Emergency lighting system

• US 5,365,145 A
• Filed: 08/09/1993
• Issued: 11/15/1994
• Est. Priority Date: 08/09/1993
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Gael, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Gael, Inc.
• Inventors: Fields, Gregory S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee, Benny
• Assistant Examiner(s): Ratliff, Reginald A.
• Application Number:
  US08/103,542
• Time in Patent Office: 463 Days
• Field of Search: 315/86, 315/93, 315/185, 362/20, 362/183, 362/148, 362/251, 307/66, 307/64, 307/85
• US Class Current: 315/86
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 9/02 in which an auxiliary distribution system and its associated lamps are brought into service
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/29 Circuits providing for substitution of the light source in case of its failure

Abstract

An emergency lighting system for providing low voltage DC battery powered illumination to one or more areas of a home, apartment, office or other building structure in an emergency mode upon the failure or termination in such areas of a normal AC power mode. The system includes a voltage step-down transformer with the leads of its primary winding interconnected to a normal AC power source and forming therewith an AC circuit. A power rectifier has its input leads interconnected to the terminals of the low AC voltage secondary winding of the transformer and its DC voltage output leads interconnected to the terminals of an emergency battery power source. One or more low voltage incandescent lamps are interconnected to the terminals of the battery and form therewith an emergency DC circuit. A control relay interacts between the AC circuit and the DC circuit of the system with the DC circuit contacts of the relay interconnected in one of the low voltage leads of the DC circuit between the lamps and the battery and with the coil of the relay interconnected in the AC circuit for maintaining the DC contacts of the DC circuit open during normal AC current flow in the AC circuit and responsive to a termination or failure of the AC power source and cessation of AC current flow in the AC circuit to close the DC circuit contacts of the relay whereby the low voltage lamps are energized by the battery to produce emergency illumination.

Claims

1. An emergency lighting system for providing low voltage DC battery powered illumination to one or more areas of a home, apartment, office or other building structure in an emergency mode upon the failure or termination in such areas of a normal AC power mode, said system comprising:

a) a source of normal AC power having interconnecting leads to the primary high voltage winding of a voltage step-down transformer and forming therewith an AC circuit;

b) AC power rectifying means, including input terminals and output terminals, having its input terminals connected to the secondary low voltage winding of said transformer;

c) an emergency battery power source having its terminals connected to the output terminals of said rectifying means to receive low voltage DC power for storage therein when said normal AC power source is operative;

d) at least one low voltage incandescent lamp interconnected by low voltage leads to the terminals of said battery power source and forming therewith an emergency DC circuit; and

e) control relay means for interacting between said AC circuit and said DC circuit, said relay means including DC circuit contact means interconnected in one of the low voltage leads of said DC circuit from said lamp to a terminal of said battery source, and said relay means including coil means in said AC circuit for maintaining said DC circuit contacts in their open position during AC current flow in said AC circuit and responsive to a termination or failure of said AC power source and cessation of AC current flow in said AC circuit to close said DC circuit contact means whereby said low voltage lamp is energized by said battery source to produce emergency illumination.

2. The emergency lighting system as claimed in claim 1 wherein the AC circuit of said system includes a hard wired smoke detector which through its junction box comprises the source of normal AC power for said circuit and a smoke detector relay which terminates AC current flow within said AC circuit upon the detection of smoke by said detector and thereby activates the DC circuit of said system to produce emergency illumination.

3. The emergency lighting system as claimed in claim 1 wherein the AC circuit of said system includes an intrusion relay interconnected to an intruder sensor which upon sensing an intruder activates said intrusion relay to terminate the flow of AC current within said circuit and thereby activate the DC circuit of said system to produce emergency illumination.

4. The emergency lighting system as claimed in claim 1 wherein the AC circuit of said system includes a panic relay interconnected to a panic alarm switch which upon closure activates said panic relay to terminate the flow of AC current within said circuit and thereby activate the DC circuit of said system to produce emergency illumination.

5. The emergency lighting system as claimed in claim 1 wherein the AC circuit of said system includes an earthquake relay interconnected to an earthquake sensor which upon sensing an earthquake activates said earthquake relay to terminate the flow of AC current within said circuit and thereby activate the DC circuit of said system to produce emergency illumination.

6. The emergency lighting system as claimed in claim 1 wherein the AC circuit of said system includes a garage door opener relay interconnected to a garage door opener signal receiver which upon receiving a signal for opening a garage door activates said door opener relay to terminate the flow of AC current within said circuit and thereby activate the DC circuit of said system to produce emergency illumination.

