AU2020256303A1

AU2020256303A1 - Emergency Exit System Component Failure of Maintenance

Info

Publication number: AU2020256303A1
Application number: AU2020256303A
Authority: AU
Inventors: Stephen Michael Cahill
Original assignee: Enlighten Australia Pty Ltd
Current assignee: Enlighten Australia Pty Ltd
Priority date: 2020-01-10
Filing date: 2020-10-12
Publication date: 2021-07-29
Anticipated expiration: 2040-10-12
Also published as: AU2020256303B2

Abstract

An emergency exit system component (1) has housing (4) adapted to be mounted to a support surface (2) together with battery backup power supply (5) and one or more lighting elements alarms or detectors (7) supported by the housing (4). The system component (1) is configured to operate on battery backup power in response to a loss of mains electricity whereby one or more visual and/or audible indicators (8, 9) mounted to or within, or associated with, the housing (4) such that in use the indicators (8, 9) are visually and/or audibly assessable to adjacent occupants. rll7 Q 2 12 Start IAfter Time, t Perform Test Y Pass N Notify Technician Report Tes &/or Report After y Time Period Repaired -N |Actuate Component Audible &/or Visual Indicators Turn Off Component After Audible &/or Visual y Time Period Indicators Repaired Louder/Brighter Audible & Visual Indicators 4 After y Time Period IN Repaired FIG. 2.

Description

2 12

Start

IAfter Time, t Perform Test

Y Pass N Notify Technician Report Tes &/or Report

After y Time Period Repaired

-N

|Actuate Component Audible &/or Indicators Visual

Turn Off Component After Audible &/or Visual y Time Period Indicators Repaired

Louder/Brighter Audible &Visual Indicators

4 y After Time Period IN Repaired

FIG. 2.

"Emergency Exit System Component Failure of Maintenance"

Field of the Invention The present invention relates to battery operable emergency exit system components and, in particular, to a failure of maintenance indicator therefor.

The invention has been developed primarily with respect to battery operable emergency exit lighting, signage and alarms that are part of a building emergency exit system and will be described hereinafter with reference to this particular application. However, it will be appreciated that the invention is not limited to this particular field of use and is applicable to other battery operable components of an emergency exit system.

Background Art

Emergency exit lights and exit signs, for example, are well known. They typically form part of a building emergency exit system and actuate to provide light and to indicate the location of an emergency exit, respectively. Each of the emergency exit lights and exit signs are configured to actuate to provide light in response to a building losing mains electrical power. Furthermore, the emergency exit lights or signs may also be illuminated under mains electrical power when that is available or only provide a level of lighting in response to the loss of mains power. These lights are termed maintained and non-maintained respectively. It will be appreciated that a reference to an emergency exit light hereinafter includes a reference to an emergency exit sign or any other emergency exit system component that is battery operable in response to a loss of mains power.

In respect of emergency exit lighting, this is sometimes termed escape lighting and is located and configured to provide a particular brightness of light to allow safe egress from a building by all occupants in the event of a loss of mains power. Usually, one or more regulatory bodies define the placement specifications of emergency exit lights. Some emergency exit lights are ceiling mounted whilst others are mounted on a wall, for example, an upper or lower part of a vertical wall, to illuminate an adjacent area. Whether operating under mains power or not, the emergency lights are actuated in response to the power failure in a building or area adjacent to where the emergency exit light is installed. Once the mains power becomes unavailable, the lighting elements automatically actuate by means of rechargeable battery power.

rll7Q

In use, the emergency exit lights are installed in desired locations and tested for function. This is required in many jurisdictions where not only are the emergency exit lights tested during commissioning but also tested periodically to ensure proper functioning. Under Australian regulations, it is known that approximately 90 minutes of emergency exit light should be provided to allow sufficient time for occupants of the building to evacuate and so regular testing, approximately every six months, is required to ensure that the emergency exit lights operate under battery power for the full 90 minute period.

