siren

Abstract

To provide an alarm that allows the number of years of use to be easily grasped and enables appropriate replacement. [Solution] An alarm 10 that has a battery power supply 38 and detects abnormalities and issues an alarm, and comprises a CPU 28 equipped with the function of a year counter 52 that counts the number of years that have passed since the battery power was turned on as the number of years of use, a register 56 equipped with the function of holding data indicative of the number of years of use counted by the year counter function of the CPU, a driver 58 equipped with the function of displaying the number of years of use corresponding to the data indicative of the number of years of use held in the register, and a display unit 22 that displays the number of years of use using the function of the driver and is capable of showing the number of years of use to at least two digits. A year counter and a number of years of use display unit 48 are provided, and the number of years of use display unit is equipped with an LCD display unit, and a register and driver that function as a display control unit.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an alarm that operates on battery power and detects and issues an alarm when an abnormality such as a fire occurs. [Background technology]

[0002] Fire alarms (hereinafter referred to as "alarms") that detect and issue warnings about fires in ordinary homes, etc. have become widespread. These alarms are battery-powered and have an integrated sensor unit that detects fires and an alarm unit that issues a fire warning; when the sensor unit detects a fire, the alarm unit issues a fire warning, such as by outputting a voice message that includes a fire warning sound; unlike so-called automatic fire alarm systems, the alarm unit does not require a receiver and can detect and issue fire warnings by itself, making them easy to install and inexpensive, and they have become widely used as their installation in ordinary homes has become mandatory (Patent Document 1).

[0003] In addition, alarm systems that use group linkage, in which multiple alarm devices communicate wirelessly with each other so that a fire alarm issued by a specific alarm device is also issued by other alarm devices, have also been put into practical use and are becoming widespread. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2018-205997 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2015-014986 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] Incidentally, alarms are guaranteed to have a service life of 10 years during which they can properly monitor fires, and it is recommended that they be replaced when they reach that lifespan. However, in recent years, many alarms that are more than 10 years old have been left installed without being replaced, which raises the risk that the alarms will not be able to properly detect fires when they occur, resulting in increased personal injury.

[0006] To solve this problem, the alarm is equipped with a "replacement notification function" that activates when the alarm has been in use for 10 years.

[0007] The conventional "replacement notification function" indicates that it is time to replace the alarm by flashing the operation indicator light four times every 50 seconds when the alarm has been in use for, for example, 10 years, and when the test switch is pressed to stop the operation indicator light from displaying, a voice message indicating that it is time to replace the alarm is output from the speaker saying "Beep, it's time to replace the alarm." After that, each time the test switch is pressed, a voice message indicating the function test result is output saying "Beep, it's time to replace the alarm," followed by a voice message indicating that it is time to replace the alarm.

[0008] However, conventional replacement notification functions only notify users that it is time to replace their alarm, and the information provided is limited, meaning users are unable to determine how long the alarm has been in use.

[0009] Additionally, certain users may want to know the age of their alarm so that they know in advance when it is time to replace it, but installed alarms do not necessarily have information about when they were installed, making it difficult to confirm the age of the alarm.

[0010] Furthermore, if the battery power supply of the alarm runs out, the alarm will no longer function, including the "replacement notification function," and it is anticipated that some users will mistakenly believe that the alarm has returned to normal without realizing that the battery is dead and will leave it as is.

[0011] The object of this invention is to provide an alarm that makes it easy to know how many years the alarm has been in use so that the alarm can be replaced appropriately. [Means for solving the problem]

[0012] (Alarm) This device is a battery-powered alarm that detects abnormalities and issues an alarm. The alarm is characterized by being provided with an age display section that displays the number of years the alarm has been in use.

[0013] (Configuration of age notification unit) Furthermore, a year counter is provided to count the number of years that have passed since the battery power was turned on as the number of years of use. The years of use display section shows: a display unit that displays the number of years of use counted by a year counter in numerical form; a display control unit that displays the number of years of use counted by the year counter on a display unit; will be established.

[0014] (solar cell) The age display unit is further provided with a solar cell that converts the optical energy of received light into electrical energy and supplies it to the display unit and the display control unit.

[0015] (Alarm replacement notification section) Furthermore, when the number of years of use counted by the year counter reaches a specified service life, an alarm device replacement notification section is provided which causes a display to be displayed on a second display section different from the display section indicating that it is time to replace the alarm device, and which outputs an audio message from the audio output section indicating that it is time to replace the alarm device.

