Combined alarm system and window covering assembly

• US 5,440,289 A
• Filed: 07/28/1992
• Issued: 08/08/1995
• Est. Priority Date: 12/12/1986
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Dennis E. Riordan
• Original Assignee: Dennis E. Riordan
• Inventors: Riordan, Dennis E.
• Primary Examiner(s): SWANN III, GLEN R
• Application Number:
  US07/920,837
• Time in Patent Office: 1,106 Days
• Field of Search: 340/545, 340/550, 340/547, 340/640, 160/374, 229/126, 246/407
• US Class Current: 340/550
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/08 by opening, e.g. of door, of window, of drawer, of shutter, of curtain, of blind
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/126 for a housing, e.g. a box, a safe, or a room

Abstract

A combined alarm system and window covering assembly has a top housing assembly, a bottom housing and a covering. A conductive wire extends from the top housing assembly down to the bottom assembly and up from the bottom assembly to the top housing assembly and is used for raising and lowering the covering and the bottom housing. The conductive wire is electrically coupled to an alarm device. An enclosure is adapted to cover to the top housing assembly and an alarm device is disposed in the enclosure. A rotatable electrical connector and a roll-up mechanism for raising and lowering the covering and the bottom assembly may also be disposed in the top housing. The rotatable electrical connector electrically couples the alarm device to the conductive wire. An optical fiber may replace the conductive wire. An optical switching assembly includies a light bulb, an optical relay switch and a battery with the optical relay switch being optically coupled to the optical fiber and electrically coupled to the alarm device.

Claims

1. A combined alarm system and window covering assembly, said combined alarm system and window covering assembly comprising:

a. a top housing;

b. a bottom rail;

c. a covering mechanically coupled to said top housing and said bottom rail, having two external surfaces; and

d. a conductive wire which has a first end and a second end and which extends from said top housing down to said bottom rail and up from said bottom rail to said top housing whereby said conductive wire is disposed between said external surfaces of said covering and is thereby hidden from the view of a would-be intruder.

2. A combined alarm system and window covering assembly according to claim 1 wherein said covering is a double honeycomb shade which is mechanically coupled to said top housing and said bottom rail wherein said conductive wire is mechanically coupled to said double honeycomb shade.

3. A combined alarm system and window covering assembly according to claim 1 wherein said covering is a triple honeycomb shade which is mechanically coupled to said top housing and said bottom rail wherein said conductive wire is mechanically coupled to said triple honeycomb shade.

4. A combined alarm system and window covering assembly according to claim 1 wherein said combined alarm system and window covering assembly includes:

a. an enclosure adapted to cover to said top housing; and

b. an electrical device having a first input terminal and a second input terminal disposed in said enclosure, said first and second ends of said conductive wire being electrically coupled to the first and second input terminals of said electrical device.

5. A combined alarm system and window covering assembly according to claim 4 wherein said electrical device is an alarm device which includes a battery, a buzzer and a relay switch which electrically couples said battery to said buzzer through said conductive wire so that when said relay switch does not receive any electrical energy from said battery through said conductive wire said buzzer is activated.

6. A combined alarm system and window covering assembly according to claim 5 wherein said combined alarm system and widow covering assembly includes a solar powered battery charger which is electrically coupled to said battery of said alarm device.

7. A combined alarm system and window covering assembly according to claim 1 wherein said covering is a triple honeycomb shade which is mechanically coupled to said top housing and said bottom rail wherein said conductive wire is mechanically coupled to said triple honeycomb shade and wherein said conductive wire is coupled with said bottom rail as a main pull string for raising and lowering said bottom rail and said triple honeycomb shade.

8. A combined alarm system and window covering assembly according to claim 1 wherein said covering is a pleated shade which is mechanically coupled to said top housing and said bottom rail wherein said conductive wire is mechanically coupled to said pleated shade.

9. A combined alarm system and window covering assembly according to claim 1 wherein said covering is a pleated shade which is mechanically coupled to said top housing and said bottom rail wherein said conductive wire is mechanically coupled to said pleated shade and wherein said conductive wire is coupled with said bottom rail as a main pull string for raising and lowering said bottom rail and said pleated shade.

10. A combined alarm system and window covering assembly, said combined alarm system and window covering assembly comprising:

a. a top housing;

b. a bottom rail;

c. a covering mechanically coupled to said top housing and said bottom rail, having two external surfaces;

d. an optical fiber having a first end and a second end and extending from said top housing down to said bottom rail and up from said bottom rail to said top housing whereby said optical fiber is disposed between said external surfaces of said covering and is thereby hidden from the view of a would-be intruder; and

e. an optical switching assembly including a light bulb, an optical relay switch and a battery providing electrical power to said light bulb and said optical switch.