During a test, a lighting circuit is typically opened (or disconnected) so as to simulate loss of mains power to the emergency exit lights. The power is maintained off for a period of 90 minutes whilst the lights are powered by the batteries. If an emergency exit light is still functioning after 90 minutes, the light is deemed to have passed the test and be suitable for purpose. If a light is not functioning after the 90 minute period, the battery, lighting elements or entire light can be changed depending on the cause of the problem for the failure.

It will be appreciated after the conduct of the test, a technician visually inspects each emergency exit light to ensure it is still operating after the 90 minute period. However, there are occasions when an incorrectly functioning emergency exit light is not detected by the technician and may not have another test for six months in which case a potentially dangerous situation exists with a light unable to operate for the required period. That is, no attention will be given to an emergency exit light in between the conduct of actual tests leaving building occupants potentially exposed in the event of an emergency situation losing mains power.

This situation is understood to be not too uncommon particularly in cases where technicians are inspecting multistorey buildings with possibly scores of emergency exit lights and exit signs, as well as possibly other battery operable emergency exit system components on each floor. Furthermore, it is also known that even when emergency exit lights, signs or components fail to operate for the full period during a test and a technician makes record of this that maintenance may not actually be carried out for some reason or another.

Genesis of the Invention The genesis of the invention is a desire to provide an indication to building occupants of the failure of a battery operable emergency exit system component when prescribed maintenance is not carried out by a technician, or to provide a useful alternative.

rll7Q

Summary of the Invention In accordance with a first aspect of the present invention there is disclosed a method of providing notification to adjacent building occupants of the failure to maintain and/or repair a battery operable emergency exit system component having failed a periodic performance test, the method comprising the steps of: providing an emergency exit system component and configuring same to perform a periodic test for operational suitability; providing an audible and/or visual indicator on or closely adjacent said emergency exit system component and configuring said indicator to actuate continuously or periodically in response to the lapsing of a predetermined period of time after the emergency exit system component has failed the periodic test for operational suitability; and configuring said indicator to provide a visual and/or audible indication to an adjacent building occupant being distinguishable over any background illumination or sounds.

According to another aspect of the present invention there is provided an emergency exit system component comprising: a housing adapted to be mounted to a support surface; a battery backup power supply and one or more lighting elements, alarms or detectors supported by said housing such that said system component is configured to operate on battery backup power in response to a loss of mains electricity; one or more visual and/or audible indicators mounted to or within, or associated with, said housing such that in use said indicators are visually and/or audibly accessible to adjacent occupants.

It can therefore be seen that there is advantageously provided a battery powered emergency exit system component indicator that alerts adjacent building occupants of the failure to perform maintenance or repair the component a predetermined time after a failure requiring the repair or maintenance is discovered. This indicates to building occupants that a component has failed to be repaired or maintained after a failure of end and so not meeting regulatory requirements. Most advantageously, whilst it may be known that the emergency exit system component has failed to perform in accordance with requirements time is provided for the practical staging of repairs or maintenance identified by performance failure before building occupants are alerted to an oversight by a maintenance technician, for example. It will be appreciated this can be particularly important regardless of whether emergency exit system components include automated self-testing or rely on visual inspection by a technician.

fll7Q

Brief Description of the Drawings A preferred embodiment of the invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Fig. 1 is an elevated perspective view of battery operable emergency exit system component having a component failure indicator according to a preferred embodiment of the invention. Fig. 2 is a flow chart of the operation of the method of providing notification to adjacent building occupants of the failure of maintenance of the emergency exit system component of Fig.1.

Detailed Description The preferred embodiment of the invention is described below with reference to a commercially available emergency exit light provided by the instant applicant and freely available at https://www.enlighten.com.au/products/chamaeleon-3 . This is a maintained emergency exit light for use in stairwells, car parks, doors and other locations were emergency exit lighting is required in response to the loss of mains power.

