RU2797298C1 - Rescue device with a guide having a variable form in the longitudinal direction and a method for magnetic brake - Google Patents

Abstract

FIELD: people rescuing devices.

SUBSTANCE: inventions group relates to a method and device for rescuing people and goods from high structures or natural objects. The rescue device includes an elongated non-magnetic guide and a descent platform. The guide is electrically conductive, and the descent platform is equipped with permanent magnets and is configured to move along the guide to ensure the interaction of permanent magnets with eddy currents in the guide, which generates an electromagnetic braking force to move the descent platform along the guide. The guide has a variable shape in the longitudinal direction, providing a gap between the permanent magnets and the guide at the lower end of the guide is less than at the upper end and/or the middle section of the guide. A person or a load stands on the platform and descends under the influence of gravity at a speed determined by the electromagnetic braking forces acting between the permanent magnets and the electrically conductive path.

EFFECT: automatic braking of the rescue device is provided without the use of braking devices while eliminating the need to use a plurality of permanent magnets on the guide along which the rescue device moves.

15 cl, 3 dwg

Description

The field of technology to which the invention belongs

The invention relates to a method and device for moving people and goods from high structures or natural objects. The invention can be used to rescue people from high-rise buildings, rocks, sheer walls in the mountains and other natural objects, descend into mines, in the design of elevators and elevators, in construction, but its application is not limited to this.

State of the art

For the evacuation of people or goods from high-rise buildings in conditions where the normal exit of people from the building is difficult (power is turned off, smoke on the fire escape, etc.), there are various devices. As a prototype adopted rescue system on the electromagnetic principle according to the patent US8561759.

The essence of the prototype is as follows. A person wears a special life jacket with a non-magnetic metal plate that moves along a vertical guide that limits movement in horizontal directions. On the building, along this vertical guide, a vertical strip of permanent magnets is mounted. When a metal plate falls down, eddy currents are induced in it, which are acted upon by ponderomotive forces that slow down the fall. When a certain falling speed is reached, the retarding electromagnetic force will balance the force of gravitational attraction and the fall will continue at a constant speed. Movement in horizontal directions is impossible due to the fixation of the plate in the guide.

The disadvantages of the known method and device are as follows.

1) Strong permanent magnets installed along the entire height of the building create electromagnetic interference and affect the performance of household electrical equipment in the building, as well as pacemakers. It is difficult to shield such a distributed interference.

2) Strong permanent magnets on the building attract various magnetic debris (nuts, screws, used machine oil with steel chips, etc.). When a person descends, this debris will disrupt the normal functioning of the device. To keep the rescue system working, it is necessary to regularly clean the strip of permanent magnets from debris, which is not easy, given the height of the buildings.

Disclosure of invention

The objective of the invention is to provide automatic braking of the rescue device without the use of braking devices while eliminating the need to use a plurality of permanent magnets on the guide along which the rescue device moves.

The task of the invention is solved with the help of a rescue device, consisting of an elongated non-magnetic guide and a platform for descent. The guide is electrically conductive, and the descent platform is provided with permanent magnets and is movable along the guide so that the permanent magnets interact with the guide.

The interaction of permanent magnets with eddy currents in the guide generates an electromagnetic braking force to move the descent platform along the guide. The descent platform is designed to move from the upper end and/or the middle section of the guide to the lower end of the guide. The guide has such a variable shape in the longitudinal direction that the gap between the permanent magnets and the guide at one (lower) end of the guide is smaller than at the other (upper) end and/or the middle section of the guide. This ensures that the permanent magnets approach the guide when the descent platform moves towards the end of the guide, which increases the electromagnetic braking force and slows down the descent platform at the end of the descent.

Preferably, the descent platform may include a descent stabilization mechanism that limits movement of the descent platform in directions transverse to the longitudinal direction of the guide. In addition, the descent platform may contain sliders or rollers that provide movement along the guide. The descent platform preferably allows a standing person to be placed on it. In some embodiments, the descent platform may include an inductor that generates electricity using eddy currents induced when the descent platform moves along the guide, and a lighting device that illuminates using electricity generated by the inductor.

The permanent magnets can advantageously be arranged in four groups distributed in pairs in the longitudinal and transverse directions of the longitudinal guide. In addition, permanent magnets can be placed in pairs and oppositely on different sides of the guide. In a particular case, permanent magnets can be made in the form of Halbach assemblies.

In one embodiment, the guide may be made in the form of a flat metal sheet of non-magnetic metal. Such a metal sheet may be profiled in cross section, and the profile may have a part for interaction with permanent magnets and a part for ensuring the movement of the descent platform along the guide. In this case, the part for interaction with permanent magnets and the part for ensuring the movement of the descent platform along the guide can be located relative to each other at different distances in the transverse direction in the middle of the guide and at its end.

