Current detector flood light lamp removal alarm

• US 6,078,257 A
• Filed: 10/02/1999
• Issued: 06/20/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 06/15/1995
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Joseph C. Ferraro
• Original Assignee: Joseph C. Ferraro
• Inventors: Ferraro, Joseph C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee, Benjamin C.
• Application Number:
  US09/410,908
• Time in Patent Office: 262 Days
• Field of Search: 340/568.1, 340/568.4, 340/953, 340/571, 340/541, 340/643, 340/506, 340/527, 340/539, 340/931, 315/129, 315/130
• US Class Current: 340/568.1
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/1409 for removal detection of electrical appliances by detecting their physical disconnection from an electrical system, e.g. using a switch incorporated in the plug connector
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/149 with electric, magnetic, capacitive switch actuation
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 15/00 Identifying, scaring or incapacitating burglars, thieves or intruders, e.g. by explosives

Abstract

A flood light lamp removal alarm for security lights mounted on or near a home, wherein the lights are designed to turn on automatically if a motion detector is triggered and the ambient light level is low, detects by a current if any of the flood light lamps are unscrewed or loosened, either prior to a burglary or during the attempt to disable the flood light assembly. A central contact of a lamp socket is modified so that it maintains contact with the lamp therein for a longer distance as the lamp is unscrewed out, so that the alarm is triggered before the light from the lamp is disabled. Alternatively, current detectors verify when a lamp is loosened from a socket by detecting changes in current draw across the socket.

Claims

1. A flood light lamp removal and burnout alarm assembly for security flood light fixtures having at least on one socket accommodating at least one flood light lamp, said socket connected to a power supply for the lamp, the fixture having a low ambient light detector and a motion detector, wherein the assembly detects unwarranted unscrewing of the flood light lamp therefrom and lamp burnouts, comprising:

a housing containing a perceptible alarm;

said alarm communicating with an alarm logic, said alarm logic turning on said alarm if current drawn is not commensurate with a predetermined load current of said at least one lamp, while said lamp is operational,

a means for detecting inoperability of the lamp, said means comprising a current detector detecting changes in a magnetic field induced by load currents, said current detector connected to said at least one socket;

said current detector being activated when said lamp is properly screwed into said socket and is operational;

said current detector being inactivated when current is interrupted when the lamp is burnout, loosened or removed from the socket and is not operational; and

a physical sensor switch for detecting the loosing or removal of the lamp from its socket to generate said alarm regardless of the operational status of said lamp.

2. The flood light lamp removal alarm assembly as in claim 1 wherein said current detector is connected to a plurality of said at least one sockets.

3. The flood light lamp removal alarm assembly as in claim 1 wherein said current detector is at least one Hall effect switch sensing changes in a magnetic field in a gap of a ferrite core due to current flowing through a conductor wound around said ferrite core.

4. The flood light lamp removal alarm assembly as in claim 1 wherein said current detector is a current sensing relay.

5. The flood light lamp removal alarm assembly as in claim 1 wherein said current detector is a low value resistor wired in series with said at least one lamp, with an op-amp type comparator sensing a voltage drop across said at least one socket.

6. The flood light lamp removal alarm assembly as in claim 5 wherein output from said sensor is inverted in an inverter and wherein said at least one sensor comprises a plurality of sensors, wherein the output from each said sensor is combined to form a uniform signal to a control circuit controlling said alarm.

7. The flood light lamp removal alarm assembly as in claim 5 wherein the output of said Hall effect switch is inverted in an inverter.

8. The flood light lamp removal alarm assembly as in claim 1 further comprising said motion detector mounted remotely from said lamp fixture, a control unit supplying power to said at least one lamp through said current detector, if motion is detected by said motion detector, said motion detector having a transmitter wirelessly transmitting a coded burst of radio signals to a remote receiver, said receiver prompting said alarm, and a storage battery on a float charge powering said motion detector if a wire connecting said motion detector to an AC power supply is cut.

