United States Patent (19) 11 Patent Number: 5,067,394 Cavallero 45) Date of Patent: Nov. 26, 1991

54 AIRBORNE PARTICLE EXHAUST SYSTEM Primary Examiner-Harold Joyce 76 Inventor: Thomas Cavallero, 5714 Maywood 57 ABSTRACT Dr., Foresthill, Calif. 95631 Harmful or hazardous airborne particles are drawn 21 Appl. No.: 562,036 from rooms, hallways, or work areas by a work which is coupled to a vacuum system. When hazardous (22 Filed: Aug. 2, 1990 airborne particles are detected, the vacuum system is 51 Int. C...... F24F 11/00 activated to evacuate the particles from the area. The 52 ... 98/42.03; 98/42.06 system can also be activated manually to exhaust air 58) Field of Search...... 98/42.04, 42.03, 42.06 borne pollutants. The system exhausts airborne particles to the outside of a building or into a filter. In an emer 56 References Cited gency, occupants of a burning or contaminated struc U.S. PATENT DOCUMENTS ture are provided with an initially greater period of time 3,826, 180 7/1974 Hayashi ...... 98/42.03 in which to effect an escape before the atmosphere 3,884,133 5/1975 Miller ...... 98/42.03 within the structure becomes lethal. When under man 4,068,568 1/1978 Moss ...... 98/42.03 X ual control, the occupant's of the structure are able to 4,765,231 8/1988 Aniello ...... 98/42.03 control the quality of air in the structure and enjoy a healthier, safer environment. FOREIGN PATENT DOCUMENTS 2448057 8/1980 France ...... 98/42.03 11 Claims, 2 Drawing Sheets

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EXHAUST REGISTER U.S. Patent Nov. 26, 1991 Sheet 1 of 2 5,067,394