[0016] (useful life) The specified service life shall be at least 10 years. [Effects of the Invention]

[0017] (Effect of alarms) This device is a battery-powered alarm that detects abnormalities and issues an alarm. It is equipped with an age display that shows the number of years the alarm has been in use. This allows the user to know the current age of the alarm while using it, and how this age corresponds to the alarm's expected lifespan, which is 10 years for example. This makes it possible to predict when the alarm will need to be replaced in advance and prepare for it to be replaced at the appropriate time, allowing the alarm's fire monitoring function to continue uninterrupted.

[0018] (Effect of the configuration of the age notification unit) Furthermore, a year counter is provided which counts the number of years that have passed since the battery power was turned on as the number of years of use, and the number of years of use display unit is provided with a display unit which displays the number of years of use counted by the year counter as a number, and a display control unit which causes the number of years of use counted by the year counter to be displayed on the display unit, so that the user can know the current number of years of use at any time from the display unit which displays the number of years of use as a number, and can know how long the alarm is in relation to its expected lifespan of 10 years, for example, and can make an appropriate decision on when to replace the alarm.

[0019] Furthermore, even if multiple alarms are installed at different times, the number of years of use for each alarm is counted individually using a year counter and displayed numerically on the display, making management easy.

[0020] Furthermore, when the battery power supply runs out, the number of years of use is no longer displayed on the display, so the user can recognize that the battery power supply has run out from the display, preventing the alarm device from being left with a dead battery power supply and enabling the alarm device to be replaced promptly.

[0021] (Effect of solar cells) Furthermore, the age display unit is further provided with a solar cell that converts the light energy of the received light into electrical energy and supplies it to the display unit and display control unit, so the provision of the age display unit does not accelerate the consumption of the battery power source or shorten the life of the battery power source.

[0022] Furthermore, if the battery power supply runs out, the years of use display section will continue to operate, but the year counter will stop operating due to the battery power supply running out, and the display will show an error message such as a clear display (all zeros) or an indefinite display; the user can recognize that there is something wrong with the alarm from the years of use error display, and by subsequently operating the test switch, etc., they will learn that the alarm has stopped functioning due to the battery power supply running out, preventing the alarm from being left with a dead battery power supply and enabling the alarm to be replaced quickly.

[0023] (Effect of alarm replacement notification unit) Furthermore, when the number of years of use counted by the year counter reaches a specified service life, a display indicating that it is time to replace the alarm is displayed on a second display unit different from the display unit, and an alarm replacement notification unit is provided which outputs an audio message from the audio output unit indicating that it is time to replace the alarm.As a result, the user is notified that it is time to replace the alarm, and can also learn the number of years of use from the display on the service life display unit, which makes them keenly aware of the need to replace the alarm and is expected to replace it promptly. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0024] [Figure 1] 1 is an explanatory diagram showing the appearance of an alarm device according to the present invention. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram showing the alarm device of FIG. 1 from the front. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram showing the configuration of an alarm device. [Figure 4] FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram showing the display of the number of years of use on a liquid crystal display unit. [Figure 5] 10 is a flowchart showing monitoring control of an alarm device. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0025] [Basic concept of the embodiment] First, the basic concept of the embodiment will be described. The embodiment generally relates to an alarm device that has a battery power source and detects an abnormality such as a fire and issues an alarm.

[0026] Here, an "alarm device" is a device that is installed in a general residence, a group home, etc., and that detects abnormalities such as fires and issues an alarm, and includes not only fire alarms that detect fires and issue an alarm, but also gas leak alarms, CO alarms, various types of security alarms, etc. In the embodiment, a fire alarm that detects fires and issues an alarm will be described as an example.

[0027] The alarm device of this embodiment is characterized by being provided with an age display section, and the "age display section" displays the number of years the alarm device has been in use.

[0028] Furthermore, "years of use" refers to the number of years that have passed since the battery power supply provided in the alarm was turned on. For example, in an alarm, a battery power supply such as a lithium-ion battery is installed at the factory, and the battery electrodes are separated from the power line by removable insulating tape, and when the alarm is installed, the insulating tape is removed to connect the battery power supply to the power line, and the moment this battery power supply is connected to the power line is the moment the battery power supply is turned on.

