Emergency evacuation system

Abstract

An emergency evacuation system uses three primary concepts--Retarded Free Fall, Temporary Structures and Energetics--to provide for rapid, safe rescue. An inflatable descent tube with entry ports is installed along the side of a structure or at the top of an elevator shaft. In emergency situations, a gas generator connected to the tube is activated and inflates the tube with gas. The interior surface of the tube includes energy absorption structures strategically positioned to retard the rate of fall. The structures absorb energy from falling bodies and translate some of the vertical force to horizontal force as the evacuee is temporarily deflected sideways in the tube. Friction strands cover the surfaces of the structures to further reduce velocities of falling evacuees. An inflatable exit ramp is positioned at the bottom of the tube to cushion the fall of the evacuee and lead the evacuee to safety. Back up systems, including rings of high pressure water nozzles, are installed in the tube to interrupt the evacuee's acceleration in situations where the internal structures fail. The system can be installed as one unit or broken down into multiple tube segments. The number and position of entry ports are variable, depending on the situational requirements of the structure to which the system is attached. The present invention has many configurations including fixed internal and external installations, ground and air mobile rescue units, and similar configurations for maritime applications.