Communications: electrical – Condition responsive indicating system – Specified indicator structure
Patent
1999-08-11
2000-11-07
Hofsass, Jeffery A.
Communications: electrical
Condition responsive indicating system
Specified indicator structure
340326, 340332, 340331, 3403841, 3403851, 381340, 381341, 381342, G08B 300
Patent
active
061443093
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to an alarm device, a method of operating an alarm device and a kit of parts for assembly into an alarm device.
A known audible and visual alarm for use in potentially flammable atmosphere comprises two separate alarms each comprising a flameproof housing, one having a sounder attached and the other having a strobe. It is desired to keep the space within the housing as small as possible in order to minimise the amount of flame and the size of any explosion within the housing that may occur. The alarms are normally mounted with a housing facing a wall and with the sounder or strobe on the other end of the housing facing away from the wall. The sounder and strobe face away from the wall in order to emit the sound and light away from the wall. The provision of two housings to provide an alarm that emits both sound and light is expensive and a considerable amount of engineering has to be put into the manufacture of the housings as they must be able to resist an explosion within the housing without any flame reaching the atmosphere outside of the housing.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,288,784 discloses an audio visual alarm device with an automatic dusk to dawn security light, a selectively energisable rotating signal light and an audible electrically actuated siren. U.S. Pat. No. 5,132,659 discloses a flashing light siren alarm which, when activated, provides a bright flashing strobe light and a loud siren sound which attract attention. The purpose of both of the prior U.S. Patents is to deter intruders.
It is an object of the present invention to attempt to overcome at least some of the above described disadvantages.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
According to one aspect of the present invention an alarm device incorporates a housing, the housing being adapted to have two alarms operating therefrom and the housing being flameproof.
Each alarm may be arranged to be at opposed portions of the housing.
At least one of the alarms may be an audible alarm. The audible alarm may be arranged to be mounted on top of the housing. The audible alarm may be arranged to emit sound around the periphery of the housing and may emit sound substantially around the complete periphery of the housing. The audible alarm may be arranged to emit sound downwardly over the housing.
Sound from the audible alarm may be arranged to be emitted towards the housing. The housing may include a sound deflecting portion arranged to deflect sound travelling towards the housing to a direction in which the sound travels away from the housing. The sound deflecting portion may comprise a ramp surface and that surface may extend towards the housing in an outwardly diverging direction.
At least one alarm may be a visual alarm. The visual alarm may be arranged to depend downwardly from the housing. The visual alarm may be arranged to emit light outwardly from the housing and the visual alarm may be arranged to emit light around substantially the complete periphery of the housing.
The visual alarm may include a light transmitting portion that comprises part of the flameproof housing.
The device may include a coloured lens that can be attached to, or detached from the device without affecting the flameproof housing.
The flameproof housing may include control means arranged to control both alarms. The control means may comprise a printed circuit board. The control means may be selected from one of a plurality of alternative control means, each of which can give a different control.
The present invention also includes a method of operating an alarm device, which device includes a flameproof housing, the method comprising emitting two alarms from separate alarms of the device.
The method may comprise emitting the two alarms at the same time or at different times. The method may comprise emitting an audible alarm and, alternatively or additionally, a visible alarm.
Sound from the audible alarm may be emitted around substantially the complete periphery of the device.
The sound from the audible alarm may travel towards the h
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Hofsass Jeffery A.
Nguyen Tai T.
Signature Industries Limited
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