[0029] The alarm device is further provided with a year counter, and the "years of use display unit" is provided with a display unit and a display control unit.

[0030] Here, the "year counter" counts the number of years that have passed since the battery power was turned on as the number of years of use. The "display unit" of the years of use display unit displays the number of years of use counted by the year counter as a number, and the "display control unit" causes the number of years of use counted by the year counter to be displayed on the display unit. For example, the "display unit" may be a liquid crystal display unit equipped with an 8-segment display element, and the "display control unit" may be a display control unit made up of a register and a driver.

[0031] It should be noted that "service life" refers to the number of years that the alarm will function properly as guaranteed by the alarm manufacturer, and in this embodiment the service life is set to at least 10 years, so the "display unit" is capable of displaying the number of years of use counted by the year counter as a number with at least two digits.

[0032] The age display unit is also provided with a solar cell that converts the optical energy of the received light into electrical energy and supplies it to the LCD display unit and display control unit, and the age display unit operates without receiving power from a battery. For this reason, when the alarm's battery power supply runs out, the age display unit continues to operate, but the year counter that counts the age of the alarm will stop operating and the display of the age display unit will show an error message such as a clear display (all zeros) or an indeterminate display.

[0033] Furthermore, the age display unit may be one that operates on battery power without having a solar cell, and when the age display unit operates on battery power, when the battery power runs out, the operation of the age display unit stops and the display of the age display unit becomes invisible.

[0034] The alarm device is also provided with an alarm replacement notification section which, when the number of years of use counted by the year counter reaches a specified service life, displays an indication that it is time to replace the alarm device on a second display section different from the liquid crystal display section, for example an operation indicator light, and outputs an audio message from an audio output section, for example a speaker, indicating that it is time to replace the alarm device.

[0035] Furthermore, "a display using an operation indicator light to indicate that it is time to replace the alarm device" includes a display mode that is distinguishable from other alarm displays using an operation indicator light, such as a fire alarm, a fault alarm, or a low battery alarm, for example, a display that operates the operation indicator light by lighting up, flashing or blinking at a different cycle or frequency than other alarm displays.

[0036] Specific embodiments will be described below. In the specific embodiments shown below, the "display unit" of the age display unit is a "liquid crystal display unit," the "display control unit" is a "display control unit configured with a register and a driver," the "second display unit" is an "operation indicator light," and the "audio output unit" is a "speaker."

[0037] [Specific details of the embodiment] The alarm will be explained in more detail below. The contents will be divided into the following sections: a. Overview of the alarm b. Alarm configuration b1. Overall configuration of the alarm b2. Monitoring and control section b3. Year counter and alarm replacement notification section b4. Years of use display section c. Alarm monitoring and control d. Variations of the present invention

[0038] [a. Overview of the alarm] First, an overview of the alarm device will be provided, with reference to Figure 1, which shows the exterior of the alarm device, and Figure 2, which shows the alarm device of Figure 1 from the front.

[0039] As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the alarm 10 is an alarm that detects fires based on smoke and issues an alarm, and is made up of a main body 12 and a mounting plate 13, with the mounting plate 13 provided with a hanging hook 20 for installing the alarm 10 on a wall or the like. A smoke inlet 18 is opened on the side of the main body 12, and a smoke detection unit is provided inside the main body 12. Furthermore, as shown in Figure 2, an acoustic hole 16 is provided on the lower left side of the front of the main body 12, and a speaker is provided inside the acoustic hole 16 so that sounds such as alarm sounds and operation sounds, as well as voice messages, can be output from the speaker via the acoustic hole 16.

[0040] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 2, a test switch (switch button) 14 is provided in the centre of the lower front of the main body 12, and when the test switch 14 is operated in a normal state where the alarm device 10 is not issuing any alarms such as fire alarm, malfunction alarm or low battery alarm, a functional test of the alarm device 10 begins and an audio message indicating the test results is output from the speaker.

[0041] The test switch 14 also functions as an alarm stop switch that instructs the alarm device 10 to stop the alarm when the alarm device 10 is sounding, and if the test switch 14 is operated during an alarm, the alarm will be stopped.

[0042] An operation indicator light 15 using an LED is provided inside the test switch 14, as shown by the dotted line, and the test switch 14 is made of a translucent synthetic resin material so that the operation indicator light 15 can be seen through the test switch 14. The operation indicator light 15 lights up, flashes, or blinks in different identifiable patterns to indicate when a function test or alarm is being performed.

