Warning light system for use with a smoke detector

• US 5,177,461 A
• Filed: 10/29/1991
• Issued: 01/05/1993
• Est. Priority Date: 11/28/1988
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Universal Electronics, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Universal Electronics, Inc.
• Inventors: Howe, David J., Johnson, William A., Budzyna, W. James
• Primary Examiner(s): EISENZOPF, REINHARD
• Assistant Examiner(s): Jackson, Jill
• Application Number:
  US07/784,613
• Time in Patent Office: 434 Days
• Field of Search: 340/539
• US Class Current: 340/331
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 17/00 Fire alarms; Alarms responsive to explosion
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 7/064 indicating houses needing emergency help, e.g. with a flashing light or sound

Abstract

A flashing alarm device responsive to audible signals produced by a smoke detector when the smoke detector senses a smoke condition, the alarm device including a circuit with a microphone portion for responding to audible signals produced by the smoke detector and an amplifier circuit portion for amplifying signals produced by the microphone, a switch circuit portion having a control input connected to the output of the amplifier circuit portion, and another circuit portion including a battery, a timer circuit, and a light bulb, the battery having a connection to the amplifier circuit and to the timer circuit, the timer circuit and the light bulb being connected in series with the switch circuit portion for energizing and de-engergizing the light bulb whenever the switch circuit portion is in its conducting condition. The device may also include a housing for the components and the device may optionally be constructed to operate on transmitted and received radio frequency signals.

Claims

1. A warning system for alerting a rescuer in the vicinity of a building of an emergency condition in the building and for indicating which opening of the building the rescuer should enter first, said system comprising:

a physically separate and distinct detector, said detector including an emergency condition sensing and signalling device for sensing smoke or fire in proximity of said detector and for signalling an emergency condition when smoke or fire is sensed;

a physically separate and distinct alarm device, said alarm device including

sensing means for sensing the emergency condition signal generated by said emergency condition sensing device in the building;

an amplifier for receiving and amplifying said emergency condition signal after said signal is sensed by said sensing means and for producing an output signal;

generating means responsive to said output signal received from said amplifier for generating an intermittent light beam signal;

preventing means coupled between said amplifier and said generating means for preventing false signals from activating said light beam generating means, said preventing means including a bandpass filter;

ensuring means coupled between said amplifier and said generating means for ensuring that only emergency condition signals are supplied to said light beam generating means, said ensuring means including a low pass filter;

mounting means for mounting said device proximate to the building opening in a position to emit said intermittent light beam signal so it can be seen from outside the building.

2. The warning device of claim 1, wherein said emergency condition sensing device is a smoke detector.

3. The warning device of claim 1, wherein said emergency condition sending device is a fire detector.

4. The warning device of claim 1, wherein said emergency condition signal is an audible signal.

5. The warning device of claim 1, wherein said emergency condition signal is a radio frequency signal.

6. The warning device of claim 1, wherein said sensing means comprises a microphone for sensing an audible emergency condition signal.

7. The warning device of claim 1, wherein said sensing means comprises an antenna for sensing a radio frequency emergency condition signal.

8. The warning signal of claim 1 wherein said generating means for generating an intermittent light beam signal comprises a circuit including a power source, a timer circuit, and a switching device coupled in series, a light source is coupled to said timer circuit and an output of said ensuring means is coupled to said switching device.

9. The warning device of claim 8, wherein said timer circuit operates only when said switching device is closed by the sensing of said emergency condition signal and causes said light source to be energized intermittently.

10. The circuit of claim 8, wherein said switching device is a MOSFET.

11. The circuit of claim 8, wherein said switching device is a SCR.

12. The warning device of claim 1, wherein said mounting means comprises one or more suction cup devices capable of being mounted on a window pane.

13. The warning device of claim 1 wherein said preventing means comprises a bandpass filter for passing signals having a frequency within a predetermined frequency range of the emergency condition signal.

14. The warning device of claim 13 wherein said ensuring means comprises a detector circuit for rectifying the passed emergency condition signal and a low pass filter connected between said detector circuit and said generating means for passing to said light beam generating means direct current signals obtained from said passed emergency condition signal.

15. In a warning device responsive to emergency condition signals and having an input sensing circuit having an input and an output and an output circuit including a switching device and having an input and an output, the improvement comprising:

means for filtering out false signals and for ensuring the actuation of said warning device upon receiving bona fide emergency condition signals,

said filtering means including

an operational amplifier having an input coupled to the output of the input sensing circuit and an output,

a bandpass filter having an output and an input coupled to the output of said operational amplifier for passing signals having a frequency within a predetermined range,

a detector circuit having an output and an input coupled to the output of said bandpass filter for converting the passed signals into a direct current, and

a low pass filter coupled to the output of said detector circuit and to the input of said output circuit for passing to the output circuit only those signals which are of sufficient magnitude and which are present for a long enough duration to allow them to pass through the low pass filter to the output of said switching device to activate the switching device.

16. In a warning system for alerting a rescuer in the vicinity of a building of an emergency condition in the building and for indicating which one of several openings to the building the rescuer should enter first, the improvement comprising:

a physically separate and distinct alarm device positioned in close proximity to an emergency sensing and signalling detector, said alarm device including

sensing means for sensing an emergency condition signal generated by said emergency condition sensing and signalling detector;

an amplifier coupled to an output of said sensing means for amplifying said emergency condition signal after said signal is sensed by said sensing means;

a timer circuit and a light source, for generating an intermittent light beam signal;

a bandpass filter for passing signals having a frequency within a predetermined frequency range of the amplified emergency condition signal;

a detector circuit for rectifying the passed emergency condition signal and including a low pass filter for passing signals having a predetermined amplitude level coupled in series between the output of said sensing means and an input of said timer circuit;

said sensing means, said bandpass filter, said detector circuit and said low pass filter being coupled in series; and

,

mounting means for mounting said alarm device proximate to one of the building openings in position to emit said intermittent light beam signal so said intermittent light beam signal can be seen from outside the building.

17. The warning device of claim 16 wherein said mounting means comprises one or more suction cup devices capable of being mounted on a window pane.

18. The warning device of claim 16, wherein said emergency condition signal is a radio frequency signal and said sensing means comprises an antenna for sensing said radio frequency emergency condition signal.