Light sensing pull station

• US 8,026,825 B2
• Filed: 08/27/2008
• Issued: 09/27/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 08/31/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Siemens Industry Incorporated (Siemens AG)
• Original Assignee: Siemens Industry Incorporated (Siemens AG)
• Inventors: Santos, Fred
• Primary Examiner(s): HUNNINGS, TRAVIS R
• Application Number:
  US12/199,506
• Publication Number:
  US 20090058669A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,126 Days
• Field of Search: 340/691.1, 340/691.6, 340/693.5, 340/600
• US Class Current: 340/691.1
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 17/00 Fire alarms; Alarms responsive to explosion
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/12 Manually actuated calamity alarm transmitting arrangements emergency non-personal manually actuated alarm, activators, e.g. details of alarm push buttons mounted on an infrastructure
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 5/36 using visible light sources

Abstract

An alarm pull station includes a housing, an alarm indicator carried within the housing, an alarm activation mechanism carried within the housing, such that the alarm activation mechanism is adjacent to the alarm indicator, and configured to generate an alarm signal, and a sensor carried within the housing such that the sensor is configured to generate a signal in response to a sensed condition and the alarm indicator is activated in response to the signal generated by the sensor.

Claims

1. An alarm pull station comprising:

a housing;

an alarm indicator carried within the housing;

an alarm activation mechanism carried within the housing at a position substantially adjacent to the alarm indicator, and configured to generate an alarm signal; and

an air quality sensor carried within the housing, wherein the air quality sensor is configured to generate a signal in response to a sensed air quality condition;

wherein the alarm indicator is activated in response to the air quality signal generated by the sensor; and

wherein the alarm indicator is activated in response to the alarm signal generated by the alarm activation mechanism.

2. The alarm pull station of claim 1, wherein the alarm indicator includes a light generating device.

3. The alarm pull station of claim 1, wherein the alarm activation mechanism is selected from the group consisting of:

a handle, a push button, and a panel.

4. The alarm pull station of claim 1, wherein the alarm indicator includes a translucent panel.

5. The alarm pull station of claim 1, wherein the air quality sensor is selected from the group consisting of:

a light sensor;

a smoke sensor;

a carbon dioxide (CO₂) sensor; and

a carbon monoxide (CO) sensor.

6. The alarm pull station of claim 1, wherein the alarm indicator is activated in response to another alarm signal generated by a building control system in communication with the alarm activation mechanism.

7. An alarm pull station comprising:

a housing having an outer surface and a bottom side;

an alarm indicator including a light source, wherein the light source is disposed in the bottom side and directed downward;

an alarm activation mechanism carried within the housing and disposed substantially flush with the outer surface of the housing, wherein the alarm activation mechanism is configured to generate an alarm signal; and

a sensor carried within the housing, wherein the sensor is configured to generate a signal in response to a sensed condition;

wherein the alarm indicator is activated in response to the signal generated by the sensor; and

wherein the alarm indicator is activated in response to a second alarm signal generated by a fire protection system in communication with the alarm activation mechanism.

8. The alarm pull station of claim 7, wherein the light source is selected from the group consisting of:

a light emitting diode;

an incandescent bulb and a fluorescent bulb.

9. The alarm pull station of claim 7, wherein the alarm activation mechanism is selected from the group consisting of:

a handle, a push button, and a panel.

10. The alarm pull station of claim 7, wherein the alarm indicator includes a translucent panel.

11. The alarm pull station of claim 7, wherein the sensor is selected from the group consisting of:

a light sensor;

a smoke sensor;

a carbon dioxide (CO₂) sensor; and

a carbon monoxide (CO) sensor.

12. A method of illuminating an alarm pull station, the method comprising:

providing an alarm housing;

securing a sensor within the alarm housing, wherein the sensor is configured to generate a sensor signal;

receiving an alarm signal from a fire protection system in communication with the alarm pull station;

coupling an alarm indicator to the sensor, wherein the alarm indicator includes a light source; and

activating the light source in response to receipt of either the sensor signal or the alarm signal at the alarm indicator.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the light source is selected from the group consisting of:

a light emitting diode;

an incandescent bulb and a fluorescent bulb.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the sensor is selected from the group consisting of:

a light sensor;

a smoke sensor;

a carbon dioxide (CO2) sensor;

and a carbon monoxide (CO) sensor.