Intake smoke detector aspirator unit
Patent Information
- Application Number
- EP2023813570
- Authority / Receiving Office
- EP · EP
- Patent Type
- Applications
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Priority Date
- 2022-11-24
- Filing Date
- 2023-11-09
- Publication Date
- 2025-10-01
AI Technical Summary
Aspirating smoke detectors often produce vibrations that are transmitted to their housing and perceived as noise, which can be disturbing in their vicinity.
The aspirator unit features foam holder parts that screwlessly mount the aspirator, providing vibration isolation and additional acoustic insulation, with an expansion area acting as a silencer to reduce noise further.
The solution effectively reduces noise emissions by preventing vibration transmission and additional acoustic insulation, allowing the aspirator to operate quietly with minimal noise disturbance.
Smart Images
Figure 1.1
Abstract
Description
[0001] Description
[0002] Aspirating smoke detector aspirator unit
[0003] The invention relates to the technical field of building monitoring. Monitoring is carried out with respect to smoke particles. Specifically, the invention relates to a so-called aspirating smoke detector (ASD) and, in this case, to a device for accommodating an aspirator, referred to here as an aspirating smoke detector aspirator unit.
[0004] Aspirating smoke detectors are generally known. An aspirating smoke detector comprises an evaluation unit with at least one detection unit, a pipe system, and an intake fan, often referred to in technical terminology as an aspirator. The aspirator draws air from a specific monitored area through the pipe system. The resulting airflow is analyzed for smoke particles by the at least one detection unit. An optical smoke detector, for example, can be considered as a detection unit.
[0005] Aspirating smoke detectors are used in a conventional manner, for example, for the early detection of smoke-generating fires in rooms and equipment. They are suitable for applications where point detectors reach their limits or are not suitable or only partially applicable.
[0006] WO 2009 / 132702 A1 discloses a method for detecting smoke and / or certain gases. This method involves a fire alarm and extinguishing control panel connected to a pipeline and including a detection unit and an aspirator. The aspirator draws ambient air from individual monitored rooms and feeds it through the pipeline to the detection unit.
[0007] It is sometimes unfortunate that during operation of an aspirating smoke detector, vibrations are generated due to an aspirator enclosed in a known manner, which are transmitted to the housing of the aspirating smoke detector and are perceived by people in the vicinity of the aspirating smoke detector as noise emitted by the aspirating smoke detector.
[0008] An object of the present invention is to improve a known aspirating smoke detector with respect to the noise development outlined above.
[0009] To solve this problem, an aspirating smoke detector aspirator unit is proposed, which is referred to below as aspirator unit.
[0010] The aspirator unit comprises an aspirator, i.e., a turbomachine that functions as an intake fan. The aspirator unit further comprises at least two parts that can be combined with one another in a form-fitting manner. In the long form, the aspirator unit is referred to as an aspirating smoke detector aspirator unit. Accordingly, these parts are referred to as aspirating smoke detector aspirator holder parts, as well as aspirator holder parts or, again in short, as holder parts. This designation arises from the fact that, in the proposed aspirator unit, the holder parts accommodate the aspirator in a form-fitting manner; the holder parts hold the aspirator, which is held there in a form-fitting manner. The special feature is that the aspirator is directly secured by the holder parts and held in a usable condition by the holder parts. The direct mounting by the holder parts also means that the aspirator is held by the holder parts without screws.
[0011] Furthermore, according to the invention, the holder parts of the aspirator unit are made of foam. The aspirator is positively surrounded by the foam of the holder parts; the (foam) holder parts surround the aspirator like a housing, and the aspirator is held in place by means of the foam without screws. The foam is a suitable, yet simple, inexpensive, and easy-to-handle means / material for screwlessly mounting the aspirator. The foam does not transmit vibrations and therefore does not call into question the advantage outlined above. In addition, foam surrounding the aspirator like a housing provides additional acoustic insulation for the aspirator.
[0012] The advantage of the aspirating smoke detector proposed here is that, due to the screwless mounting of the aspirator in a housing-like aspirator holder formed by the holder parts, the transmission of vibrations from the aspirator to the environment, and specifically to a device housing the aspirator unit (aspirating smoke detector) and its housing, is avoided. The aspirator can therefore be operated very quietly, and the noise generated in its surroundings is negligible at most.
