The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Jul. 05, 2016
Filed:
Apr. 02, 2014
David C. Douglas, Palo Alto, CA (US);
David C. Douglas, Palo Alto, CA (US);
Other;
Abstract
A fire-protection mechanism is described. The fire-protection mechanism includes multiple, overlapping cavities that can be filled with water (and, more generally, a fluid). When the fire-protection mechanism is deployed over an object, such as a building, and the cavities are filled with water, the fire-protection mechanism reduces the likelihood that the object is damaged by the heat associated with a fire proximate to the object, such as a wild fire. In particular, the heat capacity and latent heat of the water significantly increase the thermal time constant of the object, thereby reducing the likelihood of combustion. The fire-protection mechanism may include a reflective coating to redirect infrared radiation away from the object to provide further protection. In addition, the water in the cavities may be refilled, as needed, by directing a stream of water onto the fire-protection mechanism and/or through an internal channel in the fire-protection mechanism.