Attachment method of fire sensor main body and fire sensor

Abstract

To solve the problem that when attaching or detaching a fire sensor main body, an operator needs to approach a sensor base, however, when a fire detector is installed in a place such as a lobby or an entrance where a ceiling is high, it is necessary to install a scaffold to detach or attach the fire detector main body.SOLUTION: The present invention relates to an attachment method for attaching a fire sensor main body to a ceiling of an installation target. The attachment method includes steps of: mounting the fire sensor main body on an upper part of a multicopter in a mounting posture; remotely operating the multicopter to transport the fire sensor main body to a sensor base fixed to the ceiling; and magnetically adsorbing an adsorbing part included in the fire sensor main body to an adhering part included in the sensor base to temporarily fix the fire sensor main body.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a fire detector and a method for installing the fire detector body, and particularly to a fire detector and a method for installing the fire detector body that are useful in facilities with high ceilings. [Background technology]

[0002] Fire detectors, such as smoke detectors and flame detectors, are installed on ceilings or other surfaces to detect smoke and flames, thereby indicating a fire. Such fire detectors are installed by attaching the fire detector body to a detector base installed on the ceiling or other surface. The fire detector body can then be removed from the detector base and reattached when inspecting or replacing the detector.

[0003] In the invention of Patent Document 1, a pair of mating terminals is provided on the detector base, and a pair of fittings is provided on the detector body. The detector body is then fitted into the detector base and rotated so that the fittings fit into the mating terminals, thereby mechanically and electrically securing the detector body to the detector base. The detector body can also be removed from the detector base by rotating it in the opposite direction. The fire detector body attached to the detector base can be removed by manually rotating it, which disengages the mating terminals from the fittings, thereby releasing the electrical connection. The fire detector body can also be attached to the detector base by manually rotating it, pressing it against the detector base, and rotating it in the opposite direction to when it was removed, which engages the mating terminals with the fittings. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2009-147774 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] In the invention of Patent Document 1, a worker needs to approach the detector base when installing or removing the fire detector body. Therefore, when installing a fire detector in a place with a high ceiling, such as a lobby or entrance, it is necessary to set up scaffolding to install or remove the fire detector body. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] One embodiment of the present invention is an installation method for attaching a fire detector body to the ceiling of an installation target, which comprises mounting the fire detector body in an installation position on the top of a multicopter, remotely operating the multicopter to transport the fire detector body to a detector base fixed to the ceiling, and temporarily fixing the fire detector body by magnetically attracting an adhesive portion of the fire detector body to an attachment portion of the detector base. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to the present invention, in the case of a fire detector installed at a high place, the fire detector main body can be removed from the detector base or attached to the detector base using a flying robot such as a multicopter. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] 1A is a side view of a fire detector when it is mounted on a ceiling, and FIG. 1B is a bottom view of the fire detector when it is mounted on a ceiling. [Figure 2] 2A shows the fire detector body fixed to the detector base 1, and FIG. 2B shows the fire detector body before and after it has been attached to the detector base. [Figure 3] FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional side view of a sensor base fixed to a ceiling panel in the embodiment. [Figure 4] 1 is a fire detector main body mounted on a multicopter according to an embodiment. [Figure 5]5(a) shows a state in which the fire detector main body 2 is fixed to the detector base 1, and FIG. 5(b) shows a state before the fire detector main body 2 is attached to the detector base 1 or after it has been removed. [Figure 6] FIG. 2 is a top view of the vicinity of the connection tube of the fire detector main body according to the embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0009] In this embodiment, a smoke detector is used as an example of a fire detector, but other detectors may also be used. As will be described later, the detector base 1 is screwed to a ceiling board 6. Then, as shown in FIG. 1, the fire detector main body 2 is fixed to the detector base 1. The fire detector main body 2 has a smoke inlet window 21 at the bottom when installed on the ceiling, and a top board 22 below that. A switch 23 is provided at the bottom center of the top board 22. The switch 23 is equipped with an LED that lights up when the smoke detector is activated and also serves as a confirmation light that lights up during installation, as will be described later.