[0013] In particular, the screwless mounting of the (foam) holder parts advantageously prevents the transmission of structure-borne sound to the smoke detector housing from the vibrations generated by the aspirator unit housed in the smoke detector housing of the aspirating smoke detector. The conventional fastening of the aspirator unit to the smoke detector housing with screws often leads to disadvantageous acoustic resonances on the large-surface smoke detector housing, acting as a soundboard.
[0014] The direct mounting by means of the holder parts also means that the aspirator is held by means of the holder parts without screws.
[0015] Advantageous embodiments of the invention are the subject matter of the dependent claims. References used within the claims indicate the further development of the subject matter of the referenced claim by the features of the respective dependent claim. They are not to be understood as a waiver of the attainment of independent, objective protection for the features or combinations of features of a dependent claim. Furthermore, with regard to an interpretation of the claims and the description, in the case of a more detailed specification of a feature in a dependent claim, it must be assumed that such a limitation is not present in the respective preceding claims or in a more general embodiment of the aspirator unit or, if applicable, of an aspirating smoke detector with an aspirator unit.Any reference in the description to aspects of dependent claims is therefore to be read expressly as a description of optional features, even without a specific reference.
[0016] In a further or alternative advantageous embodiment of the aspirator unit, it has an expansion region. The holder parts thereof, when combined with one another to form the aspirator holder, not only enclose a space for accommodating the aspirator, but also an adjoining region referred to below as the expansion region. The expansion region acts like a silencer. The expansion region is formed within the aspirator unit downstream of an aspirator placed in the aspirator unit; the expansion region results from the shape of the holder parts, in particular from the shape of the foam holder parts. The air conveyed by means of the aspirator and thereby compressed is released into the expansion region. In the expansion region, the previously compressed air expands slowly. In contrast to a possibly...Due to the rapid expansion of the air, the expansion area ensures that undesirable noises associated with the expansion are avoided or at least significantly reduced.
[0017] The expansion area also has an inlet area and an outlet area, with the inlet area being opposite the flow outlet of the aspirator and the flow outlet of the aspirator protruding at least partially into the inlet area of the expansion area. The aspirating smoke detector aspirator holder parts, which are made of foam and form the expansion area, can together form additional walls or webs arranged in such a way that the expansion area has a meandering shape from the inlet area to the outlet area. For example, two to six walls can be formed in the expansion area with corresponding two to six meanders. This lengthens the flow path from the inlet area downstream to the outlet area by several times. The air blown into the expansion area by the aspirator is advantageously particularly effectively sound-damped on its way to the outlet area.
[0018] Overall, the innovation proposed here is also a use of at least two holder parts (aspirating smoke detector aspirator holder parts) that can be combined with one another in a form-fitting manner for the direct and screwless mounting of an aspirator of an aspirating smoke detector, wherein the holder parts are preferably formed from a foam material.
[0019] An exemplary embodiment of the invention is explained in more detail below with reference to the drawing. Corresponding objects or elements are provided with the same reference numerals in all figures.
[0020] The exemplary embodiment is not to be understood as a limitation of the invention. Rather, additions and modifications to the aspirator holder and, if applicable, an aspirating smoke detector with an aspirator holder are also possible within the scope of the present disclosure, in particular those that are apparent to a person skilled in the art with regard to solving the problem, for example, through the combination or modification of individual features or method steps described in the general or specific description, as well as those contained in the claims and / or the drawings, and that lead to a new subject matter through combinable features.
[0021] It shows
[0022] FIG 1 an aspirator unit for an aspirating smoke detector,
[0023] FIG 2 shows an aspirating smoke detector with an aspirator unit according to FIG 1, and
[0024] FIG 3 shows a lower holder part and upper holder part of the aspirating smoke detector aspirator unit according to the invention as shown in FIG 1.
[0025] The illustration in FIG 1 shows an aspirating smoke detector aspirator unit 10, hereinafter referred to as aspirator unit 10. The aspirator unit 10 is intended for use with an aspirating smoke detector 12 (FIG 2), in particular in an aspirating smoke detector 12, and the illustration in FIG 2 shows an aspirating smoke detector 12 with an aspirator unit 10 according to FIG 1.
