Fire alarm system

Abstract

We need a fire alarm system suitable for detecting fires on the exterior of buildings such as shrines, which are not normally occupied. Furthermore, if the building is a cultural property, flame detectors should be installed in inconspicuous locations to avoid damaging its aesthetic appeal. [Solution] The fire alarm system comprises a flame detector (12) installed outdoors of the building which outputs a fire signal when it detects a fire, and an alarm unit (11) installed indoors of the building which, when it receives a fire signal from the flame detector, outputs a signal indicating that a fire has occurred in the building. The flame detector (12) is installed under the eaves of the building, and is mounted so that the field of view of the sensor is directed towards the center of the building, preventing it from detecting the flame of a lighter held by a tourist. In addition, the flame detector (12) is also installed under the veranda, which is at a different height than under the eaves.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a fire alarm system, and particularly to a fire alarm system suitable for detecting fires in buildings where there are no people present at all times.

Background Art

[0002] Due to the fire accidents of cultural properties that have occurred in recent years, the interest in disaster prevention measures for cultural properties has been increasing. In particular, a fire alarm system suitable for detecting fires in buildings where there are no people present at all times is strongly desired.

[0003] Taking cultural properties as an example, about 70% of the past fire causes of cultural properties are external fires such as "arson", "flying fire", and "fireworks". From this, it is required to reliably detect the fire causes not only indoors but also outdoors.

[0004] As a conventional technique for detecting arson in important cultural properties and the like, there is the following arson detection system (for example, see Patent Document 1). The system according to Patent Document 1 includes a flame sensor having a flame detection unit, a human body sensor having a human body detection unit, a sensitivity setting unit for setting the sensitivity of the flame detection unit, a transmission unit that transmits an intrusion signal when the human body detection unit detects a human body, and a reception unit that receives the intrusion signal.

[0005] When the system according to Patent Document 1 receives an intrusion signal, it controls the sensitivity setting unit to switch to high sensitivity. When a flame is detected by the flame sensor, a fire signal is wirelessly transmitted to the receiver, and the receiver that has received the fire signal and the intrusion signal determines that arson has occurred and transfers the arson signal to the mobile terminal.

[0006] As a result, usually setting the sensitivity to low sensitivity, even when installed outdoors, it suppresses the occurrence of false alarms due to sunlight and the like, and realizes quickly notifying the administrator who holds the mobile terminal that a fire has been detected.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0007] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2004-303093 [Overview of the project] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0008] However, the conventional technology has the following problems. The system described in Patent Document 1 targets arson and monitors for fires occurring outdoors of buildings that are normally unoccupied, increasing sensitivity when a human body is detected. However, as mentioned above, the cause of fire is not limited to "arson," but can also be "flying sparks," "fireworks," etc., and it is important to reliably detect fires on the exterior caused by all of these fire causes.

[0009] From this perspective, the system described in Patent Document 1 cannot perform highly sensitive arson detection unless an intrusion signal is detected, and therefore cannot reliably detect a fire on the exterior.

[0010] Furthermore, when installing flame detectors outdoors, it is important to consider preventing false alarms caused by sunlight and mitigating the effects of rainwater. Therefore, taking these factors into consideration, there is a strong desire to establish a fire alarm system suitable for detecting fires on the exterior of buildings that are not normally occupied.

[0011] This invention was made to solve the above-mentioned problems, and aims to provide a fire alarm system suitable for detecting fires on the exterior of buildings that are normally unoccupied. [Means for solving the problem]

[0012] The fire alarm system according to the present invention comprises a flame detector installed outdoors of a building that outputs a fire signal when it detects the occurrence of a fire, and an alarm unit that, upon receiving the fire signal from the flame detector, outputs a signal indicating that a fire has occurred in the building, wherein the flame detector is installed under the eaves of the building, and the flame detector installed under the eaves is mounted such that the field of view of the sensor part faces toward the center of the building. [Effects of the Invention]

[0013] According to the present invention, a fire alarm system suitable for detecting fires on the exterior of buildings that are normally unoccupied can be obtained. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0014] [Figure 1] This figure shows the overall configuration, including the fire alarm system, according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention. [Figure 2] This is an explanatory diagram illustrating an example of each component element included in the fire alarm system according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention, along with its geographical arrangement. [Figure 3] This is an explanatory diagram showing a specific example in which a flame detector is installed on a shrine in Embodiment 1 of the present invention. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0015] Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the fire alarm system of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. The fire alarm system of the present invention is characterized by having a configuration in which a flame detector is installed outdoors of the building to be monitored, an alarm slave unit is installed indoors that receives signals from the flame detector and transmits wireless signals to the alarm master unit, and the flame detector and alarm slave unit are supplied with power by wire.

