Fire extinguisher pressure alarm

• US 6,125,940 A
• Filed: 11/19/1998
• Issued: 10/03/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 11/19/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Stanley C. Oram
• Original Assignee: Stanley C. Oram
• Inventors: Oram, Stanley C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Morris, Lesley D.
• Application Number:
  US09/195,828
• Time in Patent Office: 684 Days
• Field of Search: 169/75, 169/30, 169/23, 73/700, 73/709, D10/85
• US Class Current: 169/23
• CPC Class Codes: A62C 13/76 Details or accessories
• CPC Class Codes: A62C 37/50 Testing or indicating devices for determining the state of readiness of the equipment

Abstract

A pressure indicating system is provided including a housing having an extension mounted thereon adapted for being releasably engaged with a fire extinguisher. Also includes is a battery compartment mounted within the housing for containing at least one battery. Next provided is a pressure gauge adapted for providing an indication of an amount of pressure at which the contents of the fire extinguisher reside. A visual indicator is mounted on the housing. Further, a control driver is adapted to provide an indication of an amount of pressure of the contents within the fire extinguisher by way of the visual indicator.

Claims

1. A pressure indicating system comprising:

a dry chemical fire extinguisher having a threaded aperture in communication with contents of the fire extinguisher;

a housing having a disk-shaped configuration with a front face, a rear face, and a periphery formed therebetween, the rear face having a threaded extension centrally mounted thereon and extending therefrom in coaxial relationship for being releasably engaged within the threaded aperture of the fire extinguisher;

a battery compartment mounted within the housing and accessible via a rectangular cut out formed in the rear face of the housing below the threaded extension, the battery compartment further having a lid snappily coupled to the housing to selectively cover the battery compartment, wherein at least one battery is removably positioned within the battery compartment;

a speaker mounted within the housing adjacent to a grill formed in a central extent of the front face thereof for providing an audible alarm during the actuation thereof;

a variable resistance pressure gauge mounted within the threaded extension of the housing for providing an indication of an amount of pressure at which the contents of the fire extinguisher reside;

a semicircular translucent screen mounted on the front face of the housing being divided into a first side section, a central section, and a second side section each having a unique color when light is passed therethrough;

a light assembly including a plurality of lights positioned within the housing adjacent to the screen in side-by-side relationship each for passing therethrough upon the actuation thereof;

a control driver connected between the battery, pressure gauge, and light assembly, the control driver adapted to actuate the lights of the light assembly from a first end of the screen to a second end of the screen as the pressure increases within the fire extinguisher, wherein the control driver is adapted to actuate the speaker intermittently upon the lights of the light assembly adjacent to the ends of the screen are actuated, thereby providing an audible indication when the fire extinguisher is overcharged and further providing an audible indication when the fire extinguisher is undercharged; and

pressure measurement indicia positioned along an underside of the screen for providing an indication of an exact quantity of pressure of the contents of the fire extinguisher.

2. A pressure indicating system comprising:

a housing having an extension mounted thereon adapted for being releasably engaged with a fire extinguisher;

a battery compartment mounted within the housing for containing at least one battery;

a pressure gauge adapted for providing an indication of an amount of pressure at which the contents of the fire extinguisher reside;

a visual indicator mounted on the housing;

a control driver connected between the battery, pressure gauge, and visual indicator, the control driver adapted to provide an indication of an amount of pressure of the contents within the fire extinguisher by way of the visual indicator; and

wherein the visual indicator includes a screen which has three sections which are illuminated with different colors upon certain levels of pressure of the contents being detected.

3. A pressure indicating system as set forth in claim 2 wherein the extension is threaded.

4. A pressure indicating system as set forth in claim 2 wherein a speaker is mounted on the housing and the control driver is adapted to emit an audible signal therefrom upon a pressure being detected which indicates that the fire extinguisher is either overcharged or undercharged.

5. A pressure indicating system as set forth in claim 2 wherein pressure measurement indicia is positioned along the visual indicator for providing an indication of an exact quantity of pressure of the contents of the fire extinguisher.

6. A pressure indicating system comprising:

a housing adapted for being releasably mounted on a fire extinguisher;

a pressure gauge adapted for providing an indication of an amount of pressure of contents of the fire extinguisher reside;

a visual indicator mounted on the housing;

a control driver operatively connected to the pressure gauge and the visual indicator, the control driver being adapted to provide an indication of the amount of pressure of the contents in the fire extinguisher by way of the visual indicator; and

wherein the visual indicator includes a screen which has three sections which are illuminated with different colors upon detection certain amounts of pressure of the contents in the fire extinguisher.

7. A pressure indicating system as set forth in claim 6 wherein a speaker is mounted on the housing and the control driver is adapted to emit an audible signal therefrom upon a pressure being detected which indicates that the fire extinguisher is either overcharged or undercharged.

8. A pressure indicating system as set forth in claim 6 wherein pressure measurement indicia is positioned along the visual indicator for providing an indication of an exact amount of pressure of the contents of the fire extinguisher.

9. The pressure indication system as set forth in claim 6 additionally comprising a battery compartment located in the housing, the battery compartment further having a lid coupled to the housing to selectively cover the battery compartment.

10. The pressure indication system as set forth in claim 6 additionally comprising at least one battery is removably positioned in the housing.