The Bernoulli Bar Forcible Entry Tool
The Bernoulli Bar empowers local heroes to save lives by reimagining traditional firefighting tools so a single firefighter can wield the power of many.
Patent Pending
Why design a new forcible entry tool?
An abundance of firefighters allowed fire departments to take on more responsibilities, such as expanded community relations and building inspections.
Department downsizing has forced firefighters to do more work by themselves and share resources with neighboring towns more frequently.
Fire Service Trends Analysis Whitepaper
Contents
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Key Trend:
Information Everywhere, Now!
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Trend:
Working Connected.
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Trend:
Training For Everyone.
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Trend:
Work More with Less.
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Trend:
The Rise of Contextualized Tools.
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The Bernoulli Bar: A Contextual Forcible Entry Tool
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Appendix:
The Bernoulli Bar Brief as presented to the Red Dot Award Jury.
The fire service of the future will include elite first responders using technology to give them an edge in an emergency and proactive courses to help the public understand how to keep their house safe from fire. Technology can be used to determine the severity and complexity of a scene to assist the incident commander in issuing proper orders or to provide guidance to extract car crash victims from their vehicles after giving first aid, without the help of paramedics. The modern fire service will also focus on education by providing classroom-based courses to educate the public about fire proofing methods for their homes and how to avoid potentially dangerous situations.
What Hasn't Changed: The Tools of the Trade
Current Forcible Entry Process
The forcible entry process consists of three basic steps:
GAP
Firefighters use their tools to create a gap between the door and the frame that is big enough to fit one end of their pry tool through the opposite side of the door.
FORCE
Firefighters push or pull hard on their pry tool using the door frame as a fulcrum to pry the door open.
SET
Firefighters force one end of their pry tool through the gap they created until it is deep enough to be able to properly grip the other side of the door.
Inward Opening Door
Outward Opening Door
What deserves a pain point?
The Bernoulli Bar's goal is to speed up forcible entry operations by eliminating the need for additional tools or personnel to forcibly open doors in a timely manner. Therefore, any point in the current processes where another firefighter or another tool for prying or striking is a point the Bernoulli Bar can eliminate or speed up.
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Bernoulli Bar Design Overview
1
Side Handles
Cutouts on the sides of the pry bar before each end make it easier for the pry bar to be held from the bottom. These cutouts can also be used with the striking tool's handle to help the firefighter twist the tool.
2
Grip Texture
Horizontal grip lines on the top of the pry bar are positioned on top of the pry bar's center of gravity to suggest where the user should hold the tool when using it one handed.
3
Strike Wings
In tight spaces a firefighter can strike the wings by sliding their striking tool along the pry bar shaft instead of striking the opposite end of the pry bar, to drive the fork into a gap.
4
Handles
Using the handle positioned over the tool's center of gravity, a firefighter can easily carry the tool one-handed. The Bernoulli Bar can also be swung like a battering ram ore used as an anchor for straps or rope.
1
Recessed Grip
To help firefighters keep a strong grip on the striking tool while swinging, the bottom grip is recessed into the handle and horizontal grooves are cut into the grip.
2
Hand Guard
To prevent firefighters from cutting their hands on the blade when using the striking tool as a hammer, the top hand grip cradles the user's hand, preventing it from sliding up and down the handle.
3
Two-Stage Blade
The forward-swept blade design, combined with the top-heavy ax head, help the ax penetrate, while the saw blade on the back side helps lengthen the cut and create a nice purchase point for additional strikes.
4
Hydrant Tools
The back of the ax head features a battery of tools designed to open and close fire hydrants and connect hose couplings. At the center is a universal hydrant wrench that allows a firefighter to open any fire hydrant.
The inside of a burning building is very dark. To help firefighters find their tools in darkness, reflective material has been added to the sides of both the pry bar and the striking tool.
Activating or deactivating the lug requires only a quarter turn of the locking dial.
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The grip pattern around the sides of the dial make it easy to grip while wearing thick gloves. Laser etched instructions ensure the firefighter will always know which way to turn the dial to lock or unlock the Bernoulli Bar.
The dial uses a retractable lug to secure both parts together. The dial itself is secured to the Halligan bar using a track so the risk of the dial being broken off during use is eliminated.
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To prevent the dial from working itself loose, fasteners are positioned in a way that prevents them from loosening or falling out under normal use. The locking lug can be easily replaced in the field in only a few minutes and with basic tools. All the dial components are made from materials that are incapable of rusting to prevent the mechanism from degrading over time.
Physical Prototype (Version 8)
Marine Grade Aluminum Bar, 3D Printed PLA, Carbon Steel Rod
Bernoulli Bar Forcible Entry
Inward Opening Door
Outward Opening Door
Law enforcement and the military will also find the Bernoulli Bar useful.
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The Bernoulli Bar's portability and superior mechanical advantage over current forcible entry tools make it a great candidate for use by law enforcement when executing search warrants and the military in urban warfare scenarios.
The Bernoulli Bar's versatility and ease of use make it particularly suited for use in a rapid response unit.​
To shorten response times and ensure fires can be extinguished quickly and safety, many fire departments are creating rapid response units. These units typically use smaller pickup-size trucks and carry fewer firefighters and gear so they can get to the incident faster and before the larger rescue, pumper, and ladder crews.
Next Steps: Bringing the Bernoulli Bar to Market
1
Reach out to firefighting tool manufacturers and fire departments to confirm/generate interest.
2
Work with the USTPO to complete the patenting process.
3
Explore IP sale options and manufacturing possibilities.
4
Build a fully functional prototype for testing.
