Fire alarm system

• US 20020145513A1
• Filed: 03/27/2002
• Published: 10/10/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 03/30/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Detectomat GmbH
• Original Assignee: Job Lizenz GmbH & Co. KG
• Inventors: Ropke, Gerhard
• Granted Patent: US 6,727,815 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/506
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 17/00 Fire alarms; Alarms responsive to explosion
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/10 using wireless transmission systems G08B25/009 takes precedence

Abstract

A fire alarm system, comprising:

a control centre,

a wire-bound communication pathway connected to the control centre,

relay means which are connected to the communication pathway and have a receiver and a signal evaluation circuit,

first decentralized alarm boxes which are connected to the communication pathway in a wire-bound manner,

second decentralized alarm boxes which are adapted to be coupled to the receiver of the relay means via a wireless channel where the first and second alarm boxes, in case of fire, produce an alarm signal which is transmitted to the control centre via the communication pathway by means of a predetermined communication mode,

a set of separate different coupling modules which are disconnectably disposed in the relay means and are adapted to be connected to the signal evaluation circuit and the communication pathway via appropriate connecting elements with the coupling modules being designed for different communication modes.

Claims

1. A fire alarm system, comprising:

a control centre,

a wire-bound communication pathway (17) connected to the control centre,

relay means (10, 20, 20a) which are connected to the communication pathway (17) and have a receiver (15) and a signal evaluation circuit (13),

first decentralized alarm boxes which are connected to the communication pathway (17) in a wire-bound manner,

second decentralized alarm boxes (1, 1A, 1B, 1C) which are adapted to be coupled to the receiver (15) of the relay means (10, 20, 20a) via a wireless channel where the first and second alarm boxes, in case of fire, produce an alarm signal which is transmitted to the control centre via the communication pathway (17) by means of a predetermined communication mode,

a set of separate different coupling modules (14, 21, 22, 30) which are disconnectably disposed in the relay means (10, 20, 20a) and are adapted to be connected to the signal evaluation circuit (13) and the communication pathway (17) via appropriate connecting elements with the coupling modules being designed for different communication modes.

2. The fire alarm system according to claim 1, characterized in that the coupling modules (14, 21, 22, 30) are adapted to be connected to the signal evaluation circuit (13) and, in case of need, to the power supply unit (16).

3. The fire alarm system according to claim 1, characterized in that the coupling modules (14, 21, 22, 30) are adapted to be connected mechanically and disconnectably to the signal evaluation circuit (13).

4. The fire alarm system according to claim 1, characterized in that the communication pathway is a direct-current line or a bus and the coupling module is a communication module for the connection of push-button fire alarm boxes to the direct-current alarm line or fire alarm buses.

5. The fire alarm system according to claim 4, characterized in that the coupling module (14) has a series connection which is comprised of a resistor (R1) and a switch (K1) and is connected between the conductors of the line wherein the design of the coupling module (14) is such as to close the switch (K1) if the signal evaluation circuit (13) produces an alarm signal.

6. The fire alarm system according to claim 5, characterized in that the coupling module (14) has disposed therein another series connection which is comprised of a resistor (R2) and a switch (K2) and which is arranged within the path of a conductor of the direct-current line, and that the switch (K2) closes when it receives an trouble signal from the signal evaluation circuit (13).

7. The fire alarm system according to claim 1, characterized in that the communication pathway is a data bus (17) and the coupling module (21) converts the signals received from the evaluation circuit (13) into respective digital data words in the communication mode of the data bus (17).

8. The fire alarm system according to claim 7, characterized in that the coupling module is composed of two stages (22, 30) the first of which is connected to the evaluation circuit (13) and has a series of normally opened switches (K1A to K1C) each of which is associated with a decentralized second alarm box (1A to 1C) and the second stage (30) of which is connected to the communication pathway designed as a data bus, and which produces a digital signal on the communication pathway upon closure of a switch (K1A to K1C).

9. The fire alarm system according to claim 8, characterized in that the first stage (22) has a normally closed switch (K5) which is also connected to the second stage (30) and is opened if one of the second alarm boxes (1A to 1C) provides an trouble signal to the relay means (20a), whereupon the second stage (30) produces a digital trouble signal.

10. A fire alarm system, comprising:

a control centre,

a first wire-bound communication pathway (17) connected to a first connection of the control centre,

a second wire-bound communication pathway connected to a second connection of the control centre,

relay means (10, 20, 20a) which are connected to the second communication pathway (17) and have a receiver (15) and a signal evaluation circuit (13),

first decentralized alarm boxes which are connected to the first communication pathway (17) in a wire-bound manner,

second decentralized alarm boxes (1, 1A, 1B, 1C) which are adapted to be coupled to the receiver (15) of the relay means (10, 20, 20a) via a wireless channel where the first and second alarm boxes, in case of fire, produce an alarm signal which is transmitted to the control centre via the first and second communication pathways (17) by means of a predetermined communication mode,

a coupling module (14, 21, 22, 30) which is disconnectably disposed in the relay means (10, 20, 20a) and is adapted to be connected to the signal evaluation circuit (13) and the second communication pathway (17) via appropriate connecting elements with the coupling module being designed for the communication mode of the second communication pathway.