[0043] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 2, a liquid crystal display unit 22 is provided in the centre of the upper front side of the main body 12. The liquid crystal display unit 22 is equipped with a liquid crystal display element capable of displaying two-digit numbers, and displays the number of years the alarm 10 has been in use as a two-digit number.

[0044] Additionally, a solar cell 24 is provided above the liquid crystal display unit 22. The solar cell 24 receives light from outside the location where the alarm 10 is installed, lighting, etc., and converts the light energy of the received light into electrical energy to generate the power needed to operate the age display unit, including the liquid crystal display unit 22.

[0045] [b. Alarm configuration] Next, the configuration of the alarm device will be explained, with reference to Figure 3, which shows the configuration of the alarm device.

[0046] (b1. Overall configuration of the alarm) First, the overall configuration of the alarm device will be described. The alarm device 10 detects a fire and issues an alarm, and although its functions and configuration are arbitrary, it is configured to include a control processor 26, for example, as shown in Figure 3.

[0047] The control processor 26 is provided with a CPU 28, and a bus 36 from the CPU 28 is connected to a control logic 30, a ROM 32, and a RAM 34, as well as to a smoke detector 40, a test switch 14, an operation indicator light 15, a speaker 42, and a non-volatile memory 44, which are provided outside the control processor 26. The control logic 30 realizes various hardware functions such as bus control associated with the control processing of the CPU 28.

[0048] The alarm device 10 is also equipped with a battery power supply 38 that uses a lithium-ion battery or the like, and supplies a specified power supply voltage to each functional section except for the age display section 48. The current consumption of the alarm device 10 is set so as to ensure that the battery power supply 38 has a battery life of at least 10 years.

[0049] The alarm device 10 is also provided with an age display unit 48 , which is provided with a liquid crystal display unit 22 , a solar cell 24 , an electrolytic capacitor 25 , a resistor 56 and a driver 58 .

[0050] The smoke detector 40 has, for example, a known scattered light type smoke detector structure, and drives an infrared LED light emitter to emit light intermittently at a predetermined cycle, and outputs a smoke density detection signal obtained by amplifying the scattered light received by a light receiver such as a photodiode to the control processor 26. Note that a temperature detector may be provided instead of the smoke detector 40, and the temperature detector may use, for example, a thermistor as the temperature detection element, in which case a voltage signal corresponding to the change in resistance value due to temperature is output to the control processor 26 as a temperature detection signal.

[0051] The test switch 14 is, for example, a non-locking push button switch that functions as a switch for conducting a function test when operated in a normal state and as an alarm stop switch when an alarm is sounded. When the test switch 14 is operated to conduct a function test, pressing the test switch 14 to turn it on produces an operation sound, such as a "beep," and then releasing the test switch 14 to turn it off performs the function test and outputs a voice message from the speaker 42 indicating the test result.

[0052] The operation indicator light 15 uses, for example, an LED, and lights up, flashes, or blinks in a distinguishable manner during a function test or when an alarm is issued.For example, when the alarm detects a fire and issues a fire alarm, it flashes continuously, and for other alarms it flashes or blinks in a predetermined pattern different from the fire alarm.

[0053] The nonvolatile memory 44 stores in advance sound data 46 of sounds such as alarm sounds and operation sounds to be output from the speaker 42, as well as voice messages.

[0054] (b2. Monitoring and control unit) Next, the monitoring control unit will be described. As shown in Fig. 3, the CPU 28 is provided with the function of a monitoring control unit 50 as a function achieved by executing a program.

[0055] The monitoring control unit 50 A / D converts and reads the smoke density detection signal output from the smoke detector unit 40, and if the smoke density is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold, it detects a fire and issues a fire alarm. The fire alarm issued by the monitoring control unit 50 outputs a fire alarm audio message at a predetermined alarm volume from the speaker 42 and controls the operation indicator light 15 to flash continuously. The fire alarm audio message is arbitrary, but may be, for example, "Beep beep beep, there's a fire, there's a fire."

[0056] Furthermore, when the monitoring control unit 50 determines that the test switch 14 has been turned on under normal conditions, it causes an operation sound such as a "beep" to be output from the speaker 42, and when it subsequently determines that the test switch 14 has been turned off, it performs a function test of the alarm 10 and controls the speaker 42 to output a voice message indicating the test result, for example, "Beep beep beep, fire, fire, everything is normal" at a low test volume.