[0010] As shown in Figure 2, a cylindrical connecting tube 24 is provided in the upper center of the fire detector main body 2. Two fixing pieces 25 are provided on the connecting tube 24. The fixing pieces 25 are rectangular iron plates, and an axis 251 is fixed to their bases. They are biased by springs (not shown) so as to lean outward. In Figure 2(a), which shows the fixing pieces 25 fixed to the detector base 1, the fixing pieces 25 are leaning outward. In Figure 2(b), which shows the fixing pieces 25 before they are attached to the detector base 1 or after they have been removed, the fixing pieces 25 extend upward. A ring-shaped permanent magnet 26 is provided below the outer circumferential surface of the connecting tube 24.

[0011] As shown in Figure 3, the detector base 1 is fixed from below to a ceiling panel 6 of the ceiling on which it is to be installed with screws (not shown). A wiring hole 61 is drilled in the ceiling panel 6. A hole 13 is also formed in the center of the detector base 1. The wiring hole 61 is drilled larger than the hole 13 to allow space for when the fixing piece 25 falls down, as shown in Figure 2(a). In Figure 3, an iron ring 12 is provided around the hole 13. When the fire detector main body 2 is fixed to the detector base 1, the connecting tube 24 of the fire detector main body 2 is positioned inside the iron ring 12 on the detector base 1.

[0012] When removing the fire detector main body 2 from the detector base 1 located at a high place or when attaching the fire detector main body 2 to the detector base 1, the fire detector main body 2 is mounted on a multicopter 3 for transportation. As shown in FIG. 4 , in order to mount the fire detector main body 2 on the multicopter 3, a holding adapter 4 is attached to the top of the multicopter 3. The fire detector main body 2 is then mounted on the holding adapter 4. A detachable release piece 41 is provided in the center of the holding adapter 4. Also, a camera 5 is fixed to the side of the holding adapter 4 on the top of the multicopter 3, facing approximately upward. The image from the camera 5 is transmitted wirelessly to a controller (not shown) of the multicopter 3 and displayed on a display unit (not shown) of the controller.

[0013] When removing the fire detector main body 2 from the detector base 1 located at a high place, the release piece 41 is attached to the holding adapter 4. Then, while watching the video from the camera 5, the worker remotely controls the multicopter 3 with the controller to bring the holding adapter 4 into contact with the bottom of the fire detector main body 2. This causes the release piece 41 to press the switch 23 on the fire detector main body 2, causing the fixing piece 25 to rise and release the fire detector main body 2 from its fixed state as shown in FIG. 2(b). Because the raised fixing piece 25 is positioned inside the iron ring 12, the fire detector main body 2 is detached from the holding adapter 4 and is mounted on top of the holding adapter 4. The multicopter 3 is then remotely controlled from the controller to be lowered, resulting in the state shown in FIG. 4, and the fire detector main body 2 can be transported from the detector base 1 located at a high place.

[0014] When attaching the fire detector main body 2 to the detector base 1 located at a high altitude, the release piece 41 is removed from the holding adapter 4, and then the fire detector main body 2 is mounted on the holding adapter 4 in the installation position. Then, while watching the video from the camera 5, the worker remotely controls the multicopter 3 using the controller so that the connection tube 24 of the fire detector main body 2 (shown in FIG. 2) enters the hole 13 of the detector base 1 (shown in FIG. 3). At this time, the fire detector main body 2 is temporarily fixed in place by magnetically attracting the permanent magnet 26, which is the attraction portion of the fire detector main body 2, to the iron ring 12, which is the attachment portion of the detector base 1. This temporarily fixed state establishes an electrical connection between the detector base 1 and the fire detector main body 2 via terminals (not shown). Then, the spring causes the fixing piece 25 to fall outward, and the fire detector main body 2 is fixed to the detector base 1. After the fire detector main body 2 is fixed, the worker operates the controller to retrieve the multicopter 3. The holding adapter 4 has a structure (not shown) into which the head of the fire detector main body 2 is press-fitted or fitted, and can hold the fire detector main body 2 more firmly than temporary fixation using the permanent magnet 26 described below.