Alternatively, the guide may comprise a rail in which the rollers or sliders of the descent platform can move, limiting the movement of the descent platform in directions transverse to the longitudinal direction of the elongated guide. In one of the embodiments of the invention, the end of the guide may be angled in the longitudinal direction relative to its middle part.

The objective of the invention is also solved by using the method of magnetic braking of the rescue device according to any of the above options, comprising the following steps: placing the platform of descent at the upper end or in the middle part of the guide and provide a predetermined gap of permanent magnets from the guide; start moving the platform of the descent to the lower end of the guide; reduce the gap of permanent magnets from the guide, when approaching the descent platform to the lower end of the guide; slow down the movement of the descent platform.

In addition, before starting the movement of the descent platform, a rescued object is mainly placed on it, and the movement of the descent platform to the second end of the guide occurs under the action of gravity of the descent platform and the rescued object placed on the descent platform.

The technical result consists in providing automatic deceleration of the descent platform at the final stage of its descent, i.e. when moving along the bottom section of the guide. At the end of the descent of the rescued object (person, animal, cargo), the rescue device slows down its movement and the rescued object safely and comfortably pumps the descent, which increases the safety of the stop. Further, the rescued person, without injury or loss of consciousness caused by an abrupt stop without applying braking in accordance with the present invention, can leave the descent site, and the rescue device itself can be used to rescue the next object.

Brief description of the drawings

In FIG. 1 shows a block diagram of a rescue device.

In FIG. 2 shows one version of the guide section.

In FIG. 3 shows another version of the cross section of the guide.

Implementation of the invention

The invention will now be described with reference to the figures, which show possible embodiments of the invention. The described options, incl. shown in the figures are not limiting the scope of protection of the invention and are intended only to clarify its essence. The scope of protection of the invention is determined by the following claims.

In FIG. 1 shows a structural diagram of a rescue device. The device contains an elongated guide 1 and a descent platform 2, which has permanent magnets 4 and can be equipped with rollers 3. lives and goods) during its operation in emergency situations, such as a fire. It is important that one end of the rail is higher than the other end so that the descent platform can move from top to bottom under the influence of gravity without any power sources.

The guide is electrically conductive, which is necessary to excite eddy currents in it due to the movement of magnets around it. It can be made, for example, using metal, which simplifies its manufacture, since in this embodiment only metal parts are required for its manufacture. In another embodiment, the guide may be made of other materials, incl. dielectric, but provided with an electrically conductive (for example, metallic) layer, which can be created, for example, by sputtering, gluing foil or plates, etc.

The guide is made using non-magnetic metals, which may include aluminum, copper, titanium, duralumin, bronze, non-magnetic stainless steel, etc. In the case of using a non-magnetic metal, the design of the guide and / or the descent platform is simplified, since in this case there is no need to provide a gap between permanent magnets and the guide, which would ensure that the magnets do not stick to the guide (and, as a result, the impossibility of moving them relative to the guide), which is necessary for guides made of ferromagnetic metals. In addition, for a non-magnetic guide there is no problem of cleaning it from adhering iron debris.

In one embodiment, the guide may be made in the form of a flat metal sheet. As shown in FIG. 2, such a metal sheet may be profiled in cross section, and the profile may have a part 10 for interaction with permanent magnets and a part (or several parts 11) to ensure movement of the landing along the guide. Part 10 for interacting with permanent magnets and parts 11 for ensuring the movement of the descent platform along the guide are located relative to each other at a distance h in the transverse direction. As explained below, this distance h in the transverse direction can be different in the middle of the guide and at its end.

Alternatively, the guide may comprise a rail. In FIG. 3 shows an example of a cross section of such a guide. The outer surface 20 of the rail head can be designed to interact with permanent magnets, and the base 22 can be used to attach the rail to, for example, a wall of a house. Between the base and the head of the rail there is a neck 22, near which recesses are formed, in which (or in which) the rollers or sliders of the descent platform can move with limitation of movement of the descent platform in directions transverse to the longitudinal direction of the elongated guide. As explained later, the end of the guide may be angled in the longitudinal direction with respect to its middle, or the head height d may be different for the end and the middle of the guide.

The descent platform 2 is equipped with permanent magnets 4 and moves along the guide 1 ensuring the interaction of the permanent magnets 4 with the guide 1.

Permanent magnets may be incorporated into or attached to the descent platform in a permanent or replaceable manner. The connection may be detachable or permanent, glued, screwed, clamped, welded or any other known from the prior art.