[0016] Embodiment 1. FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the overall configuration including the fire alarm system according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention. The fire alarm system according to Embodiment 1 includes M detection units 10(1) to 10(M) and a communication control unit 20.

[0017] The M detection units 10(1) to 10(M) are installed in a building that is the monitoring target of a fire, and have a function of wirelessly transmitting a fire signal indicating that a fire has been detected. Each of the M detection units 10(1) to 10(M) has the same configuration, and hereinafter, when there is no particular need to distinguish, it will be simply described as the detection unit 10. As an example of a building where the detection unit 10 is installed, there are shrines, temples, castles, etc. that are equivalent to cultural properties and usually have no people.

[0018] On the other hand, the communication control unit 20 is located at a position away from the building where the detection unit 10 is installed and is installed in a facility where a supervisor or the like is present, and has a function of wirelessly receiving a fire signal transmitted from the detection unit 10. As an example of a facility where the communication control unit 20 is installed, there are offices, management centers, etc.

[0019] The communication control unit 20 is configured to be able to communicate with an external device, a server 40 and L mobile terminals 50(1) to 50(L), via a network communication network 30 such as the Internet. Therefore, when the communication control unit 20 receives a fire signal, it can notify the external device by wireless signal that a fire has occurred.

[0020] Next, the specific configurations and functions of the detection unit 10 and the communication control unit 20, which are the main components of the fire alarm system according to Embodiment 1, will be described.

[0021] First, the detection unit 10 will be described. The detection unit 10 includes a wireless alarm sub-unit 11, N flame sensors 12(1) to 12(N), and an AC power supply 13. Each of the N flame sensors 12(1) to 12(N) has the same configuration, and hereinafter, when there is no particular need to distinguish, it will be simply described as the flame sensor 12.

[0022] The wireless alarm sub - unit 11 is installed indoors in the building to be monitored for fire, and is powered by the AC power supply 13. On the other hand, the flame detector 12 is installed outdoors of the building so as to be able to detect the fire on the exterior of the building, and is powered by the AC power supply 13. In FIG. 1, the case where the flame detector 12 is powered from the AC power supply 13 through the wireless alarm sub - unit 11 is illustrated as an example.

[0023] Here, the "outdoor of the building" in the first embodiment means a position outside the interior of the building itself, such as under the eaves or at the edge of the building, which is suitable for detecting the fire on the exterior of the building.

[0024] Since the flame detector 12 is installed outdoors of the building, it is desirable to have a waterproof function so that rainwater or the like does not enter the interior of the device. However, when the flame detector 12 is installed in a place such as under the eaves where it is less affected by rainwater or the like, the waterproof function is not essential. Also, when providing the flame detector 12 with a waterproof function, it is possible to cope by adding a simple waterproof function instead of a complete waterproof function.

[0025] The wireless alarm sub - unit 11 installed indoors in the building is wired - connected to each of the N flame detectors 12(1) to 12(N) installed outdoors of the building. When the flame detector 12 detects the occurrence of a fire, it outputs a detection signal to the wireless alarm sub - unit 11.

[0026] When the wireless alarm sub - unit 11 receives a detection signal from any of the flame detectors 12, it transmits a fire signal indicating that a fire has occurred in the building to be monitored as a wireless signal to the wireless alarm main unit 21.

[0027] Next, the communication control unit 20 will be described. The communication control unit 20 is configured to include a wireless alarm main unit 21, an AC power supply 23, and a receiver 24.

[0028] The wireless alarm master unit 21 is located away from the building being monitored, inside the facility where the monitoring personnel are located, and is powered by an AC power supply 23. The receiver 24 is also installed inside the facility, connected to the wireless alarm master unit 21 by a wire, and powered by the AC power supply 23. Figure 1 illustrates the case where power is supplied to the receiver 24 from the AC power supply 23 via the wireless alarm master unit 21.

[0029] The wireless alarm master unit 21 receives a fire signal transmitted as a wireless signal from the wireless alarm slave unit 11 and determines that a fire has occurred in a building that is normally unoccupied. Furthermore, if the wireless alarm master unit 21 determines that a fire has occurred, the receiver 24 receives an activation signal from the wireless alarm master unit 21 and can notify the fire through sound, panel display, etc. It can also transmit a notification signal to external devices via the network communication 30 to inform them that a fire has occurred in the building.

