Entry alarm

• US 5,072,212 A
• Filed: 12/17/1990
• Issued: 12/10/1991
• Est. Priority Date: 12/17/1990
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Gary R. Sorenson
• Original Assignee: Gary R. Sorenson
• Inventors: Sorenson, Gary R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Swann, III, Glen R.
• Assistant Examiner(s): MULLEN, THOMAS J
• Application Number:
  US07/628,636
• Time in Patent Office: 358 Days
• Field of Search: 340/546, 340/825.31-825.32, 340/548, 340/693, 340/691, 361/170, 200/61.93, 200/61.72, 200/61.74, 200/61.76, 200/273-274
• US Class Current: 340/546
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/08 by opening, e.g. of door, of window, of drawer, of shutter, of curtain, of blind

Abstract

A self contained alarm is arranged to be attached to a door or near a building opening. One version uses a spring loaded switch held open by a door frame, which closes and sounds an audible alarm when the door is opened. A relay with normally open contacts is energized with the alarm to maintain the alarm until a reset switch is opened by a card or key inserted into a mating slot. Another version uses a rotary trip switch which is operated by a line. The line is placed across a building opening to be guarded and closes the rotary switch if the line is disturbed. A second embodiment uses an arm-disarm switch also operated by a card or key inserted into a mating slot to control a second relay. This arm-disarm switch is placed in a second box on the outside of a door to be guarded to permit arming the alarm after the door is closed. Here contacts of the second relay keep the alarm circuit open until the card or key is withdrawn to provide an arm-disarm function.

Claims

1. In self contained battery operated alarm apparatus of the type using audible alarm means and a trip switch which when closed will sound the alarm, arranged such that the alarm apparatus can be located and oriented on a door such as to close the trip switch when the door is ajar, the improvement comprising:

a) arm-disarm circuit means controlling an arm-disarm circuit arranged such that when said arm-disarm circuit means is energized said arm-disarm circuit is open and when said arm-disarm circuit means is deenergized said arm-disarm circuit is closed; and

having first interconnecting circuitry connecting said arm-disarm circuit to said alarm apparatus such that when said arm-disarm circuit is open the alarm is prevented from sounding;

b) an arm-disarm box containing said arm-disarm circuit means, having attachment means arranged to attach said arm-disarm box to a door on the side opposite the alarm apparatus;

said arm-disarm box having a slot of a predetermined depth extending inwardly from a slot opening of a predetermined size and shape in the surface thereof;

c) battery means and an arm-disarm switch having a spring loaded switch arm extending therefrom with a normally open first position and a closed second position, said battery means and said arm-disarm switch being connected such as to energize said arm-disarm circuit means whenever said arm-disarm switch is closed, and having an insert with a first and second dimension with a size and shape such that said first and second dimensions will mate with and fit within the slot opening, and with a third dimension greater than said slot depth such that said insert can be inserted into said slot to the bottom thereof with a predetermined amount of said insert extending outwardly therefrom;

said arm-disarm switch being located and oriented within said arm-disarm box relative to said slot such that when said insert is inserted to the bottom of said slot, said arm of said arm-disarm switch will be forced by said insert from the first to the second position.

2. Apparatus as in claim 1 and further comprising:

a) said slot opening having a major and a minor dimension, and having at least one pin mounted within said slot at a predetermined depth, oriented generally perpendicular to the major slot dimension and extending across the minor slot dimension;

b) said insert having a first major and a second minor dimension corresponding to said slot opening, and said insert having a slit corresponding to each pin extending through the minor dimension thereof;

said slits all beginning at a first end of said insert having a minor dimension and extending inward therefrom parallel to the major dimension thereof;

said slits being dimensioned and located such that with said insert placed into said slot to the bottom thereof with said first end inward, each said pin will be bracketed by a respective opposed slit.

3. Apparatus as in claim 2 and further comprising:

a) said slot having at least two pins with each said pin having a different location with respect to the first dimension of said slot, and a different location with respect to the slot depth, said slits having lengths corresponding to the distance of said pin positions from the bottom of said slot, arranged such that with said insert placed within said slot with the first end inward to the bottom of said slot, each said pin will be bracketed by a respective opposed slit and be adjacent to the bottom thereof.

4. Apparatus as in claim 1 and further comprising:

a) said slot having an opening major and a minor dimension, said major dimension having at least one reduction in size from the opening of said slot to the bottom thereof, and with said insert having reductions in size across a corresponding major dimension, which reductions in size shall correspond to said slot reduction in size and locations and mate with said slot, such that said insert can be inserted with the narrowest minor dimension first into said slot to the bottom thereof.

5. Apparatus as in claim 1 with the alarm apparatus having battery means providing said battery means for the arm-disarm circuitry, said battery means having second interconnecting means connecting said battery means to said arm-disarm switch and said arm-disarm circuit means.

6. Apparatus as in claim 1 with said alarm apparatus having an alarm box and being contained therewithin, and having brackets which are arranged to extend over the top of said door such as to attach said alarm box to said arm-disarm box and to support each said box and to provide said arm-disarm box attachment means.

