AUTOMATIC ALARM SYSTEM FOR BATHROOM

• US 3,803,579 A
• Filed: 12/29/1972
• Issued: 04/09/1974
• Est. Priority Date: 12/29/1972
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Max E. Compton
• Original Assignee: Max E. Compton
• Inventors: Compton, Max E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Pits, Harold I.
• Application Number:
  US05/319,458
• Time in Patent Office: 466 Days
• Field of Search: 340/279R,39.1R
• US Class Current: 340/309.7
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 12/00 Accommodation for nursing, e.g. in hospitals, not covered by groups A61G1/00 - A61G11/00, e.g. trolleys for transport of medicaments or food service or tea-tables, trolleys or wagons A47B31/00; Prescription lists
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 2203/70 with special adaptations, e.g. for safety or comfort
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 4/03 Electric flushing

Abstract

An alarm system for incapacitated persons which includes a timer on which a time cycle may be preset at the end of which an alarm is actuated. The timer is provided with resettable means controlled by the manual actuation of the lever of a flush-type commode so that the flushing of the commode automatically resets the timer to the time cycle and failure to flush the commode due to incapacitation permits the timer to run its cycle at the end of which the alarm is actuated.

Claims

1. An automatic alarm system for association with a flush-type commode having an actuating arm pivotally movable between an inoperative position and an operative position for flushing said commode comprising, in combination, a timer having resettable means and arranged to be preset to a selected time cycle, alarm means, means controlled by said timer for actuating said alarm means upon the termination of said time cycle and means operatively associated with said commode actuating arm for actuating said timer resetting means to reset said time cycle upon the pivotal movement of said actuating arm into said operative position during the flushing of said commode.

2. An automatic alarm system in accordance with claim 1 wherein said means for actuating said alarm means include first circuit means for connecting said alarm means and said timer to an associated source of electrical power.

3. An automatic alarm system in accordance with claim 2 wherein said means for actuating said timer resetting means comprise second circuit means including a normally inoperative switch responsive to the position of said actuating arm for controlling the actuation of said timer resetting means by said associated source of electrical power, said switch being operatively conditioned upon the pivotal movement of said actuating arm from said inoperative position to said operative position to connect said resetting means to said source of electrical power for resetting said timer to said time cycle.

4. An automatic alarm system in accordance with claim 3 wherein said switch is mounted on said commode actuating arm for movement therewith.

5. An automatic alarm system in accordance with claim 4 wherein said switch comprises a mercury switch having a pair of contacts, said contacts being maintained in the closed condition in the inoperative position of said commode actuating arm and in the open condition in the operative position of said actuating arm.

6. An automatic alarm system in accordance with claim 5 wherein said first circuit means comprising a pair of conductors for connecting said timer to said associated source of electrical power and a pair of conductors for connecting said alarm means to said timer and wherein saId second circuit means includes a pair of conductors for connecting said contacts in said mercury switch to said timer resetting means.