Further, this prior art emergency exit light is able to provide a self testing function periodically to ensure it is operable is suitable to act as an emergency exit light. When the emergency exit light has a failed component, driver, circuit board or faulty battery power supply, the emergency exit light will not pass the periodic test notification of same to a technician can be displayed on the light by means of one or more relatively small RGB or flashing lighting elements indicating test failure. Preferably, the emergency exit light is adapted to wirelessly message a remote location of the failure additionally or instead of the small RGB indicators. It will be appreciated that this is in addition to and entirely separate and independent of the hardware and software control elements (including firmware) of the emergency exit light which determine the operation of the light including automated testing and reporting of test results.

For example, the emergency exit light can be configured to operate to perform tests and wirelessly communicate to a remote location of the result of the periodic test and/or can provide a relatively small visual indicator of same to notify a technician who has conducted the test when inspecting each emergency exit light of the test failure. Whilst this particular type of emergency exit light is referred to, the emergency exit system component described in Fig.1 is applicable to any desired battery operable emergency exit lights including non-maintained emergency exit lights or those that have no external communication means and are visually inspected during the conduct of the periodic test. This is similarly the case for any emergency exit system component within the scope of the preferred embodiment.

rll7Q

Referring to Fig.1, there is shown a battery operable emergency exit system component in the form of an emergency exit light 1. The exit light 1 is mounted toward the upper end of a wall 2 which is adjacent fire stairs 3. The exit light 1 includes a housing 4 containing the parts comprising the exit light 1. Included in the housing are a battery 5 connected to driver electronics 6 which in turn control the operation of exit light elements 7. The exit light elements 7 provide the necessary level of lighting for a predetermined period, for example 90 minutes under Australian regulations, when there is a loss of mains electrical power.

The driver 6 is connected in the preferred embodiment to each of a notification light source 8 and a loudspeaker at 9. In response to the unsatisfactory conduct of the emergency exit light during a periodic performance test, notification of this failure is provided wirelessly in the case of the preferred emergency exit light 1 described above for maintenance and rectification but in other emergency exit lights 1 (not illustrated) such notification may simply be observation by a technician that the exit light element 7 is providing no illumination and thus has failed to provide the necessary illumination for the full 90 minutes of the test, or it could provide a small lighting element for observation by the technician after power has been restored subsequent to an emergency exit light test. The technician will then arrange for the necessary maintenance or repair in such cases.

The emergency exit light 1 is configured to illuminate the area adjacent it in response to the loss of mains electricity. In this way, people can safely navigate their way to the fire stairs 3 shown in the preferred embodiment. Once this has failed the periodic performance test, it is expected the emergency exit light 1 to be put in working order or replaced. However, if this is not the case the emergency exit light 1 includes an additional notification light source 8 and at least one loudspeaker 9 such that notification light source 8 and the loudspeaker 9 are able to be seen and heard respectively by people adjacent the emergency exit light 1. The notification light source 8 and loudspeaker 9 are connected to the driver 6 in the preferred embodiment, however, these can be connected to a discrete electronic control circuit if desired.

The emergency exit light 1 provides, a predetermined period of time after the emergency exit light 1 has failed the periodic performance test, notification by light source 8 &/or loudspeaker 9 to adjacent building occupants of the failure to maintain and/or repair a battery operable emergency exit system component and that not only has it failed a periodic performance test but that a period of time is past where rectification or maintenance should be expected to occur but hasn't so that the emergency exit light 1 has become not just unfit for purpose but denigrated beyond that. For

rll7Q example, the emergency exit light 1 may have provided emergency exit lighting for 80 of the 90 minutes of the test and so over a following period this period of time where exit light 1 provides any lighting would diminish and the notification light source 8 and/or loudspeaker 9 provide notification to building occupants that this has not occurred in any sort of timely manner.

It will be appreciated that other tests can be provided to determine if the light is suitable for purpose such as, for example, measuring the current state of charge of the backup battery, measuring the rate of drain of the battery during emergency use or measuring current circuit components such as light elements 7 to determine if the emergency exit light has failed the performance test for one of those reasons.

