Aspirator unit of suction type smoke detector

Abstract

The invention relates to a suction smoke detector aspirator unit (10), comprising an aspirator (14) and at least two suction smoke detector aspirator holder parts (20, 22) which can be combined with one another in a form-fitting manner, the suction smoke detector aspirator holder parts (20, 22) receiving the aspirator (14) in a form-fitting manner, and the aspirator holder parts (20, 22) receiving the aspirator (14) in a form-fitting manner. The aspirator (14) can be held directly and without a screw by means of the aspirator holder part (20, 22) of the suction smoke detector. The suction smoke detector aspirator holder member (20, 22) is formed from a foam material. The aspirator (14) is surrounded by a foam material of the aspirator holder part (20, 22) of the suction smoke detector in a form-fitting manner and is held by means of the foam material in a screw-free manner.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of building monitoring. Monitoring is achieved with respect to smoke particles. Specifically, the present invention relates to a so-called aspirating smoke detector (English: Aspirating Smoke Detector; ASD), and there relates to a device for receiving an aspirator, which is here referred to as an aspirator unit of the aspirating smoke detector. Background Art

[0002] Aspirating smoke detectors are in principle known per se. An aspirating smoke detector includes an evaluation unit having at least one detection unit, a pipe system, and an aspirating fan, which is commonly referred to as an aspirator in technical terms. Air is aspirated from a corresponding monitoring area through the pipe system by means of the aspirator. The generated air flow is studied for smoke particles by means of at least one detection unit. As a detection unit, for example, an optical smoke detector is considered.

[0003] Aspirating smoke detectors are used in a manner known per se, for example, for the early identification of fires that form smoke in rooms and appliances. The aspirating smoke detector is suitable for application scenarios where point detectors reach their limits or are unusable or can only be used with limitations.

[0004] A method for detecting smoke and / or specific gases is known from WO 2009 / 132702 A1. There, a fire alarm and extinguishing center is adjacent to a pipe and has a detection unit and an aspirating fan (aspirator). Ambient air is aspirated from each monitored room by means of the aspirator and reaches the detection unit through the pipe.

[0005] Sometimes it is disadvantageous that during operation of the aspirating smoke detector, vibrations occur due to the aspirator included in a manner known per se, and the vibrations are transmitted to the housing of the aspirating smoke detector and are perceived by persons in the surroundings of the aspirating smoke detector as noise emitted by the aspirating smoke detector. Summary of the Invention

[0006] It is an object of the present invention to improve the known aspirating smoke detector in terms of the above-described noise generation.

[0007] To achieve this object, an aspirator unit of an aspirating smoke detector is proposed, which is hereinafter simply referred to as the aspirator unit.

[0008] The aspirator unit includes an aspirator, i.e., a fluid machine that acts as a suction fan. The aspirator unit further includes at least two components that can be joined to each other in a form-fitting manner. In its complete form, the aspirator unit is referred to as an aspirator unit of an aspirating smoke detector. Correspondingly, these components are referred to as aspirator support components of the aspirating smoke detector, and are briefly referred to as aspirator support components, or simply as support components for short. This nomenclature results from the fact that in the proposed aspirator unit, the support components receive the aspirator in a form-fitting manner; the support components hold the aspirator received there in a form-fitting manner. The special feature is that the aspirator can be directly held by means of the support components and is held directly in the available state by means of the support components. The direct holding achieved by means of the support components also includes that the aspirator has been held / is held by means of the support components in a threadless manner.

[0009] Furthermore, according to the invention, the support components of the aspirator unit are formed of foam material. The aspirator is surrounded in a form-fitting manner by the foam material of the support components; the (foam material-) support component surrounds the aspirator in a shell-like manner, and the aspirator has been held / is held by means of the foam material in a threadless manner. The foam material is a suitable, yet simple, inexpensive, and easily operable device / material for holding the aspirator in a threadless manner. The foam material does not transmit vibrations and thus does not affect the advantages described above. In addition, the foam material that surrounds the aspirator in a shell-like manner causes additional acoustic damping of the aspirator.

[0010] The advantage of the aspirating smoke detector proposed here is that, due to the threadless holding of the aspirator in the shell-like aspirator support formed by the support components, the vibration of the aspirator is prevented from being transmitted to the surrounding environment and especially to the appliance (aspirating smoke detector) that receives the aspirator unit and its housing. The aspirator can thus operate very quietly and at most causes a negligible amount of less noise generation in its surrounding environment.

