JP2002507701A - Braking device - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) Abstract: A chamber rotatably mounted on an axle and defining an interior cavity; a disk mounted on the axle within the interior cavity and having opposing surfaces extending away from the axle; And a pourable material placed in the internal cavity so that the material is interrupted between the inner surface of the internal cavity and the opposing surface to apply a centrifugal force to apply a braking force to the disc. Braking device including.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

[Industrial applications]

The present invention relates generally to a vertical descent rescue device, and more particularly to a vertical descent rescue device that applies a braking force when centrifugal force is applied to a pourable material, uses a pourable material. To a braking device for a vehicle.

[0002]

[Prior art]

Vertical descent rescue devices are known in the art. These devices basically include some type of seat or belt for supporting a person, the seat or belt being mounted on a reel that can spool the cable. In emergencies that require emergency evacuation from tall buildings, people fasten themselves to the seats / belts, hook the ends of the cables to the strong mooring structure of the building, and jump off the building. As the person descends, the braking device slows the rotation of the cable reel, allowing the person to safely slow down to the ground.

[0003] An example of such an apparatus is described in Dutch Patent No. 9,401,422 assigned to Boon Safety CV. This document describes a portable device for self-evacuation for use in tall buildings. The apparatus includes a spool that includes a line that winds in either direction and braking means for limiting the line speed. The brake acts on lines made of aramid materials such as TWARON® and KEVLAR®.

[0004] Russian Patent No. 1,430,031 describes a rescue device for descent. The device has a support cup integrated with the brake disc and an adjustable emergency brake shoe.

[0005] Brazilian Patent No. 8,701,130 describes a gravity-based automatic rescue facility. The installation comprises a reeled belt for descending from a tall building and a system with automatic rewinding of the belt.

[0006] Portuguese Patent 77,995 describes a rescue facility for people trapped in a building. The facility includes a safety belt in a double reel and a multiple suspension cable assembly.

[0007] Russian Patent No. 1,005,798 describes a centrifugal braking mechanism for a load lowering device. This mechanism includes springs of various forces.

[0008] Russian Patent No. 3,372,230 describes a centrifugal brake rescue mechanism with a reel containing a brake disk provided in a brake drum cavity and provided with a brake block. The mechanism is provided with various rigid springs for pressing the brake disc against the brake disc. As the rescued person descends, the cable end moves down, causing the reel to spin. The torque from the reel is transmitted to the flywheel of the centrifugal braking mechanism through the cam clutch and the planetary reducer. The brake block rises to the inner surface of the reel due to centrifugal force, overcoming the spring force and pushing the brake disc.

[0009] Netherlands Patent No. 8,004,667 describes an emergency for buildings that are stopped or braked during the cable recovery period at least once per revolution to limit the spill rate by the cable tension. The rescue cable reel is described.

[0010] German Patent 2,748,904 describes a roping down reel for rescue equipment. The rescue facility has a brake mechanism for engaging or releasing a brake by turning a crank handle.

[0011] US Patent No. 4,448,284 describes a rescue device with a centrifugal dynamic brake. As the rescue cable spools from the rotating reel, the brake pads are pressed centrifugally against the brake drum.

A disadvantage of the prior art systems is that during descent, the braking action generates a significant amount of heat. This generation of heat can lead to a descent rate above the safety threshold,
Even worse, it can lead to catastrophic failure of the braking mechanism.

[0013]

[Problems to be solved by the invention]

It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved vertical descent rescue device that is safe and reliable and is not affected by the heat generation of the brake.

[0014]

[Means for Solving the Problems]

Thus, in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention, a chamber rotatably mounted on an axle and defining an interior cavity, and having opposing surfaces mounted on the axle within the interior cavity and extending away from the axle. Placed in the interior cavity such that the rotation of the chamber causes the material to be interrupted between the interior surface of the interior cavity and the opposing surface to apply centrifugal force to the material to apply a braking force to the disk. A brake device comprising a pourable material is provided.

According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the apparatus includes a reel mounted around the axle and connected to the chamber, wherein rotation of the reel imparts rotation to the chamber.

[0016] Further according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the reel is connected to the chamber through a gear assembly. Preferably, the gear assembly increases rotation of the chamber relative to the reel.

According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the apparatus further includes a cable wound on a reel.

According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the device also includes a support loop secured to the end of the cable.

According to a further preferred embodiment of the invention, the device also comprises an outer housing connected to the axle, the chamber being inside the housing.