7. Apparatus as in claim 1 further comprising a light emitting diode and resistor, said diode and resistor being connected in series across said arm-disarm circuit means such as to provide an indication when said arm-disarm circuit means is energized.

8. Apparatus as in claim 1 wherein said arm-disarm circuit means comprises a relay having a coil, and wherein said arm-disarm circuit comprises a set of contacts of said relay, said contacts being open when said coil is energized and closed when said coil is deenergized.

9. Apparatus as in claim 6, wherein said brackets are made of conductive material and insulated from said alarm box and said arm-disarm box, and arranged such as to provide said first interconnecting circuitry.

10. In self contained battery operated alarm apparatus of the type using audible alarm means and a trip switch which when closed will sound the alarm, arranged such that the alarm apparatus can be located and oriented on a door such as to close the tip switch when the door is ajar, said alarm apparatus having holding circuit means for controlling a holding circuit, said holding circuit means comprised of a relay having a coil, and wherein said holding circuit comprises a set of contacts of said relay, said contacts being closed when said coil is energized and open when said coil is deenergized, said relay being connected to said alarm apparatus such as to be energized whenever the alarm is sounded, said set of contacts of said relay being connected to the alarm apparatus such as to sound said alarm whenever said set of relay contacts are closed, the improvement comprising:

a) an alarm box arranged to contain the alarm apparatus, said alarm box having a slot of a predetermined depth extending inwardly from a slot opening of a predetermined size and shape in the surface thereof;

b) a reset switch having a spring loaded switch arm extending therefrom with a normally closed first position and an open second position, said reset switch being connected in series with and opening said holding circuit whenever said reset switch is open and completing said holding circuit whenever said reset switch is closed;

c) an insert with a first and second dimension of a size and shape such that said first and second dimensions will mate with and fit within said slot opening, and with a third dimension greater than said slot depth such that said insert can be inserted into said slot to the bottom thereof with a predetermined amount of said insert extending outwardly therefrom;

said reset switch being located and oriented within said alarm box relative to said slot such that when said insert is inserted to the bottom of said slot, said arm of said reset switch will be forced by said insert from the first to the second position.

11. Apparatus as in claim 10 and further comprising:

a) said slot opening having a major and a minor dimension, and having at least one pin mounted within said slot at a predetermined depth, oriented generally perpendicular to the major slot dimension, and extending across the minor slot dimension;

b) said insert having a first major and a second major dimension corresponding to said slot opening, said insert having a slit corresponding to each pin extending through the minor dimension thereof;

said slits all beginning at a first end of said insert having a minor dimension and extending inward therefrom parallel to the major dimension thereof;

said slits being dimensioned and located such that with said insert placed into said slot to the bottom thereof with said first end inward, each said pin will be bracketed by a respective opposed slit.

12. Apparatus as in claim 11 and further comprising:

a) said slot having at least two pins with each said pin having a different location with respect to the first dimension of said slot, and a different location with respect to the slot depth, said slits having lengths corresponding to the distance of said pin positions from the bottom of said slot, arranged such that with said insert placed within said slot with the first end inward and to the bottom of said slot, each said pin will be bracketed by a respective opposed slit and be adjacent to the bottom thereof.

13. Apparatus as in claim 10 and further comprising:

a) said slot having an opening with a major and a minor dimension, said major dimension having at least one reduction in size from the opening of said slot to the bottom thereof, and with said insert having reductions in size across a corresponding major dimension, which reductions in size shall correspond to said slot reduction in size and locations and mate with said slot, such that said insert can be inserted with the narrowest major dimension first into said slot to the bottom thereof.

14. In self contained battery operated alarm apparatus of the type using audible alarm means arranged to be placed within a building near an outer opening thereof, having a switch with a switch trip comprising an attached line for closing said switch, and being connected to said alarm apparatus such as to sound the alarm when said switch is closed, said line being arranged such that whenever said line is disturbed said line will close said switch, the improvement comprising:

a) said switch comprising a rotary switch having a rotor with spring return means for returning said rotor to an initial open position, said rotary switch having means for completing a number of switch closures for each rotor rotation, having rotation means for rotating said rotor by means of said line, and having said line connected thereto, said line being arranged to extend from said rotary switch across a building opening when the alarm apparatus is attached near the building opening with a predetermined orientation, such that when said line is disturbed said rotor will be rotated by said line and cause a closure of said switch.

15. Apparatus as in claim 14 and further comprising:

a) line attachment means for attaching the free end of said line to a generally flat surface;

b) line length adjustment means for changing the length of an attached line.

16. Apparatus as in claim 15 wherein said line attachment means is a fastening cup.

17. Apparatus as in claim 14 wherein said line length adjustment means comprises a ball chain and ball chain attachment means for attaching the chain, said ball chain attachment means having an opening on one end sized to receive a line and a bifurcated bracket on the opposite end, said bracket being arranged and sized to grip the opening between balls of said ball chain when inserted therebetween.