Compensation type heat sensor

• US 5,254,975 A
• Filed: 03/27/1992
• Issued: 10/19/1993
• Est. Priority Date: 03/29/1991
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Hochiki Kabushiki Kaisha
• Original Assignee: Hochiki Kabushiki Kaisha
• Inventors: Torikoshi, Yasuo
• Primary Examiner(s): Swann, III, Glen R.
• Application Number:
  US07/859,103
• Time in Patent Office: 571 Days
• Field of Search: 340/589, 340/584, 340/595, 374/103, 307/117, 337/298, 323/369
• US Class Current: 340/589
• CPC Class Codes: G01K 3/005 Circuits arrangements for indicating a predetermined temperature fire detection G08B17/00
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 17/06 Electric actuation of the alarm, e.g. using a thermally-operated switch

Abstract

A pair of temperature detection devices having different heat time constants and an active device having a predetermined bias are connected in series. The bias is set so as to cause the active device to operate in a saturated region if the temperature is higher than a dangerous level, and to operate in a triode region if the temperature is lower than the dangerous level. The temperature detection devices are chosen so as to cause the voltage generated at the junction of the temperature detection devices to be higher than a predetermined reference voltage if the temperature has been raised to the dangerous level when the temperature is raised slowly, or if the temperature is raised rapidly, even if the temperature is lower than the dangerous level. A constant temperature function and a differential function are generated to detect that a fire has taken place. In another embodiment, one of the temperature detection devices (in series with an active device) is arranged in parallel with the other temperature detection device (in series with a resistor). The relative voltages of the two temperature detection devices are monitored to detect a "too high" or "too rapidly increasing" temperature. The resultant compensation type heat sensor has a reduced number of elements, the cost of which can be reduced and which possess both the constant temperature function and the differential function.

Claims

1. A compensation type heat sensor comprising:

two temperature detection devices having respectively a small heat time constant and a large heat time constant, said two temperature detection devices having a negative temperature coefficient;

an active device with bias and connected in series with said two temperature detection devices before being connected to a predetermined power source;

said two temperature detection devices being selected and the bias of said active device being set so that

said active device operates in a triode region as a resistance value of each of said temperature detection devices is changed before a temperature of a supervisory region is raised to a predetermined dangerous level, said active device operating in a saturated region when said temperature has been raised to said dangerous level;

and when said temperature is raised slowly while said active device operates in said triode region, a voltage at a junction of said temperature detection devices is always lower than a reference voltage, said voltage at said junction becoming higher than said reference voltage when said temperature has been raised to said dangerous level,

but if said temperature is raised rapidly while said active device operates in said triode region, the voltage at said junction of said temperature detection devices becomes higher than said reference voltage even if said temperature is not raised to said dangerous level; and

comparison means detecting that said voltage at said junction has exceeded said predetermined reference voltage to determine that a fire has taken place.

2. A compensation type heat sensor as defined in claim 1 wherein each said temperature detection device is a thermistor.

3. A compensation type heat sensor as defined in claim 1, wherein said active device is a transistor.

4. A compensation type heat sensor comprising:

a first series circuit network formed by a series combination of a first temperature detection device having a small heat time constant, a resistor and an active device connected across a predetermined power source;

a second series circuit network formed by a series combination of a second temperature detection device having a heat time constant larger than that of said first temperature detection device and a resistor connected across said predetermined power source;

said first temperature detection device and a bias of said active device being set so that

said active device operates in a triode region as a resistance value of each of said temperature detection devices is changed before a temperature of a supervisory region is raised to a predetermined dangerous level, said active device operating in a saturated region when said temperature has been raised to said dangerous level;

and when said temperature is raised slowly while said active device operates in said triode region, a voltage of said first temperature detection device is always lower than that of said second temperature detection device, said voltage of said first temperature detection device being raised to a level higher than that of said second temperature detection device when said temperature has been raised to said dangerous level;

but if the temperature is raised rapidly while said active device operates in said triode region, the voltage of said first temperature detection device is raised to a level higher than that of said second temperature detection device even if said temperature is not raised to said dangerous level; and

comparison means detecting that said voltage of said first temperature detection device has exceeded the voltage of said second temperature detection device to determine that a fire has taken place.

5. A compensation type heat sensor as defined in claim 4, wherein each said temperature detection device is a thermistor.

6. A compensation type heat sensor as defined in claim 4, wherein said active device is a transistor.