose  10  equipped with devices  12  can serve as an additional channel of communication to firefighters working within a burning building. 
     To conserve battery  72  charge, each firefighter can be equipped with a radio-frequency identification device (RFID) device  94  recognizable by the TX/RX  80  of the control electronics  74  of each device  12  when the RFID device  94  is within a predetermined range of the device  12 . When no RFID device  96  is within the predetermined range of a given device  12 , the PLC  84  will operate the LEDs  36  at a reduced power level. When a RFID device  94  comes within the predetermined range, the PLC  84  will operate the LEDs  36  at a maximum power level to enhance detectability. Additionally, the PLC  84  directs the TX/RX  80  to communicate with the remote device  88  to indicate that a RFID device  94  is in the vicinity of the device  12 . 
     The PLC  84  of each device  12  is configurable to direct the TX/RX to transmit a signal that allows the remote device  88  to identify which device  12  is the source of the transmission. In this way, the remote device  88  can identify and display information about individual devices  12 . For example, when receiving communications about hose depressurization, the remote device  88  indicates which hose is depressurized. Similarly, when receiving communications about low battery charge, the remote device  88  indicates which device  12  requires fresh batteries. Likewise, when receiving communications about vicinity of RFID devices  94 , the remote device  88  can be used to help determine the location of the firefighter wearing the RFID device  94 . 
     Referring to  FIG. 7 , in another embodiment of the invention, a fire hose  110  is equipped with a visual indicating device  112  integrated into a hose coupling  114 . The device  112  functions substantially similarly to the device  12 , as described above, except that the device  112  includes a switch  120  communicating with control electronics  74 , rather than the push switch  20 . The switch  120  is closed when the coupling  114  is made, resulting the energization of LEDs. The control electronics  74  maintain the LEDs energized for a predetermined time after de-coupling, in a similar manner to that described above in connection with hose  10  depressurization. 
     Referring to  FIG. 8 , in an additional embodiment of the invention, a fire hose  210  is equipped with a visual indicating device  212  adapted to be interposed into hose coupling  214 . The device  212  includes female and male threaded portions  222 ,  244  that enable the device  212  to be connected between male and female threaded portions  246 ,  248  of the coupling  214 . The device  212  functions substantially similarly to the device  12 , as described above, except that the device  212  includes a switch  220  that is closed by water pressure acting directly on the switch  220 , rather than indirectly through the hose  210 . 
     Referring to  FIG. 9 , in a further embodiment of the invention, a feeder line  310  is equipped with a plurality of devices  312 . Devices  312  are similar in construction to devices  12 ,  112  and  212 , as described above, but are equipped with flashing red lights to warn approaching motorists of the presence of the feeder line  310  in the road. Accordingly, the risk of a motorist driving over the feeder line  310  and risking damage to feeder line  310 , or inadvertent depressurization downstream of feeder line  310 , is reduced. 
     The present invention is not limited to the embodiments shown in the drawings and described above. Rather, those skilled in the art will appreciate that numerous modifications and adaptations to particular circumstances will fall within the scope of the present invention. 
     For instance, while the shape of the body  14  of the device  12  has been found to be advantageous for readily accommodating the LEDs  36  in recesses on the portions  26 - 30 , the present invention is not necessarily limited to such a shape. For example, bodies with no sloping end portions or non-annular bodies could all be employed. Also, bodies without the removable segments  50 , or with different removable segments, could be employed. The body is not necessarily limited to particular dimensions, and can be adapted for any fire hose or related component design. 
     Also, the present invention is not necessarily limited to a particular type or design of switch  20  or  120 , although these types of switches have been found advantageous. For example, contact switches, capacitance switches, magnetic switches and the like can also be employed. Likewise, combinations of switches can be employed or switches can be omitted altogether. 
     Additionally, the present invention is not necessarily limited to the use of LEDs as light sources, or to particular numbers or configurations of light sources. Lights or LEDs of other colors than those described herein may be employed. Covers of other shapes can also be used, such as triangles, fingers or stylized flames. Rather than colored covers, clear covers with colored LEDs can be used. Also, covers incorporating lenses for focusing the light can be used, as well as parabolic reflectors underneath the light sources. Alternately, the covers can be omitted and seals could be provided within the body  14  to provide a watertight barrier. Generally, a light adapted to display a particular color of light can include either a light that directly emits that color of light or a light that is equipped with a cover of the corresponding color. 
     Furthermore, seals of other designs, shapes, or types other than the seals  60  could also be employed, or the seals  60  could be omitted. For example, extremely high manufacturing tolerances could be relied on to prevent the introduction of moisture. Alternately, coated electronic components and connections could be employed to avoid short circuits even if moisture entered the body  14 . 
     Moreover, the present invention is not necessarily limited to any particular type or sophistication of control electronics  74 , or to the use of the printed circuit board  76  to hold the control electronics  74 . Also, the control electronics  74  could be omitted altogether. For example, the switch  20  could directly control energization of the light sources or LEDs without control electronics. Additionally, the remote device  88  could be omitted. 
     Also, the present invention is not necessarily limited any particular device or means for permitting discrete identification of each device  12  by the remote device  88 . For example, jumpers or dipswitches could be used to manually set a particular transmission frequency, or a particular transmission encoding, for each TX/RX  80 . Alternately, each PLC  84  could be configurable to operate the TX/RX  80  so as to result in a uniquely identifiable signal. 
     Additionally, the present invention is not necessarily limited to the integration of a visual indicating device  112  into any particular type of coupling or other component. For example, a visual indicating device can be integrated into other coupling designs, adapters, nozzles, and the like. 
     The foregoing is not an exclusive list of modifications and adaptations falling within the scope of the present invention. Instead, those skilled in the art will appreciate that these and other modifications and adaptations will fall within the scope of the invention as herein shown and described, and of the appended claims.

Technology Classification (CPC): 5