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|||||I||||||||US005345830A United States Patent (19) 11 Patent Number: 5,345,830 Rogers et al. 45 Date of Patent: ck Sep. 13, 1994 54 FIRE FIGHTING TRAINER AND APPARATUS INCLUDING A OTHER PUBLICATIONS TEMPERATURE SENSOR "Fire Trainer T-2000” manual, AAI corporation, un dated. 75) Inventors: William Rogers, Hopatcong; James "Trainer Engineering Report for Advanced Fire Fight J. Ernst, Livingston; Steven ing Surface Ship Trainer', Austin Electronics, Jan. Williamson, Haledon; Dominick J. 1988 (excerpt). Musto, Middlesex, all of N.J. Primary Examiner-Hezron E. Williams 73) Assignee: Symtron Systems, Inc., Fair Lawn, Assistant Examiner-George M. Dombroske N.J. Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Richard T. Laughlin * Notice: The portion of the term of this patent 57 ABSTRACT subsequent to Jan. 8, 2008 has been A fire fighting trainer for use in training fire fighters is disclaimed. provided. The fire fighting trainer includes a structure (21) Appl. No.: 80,484 having a plurality of chambers having concrete or grat ing floors. Each chamber contains one or a series of real 22 Filed: Jun. 18, 1993 or simulated items, which are chosen from a group of items, such as furniture and fixtures and equipment. The Related U.S. Application Data trainer also includes a smoke generating system having 60 Division of Ser. No. 873,965, Apr. 24, 1992, Pat. No. a smoke generator having a smoke line with an outlet 5,233,869, which is a continuation of Ser. No. 625,210, for each chamber. The trainer also includes a propane Dec. 10, 1990, abandoned, which is a continuation-in gas flame generating system having at least one propane part of Ser. No. 387,348, Aug. 9, 1989, Pat. No. gas pressure controller and a gas line with a burner 4,983,124, which is a continuation-in-part of Ser. No. control and one or more single element or multi-ele 238,453, Aug. 30, 1988, Pat. No. 4,861,270. ment burners for each chamber. The trainer has a main 51) Int. Cl........................ G09B 19/00; G01F 23/22 control panel for regulating the flame generating system 52 U.S. C. ...................................... 73/866; 434/226; and the smoke generating system and for controlling the 374/100; 374/208 fire, or fires, and smoke in each chamber. The trainer 58 Field of Search .......................... 73/866; 250/343; also has one or more sensor assemblies in each chamber, 340/630; 434/226,219; 356/438,439; 374/100, which senses water, foam, powder and inert gas agent 194, 208, 209 application, and which is connected to the main control panel to sense and report what and where and how an 56) References Cited extinguishing material or medium or agent is being used U.S. PATENT DOCUMENTS in each chamber during a test of trainees or fire fighters, so that the single fire or spreading fire and smoke can be 3,071,872 1/1963 Hart .................................... 434/226 simultaneously regulated or reset to suit the conditions 3,156,908 11/1964 Kopan et al. ... ... 434/226 in the chamber. The trainer includes a combination of 3,451,147 6/1969 Mehlig et al........................ 434/219 individual sensors forming a detector assembly which (List continued on next page.) may include different sensing element types, and also include temperature sensors to monitor heat levels in FOREIGN PATENT DOCUMENTS the chambers. 0828203 5/1981 U.S.S.R. .............................. 434/226 9002393 3/1990 World Int. Prop. O. ... 434/226 92021118A 11/1992 World Int. Prop. O. .......... 434/226 2 Claims, 12 Drawing Sheets 5,345,830 Page 2 U.S. PATENT DOCUMENTS 4,303,396 12/1981 Swiatosz ............................. 434/226 4,303,397 2/1981 Swiatosz ... ... 434/226 3,675,342 7/1972 Wolff .................................. 434/226 4,437,014 3/1984 Jones ............ ... 250/439 3,675,343 7/1972 Swiatosz et al. ... 434/226 4,526,548 7/1985 Livingston ....... ... 434/226 4,001,949 1/1977 Francis ... ... 434/226 4,861,270 8/1989 Ernst et al........................... 434/226 4,232,307 11/1980 Marsocci.... ... 356/439 4,983,124 l/1991 Ernst et al........................... 434/226 4,237,452 12/1980 Malinowski ... 356/439 5,053,754 10/1991 Wong........... ... 250/343 4,297,578 10/1981 Carter ............ ... 356/439 5,055,050 10/1991 Rogers et al..... ... 434/226 4,299,579 11/1981 Swiatosz et al. .................... 434/226 5,175,433 12/1992 Browner et al. .................... 