[0030] As a result, the server 40 and mobile terminals 50(1) to 50(L), which are equivalent to external devices, can receive notification signals via the network 30 and know that a fire has occurred in the building that is being monitored for fire.

[0031] Based on the basic configuration shown in Figure 1 as described above, the system configuration, including its specific geographical arrangement, will be explained using Figure 2 as an example. Figure 2 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of each component included in the fire alarm system in Embodiment 1 of the present invention, along with its geographical arrangement.

[0032] In Figure 2, Shrine 1 and Shrine 2 are illustrated as examples of buildings that are normally unoccupied, while Shrine Office 3 is illustrated as an example of a facility located some distance from Shrine 1 and Shrine 2, where guardians or other personnel are present. In the example in Figure 2, Shrine 2 is located on a mountain several hundred meters away from Shrine Office 3, while Shrine 1 is located closer to Shrine Office 3 than Shrine 2.

[0033] Furthermore, a detection unit 10(1) is provided at shrine 1, a detection unit 10(2) is provided at shrine 2, and a communication control unit 20 is provided at the shrine office 3. Specifically, at shrine 1, an alarm sub-unit 11 is installed inside shrine 1, and two flame detectors 12(1) and 12(2) are installed outside shrine 1 under the eaves. Similarly, at shrine 2, an alarm sub-unit 11 is installed inside shrine 2, and two flame detectors 12(1) and 12(2) are installed outside shrine 2 under the eaves.

[0034] Furthermore, in the shrine office 3, a wireless alarm master unit 21 and a receiver 24 are installed inside the shrine office 3.

[0035] Shrine 1 and shrine office 3 are located relatively close to each other, and the wireless alarm sub-unit 11 inside shrine 1 and the wireless alarm master unit 21 inside shrine office 3 are configured to communicate directly with each other via wireless communication.

[0036] On the other hand, as shown in Figure 2, the shrine 2 and the shrine office 3 are located at a relatively distant distance of several hundred meters. Therefore, the wireless alarm slave unit 11 inside the shrine 2 and the wireless alarm master unit 21 inside the shrine office 3 cannot communicate directly with each other via wireless communication. In such a case, it is conceivable to install a repeater that acts as a relay device to forward the wireless signal received from the wireless alarm slave unit 11 to the wireless alarm master unit 21.

[0037] Specifically, a wireless repeater 60 (not shown in Figure 1) and an AC power supply 63 for supplying power to the wireless repeater 60 are provided between the shrine 2 and the shrine office 3. By adopting this configuration, the wireless alarm slave unit 11 in the shrine 2 and the wireless alarm master unit 21 in the shrine office 3 can communicate wirelessly with each other via the wireless repeater 60. When the wireless repeater 60 is installed outdoors, it is advisable to place it in a waterproof box made of resin, for example.

[0038] Next, we will explain the case of installing the flame detector 12 on a shrine, which is an example of a building that is a cultural property. Figure 3 is an explanatory diagram showing a specific example of installing the flame detector 12 on a shrine in Embodiment 1 of the present invention.

[0039] Shrines and similar buildings typically have roofs with large eaves, and the flame detector 12 is installed in the eaves portion of this roof. As shown in Figure 3, by installing the flame detectors 12(1) and 12(2) in the eaves portion, sunlight and other external light do not enter the flame detectors 12(1) and 12(2), preventing false alarms. However, to more reliably block external light, a light-blocking cover may be attached to the flame detectors 12(1) and 12(2) before installation in the eaves.

[0040] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 3, in the case of a shrine with a raised platform structure, the flame detectors 12(3) and 12(4) may be installed under the veranda (under the floor) instead of under the eaves. Even in this case, as long as the flame detectors 12(3) and 12(4) are installed facing the ground (downward), false alarms due to ambient light can be prevented. Moreover, flame detectors 12(3) and 12(4) installed under the veranda (under the floor) can quickly and reliably detect if the building catches fire due to arson or sparks flying from under the veranda.

[0041] Thus, the flame detectors 12(1) to 12(4) are installed in locations that are not easily visible to people in the building, which is the object to be protected, so as not to detract from its aesthetic appearance. Furthermore, as shown in Figure 3, multiple flame detectors 12(1) to 12(4) are installed at different heights in the vertical direction of the building, eliminating blind spots in the monitoring and ensuring reliable detection of fire.

[0042] Furthermore, the flame detectors 12(1) and 12(2) installed under the eaves are mounted so that the field of view of the sensor is directed toward the center of the building. This is to prevent detection of fires such as lighters held by tourists visiting the building, and to enable quick and reliable detection of fires caused by arson or flying embers.

