Interconnectable detector with local alarm indicator
First Claim
1. A detector comprising:
- an ambient condition sensor for sensing a local ambient condition originating externally of the detector;
control circuitry coupled to the sensor, wherein the control circuitry includes a multi-state indicator with one state indicative of a sensed, predetermined ambient condition; and
a manually activatable visual indicator, coupled to the control circuitry, for intermittently indicating visually the presence of the one state even in the subsequent absence of the predetermined ambient condition, wherein the manually activatable visual indicator is manually activated independent of the multi-state indicator.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A low power local alarm indicating system for interconnectable detectors enables a viewer to, after the fact, determine which detector or detectors had previously gone into a local alarm. An alarm latch, such as a bistable multi-vibrator circuit, is set each time the respective detector goes into a local alarm. Subsequently, if the detector'"'"'s test switch is activated, a local alarm visual indicator is provided. In a disclosed embodiment, the indication is provided by blinking a light emitting diode on the detector, for a predetermined interval. Where multiple detectors are interconnected, each detector that goes into alarm not only sets its local alarm latch and emits a local alarm, it also generates an interconnect alarm signal to the remaining interconnected detectors. The interconnected detectors go into alarm at least for as long as the interconnect signal is present. If any detector in interconnect alarm receives sufficient local input to go into a local alarm, the respective smoke latch will be set even in the presence of an interconnect input.
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Citations
31 Claims
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1. A detector comprising:
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an ambient condition sensor for sensing a local ambient condition originating externally of the detector;
control circuitry coupled to the sensor, wherein the control circuitry includes a multi-state indicator with one state indicative of a sensed, predetermined ambient condition; and
a manually activatable visual indicator, coupled to the control circuitry, for intermittently indicating visually the presence of the one state even in the subsequent absence of the predetermined ambient condition, wherein the manually activatable visual indicator is manually activated independent of the multi-state indicator. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22)
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10. A system of substantially identical interconnected detectors wherein the system comprises:
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a plurality of detectors couplable to a link wherein each detector includes a sensor of a selected local, external condition;
wherein the detectors each include a control circuit having a two state storage element which is driven to a first state in response to sensing the selected condition; and
wherein the detectors each include a display device, coupled to the control circuit and driven, in response to a viewer'"'"'s input, for a predetermined time interval to provide an intermittent output, subsequent to the storage element entering the first state, wherein the output indicates that the respective detector responded to a local condition, wherein the viewer'"'"'s input is received independent of the two state storage element. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
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23. A detector comprising:
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a housing;
an ambient condition sensor carried by the housing, control circuitry carried by the housing and coupled to the sensor, wherein the control circuitry includes a multi-state indicator with one state indicative of a sensed, alarm condition; and
a manually activatable visual indicator carried by housing, coupled to the control circuitry, for intermittently indicating visually the presence of the one state even in the subsequent absence of the alarm condition, wherein the manually activatable visual indicator is manually activated independent of the multi-state indicator. - View Dependent Claims (24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31)
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Specification