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The present invention pertains to a foldable fire protection garment, comprising a coat portion and a hood portion.
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Such a fire protection garment is known in the prior art, for example a fire cloak as disclosed in
GB 2 364 886 . The known fire protection garment comprises a hood and a cloak which are made of a fire protective material. Due to increasing awareness of safety measures there is a growing need for the presence of fire cloaks inside and outside buildings, in means of transportation such as ships, vehicles, or the like, etc. However, in practice there is often limited space for installing additional safety devices.
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It is an object of the invention to provide a fire protection garment that can be stored in a compact manner.
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This is achieved with the foldable fire protection garment according to the invention, which is characterized in that the coat portion and the hood portion are made of a lightweight fabric that is impregnated with a flame proof material.
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The advantage of the garment according to the invention is that it can be folded to a compact unit. In a folded condition it takes little space to install it visibly to a wall of a building, for example. The garment is also relatively light which is advantageous when it is carried in folded condition, for example in hand luggage. However, its low weight is also advantageous in case of putting the garment on in an emergency situation. It is noted that prior art fire protection garment is made of relatively thick and heavy material; conventional fire blankets for extinguishing a fire are often made of fibreglass. Particularly for children this may be too heavy in an emergency situation, whereas it takes a lot of space in unused condition.
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It is also noted that prior art fire protection garment is known which is soaked in a liquid extinguishing mixture and kept in a hermetic package. This requires additional space with respect to dry garment and makes the garment still heavier. The fire protection garment according to the invention, however, can be stored in a dry condition.
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In a preferred embodiment the fabric comprises a single-walled cloth. The fabric may be made of cotton or linen or an alternative textile.
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The fabric can have a thickness which is smaller than 2 mm or even smaller than 1.5 or 1.0 mm and/or the fabric may have a specific weight below 300 g/m2 or even less than 250 g/m2 or 200 g/m2.
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In a specific embodiment the flame proof material contains FeHPO4, Surfactant Bril 721-0,1 citric acid and H2O.
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Preferably, the garment comprises a collar to which the hood portion and the coat portion are attached, wherein the flexibility of at least opposite end portions of the collar is lower than that of the hood portion and the coat portion. It is advantageous when the end portions are relatively stiff since the person who wants to put on the garment in an emergency situation can easily find and grasp the end portions. Furthermore, it appears that the relatively stiff end portions help the wearer to drape the coat portion around its body and to move the hood portion onto its head in a quick manner.
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In order to create stiff end portions the thickness thereof may be greater than that of the hood portion and the coat portion.
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In practice, the collar may comprise a plurality of layers on each other, wherein each of the layers is made of a lightweight single-walled fabric that is impregnated with a flame proof material. More specifically, the layers may be made of the same material as the hood portion and the coat portion.
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The invention is also related to a safety container comprising a housing which accommodates a fire protection garment. The housing comprises an opening through which said garment can be removed. The garment comprises a coat portion, a hood portion and a collar to which the hood portion and the coat portion are attached. The garment is folded and inserted into the housing such that at least opposite end portions of the collar are closer to the opening than the rest of the garment. This means that in an emergency situation a user can recognize the end portions of the collar immediately and pull the fire protection garment out of the housing by means of pulling the end portions of the collar. The opening may be covered by a removable cover in an unused condition.
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When the flexibility of at least the opposite end portions of the collar is lower than that of the hood portion and the coat portion the user can grasp the end portions easier.
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The opposite end portions of the collar may be provided with cords for pulling the garment out of the housing. The cords may also be advantageous in terms of putting on the garment since they enable a user to swing the garment around its body. Furthermore, the cords can be used to close the collar in an emergency situation. Preferably, the cords project from the housing at the opening. In an emergency situation the projecting cords will automatically draw the attention of a user. Upon pulling the cords, the garment will be pulled out of the housing. If the opening is provided with a removable cover this may be configured such that it automatically opens upon pulling the cords.
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The invention is also related to a canister for receiving a safety container as described hereinbefore. The canister is provided with an access for inserting a safety container into the canister. The inner side of the canister comprises a resiliency which is located opposite to the access. A supporting element is mounted to the canister and movable between an access condition in which it opens the access and a supporting condition in which it forms an obstacle at the access and is able to withstand a force of the resiliency that is exerted on the supporting element in a direction from the resiliency to the supporting element. The canister can be fixed to a wall and a safety container which contains a fire protection garment may be accommodated in the canister. After the garment has been used the housing of the empty safety container can be removed from the canister and a new safety container including a new garment can be inserted into the canister.
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In a specific embodiment an opening is left at the access in the supporting condition.
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In a practical embodiment the supporting element comprises a flap which is pivotally mounted at a bottom of the canister and which partially covers the access in the supporting condition. In the access condition the flap is rotated inwardly into the canister and a safety container can be inserted into the canister. After the container has passed the flap it can rotate back to its supporting condition.