[0043] It is desirable that multiple flame detectors 12 be installed around the entire perimeter of the building so that the monitoring fields of two or more flame detectors 12 overlap, in order to monitor the entire building. Alternatively, instead of directly attaching the flame detectors 12 to the building, a pole taller than the building's height may be installed near the building, and the flame detectors 12 may be attached to that pole so that the roof of the building can be monitored.

[0044] The fire alarm system having the layout shown in Figure 2 or Figure 3 can be summarized as having the following configurations 1 to 4, and can achieve effects 1 to 4.

[0045] (Configuration 1) The flame detector 12 is installed under the eaves (outside the building) of the building, which is either Shrine 1 or Shrine 2. (Effect 1) By adopting this configuration in which the flame detector 12 is placed on the outside of the building, it can be made less susceptible to the effects of rainwater. In addition, by adopting a configuration in which the flame detector 12 is placed on the outside of shrine 1 or shrine 2, it becomes possible to detect fires on the exterior more reliably.

[0046] (Configuration 2) A wireless alarm slave unit 11 is installed inside the building which is Shrine 1 or Shrine 2. This slave unit receives the detection signal transmitted from the flame detector 12 via a wired connection and transmits a fire signal as a wireless signal to the wireless alarm master unit 21 to notify it that a fire has occurred in the building. (Effect 2) By connecting the flame detector 12 to the wireless alarm unit 11 via a wire and adopting a configuration that allows for AC power supply, unlike wireless flame detectors, a stable power supply can be established without worrying about battery life or battery replacement, and reliable operation can be guaranteed.

[0047] (Configuration 3) A wireless alarm master unit 21 that receives wireless signals is installed in the shrine office 3, which is located away from the building that is shrine 1 or shrine 2. (Effect 3) By adopting a configuration that allows for the remote reception of fire alert radio signals, even if there are no people at the cultural property shrine 1 or shrine 2 at all times, the radio signal alerting the fire can be received by the wireless alarm master unit 21 in the shrine office 3, thereby reliably notifying the administrator in the shrine office 3 that a fire has occurred at the cultural property.

[0048] (Configuration 4) If the distance between the wireless alarm master unit 21 and the wireless alarm slave unit 11 is greater than the permissible distance for direct wireless communication, a wireless repeater 60 capable of relaying wireless communication is provided between the wireless alarm master unit 21 and the wireless alarm slave unit 11. (Effect 4) By utilizing this relay function, even when the wireless alarm master unit is installed at a distance where it cannot directly receive wireless signals from the wireless alarm slave unit 11, a wireless communication system can be easily constructed via the wireless repeater 60.

[0049] According to the fire alarm system of this embodiment 1, effects 1 to 3 can be obtained by combining configurations 1 to 3. Furthermore, according to the fire alarm system of this embodiment 1, effect 4 can be obtained by further including configuration 4. As a result, a fire alarm system suitable for detecting fires on the exterior of buildings where there are normally no people can be realized. [Explanation of symbols]

[0050] 1, 2 Shrine (building), 3 Shrine office (equipment), 10 Detection unit, 11 Wireless alarm slave unit (alarm slave unit), 12 Flame detector, 13 AC power supply, 20 Communication control unit, 21 Wireless alarm master unit (alarm master unit), 23 AC power supply, 24 receivers, 30 network infrastructure, 40 servers, 50 mobile devices, 60 Wireless repeater, 63 AC power supply. TA

Claims

1. The system includes a flame detector installed outdoors of a building that outputs a fire signal when it detects a fire, and an alarm unit that, upon receiving the fire signal from the flame detector, outputs a signal indicating that a fire has occurred in the building. The fire alarm system is characterized in that the flame detector is installed under the eaves of the building, and the flame detector installed under the eaves is mounted such that the field of view of the sensor part faces towards the center of the building.

2. The fire alarm system according to claim 1, characterized in that the flame detectors are installed in multiple locations at different heights in the vertical direction of the building, in a place that is not easily visible to people so as not to spoil the aesthetics.

3. The fire alarm system according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the flame detector installed under the eaves is mounted so that the field of view of the sensor is directed toward the center of the building, in order to prevent it from detecting fires such as lighters held by tourists, and to enable quick and reliable detection of fires in the building caused by arson or flying embers.

4. The fire alarm system according to claim 3, characterized in that a light-shielding cover is attached to the flame detector installed under the eaves so that sunlight and other external light do not enter it and cause false alarms.

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