Patent Issued for System for dispensing flame retardant foam on exterior of a structure (USPTO 11596818): United Services Automobile Association

2023 MAR 24 (NewsRx) -- By a News Reporter-Staff News Editor at Insurance Daily News -- A patent by the inventors Amann, Manfred (San Antonio, TX, US), Beveridge, Meredith (San Antonio, TX, US), Brown, Donnette Moncrief (San Antonio, TX, US), Gingrich, Jess W. (San Antonio, TX, US), Gray, Emily Margaret (San Antonio, TX, US), Haslam, Justin Dax (San Antonio, TX, US), Maciolek, Michael J. (Boerne, TX, US), Mohs, Bobby Lawrence (San Antonio, TX, US), Schroeder, Eric David (San Antonio, TX, US), Shipley, Brian Francisco (Plano, TX, US), Simpson, Robert Wiseman (Fair Oaks Ranch, TX, US), Tijerina, Rochelle Ann (San Antonio, TX, US), filed on May 29, 2020, was published online on March 7, 2023, according to news reporting originating from Alexandria, Virginia, by NewsRx correspondents.

Patent number 11596818 is assigned to United Services Automobile Association (San Antonio, Texas, United States).

The following quote was obtained by the news editors from the background information supplied by the inventors:

“1. Field of the Invention

“The present disclosure relates to a system for dispensing flame retardant to cover a structure. In particular, the disclosure relates to a system for distributing flame retardant material to exterior walls of a house.

“2. Description of Related Art

“Destruction of buildings by fire from the outside is becoming more prevalent. The number of wild fires per year is increasing as people make greater use of developed and undeveloped areas of natural spaces. Both business, such as forestry, and personal use, such as hunting and camping, contribute to the number of fires used in natural such outdoor spaces. With an increase in the number of users comes additional pressures upon the land, both in increased fire risk but also by increased numbers of less-well trained and inexperienced users makes even a small fire a dangerous one.

“Global warming also in contributes to the danger of fires in outdoor spaces by drying the fuel sources and strengthening of storm winds, thus increasing the intensity of a fire. Wild fires tend to burn hotter, sending embers high into the wind. Thus, embers are transported farther than they have been in the past, and are distributed into a larger area. As these hotter embers and smoke are carried further, they impinge upon more and more inhabited areas. Denser habitation means denser building, and more chance of building fires.

“Defense against wild fires is difficult. Many such fires burn in areas devoid of roads. Further, such natural spaces often are devoid of on-demand water sources, such as hydrants, and there often are but few people present to fight a fire. Many structures are uninhabited for months at a time. Also, such fires may burn undetected, and so become well-established and difficult to extinguish.

“The burning of buildings in wild fires is practically inevitable. Thus, there is a need in the art for a system and method that addresses the shortcomings of the prior art discussed above.”

In addition to the background information obtained for this patent, NewsRx journalists also obtained the inventors’ summary information for this patent: “In one aspect, the disclosure provides a system for retarding flame initiating outside of a structure having at least one roof, wherein the structure includes a foam chemical storage container, the foam chemical storage container in fluid communication with a roof plenum having at least one roof opening that enables distribution of flame retardant foam onto the outer surface of the roof.

“In particular, the disclosure provides a system for retarding flame initiating outside of a structure having a roof. The structure also may have at least one wall. The structure has an opening that enables distribution of flame retardant foam onto an outer surface of the roof. Each wall may have an opening associated with the wall that enables distribution of flame retardant foam onto an outer surface of that wall.

“The system includes a foam distribution system having a foam expansion chamber in fluid communication with a first roof plenum for delivery of flame retardant foam through the first roof opening to an outer surface of the roof. Similarly, the system may have a first wall conduit for carrying flame retardant foam from the foam expansion chamber to a first wall plenum for delivery of flame retardant foam through a first wall-associated opening.

“The system also includes a foam generation system. The foam generation system comprises a foam chemical storage container in fluid communication with a foam solution storage container, and a water supply to the foam solution container.

“The foam generation system also includes a system control module that controls a first compressed air line to the system control module. The system control module also controls a first foam solution conduit from the foam solution storage container to the system control module to control air flow in second compressed air line. The controlled air from the second compressed air is used to provide a first compressed air flow and to control foam solution flow in second foam solution conduit in response to an electrical control from an electrical control unit. The electrical control unit is controlled by a communication line and a power supply line.”

The claims supplied by the inventors are:

“1. A system for retarding flame initiating outside of a structure having at least one roof, wherein the structure includes a foam chemical storage container, the foam chemical storage container being in fluid communication with a roof plenum having at least one roof opening that enables distribution of flame retardant foam onto an outer surface of the roof; wherein the system further comprises: a foam distribution system comprising a foam expansion chamber in fluid communication with the first roof plenum for delivery of flame retardant foam from the foam expansion chamber through the at least one roof opening; a foam generation system comprising the foam chemical storage container in fluid communication with a foam solution storage container, and a water supply to the foam solution container; the foam generation system further comprising a system control module that controls a first compressed air line to the system control module and a first foam solution conduit from the foam solution storage container to the system control module to control air flow in a second compressed air line to provide a first compressed air flow and to control foam solution flow in a second foam solution conduit in response to an electrical control from an electrical control unit; wherein the electrical control unit is controlled by a communication line and a power supply line; and wherein the second foam solution and the second compressed air flow are combined and supplied to the foam expansion chamber.

“2. The system of claim 1, wherein the structure further has at least one wall.

“3. The system of claim 1, wherein the structure further has at least one wall.

“4. The system of claim 2, wherein the at least one wall has at least one opening associated therewith that enables distribution of flame retardant foam onto an outer surface of that wall.

“5. The system of claim 4, wherein the foam distribution system further comprises a first soffit plenum in communication with the foam expansion chamber for delivery of flame retardant foam through the at least one wall opening.

“6. The system of claim 4, wherein the foam distribution system further comprises an opening in the roof plenum for delivery of flame retardant foam from the foam expansion chamber through the at least one wall opening.”

URL and more information on this patent, see: Amann, Manfred. System for dispensing flame retardant foam on exterior of a structure. U.S. Patent Number 11596818, filed May 29, 2020, and published online on March 7, 2023. Patent URL (for desktop use only): https://ppubs.uspto.gov/pubwebapp/external.html?q=(11596818)&db=USPAT&type=ids

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