ES2719676T3 - Security room - Google Patents

Abstract

A security room (10) comprising: - a cubicle (12) large enough to contain a person and including an opening (14) large enough for a person to pass through it, and - a door ( 16) to close the opening (14) that includes a locking mechanism (18) to lock the door (16) from the inside, characterized in that the security room (10) further comprises: - a bucket (22) comprising a fuel flame suppressor (24) comprising wire wool, sintered metal, corrugated metal, metal tape, metal mesh, metal wire, ceramic, polypropylene or polyethylene or combinations of these materials, and includes an opening (21) external to the cubicle (12).

Description

DESCRIPTION

Security room

This invention relates to a security room and, in a preferred embodiment, to a fuel absorbing system and flame suppressor suitable for use with a security room or the like.

Within the security industry, the use of security rooms (sometimes called panic rooms) is well known. They are used by people who believe they may be in danger of violence in a building such as their office or their own home. This may be due to the fact that the individual is at risk of being kidnapped, that he is rich, that threats of violence have been made against the individual or that the security situation in the specific location is unreliable. They are used by people with high net worth around the world, by people who are under threat of domestic violence and by business people in places where significant local disturbances are occurring, such as in civil wars and other dangerous security situations. . A security room usually consists of a structure built for this purpose or the adaptation of an existing room that can be used in an emergency to be closed from the inside to prevent external access. A person who feels he is in danger, such as during a robbery, can retire to the security room and lock himself in the security room and wait for the arrival of the relevant security agents or law enforcement officers.

It is also well known that there are dangers for a panic room or safety shelter that can be resistant to impact and projectiles, through the use of fuel. For example, frustrated attackers who can find a security room and fail to enter or enter the security room will use fuel such as a gasoline bucket to throw it over the front of the security room and ignite the fuel, hoping to kill or expel the occupant. When gasoline is thrown at the door of a shelter / vault / panic room, fuel can often flow under a door that is flush with the ground or has an insufficient threshold. Once lit, the flame will spread inside the security room, with the potential to damage the occupant and / or consume oxygen. Even if the fuel does not flow under the door of the security room, the ignited fuel can burn a fuel shelter, overheat a shelter and, if there is enough fuel, the occupant could overheat or if the door is not sealed, vacuum the fumes from combustion of fuel or anything else that is burning, such as room furniture. Most light bulletproof materials, such as fiberglass, plastics and modern textiles / fibers, can often produce toxic fumes when heated or exposed to ignition, and even if they do not burn, their fumes are potentially dangerous. High energy fuels such as gasoline can also damage and reduce the resistance of some adhesives and plastics.

EP 0232479 describes a security room.

Therefore, an object of the invention is to improve the known technique.

In accordance with the present invention a security room is provided comprising a cubicle large enough to hold a person and including an opening large enough for a person to pass, and a door for closing the opening that includes a mechanism for blocking the door from the inside, characterized in that the security room further comprises a cuvette comprising a fuel flame suppressor comprising wire wool, sintered metal, corrugated metal, metal tape, metal mesh, wire metal, ceramic, polypropylene or polyethylene or combinations of these materials, and that includes an opening external to the cubicle.

Thanks to the invention it is possible to provide a security room that, in addition to protecting the user, also provides protection against fuel used as a means to attack the security room. The purpose of the security room is to provide sufficient time for the occupant to survive before the relevant security forces arrive. In general, anything that prolongs the time available to protect the occupant will increase the chances of the occupant surviving an attack.

The enhanced security room has a fuel tank with fuel absorption means that can absorb, for example, several cans of gasoline. The bucket has an opening that is external to the cubicle and any fuel outside the cubicle will be drained to the bucket. Preferably a base is provided which is made of parallel front channels outside and the base has absorbent means under the cubicle itself. Preferably, the cuvette extends beyond the front and if necessary the sides and the back. The bucket could be sunk into the floor under any door or window of a safe / vault / panic room to reduce the success of a fuel attack. The bucket could also have an overflow tube outward or have no means, simply drain to a tank on the ground or at a lower level.

Advantageously, a mesh or perforated material can be used to cover the cuvette. The fuel flame suppressor can be removed from the front when the mesh is removed. Where the bucket extends, preferably there is wire wool or corrugated metal strips or metal tape or metal mesh or sintered metal or metal or ceramic wire or polypropylene or polyethylene and combinations of these and / or other materials Heat and / or porous conductors under a strong mesh, and this material or combination of materials acts as a flame suppressor.