[0011] In particular, by holding the (foam material-) support components in a threadless manner, the solid-borne sound input of the vibration generated by the aspirator unit received in the smoke detector housing of the aspirating smoke detector onto the smoke detector housing is advantageously avoided. The common fastening of the aspirator unit at the smoke detector housing by means of threaded parts often unfavorably causes acoustic resonance in the sense of a resonance plate on the large-area smoke detector housing.

[0012] The solution of the direct holding achieved by means of the support components also includes that the aspirator has been held / is held by means of the support components in a threadless manner.

[0013] Advantageous designs of the invention are the subject matter of the dependent claims. Here, the reference relationships used within the claims indicate further designs of the subject matter of the cited claim by the features of the respective dependent claim. This should not be understood as a waiver of obtaining independent substantive protection for the features or combinations of features of the dependent claims. Furthermore, with regard to the interpretation of the claims and the description, in the case where a feature is further specified in a dependent claim, it should be considered that such a limitation does not exist in the corresponding foregoing main claim and in more general embodiments of the aspirator unit or, if necessary, of the aspiration smoke detector having an aspirator unit. Thus, any reference to the description of aspects of the dependent claims, even without specific mention, should be clearly understood as a description of alternative features.

[0014] In a further or alternative advantageous embodiment of the aspirator unit, the aspirator unit has an expansion region. Its support members, after being combined with each other to form an aspirator support, not only enclose a chamber for receiving the aspirator, but also enclose an adjacent region which is additionally referred to as the expansion region. The expansion region acts like a muffler. The expansion region is formed within the aspirator unit downstream of the aspirator placed in the aspirator unit; the expansion region is obtained based on the shape of the support members, in particular based on the shape of the foam material support members. The air conveyed by the aspirator and compressed therein is output into the expansion region. A slow expansion of the aforementioned compressed air is achieved in the expansion region. Contrary to the otherwise necessary rapid expansion of the air, the expansion region causes the avoidance or, in any case, a significant reduction of the undesired noise generation associated with the expansion.

[0015] The expansion region furthermore has an inlet region and an outlet region, wherein the inlet region is opposite to the flow outlet of the aspirator, or the flow outlet of the aspirator at least partially extends into the inlet region of the expansion region. The aspirator support members of the aspiration smoke detector, which are formed of foam material and constitute the expansion region, can jointly additionally form walls or tabs arranged in such a way that the expansion region is formed in a meandering manner from the inlet region to the outlet region. For example, two to six walls can be formed in the expansion region with corresponding two to six meandering structures. Thereby, the flow path from the inlet region downstream to the outlet region is extended several times. Advantageously, the air blown into the expansion region by the aspirator is particularly effectively noise-reduced on its path to the outlet region.

[0016] Overall, the improvement proposed here is also a use solution of at least two support members (aspirator support members of the aspiration smoke detector) that can be form-locked to each other for directly and threadless holding of the aspirator of the aspiration smoke detector, wherein the support members are preferably formed of foam material.

[0017] Next, embodiments of the present invention will be explained in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. Objects or elements corresponding to each other are provided with the same reference numerals in all the drawings.

[0018] The embodiments should not be construed as limiting the present invention. On the contrary, within the scope of the present disclosure, it is also entirely possible to supplement and modify the aspirator bracket and, if necessary, the aspirating smoke detector having the aspirator bracket, in particular such supplements and modifications: which, for a person skilled in the art, can be obtained, for example, by combining or transforming the features or method steps described in the various general or specific description parts and contained in the claims and / or the drawings, and which, by combining the features, result in a new subject matter. Description of the Drawings

[0019] The figures show:

[0020] Figure 1 an aspirator unit for an aspirating smoke detector,

[0021] Figure 2 show an aspirating smoke detector having an aspirator unit according to Figure 1 and

[0022] Figure 3 show a lower bracket part and an upper bracket part of an aspirator unit of an aspirating smoke detector according to the invention according to Figure 1 Detailed Description of the Embodiments

[0023] Figure 1 The illustration in shows an aspirator unit 10 of an aspirating smoke detector, hereinafter simply referred to as the aspirator unit 10. The aspirator unit 10 is intended for use with an aspirating smoke detector 12 ( Figure 2 ), in particular for use in the aspirating smoke detector 12, and Figure 2 the illustration in shows an aspirating smoke detector 12 having an aspirator unit 10 according to Figure 1

[0024] The aspirator unit 10 includes a fluid machine hereinafter and hereinafter referred to as an aspirator 14 according to common technical terms and an aspirator bracket of an aspirating smoke detector hereinafter simply referred to as an aspirator bracket. Depending on the consideration, the hose segment 16, in particular in the form of a Y-shaped segment, can also be regarded as being included by the aspirator unit 10.

