GB2214808A - Smoke-resistant barrage device for closed places - Google Patents

Description

1. - g k 22 14800' 1 - SMOKE-RESISTANT BARRAGE DEVICE FOR PLACES CLOSED

The present invention relates to a smake-resistant barrage device for closed places in which at least two areas are defined, i.e. at least one area exposed to fire risk and at least a second area in communication with the first area through a connectinS section.

The device of the invention can be for example installed in underground places such as stations for subway trains and the like, to which particular' reference will be made in the course of the present specification without thereby limiting the invention field of use.

It is known that in underground stations for subway trains and the like it is necessary to take appropriate precautionary measures in order to ensure the public's safety as much as possible in case of fire.

Presently these safety measures substantially provide for the installation of appropriate fire-fighting apparatus as well as the arrangement of wide ways of escape to allow all persons present therein to leave the station quickly.

As regards smoke and in particular all means adapted to prevent the spreading thereof through the ways of escape arranged for people, provision has been made for structures adapted to eject a series of bladeshaped water spouts into the areas connecting a platform to the staircases so as to create a sort of water wall or plate separating said platform from the staircases.

The above safety measures however have proved to be inappropriate to prevent smoke produced by the combustion in case of fire from invading the public's ways of escape, that is the staircases. On the contrary, it has been found that smoke is immediately brought towards the staircases by effect of a natural air draught phenonernn guiding the air from the underground rooms to the surface, usually known as "stack effect".

Obviously, the spreading of smoke in the staircases can cause the poisoning or asphyxia of those people who have not yet succeeded in leaving the station.

Under this situation the main object of the present invention is to solve the above mentioned problem by providing a device adapted to intervene in case of fire so as to prevent smoke generated by combustion from spreading into the staircases and above all the public's ways of escape.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a device of simple and reliable structure, adapted to be easily installed even in underground stations previously built and already in operation.

The foregoing and further objects which will become more apparent in the course of the present description are substantially attained by a smokeresistant barrage device for closed places in which at least two areas are defined, i.e. at least one area exposed to fire risk and at least a second area in communication with the first area through a connecting section, characterized In that it comprises water feeding means, at least a water distribution nember connected to said feeding means and substantially extending according to the extension of the vault in the connecting section and a number of delivery nozzles disposed along the distribution member and oriented towards the first area according to suitable directions to deliver water under pressure and in atomized and/or a, 1 1 i v- fractionated form so as to create a draught towards the first area.

Further features and advantages will best be understood fT"OM the detailod dessription of a preferred embodiment of a smoke-resistant barrage device for closed places in accordance with the present invention, given hereinafter by way of non-limiting example with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

- Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic perspective view of the device of the invention installed in an underground station for subway trains; - Fig. 2 shows the preferred inclination of the delivery nozzles according to line II-II in Fig. 1; - Fig. 3 shows the preferred inclination of the delivery nozzles according to line III-III in Fig. 1.

With reference to the drawings, 1 globally denotes a smoke-resistant barrage device for closed places. In accordance with the example shown in the figures, the device I is set up in an underground station 2 for subway trains. In station 2 two areas are defined, that is a first area exposed to fire risk and consisting of a tunnel 3 and a platform 4 and a second area consisting of a staircase 5 and connected to platform 4 through a connecting section 6.

The device 1 is comprised of one or more distribution members 7 each of them substantially extending according to the shape of the vault 8 in the connecting section 6 and being fastened to said vault.

In the embodiment shown each distribution member 7 consists of a substantially horizontal upper portion 9 provided with upper delivery nozzles 9a (Fig. 2) and two side portions 10 and 11 extending vertically from the ends of the upper portion 9 and - 4 provided with respective side delivery nozzles 10a and lla (Fig. 3).

As seen in Figs. 2 and 3, in accordance with a further feature of the present invention, upper nozzles 9a associated with the upper portion 9 are operatively oriented downwards in the direction of platform 4 according to a suitable inclination ck!- with respect to a horizontal plane.

On the contrary, side nozzles 10a and Ila located on the side portions 10 and 11 are still operatively oriented in the direction of platform 4 but towards the structure centre with an appropriate inclination JS in the horizontal plane.

According to a preferred embodiment angles %a-f and A can be included in a field ranging between 15and 75-.

Practically, all delivery nozzles 9a, 10a and Ila are oriented towards the platform 4 substantially according to converging directions, to the ends to be clarified in the following.