Ideally, the door and the door frame are designed to prevent fuel from passing under the door and the bucket is designed to absorb it, so that the fuel flows into the bucket and then the flame arrestor reduces the size of the flame and, therefore, reduces the resulting fire. If the fuel does not ignite before it has been absorbed, ignition becomes much more difficult. Flame suppressors work by eliminating heat and reducing interstices.

The cubicle door is preferably reinforced and has multiple locking points in a pantograph type mechanism. These can only be accessed from inside the cubicle and a wheel / handle is used to rotate the cam, and the coupling causes the bolts to come out quickly and lock the door securely. The cam goes slightly above the center to block the mechanism. The internal door cover and mechanism are fixed with nuts and a nut wrench is left inside to be easily disassembled if the mechanism is damaged. The door mechanism (and shape) can be applied to any safe / vault door / panic room door. There is no access to the locking mechanism for those outside.

The cubicle preferably has an opening for ventilation to the outside, absorbent drapes CO2 (as coming in plastic wrap and are activated by removing the outer cover), battery lights such as LED ^s, a communication system sure It uses several shielded cables (for redundancy) to an external communications system capable of resisting RF and intentional electromagnetic interference. Armored cable can also be provided to control the smoke dispensers and receive audio and CCTV images from cameras around the building and allow the collection of evidence in real time. The interior of the cubicle could be lined with fire retardant board.

A ventilation system can be provided, for example using a breathing tube that the occupant holds between the teeth with a hose outside the cubicle, a simple air pump with bellows and flap valve to the outside or with an electric fan with Manual power as a possibility if the battery or power supply fails. The cubicle can be supplied with basic equipment and supplies so that the occupant can survive for an hour until professional help arrives. A greater provision would allow an occupant to remain inside the panic room for a longer time. Preferably, the cubicle is provided with a seat. The seat can be made of steel and under the seat the batteries, communications system and supplies, etc. can be safely stored. The outside of the cubicle could be shielded to specific threat levels without compromising the tightness of the basic cubicle. The cubicle could be coated inside or out with additional material or combinations of materials so that penetration requires more time and requires specialized equipment and, therefore, is more difficult to penetrate.

Embodiments of the present invention are described below, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a transparent perspective view, from the front, of a security room,

Figure 2 is a transparent perspective view, from the rear, of the security room,

Figure 3 is a vertical section through the security room,

Figure 4 is a vertical section through a second embodiment of the security room,

Figure 5 is a partial perspective view of a security room base,

Figure 6a is a rear view of a security room door, in an unlocked configuration, Figure 6b is a rear view of the security room door, in a locked configuration,

Figure 7 is a rear perspective view of the security room door,

Figure 8 is a vertical section through a fuel absorber and flame suppressor system, and

Figure 9 is a further embodiment of a security room.

Figure 1 shows the security room 10. The security room 10 comprises a cubicle 12 large enough to hold a person and includes an opening 14 large enough for a person to pass through it, a door 16 for closing the opening 14 which includes a locking mechanism 18 for blocking the door 16 from the inside, and a base 20 on which the cubicle 12 is mounted and which includes a cuvette 22 comprising a fuel absorber and / or a suppressor fuel flame

The cuvette 22 has an opening 21 that is external to the cubicle 12. The cuvette 22 extends at least along the edge of the cubicle 12 adjacent to the aperture 14 and can preferably extend along all the edges of the cubicle 12. In In this embodiment, the cuvette 22 extends below the cubicle 12.

The security room 10 is designed to protect an individual in a situation in which the individual feels he is being attacked (real or imaginary). The security room 10 could be installed in the home of a victim of domestic violence, for example, or it could be installed in the office of a wealthy person in a part of the world where the security situation is weak (as in a civil war or others civil disturbances) or in high-risk industrial environments, such as an oil producing region subject to ethnic tensions or disturbances. The purpose of the security room 10 is to provide a shelter for the individual where he will be safe from any damage. The individual enters cubicle 12 and is locked in cubicle 12 until help can arrive (generally, 30 minutes of protection is sufficient).

The security room 10 is designed in such a way that it provides additional protection against the use of fuel directed to the security room 10, since this is a well-known method by which the attackers will attack the security rooms. Once a person enters a security room and is locked in the security room, he becomes vulnerable to being burned by fuel spilled or thrown into the security room and turned on. The tank 22 will absorb the fuel used to attack the security room 10, since it will generally leave the sides of the cubicle 12 and enter the tank 22 at the base 20, through the opening 21, where one or more absorbents are located of fuel and / or fuel flame arresters.

