METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR THE INSPECTION, MAINTENANCE AND TESTING OF ALARM SAFETY SYSTEMS

• US 20130106600A1
• Filed: 10/26/2012
• Published: 05/02/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 11/02/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apollo America Inc. (Halma PLC)
• Original Assignee: Apollo America Inc. (Halma PLC)
• Inventors: Hall, David L., Stouffer, Peter
• Granted Patent: US 8,810,387 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/514
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 29/12 Checking intermittently signalling or alarm systems

Abstract

A safety system receives inputs from safety related input devices such as smoke detectors and the like and provides triggering outputs to notification appliances such as bells and the like and/or safety functions such as door releases. To facilitate testing of the input devices the system incorporates a timer operative to disconnect the output devices for a period of time during which testing may be achieved, automatically reconnects the output devices at the end of the time, records the number of triggering outputs received at the outputs during that period.

Claims

1. A safety system comprising input devices for ambient conditions and alarm notification devices and safety output activation devices, which facilitates system testing:

an alarm panel for receiving trigger inputs from at least one of said input devices and operative to generate output signals communicated to said alarm notification and safety activation output devices for modifying the operational mode of at least one alarm notification device and/or at least one safety activation device;

a temporary disconnect circuit comprising a timer that upon activation precludes the output signals from activating the alarm panel from being communicated to said at least one alarm notification device and/or at least one safety activation device for a predetermined period of time, and, after expiration of the predetermined period, restores communication between the outputs of the alarm panel and said at least one alarm notification device and/or at least one safety activation device; and

a recorder for the number of trigger outputs generated by said input devices during the period of activation of said timer at the inputs to said disconnected output device(s).

2. The safety system of claim 1 further comprising a signal conditioning block disposed between outputs of said alarm panel and each of said at least one alarm notification device and/or at least one safety activation device.

3. The safety system of claim 1 wherein the signal from the output of the alarm panel to said at least one alarm notification device and/or at least one safety activation device comprises a digital signal including a digital address for said at least one alarm notification device and/or at least one safety activation device.

4. The safety system of claim 2 wherein a single separate modification device is associated with each alarm notification device and safety activation device and the modification devices are operative to receive a signal from the output of the alarm panel adapted to activate its associated alarm notification device or safety activation device and to provide its output to its associated alarm notification device and/or safety activation device.

5. The safety system of claim 2 wherein a separate signal conditioning device is associated with each output of the alarm panel so as to provide signal conditioning in the communication path between each output of the alarm panel and at least one alarm notification device and/or at least one safety activation device.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein said timer has an input for a user to select the predetermined amount of a time delay.

7. The system of claim 1 wherein said timer further comprises a user interface button operative to initiate said timer upon activation.

8. The system of claim 1 further comprising a visual indicator active during said predetermined period of time.

9. A process for testing a safety system comprising input devices for ambient conditions which generate triggering outputs through a communication path to alarm notification and/or safety activation output devices when potentially dangerous conditions are detected, said process comprising:

disconnecting the communication path at the output devices for a predetermined time;

activating said sensors to generate triggering outputs during the time the said communication path is disconnected from the output devices; and

detecting said triggering outputs occurring during the time the communication path is disconnected from the output devices at the inputs to said output devices to test the integrity of said system from the sensors to the inputs to the output devices.

10. The process of claim 9 wherein said interruption for a predetermined time is initiated by user activation of a timer.

11. The process of claim 10 wherein said timer is activated by a user interface button.

12. The process of claim 10 further comprising adjusting said predetermined time.