Rack protection monitor

• US 6,100,807 A
• Filed: 10/21/1998
• Issued: 08/08/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 10/21/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: United States Department of Energy
• Original Assignee: United States Department of Energy
• Inventors: Orr, Stanley G.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lieu, Julie
• Application Number:
  US09/176,256
• Time in Patent Office: 657 Days
• Field of Search: 340/635, 340/644, 340/521, 340/529, 340/584, 335/166, 335/186, 335/106
• US Class Current: 340/635
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 19/00 Alarms responsive to two or more different undesired or abnormal conditions, e.g. burglary and fire, abnormal temperature and abnormal rate of flow

Abstract

A hardwired, fail-safe rack protection monitor utilizes electromechanical relays to respond to the detection by condition sensors of abnormal or alarm conditions (such as smoke, temperature, wind or water) that might adversely affect or damage equipment being protected. When the monitor is reset, the monitor is in a detection mode with first and second alarm relay coils energized. If one of the condition sensors detects an abnormal condition, the first alarm relay coil will be de-energized, but the second alarm relay coil will remain energized. This results in both a visual and an audible alarm being activated. If a second alarm condition is detected by another one of the condition sensors while the first condition sensor is still detecting the first alarm condition, both the first alarm relay coil and the second alarm relay coil will be de-energized. With both the first and second alarm relay coils de-energized, both a visual and an audible alarm will be activated. In addition, power to the protected equipment will be terminated and an alarm signal will be transmitted to an alarm central control. The monitor can be housed in a separate enclosure so as to provide an interface between a power supply for the protected equipment and the protected equipment.

Claims

1. A protection monitor for monitoring a plurality of conditions and for protecting equipment, said monitor comprising:

a plurality of condition sensors, each of said condition sensors monitoring one of said plurality of conditions and including an elctromechanical contact in a first condition state when said monitored condition is abnormal and in a second condition state when said monitored condition is normal;

a first alarm relay coil having first and second alarm states;

a second alarm relay coil having first and second alarm states;

a plurality of sensor coils, each of said sensor coils having a first or second sensor state responsive to said first and second condition state of one of said condition sensors and controlling the states of a plurality of electromechanical sensor contacts;

an alarm control including some of said electromechanical sensor contacts and responsive to the condition state of each of said condition sensors for controlling the state of said first alarm relay coil and the state of said second alarm relay coil, said first alarm relay coil being in said first alarm state and said second relay coil being in said second alarm state when one of said sensor coils is in said first sensor state and said first alarm relay coil being in said first alarm state and said second relay coil being in said first second alarm state when at least two of said sensor coils are in said first sensor condition;

an alarm circuit for activating alarms in response to the states of said first and second alarm relay coils;

including an enclosure for housing said plurality of condition sensors, said first and second alarm circuits, said alarm control circuit, said enclosure having indicator lights thereon for indicating the states of said sensors to thereby indicate the state of each of said condition sensors, having visual and audible alarms initiated by said alarm control circuit in conjunction with said first and second alarm circuits, and a reset button for causing said alarm control circuit to reset said first and second alarm circuits when all of said condition sensors are not detecting an abnormal condition; and

said enclosure having openings so that said condition sensors can detect said monitored conditions.

3. A protection monitor as set forth in claim 1 or 2 including a power control circuit coupled to said second alarm circuit.

4. A protection monitor as set forth in claim 3 wherein said power control circuit terminates power to said protected equipment only upon activation of said second alarm circuit or when said power falls below a predetermined level.

2. A protection monitor for monitoring a plurality of conditions and for protecting equipment, said monitor comprising:

a plurality of condition sensors, each of said condition sensors monitoring one of said plurality of conditions and including an elctromechanical contact in a first condition state when said monitored condition is abnormal and in a second condition state when said monitored condition is normal;

a first alarm relay coil having first and second alarm states;

a second alarm relay coil having first and second alarm states;

a plurality of sensor coils, each of said sensor coils having a first or second sensor state responsive to said first and second condition state of one of said condition sensors and controlling the states of a plurality of electromechanical sensor contacts;

an alarm control including some of said electromechanical sensor contacts and responsive to the condition state of each of said condition sensors for controlling the state of said first alarm relay coil and the state of said second alarm relay coil, said first alarm relay coil being in said first alarm state and said second relay coil being in said second alarm state when one of said sensor coils is in said first sensor state and said first alarm relay coil being in said first alarm state and said second relay coil being in said first second alarm state when at least two of said sensor coils are in said first sensor condition;

an alarm circuit for activating alarms in response to the states of said first and second alarm relay coils;

including an enclosure for housing said plurality of condition sensors, said first and second alarm circuits, said alarm control circuit, said enclosure having indicator lights thereon for indicating the states of said sensors to thereby indicate the state of each of said condition sensors, having visual and audible alarms initiated by said alarm control circuit in conjunction with said first and second alarm circuits, and a reset button for causing said alarm control circuit to reset said first and second alarm circuits when all of said condition sensors are not detecting an abnormal condition; and

said enclosure includes power connections for connecting said equipment to said monitor and to connect a supply of power for said monitor.