Method and apparatus for rescuing occupants from high rise building using replaceable cable cartridges and dynamic resistance device

A rescue system for rescuing occupants from high floors in high rise buildings, comprising:

• a frame positioned adjacent an open or openable escape portion of a building, the escape portion being open or openable to the outside of the building;
• dynamic resistance means for creating a resistance to a gravity force acting on a person to be rescued, said dynamic resistance means having a shaft coupled thereto, said shaft being mounted to said frame such that said shaft is rotatable relative to said frame to drive said dynamic resistance means;
• and
• a removable and replaceable cable cartridge comprising a rotatable housing which is removably coupled to said dynamic resistance means so as to rotate said dynamic resistance means upon rotation of said rotatable housing, and said cable cartridge having a cable pre-rolled on said rotatable housing, said cable having a free end which is connectable to the person to be rescued;
• wherein when the person to be rescued goes out from the escape portion of the building, a falling motion of the person causes the cable to move with the same speed as the speed of falling of the person, thus causing said rotatable housing to rotate which in turn causes said dynamic resistance means to rotate and to create a resistance to the falling speed, until the falling speed of the person reaches a substantially equilibrium value when the resistance force created by said dynamic resistance means is equal to the force of gravity acting on the falling person.

A method of rescuing occupants from high floors in high rise buildings using an apparatus, comprising:

• a frame positioned adjacent an open or openable escape portion of a building, which escape portion is open or openable to the outside of the building;
• and
• a dynamic resistance device having a rotatable shaft;
• the method comprising:
• (a) providing a plurality of removable and replaceable cable cartridges, each comprising a rotatable housing which has a cable pre-rolled on said rotatable housing, said cable having a free end which is connectable to an occupant to be rescued;
• (b) removably coupling said cable cartridge to said rotatable shaft of said dynamic resistance device so as to rotate a portion of said dynamic resistance device upon rotation of said rotatable housing;
• (c) connecting said free end of said cable to the occupant to be rescued;
• (d) causing the occupant to be rescued to go out from the escape portion of the building, whereby a failing motion of the occupant to be rescued causes the cable to unwind from the cartridge and to move with the same speed as the speed of falling of the occupant to be rescued, thus causing said rotatable housing to rotate which in turn causes said portion of said dynamic resistance device to rotate and to create a resistance to the falling speed, unlike the failing speed of the occupant to be rescued reaches a substantially equilibrium value when the resistance force created by said dynamic resistance device is equal to the force of gravity acting on the falling occupant to be rescued;
• (e) removing the unwound cable cartridge and removably coupling a new cable cartridge to said dynamic resistance device;
• and
• repeating steps (b)-(e) to successively rescue additional occupants.