GB2265406A

GB2265406A - Glass breaker

Info

Publication number: GB2265406A
Application number: GB9205796A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Colin Albert Smith
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1992-03-16
Filing date: 1992-03-16
Publication date: 1993-09-29
Also published as: GB9205796D0

Abstract

The present invention has been developed in response to increasing numbers of distressing news reports relating to deaths in fires where victims have been unable to break through thickened glass panes and double glazing units. The present invention provides a device for use to allow the glass panes to be reliably shattered. The device comprises a small brightly coloured disk 1 which may be adhered to a window or provided with a handle stem 12 to be carried by the fire services. The disk incorporates a centralised striker element 9 which is hit, in use, by a hammer and displaced to strike the surface of the glass and shatter it. The device has proven reliable, effective, unobtrusive, child proof and user-friendly in repeated trials. <IMAGE>

Description

GLASS BREAKER Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a device for breaking glass panes and more particularly, but not exclusively to a device for breaking double glazing units to enable escape in an emergency.

Background to the Invention Use of double glazing units and strengthened glass in windows and doors both in buildings and transport has greatly increased over recent years. The inherent advantages of such glazing are widely appreciated. However, it presents a very serious safety hazard, because it is extremely difficult to break to provide an exit for escape during an emergency. As reported regularly in the news this leads, to the death of many fire victims and also victims of capsize of car ferries and other vessels at sea.

Despite the severity of the problem little has been done to improve facilities for overcoming the problem. A widely adopted approach to the problem is to simply provide a hammer or pick in close proximity to the glazing unit to strike the unit during an emergency. This type of facility is, however, unreliable being heavily dependent upon the skill and strength of the operator, who may well be too weakened by smoke or injury, to break the glass. Several attempts to break the glass may be required, leading to loss of valuable time.

Other approaches include use of spring loaded dot punches or similar sprung punches to attempt breakage of the double glazing units. Such devices are, however, largely ineffective, frequently only marking or cracking the glass.

Furthermore they are liable to spring failure and cannot then be operated.

It is one general objective of the present invention to provide a cheap, simple device for breaking glass panes which may be operated easily to much greater effectiveness and with much greater reliability especially to thereby substantially reduce the horrific and avoidable loss of life that presently occurs.

Summary of the Invention According to a first aspect of the present invention there is provided a device for breaking glass panes said device comprising: a body which houses a pointed striker element extending therethrough from an outer, in use, face of the body to an inner, in use, face thereof, the striker element being adapted to be displaced within the body to project from the inner face of the body and impact upon the glass pane to thereby penetrate and fracture the pane(s), characterised in that the inner face of the body is adapted to seat with high stability, in use, against a surface of the glass pane(s) to be broken and the striker element is adapted to be displaced by being struck by a hand-wielded implement, the body being substantially immovable relative to the glass pane(s) when struck by the implement.

Preferably the inner face of the body is formed as a wall having a small aperture there to allow the pointed end of the striker element to project therethrough.

Suitably the device is so-constructed that the striker element has a limited distance of travel such as to penetrate only the surface of the pane.

Advantageously the inner face of the body seats against the glass pane, in use, in a substantially sealing manner and the striker element is sealingly housed within the body so that the striker element acts as a piston when it is struck, compressing air against the glass pane.

Preferably the inner face of the body has an adhesive thereon to enable the body to be securely adhered to the glass.

Alternatively the body may be mounted at the end of a stalk by which it may be held in position by an operator, in use.

Suitably the end of the striker element remote from the pointed end which penetrates the glass is formed as an enlarged head which protrudes from the body prior to being struck, providing a simple target to be struck by a hammer or similar implement.

Suitably the device is so-shaped that it may not be gripped to be readily removed from attachment to a glass pane to which it is adhered, in use.

The device may be generally discoid or limpet-shaped. Suitably it is larger in plan then it is in dimension from the inner to the outer face, presenting a low profile with an adequate area for striking.

According to a second aspect of the present invention there is provided an emergency glass-breaker installation which comprises the combination of the device of the first aspect together with a hammer with a ball-shaped head by which the striker element may be struck.

According to a third aspect of the present invention there is provided a method for breaking glass panes for escape during emergency, which method comprises providing a device of the first aspect of the present invention, seating the inner face of the body against the glass pane to be broken and striking the striker element with an implement to displace the striker element to penetrate and fracture the pane(s).

In two further aspects of the present invention there are provided devices substantially as described hereinafter with respect to Figures 1 and 2 or 4 and 5, respectively.

Brief Description of the Drawings Two preferred embodiments of the present invention will now be more particularly described with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein: Figure 1 is a sectional view of a device embodying the first aspect of the present invention as mounted to a double glazing unit; Figure 2 is a plan view of the outer, in use, face of the device; Figure 3 is a view of a suitable implement for striking the device; Figure 4 is a plan view of a second embodiment of the device of the first aspect; and Figure 5 is a side elevation of the device of Figure 4.

Description of the Preferred Embodiments Referring to Figures 1 and 2, the device shown comprises a body 1 which is suitably moulded from a substantially rigid robust plastics material such as, for example, nylon, into a generally fusto-comical form having a flat base 2 of 4-6 cm diameter which is coated with adhesive and is, in use, pressed against a glass pane of the glazing unit 3 to be broken.

A shallow cylindrical recess 4 is provided in the outer, in use, face 5 of the body 1 located substantially radially centrally of the body 1 and communicating with a concentric narrow aperture 6 in the base 2 of the body 1.

A striker element 7 is housed within the recess 4 and constrained therewithin by a rim 8 provided around the outer periphery of the recess 4. The striker element 7 comprises a thick discoid head portion 9 having an external diameter sufficient to be held by the rim 8, with the outer, in use, face of the head9 protruding beyond the body 1. A pointed stud 10 is provided extending concentrically from the inner, in use, face of the striker element 7 through the aperture 6.

