Patent ID: 7482919

Claim:
A multi-functional emergency egress system for assisting occupants of a dwelling to escape from hazardous conditions, said emergency egress system comprising: a controller located within said dwelling and disposed adjacent to a window of said dwelling; a plurality of illuminable light emitting objects seated about a perimeter of said window and facing interior of said dwelling, said light emitting objects being horizontally and vertically oriented for defining a location and shape of said window; a dedicated communications link for transmitting a distress signal to a remotely located monitoring system, said dedicated communications link being electrically coupled to at least one alarm selected from the group including a smoke alarm, a fire alarm, a carbon monoxide alarm and a security system alarm of said dwelling; a ladder assembly housed exterior of said dwelling and adjacent to said window; and means for automatically biasing said window and said ladder assembly to an open position such that the disabled occupant is able to exit said dwelling through said window and via said ladder assembly respectively; wherein said automatic window biasing means and said illuminable light emitting objects are responsive to a distress signal emitted from said at least one alarm; wherein said ladder assembly is positioned directly above said window and comprises: a protective awning having a curvilinear top surface sloping downward and away from said dwelling; a motor having a linear drive shaft directly coupled thereto, said motor and said drive shaft being nested beneath said awning; a spool horizontally registered adjacent to said motor; first and second pulleys directly connected to said drive shaft and said spool respectively; a unitary belt coupled about said first and second pulleys; wherein said ladder is journaled about said spool and is selectively released when said motor rotates said drive shaft such that said first and second pulleys rotate in sync and cause said ladder to wind and unwind about said spool during emergency situations.