Safety shut-off device and method of use

• US 9,846,413 B2
• Filed: 09/10/2014
• Issued: 12/19/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 09/08/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fire Avert, LLC
• Original Assignee: Fire Avert, LLC
• Inventors: Thorpe, Peter, Sanders, Michael, Roberts, Chase, Sanders, Kevin, Bomsta, Zack
• Primary Examiner(s): Shin, Jeffrey
• Application Number:
  US14/482,627
• Publication Number:
  US 20140375144A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,196 Days
• CPC Class Codes: F23N 2231/00 Fail safe
• CPC Class Codes: F23N 5/242 using electronic means
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 9/02 electric
• CPC Class Codes: H02H 1/0015 Using arc detectors
• CPC Class Codes: H02H 3/023 by short-circuiting
• CPC Class Codes: H02H 3/334 with means to produce an artificial unbalance for other protection or monitoring reasons or remote control H02H3/338 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 17/94 characterised by the way in which the control signals are generated
• CPC Class Codes: H03L 7/00 Automatic control of frequency or phase; Synchronisation

Abstract

A safety shut-off system and method are provided for eliminating power to a load in the event of smoke detection. The system may comprise a device located at the appliance for detecting a signal from a smoke detector, and cutting power to the appliance only when the appliance is in use. The device may be synchronized with any standard smoke alarm signal to reduce the number of false positive shut-offs. The system may also comprise a smoke alarm hard-wired to a circuit breaker, for shutting off power to all appliances on a particular breaker upon receipt of a signal from the smoke alarm, and only when the appliances on the breaker are in use. The system may also have the ability to shut off one breaker, multiple breakers, or all breakers at different time increments to actively prevent and reduce the damages caused by fires.

Claims

1. An integrated safety shut-off system for controlling power supply, the shut-off system comprising:

a power route for providing power from an electrical system to an appliance, the integrated safety shut-off system being integrated within the appliance;

an alarm sensor for detecting an alarm signal from a particular smoke alarm, the alarm signal including both a frequency component and a cadence component, the cadence component comprising a specified series of tones emitted in a specific pattern with pauses of specific lengths between each tone, and further sending an input to a micro-controller based on the detected alarm signal;

a current sensor to determine whether current is being drawn by a load when the load is connected to the integrated safety shut-off system;

a switch mechanism for terminating power supply along the power route to the appliance;

a synchronization module that allows users to synchronize the particular smoke alarm with the alarm sensor of the safety shut-off system, the synchronization including synchronizing the alarm sensor with both the frequency component and the cadence component of the smoke alarm'"'"'s signal, such that only alarm signals from the particular smoke alarm will trigger a power supply termination; and

the micro-controller disposed in communication with the alarm sensor, the current sensor, and the switch mechanism for determining that the frequency component and the cadence component of the alarm signal match the previously synchronized alarm signal from the particular smoke alarm and terminating power supply in response to the input from the alarm sensor while the load is drawing current above a predetermined threshold.

2. The integrated safety shut-off system of claim 1, wherein the integrated safety shut-off system is integrated within an electric stove.

3. The integrated safety shut-off system of claim 1, wherein the power route includes an input power line that conducts power from a power outlet to the integrated safety shut-off system.

4. The integrated safety shut-off system of claim 1, wherein the power route includes an output power line that conducts power from the integrated safety shut-off system to the appliance.

5. The integrated safety shut-off system of claim 1, further comprising a time delay for delaying activation of the switch mechanism for a predetermined amount of time.

6. The integrated safety shut-off system of claim 1, wherein the integrated safety shut-off system further comprises a communication means that allows communication between the integrated safety shut-off system and a remote device.

7. The integrated safety shut-off system of claim 6, wherein the remote device comprises an electronic mobile device associated with the owner of the appliance.

8. The integrated safety shut-off system of claim 1, wherein the integrated safety shut-off system is configured to take one or more power readings over a specified period of time and determine a baseline power reading that is implemented to filter out noise in the power route.

9. The integrated safety shut-off system of claim 1, wherein the integrated safety shut-off system is resettable by cycling a breaker switch that is connected to the power route.

10. The integrated safety shut-off system of claim 1, wherein power supply to the load is terminated upon detecting the alarm signal, determining that the load is drawing current above a predetermined threshold, and subsequently detecting the alarm signal.

11. The integrated safety shut-off system of claim 1, wherein power supply to the load is terminated upon detecting a first specified cadence of the alarm signal, determining that the load is drawing current above a predetermined threshold, and subsequently detecting a second specified cadence of the alarm signal.

12. A safety shut-off system for cutting power to a load, the system comprising a smoke detector, the smoke detector having a transmission member for communicating an alarm signal;

a home security system, the home security system having a receiving member for receiving an alarm signal from the smoke detector, the alarm signal including both a frequency component and a cadence component, the cadence component comprising a specified series of tones emitted in a specific pattern with pauses of specific lengths between each tone, the home security system further comprising a transmission member for relaying an electrical signal;

a synchronization module that allows users to synchronize the particular smoke detector with an alarm sensor of the safety shut-off system, the synchronization including synchronizing the alarm sensor with both the frequency component and the cadence component of the smoke alarm'"'"'s signal, such that only alarm signals from the particular smoke detector will trigger a power supply termination; and

a shut-off switch having a receiving member for receiving a signal from the home security system, the shut-off switch configured to cut power to the load when a signal from the home security system is received, when a current sensor detects that the load is currently receiving power, and when it is determined that the frequency component and the cadence component of the alarm signal match the previously synchronized alarm signal from the particular smoke detector.

13. The safety shut-off system of claim 12, wherein the signal received from the home security system comprises a wireless signal.

14. The safety shut-off system of claim 13, wherein the wireless signal comprises Z-wave signal.

15. The safety shut-off system of claim 12, wherein the signal received from the home security system comprises a wired signal.

16. A system for terminating electrical power to an appliance, the system comprising:

a housing having an electrical route therethrough for passing power from a building electrical system to an appliance;

an alarm sensor configured for receiving an alarm signal from a particular smoke detector, the alarm signal including both a frequency component and a cadence component, the cadence component comprising a specified series of tones emitted in a specific pattern with pauses of specific lengths between each tone;

a synchronization program for allowing the alarm sensor to be synchronized to the alarm signal, the synchronization including synchronizing the alarm sensor with both the frequency component and the cadence component of the smoke detector'"'"'s alarm signal, such that only alarm signals from the particular smoke detector will trigger a power supply termination, the synchronization program being further configured to provide at least one indication that the synchronization with the alarm signal was successful; and

a switch mechanism for selectively terminating power flow through the electrical route in response to a signal indicating that the alarm sensor has detected an alarm signal from the particular smoke detector, the signal indicating that the alarm sensor has detected an alarm signal from the smoke detector being generated upon determining that the frequency component and the cadence component of the alarm signal match the previously synchronized alarm signal from the particular smoke detector.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the synchronization program causes an audible tone to be emitted from the system in a specified pattern until synchronization with the alarm signal is successful.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the audible tone emitted from the system indicates that the system is within range of the alarm signal.

19. The system of claim 16, wherein the synchronization program causes a visible signal to be emitted from the system in a specified pattern until synchronization with the alarm signal is successful.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the synchronization program causes a second, different visible signal to be emitted from the system in a specified pattern once synchronization with the alarm signal has completed.