Fire suppression systems and methods

• US 10,675,493 B2
• Filed: 08/06/2018
• Issued: 06/09/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 09/23/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Tyco Fire Products LP (Johnson Controls International plc)
• Original Assignee: Tyco Fire Products LP (Johnson Controls International plc)
• Inventors: Sandahl, Derek M., Counts, Brian L., Fernstrum, Marvin B., Ryczek, Chad L., Escalante-Ortiz, Saul, Werth, John T., Lilley, Gregory J., Strehlow, David R., Kreft, Anthony J., Myers, Thomas John, Bushert, John S., Hackl, Richard J., Thorell, Marvin D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Patel, Ramesh B
• Application Number:
  US16/056,009
• Publication Number:
  US 20180369625A1
• Time in Patent Office: 673 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: A62C 3/07 in vehicles, e.g. in road vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: A62C 35/023 the extinguishing material being expelled by compressed gas, taken from storage tanks, or by generating a pressure gas for foam generation A62C5/02
• CPC Class Codes: A62C 35/64 pressurised
• CPC Class Codes: A62C 37/00 Control of fire-fighting equipment heat-sensitive devices G01K
• CPC Class Codes: A62C 37/36 an actuating signal being generated by a sensor separate from an outlet device
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 16/02 electric constitutive elements
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 15/02 electric
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 7/0635 by action on throttling means G05D7/0688, G05D7/0694 take precedence

Abstract

A vehicle fire suppression system includes a centralized controller, a detecting circuit, a releasing circuit, and a processor in communication with a monitoring circuit. The detecting circuit is coupled to the centralized controller and configured to indicate a detection of a fire. The releasing circuit includes an actuating device coupled to the centralized controller through an output bus. The actuating device is coupled to a supply of fire fighting agent. The centralized controller is configured to activate the actuating device to release the fire fighting agent to address the fire in response to the detection of the fire. The processor and the monitoring circuit are configured to determine if there is a fault in at least one of the detecting circuit and the releasing circuit.

Claims

1. A vehicle fire suppression system comprising:

a centralized controller;

a fire detection circuit coupled to the centralized controller and configured to indicate a detection of a fire;

a releasing circuit including an actuating device configured to release an extinguishment to address the fire, wherein the releasing circuit is coupled to the centralized controller, wherein the centralized controller is configured to control the actuating device to initiate a release of the extinguishment in response to the detection of the fire by the fire detection circuit; and

a user interface device coupled to the centralized controller and configured to program the centralized controller to define a release time delay defining a time duration between the detection of the fire by the fire detection circuit and the release of the extinguishment, wherein the user interface device includes a visual indicator configured to provide a first visual indication throughout a first portion of the release time delay and configured to provide a second visual indication throughout a second portion of the release time delay.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein visual indicator is configured to pulse at a first frequency for the first portion of the release time delay, and wherein the visual indicator is configured to pulse at a second frequency different than the first frequency for the second portion of the release time delay.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the visual indicator is an LED indicator.

4. The system of claim 2, wherein the user interface device further includes an input device configured to reset the release time delay following the detection of the fire by the fire detection circuit.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the release time delay can be reset a limited number of times following the detection of the fire by the fire detection circuit.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the input device is a button.

7. A vehicle fire suppression system comprising:

a centralized controller;

a fire detection circuit coupled to the centralized controller and configured to indicate a detection of a fire;

a releasing circuit including an actuating device configured to release an extinguishment to address the fire, wherein the releasing circuit is coupled to the centralized controller, wherein the centralized controller is configured to control the actuating device to initiate a release of the extinguishment in response to the detection of the fire by the fire detection circuit; and

a user interface device coupled to the centralized controller and configured to program the centralized controller to define a release time delay defining a time duration between the detection of the fire by the fire detection circuit and the release of the extinguishment, wherein the user interface device further includes an input device configured to reset the release time delay following the detection of the fire by the fire detection circuit.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the release time delay can be reset a limited number of times following the detection of the fire by the fire detection circuit.

9. The system of claim 8, further comprising an alarm coupled to the centralized controller for providing an audio signal indicating a status of the system along at least one of the fire detection circuit and the releasing circuit, wherein the input device is further configured to silence the audio signal of the alarm.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the input device is a button.

11. A vehicle fire suppression system comprising:

a centralized controller;

a fire detection circuit coupled to the centralized controller and configured to indicate a detection of a fire;

a releasing circuit including an actuating device configured to release an extinguishment to address the fire, wherein the releasing circuit is coupled to the centralized controller, wherein the centralized controller is configured to control the actuating device to initiate a release of the extinguishment in response to the detection of the fire by the fire detection circuit;

an alarm coupled to the centralized controller for providing an audio signal indicating a status of the system along at least one of the fire detection circuit and the releasing circuit; and

a user interface device coupled to the centralized controller, wherein the user interface device includes a manual actuating button for sending a manual actuating signal to the actuating device and a silence button for the audio signal.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the user interface device is configured to program the centralized controller to define a release time delay defining a time duration between the detection of the fire by the fire detection circuit and the release of the extinguishment.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein the user interface device includes a first LED indicator configured to indicate a manual release condition.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the user interface device includes a second LED indicator configured to indicate the detection of the fire by the fire detection circuit.

15. The system of claim 13, wherein the user interface device includes a second LED indicator, and wherein the second LED indicator in combination with the silence button programs the centralized controller to define a sequence of release of extinguishment following an alarm condition.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the silence button is configured to reset the centralized controller after one of the alarm condition and a release condition.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the silence button is configured to isolate the centralized controller from the fire detection circuit for programming the centralized controller.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the silence button is configured to program the centralized controller to set a release time delay defining a time duration between the detection of the fire by the fire detection circuit and the release of the extinguishment.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the release time delay is defined by a duration of time the silence button is depressed and held down.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the second LED indicator pulses corresponding to the duration of time the silence button is depressed and held down, the second LED indicator pulsing a first number of pulses to define a first release time delay and pulsing a second number of pulses to define a second release time delay different than the first release time delay.