11. A combined alarm system and window covering assembly according to claim 10 wherein said combined alarm system and window covering assembly includes:

a. an enclosure adapted to be cover said top housing; and

b. an electrical device having a first input terminal and a second input terminal disposed in said enclosure, said optical switch being electrically coupled to said first and second terminals of said electrical device wherein said said optical fiber optically couples said light bulb to said optical relay switch so that when said optical switch does not receive any light from said light bulb through said optical fiber said electrical device is activated.

12. A combined alarm system and window covering assembly according to claim 11 wherein said electrical device is an alarm device which includes a battery, a buzzer and a relay switch which electrically couples said battery to said buzzer.

13. A combined alarm system and window covering assembly according to claim 12 wherein said combined alarm system and window covering assembly includes a solar powered battery charger which is electrically coupled to said battery of said alarm device.

14. A combined alarm system and window covering assembly according to claim 10 wherein said covering is a double honeycomb shade which is mechanically coupled to said top housing and said bottom rail wherein said optical fiber is mechanically coupled to said double honeycomb shade.

15. A combined alarm system and window covering assembly according to claim 10 wherein said covering is a triple honeycomb shade which is mechanically coupled to said top housing and said bottom rail wherein said optical fiber is mechanically coupled to said triple honeycomb shade.

16. A combined alarm system and window covering assembly according to claim 10 wherein said covering is a pleated shade which is mechanically coupled to said top housing and said bottom rail wherein said optical fiber is mechanically coupled to said pleated shade.

17. A combined alarm system and window covering assembly, said combined alarm system and window covering assembly comprising:

a. a top housing;

b. a bottom rail;

c. a screen mesh mechanically coupled to said top housing and said bottom rail;

d. an optical fiber having a first end and a second end and extending from said top housing down to said bottom rail and up from said bottom rail to said top housing wherein said optical fiber is mechanically coupled said bottom rail as a main pull string for raising and lowering said bottom rail and said screen mesh; and

e. an optical switching assembly including a light bulb, an optical relay switch and a battery providing electrical power to said light bulb and said optical switch.

18. A combined alarm system and window covering assembly, said combined alarm system and window covering assembly comprising:

a. a top housing;

b. a bottom rail;

c. a covering mechanically coupled to said top housing and said bottom rail;

d. an optical fiber having a first end and a second end and extending from said top housing down to said bottom rail and up from said bottom rail to said top housing wherein said optical fiber is a main pull string for raising and lowering said bottom rail and said covering; and

e. an optical switching assembly including a light bulb, an optical relay switch and a battery providing electrical power to said light bulb and said optical switch.

19. A combined alarm system and window covering assembly according to claim 18 wherein said covering includes:

a. a plurality of individual slats each of which has a first slot and a second slot, which is spaced apart from said first slot;

b. a first string ladder support system which has a front vertical ladder string and a back vertical ladder string with short support strings fastened between said front and back vertical ladder strings and which is mechanically coupled to said top housing and said bottom rail, each of said short support strings of said first string ladder support system supporting one of said individual slats contiguous to said first slot thereof; and

c. a second string ladder support system which has a front vertical ladder string and a back vertical ladder string with short support strings fastened between said front and back vertical ladder strings and which is mechanically coupled to said top housing and said bottom rail, each of said short support strings of said second string ladder support system supporting one of said individual slats contiguous to said second slot thereof wherein said optical fiber extends from said top housing down through each of said first slots of said slats to said bottom rail and from said bottom rail through each of said second slots of said slats to said top housing.

20. A combined alarm system and window covering assembly according to claim 18 wherein said covering is a single honeycomb shade which is mechanically coupled to said top housing and said bottom rail wherein said optical fiber is mechanically coupled to said single honeycomb shade.

21. A combined alarm system and window covering assembly according to claim 18 wherein said covering is a double honeycomb shade which is mechanically coupled to said top housing and said bottom rail wherein said optical fiber is mechanically coupled to said double honeycomb shade.

22. A combined alarm system and window covering assembly according to claim 18 wherein said covering is a triple honeycomb shade which is mechanically coupled to said top housing and said bottom rail wherein said optical fiber is mechanically coupled to said triple honeycomb shade.

23. A combined alarm system and window covering assembly according to claim 18 wherein said covering is a pleated shade which is mechanically coupled to said top housing and said bottom rail wherein said optical fiber is mechanically coupled to said pleated shade.

24. An alarm screen mesh comprising:

a. a screen mesh which is formed from a sheet of screen material and which has marginal edge portions which are adapted to be secured to a frame; and

b. a single integral length of optical fiber having a first plurality of parallel segments and a second plurality of parallel segments wherein the first plurality of parallel segments having been spaced apart and interwoven into said screen mesh and the second plurality of parallel segments being contiguous at each end to one of the first plurality of parallel segments and not having been interwoven into the screen mesh with the second plurality of parallel segments having been disposed perpendicular to the first plurality of parallel segments and wherein none of said first and second pluralities of parallel segments have been spliced together.