[0020] Further according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, at least one handle is mounted on an outer surface of the housing.

According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, at least one device for supporting a person is mounted on the outer surface of the housing.

According to a further preferred embodiment of the present invention, the material that can be poured is:
It can comprise sand or powdered materials, granular materials, liquids.

According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, a chamber is rotatably mounted on the axle and defines an internal cavity, and has opposing surfaces mounted on the axle within the internal cavity and extending away from the axle. In the internal cavity such that the rotation of the disc and the chamber imparts a centrifugal force to the material and applies a braking force to the disc, causing the material to be interrupted between the inner surface of the internal cavity and the opposite surface. A braking device is provided that includes a wedge to be placed.

According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the wedge is aligned with the brake pad. Preferably, the opposing surface is aligned with the brake pad.

[0025]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

Next, a braking device 10 constructed and operative in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention will be described.
Please refer to FIG.

The braking device 10 includes a chamber 12 rotatably mounted on an axle 14. Although the chamber 12 is shown as being composed of two halves 12A and 12B, it will be appreciated that other configurations may be used. The chamber 12 has an internal cavity 16. In the illustrated embodiment, the interior cavity has a somewhat radially shaped end, but other shapes can be used.

A disk 18 is mounted on the axle 14 in the internal cavity 16. Disc 18 preferably has opposing surfaces 20 and 22 that extend away from axle 14.

A pourable material 24 is placed in the internal cavity. The material 24 that can be poured can be any type of powder or particulate material, and can be a liquid. The best mode for carrying out the invention uses sand as the pourable material 24. Sand can withstand massive heat generation during braking without significant changes in material properties. The material 24 that can be poured is shown in FIG.
This is shown in a shape given during rotation of the chamber 12 described later. Internal cavity 16
One or more seals 25 may be provided to seal the material 24 that can be poured therein.

Preferably, a reel 26 is mounted around the axle 14 and is connected to the chamber 12 by a mechanical fastener or the like at a reference line 27. Most preferably, reel 2
6 is connected to the chamber 12 through a gear assembly 28 comprising one or more reduction gears. The rotation of the reel 26 about the axle 14 imparts rotation to the chamber 12. Gear assembly 28 preferably increases rotation of chamber 12 relative to reel 26. For example, the gear ratio can be selected such that the rotation speed of the chamber 12 is five times the rotation speed of the reel 26. The cable 30, comprising as many stranded wires as necessary for safety requirements, is preferably wound on the exterior 32 of the reel 26.

Preferably, axle 14 is supported within outer housing 34. The chamber 12 is inside a housing 34, and the gears of the gear assembly 28 are also preferably supported within the housing 34. The assembly of the chamber 12, the disk 18, the pourable material 24, the housing 34 and the cable 30 constitutes a rescue device 35.

Referring now to FIG. 2, which illustrates a person 36 using a rescue device 35 to descend from a tall building 38. The cable 30 preferably has a support loop 40 fixed at its end. Optionally, the cable 30 may terminate in a flexible belt 42. In such a case, the flexible belt 42 has a support loop 40 secured to its end.

In using the rescue device 35, the loop 40 is attached to a hook 44 or other structure that is secured to the building 38. The rescue device 35 is preferably provided with a device 46 for supporting one or more people, such as a strap 48. Preferably, one or more handles 50 are mounted on the outer surface of housing 34. Alternatively, instead of clinging to the rescue device 35, the person 36 may attach the rescue device 35 to a hook 44 and descend with a cable 30 attached to a device 46 that supports the person.

Still referring to FIG. 1, as the person 36 descends, the cable 30 is spooled from the reel 26, thereby causing the reel 26 to rotate. Rotation of the reel 26 causes faster rotation of the chamber 12 via the gear assembly 28. The rotation of the chamber 12 imparts centrifugal force to the pourable material 24, causing the internal cavity 16
The pourable material 24 is interrupted between the surfaces 20, 22 facing the inner surface of the disk 18, thus applying a braking force to the disk 18. The material 24 which can be poured in this way acts like a brake pad pressing against the disc brake. As mentioned above, the material 24 that can be poured in FIG.
2 is shown in the shape applied during rotation.