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The invention will hereafter be elucidated with reference to drawings showing embodiments of the invention very schematically.
- Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a person wearing an embodiment of a foldable fire protection garment according to the invention.
- Figs. 2-5 are similar views as Fig. 1, but illustrating consecutive steps of taking out the garment from an embodiment of a safety container and putting on the garment.
- Figs. 6-8 are perspective views of alternative embodiments of the safety container according to the invention.
- Fig. 9 is a perspective view of an embodiment of a canister for receiving a safety container according to the invention.
- Fig. 10 is a similar view as Fig. 9, but showing a transparent view of the canister.
- Figs. 11 and 12 are cross-sectional views of the canister according to Figs. 9 and 10 in two different conditions of a flap.
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Fig. 1 shows a person who wears an embodiment of a foldable fire protection garment 1 according to the invention. The garment 1 comprises a coat portion 2, a hood portion 3 and a collar 4. The hood portion 3 and the coat portion 2 are attached to the collar 4.
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The coat portion 2 is wrapped around the body of the wearer and the hood portion 3 covers a large portion of the head of the wearer.
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In the embodiment as shown in Fig. 1 the coat portion 2 and the hood portion 3 are made of a lightweight single-walled cloth of cotton that is impregnated with a flame proof material. It has a specific weight of about 300 g/m2 and a thickness of about 2 mm. The flame proof material may be any flame retardant substance, but preferably it contains FeHPO4, Surfactant Bril 721-0,1 citric acid and H2O.
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The collar 4 is provided with two opposite end portions 5, 6, which overlap each other in the condition as shown in Fig. 1. The end portions 5, 6 are relatively stiff and their flexibility is lower than that of the hood portion 3 and the coat portion 2. The thickness of the end portions 5, 6 is larger than the material of the coat portion 2 and the hood portion 3. The higher stiffness is created by means of a plurality of layers of the cloth of which the hood portion 3 and the coat portion 2 are made. It is also possible that the entire collar 4 has a lower flexibility than the coat portion 2 and the hood portion 3. For example, a strip of the cloth of cotton is folded up to form separate layers which are attached to each other in order to form the collar 4.
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Figs. 2-5 show consecutive steps of taking out the garment 1 from an embodiment of a safety container 7 and putting on the fire protection garment 1 by a person. The embodiment of the safety container 7 as shown in Fig. 2 comprises a housing 8 including an opening 9. The housing 8 may be made of a carton box. The garment 1 can be pulled out from the housing through the opening 9. Fig. 2 illustrates that the garment 1 is folded such that the end portions 5, 6 of the collar 4 are located at the opening 9. In general terms, the end portions 5, 6 are located closer to the opening 9 than the rest of the garment 1. The opening 9 may be covered by means of a transparent cover (not shown) which is easily removable from the housing 8. When the opening 9 is free the user will immediately see the end portions 5, 6 of the collar 4 of the garment 1. In an emergency situation the user can grasp the end portions 5, 6 as illustrated in Fig. 2 and draw the garment 1 out of the housing 8. The folded condition provides a quick removal of the garment 1 from the housing 8 during an emergency situation.
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Subsequently, the user drapes the coat portion 2 around its body and possibly also the hood portion 3 on its head. The end portions 5, 6 can be used as handles in this case.
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Fig. 4 shows that the garment 1 is provided with hand receiving pockets 10 at the inner side of the coat portion 2. After inserting the hands into the hand receiving pockets 10 the wearer is able to close an opening of the coat portion 2 at a front side thereof by moving the hands in opposite directions so as to drape the coat portion 2 around its body. The resulting condition is shown in Fig. 5.
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It is noted that the end portions 5, 6 of the collar 4 may include further distinctive features in order to be recognized easily by a user. For example, the end portions 5, 6 may have deviating colours with respect to the rest of the garment 1.
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It is also noted that the collar 4 including end portions 5, 6 that have less flexibility are not necessarily combined with the lightweight fabric that is impregnated with a flame proof material. In general terms the invention is also related to a fordable fire protection garment, which is made of a flame proof material and comprises a coat portion, a hood portion and a collar to which the hood portion and the coat portion are attached, wherein the flexibility of at least opposite end portions of the collar is lower than that of the hood portion and the coat portion.
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Fig. 6 shows an alternative embodiment of a safety container 7. In this case the housing 8 is provided with fixing means (not shown) for mounting the container 7 to a wall. The housing 8 comprises an opening 9 at the bottom side of the housing 8 including a cover 11. The garment 1 is folded and inserted into the housing 8 such that the opposite end portions 5, 6 are located at the opening 9 and visible when the safety container 7 is mounted to a wall. In the embodiment as shown in Fig. 6 the end portions 5, 6 are provided with cords 12 for pulling the garment 1 out of the housing 8. If the cover 11 is closed the cords 12 project from the housing 8 at the opening 9. Upon pulling the cords 12 the cover 11 is opened automatically due to pressing of the garment 1 against the cover 11.