Permanent magnets can advantageously be placed in four groups distributed in pairs in the longitudinal and transverse directions of the longitudinal guide, which ensures the stability of the position of the descent platform and the magnets relative to the guide. In addition, the permanent magnets can be placed in pairs and opposite sides of the guide, as explained below.

In a particular case, permanent magnets can be made in the form of Halbach assemblies. Such assemblies of permanent magnets consist of a line of uniformly magnetized permanent magnets assembled in sequence, in which each subsequent permanent magnet has its magnetization vector rotated relative to the previous permanent magnet by a fixed angle multiple of 90°. Typically this angle is 90° or 45°. A characteristic feature of such an assembly is the strengthening of the magnetic field on one side. Such an assembly of permanent magnets makes it possible to increase the braking force almost twice as compared with the constant orientation of the magnetization vector of the magnets. Therefore, Halbach assemblies are the preferred option for installing magnetic assemblies at the descent site.

The descent platform and the guide have such interacting surfaces or shapes that provide the location of the descent platform in close proximity to the guide and its movement along the guide. For example, the guide may be flat and provided with ribs that prevent the descent platform from moving away from the guide. Or the descent platform may be provided with protrusions covering the edges of the guide and ensuring that the descent platform is located near the guide. In other embodiments, the descent platform may have a longitudinal rib that may fit into a recess in the guide. In addition, other options are possible.

To avoid possible undesirable effects of turning over and hooks in the prototype, in some embodiments, mechanisms for automatic correction of the trajectory of movement can be provided - mechanical or electromagnetic. The descent stabilization mechanism limits the movement of the descent platform in directions transverse to the longitudinal direction of the guide. In addition, the descent platform may contain sliders or rollers that provide movement along the guide.

In the first (mechanical) version of motion stabilization, it is proposed to make a guide from a flat metal sheet fixed outside to the wall of a building or natural object, and a rail installed along the metal sheet. The platform is equipped with rollers or sliders that move freely in the rail profile down along the motion path specified by the rail. At the same time, the profile of the rail limits the ability of the trolley to move in directions perpendicular to the trajectory of movement.

In the second (electromagnetic) version of motion stabilization, it is proposed, as in the first version, to make the guide in the form of a flat metal sheet. However, instead of rollers in the rail profile, it is proposed to place magnets in pairs on both sides of the sheet to stabilize the movement. The magnets are arranged in pairs (pair groups) so that the approach of one magnet of the pair to the conductor would mean the removal of the other magnet of the pair from the conductor. It is known that the force of repulsion of a magnet from a conductor depends non-linearly on the distance between the magnet and the conductor. Therefore, when one magnet of a pair approaches a conductor, the force repelling that magnet will not be compensated by the repulsion of the second magnet of the pair located farther from the conductor. This means the appearance of negative feedback, which automatically returns the platform that has deviated from the trajectory of movement to its natural position.

To eliminate tilts, it is enough to spread the magnets in height, i.e. total to have (at least) four magnets (groups of magnets).

At the same time, it should be noted that the descent platform and/or guide may not be provided with descent stabilization mechanisms. In such embodiments, the location of the descent platform near the guide can be provided by limiters (sides, profiles, etc.) that prevent the descent platform from deviating from the guide.

The descent platform should be located at such a distance from the guide that the interaction of the permanent magnets with which the platform is equipped with the guide is ensured. The interaction of the magnets with the guide should ensure that the permanent magnets moving along the guide induce eddy currents sufficient to provide braking when the speed of the platform exceeds a safe value.

As is known from electrodynamics (see I.E. Tamm “Fundamentals of the Theory of Electricity”, M: Nauka, 1989), the movement of a permanent magnet causes the appearance of eddy currents in nearby current conductors. The magnitude of the currents is greater, the greater the speed of movement of the magnet. These eddy currents create electromagnetic forces that act on both the magnet and the conductors. And the direction of the forces is such that they slow down and repel the moving magnet from the conductors.

Thus, during the free fall of the platform, the permanent magnets fixed on it cause eddy currents in the guide, which slow down the movement of the platform and repel it from the conductor. The descent speed is limited by the braking effect of the electromagnetic forces acting between the magnets and the metal profile. This allows you to make the descent smooth, without jerking. No internal or external power supply is required for this system.

The speed of platform movement for a given range of weights of lowered cargoes depends on the total magnetic moment of the installed permanent magnets and is adjusted by changing the number of magnets, without altering the guide. The speed of movement, regulated by the braking force, should not exceed the known value of the maximum safe speed of movement. The value of the maximum safe speed depends on the application (for example, it may differ for the transport of people and goods) and can be chosen optimally.