Once a predetermined period of time has passed after the emergency exit light 1 has failed the performance test the emergency exit light 1 is configured such that the indicators 8 & 9 provide a visual and audible indication respectively to an adjacent building occupant. It will be appreciated that the brightness of notification light source 8 or the loudness of loudspeaker 9 need to be sufficient to attract the attention will be distinguishable by an adjacent building occupant over any background illumination or sounds.

The period of time after failure of the test by the emergency exit light 1 can be a fixed period of time or a time corresponding to when, for example, the battery life of the exit light 1 reaches said % of capacity or of a capacity where the emergency exit light 1 is unable to perform for 50% or more of the time required for operational suitability during a performance test. However, it will be appreciated that the period of time after failure or where the battery reaches some minimally accepted amount is arbitrary and can be any as desired most preferably from 30% to 80% of battery capacity to conduct the (90 minute) periodic test. This is noted further below and in the preferred embodiment of the audible indicator speaker 9 is in the form of a siren or high volume speaker.

In some preferred embodiments, the speaker 9 is configured to vary audible output in frequency and/or amplitude/loudness and the frequency and/or loudness may vary the longer the period of time after actuation of the notification light source 8 and/or speaker 9. For example, it is thought that in some preferred embodiments visual indicator 8 flashes at a rate of between 1 Hz to 4 Hz.

As noted above, the battery or other fault in the emergency exit light 1 causing it to fail the periodic performance test does not mean that the emergency light 1 will not perform at all. Instead it means that the battery has depleted charge capacity and can only maintain the emergency light for a lesser

rll7Q time than required. The amount of time that the battery supports the emergency light will further diminish over time until it will fail completely. Once a battery reaches the end of its life it will fail relatively quickly as battery degradation is generally not linear. This means that once it fails the time test the battery is at the end of its life and will start to lose charge capacity at a faster rate.

The actuation of the notification light source 8 and/or loudspeaker 9 is the advantageous effect of notifying adjacent occupants that the light 1 has now reached a critical situation and that it will fail to meet any type of emergency lighting requirement. In a particularly preferred embodiment of the invention, the criteria of this notification can be made, for example, when the battery life reaches % of the required operational time for the standard 6 monthly test i.e. 45 minutes for a 90 minute test period.

After the exit light elements 7, driver electronics 6 or battery 5 (including printed circuit boards used in the emergency exit light 1) is found to have been faulty. In respect of the above referenced preferred commercially available emergency exit light 1, this has two emergency circuits each driven by a separate constant current driver and there are several LED light1 failure possibilities. A definition of a faulty driver or printed circuit board would be an open circuit on any emergency LED lighting elements 7 which would cause a failure of that entire circuit or a short circuit of LED elements 7. A short circuit of a single LED element in exit light elements 7 would not be defined as an LED failure, however, the normal notification of emergency exit light performance test failure would still be provided.

This should allow sufficient time for the maintenance staff to be notified and for replacement components to be obtained, or in the case of the LED board failure then the light is already in a state of 100% percent failure so the notification should be immediate.

This notification would typically be an audible signal which would beep at 5 min intervals (or at any other interval period as desired). This audible signal could be silenced by the app or an actuator disposed on or in the emergency exit light 1 accessible to a technician however it would be reactivated following the next test should the result be repeated.

It is intended to be annoying and to attract attention of the occupants and let them know that despite the other warnings that have communicated a problem with the light, it has now gone on too long and there had been a failure of maintenance.

rll7Q

It will be appreciated that for many commercially available emergency exit lights 1 that are commissioned upon installation, during the commissioning process the notification for an individual emergency exit light 1 can be deactivated.