[0026] The aspirator unit 10 comprises a flow machine, referred to here and below as an aspirator 14 in accordance with common technical terminology, as well as an aspirating smoke detector aspirator holder, referred to below as the aspirator holder. Depending on the perspective, a hose section 16, in particular a hose section 16 in the shape of a Y-piece, can also be considered to be included in the aspirator unit 10.
[0027] In the embodiment shown, a two-part aspirator holder functions as the aspirator holder. The aspirator holder shown comprises an upper holder part 20 (upper holder part 20) and a lower holder part 22 (lower holder part 22). Generally, the aspirator holder comprises at least two holder parts (aspirating smoke detector aspirator holder parts) 20, 22. The two holder parts 20, 22 or the at least two holder parts 20, 22 can be combined with one another in a form-fitting manner and, when combined, form the aspirator holder. The holder parts 20, 22 are preferably made of a foam. Polystyrene (trade name: Styrofoam), for example, can be used as the foam. The foam can also be an open-pore foam, such as an open-pore melamine resin foam. Foams with continuous open pores are particularly suitable for converting the kinetic component of the sound energy into thermal energy through friction and thus reducing the sound energy.Melamine resin foams have the additional advantage of meeting stringent fire protection requirements, meaning they are flame-resistant. Alternatively, or in addition, the foam can be treated with a flame retardant.
[0028] The holder parts 20, 22 have form-fitting contours 24, 26 for the purpose of positive connection to one another. In the embodiment shown, step profiles can be seen in the lower holder part 22 as examples of form-fitting contours 24, 26, and the upper holder part 20 accordingly has a form-fitting contour that fits thereto, namely step profiles that fit thereto.
[0029] The holder parts 20, 22 of the aspirator holder enclose a housing-like interior space. The interior space is intended to accommodate the aspirator 14. The aspirator holder is intended not only to accommodate an aspirator 14, but also to support it, and is designed to accommodate and support an aspirator 14.
[0030] The aspirator holder is configured to receive an aspirator 14 in that the interior space enclosed by its holder parts 20, 22 allows placement of an aspirator 14 within this interior space. The aspirator holder is configured to retain an aspirator 14 placed within this interior space in that it has an area within its interior for positively receiving an aspirator 14. The positive reception is achieved in that the holder parts 20, 22, in their surfaces facing one another in the combined state, each have contours that are positively adapted to at least individual surface sections of the aspirator 14.
[0031] The aspirator holder optionally also functions as a holder for one end of the hose section 16, for example, by the holder upper part 20 and the holder lower part 22 each having a cylindrical section for positively receiving a cylindrical end of the hose section 16. Such a holder ensures axial and radial fixation of the hose section 16 on the aspirator holder and relative to the aspirator holder. The aspirator 14 in the aspirator holder can be detachably coupled to the end of the hose section 16 and, in the ready-to-use state, is coupled to the end of the hose section 16, for example, by being plugged onto the end of the hose section 16.
[0032] The aspirator unit 10 preferably has a receptacle (cable receptacle 28) in one of the holder parts 20, 22 for a cable or pair of strands acting as an electrical supply line to the aspirator 14. Routing the required supply line for supplying the aspirator 14 with electrical energy in the cable receptacle 28 ensures clean and kink-free routing of the supply line in the area of the aspirator holder and, above all, prevents the supply line from running in the air flow generated by the aspirator 14, which could lead to turbulence or the like and thus to undesirable noise.
[0033] When combined with one another to form the aspirator holder, the holder parts 20, 22 enclose not only a space for accommodating the aspirator 14, but also an adjoining expansion region 30. When the aspirator 14 is accommodated by the holder parts 20, 22, this expansion region adjoins the aspirator 14 downstream of the aspirator. The air conveyed by the aspirator 14 and thereby compressed expands in the expansion region 30. Silencers are known to reduce the noise emissions caused by gases under high pressure and expanding explosively. The expansion region 30 acts like such a silencer and functions as a silencer in the aspirator unit 10 proposed here; the expansion region 30 is a silencer formed in the aspirator unit 10.