12 13 EXHAUST VACUUM REGISTER INET

11

CENTRAL WACUUM UNIT

FIG. 1

U.S. Patent Nov. 26, 1991 Sheet 2 of 2 5,067,394

12 EXHAUS REGISTER

14

SENSOR

FIG. 3 5,067,394 1. 2 ling a complex arrangement of several ducts and fans, ARBORNE PARTICLE EXHAUST SYSTEM moving air in and out of rooms to exhaust heat and smoke, while providing positive pressure to other BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION OOS 1. Field of the Invention The foregoing system is difficult to build, hard to The present invention relates to building exhaust and reliably control and, in the event of failure could spread ventilation systems. More particularly, the present in a fire or smoke more quickly, thereby reducing the vention relates to a system that exhausts harmful smoke, survival rate of the structure's occupants. gases, or pollutants from a building in emergency and non-emergency situations. O SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 2. Description of the Prior Art The present invention operates on a vacuum princi Most fire fatalities are the result of the victim's suc ple, not a pressure principle as in the prior art. The cumbing to the deleterious effects of smoke and gas present invention is intended for use in emergency and inhalation and not to the effects of the fire itself. During a fire, the airborne particles that result from combustion 15 non-emergency modes. In one embodiment of the in fill areas in the burning structure choking available air vention, a central vacuum system is operated to elimi supplies and blocking escape. Many of these victims are nate household and work place pollutants and contani suffocated by smoke and gas while trying to escape nants, as well as combustion byproducts. Another em from a fire because such smoke and gas have displaced bodiment of the invention provides collection and filtra the breathable air in the building. 20 tion of airborne particles. Today's advancements in material technology have The present invention is installed in, added to, or exacerbated the hazards attendant with combustion configured as a central vacuum unit of the type used in byproducts and airborne particles in both the home and residences and hotels for cleaning rugs, carpets, and the workplace. New building materials and their chem other types of floors. Controlled air registers are placed ical combinations and combustion byproducts can pro 25 at locations from which airborne particles may be most duce deadly smoke and fumes, even during minor fires. expeditiously removed. For smoke exhaust this location Compounding this hazard is the modern practice of would be hallways, corridors, or stairwells; other loca building air tight, energy efficient office buildings and tions would be determined by the suspected hazard. For homes that seal in harmful fumes and airborne particles example, the present invention could be combined with during a fire or other emergency. A device that allows 30 additional escape time during an emergency by remov kitchen and bathroom exhausts to remove unpleasant ing airborne particles from the air supply along an es odors from a building, or it could be combined with cape route or area would provide a much improved vapor or chemical exhaust systems in an industrial set survival rate for victims of fires in homes, offices, and ting to remove dangerous fumes. other structures. 35 A sensor device, when activated, operates to open an In the prior art, two similar ideas address the issue of exhaust register and activate the vacuum system. An maintaining air quality in a burning structure. In U.S. alarm may also be sounded to alert occupants of a haz Pat. No. 4,765,231, ASmoke Exhausting ardous condition in the building. For example, in one System, an existing air delivery system and reverse de embodiment of the invention the sensor is a smoke de livery motors are used to evacuate smoke in an 40 tector coupled to a central vacuum system which in affected building. During smoke evacuation, the system cludes several exhaust registers. In such system, the controls a series of motors to direct smoke through a airborne particles are removed via the registers and series of ducts. The system uses fans to push air through exhausted either outside of the structure or to a filtra a supply duct. This contaminates the fresh air supply tion or collection point. system for the building making the supply system unus 45 In another embodiment of the invention, a manually able until it is cleaned. Such cleaning can be prohibi operated system is provided to exhaust unwanted air tively expensive, involving replacement of duct work borne particles in a less critical setting or environment, and other associated costs, downtime for the system and such as for household or other indoor pollution, low resulting loss of use of the building until the system is level health hazards, or non-life-threatening industrial restored. Degraded supply system performance may 50 also result due to residual contamination that cannot be fumes or gases. Manual operation of the invention does corrected by cleaning. A detector control for such prior not initiate an alarm, but does operate a variable speed art system is designed to operate the system only in motor to control the amount of vacuum as is necessary response to smoke and does not address the issue of to remove the undesired substance from the air. hazardous fumes or other noxious pollutants. The hard 55 When the present invention is installed in conjunction ware requirements for such system include an expensive with a central vacuum unit, both systems can use a central air conditioning system. Such air conditioning shared duct with the common duct extended to the systems are not specifically designed to operate as a low exhaust register locations. In such way, installation cost speed pollutant exhaust. They have no provision for of the unit is minimized and the logistics of installation such function and must be significantly modified in in an existing structure are greatly simplified. The vac place before such prior art can be used. uum unit is modified to bypass smoke around the vac Another approach shown in the prior art is shown in uum unit's filter or collection point if desired, and an U.S. Pat. No. 3,884,133, A Fire Control System. For Mul external filter is substituted in its place. A variable speed ti-Zoned Buildings, The 133 invention is based on the motor or motor control is added which is responsive to principle of removing smoke from one area of a multi 65 both manual activation and emergency activation by a zoned building while supplying air under pressure to smoke or other hazard sensor. Thus, the same system is other areas of the building, thereby slowing the spread used as a central vacuum unit, a safety exhaust system, of the fire. This operation is accomplished by control and a ventilation system (by reversing the motors). 5,067,394 3 4. FIG. 2 shows an embodiment of the invention in BRIEF EDESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS which a stand-alone exhaust system is provided, with FIG. 1 is a block schematic representation of one out a central vacuum cleaning function. For purposes of embodiment of the present invention; the disclosure, the numerals in each Figure designate FIG. 2 is a block schematic representation of a sec like elements of the invention. Accordingly, in FIG. 2 ond embodiment of the present invention; and vacuum unit 11 is coupled to exhaust register 12 and FIG. 3 is a block schematic representation of a third operates under control of sensor 14 or manual control embodiment of the present invention. 