The proposed rescue device works as follows. The descent platform preferably allows a standing person to be placed on it. A person stands on the descent platform, which is on a safety stopper to prevent descent without a load. Under the influence of a weight above a predetermined limit, the stopper is turned off and the descent platform begins to move down under the action of gravity. When the descent platform reaches the lower point, the descent platform stops on the stopper.

Such rescue devices known from the prior art have such a disadvantage as an abrupt stop of the descent platform when reaching the bottom point. This can cause injury or discomfort to descending people or animals, and damage the descending payload.

To overcome this disadvantage, the rescue device in accordance with the present invention slows down the speed of movement of the descent platform when the platform approaches the end of the guide (ground). To do this, the guide has a variable shape in the longitudinal direction, providing a gap between the permanent magnets and the guide at one end (lower) of the guide is less than at the other end (upper) and/or the middle section of the guide. Due to this, when the descent platform is moved to the lower end of the guide with a smaller gap between the guide and permanent magnets, the permanent magnets approach the guide, which increases the electromagnetic braking force and slows down the descent platform at the end of the descent.

In particular, a guide having a cross section as shown in FIG. 2 may have a different distance h between the part 10, with which the permanent magnets interact, and the parts 11, on which the rollers roll, the guides slide or the magnets of the descent stabilization mechanism interact, in different parts of the guide. For example, the guide at one end (lower) has a distance h greater than this distance at the other end and in the middle of the guide.

Since the distance between the elements of the descent stabilization mechanism (rollers, guides or stabilization magnets) and the permanent magnets that provide braking does not change in the descent platform, when the platform moves from one end (or middle) to the other end (lower), the surface 10 of the guide is closer to the permanent magnets as it gets farther away from the parts 11 on which the stabilization mechanism rolls. As a result, the braking force caused by the eddy currents induced by the permanent magnets in the guide portion 10 increases, and the descent platform slows down.

Alternatively, a guide having the cross section shown in FIG. 3, may have different heights d of the rail head in different parts of the rail, with which the permanent magnets of the descent platform interact. For example, the rail at one end (lower) has a height d of the rail head greater than this height at the other end and in the middle of the rail.

Since the distance between the elements of the descent stabilization mechanism (rollers, guides or stabilization magnets) and the permanent magnets that provide braking does not change in the descent platform, when the platform moves from one end (or middle) to the other end (lower), the surface 20 of the guide is closer to the permanent magnets as it gets further away from the parts 21 and 22 on which the stabilization mechanism rolls. As a result, the braking force caused by the eddy currents induced by the permanent magnets in the guide portion 20 increases, and the descent platform slows down.

In yet another embodiment, the gap between the permanent magnets and the guide may vary due to the fact that the end of the guide (eg, bottom) may be angled in the longitudinal direction relative to its middle part. If the descent platform stabilizes its position under its own weight, then this will give it a certain position in space. Then, when it is moved to a section of the guide with a different angular spatial position, it will change (reduce) the distance between the permanent magnets and the guide, which will increase braking and slow down the descent site.

Other options for slowing down the descent platform at the end of the guide are also possible due to the fact that the guide has such a variable shape in the longitudinal direction that the gap between the permanent magnets and the guide at one end of the guide is smaller than at the other end and/or the middle section of the guide.

In accordance with the invention, the magnetic braking of the rescue device is carried out as follows. The descent platform is placed at the upper end or in the middle part of the guide and permanent magnets are located with a given gap from the guide. The gap is set taking into account the need to ensure such an electromagnetic braking interaction of permanent magnets and the guide, which will ensure a comfortable and / or safe speed of descent of the platform with a load, a person or an animal. Next, the movement of the descent platform to the lower end of the guide is started. As the platform descends, when the descent platform approaches the second end of the guide, the gap between the permanent magnets decreases relative to the initial gap, and this slows down the movement of the descent platform (i.e., slows down its movement, reduces its speed).

Thanks to the present invention, at the final stage of the descent of the platform, i.e. when moving along the section of the guide adjacent to the second end, it slows down. Since the second end of the guide during normal operation is located at the bottom, and the salvage object (person, animal, cargo) is located on the descent site, at the end of the descent of the salvage object, the rescue device slows down its movement and the salvage object safely and comfortably pumps the descent, which increases the safety of stopping. Further, the rescued person, without injury or loss of consciousness caused by an abrupt stop without applying braking in accordance with the present invention, can leave the descent site, and the rescue device itself can be used to rescue the next object. Deceleration occurs autonomously and automatically, i.e. by itself, by changing the gap between the permanent magnets and the guide, due to the fact that the shape of the guide at one (lower) end differs from the shape at the other end and in the middle part of the guide.