Figure 2 shows the security room 10 from the back. The cubicle 12 consists essentially of a sealed metal box of one or more layers with the only opening 14 in the front. The cubicle 12 has a rectangular prism shape. The cubicle 12 may be provided with a fire resistant and / or flame retardant coating on the outer face of the cubicle 12. The door 16 closes the opening 14 and can be locked only from the inside. The opening 14 is in the form of a stadium, which means that it is formed by two parallel lines of equal length with a semicircle in the upper and lower parts, this form is commonly called "stadium". The opening 14 is located so that its lowest point is above the lowest edge of the cubicle 12. This ensures that the liquid fuel cannot pass under the door when used against the security room 10.

The door 16 opens towards the inside and, although this could be considered a weakness since it could be opened from the outside, if the door 16 opened outwards, it could be blocked from the outside, leaving the occupant with no possibility of leaving the cubicle 12. In another embodiment, the door may open outwards. The cubicle could have more than one door. In one embodiment, the cubicle could have a second door that opens outward on another face to act as an emergency exit in case the door used to enter the cubicle is damaged so that it does not open. The interior of the cubicle 12 may be coated with flame retardant material and the interior of the cubicle 12 may be provided with an oxygen source and a carbon dioxide removal material. In this embodiment of the security room 10, the cubicle 10 is located within an open hole in the base 20, so that the base 20 can be fixed in position, and then the cubicle can be lowered into the hole.

The cubicle 12 includes within it a seat 28, which can also be used to store equipment that an occupant of the cubicle 12 may need, such as communication equipment, etc. The security room 10 can have external connections, it does not need to be a completely sealed unit. For example, if the back of the cubicle 12 is flush with a solid wall, then communication cables or an oxygen connection can be provided to exit the back of the cubicle 12. However, in general, the cubicle 12 will be as shown in Figures 1 and 2 as a sealed steel box that provides the greatest possible protection to the occupant.

Figure 3 shows a vertical section through the security room 10, taken in a plane parallel to the front face of the cubicle 12. The cubicle 12 is located inside the base 20, on which the cubicle 12 is mounted (is that is, it supports the weight of cubicle 12). The cuvette 22 can be seen, which extends to one side of the cubicle 12 and below the cubicle 12. The cuvette 22 contains the fuel flame suppressor 24, which comprises an absorbent and wire wool. The opening 21 of the tray 22 is covered, at least in part, by a mesh material 30, which can support the weight of a person and can be covered with decorative elements, for example. The base 20 includes a socket 26, socket 26 that extends upwardly from the base 20 and on which the cubicle 12 is optionally mounted (in this embodiment, the socket does not support the weight of the cubicle 12). The sides of the socket 26 are inclined downwards. The purpose of the inclined sides is to facilitate the flow of any liquid fuel to the tank 22, through the opening 21, in case fuel is thrown or sprayed on the security room 10. The fuel will go down to the tank 22, where it will come into contact with the flame arrestor 24, which will delay or prevent ignition of the fuel and / or reduce the heat or fumes produced by any fire.

The bucket 22 may include an overflow tube or a connection with a separate tank to drain the present fuel. Any delay that may be introduced in the growth of a fire will provide more time for the rescue of the occupant of the cubicle 12. The tank 22 performs the function of trapping fuel used against the cubicle 12 and the fuel flame suppressor 24 in the tank will buffer any fire that may ignite. The fuel flame suppressor 24 could also include one or more chemical components similar to those used in fire extinguishers to further reduce the effect of any burning fuel.

Figure 4 shows a vertical section through a second embodiment of the security room 10. This section is taken longitudinally through the security room and is effectively a side view of the security room 10 in the section. The cubicle 12 is mounted on the base 20, which can be sunk in the cuvette 22 if so desired. The seat 28 is shown in the cubicle 12. The optional socket 26 is shown, which helps the fuel thrown into the security room 10 to flow into the tank 22 through the opening 21. In this embodiment, the tank 22 is provided with a fuel flame suppressor 24 and a fuel absorber 23. The mesh 30 covers the inlet 21 to the tank 22.