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Figs. 7 and 8 show other alternative embodiments of a safety container 7. In these embodiments the housing 8 is formed of a flexible case, which is typically suitable for travelling. The case comprises an opening 9 through which the garment 1 can be pulled out. The opening 9 may be closable for example by means of a zip. In the embodiment of Fig. 8 the case includes two compartments: one compartment accommodates the garment 1 and the other compartment contains auxiliary tools, for example a gas mask, safety glasses, a whistle, a lamp, or the like.
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The embodiment of the safety container 7 as shown in Fig. 2 is a separate unit that can be stored at any desired location. The embodiment as shown in Fig. 6 can be mounted against a wall, and the embodiments as shown in Figs. 7 and 8 can be taken during travelling.
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Figs. 9-12 show an embodiment of a canister 13 for receiving a safety container 7. The canister 13 can be fixed to a wall by fixing means. In this case a back side of the canister 13 is provided with keyhole openings 14 for easily installing the canister 13 to a wall. The canister 13 is provided with an access 15 for inserting a safety container 7 into the canister 13. The canister 13 and the safety container 7 to be received are block-shaped in this case, but alternative shapes are conceivable. In the embodiment as shown, the upper side, front side and lateral sides are closed, whereas the back side is partly open.
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The inner side of the canister 13 comprises a resiliency 16 which is located opposite to the access 15. In this case the resiliency 16 comprises a foam bed which is attached to a top wall of the canister 13. The access 15 is located at the bottom side of the canister 13. A supporting element in the form of a flap 17 is pivotally mounted to the canister 13 at the access 15. The flap 17 is movable between an access condition in which it is moved inwardly into the canister 13 for uncovering the access 15 and a supporting condition in which it forms an obstacle at the access 13 and in which it is able to withstand a force that is exerted thereon by the resiliency if the safety container 7 is present in the canister 13. Fig. 11 shows the access condition and Fig. 12 shows the supporting condition of the flap 17.
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The canister 13 can be refilled by a new safety container 7 after the fire protection garment 1 thereof has been used. Inserting a fresh safety container 7 into the canister 13 can be performed by moving it through the access 15 towards the resiliency 13. During this operation the flap 17 is rotated inwardly into the canister as shown in Fig. 11. The safety container 7 is pressed against the resiliency 16 until the flap 17 can be rotated back in outward direction of the canister 13. At the same time the external force on the safety container 7, in practice hand force, can be reduced such that the resiliency 16 presses the safety container 7 against the flap 17 until the flap 17 is stopped against a holder (not shown).
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The flap 17 may be coupled to the canister 13 via a spring in order to rotate back from the access condition to the supporting condition automatically after the safety container 7 has passed the flap 16 in the access condition. In the supporting condition of the supporting element an opening is left at the access 15. This means that the flap 17 only partly covers the access 15 in the supporting condition thereof.
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If the end portions 5, 6 of the collar 4 are provided with cords 12 that project from the safety container 7, it is possible that the safety container 7 is inserted into the canister 13 such that in practice only the cords 12 are visible at the front side of the canister 13. The opening 9 of the safety container 7 and the access 15 of the canister 13 preferably overlap each other such that the garment 1 leaves the canister 13 through the opening 9 and the access 15 without obstacles.
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The safety container 7 or the canister 13 containing the safety container 7 can be installed at numerous locations, for example inside or outside buildings like houses, offices, hotels, factories, fuel stations, in transport vehicles like airplanes, police vehicles, fire brigade, etc. The canister may be made of a metal, for example for hygienic reasons when installed in a kitchen, or plastic or the like.
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The fire protection garment 1 according to the invention is also suitable for use as a conventional fire blanket.
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The material of the lightweight single-walled cloth according to the invention have been analysed in experimental tests according to EN 1102:1995. In this test a flame is directed onto a vertically positioned sample of the cloth and the flame velocity of the cloth is observed. Three different types of cloth material were tested: polyester/cotton, cotton and linen. All non-treated materials showed a certain flame velocity, but in case of cotton and linen that were impregnated by a flame proof material containing FeHPO4, Surfactant Bril 721-0,1 citric acid and H2O no flame propagation could be observed. Therefore, the material is very suitable for use as fire protection garment.
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From the foregoing it will be apparent that the invention provides an effective fire protection garment that can be stored in a compact manner.
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The invention is not restricted to the above-described embodiments as shown in the drawings, which can be varied in several ways without departing from the scope of the invention.