Referring again to Fig. 1, reference numeral 12 denotes water feeding ducts extending from the distribution members 7 and connected, after interposing a shutoff valve element 13 therebetween, to water feeding means not shown.

In an original manner and according to a preferred embodiment, the device 1 is also provided with one or more smoke detectors 14 and optionally temperature detectors 15 which are connected through an electric circuit 16 to the valve element 13 so as to control the opening thereof when the presence of smoke or the raising of the temperature is detected in the surrounding atmopshere.

Operation of the invention described above mainly as regards structure, is as follows.

device 1 accordina to the 1 t.

- In case of fire, smoke detectors 14 and/or temperature detectors 15 control the valve element 13 through the electric circuit 16 so as to make the device 1 readv to become opers.4tive.

According to this condition when the valve element 13 is operated the water passage through the feeding ducts 12 is opened. Water under pressure is sent from the above mentioned feeding means and it reaches the distribution members 7 so that it can be delivered in an atomized or fractionated form by the upper and side nozzles, Qa, l0a and Ila respectively.

Advantageously, atomized or fractionated water jets oriented according to substantially converging directions give rise to a pulling effect on the surrounding air. In this way a current of air directed towards the platform 4 is created and due to the presence of this current all smoke present in the region of said platform is prevented from reaching the staircases 5 through the connecting section 6.

In addition, the action of atomized or fractionated water jets gives rise by natural effect to an overpressure of air in the area of the nozzles and to an air intake from the staircases 5. As a result the smoke which may have reached the staircases 5 before the device 1 has been actuated would be immediately taken in towards the connecting section 6 and again sent to platform 4.

The present invention attains the intended purposes.

In fact the device in quest-ion is capable of being immediately actuated in case of fire in' order to prevent smoke generated by combustion from reaching the areas to be used as ways of escape by all present people.

It is to be recognized that advantageously the action of device 1 does not remarkably hinder the passage through the connecting section 6 of people leaving the platform 4.

P, J.U also to notc. --",at t-hf- pr--,c-.ent dev-!-.- a very simple and reliable structure and is adapted to be easily installed even in stations where the underground railway is already in operation, as well as In any closed environment in which it is wished to avoid smoke passing from one area exposed to fire risk to a second area.

Obviously the present invention Is susceptible of many modifications and variations, all falling within the scope of the inventive idea characterizing it.

cl C L A 1 M S 1. A smoke-resistant barrage device for closed places in which at least two areas are defined, i.e. at least one area (4) exposed to fire risk and at least a second area (5) in communication with -the first area (4) through a connecting section (6), characterized in that it comprises:

- water feeding means <12, 13); - at least a water distribution member (7) connected to said feeding means (12, 13) and substantially extending according to the extension of the vault in the connecting section; - a number of delivery nozzles (9a, 10a, Ila) disposed along the distribution member (7) and oriented towards the first area <4) according to suitable directions to deliver water under pressure and in atomized and/or fractionated form so as to create a draught towards the first area (4).

2. A device according to claim 1, characterized in that it comprises at least a smoke detector (14) and/or a temperature detector (15) connected through an electric circuit (16) to said feeding means (12, 13) to cause the feeding of water to the distribution member (7) when the presence of smoke is detected.

3. A device according to claim 1, characterized in that said distribution member (7) comprises at least a substantially horizontal upper portion (9) at the ends of which at least two side portions (10, 11) begin which have a substantially vertical extention, said delivery nozzles (9a) associated with the upper portion being operatively oriented towards the first area (4) and downwardly with respect to the horizontal plane and said delivery nozzles (10a, Ila) associated with the side portions (10, Il> being operatively oriented towards the first area (4) and C towards the centre.

4. A device according to claim 3 characterized in that said delivery nozzles (9a) associated with the upper portion (9) have inclinations in the range of 15- to 75---w.Lth iespect to the horizontal plail.e.

5. A device according to claim 3 characterized in that said delivery nozzles (10a, 11a.) associated with the side portions (10, 11) have inclinations in the range of 15- to 75- in the horizontal plane.

6. A smoke-resistant barrage device, substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying dra-wings.

PubliBbed 1989&tMieFeAntOfftoe,StateHouse.W"71 RI&HolbornlondonWClR4TF. PUrthereoplesxnaybeobtLtnedfmmThepatmtckm-. Sales Braneb, St ULry Cray, Orpington. Kent BR5 ZW. Printed by Multiplex tacbnlques ltd, St Mary Cray, Kent C03L IM7 t IQ