Although the above-mentioned description of the preferred embodiments of the invention refers particularly to an emergency exit light 1 and more particularly to a specific commercially available emergency exit light, it will be appreciated that any commercially available emergency exit lights 1 can be used in preferred embodiments of the invention and that emergency exit lights 1 is simply an illustrative example of an emergency exit system component that can include other components operable in response to a loss of mains electricity such as emergency exit signs, emergency exit alarms and emergency exit detectors. In such cases, it will be appreciated when that the emergency exit system component 1 is in the form of an emergency exit light or emergency exit sign the failure to pass the periodic performance test can be a result of a battery having insufficient charge, one or more faulty lighting elements and/or faulty drivers or connections. Similarly the case with emergency exit alarms and/or detectors were the failure to pass the periodic performance test is typically a result of the battery having insufficient charge, an alarm speaker providing insufficient audible signal and/or a failure of a detector element such as a heat or smoke detector.

The foregoing describes only one embodiment of the present invention and modifications, obvious to those skilled in the art, can be made thereto without departing from the scope of the present invention.

The term "comprising" (and its grammatical variations) as used herein is used in the inclusive sense of "including" or "having" and not in the exclusive sense of "consisting only of'.

fll7 Q

Claims

CLAIMS 1. An emergency exit system component comprising: a housing adapted to be mounted to a support surface; a battery backup power supply and one or more lighting elements, alarms or detectors supported by said housing such that said system component is configured to operate on battery backup power in response to a loss of mains electricity; one or more visual and/or audible indicators mounted to or within, or associated with, said housing such that in use said indicators are visually and/or audibly accessible to adjacent occupants.
2. A method of providing notification to adjacent building occupants of the failure to maintain and/or repair a battery operable emergency exit system component having failed a periodic performance test, the method comprising the steps of: providing an emergency exit system component and configuring same to perform a periodic test for operational suitability; providing an audible and/or visual indicator on or closely adjacent said emergency exit system component and configuring said indicator to actuate continuously or periodically in response to the lapsing of a predetermined period of time after the emergency exit system component has failed the periodic test for operational suitability; and configuring said indicator to provide a visual and/or audible indication to an adjacent building occupant being distinguishable over any background illumination or sounds.
3. A method according to claims 2 wherein said audible indicator is a siren or speaker, the audible indicator preferably being configured to vary audible output in frequency and/or amplitude.
4. The method according to claims 2 or 3 wherein said visual indicator includes a lighting element adapted to provide a level of illumination being distinguishable over a background level of illumination adjacent the emergency exit system component, the visual indicator preferably being configured to flash at a predetermined rate.
5. A method according to claims 3 or 4 wherein said audible indicator provides an audible signal increasing in loudness at a predetermined rate after actuation.
6. A method according to claims 3 or 4 wherein said visual indicator provides a level of illumination increasing in brightness at predetermined rate after actuation.
7. A method according to claim 4 wherein said visual indicator is configured to flash at a rate of between 1 Hz to 4 Hz.
8. A method according to any one of claims 2 to 7 wherein the audible and/or visual indicator is/are integral with a housing of the emergency exit system component.

rll7Q
9. A method as defined in any one of paragraphs 2 to 8 wherein the emergency exit system component is selected from the group consisting of: emergency exit system lighting; emergency exit system exit signs; and emergency exit system detectors & alarms.
10. A method as according to claim 9 wherein when the emergency exit system components in the form of: emergency exit lights or emergency exit signs, the failure to pass the periodic performance test is a result of a battery having insufficient charge, one or more faulty lighting elements and/or faulty drivers or connections; emergency exit alarms or detectors, the failure to pass the periodic performance test as a result of the battery having insufficient charge, an alarm speaker providing insufficient audible signal and/or a failure of a detector element such as a heat or smoke detector.
11. A method according to any one of claims 2 to 10 wherein the predetermined period of time since the emergency exit system component fails a periodic performance test corresponds to an emergency exit system component unable to perform for 30% to 50% or more of the time required for operational suitability.
12. An emergency exit system component configured to carry out the steps of the method as according to any one of claims 2 to 11.

Dated this 12th day of October, 2020 ENLIGHTEN AUSTRALIA PTY LTD

By FRASER OLD & SOHN Patent Attorneys for the Applicant

rll7Q

1 |2

2 |2