The descent device can be made, for example, in the form of a flat platform or a cabin. The rescue device can operate without load, but before starting the movement of the descent platform, a rescued object is mainly placed on it, and the movement of the descent platform to the second end of the guide occurs under the action of gravity of the descent platform and the rescued object placed on the descent platform, faster. In addition, before starting the rescue device, the first end of the guide is preferably set higher than the second end of the guide, although in general the rescue device can work even in a horizontal position if the platform is moved along the guide.

As for the magnetic interference, it will be less than in the prototype, for a number of reasons. First, rescue devices can be stored compactly in the attic or roof of a building. Secondly, the room where rescue devices are stored can be shielded, for example, upholstered with steel sheet. Thirdly, the total number of magnets must be less than in the prototype.

Therefore, this system retains all the advantages of the prototype over traditionally used rescue systems: compactness, energy independence, ease of use, the ability to install on new and existing high-rise structures or steep cliffs in mountains or rocks.

At the same time, the proposed system is free from the shortcomings of the prototype.

In some embodiments, to improve safety, the descent platform may contain an inductor that generates electricity using eddy currents induced when the descent platform moves along the guide, and a lighting device that illuminates using electricity generated by the inductor. The inductors will convert the induced eddy currents into electricity to illuminate the descent site. Such a system does not require chemical current sources and therefore the shelf life is limited only by the degradation of the insulation and LED light sources. The choice of various shapes and materials of conductive metal tracks along the path allows you to adjust the speed of the movement of the load along the trajectory.

Claims (19)

1. Rescue device, which includes an elongated non-magnetic guide and a descent platform, wherein the guide is electrically conductive, and the descent platform is equipped with permanent magnets and is configured to move along the guide so that the permanent magnets interact with eddy currents in the guide, which generates an electromagnetic braking force for movement descent platform along the guide, and the guide has a variable shape in the longitudinal direction, providing a gap between the permanent magnets and the guide at the lower end of the guide is less than at the upper end and/or the middle section of the guide. 2. Rescue device according to claim 1, characterized in that the descent platform contains a mechanism for stabilizing the descent, made with the possibility of limiting the movement of the descent platform in directions transverse to the longitudinal direction of the guide. 3. Rescue device according to claim 1, characterized in that the descent platform contains sliders or rollers that provide movement along the guide. 4. Rescue device according to claim 1, characterized in that the descent platform provides the possibility of placing a standing person on it. 5. Rescue device according to claim 1, characterized in that the descent platform contains an inductor configured to generate electricity using eddy currents induced when the descent platform moves along the guide, and a lighting device configured to illuminate using electricity generated by the inductor. 6. Rescue device according to claim. 1, characterized in that the permanent magnets are placed in four groups, distributed in pairs in the longitudinal and transverse directions of the longitudinal guide. 7. Rescue device according to claim 1, characterized in that the permanent magnets are placed in pairs and opposite on different sides of the guide. 8. Rescue device according to claim 1, characterized in that the permanent magnets are made in the form of Halbach assemblies. 9. Rescue device according to claim 1, characterized in that the guide is made in the form of a flat metal sheet of non-magnetic metal. 10. Rescue device according to claim 9, characterized in that the metal sheet is profiled in cross section, and the profile has a part for interaction with permanent magnets and a part for ensuring movement of the descent platform along the guide. 11. Rescue device according to claim 10, characterized in that the part for interaction with permanent magnets and the part for ensuring the movement of the descent platform along the guide are located relative to each other at different distances in the transverse direction in the middle of the guide and at its end. 12. Rescue device according to claim. 1, characterized in that the guide contains a rail, made with the possibility of moving in it the rollers or sliders of the descent platform with limitation of movement of the descent platform in directions transverse to the longitudinal direction of the elongated guide. 13. Rescue device according to claim 1, characterized in that the end of the guide is located at an angle in the longitudinal direction relative to its middle part. 14. Method of magnetic braking rescue device according to any one of paragraphs. 1-13 containing the following steps: placing a landing platform at the upper end or in the middle of the guide and providing a predetermined clearance of the permanent magnets from the guide; start moving the platform of the descent to the lower end of the guide; reduce the gap of the permanent magnets from the guide when approaching the descent platform to the lower end of the guide; slow down the movement of the descent platform. 15. The method according to claim 14, characterized in that before starting the movement of the descent platform, a salvageable object is predominantly placed on it, and the descent platform moves to the second end of the guide under the action of gravity of the descent platform and the rescued object placed on the descent platform.

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