[0057] Furthermore, the monitoring control unit 50 issues a fault alarm when it detects a fault in the alarm device 10. The fault alarm issued by the monitoring control unit 50 is optional, but for example it may be controlled to flash the operation indicator light 15 three times every 10 seconds, output a "beep beep beep" alarm sound from the speaker 42 every 50 seconds, and further output a voice message saying "beep, fault" from the speaker 42 every hour.

[0058] Furthermore, the monitoring control unit 50 issues a low battery warning when the remaining battery charge of the battery power supply 32 falls below a predetermined level. The low battery warning by the monitoring control unit 50 is optional, but for example, the monitoring control unit 50 may control the operation indicator light 15 to flash once every 10 seconds, output a warning beep from the speaker 42 every 50 seconds, and further output a voice message saying "Beep, battery is low" from the speaker 42 every hour.

[0059] (b3. Year counter and alarm replacement notification section) Next, the year counter and alarm device replacement notification section will be described. As shown in Figure 3, the CPU 28 is provided with the functions of a year counter 52 and an alarm device replacement notification section 54 as functions achieved by executing a program.

[0060] When the control processor 26 is started by turning on the battery power supply 38, the year counter 52 counts the number of years of use N in one-year units, the number of years elapsed since the battery power supply 38 was turned on, by dividing and counting the clock signal generated by the control logic 30.

[0061] The alarm device replacement notification unit 54 issues a notification that it is time to replace the alarm device when the number of years of use N counted by the year counter 52 reaches a specified useful life Nth, for example 10 years. The method of notification by the alarm device replacement notification unit 54 that it is time to replace the alarm device is arbitrary, but for example, the operation indicator light 15 displays a display indicating that it is time to replace the alarm device, and the speaker 42 outputs an audio message indicating that it is time to replace the alarm device.

[0062] The operation indicator light 15 will display that it is time to replace the alarm, for example by flashing four times every 50 seconds, and the speaker 42 will output a voice message indicating that it is time to replace the alarm, for example by outputting "Beep, it's time to replace the alarm" once.

[0063] Furthermore, after issuing a notification that the alarm device needs to be replaced when its useful life reaches 10 years, if operation of the test switch 14 is detected under normal conditions, the alarm device replacement notification section 54 performs control to output "Beep, it's time to replace your alarm device" once from the speaker 42 as an audio message indicating that it is time to replace the alarm device. The audio message indicating that it is time to replace the alarm device when operation of the test switch 14 is detected may be output either before or after the audio message indicating the results of the function test.

[0064] Furthermore, the notification by the alarm device replacement notification section 54 that the replacement time has arrived is repeated in the same manner every time the number of years of use N counted by the year counter 52 reaches 11 years, 12 years, etc., unless operation of the alarm device 10 stops due to the battery power supply 38 running out.

[0065] (b4. Years of use display section) Next, the age display unit will be described with reference to Fig. 4, which shows the age display on the liquid crystal display unit, in addition to Fig. 3.

[0066] As shown in FIG. 3, the age display unit 48 is connected to the bus 36 extending from the control processor 26, and is provided with a liquid crystal display unit 22, a solar cell 24, an electrolytic capacitor 25, a resistor 56, and a driver 58.

[0067] The solar cell 24 receives light from outside or from lighting etc. in the location where the alarm 10 is installed and converts the light energy of the received light into electrical energy, the electrolytic capacitor 25 is charged with the electrical energy converted by the solar cell 24, and the liquid crystal display unit 22, register 56 and driver 58 operate using the electrical energy charged in the electrolytic capacitor 25 as a power source.

[0068] In this way, the power source (electrical energy) for operating the age display unit 48 is generated by the solar cell 24, and the power source from the battery power source 38 is not used for the age display unit 48, so even if a new age display unit 48 is provided in the alarm 10, the current consumption of the battery power source 38 does not increase, and the period until the battery power source 38 runs out is not shortened.

[0069] The liquid crystal display unit 22 is provided with 8-segment display elements 2210 and 2212 as liquid crystal display elements, and is capable of displaying the number of years of use as a two-digit number. Also provided are a register 56 and a driver 58 that function as a display control unit for displaying the number of years of use counted by the year counter 52 on the liquid crystal display unit 22.