[0025] In the illustrated embodiment, the two-piece aspirator bracket serves as the aspirator bracket. The illustrated aspirator bracket includes an upper bracket member 20 (upper bracket part 20) and a lower bracket member 22 (lower bracket part 22). Generally, the aspirator bracket includes at least two bracket members (aspirator bracket members of an aspirating smoke detector) 20, 22.

[0026] The two bracket members 20, 22 or at least two bracket members 20, 22 can be positively connected to each other and, in the connected state with each other, form the aspirator bracket. The bracket members 20, 22 are preferably made of a foam material. As the foam material, for example, polystyrene (trade name: Styropor, foam plastic) is considered. The foam material can also be an open-cell foam material, such as, for example, open-cell melamine foam material. A foam material with through-open pores is particularly suitable for converting the kinetic proportion of sound energy into heat energy by friction and thus reducing the sound energy. Here, the melamine foam material has the additional advantage that it furthermore meets the high requirements for fire protection, that is, it is not flammable. As an alternative or in addition, the foam material is added with a flame retardant.

[0027] For the purpose of positive connectability, the bracket members 20, 22 have positive engagement profiles 24, 26 with each other. In the illustrated embodiment, in this regard, a stepped profile can be seen in the lower bracket member 22 as an example for the positive engagement profiles 24, 26, and the upper bracket member 20 correspondingly has a positive engagement profile that is positively adapted thereto, that is, a stepped profile that is positively adapted thereto.

[0028] The bracket members 20, 22 of the aspirator bracket enclose an inner cavity in a shell-like manner. The inner cavity is provided for receiving the aspirator 14. The aspirator bracket is not only provided for receiving the aspirator 14 but also for holding it, and is designed to receive and hold the aspirator 14.

[0029] The aspirator bracket is designed to receive the aspirator 14 in such a way that the inner cavity enclosed by its bracket members 20, 22 allows the aspirator 14 to be placed in the inner cavity. The aspirator bracket is designed to hold the aspirator 14 placed in the inner cavity in such a way that the aspirator bracket has an area for positively receiving the aspirator 14 inside it. The positive reception is achieved by the fact that the bracket members 20, 22 each positively have at least a profile adapted to the respective surface sections of the aspirator 14 in the surfaces facing each other in their combined state with each other.

[0030] The aspirator support optionally also serves as a holding structure for the end of the hose segment 16, for example in such a way that the upper support part 20 and the lower support part 22 of the support each have a section with a cylindrical peripheral surface for form-fittingly receiving the cylindrical end of the hose segment 16. Such a holding solution causes axial and radial fixation of the hose segment 16 at the aspirator support and relative to the aspirator support. The aspirator 14 in the aspirator support can be detachably coupled to the end of the hose segment 16 and is coupled to the end of the hose segment 16 in the ready state, for example plugged onto the end of the hose segment 16.

[0031] The aspirator unit 10 preferably has a receiving part (cable receiving part 28) in one of the support parts 20, 22 for a cable or a pair of twisted wires that serves as an electrical input line towards the aspirator 14. The solution of guiding the necessary input line in the cable receiving part 28 for supplying electrical energy to the aspirator 14 causes neat and kink-free guiding of the input line in the area of the aspirator support and in particular avoids the stretching of the input line in the air flow generated by the aspirator 14, which can lead to vortex formation etc. and thus to unwanted noise generation.

[0032] After the support parts 20, 22 are combined with each other to form the aspirator support, they not only enclose a chamber for receiving the aspirator 14, but also an adjoining expansion area 30. The expansion area adjoins the chamber downstream of the aspirator 14 in the aspirator 14 received by the support parts 20, 22. In the expansion area 30, the expansion of the air conveyed and compressed here by the aspirator 14 is achieved. It is known from mufflers that they reduce the sound emissions due to gases under high pressure and expanding explosively. The expansion area 30 acts like such a muffler and serves as a muffler in the aspirator unit 10 presented here; the expansion area 30 is a muffler formed in the aspirator unit 10.