15 to exhaust smoke, funes, and airborne particles via exhaust 16 or collection unit 17. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE O FIG. 3 shows an embodiment of the invention config INVENTION ured solely to operate as a safety device for exhausting The present invention is an airborne particle exhaust smoke, fumes, or other airborne particles from a struc vacuum system that is of a modular design and that can ture. Thus, a vacuum unit 11 operates an exhaust regis be configured in several ways, including as an original ter 12 in response to a sensor 14 to remove airborne installation or as a retrofit to existing systems. 15 particles via exhaust 16. FIG. 1 shows the present invention configured as a Although several embodiments of the invention have safety device, including a central vacuum function and been described above, such embodiments are intended a ventilation function. This embodiment of the inven to illustrate the invention. The scope of the invention tion finds its best application in homes or small offices, should only be limited as determined from the appended although other applications may be readily available for 20 claims. the invention. By combining the three above functions I claim: into one unit an economy or cost saving is achieved. 1. A central vacuum cleaning device, incorporating a The system 10 includes a central vacuum unit 11 safety device, the safety device comprising: coupled to exhaust register 12 and vacuum inlet 13. means for detecting airborne particulants; Central vacuum unit is operable in response to control 25 means responsive to said detecting means remotely signals from either sensor 14 or manual control 15. A locatable therefrom and for supplying a vacuum signal from sensor 14 also operates exhaust register 12. for operating said vacuum cleaning device as a System 10 is configured to either exhaust airborne parti safety device in response to said detecting means cles outside of a structure via exhaust 16, or collect and for otherwise operating said vacuum cleaning particles in a collection unit 17. 30 device as a central ; Exhaust register 12 is located in the area from which means coupled to said vacuum means remotely locat particles are to be removed and is operated by sensor 14 able therefrom and for porting detected airborne or manual control 15. Although one exhaust register 12 particulants from a structure in response to said is shown in FIG. 1, it will be appreciated by those vacuum means when said vacuum cleaning device skilled in the art that a plurality of exhaust registers may 35 is operated in response to said detecting means as a be provided as are required for a particular structure or safety device and for porting particles collected application. Sensor 14 is of the type known in the art for when said vacuum cleaning device is operated as a detecting smoke (e.g. a smoke detector) or for detecting central vacuum cleaner; other noxious or hazardous substances. In applying the means coupled to said vacuum means remotely locat invention, several sensors may be used at various loca 40 able therefrom and for discharging said airborne tion for detecting various types of fumes or smoke. An particulants collected by said porting means at a alarm 18 is included to warn occupants in the structure collection or dispersal location when said vacuum of the hazard. Various alarms can indicate different cleaning device is operated in response to said conditions and the alarm may be either visual or aural, detecting means as a safety device. or both. 45 2. The safety device of claim 1, further comprising When the vacuum unit 11 is used as a central vacuum alarm means for indicating system actuation. cleaner unit, exhaust registers 12 remain closed and 3. The safety device of claim 1, wherein said vacuum vacuum inlets 13 are accessed. When fumes are to be means is operable in response to actuation of a manual removed, either through sensor actuation or by manual control means. operation, vacuum inlets 13 remain closed and exhaust 50 4. The safety device of claim 1, wherein said vacuum register 12 is opened. means is operable at a plurality of selected power levels. Vacuum unit 11 may be operable at various power 5. The safety device of claim 1, further comprising a levels. For example, a high power level may be used to vacuum port operable under manual control as a clean exhaust dangerous contaminants from the structure; a ing means for removing undesirable particles from a medium power level may used when the invention is 55 structure. operated as a vacuum cleaner; and a lower power level 6. In a central vacuum cleaner system situated in a may be used when the exhaust system is manually oper structure and operable at least one vacuum port for ated to remove undesirable, but otherwise harmless, collecting undesired particles and for routing said parti fumes or odors. cles to a collection point, an exhaust system for with During normal operation as a vacuum cleaner, dirt drawing contaminated air from said structure, compris removed by the system is collected in collection unit or ling: filter 17. During emergency or manual exhaust opera means for operating said central vacuum cleaner sys tion, fumes or smoke are vented to the outside of the tem as a safety device in response to a detecting structure via exhaust 16. In some embodiments of the means and for otherwise operating said vacuum invention, smoke or fumes may be collected in a filter 65 cleaning system as a central vacuum cleaner, said unit to prevent air pollution (e.g. when hazardous means being remotely locatable from said central chemical fumes are exhausted), or the collection unit vacuum system for actuating said central vacuum may serve to collect both dirt and airborne particles. system; 5,067,394 5 6 means, coupled to said central vacuum system and 7. The system of claim 6, wherein said means for remotely locatable therefron, within said structure actuating is operable in response to user selection. for porting said contaminated air from said struc 8. The system of claim 6, wherein said means for ture when said central vacuum cleaner system is actuating is operable in response to an environmental operated in response to said detecting means as a 5 hazard. 9. The system of claim 8, wherein said environmental safety device and for porting particles collected hazard is a combustion by product. when said central vacuum cleaning system is oper 10. The system of claim 8, wherein operation of said ated as a central vacuum cleaner; and actuating means operates an alarm means for indicating means, coupled to said central vacuum cleaner sys O said actuation. tem and remotely locatable therefrom, for dis 11. The system of claim 6, wherein said discharging charging said contaminated air from said structure means is operable to collect airborne particles contained when said central vacuum cleaning system is oper in said contaminated air. ated as a safety device. 15

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