Patent Application
20150294556
The disclosure relates to testing devices and more particularly pertains to a new testing device for facilitating simulation of a trouble condition and testing circuit continuity of an alarm system within a structure.
An embodiment of the disclosure meets the needs presented above by generally comprising an alarm system comprising an electrical circuit, an alarm, a resistor, and at least one trigger. The alarm is activated by the trigger shorting a positive rail of the electrical circuit. A testing switch has a ground position wherein the positive rail of the electrical circuit is grounded when the testing switch is in the ground position. The resistor is electrically coupled to the testing switch such that positioning the testing switch in a resistor bypass position removes the resistor from the electrical circuit.
There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, the more important features of the disclosure in order that the detailed description thereof that follows may be better understood, and in order that the present contribution to the art may be better appreciated. There are additional features of the disclosure that will be described hereinafter and which will form the subject matter of the claims appended hereto.
The objects of the disclosure, along with the various features of novelty which characterize the disclosure, are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this disclosure.
The disclosure will be better understood and objects other than those set forth above will become apparent when consideration is given to the following detailed description thereof. Such description makes reference to the annexed drawings wherein:
With reference now to the drawings, and in particular to
As best illustrated in
As is conventionally known, the alarm system 14 typically includes a resistor 22 electrically coupled to the electrical circuit 16 at an end of the line subsequent to all triggers 18 to identify the end of the line for the electrical circuit 16 and facilitate testing that the electrical circuit 16 is properly functioning. As can happen over time, additions to a structure may result in changes to the alarm system 14 wherein a particular resistor 22 is bypassed when new triggers 18 are added to an existing electrical circuit 16 of the alarm system 14 such that the existing resistor 22 is no longer positioned at the end of the line for the electrical circuit 16. Thus, it is important to test for active connection of the resistor 22 to be sure the testing of the alarm system 14 is taking place at the end of the line such that the testing will properly test an entirety of the electrical circuit 16. For conventional testing of the electrical circuit 16, the resistor 22 is accessed and the wiring physically manipulated to remove the resistor 22 from the electrical circuit 16, a condition detectable by the control mechanism of the alarm system 14. If removal of the resistor 22 from the electrical circuit 16 is detected, the resistor 22 is known to be part of the electrical circuit 16 and the end of the line is positively identified. If removal of the resistor 22 is not detected, the resistor 22 was already removed from the electrical circuit 16 and another resistor 22 at the true end of the line must be found to properly test the alarm system 14.
The testing switch 12 is electrically coupled to the electrical circuit 16. The testing switch 12 has a ground position schematically shown in
The resistor 22 at the end of the line is electrically coupled to the testing switch 12 such that positioning the testing switch 12 in a resistor bypass position shown schematically in
The testing switch 12 provides a key hole 24 configured for receiving a key 26 wherein the testing switch 12 is switched into a selectable position by the key 26. A faceplate 30 is configured for coupling to a wall surface 32 exposing an exterior side 34 of the faceplate 30 on the wall surface 32 similar to a light switch or the like. The testing switch 12 is coupled to an interior side 40 of the faceplate 30 wherein the testing switch 12 is configured for being positioned in a building structure in the same manner as a conventional light switch or the like. The key hole 24 is exposed on the exterior side 34 of the faceplate 30 to be accessible and allow testing of the alarm system 14 without having to remove a covering or create an access hole in the wall to access the resistor 22 to test the alarm system 14. The faceplate 30 may be marked to indicate the positions described above or may be blank as shown.
With respect to the above description then, it is to be realized that the optimum dimensional relationships for the parts of an embodiment enabled by the disclosure, to include variations in size, materials, shape, form, function and manner of operation, assembly and use, are deemed readily apparent and obvious to one skilled in the art, and all equivalent relationships to those illustrated in the drawings and described in the specification are intended to be encompassed by an embodiment of the disclosure.
Therefore, the foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the disclosure. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the disclosure to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the disclosure. In this patent document, the word “comprising” is used in its non-limiting sense to mean that items following the word are included, but items not specifically mentioned are not excluded.
A reference to an element by the indefinite article “a” does not exclude the possibility that more than one of the element is present, unless the context clearly requires that there be only one of the elements.
