Abstract: A pillow is formed from a ZIPLOC® bag by either placing a collapsible regulator within the bag which holds the walls of the bag apart when the mouth of the bag is opened or by prestressing the bag in a way that bows the walls of the bag apart, whereby when the mouth of the bag is open, air introduced into the bag is trapped therein upon again closing the bag.

Abstract: A door mounted in a door frame is held closed by an electromagnet mounted on the door frame which magnet attracts an armature mounted on the door. A switch is mounted adjacent to the electromagnet and is operated by a switch operator mounted on the door. The switch provides a signal indicating that an attempt is being made to open the door, which signal may be used to sound an alarm or start a time delay release. A pair of contacts are also mounted adjacent to the electromagnet and are bridged by the armature to indicate when the armature is properly held by the electromagnet.

Abstract: An apparatus for locking the lid of a toilet includes a strut which is pivotted to the flush tank of the toilet and a coupling which is fixed to the lid. The coupling has a convoluted slot therein through which a portion of the strut is received. In order to unlock the lid one must simultaneously pivot both the lid and strut which requires manual dexterity not yet acquired by most toddlers and young children but possessed by adults and older children, thus protecting toddlers and young children from the dangers of flush toilets.

Abstract: A system for identifying emergency exits in a building includes a strobe light which is tethered at an elevated location with respect to the floor of the building. The strobe light is normally held at the elevated position by an electromagnet, which electromagnet is kept energized as long as a smoke detector connected thereto does not sense a dangerous level of smoke. As soon as the smoke detector detects smoke above a certain threshold level, the electromagnet is deenergized and the strobe light drops to a position suspended just above the floor. The strobe light includes its own battery source which is connected to the strobe light by a switch which closes when the strobe light is dropped. An electric motor is provided to rewind the tether when the smoke detector no longer indicates an emergency situation. By tethering the strobe light, the light can be dropped beneath the smoke level in the building, allowing people crawling along the floor to determine the location of emergency exits.

Abstract: Opening of a door, such as an emergency exit door, is delayed by encumbering a security device, such as for example a latch bolt, with the task of throttling a hydraulic fluid through a circuit, which circuit includes a normally open valve held closed by a solenoid. When the solenoid is de-energized, the circuit is opened allowing the security device to move so that the door can be opened. The solenoid is controlled by an electrical timing circuit which delays de-energization of the solenoid. The timing circuit is started by a switch mounted to be operated by movement of the latch bolt. Preferably in a situation where there are a plurality of doors, doors proximate to one another are delayed by the same electronic timing circuit. In a preferred embodiment, the electronic timing circuit is set to de-energize the solenoid at a time subsequent to the delay resulting from throttling the fluid.

Abstract: An emergency exit sign utilizes an EL lamp in combination with a pilot light which is connected to the EL lamp via a photoelectric link. The photoelectric link monitors the brightness of the EL lamp and keeps the pilot light on so long as the EL lamp is lit. The pilot light is necessary because the illumination provided by the EL lamp may be less than the illumination of background brightness making it difficult to tell by looking at the EL lamp whether or not the EL lamp is energized. Since the pilot light provides a "point" of illumination, it is easy to see when it is on so that one can tell whether or not the sign is lighted by simply looking at the pilot light.In order to see the exit sign even if power to the EL lamp is interrupted and the room is dark, a translucent sheet of phosphorescent material is placed over the EL lamp to transmit light from the EL lamp while at the same time storing energy so as to "glow in the dark" should the EL lamp be extinguished.

Abstract: Opening of a door, such as an emergency exit door, is delayed by a door check, the operation of which has been reversed to delay opening of the door instead of delaying closing of the door. The delay is accomplished by a circuit which includes a normally open valve held closed by a solenoid. When the solenoid is de-energized, the circuit is opened allowing the reversed door check to operate so that the door can be opened. The solenoid is controlled by an electrical timing circuit which is started by a switch connected to a door operator such as a push bar.