The head 9 of the striker element 7 is sealingly slidably engaged within the recess 4 and the recess 4 is of sufficient depth to allow the element 7 to be depressed into the recess 4 compressing the air within the recess 4 and forcing the pointed stud 10 of the punch 7 to protrude slightly (eg. from 1 to 5 mm) from the base 2 of the housing 1.

The device, which is suitably brightly or luminously coloured for rapid identification, may be provided with a film covering the adhesive coated base 2 which may be removed before pressing against a window for quick and simple installation of the device. Ideally the device is discretely located in a corner of a window within the building, vehicle or vessel at a point which is readily accessible. Suitably a device may be located in the left hand corner of a window for a left-handed person or right for a right-handed person A hammer, weighting between 1 and 2 pounds, which may be of a specialised form having a ball-shaped head (see Figure 3) should be provided in close proximity to the window and may be held to one side of the window by a bracket having clearance sufficient to allow the handle of the hammer to be grasped with ease.The hammer is suitably luminously coloured to enable its rapid identification. The ball-shaped head of the illustrated hammer enables it to effectively strike the device regardless of the angle at which the hammer is held and enables the hammer to be used for removing glass shards from the glazing unit with safety.

The raised outer in use face of the striker element's head 9 is suitably between 2 and 4 cm (preferably 3cm) in diameter and provides a simple target which when struck with varying degrees of accuracy will cause the striker element 7 to be depressed to impact the glass pane to shatter the glazing unit 3. Very small travel of the striker element 7 is necessary to shatter a double or treble glazed sealed unit and it is not necessarily for the point 10 of the striker element to completely penetrate one of the panes. It is believed that the effect is achieved through generation of shock waves through the glass, releasing the surface tension of the glass. A further special aspect of the design of the device is the shaping of the device to prevent removal by a child or other miscreant.The Ilinpet-like shape prevents the body 1 of the device being gripped Whereas the above described embodiment of the invention is particularly suitable for use as a precautionary measure permanently installed on a window, the present invention may be adapted for carrying for repeated usage by rescue services personnel. An embodiment of the invention suitable for that purpose is illustrated in Figures 4 and 5. In this instance, the device is most suitably constructed of metal and is mounted at the end of a long handle stem 12, having an easy grip handle 13 the stem being joined to the punch body 1' at the periphery thereof and being angled relative thereto to provide adequate clearance of the handle 13 from the glass pane against which the punch body is pressed, in use. The stem is suitably at least 9 - 10 cm long and angled to give at least about 5 cm clearance from the glass pane.

A leash 14 may be provided to secure the device to the wrist of a user. The other hand of the user is employed to wield a hammer to strike the punch element 7'.

It will be appreciated from the above that the present invention provides a glass breaking device which is not only simple to construct and install or carry, but also simple to use. The device is safe, unobstructive, child proof, userfriendly and, above all, highly efficient. A single blow of moderate force and moderate accuracy can be relied upon to shatter both panes of glass of a double glazed unit. The hammer may then be used to remove obstructive shards rapidly to allow a rapid escape.

Claims

CLAIMS:

1. A device for breaking glass panes, said device comprising: a body which houses a pointed striker element extending therethrough from an outer, in use, face of the body to an inner, in use, face thereof, the striker element being adapted to be displaced within the body to project from the inner face of the body and impact upon the glass pane to thereby penetrate and fracture the pai(s), characterised in that the inner face of the body is adapted to seat with high stability, in use, against a surface of the glass pane(s) to be broken and the striker element is adapted to be displaced by being struck by a handwielded implement, the body being substantially immovable relative to the glass pane(s) when struck by the implement.

2. A device as claimed in Claim 1, wherein the inner face of the body is formed as a wall having a small aperture therein to allow the pointed end of the striker element to be project therethrough.

3. A device as claimed in Claim 1 or Claim 2, wherein the device is soconstructed that the striker element has a limited distance of travel such as to penetrate only the surface of the pane.

4. A device as claimed in Claim 1, 2 or 3, wherein the inner face of the body seats against the glass pane, in use, in a substantially sealing manner and the striker element is sealingly housed within the body so that the striker element acts as a piston when it is struck, compressing air against the glass pane.

5. A device as claimed in any preceding Claim, wherein the irmer face of the body has an adhesive thereon to enable the body to be securely adhered to the glass.

6. A device as claimed in any of Claims 1 to 4, wherein the body is mounted at the end of a stalk by which it may be held in position by an operator, in use.

7. A device as claimed in any preceding Claim, wherein the end of the striker element remote from the pointed end which penetrates the glass is formed as an enlarged head which protrudes from the body prior to being struck, providing a simple target to be struck by a hammer or similar implement.

8. A device as claimed in any preceding Claim, wherein the device is soshaped that it may not be gripped to be readily removed from attachment to a glass pane to which it is adhered, in use.

9. A device as claimed in Claim 8, wherein the device is generally discoid or limpet-shaped.

10. A device as claimed in Claim 8 or Claim 9, wherein the device is larger in plan than it is in dimension from the inner to the outer face, presenting a low profile with an adequate area for striking.

11. An emergency glass-breaker installation which comprises the combination of the device of any of Claims 1 to 10 together with a hammer with a ball-shaped head by which the striker element may be struck.

12. A method for breaking glass panes for escape during emergency, which method comprises providing a device of any of Claims 1 to 10, seating the inner face of the body against the glass pane to be broken and striking the striker element with an implement to displace the striker element to penetrate and fracture the pane(s).

13. A device substantially as described hereinbefore with respect to Figures 1 and 2 or 4 and 5, respectively.