[0033] Preferably, the surface of the expansion area 30 inside the aspirator unit 10 is smooth and edge-free. Especially in the case of foam material support parts 20, 22, such a smooth and edge-free surface is usually already obtained based on the manufacturing process, preferably by carrying out so-called foaming in a respectively provided mold to form the foam material support parts 20, 22. The advantage of the smooth surface is that it prevents or at least reduces to some extent the attachment of dust particles.

[0034] The expansion area 30 is open to the surroundings of the aspirator unit 10. In the Figure 1 illustrated embodiment shown in the figure, it can thus be seen the at least partially open short side wall of the lower support part 22 adjoining the expansion area 30.

[0035] During operation of the aspiration smoke detector 12, air (ambient air) is aspirated from the corresponding monitoring area and guided to at least one detection unit 32, 34 included in the aspiration smoke detector 12 by means of the aspirator 14 Figure 2 ) in a manner known per se. There, the aspirated air is automatically investigated for smoke particles in a manner known per se. The identification of smoke particles is not the focus here, and thus it will not be further discussed here, nor will the specific embodiments of the detection unit or each detection unit

[0036] The aspiration smoke detector 12 includes a housing (aspiration smoke detector housing, or simply: smoke detector housing) 36, and the aspirator unit 10 proposed here and at least one detection unit 32, 34 are received therein, in particular form-locked, inside the smoke detector housing 36. The detection unit or each detection unit 32, 34 is fluidly coupled to the aspirator unit 10 and the aspirator 14 therein via a hose section 16 that ends in the aspirator unit 10, and is thus located upstream of the aspirator 14, and a pipeline system 38 can be seen upstream of the detection unit(s) 32, 34 (to a certain extent as a continuation of the hose section 16). The air aspirated by means of the aspirator 14 reaches the aspiration smoke detector 12 and into the aspiration smoke detector 12 through the pipeline system 38. In order to discharge the aspirated air, the smoke detector housing 36 has an opening 40 towards the surroundings immediately after the expansion area 30 of the aspirator unit 10 placed in the smoke detector housing 36, so that the ambient air aspirated by means of the aspirator 14 can escape here.

[0037] In the aspirator unit 10 proposed here, it is provided that the aspirator 14 is held in a threadless manner inside the housing-like aspirator bracket of the aspirator unit 10. Preferably, in this regard, it is provided that the aspirator 14 is held in a threadless manner in the lower bracket part 22 of the aspirator bracket, and is fixed in the aspirator bracket by means of the upper bracket part 20 after the upper bracket part 20 and the lower bracket part 22 are combined.

[0038] So far, in the aspiration smoke detector 12, the aspirator 14 is connected to the corresponding housing by means of a threaded connection. The vibrations caused during operation of the aspirator 14 have been transmitted to the housing and the surrounding smoke detector housing 36, and have sometimes been perceptible as disturbing noise in the surroundings of such an aspiration smoke detector 12.

[0039] The retention scheme for the threadless components prevents the transmission of vibrations formed due to the operation of the aspirator 14 to the surrounding environment of the aspirator unit 10, and in particular to the corresponding smoke detector housing 36. The additional mechanical decoupling of the aspirator unit 10 and the smoke detector 12 is preferably achieved by the material of the hose section 16 that terminates in the aspirator unit 10. Rubber or the like is considered as the material for the hose section 16. Based on the material properties, such a hose section 16, i.e., a rubber hose, does not or at least substantially does not transmit vibrations from the aspirator unit 10 to the surrounding smoke detector 12.

[0040] The retention scheme for the threadless components of the aspirator 14 also advantageously saves time during the assembly and maintenance of the aspiration-type smoke detector 12. The smaller number of individual parts (the support components 20, 22) makes the assembly easier. In addition, just two or at least fewer support components 20, 22 can also be easily handled in terms of logistics.

[0041] Figure 3 Shown is the Figure 1 lower support component 22 and upper support component 20 of the aspirator unit 10 of the aspiration-type smoke detector according to the invention.

