SAFETY ALARM SYSTEM AND SWITCH

• US 3,797,006 A
• Filed: 07/26/1972
• Issued: 03/12/1974
• Est. Priority Date: 07/26/1972
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Frederick Reininger
• Original Assignee: Frederick Reininger
• Inventors: Reininger, Frederick
• Primary Examiner(s): Caldwell, John W.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Partridge, Scott F.
• Application Number:
  US05/275,300
• Time in Patent Office: 594 Days
• Field of Search: 340/283,274,309.1,275,280 200/61.79,61.8,161
• US Class Current: 340/530
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/08 by opening, e.g. of door, of window, of drawer, of shutter, of curtain, of blind

Abstract

A safety alarm system adapted for placement in a cabinet to monitor uncontrolled entry into the cabinet by sounding an alarm when the door to the cabinet is left opened for more than a predetermined time. Conventional usage of the cabinet will not trigger the alarm, but when the cabinet door is left open for an inordinate period of time, as would by typical when an exploring child has entered, the alarm will sound. Also, provision is made for an adult to conveniently inactivate the alarm if the cabinet door need be left opened for a relatively long time. In such case, the ultimate closing of the cabinet door automatically resets the alarm.

Claims

1. An alarm system for placement in a cabinet to monitor uncontrolled entry into the cabinet by sounding an alarm when a door to the cabinet is left in an opened position for more than a predetermined time, said alarm being capable of temporary manual inactivation, comprising:

a. a switch disposed for actuation by said cabinet door, said switch having a movable elongated plunger, said plunger being normally spring biased with said door opened to a closed-switcH position, and actuable against said bias in one direction by the closing of said door to an opened-switch position, said plunger being manually actuable in the opposite direction, free of spring bias, to a second opened-switch position when said door is opened;

b. means for measuring the time that said switch is continuously closed; and

c. means for generating an alarm when the measured time exceeds a predetermined time.

2. A switch comprising:

a. a housing having a receiving track that is closed at one end and contact means mounted adjacent said track;

b. an elongated plunger slidably fitted in said track, said plunger having a conductor mounted thereon for engagement with said contact means when said plunger is in a prescribed position in said track, said plunger extending substantially from the opened end of said track; and

c. means for biasing said plunger toward the opened end of said track and to said prescribed position, said plunger being free of said bias for travel past said prescribed position and further toward the opened end of said track, whereby said plunger is actuable against said bias to a non-engaging position toward said closed end and actuable free of said bias to another non-engaging position toward said opened end.