[0015] FIG. 5 shows the connecting tube 24 and the permanent magnet 26 in cross section. An actuator 27, which is a self-holding solenoid, is provided on each of the opposing inner surfaces of the connecting tube 24. The actuator 27 is provided in a position where it can push up the fixed piece 25 with a shaft 271. A ring-shaped permanent magnet 26 is provided below the outer surface of the connecting tube 24. FIG. 5(a) shows the state in which the fire detector main body 2 is fixed to the detector base 1, and FIG. 5(b) shows the state in which it is temporarily fixed. In the fixed or temporarily fixed state, the iron ring 12 of the detector base 1 is located outside the connecting tube 24. As shown in FIG. 5, the height of the connecting tube 24 is formed to be approximately equal to the combined height of the permanent magnet 26 and the iron ring 12.

[0016] The permanent magnet 26, which is the attraction part, is attached to the iron ring 12, which is the attachment part, so that the fire detector main body 2 is temporarily fixed to the detector base 1. In this embodiment, the iron ring 12 is also a magnet, and the iron ring 12 is attached to the iron fixing piece 25. This makes it possible to fix the fire detector main body 2 more firmly. Furthermore, the temporary fixation by the permanent magnet 26 is a weak fixation, and when the fire detector main body 2 is removed, the temporary fixation is released due to the weight of the fire detector main body 2, etc.

[0017] As shown in Fig. 6, shaft 251 of fixed piece 25 is rotatably attached to upper plate 241 at the upper end of connecting tube 24. A spring (not shown) biases shaft 251 so that fixed piece 25 falls outward. In Fig. 6, actuator 27 is hidden under fixed piece 25.

[0018] The fire detector main body 2 is removed from the detector base 1 using the following method. First, the multicopter 3 with the empty holding adapter 4 is flown toward the fire detector on the ceiling. At this time, the release piece 41 is attached to the holding adapter 4. In the fire detector, the fixing piece 25 is tilted outward as shown in FIG. 5(a), and the fire detector main body 2 is fixed to the detector base 1. Then, when the multicopter 3 approaches the fire detector main body 2 and the release piece 41 of the holding adapter 4 presses the switch 23 provided under the top plate 22 of the fire detector main body 2, the shaft 271 protrudes upward from the actuator 27. At this time, the actuator 27 is activated by power supplied to the fire detector main body 2 from the detector base 1 via a terminal (not shown). The protruding shaft 271 pushes up the abutment protrusion 252 of the fixing piece 25 against the force of the spring. As a result, as shown in FIG. 5(b), the fixing piece 25 rotates and faces upward, releasing the fixation between the detector base 1 and the fire detector main body 2. The head of the fire detector main body 2 is press-fitted or fitted into the holding adapter 4. When the multicopter 3 moves downward, the temporary fixation between the permanent magnet 26 and the iron ring 12 is released due to the weight of the fire detector main body 2 and the fact that the head of the fire detector main body 2 is press-fitted or fitted. The actuator 27 is a self-holding solenoid, and the shaft 271 remains protruding even when the fire detector main body 2 is separated from the detector base 1 and power is no longer supplied to the fire detector main body 2. After the temporary fixation is released, the worker can remotely operate the multicopter 3 with a controller to transport and retrieve the fire detector main body 2.