[0070] The CPU 28 is connected to the register 56 via the bus 36, and the number of years of use counted by the year counter 52 of the CPU 28, for example, 4-bit data "0000" to "1111" corresponding to "00" to "16" for 16 years, is updated every year and input sequentially to the register 56, and the 4-bit data indicating the number of years of use input in the register 56 is held.

[0071] The register 56 outputs 4-bit data indicating the number of years of use it holds to the driver 58, and the driver 58 drives the segment display elements 2210, 2212 of the liquid crystal display unit 22 to display the number of years of use corresponding to the input 4-bit data.

[0072] Regarding the display of the number of years of use by the liquid crystal display unit 22, for example, as shown in FIG. 4, until the number of years of use reaches one year from the start of use, "00" is displayed as shown on the liquid crystal display unit 22 (22-0), and until the number of years of use counted by the year counter 52 reaches ten years, "01" to "10" are displayed as shown on the liquid crystal display units 22 (22-1) to 22 (22-10), and the display of the number of years of use is updated in yearly units.

[0073] Then, when the number of years of use reaches 10, as described above, the alarm device replacement notification unit 54 will issue a notification that it is time to replace the alarm device, and the number "10" will be displayed on the LCD display unit 22 as the number of years of use, so that the user will be made aware of the need to replace the alarm device 10 after learning the number of years of use, and it is expected that they will replace the alarm device 10 promptly.

[0074] Furthermore, when the alarm device 10 reaches 11 years of use without being replaced when the number of years of use reaches 10, then "11" will be displayed on the liquid crystal display 22 (22-11) in Figure 4, and the number of years of use will be updated in yearly increments as long as the 4-bit data indicating the number of years of use is input to the register 56 (until the battery power supply 38 runs out of power).

[0075] However, because the useful life of the alarm device 10 is exceeded when the number of years of use exceeds 10, it is expected that the battery power supply 38 will run out of power, and when the battery power supply 38 runs out of power, the year counter 52 of the CPU 28 will stop operating, and the 4-bit data indicating the number of years of use held in the register 56 will become indefinite. On the other hand, because the liquid crystal display unit 22, register 56 and driver 58 operate on power from the solar cell 24, display operation in the number of years of use display unit 48 will continue even if the battery power supply 38 runs out of power.

[0076] For this reason, when the battery power supply 38 runs out of power, an error message such as "--" appears on the liquid crystal display 22 (22-E) in Fig. 4. Note that the error message displayed when the battery power supply 38 runs out of power is not limited to the "--" message displayed on the liquid crystal display 22 (22-E), and may include other error messages such as an all-clear "00" or an indefinite message.

[0077] If the user notices the error display on the LCD display unit 22, it is expected that they will operate the test switch 14, but because the battery power supply 38 is dead, operating the test switch 14 will not carry out a function test, and no audio message indicating the test results will be output. As a result, the user will be able to recognize the abnormality from the error display on the LCD display unit 22, and by operating the test switch 14 will be able to recognize that operation of the alarm device 10 has stopped due to a dead battery in the battery power supply 38, making it possible to quickly proceed with replacing the alarm device 10.

[0078] [c. Alarm monitoring and control] Next, the monitoring and control of the alarm device will be explained, with reference to Figure 5, which shows a flowchart of the monitoring and control of the alarm device.

[0079] The CPU 28 provided in the control processor 26 of the alarm device 10 is started up when the battery power supply 38 is turned on, and begins monitoring control, for example, as shown in FIG.

[0080] First, the CPU 28 A / D converts and reads the smoke density detection signal output from the smoke detector 40, and if the smoke density is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold, for example, it detects a fire and issues a fire alarm (steps S1 to S2).

[0081] Furthermore, following fire detection, the CPU 28 proceeds to determine whether the test switch 14 has been operated, and if it determines that the test switch 14 has been operated, it runs a function test and outputs a voice message indicating the test result (steps S3 to S4). If the number of years of use is 10 or more, a voice message indicating that it is time to replace the alarm device will be output in addition to the voice message indicating the test result.

[0082] Furthermore, following the operation determination of the test switch 14, the CPU 28 proceeds to alarm device fault detection, and if a fault in the alarm device 10 is detected, a fault warning is issued (steps S5 to S6).