The rescue device 35 is capable of providing a person with a rescue weight in the range of 1 to 1000 kg per second.
Tests have shown that a safe descent speed of less than 5 m can be reached. Material 24 that can be poured is 1000 ° C during a few hundred meters descent
High temperatures may be reached. The sand used as the pourable material 24 effectively polishes the surfaces 20 and 22, and the sand may become a powder.
Nevertheless, the sand effectively and safely brakes the disc 18. The above values are, of course, for illustration purposes only, and the invention is not limited to these values.

Next, a braking device 6 configured and functioning according to another preferred embodiment of the present invention
Referring to FIG. The braking device 60 is substantially the same as the braking device 10,
Similar components are denoted by the same reference numerals. The braking device 60 differs from the braking device 10 in that the braking device 60 does not comprise a pourable material and includes one or more wedges that are freely located in the internal cavity. Wedge 62 is preferably aligned with brake pad 64. The disc 18 is also preferably aligned with the corresponding brake pad 66.

FIG. 3 shows one wedge 62 (disk 18) before rotation of reel 26 and chamber 12.
Of the reel 26 and another wedge 62 (disk 1) during rotation of the reel 26 and the chamber 12.
8 (left side of FIG. 8). As described above for the rescue device 35 with reference to FIG. 2, as the person 36 descends, the cable 30 is spooled from the reel 26,
Thereby, the reel 26 is rotated. The rotation of the reel 26 is the gear assembly 2
8 causes a faster rotation of the chamber 12. The rotation of the chamber 12 imparts a centrifugal force to the wedge 62, causing the wedge 62 to be cut between the brake pads 66 on the surfaces 20, 22 facing the inner surface of the internal cavity 16, and the brake pad 6 of the wedge 62.
4 applies a braking force to the disk 18. It will be appreciated that wedge 62 may have any arbitrary outer shape, corresponding to the shape of the inner surface of internal cavity 16.

It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the present invention is not limited by what has been particularly shown and described above. Rather, the scope of the present invention includes, in addition to the features described above, combinations and sub-combinations thereof that are not in the prior art but will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon reading the foregoing description.

[Brief description of the drawings]

The present invention will be more fully understood and appreciated from the following detailed description in connection with the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a simplified cross-sectional view of a braking device constructed and operative in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a simplified cross-sectional view of a rescue device having the braking device of FIG. 1 therein, constructed and operative in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a simplified cross-sectional view of a braking device constructed and operative in accordance with another preferred embodiment of the present invention.

[Procedure amendment]

[Submission date] March 7, 2001 (2001.3.7)

[Procedure amendment 1]

[Document name to be amended] Drawing

[Correction target item name] All figures

[Correction method] Change

[Correction contents]

FIG.

FIG. 2

FIG. 3

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Claims (13)

[Claims] 1. A braking device, comprising: a chamber rotatably mounted on an axle and defining an interior cavity; and an opposing surface mounted on the axle within the interior cavity and extending away from the axle. A disc; and wherein the rotation of the chamber imparts a centrifugal force to the material and applies a braking force to the disc such that the material is interrupted between an inner surface of the internal cavity and the opposing surface. And a pourable material placed in the interior cavity. 2. The braking device according to claim 1, further comprising a reel mounted around the axle and connected to the chamber, wherein rotation of the reel imparts rotation to the chamber. 3. The braking device according to claim 2, wherein the reel is connected to the chamber through a gear assembly. 4. The braking device according to claim 3, wherein said gear assembly increases rotation of said chamber relative to said reel. 5. The braking device according to claim 2, further comprising a cable wound around the reel. 6. The braking device according to claim 5, further comprising a support loop fixed to an end of the cable. 7. The braking device according to claim 1, further comprising an outer housing connected to the axle, wherein the chamber is inside the housing. 8. The braking device according to claim 7, wherein at least one handle is mounted on an outer surface of the housing. 9. The braking device according to claim 7, wherein a device for supporting at least one person is mounted on an outer surface of the housing. 10. The braking device according to claim 1, wherein the material that can be poured is selected from the group consisting of sand, powder material, granular material, and liquid. 11. A braking device, comprising: a chamber rotatably mounted on an axle and defining an interior cavity; and an opposing surface mounted to the axle within the interior cavity and extending away from the axle. A disk; and wherein rotation of the chamber imparts a centrifugal force to the material, causing the material to be interrupted between the inner surface of the internal cavity and the opposing surface to apply a braking force to the disk. And a wedge positioned within the interior cavity. 12. The braking device according to claim 11, wherein the wedge is aligned with a brake pad. 13. The braking device according to claim 11, wherein the opposing surface is aligned with a brake pad.