[0019] On the other hand, the fire detector main body 2 is attached to the detector base 1 using the following method. First, the release piece 41 is removed from the holding adapter 4. Then, the fire detector main body 2 is mounted on the holding adapter 4, and the multicopter 3 is transported to the vicinity of the detector base 1 on the ceiling. When the multicopter 3 is raised so that the connection tube 24 is inserted into the hole 13 in the detector base 1, the permanent magnet 26, which is the attraction part of the fire detector main body 2, is attracted to the iron ring 12, which is the attachment part, and the fire detector main body 2 is temporarily fixed by magnetic attraction. As a result, the terminals (not shown) of the fire detector main body 2 are connected to the detector wire ring (not shown) provided annularly on the detector base 1 and the common wire ring (not shown) provided outside of it, and power is supplied from the detector base 1 to the fire detector main body 2. Then, with the terminals temporarily connected, the power supplied to the fire detector main body 2 activates the self-holding solenoid, and the shaft 271 of the actuator 27 moves down. When the shaft 271 is lowered, the axis 251 of the fixing piece 25 is biased by a spring, so that the fixing piece 25 falls outward as shown in Figures 5(a) and 6, and the fire detector main body 2 is fixed to the detector base 1. As shown in Figure 3, a sufficiently wide hole 61 for wiring is provided in the ceiling board 6, and the fixing piece 25 falls outward and reaches above the iron ring 12 of the detector base 1 as shown in Figure 5(a). Furthermore, the iron fixing piece 25 is attracted to the iron ring 12 magnetized by the permanent magnet 26, and the fire detector main body 2 is firmly fixed to the detector base 1.

[0020] The method of attaching the fire detector main body 2 to the detector base 1 is not limited to the above method. An attachment method using the release piece 41 of the holding adapter 4 is also possible. In this case, the fire detector main body 2 is temporarily fixed using the permanent magnet 26 in the above procedure. At this stage, the electrode terminal of the fire detector main body 2 comes into contact with the electrode consisting of the annular ring of the detector base 1, and power is supplied to the fire detector main body 2. Then, the configuration may be such that pressing the switch 23 lowers the shaft 271 of the actuator 27.

[0021] When the fixing piece 25 comes into contact with the iron ring 12 or when the switch 23 is pressed, the confirmation light on the switch 23 lights up for a short time. This allows the worker to confirm that the fire detector main body 2 is securely fixed. Furthermore, the switch 23, which also serves as the confirmation light, is attached to the center of the bottom end of the fire detector main body 2, so it can be seen from any direction. The confirmation light needs to be visible from the direction of the door, but the fire detector main body 2 does not have a direction when it is installed. When the switch 23 is pressed, a signal is sent from the transmission circuit of the fire detector main body 2 (not shown) to a fire receiver (not shown), allowing the fire receiver to also recognize the installation or removal of the fire detector main body 2.

[0022] Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail above with reference to the drawings, the specific configurations are not limited to these embodiments, and the present invention also includes design changes within the scope of the present invention. Furthermore, the above-described embodiments can be combined by utilizing each other's technologies as long as there are no particular contradictions or problems in their purposes, configurations, etc.

[0023] For example, the fixing piece 25 does not have to be magnetically attached to the iron ring 12 during fixing, in which case the fixing piece 25 may be made of a non-magnetic material. Alternatively, temporary attachment may be achieved by a magnet, with the iron ring 12 attached to the fire detector body 2 and the permanent magnet 26 attached to the detector base 1. The iron ring 12 may be made of a magnetic material other than iron as long as it is magnetically attached to a magnet, and it does not have to be annular. As long as at least one of the permanent magnet and the magnetic material is annular, there is no need for directionality when attaching the fire detector body 2, making installation easier. In the embodiment of the present invention, the height of the fire detector body 2 is large due to the provision of the connecting tube 24. However, to reduce this height, a thin magnet such as a magnetic sheet may be used as the temporary attachment magnet.

