Testing emergency battery equipment

• US 4,388,615 A
• Filed: 03/05/1981
• Issued: 06/14/1983
• Est. Priority Date: 03/05/1981
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Menvier Electronic Engineers Ltd (Eaton Corporation PLC.)
• Original Assignee: Barry S. Ford, Sydney Birkett
• Inventors: Birkett, Sydney, Ford, Barry S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Caldwell, Sr., John W.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Myer, Daniel
• Application Number:
  US06/240,989
• Time in Patent Office: 831 Days
• Field of Search: 340/636, 340/515, 340/516, 340/510, 340/506, 320/48, 307/64, 307/66, 324/429
• US Class Current: 340/516
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/382 Arrangements for monitoring battery or accumulator variables, e.g. SoC
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 9/00 Circuit arrangements for emergency or stand-by power supply, e.g. for emergency lighting

Abstract

Stand-by battery equipment which is designed to come into use when the mains supply fails, is tested by disconnecting the mains supply at regular intervals by contact 14 under the control of timing device 21. After a delay caused by timing device 23, a light sensor 15 is activated for a time period controlled by timing device 24to check whether the light output of the battery equipment has reached a desired level, and if it has not it causes an alarm lamp 16 to be illuminated until reset. A timing device 22 causes an extra long test to be carried out after a number of short tests, to ensure that the battery equipment is operable for the long period and to allow the stand-by batteries to become appreciably discharged.

Claims

1. Testing apparatus for testing stand-by battery powered lighting equipment which is adapted for energization in response to mains failure, the apparatus comprising an electrical circuit including a sensor means for sensing the visible light emitted by the stand-by equipment when activated, means for indicating when the light emitted is below a predetermined value, a timing circuit for disconnecting the mains supply from the stand-by equipment automatically at regular intervals and a power supply circuit connected to the timing circuit for energizing the sensor means when the timing circuit has disconnected the mains supply.

2. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said indicating means includes means to adjust said predetermined value.

3. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said apparatus is located at a central station, and comprises a plurality of optical fibres arranged respectively to receive light emitted from a plurality of stand-by battery powered lighting equipment.

4. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein said electrical circuit further comprises a further timing circuit for disconnecting the mains supply for a longer time than that caused by the first-mentioned timing circuit after a predetermined number of said intervals.

5. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1, comprising means for delaying activation of the said sensor means for a time after disconnection of said mains supply from the stand-by equipment.

6. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1, comprising means for connecting said mains supply to said stand-by equipment a given time after de-activation of said sensor means.