250/343t U.S. Patent Sep. 13, 1994 Sheet 2 of 12 5,345,830 U.S. Patent Sep. 13, 1994 Sheet 3 of 12 5,345,830 U.S. Patent Sep. 13, 1994 Sheet 4 of 12 5,345,830 SMOK GNE&ATOR JUNCTION BOX U.S. Patent Sep. 13, 1994 Sheet 5 of 12 5,345,830 U.S. Patent Sep. 13, 1994 Sheet 6 of 12 5,345,830 U.S. Patent Sep. 13, 1994 Sheet 7 of 12 5,345,830 U.S. Patent Sep. 13, 1994 Sheet 8 of 12 5,345,830 3 O ENTRAINMENT A. R. SUPPLY i. 364 / ENTRAINMENT AR SUPPLY A. 354. MAN GAS WS PILOT GAS NET NET 3 se F.G. 13 U.S. Patent Sep. 13, 1994 Sheet 9 of 12 5,345,830 U.S. Patent Sep. 13, 1994 Sheet 10 of 12 5,345,830 U.S. Patent Sep. 13, 1994 Sheet 11 of 12 5,345,830 s U.S. Patent Sep. 13, 1994 Sheet 12 of 12 5,345,830 5,345,830 1. 2 of multi-sensor units disposed in the shares of the re FIRE FIGHTING TRANER AND APPARATUS spective chambers under the respective elements and INCLUDING A TEMPERATURE SENSOR each multi-sensor unit connecting to a main control panel. This is a division of application Ser. No. 07/873,965 By using the sensing system having a plurality of filed Apr. 24, 1992 now U.S. Pat. No. 5,233,869 which sensors disposed in the respective chambers and con is continuation of application Ser. No. 07/625,210 filed necting to control panel, the problem of not being able Dec. 10, 1990 now abandoned, which in turn was a to determine which ones of the materials are being used continuation-in-part application of application Ser. No. by the fire fighters simultaneously with the testing of 07/387,348 filed Aug. 9, 1989 (U.S. Pat. No. 4,983,124), 10 which in turn was a continuation-in-part of application the fire fighters is avoided. By using floors with spaces Ser. No. 07/238,453, filed Aug. 30, 1988 (U.S. Pat. No. and gratings and multi-element burner units in the 4,861,270). spaces, the problem of not being able to simulate a The invention relates to a fire fighting trainer, and in spreading fire is avoided. particular the invention relates to a fire fighting trainer 15 By using the single-element and multi-element burn having single- and multi-element, flame generation ers, the problem of build up of unburned gas within the burner units, and having a multi-sensor unit, a smoke training area is avoided. By using the particular smoke generator and a control and recording apparatus. generation system described herein the problem of inef ficiency of production and distribution of smoke is BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 20 avoided. The prior art fire fighting trainer is described in U.S. The foregoing and other objects, features and the Pat. No. 4,526,548, issued Jul. 2, 1985. Related patents advantages of the invention will be apparent from the include U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,071,872, issued Jan. 8, 1963; following description of the preferred embodiment of 3,156,908, issued Nov. 10, 1964; 3,451,147, issued Jun. the invention as illustrated in the accompanying draw 24, 1969; 3,675,342, issued Jul. 11, 1972; 3,675,343, is 25 Ings. sued Jul. 11, 1972, and 4,001,949, issued Jan. 11, 1977 and 4,303,396 issued Dec. 1, 1981. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Other related patents include U.S. Pat. Nos. FIG. 1 is a schematic plan view of a fire fighting 4,526,548, issued Jul. 2, 1985; 4,303,396, issued Dec. 1, trainer according to the present invention; 1981; 3,071,872, issued January 1983; 3,156,908, issued 30 FIG. 2 is an enlarged perspective view of a portion of November 1964; 3,451,147, issued June 1969; 3,675,342, FIG. 1; issued July 1972; 3,675,343, issued July 1972; 4,001,949, FIG. 3 is an enlarged perspective view of a portion of issued January 1977; 4,299,579, issued Nov. 10, 1981; FIG. 1; and 4,303,397, issued Dec. 1, 1981. FIG. 4 is an enlarged perspective view of a portion of The prior art fire fighting trainer includes a plurality 35 FIG. 1; of chambers having respective contents including items FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram corresponding to a chosen from a group of items including furniture and portion of FIG. 1; fixtures and equipment, a smoke generating system hav FIG. 6 is an enlarged perspective view of a portion of ing a plurality of outlets disposed in the respective FIG. 1; chambers, and a flame generating system having a plu FIG. 7 is an enlarged perspective view of a portion of rality of outlets disposed in the respective chambers, FIG.1; and a control and monitoring system. FIG. 8 is an enlarged perspective view of a portion of One problem with the prior art fire fighting trainer is FIG. 1; that there is no way to determine which ones of the FIG.9 is an enlarged perspective view of a portion of extinguishment agents are being used by the firefighters 45 simultaneously with the testing of the fire fighters.