The fuel absorbent 23 is located inside the base 20 below the cubicle 12. The absorbent 23 is in the form of "socks" made of hydrophobic materials, and the socks will absorb hydrocarbon and oil based products while repelling water. The socks are introduced into the cuvette 22 under the cubicle 12 and are effectively hidden from view. The socks would burn or feed any fire, so they are kept protected from the flame by the flame suppressor 24 of wool wire and the flame arrester matrix is protected by the perforated mesh 30 of high resistance as an exposed face that could be fixed towards below to prevent an intruder easily remove the mesh 30.

The perforated mesh 30 covers the inlet 21 exposed to the cuvette 22. The protected area is filled with the absorbent means of fuel or other means. The wool of wire 24 or sintered metal or corrugated metal covered by the high strength perforated mesh 30 is a metal matrix and this helps prevent the spread of a flame from the exposed side of the unit 10 to the protected side, the absorbent medium 2. 3.

Figure 5 shows a partial perspective view of the base 20, which shows the cuvette 22 at the front edge of the base 20, which also extends down on one side of the base 20. The cuvette 22 contains the flame arrestor of fuel 24, as explained in detail above. A detail labeled "A" of the base 20 is also shown to indicate the structure in the corner of the base 20, where the cuvette 22 at the front edge of the base 20 joins the portion of the cuvette 22 that extends along the long side of the base 22. The tank 22 also extends below the part of the base on which the cubicle 12 will be mounted, in order to provide as much space as possible to capture any fuel.

The base 20 can be fixed with concrete in position at the place where the security room 10 will be located. This will help reduce the likelihood that the attacks on the security room 10 interfere with the function of the cuvette 22, so that the structure of the security room cannot be altered 10. The size and shape of the base 20 in relation to the size and shape of the cubicle 12 are design options that will depend on the location of the security room 10 and of the amount of protection desired by the occupant of the security room 10. The base 20 can be constructed with tempered steel.

The open part of the cuvette 22 may extend on all sides of the cubicle 12, if desired, or simply extend along the front edge of the cubicle 12. The mesh material 30 is provided on the fuel flame suppressor 24 which It is located in the cuvette 22 to prevent any assailant from interfering with the operation of the cuvette 22 and the material inside the cuvette 22. The mesh material 30 can be locked in place using a suitably safe method. Any fuel thrown into the security room 10, once installed in its position, will exit the cubicle 12 and enter the tank 22 at the base 20.

Figure 6 shows two rear views of the door 16, which is used to close the opening 14 in the cubicle 12. In Figure 6a, the door 16 is shown in an unlocked configuration and in Figure 6b, the door 16 is shown in a locked configuration. The door 16 has a stadium shape that coincides with the stadium shape of the opening 14, there are no corners in either the opening 14 or the door 16. The shape and position of the door 16 and the opening 14 are for prevent fuel from entering if an attack with a liquid fuel against the security room 10 takes place, as explained above.

The locking mechanism 18 for the door 16 is mounted on the back of the door 16 (and, therefore, visible in the rear views of Figure 6). The locking mechanism 18 comprises a series of connected bars 32 that are movably mounted in a frame 34. The frame 34 is firmly connected to the door 16. The bars 32 are connected to bolts 36, which are designed to move outwardly. when a central pin 38 is turned, for example, with a wheel (not shown) attached to the pin 38. When an individual enters the security room 10, he will close the door 16 and use the locking mechanism 18 to lock the door behind of itself.

When rotating the central pin 38, for example with a handle or wheel provided, the bars 32 will move in such a way that the bolts 36 move outwardly from the door 16 and are coupled with corresponding closures formed in the part of the cubicle 12 which surrounds the opening 14. The locking mechanism 18 is a safe and fast system for locking the door 16 behind it once the individual has entered the cubicle 12. Only the person who The lock mechanism 18 can be operated inside the cubicle 12, which allows users to lock themselves in the security room 10 when they perceive that they are being attacked and need to take refuge. Figure 7 shows a perspective view of the door 16, showing the locking mechanism 16 in more detail. When a central pin is rotated (not shown in this Figure), it will cause the two inner vertical bars 32a to move away from the center point. This will cause the two outer vertical bars 32b to be forced outward, thereby pushing the bolts 36 outward and into their locked position. As shown in Figure 7, the locking mechanism 18 of the door 16 is in its unlocked position. The blocking action is easily reversible by the occupant of the cubicle 12 and the door 16 can only be locked and unlocked from the inside, using the locking mechanism 18.

