Submission for the 2019 International Home and Housewares Show

1. AutoEx
Entry #123
12 Week Project
Automatic Fire Extinguisher

2. Automatic Fire Extinguisher
The aim of the automatic fire extinguisher is to smother an
open stove-top flame before it gets out of control, and
before the need of human intervention. This product would
offer a convenient solution that both doesn’t endanger
people while also quickly mitigating damage.
Concept Summary

3. Why is it Needed?
On average, 10,750 fire related injuries or deaths
occur annually in Canada
Almost 50% of which happen
within residential areas
Fire marshals often report
residents not being prepared
in the event of a fire and
results in death/injury
Residential
49%
Vehicles
26%
Other
13% Industrial
12%

4. Environment of Use
Within a residential home the most common cause for a fire
is cooking. With an overwhelming majority being a result of
leaving these areas unattended.
Ultimately, many people could
benefit from an automated
solution to stove-top fires to negate
any human intervention. Along
with homes, a potential market
could be student housing and
retirement homes.

5. Pros:
- Effective in non-residential areas
(ships, server rooms, warehouses)
- Reliable activation and dispersion
Cons:
- Very expensive ($300-$1000 CAD)
- Obstructive/large
- Not practical for use in a residential
home
- Not user friendly if installation is
required
- Prior plumbing may be requried
Competitors

6. Critical Project Drivers
Safety
The product safely contains any
fire-extinguishing material. The product
properly activates in the event of a fire.
Fire isn’t propelled elsewhere.
Extinguishing material isn’t harmful.
Detection
Detection method must be reliable in
the event of a fire. As well as void
of misfires.
Installation
Easy to understand mounting and setup
instructions (provided). Two articulating
nozzles to allow direction of extinguisher
and coverage of stove.
Power supply
Constant source of power to operate,
battery change notifier alerts user prior
to depletion.
Cost
Must ultimately be affordable enough to be
easily purchased at Costco, Walmart,
Home Depot, etc (ie. $30-$50).
Volume
Enough fire-extinguishing material must be
stored to smother a small fire.
Technology
Type of extinguishing material. Manual set
off and delay before deployment
(~10 seconds). Alarm is also activated prior
to deployment.
!
$

7. Detection method:
- Technology is based on common motion sensors
- Passive infrared (PIR) sensors measure
temperature differences and can be calibrated
for extreme heats, such as fires (~400C)
- A Frensel Lense is commonly used in PIR to
recieve refracted IR light back to sensor
in a wide range of view
Power Supply:
- A standard motion sensor can actively work
for 24 months off of two AA or a single 9V
battery
- With additional LED and sound components
expected battery life is to be ~12 months
Key Drivers Research

8. Key Drivers Research
Cost: Goal = $30-50
- Current PIR sensors range from $18-20, with raw
parts/tech at ~$10
- Dry chemical powder is about 1$/100ml
- CO2 is more expensive at ~$7/100g
ABC
$30-50
225mL-
450mL
Fire Extinguishing Substance:
- Only wet chemical, dry chemical, and CO2 are viable for
small stove top fires (including grease fires)
- Wet chemicals are highly space consuming, thus not ideal
Volume:
- Discharge rate is roughly 0.113L/second
- Average stove fire only needs ~ 2-4 seconds per discharge
to be extinguished
- Therefore the ideal canister volume is 0.225mL – 0.450mL

9. Pros:
- Power cord eliminates
need for battery
- Adhesive mounting
Cons:
- Does not consider mounting
above stove
- Canisters are typically
manufactured as cylinders
Concept 1

10. Concept 2
Pros:
- Compact
- Easily replaceable canisters
Cons:
- A lot of CO2 would be needed
when compared to dry chemical
- highly pressurized unit

11. Concept 3
90
90
Pros:
- Sleek and unobstructive
- can operate in multiple
mounting positions
Cons:
- Operates on battery
power

12. Chosen Concept Rationale
The final concept direction
combined elements from all
concepts to progress into
the low fidelity prototyping
phase
Concept 1
Concept 3
Concept 2
- Adhesive mounting
- Articulating nozzles
- Wall mounting
- Replaceable canisters
- Various mounting positions
- Compact housing
- Wider sensor to for more
reliable detection
Prototyping

13. Dry chemical cansiter
mock-up sizes
- max/min volume
Rough representation of chosen concept, relative to
canister size requirement
- Major design issue: minimal space was left for
internal components
Low Fidelity Prototyping

14. A wider, more accomodating design was sketched, followed by making quick
physical and CAD models to represent the new housing
Redesign

15. CAD modeled place holders for the canister, articulating nozzles,
and sensor were constructed. As well as leaving room for battery
compartment, circuitry, wiring, and tubing for later development.
Refinement

16. Detailed Design
Mounting:
A bracket was designed to mount the housing
on the most expected surfaces. The adhesive
strip allows for ceramic and metal surfaces,
while the screws allow for wood or drywall.
Trigger and Installation:
An electric solenoid creates a seal for the dry
chemical canister, as well as release when the sensor
activates. A manual On/Off switch engages the
canister upon instillation and disarms it in case of
a false alarm
Cansiter Design:
To comfortably install and remove the canister
custom tabs were added to the base for
easier grip and turning.

17. Final Design Concept
The final concept is a culmination of research, ideation, and problem solving that came with
choosing such a specific issue to focus on. The design allows for a portable unit that has varied
mounting positions, a reliable method of detecting and extinguishing a small fire, and has the
ability to replace used canisters so the unit can be reused.

18. AutoEx
Matte White ABS Matte Black ABS Stainless Steel
Varied manufacturing materials were taken into account
as to not disrupt the look of the existing kitchen.

19. Component Callout
Articulating Nozzle
- Able to rotate 90° in
either direction
Frensel Lense
- Defracts IR light back to sensor
Dry Chemical Canister
- Custom handles for
erganomic installation

20. Component Callout
Solenoid Valve
- Electrically releases dry chemical
powder when activated
On/Off Switch
- Manually engage or
disarm canister
Mounting Bracket
- Allows for all-surface and
orientation of mounting

21. Physical Model
The model was FDM 3D printed at a 1:1 scale. The model’s prupose was to
explore internal spacing and components rather than aesthetic representation.

22. Technical Drawings
Units:
Millimeters

23. Use Cycle
~15-50cm
Mounting - Adhesive Strip
Mounting - Screws
1. 2. 3. 4.
1. 2. 3. 4.
Remove strip Press against surface Adjust Nozzles to
point at stove top
Find appropriate
height
Adjust using level Press against bracket
and push down
Adjust Nozzles to
point at stove top
Screw in bracket at
appropriate height

24. Use Cycle
Installing Canister
1.
2.
3.
4.
Insert canister in cavity
Open side hatch Turn clockwise to screw in canister
Slide switch to activate canister

25. AutoExAutoEx
Product Recap:
The automatic fire extinguisher could
be an excellent addition to the world
of domestic appliances.
Small cooking-based fires are a major
cause for property damage as well as
death/injury to people. Having
an automated solution to this could
minimize the risk of this within
home environments.
Spaces such as student housing,
retirement homes, or even suburban
areas would all be perfect examples
where this could prove invaluable due
to the density of people in such living
environments.
https://trik-online.com/big-lots-kitchen-appliances/big-lots-kitchen-appliances-beautiful-how-to-choose-the-best-cooktop-or-stovetop-buyer-s-guide/