Patent Application
20250087072
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The disclosure relates to fire prevention devices and more particularly pertains to a new fire prevention device for inhibiting an incipient fire from developing. The device includes a smoke detector and a broadcast unit integrated into the smoke detector which broadcasts a shutdown signal. The device includes a breaker panel and a communication unit integrated into the breaker panel which receives the shutdown signal from the broadcast unit. The breaker panel turns off kitchen appliances when the communication unit receives the shutdown signal to inhibit an incipient fire associated with one of the kitchen appliances from developing.
The prior art relates to fire prevention devices including a variety of smoke detector devices that are in wireless communication with various electric appliances for turning off the electrical appliances when the smoke detector detects smoke. In no instance does the prior art disclose a smoke detector with a broadcast unit and a breaker panel with a communication unit that receives a shutdown signal from the broadcast unit for turning off kitchen appliances.
An embodiment of the disclosure meets the needs presented above by generally comprising a smoke detector that is strategically positioned in a building to detect smoke in the building. The smoke detector includes a broadcast unit which broadcasts a shutdown signal when the smoke detector detects smoke. A breaker panel is provided and a communication unit is integrated into the breaker panel. The communication unit is in remote communication with the broadcast unit in the smoke detector. The breaker panel is de-actuated when the communication unit receives the shutdown signal such that the breaker panel turns off the electrical appliances to inhibit a fire associated with any of the electrical appliances from developing.
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
A smoke sensor 34 is integrated into the front wall 22 of the housing 18 to sense smoke 15 that contacts the housing 18. The smoke sensor 34 is electrically coupled to the control circuit 30 and the control circuit 30 receives the alert input when the smoke sensor 34 senses smoke 15. The smoke detector 12 may be an electronic smoke detector 12 of any conventional design, including an ionization detector, a photoelectric detector or a dual detector. A visual alarm 36 is integrated into the front wall 22 of the housing 18 such that the visual alarm 36 is visible to an occupant of the building 14. The visual alarm 36 is electrically coupled to the control circuit 30 and the visual alarm 36 is actuated to emit a visible alert when the control circuit 30 receives the alert input to visually alert the occupant that smoke 15 has been detected. The visual alarm 36 may comprise a light emitting diode or the like that repeatedly flashes on and off like a strobe.
An audible alarm 38 is integrated into the front wall 22 of the housing 18 to emit an audible alert from the housing 18 and the audible alarm 38 is electrically coupled to the control circuit 30. The audible alarm 38 is actuated to emit an audible alert when the control circuit 30 receives the alert input to audibly alert the occupant that smoke 15 has been detected. The audible alarm 38 may comprise an electronic speaker or other similar type of device. A light emitter 40 is integrated into the front wall 22 of the housing 18 to emit light outwardly from the housing 18 and the light emitter 40 is electrically coupled to the control circuit 30. The light emitter 40 is turned on when the control circuit 30 receives the alert input to ensure the occupants can see to exit the building 14. The light emitter 40 may comprise a light emitting diode or other type of electronic light emitter.
An indicator 42 is integrated into the front wall 22 of the housing 18 such that the indicator 42 is visible to the occupants of the building 14 and the indicator 42 is electrically coupled to the control circuit 30. The indicator 42 is turned on when the control circuit 30 receives electrical power to alert the occupant that the smoke detector 12 is functional. A transmitter 44 is integrated into the housing 18 and the transmitter 44 is electrically coupled to the control circuit 30. The transmitter 44 broadcasts the shutdown signal when the control circuit 30 receives the alert input such that the transmitter 44 defines the broadcast unit 16. The transmitter 44 is in wireless communication with a personal electronic device 46 thereby facilitating the personal electronic device 46 to be notified when the smoke detector 12 detects smoke 15. In this way the transmitter 44 can remotely alert the owner of the personal electronic device 46 to the smoke 15 in the building 14. The transmitter 44 may comprise a radio frequency transmitter or the like and the personal electronic device 46 may comprise a smart phone or other type of device with wireless communication capabilities.