Figure 8 shows a fuel absorber and flame suppressor system 40 as used in the security room 10 described above. System 40 can be used to protect other objects that could be targeted by fuel attacks, such as conventional doors and windows. The system 40 comprises the cuvette 22, which contains, from top to bottom, the mesh material 30, the flame suppressor 24, another layer of mesh material 30 (which is optional) and the fuel absorbent material 23. Here the system 40 has been fixed with concrete under a door frame 42. System 40 can be used to protect any element that may be considered vulnerable to a fuel attack. System 40 can be used on ships and oil rigs to protect doors from security rooms, for example.

Figure 9 shows a further embodiment of the security room 10. The security room 10 has in the cubicle 12 an additional opening 44 that is large enough for a person to pass through it and an additional door 46 to close the additional opening 44. The additional door 46 provides an additional escape route for the occupant of the security room 10. The security room 10 also comprises a drain tank 48 connected to the tank 22 by a connection tube 50, being located the drain reservoir 48 at a level lower than that of the bucket 22. The connection tube 50 connecting the bucket 22 to the drain reservoir 48 has a fuel flame suppressor 52 within it. The drain tank 48 is also connected to a vent tube 60 that vents the tank 48 and is provided with an in-line flame suppressor 62.

A second cuvette 54 is located internally within the cubicle 12, the second cuvette 54 comprising a fuel absorber 23 and / or a fuel flame suppressor 24. The second cuvette 54 has an opening 56 which is open towards the interior of the cubicle 12 The interior of the cubicle 12 is also provided with a fire extinguisher nozzle 58 that is connected to a water supply and can be used to extinguish any flame present within the cubicle 12. The nozzle 58 could also be located outside the cubicle 12. The second cuvette 54 is designed to trap any fuel that passes through the door 16 and enters the interior of the cubicle 12.

The tank 22, which has an opening 21 open towards the outside of the cubicle 12, is the main defense for the use of fuel against the security room 10. The fuel thrown against the front of the cubicle 12 will be drained into the interior of the tank 22 through the opening 21. In Figure 9, the cuvette 22 is shown with a flat bottom that is parallel to the floor level of the upper portion of the cuvette 22, however, the cuvette 22 may be provided with a bottom surface inclined internal, which tilts away from the cubicle 12. This will cause any fuel entering the tank 22 through the opening 21 to flow away from the cubicle under the action of gravity.

Claims (14)

1. A security room (10) comprising: • a cubicle (12) large enough to hold a person and that includes an opening (14) large enough for a person to pass through it, and • a door (16) to close the opening (14) that includes a locking mechanism (18) to lock the door (16) from the inside, characterized in that the security room (10) further comprises: • a cuvette (22) comprising a fuel flame suppressor (24) comprising wire wool, sintered metal, corrugated metal, metal tape, metal mesh, metal wire, ceramics, polypropylene or polyethylene or combinations of these materials , and includes an opening (21) external to the cubicle (12). 2. A security room according to claim 1, wherein the cuvette (22) extends at least along the edge of the cubicle (12) adjacent to the opening (14). 3. A security room according to claim 1, wherein the cuvette (22) extends along all the edges of the cubicle (12). 4. A security room according to claim 1, 2 or 3, wherein the cuvette (22) extends below the cubicle (12). 5. A security room according to any preceding claim, wherein the opening (21) of the cuvette (22) is covered, at least in part, by a mesh material (30). 6. A security room according to any preceding claim, wherein the cuvette (22) includes an overflow tube. 7. A security room according to any preceding claim, wherein the cubicle (12) has a rectangular prism shape. A security room according to any preceding claim, and further comprising a base (20) on which the cubicle (12) is mounted, and in which the base (20) includes a socket (26), the socket extending (26) up from the base (20). 9. A security room according to claim 8, wherein the sides of the socket (26) are inclined downwards. 10. A security room according to any preceding claim, and further comprising a fuel absorber (23). 11. A security room according to any preceding claim, wherein the cubicle (12) further comprises an additional opening (44) large enough for a person to pass through it and an additional door (46) to close the opening additional (44). 12. A security room according to any preceding claim, and further comprising a drain tank (48) connected to the bucket (22) by a connection tube (50), the drain tank (48) being located in a level lower than that of the bucket (22). 13. A safety room according to claim 12, wherein the connecting tube (50) connecting the tank (22) to the drain tank (48) has a fuel flame suppressor (52) therein. 14. A security room according to any preceding claim, and further comprising a second cuvette (54) located internally within the cubicle (12), the second cuvette (54) comprising a fuel absorber (23) and / or a suppressor of fuel flame (24).