[0034] Preferably, the surface of the expansion region 30 inside the aspirator unit 10 is smooth and edge-free. Especially in the case of foam holder parts 20, 22, such a smooth and edge-free surface is usually already achieved due to the manufacturing process; the foam holder parts 20, 22 are preferably created by so-called foaming into specific shapes. A smooth surface has the advantage of preventing or at least reducing the adhesion of dust particles.
[0035] The expansion region 30 is open to the surroundings of the aspirator unit 10. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, the at least partially open short side wall of the holder base 22 adjacent to the expansion region 30 can be seen.
[0036] During operation of an aspirating smoke detector 12 (FIG. 2), air (ambient air) is sucked in from a respective monitoring area in a manner known per se by means of the aspirator 14 and guided to at least one detection unit 32, 34 comprised by the aspirating smoke detector 12. There, the sucked-in air is automatically examined for smoke particles in a manner known per se. The detection of smoke particles is not the primary focus here, so that this and a specific embodiment of the or each detection unit will not be discussed further here. The aspirating smoke detector 12 comprises a housing (aspirating smoke detector housing or, in short, smoke detector housing) 36 and accommodates the aspirator unit 10 proposed here as well as at least one detection unit 32, 34 inside the smoke detector housing 36, in particular in a form-fitting manner.The or each detection unit 32, 34 is fluidically coupled to the aspirator unit 10 and the aspirator 14 therein by means of the hose section 16 ending in the aspirator unit 10, and is thus located upstream of the aspirator 14, and upstream of the detection unit(s) 32, 34, a pipe system 38 can be seen - as a continuation of the hose section 16, so to speak. Air sucked in by the aspirator 14 reaches the aspirating smoke detector 12 via the pipe system 38 and into the aspirating smoke detector 12. To discharge the sucked-in air, the smoke detector housing 36 has an opening 40 to the environment adjacent to the expansion region 30 of an aspirator unit 10 placed in the smoke detector housing 36, so that the ambient air sucked in by the aspirator 14 can escape here.
[0037] In the aspirator unit 10 proposed here, the aspirator 14 is held screwlessly inside the housing-like aspirator holder of the aspirator unit 10. Preferably, the aspirator 14 is held screwlessly in the lower holder part 22 of the aspirator holder and, after combining the upper holder part 20 with the lower holder part 22, is fixed in the aspirator holder by means of the upper holder part 20.
[0038] Previously, in aspirating smoke detectors 12, the aspirator 14 was connected to a respective housing by means of a screw connection. Vibrations resulting from the operation of the aspirator 14 were transmitted to this housing and the surrounding smoke detector housing 36 and were sometimes perceptible as a disturbing noise in the vicinity of such aspirating smoke detectors 12.
[0039] The screwless mount prevents the transmission of vibrations resulting from the operation of the aspirator 14 into the surroundings of the aspirator unit 10 and, above all, to a respective smoke detector housing 36. Additional mechanical decoupling of the aspirator unit 10 and smoke detector 12 is preferably achieved via the material of the hose section 16 ending in the aspirator unit 10. Rubber or the like can be considered as a material for the hose section 16. Due to the material properties, such a hose section 16—i.e., a rubber hose—transmits no, or at least essentially no, vibrations from the aspirator unit 10 to the surrounding smoke detector 12.
[0040] The screwless mounting of the aspirator 14 also saves time during installation and maintenance of the aspirating smoke detector 12. The small number of individual parts – mounting parts 20, 22 – makes installation simple. Furthermore, the two or at least a few mounting parts 20, 22 are logistically easy to handle.
[0041] FIG 3 shows a lower holder part 22 and upper holder part 20 of the inventive aspirating smoke detector aspirator unit 10 according to FIG 1.
