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The disclosure and prior art relates to alerting systems and more particularly pertains to a new alerting system for alerting a nearby person to the presence of fire or carbon monoxide.
An embodiment of the disclosure meets the needs presented above by generally comprising a housing that has a front wall, a back wall and a perimeter wall that extends between and is attached to the front wall and the back wall. The housing has an air intake that extends into an interior of the housing to allow ambient air into the housing. A processor is mounted in the housing. An alerting assembly is mounted on the housing and emits an alert that comprises a detectable audio or visual output configured to be detected by a person. The alerting assembly is electrically coupled to the processor and emits the alert when the processor sends an alert signal to the alerting assembly. A sensor is mounted in the housing and is in fluid communication with the air intake. The sensor tests the ambient air for an alert agent and sends a detection signal to the processor when the sensor detects the alert agent. The processor sends the alerting assembly the alert when the processor receives the detection signal. A transmitter is mounted in the housing and is electrically coupled to the processor. The transmitter is configured to be in communication with an extrinsic communication network to contact emergency response personnel. A power supply is coupled to the housing and electrically coupled to the processor.
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 processor 28 is mounted in the housing 12. An alerting assembly 30 is mounted on the housing 12 and emits an alert that comprises a detectable audio or visual output to be detected by a person. The alerting assembly 30 is electrically coupled to the processor 28 and emits the alert when the processor 28 sends an alert signal to the alerting assembly 30.
A sensor 32 is mounted in the housing 12 and is in fluid communication with the air intake 20. The sensor 32 tests the ambient air for an alert agent and sends a detection signal to the processor 28 when the sensor 32 detects the alert agent. The processor 28 sends the alerting assembly 30 the alert when processor 28 receives the detection signal. The alert agent is smoke 34 or carbon monoxide. The sensor includes a smoke detector 36 and a carbon monoxide detector 38 that are mounted in the housing.
The alerting assembly 30 includes a speaker 40 that emits a smoke alarm when the sensor 32 detects smoke 34 and emits a carbon monoxide alarm when the sensor 32 detects carbon monoxide. The smoke alarm and the carbon monoxide alarm each may comprise a human voice that alerts the nearby person to the specific alert agent detected, but may be any alarm suitable to warn the person of the alert agent. The alerting assembly 30 also includes a strobe light 42 that emits light outwardly from the housing 12 when the alerting assembly 30 receives the alert signal.
A transmitter 44 is mounted in the housing 12 and is electrically coupled to the processor 28. The transmitter 44 is in communication with an extrinsic communication network 46 to contact emergency response personnel 48. The transmitter 44 communicates with the extrinsic communication network 46 when the transmitter 44 receives a transmit signal from the processor 28. The processor 28 sends the transmit signal after the processor 28 receives the detection signal. The processor 28 may delay sending the transmit signal until the detection signal has been received from the sensor 32 for at least a threshold period of time to prevent a false warning. The extrinsic communication network 46 may comprise a security system of a dwelling or other monitoring system in communication with a dwelling. The term dwelling includes buildings for living in as well as workplaces and other human occupied structures.
A power supply 50 is coupled to the housing 12 and electrically coupled to the processor 28. The power supply 50 includes a first power source 52 that includes a power inlet that is electrically coupled to an electrical power system of a dwelling. The power supply includes a second power source 54 that comprises a battery. The battery supplies power to the processor 28 when the processor 28 detects a lack of electrical power from the first power source 52.
A light fixture 56 is remotely positioned with respect to the housing 12. A power outlet 58 extends outwardly from the housing 12 and is electrically coupled to the processor 28 and to the light fixture 56. The processor 28 turns on the light fixture 56 when the processor 28 detects a lack of electrical power from the first power source 52. An emergency light 60 is coupled to the housing 12 and electrically coupled to the processor 28. The emergency light 60 is turned on when the processor 28 detects a lack of electrical power from the first power source 52.
In use, the housing 12 is mounted onto the wall surface 26. The first power source 52 is electrically coupled to the buildings electrical power system. The power outlet 58 is electrically coupled to the light fixture 56. The sensor 32 is in fluid communication with the air intake 20. When smoke 34 or carbon monoxide flow into the air intake 20 the sensor 32 detects the alert agent and sends the detection signal to the processor 28. The processor 28 sends the alert signal to the speaker 40 and the corresponding alarm is emitted from the speaker 40. The processor 28 also sends the alert signal to the strobe light 42 to turn the strobe light 42 on. In the event that the first power source 52 no longer sends electrical power to the processor 28 the second power source 54 supplies power to the processor 28. When the second power source 54 powers the processor 28, the processor 28 turns on the light fixture 56 and the emergency light 60.
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.