[0083] Furthermore, following detection of a malfunction in the alarm device, the CPU 28 proceeds to determine whether the remaining battery power is low, and if it determines that the remaining battery power is low, issues a dead battery warning (steps S7 to S8).

[0084] Furthermore, after determining whether the remaining battery charge is low, the CPU 28 proceeds to determine whether the year counter 52 should be updated, and if it determines that the year counter 52 should be updated, it updates the 4-bit data indicating the number of years of use output to the register 56 of the number of years of use display unit 44, thereby updating the number of years of use displayed on the LCD display unit 22 (steps S9 to S10).

[0085] Furthermore, following the determination of whether the number of years of use has been updated, the CPU 28 proceeds to determine the number of years of use, and if it determines that the number of years of use is 10 years or more, it issues a notice that the alarm device needs to be replaced (steps S11 to S12). Thereafter, the same processing from steps S1 to S12 is repeated.

[0086] [d. Variations of the Invention] In addition to the above-described embodiment, the alarm device of the present invention also includes the following modifications.

[0087] (Wireless linked alarm) The above embodiment has taken as an example an alarm device that detects a fire and issues an alarm by itself, but the invention is not limited to this. Wirelessly linked alarm devices that communicate wirelessly with each other so that when any alarm device issues a fire alarm, the other alarm devices also link together and output a fire alarm may also be provided with a years of use display unit to display the years of use for each alarm device.

[0088] (Alarm) The above embodiment has taken as an example an alarm device that detects fires and issues an alarm, but the present invention can also be applied to gas leak alarms, CO alarms, and various types of burglar alarms other than alarm devices that detect fires and issue an alarm.

[0089] Furthermore, the above embodiment is an example of an alarm device in which a sensor unit that detects fire and an alarm unit that issues an alarm are integrated together, but in other embodiments, the alarm device may have a sensor unit and an alarm unit that are separate units.

[0090] (solar cell) In the above embodiment, a solar cell is provided in the age display unit, and the age display unit operates on a power source from a solar cell separate from the battery power source of the alarm device, but it is also possible to operate the age display unit on a battery power source without providing a solar cell. In this case, when the battery power source runs out, the age display in the age display unit will also disappear, allowing the user to know that the battery is dead from the age display disappearing, preventing the alarm device from being left with a dead battery and enabling the alarm device to be replaced promptly.

[0091] (others) Furthermore, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, but includes appropriate modifications that do not impair the objects and advantages thereof, and is not limited by the numerical values ​​shown in the above-described embodiment. [Explanation of symbols]

[0092] 10:Alarm 12: Main body 13: Mounting plate 14: Test switch 15: Operation indicator light 16:Acoustic hole 18: Smoke inlet 20: Grab hook 22:LCD display section 2210, 2212: Segment display element 24: Solar cell 25: Electrolytic capacitor 26: Control processor 28:CPU 30: Control logic 32:ROM 34:RAM 36: Bus 38:Battery power supply 40: Smoke Detection Department 42: Speaker 44: Non-volatile memory 46: Audio data 48: Years of use display section 50: Monitoring and control unit 52: Year counter 54: Alarm replacement notification unit 56: Register 58: Driver

Claims

1. An alarm that has a battery power source and detects an abnormality and issues an alarm, An alarm device characterized by being provided with an age display section that displays the number of years the alarm device has been in use.

2. 2. The alarm device according to claim 1, Furthermore, a year counter is provided to count the number of years that have passed since the battery power was turned on as the number of years of use, The age display section has: a display unit capable of displaying the number of years of use counted by the year counter to at least two digits; a display control unit that causes the display unit to display the number of years of use counted by the year counter; An alarm characterized by being provided with:

3. 3. The alarm device according to claim 2, An alarm characterized in that the age display unit is further provided with a solar cell that converts the optical energy of received light into electrical energy and supplies it to the display unit and the display control unit.

4. 3. The alarm device according to claim 2, An alarm device further characterized in that it is provided with an alarm device replacement notification unit which, when the number of years of use counted by the year counter reaches a specified service life, causes a second display unit different from the display unit to display an indication that it is time to replace the alarm device, and outputs an audio message from the audio output unit indicating that it is time to replace the alarm device.

5. 5. The alarm device according to claim 4, An alarm device characterized in that the predetermined service life is at least 10 years.

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