Fire Detector Alarm Indication Blinking Patterns
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Solution Overview
Problem
In fire notification systems, conducting tests with smoke, heat, and gas sensors using a test jig is inefficient due to time lags and difficulties in identifying the source of alarms, requiring inspectors to verify with other personnel, which complicates the inspection process during walk tests.
Innovation Solution
A fire notification system where a fire detector connected to a receiver can be set to a test mode, allowing the alarm indicating light to display varied patterns based on the type of test alarm, enabling inspectors to easily identify whether the alarm is from smoke, heat, or gas sensing without needing to contact the receiver side, using a test jig to conduct sequential alarm tests.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a test jig is used to conduct sequential alarm tests for smoke, heat, and gas sensors, then the fire detector can be tested for each sensing type, but a time lag occurs from when smoke, heat, or gas is added to when alarming occurs, and it becomes difficult to identify which sensor triggered the alarm
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies different blinking patterns to the alarm indicating light to represent different sensor types. Specifically, the alarm indicating light blinks once for smoke sensor alarms, twice for heat sensor alarms, and three times for gas sensor alarms. This visual coding system allows inspectors to immediately identify which sensor triggered the alarm without time lag or additional verification, directly resolving the identification accuracy problem.
2Measurement precision
If inspectors verify alarm types by contacting personnel on the fire receiver side, then accurate identification of alarm sources is achieved, but the inspection process becomes complicated and time-consuming
Solution Approach 1:
The fire detector performs self-identification of alarm sources through varied blinking patterns of the alarm indicating light. Instead of requiring external verification from fire receiver personnel, the detector autonomously encodes sensor type information in the blinking pattern, allowing inspectors to independently and immediately identify the alarm source. This eliminates the need for communication with remote personnel while maintaining accurate identification.
3Reliability
If the alarm indicating light is kept on continuously to ensure visibility, then alarm detection is reliable, but power consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs periodic blinking of the alarm indicating light instead of continuous illumination. The light blinks in specific patterns (once, twice, or three times) corresponding to different sensor types, then enters a non-operating period before repeating. This periodic action maintains reliable alarm indication while significantly reducing power consumption compared to continuous lighting.
Data Source
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AI summary
[Problem] To allow a test alarm by sensing of heat, smoke, and gas to be easily and reliably grasped by an alarm indicating light without a check of an alarm display on a fire receiver side by an examiner who is conducting a test on a fire detector by using a test jig. [Solution] A composite fire detector 12 which senses a heat temperature, smoke concentration, and gas concentration due to fire is connected to a transmission path 16 drawn from a fire receiver 10. When a fire test operation is sensed by the fire receiver 10, a test mode is set to the fire detector 12. The fire detector 12 performs display control over alarm indicating lights 30 in a mutually varied manner corresponding to each alarm test when a test jig 84 is used to conduct an alarm test by sensing of a heat temperature, an alarm test by sensing of a smoke concentration, and an alarm test by sensing of a gas concentration in a state where the test mode is set. For example, the fire detector 12 repeats one-time blinking of the alarm indicating lights 30 for heat sensing, two-time blinking for smoke sensing, and three-time blinking for gas sensing at intervals of a predetermined nonoperating period.