GB2279987A - Escape device for building - Google Patents

Abstract

An escape device 2 includes an elongate steel channel 8 which is secured adjacent the rafters of a house. A ladder 3 is slidably received in the channel 8. The ladder 3 may be stored wholly within channel 8 when not in use. However, in an emergency situation, the ladder may be extended between an upper floor window and the ground to provide an escape route from upper floor 6 of the house. A winding back mechanism 10 is provided for retracting the ladder to its position within channel 8, when necessary. <IMAGE>

Description

ESCAPE DEVICE This invention relates to an escape device and particularly, although not exclusively, relates to an escape device for a building, for example a house.

Fire in houses causes the loss of many lives. Often, victims become trapped in bedrooms on upper floors of a house and are unable to escape unless aided.

Fire escapes in the form of external stairways are well known but are generally only used in relation to commercial premises. The use of external stairways in domestic premises, for example, in houses would generally be aesthetically unacceptable.

It is an object of the present invention to provide an escape device which may alleviate problems associated with known devices.

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided an escape device for a building, the device being arranged to be fixed within a building and including an escape means arranged to be moved between an inoperative position and an operative position.

Said escape device is preferably for a house.

Said escape device is preferably arranged to be fixed within a roof space of the building. For example, the device may be arranged to be fixed adjacent to rafters of a roof of a building.

Said escape means preferably comprises a ladder. Said ladder preferably includes a plurality of sections which are movable, preferably pivotal, relative to one another.

This suitably allows relatively easy movement of the ladder between its inoperative and operative positions.

Said ladder is preferably arranged to be rigid when in an operative position.

Said escape means is preferably arranged to slide between its inoperative and operative positions.

Preferably, guide means is provided for guiding the movement, for example, said sliding movement of said escape means. Said guide means may comprise a channel with which said escape means is arranged to co-operate.

Preferably, said guide means is arranged to be fixed within the building, Preferably, said guide means is arranged to be fixed adjacent rafters of the building.

Spacer means is preferably provided for spacing the escape means from the building when in said operative position.

Operation means is preferably provided for causing said escape means to move between its inoperative and operative positions.

Withdrawal means is preferably provided for causing said escape means to be withdrawn from said operative position and returned to said inoperative position.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided an assembly of an escape device according to said first aspect, said escape device being fixed within a building.

Preferably, the building includes access means via which said escape means may move between its inoperative and operative positions. Said access means may comprise an opening in said building. Closing means may be provided for closing said opening. Said closing means may comprise part of a soft it and/or a facia of the building.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method of constructing an escape path from a building, the method comprising fixing said escape device of said first aspect within a building.

Specific embodiments of the invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying diagrammatic drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a front elevation of a house with an escape ladder partially extended; and Figure 2 is a cross-section along line II-II of Figure 1.

The house shown in the figures is equipped with an escape device 2 which includes an escape ladder 3 which may be stored within a roof space 4 when not in use, but extended between an upper floor window and the ground to provide an escape route from upper floor 6 of the house when necessary.

Referring to Figure 2, the escape device 2 includes an elongate steel channel 8 which is fixed to the rafters of the house below outer tiles 10 thereof. The ladder 3 is slidably received in the channel 8 and may be stored wholly within channel 8 when not in use. The channel 8 is completely concealed within the roof space 4. A line 9 of a winding back mechanism 10 is fixed to an upper end of ladder 8. The winding back mechanism comprises a manually operable or motor driven mechanism.

A portion of facia 20 (which carries a portion of guttering 21) and soft it 22 of the house are arranged to be movable thereby to reveal an opening through which ladder 3 may be extended. In Figure 2, the facia 20 and soft it 22 shown in dotted lines represent the "normal" position of these parts. The facia and soft it are arranged in the normal position when the ladder 3 is not in use.

When the ladder 3 is required for use, the facia 20 and soffit 22 are pivoted through about 900 to the positions shown in full lines in Figure 2. When so disposed, the ladder 3 may be allowed to slide from the roof space 4 towards the ground.

The ladder 3 is arranged to be substantially rigid and spaced a distance "d" from the house when fully extended. Thus, when fully extended, a person may use the ladder 3 to escape from the upper floor 6 of the house via window 30.

The device 2 may be arranged to be automatically operable. For example, activation of an operating mechanism may cause facia 20 and soft it 22 to pivot into the positions shown in full lines in Figure 2 and the ladder 3 to extend to the ground.

The ladder 3 may be retracted from its extended, in use, position back into channel 8 using the winding back mechanism 10.

It should be appreciated that escape device 2 does not affect the aesthetics of the house when not in use but provides a permanently available relatively safe means of escape from the first floor of the house, when required.

The reader's attention is directed to all papers and documents which are filed concurrently with or previous to this specification in connection with this application and which are open to public inspection with this specification, and the contents of all such papers and documents are incorporated herein by reference.

All of the features disclosed in this specification (including any accompanying claims, abstract and drawings), and/or all of the steps of any method or process so disclosed, may be combined in any combination, except combinations where at least some of such features and/or steps are mutually exclusive.

Each feature disclosed in this specification (including any accompanying claims, abstract and drawings), may be replaced by alternative features serving the same, equivalent or similar purpose, unless expressly stated otherwise. Thus, unless expressly stated otherwise, each feature disclosed is one example only of a generic series of equivalent or similar features.

The invention is not restricted to the details of the foregoing embodiment(s). The invention extends to any novel one, or any novel combination, of the features disclosed in this specification (including any accompanying claims, abstract and drawings), or to any novel one, or any novel combination, of the steps of any method or process so disclosed.

Claims (22)

1. An escape device for a building, the device being arranged to be fixed within a building and including an escape means arranged to be moved between an inoperative position and an operative position.

2. A device according to Claim 1, arranged to be fixed within a roof space of the building.

3. A device according to Claim 1 or Claim 2, arranged to be fixed adjacent to rafters of a roof of a building.

4. A device according to any preceding claim, wherein said escape means comprises a ladder.

5. A device according to Claim 4, wherein said ladder includes a plurality of sections which are movable relative to one another.

6. A device according to Claim 4 or Claim 5, wherein said ladder is arranged to be rigid when in an operative position.

7. A device according to any preceding claim, wherein said escape means is arranged to slide between its inoperative and operative positions.

8. A device according to any preceding claim, wherein guide means is provided for guiding the movement of said escape means.

9. A device according to Claim 8, wherein said guide means comprises a channel with which said escape means is arranged to co-operate.

10. A device according to Claim 8 or Claim 9, wherein said guide means is arranged to be fixed within the building.

11. A device according to any of Claims 8 to 10, wherein said guide means is arranged to be fixed adjacent rafters of the building.

12. A device according to any preceding claim, including spacer means for spacing the escape means from the building when in said operative position.

13. A device according to any preceding claim, wherein operation means is provided for causing said escape means to move between its inoperative and operative positions.

14. A device according to any preceding claim, wherein withdrawal means is provided for causing said escape means to be withdrawn from said operative position and returned to said inoperative position.

15. An assembly of an escape device according to any of Claims 1 to 14, said escape device being fixed within a building.

16. An assembly according to Claim 15, wherein the building includes access means via which said escape means may move between its inoperative and operative positions.

17. An assembly according to Claim 16, wherein said access means comprises an opening in said building.

18. An assembly according to Claim 17, wherein closing means is provided for closing said opening.

19. A method of constructing an escape path from a building, the method comprising fixing an escape device according to any of Claims 1 to 14 within a building.

20. A device substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying diagrammatic drawings.

21. An assembly substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying diagrammatic drawings.

22. A method substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying diagrammatic drawings.