Supervised alarm system

• US 5,686,884 A
• Filed: 01/03/1996
• Issued: 11/11/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 01/03/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Charles W. Kertz, Dennis S. Larkin, William J. Aaron Jr
• Original Assignee: Charles W. Kertz, Dennis S. Larkin, William J. Aaron Jr
• Inventors: Aaron, William J. Jr., Larkin, Dennis S., Kertz, Charles W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hofsass, Jeffery
• Assistant Examiner(s): Pope, Daryl C.
• Application Number:
  US08/582,588
• Time in Patent Office: 678 Days
• Field of Search: 5/108, 5/109, 5/915, 601/60, 340/407.1, 340/815.69, 340/333, 340/825.19, 340/506, 340/573, 318/544
• US Class Current: 340/506
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 1/08 using electric transmission ; transformation of alarm signals to electrical signals from a different medium, e.g. transmission of an electric alarm signal upon detection of an audible alarm signal
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 6/00 Tactile signalling systems, e.g. personal calling systems

Abstract

A power supervised emergency warning device provides a shaking motion to a piece of furniture coupled thereto upon receipt of an electronic actuating signal from an external closed contact type device. A backup battery provides power to the device in the case of a main power outage. External warning devices may be coupled to the device which are activated upon receipt by the device of the actuating signal. Additional external device hook-ups are provided as well as the ability to be coupled to auxiliary modules. The auxiliary modules accept actuating signals from additional external closed contact type devices to produce shaking. Additional indication devices may also be coupled thereto. Additional auxiliary modules may also be chained thereto.

Claims

1. A warning unit comprising:

a housing;

a DC motor in said housing and including a rotatable shaft with a disc mounted thereon and rotatable therewith, said shaft and said disc defining an axis of rotation;

a rigid arm coupled to said disc transverse to said axis of rotation so as to reciprocate when said disc rotates, said arm adapted to be coupled to a piece of furniture so as to shake the piece of furniture upon reciprocating movement of said arm;

an AC to DC conversion circuit within said housing and electrically connected to an external AC power source, said AC to DC conversion circuit having a DC output;

a control circuit within said housing and electrically coupled to said DC output of said AC to DC conversion circuit for receipt of DC power therefrom, said control circuit coupled to said DC motor and including an activation input for receiving an activating signal from an external activating device, said control circuit turning on said motor which rotates said shaft and said disc when the external activating device provides said activating signal;

a rechargeable battery electrically coupled to said control circuit to provide backup power thereto upon an external AC power source failure;

an autoswitching circuit within said housing and electrically coupled to said control circuit, said autoswitching circuit allowing energy from said battery to power said circuits upon a loss of the external AC power source, and allowing energy from the external AC power source to power said circuits and cutting off said battery power upon restoration of the external AC power source; and

a supervision circuit within said housing and electrically coupled to said control circuit, said supervision circuit monitoring the external AC power source and said battery for inoperativeness and providing an alarm indication signal upon finding any such inoperativeness.

2. The warning unit of claim 1, further comprising:

a battery charging circuit within said housing and electrically coupled to said control circuit and said battery, said battery charging circuit charging said battery from the external AC power source when said control circuit is receiving energy from the external AC power source; and

a test switch for circuit operation verification.

3. The warning unit of claim 1, wherein said control circuit includes an isolated DC output to power a second external activating device, and a second activation input for receiving a second activation signal from said second external activating device.

4. The warning unit of claim 1, wherein said control circuit further includes an output terminal for sending a signal to an external indication device upon said control circuit'"'"'s receipt of said activating signal.

5. The warning unit of claim 1, wherein said control circuit includes an auxiliary module input for coupling an auxiliary control module thereto, said auxiliary control module including an isolated output contact and an isolated input contact, said isolated input contact adapted to receive an activation signal from an external activation device, said isolated output contact connectable to said activation input of said control circuit.

6. A device for shaking a piece of furniture upon receipt of an alarm indication signal, the device comprising:

a housing;

a DC motor disposed within said housing and having a rotatable shaft extending external to said housing, said shaft defining an axis of rotation;

a hub connected to an end of said shaft external to said housing and rotatable with said shaft;

an arm connected to said hub so as to reciprocate transverse to said axis of rotation, said arm coupled to the piece of furniture;

a control circuit coupled to a 120 volt AC source and said motor, said control circuit including a full-wave rectifier and a normally open input and operable to start said motor upon receipt of the alarm indication signal at said input;

a backup battery coupled to said control circuit;

an autoswitching circuit coupled to said battery and said control circuit that allows energy from said battery to power said control circuit upon a failure of the 120 volt AC source, and that stops and cuts off energy from said battery upon a restoration of the 120 volt AC source;

a charging circuit coupled to said control circuit that charges said battery when energy is supplied to said control circuit from the 120 volt AC source; and

a supervision circuit coupled to said control circuit that monitors said battery and the 120 volt AC source and provides a power out signal to a trouble contact when no power is being supplied to said control circuit.

7. The device of claim 6, further comprising auxiliary input coupling for operably connecting an auxiliary input and indication module thereto.

8. The device of claim 6, further comprising:

a +12 VDC output;

a test circuit; and

a dual open/closed contact output.

9. The device of claim 6 wherein said trouble contact of said supervision circuit is normally open, and said supervision circuit further includes a normally closed trouble contact.

10. The device of claim 6, wherein said supervision circuit further includes indicators that identify a normal and abnormal state of the system.