Fire/smoke damper control system

• US 7,241,218 B2
• Filed: 05/04/2004
• Issued: 07/10/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 05/06/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Air Distribution Technologies IP, LLC
• Original Assignee: Ruskin Company (Johnson Controls International plc)
• Inventors: Van Becelaere, Robert, Edwards, Thomas
• Primary Examiner(s): WILSON, GREGORY A
• Application Number:
  US10/838,736
• Publication Number:
  US 20040224627A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,162 Days
• Field of Search: 454/369, 126/502, 126/504, 126/536, 126/538
• US Class Current: 454/369
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2400/652 by bus
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2800/22 of not identical elements of the same category, e.g. combinations of not identical springs
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/0001 for ventilation F24F11/30 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/30 for purposes related to the operation of the system, e.g. for safety or monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/35 by closing air passages
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/54 using one central controller connected to several sub-controllers
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 2140/40 Damper positions, e.g. open or closed

Abstract

A fire/smoke damper control system is provided for use in monitoring and controlling operation of one or more fire/smoke dampers in a building. The system includes a local damper controller associated with each fire/smoke damper for controlling the opening and closing of each fire/smoke damper, a remote router for controlling the operation of one or more local damper controllers, and circuit communication between the remote router and each local damper controller. The control system allows for localized power supply for damper actuation, eliminating the pulling of wire from each damper back to a central power panel.

Claims

1. A method of validating the operation of one or more fire/smoke dampers comprising:

sending a signal from a remote router to a local damper controller controlling a single fire/smoke damper instructing the local damper controller to interrupt power to a damper actuator;

sending a signal from the local damper controller to the router indicative of whether the fire/smoke damper reached a fully open or fully closed position after power was interrupted;

sending a signal from the remote router to the local damper controller instructing the local damper controller to restore power to the actuator; and

sending a signal from the local damper controller to the router indicative of whether the fire/smoke damper reached a fully closed or fully open position opposite of the position reached when power to the actuator was interrupted.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the remote router is capable of sending signals to a plurality of local damper controllers, singly or simultaneously.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising sequentially sending signals from the router to a plurality of local damper controllers to sequentially interrupt power to the plurality of damper controllers.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising initiating the signal from the remote router to interrupt power to the actuator from a local panel in circuit communication with the router.