A reset button 48 is movably integrated into the front wall 22 of the housing 18 and the reset button 48 is electrically coupled to the control circuit 30. The reset button 48 resets the control circuit 30 when the reset button 48 is depressed for de-actuating each of the visual alarm 36, the audible alarm 38, the light emitter 40, the indicator 42 and the transmitter 44. A power supply 50 is integrated into the housing 18 and the power supply 50 is electrically coupled to the control circuit 30. The power supply 50 comprises at least one battery 52 and the at least one battery 52 supplies back up electrical power to the control circuit 30 in the event of a power outage in the building 14.
A breaker panel 54 is provided and the breaker panel 54 is integrated into the building 14. The breaker panel 54 is in electrical communication with electrical appliances 56 in the building 14 and the breaker panel 54 has a plurality of circuit breakers 58. The plurality of circuit breakers 58 includes a set of appliance breakers 60 and each of the set of appliance breakers 60 is in electrical communication with a respective one of the electrical appliances 56 in the building 14. Furthermore, the breaker panel 54 may be a breaker panel of any conventional design that complies with the National Electrical Code employed in the United States.
A communication unit 62 is integrated into the breaker panel 54 and the communication unit 62 is in remote communication with the broadcast unit 16 in the smoke detector 12. The communication unit 62 receives the shutdown signal from the broadcast unit 16 and the breaker panel 54 is de-actuated when the communication unit 62 receives the shutdown signal. In this way the breaker panel 54 turns off the electrical appliances 56 to inhibit a fire associated with any of the electrical appliances 56 from developing. The communication unit 62 comprises a receiver 64 that is integrated into the breaker panel 54 and the receiver 64 is electrically coupled to each of the set of appliance breakers 60. The receiver 64 is in wireless communication with the transmitter 44 such that the receiver 64 receives the shutdown signal from the transmitter 44. Each of the set of appliance breakers 60 is turned off when the receiver 64 receives the shutdown signal from the transmitter 44. Additionally, the receiver 64 may comprise a radio frequency receiver or the like and the receiver 64 may include a switching element for turning off the set of appliance breakers 60. Alternatively, the broadcast unit 16 may be hard wired to the communication unit 62.
A plurality of appliance power supplies 66 is provided and each of the plurality of appliance power supplies 66 is plugged into a female electrical outlet 68 in the building 14 for supplying electrical power to an associated electrical appliance 70. Each of the plurality of appliance power supplies 66 is in remote communication with the broadcast unit 16 such that each of the plurality of appliance power supplies 66 receives the shutdown signal from the broadcast unit 16. In this way each of the plurality of appliance power supplies 66 is turned off when the plurality of appliance power supplies 66 receives the shutdown signal for turning off the associated electrical appliance 70.
Each of the plurality of appliance power supplies 66 includes a receiver 72 that is in wireless communication with the transmitter 44 in the smoke detector 12. The receiver 72 associated with each of the plurality of appliance power supplies 66 receives the shutdown signal from the transmitter 44. Furthermore, each of the plurality of appliance power supplies 66 is turned off when the receiver 64 associated with each of the plurality of appliance power supplies 66 receives the shutdown signal. In this way the plurality of appliance power supplies 66 inhibit a fire associated with any of the associated electrical appliances 56 from developing. The receiver 72 associated with each of the appliance power supplies 66 may comprise a radio frequency receiver or the like. As is shown in
In use, the transmitter 44 in the smoke detector 12 broadcasts the shutdown signal when the smoke sensor 34 senses smoke 15. Furthermore, the audible alarm 38, the visual alarm 36 and the light emitter 40 are each actuated when the smoke sensor 34 senses smoke 15. The set of appliance breakers 60 is turned off when the transmitter 44 broadcasts the shutdown signal to turn off the electrical appliances 56 in the kitchen. In this way an incipient fire in a cooking pot on a stove, for example, can be inhibited from becoming a fully developed fire. Furthermore, each of the appliance power supplies 66 is shut down when the transmitter 44 broadcasts the shutdown signal. The transmitter 44 broadcasts a reset signal when the reset button 48 on the smoke detector 12 is depressed to re-actuate the set of appliance breakers 60 and the plurality of appliance power supplies 66.
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.
