Smoke detector with sensor having improved mounting configuration

• US 6,377,182 B1
• Filed: 10/19/2000
• Issued: 04/23/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 11/16/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: BRK Brands Incorporated (Newell Brands Inc.)
• Original Assignee: BRK Brands Incorporated (Newell Brands Inc.)
• Inventors: Watson, Mark A., Lopez, Samuel D., Osmani, Lulzim, Ivanecky, Andrew J., Devine, Mark A., Venzant, Kenneth L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lefkowitz, Edward
• Application Number:
  US09/692,758
• Time in Patent Office: 551 Days
• Field of Search: 340/628, 340/629, 340/630, 340/632
• US Class Current: 340/628
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 17/10 Actuation by presence of smoke or gases , e.g. automatic alarm devices for analysing flowing fluid materials by the use of optical means
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 17/107 for detecting light-scattering due to smoke
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 17/113 Constructional details

Abstract

A smoke detector has a geometry that locates a sensor or sensors at or near a boundary layer of smoke movement thus facilitating smoke entry into the sensor and/or sensors. The sensors are mounted so as to protrude from the bottom of a cover instead of into the cover of the detector.

Claims

1. A surface mountable smoke detector comprising:

a housing which bounds, at least in part, an internal volume and which has a mounting side positionable adjacent a mounting surface;

at least one smoke sensor carried within the housing and located adjacent to the mounting side wherein the housing is open, in part, to provide substantially symmetrical in-flow and out-flow of ambient atmosphere adjacent the mounting surface to and from the sensor.

2. A detector as in claim 1 wherein the sensor is mounted on a center line of the housing without obstruction of ambient inflow and outflow by other components.

3. A detector as in claim 1 which includes a printed circuit board wherein that board has first and second sides with the sensor mounted on one side and including an output transducer mounted on another side.

4. A detector as in claim 1 which includes a printed circuit board wherein that board has first and second sides with the sensor mounted on one side and including control circuitry mounted substantially on another side.

5. A detector as in claim 4 which includes a power supply substantially mounted on the another side.

6. A detector as in claim 5 wherein the power supply includes a replaceable battery.

7. A detector as in claim 1 which includes a second ambient condition sensor.

8. A detector as in claim 7 wherein the second sensor is one of a smoke sensor, a CO sensor, a gas sensor, and a flame sensor.

9. A detector as in claim 7 wherein the sensors are co-located adjacent to the mounting side so as to exhibit substantially no asymmetrical restrictions on in-flow and out-flow of ambient smoke.

10. An ambient condition detector comprising:

a housing which has a base and a cover;

an ambient condition sensor which protrudes from the cover and extends toward the base whereby the housing facilitates a symmetrical inflow of ambient atmosphere into the sensor.

11. A detector as in claim 10 wherein portions of the housing, adjacent to the base, are open to the inflow of ambient atmosphere.

12. A detector as in claim 10 wherein the housing is symmetrical about a centerline and the sensor is located on the centerline.

13. A detector as in claim 10 which includes a support element having first and second mounting surfaces wherein the sensor is mounted on the surface closest to the base.

14. A detector as in claim 13 which includes components mounted on the other surface so as not to block the inflow of ambient atmosphere to the sensor.

15. A detector as in claim 14 wherein the housing is symmetrical about a centerline and the sensor is symmetrically located on the centerline.

16. A detector as in claim 14 wherein the base, relative to the housing, has an exterior mounting surface and an interior surface adjacent to openings in the cover.

17. A detector as in claim 16 wherein the sensor comprises a smoke sensor.

18. A detector as in claim 17 which includes a second sensor selected from a class which includes a fire sensor and a gas sensor.

19. A detector as in claim 17 wherein the housing is substantially cylindrical.

20. A detector comprising:

a housing which defines an internal region wherein the housing has a mounting section with an exterior surface and an interior surface and wherein the housing has at least one region, adjacent to the interior surface, for atmospheric ingress and egress with a substantially planar flow path through the housing adjacent to the interior surface; and

an ambient condition sensor having an atmospheric input/output region wherein the sensor is carried within the housing with the input/output region, at least in part, extending into the planar flow path.

21. A detector as in claim 20 wherein the sensor includes a mounting region, displaced from the input/output region, whereby the sensor is coupled to and carried by the housing.

22. A detector as in claim 21 which includes a support member in the housing wherein the support member has first and second spaced apart surfaces wherein the sensor is coupled to one surface and an audible output device is coupled to another surface wherein the one surface is located between the flow path and the another surface.

23. A detector as in claim 21 which includes a support member in the housing wherein the support member has first and second spaced apart surfaces wherein the mounting region of the sensor is coupled to one surface and an audible output device is coupled to another surface wherein at least one of the surfaces is between the input-output region of the sensor and the audible output device.

24. A detector as in claim 21 which includes a two-sided, mounting element carried in the housing wherein the sensor is mounted on one side with the one side located between the input/output region of the sensor and a second side and wherein control electronics coupled to the sensor is carried, in substantial part on the second side.

25. A detector as in claim 24 wherein the mounting element is planar.

26. An ambient condition detector comprising:

a substantially planar support element for conducting electrical signals wherein the element includes first and second spaced apart mounting surfaces;

a first sensor carried on a first surface of the element; and

an audible output device carried on a second surface of the element which includes a housing which defines a substantially enclosed internal region with a perforated section so as to permit an inflow and outflow of ambient atmosphere wherein the planar support element is carried by the housing in the region oriented with a selected end region of the sensor extending toward the perforated section and with the audible output device extending away from the perforated section.

27. A detector as in claim 26 which includes a second sensor, carried in the housing and oriented to extend a sensing region thereof toward the inflow and outflow of ambient atmosphere.

28. A detector as in claim 26 wherein the perforated section comprises a substantially planar atmospheric flow path through the housing wherein the selected end region of the sensor extends, at least in part, into the flow path.

29. A detector as in claim 28 which includes a second sensor, carried on the planar support element and extending toward the flow path.

30. A surface mountable smoke detector comprising:

a housing which bounds, at least in part, an internal volume and which has a mounting wall;

at least one smoke sensor carried within the housing with a sensing region located adjacent to the mounting wall wherein the housing is open, in part, adjacent to the mounting wall to provide substantially symmetrical in-flow and out-flow of ambient atmosphere to and from the sensing region of the sensor; and

an alarm indicating output transducer carried within the housing displaced from the inflow and outflow.

31. A detector as in clam 30 which includes a printed circuit board wherein that board has first and second sides with the sensor mounted on one side and the output transducer mounted on another side.

34. A detector as in claim 31 which includes a second ambient condition sensor carried on the printed circuit board.

35. A detector as in claim 31 wherein a planar flow path is provided in the housing between the printed circuit board and the mounting wall.

32. A detector as in clam 31 which includes a power supply substantially mounted on the another side.

33. A detector as in clam 32 wherein the power supply includes a replaceable battery.

36. An ambient condition detector comprising:

a base and a cover;

a planar flow path for flow of ambient atmosphere through the cover;

an ambient condition sensor which protrudes from the cover and extends toward the base into the flow path.

37. A detector as in claim 36 which includes a support element having first and second mounting surfaces wherein the sensor is mounted on the surface closest to the base.

38. A detector as in claim 37 which includes components mounted on the other surface so as not to block the flow of ambient atmosphere to/from the sensor.