[0042] The support components 22, 20 of the aspirator unit 10 of the aspiration-type smoke detector, which are formed of foam material and constitute the expansion region 30, jointly additionally form a wall 31 or tab arranged in such a way that the expansion region 30 is configured in a meandering manner from the inlet region 18 to the discharge region 19. Two to six walls 31 can be formed, for example, in the expansion region 30 with corresponding two to six meandering structures. Four walls 31 are shown in this embodiment. Thereby, the flow path or flow route LP from the inlet region 18 downstream to the discharge region 19 is extended several times. Advantageously, the air blown into the expansion region 30 by the aspirator 10 is particularly effectively noise-reduced on its path to the discharge region 19.

[0043] Although the improvement schemes proposed here, namely the aspirator unit 10 and the aspiration-type smoke detector 12 having the aspirator unit 10, have been explained and described in detail by way of examples, the present invention is not limited by the disclosed embodiments, and other variations can be derived therefrom by those skilled in the art without departing from the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0044] The key aspects of the description submitted here can thus be briefly summarized as follows: An aspirating smoke detector aspirator unit 10, herein abbreviated as the aspirator unit 10, is proposed. The aspirator unit includes an aspirator 14 and at least two aspirating smoke detector aspirator support members (support members) 20, 22 that can be joined to each other in a form-fitting manner. The support members 20, 22 receive the aspirator 14 in a housing-like manner on the one hand and in a form-fitting manner on the other hand, and the aspirator 14 can be held or is held directly and without threaded elements by means of the support members 20, 22.

[0045] List of reference numerals:

[0046] 10 Aspirating smoke detector aspirator unit, aspirator unit

[0047] 12 Aspirating smoke detector

[0048] 14 Aspirator

[0049] 16 Hose segment

[0050] 18 Inlet area, inlet opening, entrance

[0051] 19 Discharge area, discharge opening, exit

[0052] 20 Aspirating smoke detector aspirator support member, support member, upper support member, upper bracket member

[0053] 22 Aspirating smoke detector aspirator support member, support member, lower support member, lower bracket member

[0054] 24 Form-fitting contour

[0055] 26 Form-fitting contour

[0056] 28 Cable receptacle

[0057] 30 Expansion area

[0058] 31 Wall, tab

[0059] 32 (Of the aspirating smoke detector) detection unit

[0060] 34 (Of the aspirating smoke detector) detection unit

[0061] 36 Smoke detector housing

[0062] 38 Pipeline system

[0063] 40 (In the smoke detector housing) opening

[0064] LP Air flow route, flow path.

Claims

1. An aspirator unit (10) for an aspirating smoke detector, comprising an aspirator (14) and at least two aspirating smoke detector aspirator support parts (20, 22) that can be form - locked with each other, - Among them, wherein the aspirating smoke detector aspirator support parts (20, 22) form - lockingly receive the aspirator (14), - wherein the aspirator (14) can be held directly and without threaded elements by means of the aspirating smoke detector aspirator support parts (20, 22), - wherein the aspirating smoke detector aspirator support parts (20, 22) of the aspirator unit of the aspirating smoke detector are formed of foam material, and - wherein the aspirator (14) is form - lockingly surrounded by the foam material of the aspirating smoke detector aspirator support parts (20, 22) and the aspirator (14) is held without threaded elements by means of the foam material.

2. The aspirator unit (10) for an aspirating smoke detector according to claim 1, having an expansion region (30) downstream of the aspirator (14) inside the aspirator unit (10) of the aspirating smoke detector.

3. The aspirator unit (10) for an aspirating smoke detector according to claim 2, having an expansion region (30) resulting from the shaping of the aspirating smoke detector aspirator support parts (20, 22).

4. The aspirator unit (10) for an aspirating smoke detector according to claim 2 or 3, - Among them, wherein the expansion region (30) has an inlet region (18) and an outlet region (19), and - wherein the aspirating smoke detector aspirator support parts (20, 22) formed of foam material and constituting the expansion region (30) together additionally form a wall (31) arranged such that the expansion region (30) is formed in a meandering manner from the inlet to the outlet.

5. The aspirator unit (10) for an aspirating smoke detector according to any one of the preceding claims, and having a cable receiving part (28) in one of the aspirating smoke detector aspirator support parts (20, 22).

6. An aspirating smoke detector (12), having the aspirator unit (10) for an aspirating smoke detector according to any one of claims 1 to 5.

7. A use scenario for at least two inhalable smoke detector aspirator bracket components (20, 22) that can be combined with each other in a form-fitting manner to directly hold the aspirator (14) of an inhalable smoke detector (12) without threaded parts, wherein, The aspirating smoke detector aspirator support parts (20, 22) are formed of foam material.

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