7. An emergency lighting system for providing low voltage DC battery powered illumination to one or more areas of a home, apartment, office or other building structure in an emergency mode upon the failure or termination in such areas of a normal AC power mode, said system comprising:

a) a hard wired smoke detector which provides through its junction box a source of normal 120 volt AC power having interconnecting power leads to the primary high voltage winding of a 10-to-1 voltage step-down transformer and forming therewith an AC power circuit;

b) AC power rectifying means, including input terminals and output terminals, having its input terminals connected to the secondary low voltage winding of said transformer to receive 12 volt AC power therefrom and rectify said AC power to 12 volt DC power;

c) an emergency 12 volt DC rechargeable battery power source having its terminals interconnected to the output terminals of said power rectifying means to receive 12 volt DC power for storage therein when said normal AC power source is operative;

d) a multiplicity of 12 volt DC incandescent lamps for providing emergency illumination, said lamps interconnected in parallel to low voltage leads from the terminals of said battery power source and forming therewith an emergency DC circuit;

e) main control relay means for interacting between said AC circuit and said DC circuit, said main relay means including DC circuit contact means interconnected in one of the low voltage leads of said DC circuit from said lamps to said battery source, and said main relay means including coil means in said AC circuit for maintaining said DC circuit contacts in their open position during AC current flow in said AC circuit and responsive to a termination or failure of said AC power source and cessation of AC current flow in said AC circuit to close said DC circuit contact means whereby said incandescent lamps are energized by said battery source to produce emergency illumination; and

f) smoke detector relay means including normally closed AC circuit contact means interconnected in said AC power circuit and including means responsive to the detection of smoke by said smoke detector to open said AC circuit contact means whereby AC current flow in said AC circuit is terminated and the DC circuit contacts of said main relay means are closed whereby said incandescent lamps are energized by said battery source to produce emergency illumination.

8. The emergency lighting system as claimed in claim 7 wherein each of said incandescent lamps for providing emergency illumination has connected in series therewith, and in close proximity thereto, a thermal overload device to protect each of said lamps from experiencing overheating and damage during long periods of use.

9. The emergency lighting system as claimed in claim 7 wherein said system includes a manual "on-off" control switch for said system in the 120 volt AC power lead between the junction box of said smoke detector and said smoke detector relay, said switch being located for actuation at the face panel of a master control box for said system and said face panel includes an LED device interconnected to the secondary windings of said step-down transformer to indicate when the system has been activated by said manual control switch.

10. The emergency lighting system as claimed in claim 9 wherein each of said incandescent lamps for providing emergency illumination has wired in parallel therewith an LED device, located at the face panel of said master control box, to indicate that said lamps are energized by current flow within said DC circuit.

11. The emergency lighting system as claimed in claim 10 wherein each of said incandescent lamps for providing emergency illumination has wired in series therewith a manual "on-off" lamp control switch, located at the face panel of said master control box, whereby individual lamps may be selectively deactivated from said system.

12. The emergency lighting system as claimed in claim 7 wherein the AC circuit of said system includes an intrusion relay interconnected to an intruder sensor, panic relay interconnected to a panic alarm switch, an earthquake relay interconnected to an earthquake sensor, and a garage door opener relay interconnected to a garage door opener signal receiver, said relays terminating the flow of AC current within the AC circuit when said intruder sensor, said panic alarm switch, said earthquake sensor, or said garage door signal receiver, respectively, senses an intruder, activates the panic alarm, senses an earthquake, or receives a garage door opener signal thereby activating the DC circuit of said system to produce emergency illumination.

13. The emergency lighting system as claimed in claim 12 wherein said system includes a second 10-to-1 voltage step-down transformer with its primary high voltage winding interconnected to said source of normal 120 volt AC power and with its secondary low voltage winding interconnected to the input terminals of a full wave rectifier which supplies via its output terminals low voltage DC current individually to coil means within said intrusion relay, said panic relay, said earthquake relay and said garage door opener relay whereby AC circuit contacts within said relays are maintained closed during normal AC current flow in said AC circuit and whereby upon activation of any one of said relays by its respective intruder sensor, panic alarm switch, earthquake sensor or garage door opener signal receiver the respective AC circuit contacts of said respective relay open with the cessation of AC current flow in said AC circuit and the DC circuit contacts of said main relay means are closed and the incandescent lamps are energized to produce emergency illumination.

14. The emergency lighting system as claimed in claim 13 wherein a "delay-off" timer is interconnected in the AC circuit immediately before the coil means of the main control relay whereby upon reactivation of AC current flow in the AC circuit the DC current flow within the DC circuit is continued for a preset amount of time.