Fire/smoke damper control system

• US 20040224627A1
• Filed: 05/04/2004
• Published: 11/11/2004
• 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: Becelaere, Robert Van, Edwards, Thomas
• Granted Patent: US 7,241,218 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 454/257
• 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 damper control system for use with one or more dampers comprising:

a local damper controller associated with a damper, the controller capable of initiating opening and closing of the damper and receiving a signal indicative of successful opening and closing of the damper;

a remote router capable of controlling the operation of one or more local damper controllers; and

circuit communication between the remote router and each local damper controller.

2. The damper control system of claim 1 wherein the circuit communication comprises a twisted wire communication circuit.

3. The damper control system of claim 2 wherein the twisted wire communication circuit has a daisy chain configuration.

4. The damper control system of claim 2 wherein the twisted wire communication circuit has a star connection configuration.

5. The damper control system of claim 1 wherein the router is capable of being configured to communicate with a building management system.

6. The damper control system of claim 5 wherein the router is capable of communication with the building management system via a server.

7. The damper control system of claim 1 wherein the router is capable of communication with a user via the internet.

8. The damper control system of claim 1 wherein the dampers controllers are powered locally.

9. The damper control system of claim 1 further comprising a panel adjacent the router wherein instructions can be provided to the router via the panel to control the operation of one or more dampers.

10. The damper control system of claim 1 further including software for providing visual schematic representations of the control system.

11. The damper control system of claim 1 wherein the local damper controller is capable of sensing actuation of a damper fully open switch and a damper fully closed switch.

12. The damper control system of claim 1 wherein one local damper controller is associated with each damper.

13. The damper control system of claim 1 further comprising circuitry to periodically cycle the dampers between a fully open and fully closed position and to receive feedback from the dampers indicative of successful opening and closing of the dampers and to provide an indication of success or failure of cycling process.

14. The damper control system of claim 1 wherein the local damper controller is capable of receiving alarm signals from the fire/smoke dampers and communicating these alarms signals to the router.

15. The damper control system of claim 1, further comprising a local panel in circuit communication with the remote router, the local panel comprising a display and a keypad and capable of providing instructions to the router and receiving data therefrom.

16. A building fire/smoke control system comprising:

a plurality of fire/smoke dampers;

a local damper controller associated with each fire/smoke damper, the controller capable of initiating opening and closing of the fire/smoke damper and of receiving a signal indicative of successful opening and closing of the 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 the one or more local damper controller.

17. The building control system of claim 16 further comprising a smoke detector associated with each fire/smoke damper, wherein the local damper controller is capable of recieving a signal from the smoke detector.

18. The building control system of claim 16 wherein the fire/smoke dampers are powered locally.

19. The building control system of claim 16 further comprising a heat sensor associated with each fire/smoke damper, wherein the local damper controller is capable of receiving a signal from the heat sensor.

20. The building control system of claim 16 wherein each fire/smoke damper comprises a damper fully open switch and damper fully closed switch, wherein the local damper controller can receive a signal indicative of actuation of the fully open switch and the fully closed switch.

21. The building control system of claim 16, further comprising a local panel in circuit communication with the remote router, the local panel comprising a display and a keypad and capable of providing instructions to the router and receiving data therefrom.

22. 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.

23. The method of claim 22 wherein the remote router is capable of sending signals to a plurality of local damper controllers, singly or simultaneously.

24. The method of claim 22, 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.

25. The method of claim 22 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.