[0042] The holder parts 22, 20 of the aspirating smoke detector aspirator unit 10, which are made of foam and form the expansion area 30, together form additional walls 31 or webs arranged in such a way that the expansion area 30 has a meandering shape from the inlet area 18 to the outlet area 19. For example, two to six walls 31 can be formed in the expansion area 30 with corresponding two to six meanders. In the present example, four walls 31 are shown. As a result, the flow path LP from the inlet area 18 downstream to the outlet area 19 is extended several times over. Advantageously, the air blown into the expansion area 30 by the aspirator 10 is particularly effectively sound-damped on its way to the outlet area 19.Although the innovation proposed here, namely the aspirator unit 10 and an aspirating smoke detector 12 with an aspirator unit 10, has been illustrated and described in detail by the exemplary embodiment, the invention is not limited by the disclosed example and other variations can be derived therefrom by a person skilled in the art without departing from the scope of the invention.
[0043] Individual aspects of the description submitted here that are in the foreground can be briefly summarized as follows: Specified is an aspirating smoke detector aspirator unit 10, referred to here briefly as aspirator unit 10. This comprises an aspirator 14 and at least two aspirating smoke detector aspirator holder parts (holder parts) 20, 22 that can be combined with one another in a form-fitting manner. The holder parts 20, 22 accommodate the aspirator 14 on the one hand in a housing-like manner and on the other hand in a form-fitting manner, and the aspirator 14 is / is held or held directly and screwlessly by means of the holder parts 20, 22.
[0044] List of reference symbols
[0045] 10 aspirating smoke detector aspirator unit, aspirator unit
[0046] 12 aspirating smoke detectors
[0047] 14 Aspirator
[0048] 16 hose pieces
[0049] 18 Inlet area, inlet opening, inlet
[0050] 19 Outlet area, outlet opening, outlet
[0051] 20 aspirating smoke detector aspirator holder part, holder part, upper holder part, holder upper part
[0052] 22 Aspirating smoke detector aspirator holder part, holder part, lower holder part, lower holder part
[0053] 24 Form-fitting contour
[0054] 26 Form-fitting contour
[0055] 28 cable holder
[0056] 30 expansion area
[0057] 31 walls, walkways
[0058] 32 Detection unit (of the aspirating smoke detector)
[0059] 34 Detection unit (of the aspirating smoke detector)
[0060] 36 smoke detector housings
[0061] 38 pipe system
[0062] 40 Opening (in the smoke detector housing)
[0063] LP air flow path, flow path
Claims
Patent claims 1. Aspirating smoke detector aspirator unit (10) comprising an aspirator (14) and at least two aspirating smoke detector aspirator holder parts (20, 22) which can be combined with one another in a form-fitting manner, - wherein the aspirating smoke detector aspirator holder parts (20, 22) positively receive the aspirator (14), - wherein the aspirator (14) is held directly and screwlessly by means of the aspirating smoke detector aspirator holder parts (20, 22), - wherein the aspirating smoke detector aspirator holder parts (20, 22) are formed from a foam material, and - wherein the aspirator (14) is positively surrounded by the foam of the aspirating smoke detector aspirator holder parts (20, 22) and the aspirator (14) is held screwlessly by means of the foam.
2. Aspirating smoke detector aspirator unit (10) according to claim 1, comprising an expansion region (30) inside the aspirating smoke detector aspirator unit (10) downstream of the aspirator (14).
3. Aspirating smoke detector aspirator unit (10) according to claim 2, with an expansion region (30) resulting from a shaping of the aspirating smoke detector aspirator holder parts (20, 22).
4. Aspirating smoke detector aspirator unit (10) according to claim 2 or 3, - wherein the expansion region (30) has an inlet region (18) and an outlet region (19), and - wherein the aspirating smoke detector aspirator holder parts (20, 22) formed from a foam and forming the expansion region (30) jointly form additional walls (31) arranged in such a way that the expansion region (30) is shaped in a meandering manner from the inlet to the outlet.
5. Aspirating smoke detector aspirator unit (10) according to one of the preceding claims and having a cable receptacle (28) in one of the aspirating smoke detector aspirator holder parts (20, 22).
6. Aspirating smoke detector (12) having an aspirating smoke detector aspirator unit (10) according to one of claims 1 to 5.
7. Use of at least two aspirating smoke detector aspirator holder parts (20, 22) which can be combined with one another in a form-fitting manner for the direct and screwless mounting of an aspirator (14) of an aspirating smoke detector (12), wherein the aspirating smoke detector aspirator holder parts (20, 22) are formed from a foam material.