GB2034503A - Evacuation sign - Google Patents

Abstract

An evacuation sign (1) for indicating an evacuation route out of, for example, a hotel, a restaurant, a public place etc. The sign (1) is made of a disc-shaped fluorescent material and on one plane side (2) is provided with a non- fluorescent direction mark (3), such as an arrow. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Evacuation sign This invention relates to a reference sign indicating the way of evacuation.

Hotels, restaurants, public premises etc. have emergency exits, which are provided with a sign carrying a text "Emergency exit" or the like. These signs often are equipped with battery-driven lighting, so that the sign will be illuminated even when due to current interruption mains voltage is not available.

In hotels etc., however, normally extend long corridors, in which no lighted marks show the direction in which the emergency exit is located.

When in the event of fire, for example, a corridor is filled with smoke, and the current supply is interrupted, it has proved very difficult to quickly find an emergency exit. Even in the case of current interruption, for example, the guests in the hotel try to find emergency exits as they believe the current interruption may have been caused by fire.

The present invention offers a very reliable and simple device, by which as a complement to existing emergency exit signs etc. persons are shown the right way out of a hotel, public place etc.

The present invention, thus, relates to an evacuation sign of the kind referred to in the preamble of the attached claim 1 and is characterized substantially by the features defined in the characterizing clause

of said claim.

The invention is described in greater detail in the following, with reference to the accompanying drawing, in which Figure lisa view from above of a sign according to the invention, and Figure 2 is a section of the signa after the line A-A in Figure 1.

In Figure 1 an evacuation sign 1 according to the invention is shown, The sign is made of a discshaped fluorescent plastic material, which for exam ple may be an acrylate or a polyethylene provided with phosphor pigment. Experiments have shown that at a substantial admixture of phosphor pigment the afterglow, i.e. the time during which the material transmits light after having been placed in a dark room, exceeds 30 minutes with a strong effect.

According to a preferred embodiment, a plastic material with such admixture of phosphorous in a manner known per se is chosen that the afterglow time exceeds 30 minutes.

On one plane side 2 the sign 1 is provided with a non-fluorescent direction mark 3 such as an arrow.

The areas of the plane side 2 which are provided with the direction mark have grooves 4, in the bottom of which a preferably black plastic foil is attached by hot stamping with a hob. The direction mark, of course, may consist of a non-fluorescent material other than black plastic foil, for example black or dark metal foil.

In Figure 1 the direction mark is shown as an unfilled arrow 5. The mark, of course, may also consist of another direction mark, for example a filled arrow.

According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, however, the arrow is not filled, whereby a great portion of said plane side is fluorescent and, in spite thereof, a great and distinct direction mark is obtained.

According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, the area of the direction mark 3 is smaller than one third of the area of said plane side 2. This implies the advantage, that the sign is easily discovered and thereby also the mark 3 is clearly seen.

The signs 1 are intended to be attached on floors and walls in rooms, corridors, staircases etc. spaced by about 1 meter relative one another. This provides at sudden darkness due to current interruption a very distinct evacuation reference, which will light for about 30 minutes. A sign according to the present invention is cheap to manufacture and requires no service. It is, therefore, a valuable compliment of existing evacuation safety installations.

The sign preferably is given round shape, as shown in Figure 2, but of course also other shapes can be imagined within the scope of the invention idea.

A preferred dimension is about 10 cm in diameter and a thickness of about 3 cm.

The invention, thus, must not be regarded restricted to what is described above and shown in the drawing by way of the embodiment, but can be varied within the scope of the attached claims.

CLAIMS 1. An evacuation sign for indicating an evacuation route out of, for example, a hotel, a restaurant, a public place etc., wherein a disc-shaped fluorescent plastics material is provided on one plane side with a non-fluorescent direction mark such as an arrow.

2. An evacuation sign as defined in claim 1, wherein the area of said direction mark is smaller than one third of the area of said plane side.

3. An evacuation sign substantially as herein described and exemplified with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

**WARNING** end of DESC field may overlap start of CLMS **.

Claims (3)

**WARNING** start of CLMS field may overlap end of DESC **. SPECIFICATION Evacuation sign This invention relates to a reference sign indicating the way of evacuation. Hotels, restaurants, public premises etc. have emergency exits, which are provided with a sign carrying a text "Emergency exit" or the like. These signs often are equipped with battery-driven lighting, so that the sign will be illuminated even when due to current interruption mains voltage is not available. In hotels etc., however, normally extend long corridors, in which no lighted marks show the direction in which the emergency exit is located. When in the event of fire, for example, a corridor is filled with smoke, and the current supply is interrupted, it has proved very difficult to quickly find an emergency exit. Even in the case of current interruption, for example, the guests in the hotel try to find emergency exits as they believe the current interruption may have been caused by fire. The present invention offers a very reliable and simple device, by which as a complement to existing emergency exit signs etc. persons are shown the right way out of a hotel, public place etc. The present invention, thus, relates to an evacuation sign of the kind referred to in the preamble of the attached claim 1 and is characterized substantially by the features defined in the characterizing clause of said claim. The invention is described in greater detail in the following, with reference to the accompanying drawing, in which Figure lisa view from above of a sign according to the invention, and Figure 2 is a section of the signa after the line A-A in Figure 1. In Figure 1 an evacuation sign 1 according to the invention is shown, The sign is made of a discshaped fluorescent plastic material, which for exam ple may be an acrylate or a polyethylene provided with phosphor pigment. Experiments have shown that at a substantial admixture of phosphor pigment the afterglow, i.e. the time during which the material transmits light after having been placed in a dark room, exceeds 30 minutes with a strong effect. According to a preferred embodiment, a plastic material with such admixture of phosphorous in a manner known per se is chosen that the afterglow time exceeds 30 minutes. On one plane side 2 the sign 1 is provided with a non-fluorescent direction mark 3 such as an arrow. The areas of the plane side 2 which are provided with the direction mark have grooves 4, in the bottom of which a preferably black plastic foil is attached by hot stamping with a hob. The direction mark, of course, may consist of a non-fluorescent material other than black plastic foil, for example black or dark metal foil. In Figure 1 the direction mark is shown as an unfilled arrow 5. The mark, of course, may also consist of another direction mark, for example a filled arrow. According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, however, the arrow is not filled, whereby a great portion of said plane side is fluorescent and, in spite thereof, a great and distinct direction mark is obtained. According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, the area of the direction mark 3 is smaller than one third of the area of said plane side 2. This implies the advantage, that the sign is easily discovered and thereby also the mark 3 is clearly seen. The signs 1 are intended to be attached on floors and walls in rooms, corridors, staircases etc. spaced by about 1 meter relative one another. This provides at sudden darkness due to current interruption a very distinct evacuation reference, which will light for about 30 minutes. A sign according to the present invention is cheap to manufacture and requires no service. It is, therefore, a valuable compliment of existing evacuation safety installations. The sign preferably is given round shape, as shown in Figure 2, but of course also other shapes can be imagined within the scope of the invention idea. A preferred dimension is about 10 cm in diameter and a thickness of about 3 cm. The invention, thus, must not be regarded restricted to what is described above and shown in the drawing by way of the embodiment, but can be varied within the scope of the attached claims. CLAIMS

1. An evacuation sign for indicating an evacuation route out of, for example, a hotel, a restaurant, a public place etc., wherein a disc-shaped fluorescent plastics material is provided on one plane side with a non-fluorescent direction mark such as an arrow.

2. An evacuation sign as defined in claim 1, wherein the area of said direction mark is smaller than one third of the area of said plane side.

3. An evacuation sign substantially as herein described and exemplified with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.