[0024] In the embodiment, the actuator 27 is a self-holding solenoid that keeps the shaft 271 in a protruding state even when power is not supplied. However, if the fire detector main body 2 can be quickly pulled out with the shaft 271 protruding when removing the fire detector main body 2 from the detector base 1, the actuator need not be a self-holding solenoid. Taking advantage of the self-holding structure, the tip of the shaft 271 may be connected to the fixed piece 25 by a wire. In this way, the fixed piece 25 can be pulled down by the shaft 271, and the spring that biases the fixed piece 25 can be omitted. In the embodiment, the fire detector main body 2 is attached using the fixed piece 25 after power is supplied to the fire detector main body 2, but the fixed piece 25 may be actuated by a mechanical method. In this case, the switch 23 provided below the fire detector main body 2 is connected to the fixed piece 25 via a link mechanism, and by pressing the switch 23 once, a stopper (not shown) is released and the fixed piece 25 is spread horizontally by a spring, and by pressing the switch again, a mechanical mechanism that does not require power is provided to return the spread horizontal fixed piece 25 to the vertical direction.

[0025] In this embodiment, when the multicopter 3 moves downward, the temporary fixation between the permanent magnet 26 and the iron ring 12 is released due to the weight of the fire detector main body 2 and the fact that the head of the fire detector main body 2 is press-fit or fitted. However, the temporary fixation may be weak enough so that the temporary fixation is released by its own weight alone, without press-fitting or fitting. Also, to improve the ease of removing the fire detector main body 2 from the detector base 1, a separate mechanism may be provided that temporarily increases the distance between the permanent magnet 26 and the iron ring 12 when the switch 23 below the fire detector main body 2 is pressed.

[0026] As explained in the prior art, the fire detector main body 2 and the detector base 1 are attached by rotational engagement. On the other hand, while it is easy to apply force in the vertical direction to a drone, it is difficult to apply rotational force to a drone, and it has been considered difficult to remove a fire detector main body 2 attached by rotational engagement using a drone. However, in this embodiment, the fire detector main body 2 is attached to the detector base 1 without rotating it, making it easy to attach and remove the fire detector main body 2 using a drone. In particular, because the fire detector main body 2 and the detector base 1 are electrically connected using an annular electrode, there is no need to rotate the fire detector main body 2 at all during attachment. [Explanation of symbols]

[0027] 1 detector base, 12 iron rings, 13 holes, 2 Fire detector body, 21 Smoke inlet window, 22 Top plate, 23 Switch, 24 Connecting tube, 241 Top plate, 25 Fixing piece, 251 Shaft, 252 Contact protrusion, 26 Permanent magnet, 27 Actuator, 271 Shaft, 3 multicopter, 4 holding adapter, 41 release piece, 5 camera, 6 ceiling plate, 61 hole

Claims

1. A method for attaching a fire detector body to a ceiling of an installation target, comprising: The fire detector body is mounted in an installation position on the top of the multicopter, remotely operating the multicopter to transport the fire detector body to a detector base fixed to a ceiling; A method for installing a fire detector body, characterized in that the fire detector body is temporarily fixed by magnetically attracting an adhesive portion of the fire detector body to an attachment portion of the detector base.

2. 2. The method for installing a fire detector body according to claim 1, wherein a holding adapter is attached to the top of the multicopter, and the fire detector body is mounted on the holding adapter.

3. 3. The method for mounting a fire detector body according to claim 2, wherein the holding adapter has a structure in which the head of the fire detector body is press-fitted or fitted.

4. A method for installing a fire detector body as described in claim 2, characterized in that a camera is fixed to the side of the holding adapter on the top of the multicopter, facing approximately upward, and the image from the camera is transmitted to the multicopter's controller and displayed on the display unit of the controller.

5. A method for installing a fire detector body as described in any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that after the fire detector body is temporarily fixed, the fire detector body is fixed to the detector base using a fixing piece provided on the fire detector body.

6. The fire detector comprises a fire detector body and a detector base, The fire detector body has a fixing piece, The fire detector body is temporarily fixed to the detector base by a magnet, and is fixed to the detector base by the fixing piece. The fire detector body has a confirmation light, A fire detector characterized in that when the fire detector body is fixed by the fixing piece, the confirmation light is turned on.

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