Portable security alarm

• US 4,540,980 A
• Filed: 08/16/1982
• Issued: 09/10/1985
• Est. Priority Date: 08/16/1982
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Daniel Porco
• Original Assignee: Daniel Porco
• Inventors: Porco, Daniel
• Primary Examiner(s): Rowland, James L.
• Assistant Examiner(s): MULLEN, THOMAS J
• Application Number:
  US06/408,200
• Time in Patent Office: 1,121 Days
• Field of Search: 374/205, 340/586, 340/593, 340/546, 340/594, 340/693, 340/691, 340/590, 340/628
• US Class Current: 340/586
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/00 Burglar, theft or intruder alarms
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 17/06 Electric actuation of the alarm, e.g. using a thermally-operated switch
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 17/10 Actuation by presence of smoke or gases , e.g. automatic alarm devices for analysing flowing fluid materials by the use of optical means
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 17/113 Constructional details
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 19/005 combined burglary and fire alarm systems

Abstract

A portable room security alarm features a smoke detector alarm, a motion sensing intrusion alarm, a temperature sensing alarm, and a digital display alarm clock. The security alarm includes a deployable thermally conducting mounting clip for mounting the alarm at the top of a door with the clip extended to pass around the upper edge of the door. A deployable temperature sensor probe may be attached to the clip to give early warning of a fire outside the door. The temperature probe may alternatively be attached to other metallic structures passing through the door frame, e.g. door knobs, hinges, etc. Large ventilating apertures in an extensible telescoping housing allow access of smoke to the smoke sensor, and with the housing closed the sensor is sealed off against long term contamination.

Claims

1. In a portable fire alarm unit including a housing supportable on or adjacent to the inner side of a door of a room and containing alarm warning means, temperature sensing means, and fire alarm control means responsively coupled to said temperature sensing means and responding to a sensed temperature above a given value for causing actuation of said warning means;

the improvement wherein said alarm unit is provided with thermally conducting means, a first portion of which is configured to pass at least partially along the edge of said door and towards the opposite side of said door, and a second portion proximate to said first portion and which is adapted to accept said temperature sensing means in thermal contact with said second portion, said alarm unit further including means for removably selectively affixing said temperature sensing means in thermal contact with a chosen thermally conducting structure associated with said door and thermally communicating with the other side of said door or alternately with said second portion of said thermally conducting means, so that with said thermally conducting means so mounted on a door and passing substantially therearound and with said temperature sensing means affixed to said second portion of said conducting means, a temperature level indicative of the temperature on the opposite side of the door will be communicated along said thermally conducting means to actuate said alarm, and so that with said temperature sensing means alternatively mounted on said thermally conducting structure associated with said door and thermally communicating with said other side of said door, said warning means will be similarly actuated.

2. The alarm unit of claim 1 wherein said alarm unit is electrically powered and has a housing permanently containing or supporting most of said means, said temperature sensing means is remotely locatable from said housing, and there is provided electrical conductor means extending between said sensing means and said housing, and means for removably affixing said temperature sensing means in thermal contact with said chosen thermally conducting structure associated with said door and communicating with the other side of said door or with said second portion of said thermally conducting means.

3. The fire alarm unit of claim 1 or 2 wherein said thermally conducting means comprises mounting means for removably mounting the alarm unit on the face of a door near the top edge thereof.

12. The alarm of claim 1, 4, 6 or 11 further comprising an alarm actuating clock disposed in said housing, said clock including a time alarm control means for actuating said warning means at a predetermined selected time.

4. In a portable fire alarm unit including a housing supportable on the face of door facing a room and containing alarm warning means;

temperature sensing means for providing a sensing condition thereat indicative of the sensed temperature, and fire alarm control means coupled to said temperature sensing means and responding to a sensed temperature above a given value by said sensing means for causing actuation of said warning means;

the improvement wherein said alarm unit is provided with thermally conducting means, a first portion of which is configured to pass at least partially along one of the edges of said door and towards the opposite side of said door, said thermally conducting means being a mounting means for removably mounting the alarm unit on the room-facing side of a door and a second portion of which extends beyond said room-facing side and into said room; and

means for affixing said temperature sensing means to said thermally conducting means to be in thermal contact with said second portion thereof and thus to respond to temperature changes on the opposite side of said door.

5. The fire alarm unit of claim 4 wherein said mounting means forms a bracket which is engageable over the top edge of the door.

7. The alarm unit of claim 4 or 6 wherein said means for affixing said temperature sensing means includes a permanent magnet on said temperature sensing means.

8. The alarm unit of claim 4 wherein said means for affixing said temperature sensing means includes a permanent magnet on said temperature sensing means, and at least part of said second portion of said thermally conducting means is made of a ferro-magnetic material to receive said magnet.

6. In a portable fire alarm unit including a housing supportable on or adjacent to a door of a room and containing electrical alarm warning means and fire alarm control means for controlling the flow of electrical power to said warning means, the improvement wherein said alarm unit is provided with:

electrical temperature sensing means remotely locatable from said housing for producing an electrical signal condition indicative of the sensed temperature;

signal lead means from said temperature sensing means to said fire alarm control means for communicating said signal condition to said fire alarm control means, said fire alarm control means responding to a signal condition corresponding to a sensed temperature above a given value to cause actuation of said warning means; and

means for removably affixing said temperature sensing means to be in thermal contact with a chosen heat conducting structure associated with said door and thermally communicating with the other side of said door so that with said temperature sensing means mounted on said thermally conducting structure, said warning means will be actuated responsively to a temperature rise at said other side of said door.

9. The alarm unit of claim 6 further comprising means for mounting said housing upon said door;

electrical motion detecting means disposed within said housing for producing a second electrical signal condition indicative of movement of said housing; and

motion detecting control means communicating with said motion detecting means and responsive to said second signal condition for actuating said warning means when said alarm mounted thereon or placed thereagainst actuates said warning means to act as an intrusion alarm.

10. The alarm unit of claim 6 further comprising:

electrical smoke detection means in said housing for producing an electrical signal condition indicative of the presence of smoke; and

smoke detection control means associated with said smoke detection means and responsive to the latter electrical signal condition for actuating said warning means when smoke is present.

11. The alarm unit of claim 10 wherein said housing has at least one aperture in the walls thereof to admit the passage of smoke to said smoke sensor, and said housing is configured in the form of a pair of extensible telescoping shells operable to a first nonextended configuration and a second extended configuration, with apertures penetrating at least one of said shells and disposed so as to be sealed by the other shell when said pair is in said first configuration and alternatively open to allow air passage to the interior of said housing and said smoke detection means when said pair is in said second configuration, so that with said pair in said second configuration smoke in the surrounding air can pass to be detected by said smoke detecting means, and so that with said pair in said first configuration said housing is compact and substantially sealed.