Smoke detecting apparatus with a predetermined direction electric field component

• US 6,078,040 A
• Filed: 06/30/1998
• Issued: 06/20/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Hochiki Corporation
• Original Assignee: Hochiki Corporation
• Inventors: Yamauchi, Yukio, Endo, Ichiro
• Primary Examiner(s): LE, QUE TAN
• Application Number:
  US09/107,285
• Time in Patent Office: 721 Days
• Field of Search: 250/222.2, 250/574, 250/573, 340/630, 340/628, 340/629, 356/340, 356/336, 356/339
• US Class Current: 250/222.2
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/53 within a flowing fluid, e.g. smoke
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 17/107 for detecting light-scattering due to smoke
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 17/113 Constructional details

Abstract

A light source image, i.e., a near field pattern of the light-emitting face of a laser diode which emits laser light having the electric field component in a predetermined direction is formed by an imaging lens at an image forming position of a smoke detecting area through which a flow of sucked air passes. A light receiving device is disposed on an optical axis which passes through the image forming position of a light source image in the smoke detecting area and which is set in a plane that is substantially parallel to the direction of the electric field component of the laser light, and receives scattered light due to a smoke particle passing through the imaging position of the light source image and the vicinity of the imaging position.

Claims

1. A smoke detecting apparatus which determines a fire by optically detecting smoke particles suspended in air sucked from a monitored zone, comprising:

a laser diode which emits laser light having an electric field component in a predetermined direction;

an imaging lens which forms a light source image of a light-emitting face of said laser diode in a smoke detecting area through which sucked air passes; and

a light receiving device which is disposed on an optical axis, said optical axis passing through an imaging position of the light source image in said smoke detecting area and being set in a plane which is substantially parallel to a direction of the electric field component of the laser light, said light receiving device receiving scattered light due to a smoke particle passing through the imaging position of the light source image and a vicinity of the imaging position in said smoke detecting area.

2. A smoke detecting apparatus according to claim 1, wherein an optical axis of said light receiving device is set to elongate in a direction perpendicular to an optical axis of the laser light in the plane which passes through the imaging position of the light source image in said smoke detecting area and which is substantially parallel to the direction of the electric field component of the laser light.

3. A smoke detecting apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the light source image formed by said imaging lens is a near field pattern having an oval light intensity distribution which has a major axis elongating in the electric field direction and a minor axis elongating in a direction perpendicular to the electric field direction.

4. A smoke detecting apparatus according to claim 1, wherein an optical axis of said light receiving device is set to elongate in a direction of a major axis of the near field pattern having an oval light intensity distribution.

5. A smoke detecting apparatus which determines a fire by optically detecting smoke particles suspended in air sucked from a monitored zone, comprising:

a laser diode which emits laser light having an electric field component in a predetermined direction to a smoke detecting area;

a collimator lens which converts the light emitted from the laser diode to parallel light bundle; and

a light receiving device receiving scattered light due to a smoke particle passing through the smoke detecting area at a position apart from the parallel light bundle, a receiving light axis of the light receiving device being disposed on a face substantially parallel to the electric field of the laser diode, the receiving light axis crossing the parallel light bundle at a predetermined angle.

6. A smoke detecting apparatus according to claim 5, wherein a light source image formed by the collimator lens into the parallel light bundle is a near field pattern having an true-circular light intensity.