9. A flood light lamp removal and burnout alarm assembly for home security flood light fixtures having at least on one socket accommodating at least one flood light lamp, said socket connected to a power supply for the lamp, the fixture having a low ambient light detector and a motion detector, wherein the assembly detects unwarranted unscrewing of the flood light lamp therefrom and lamp burnouts, comprising:

a housing containing a perceptible alarm;

said alarm communicating with an alarm logic, said alarm logic turning on said alarm if current drawn is not commensurate with a predetermined load current of said at least one lamp, while said lamp is operational,

a means for detecting inoperability of the lamp, said means comprising a current detector detecting changes in the current, said current detector connected to said at least one socket;

said current detector being activated when said lamp is properly screwed into said socket and is operational;

said current detector being inactivated when current is interrupted when the lamp is burnout, loosened or removed from the socket and is not operational; and

a physical sensor switch for detecting the loosing or removal of the lamp from its socket to generate said alarm regardless of the operational status of said lamp.

10. The flood light lamp removal alarm assembly as in claim 9 wherein said at least one lamp comprises a plurality of lamps and a plurality of current detectors, each respective current detector associated with each respective lamp for detecting inoperability of said each respective lamp and triggering said alarm when said motion detector is activated during periods of low ambient light, when said inoperability is detected.

11. The flood light lamp removal alarm assembly as in claim 10 further comprising current detection circuitry for detecting inoperability of said plurality of flood lamps and wherein said motion detector is remotely positioned and coupled to said alarm circuitry by radio frequency communications,

further wherein said alarm is triggered when said motion detector is activated during periods of low ambient light while said inoperability is detected, thereby alerting a user of one of a plurality of anomalous conditions including a severed power line to said lamps, one or more loosened said lamps or one or more burned-out said lamps.

12. The flood light lamp removal alarm assembly as in claim 10 wherein each said sensor is a Hall effect switch sensing a magnetic field in the open gap of each ferrite core of said sensor, due to current flowing in at least one turns of a conductor wound around each core.

13. The flood light lamp removal alarm assembly as in claim 9 further comprising a low value resistor in series with said plurality of lamps, with an op-amp type comparator sensing the voltage drop across said comparator, wherein the output of each said sensor is inverted in an inverter and then the signals from each sensor are logically OR'"'"'ed in a logic block and the output is AND'"'"'ed with a motion detector "activate" signal in said logic block to form an alarm condition signal to a control circuit.

14. The flood light lamp removal alarm assembly as in claim 13 wherein said logic blocks are CMOS integrated circuits,

wherein if either lamp is inoperative, or both, when said motion detector calls for said lamps to be activated, said control circuit sounds a perceptible alarm.

15. A flood light lamp removal alarm assembly wherein a motion detector subassembly is mounted remotely from a plurality of flood light lamps, and from a control circuit and alarm, said assembly comprising:

a housing containing a perceptible alarm;

said alarm communicating with an alarm logic, said alarm logic turning on said alarm if current drawn is not commensurate with a predetermined load current of said at least one lamp, while said lamp is operational,

an alarm engaging control circuit being located remotely from said lamps and said motion detector,

said control circuit supplying power to said lamps through a current detector if motion is detected by said motion detector,

said motion detector having a transmitter alerting said control circuit with a coded burst of radio signals which are received in a wireless fashion by a receiver of said control circuit,

said motion detector being powered through an AC to DC converter with a storage battery on a float charge, said motion detector functioning even if a power line to said motion detector is cut, wherein if said power line is cut to said lamp,

said current detector sounding said alarm when said motion detector is triggered,

said current detector sensing the difference between the current of said plurality of lamps and that of a single lamp or no lamp,

said current detector triggering the alarm set condition if less than a full lamp current is detected, said alarm set condition turning into an alarm signal if said alarm set condition happens simultaneously with the reception of said signal burst of said motion detector.