Fire Detection Switch Paths for Address-Free Extinguishing Control

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Solution Overview

Problem

Fire-fighting systems are overly complex due to the need for code addressing schemes to locate detectors, leading to increased costs and potential false activations or missed fire detections.

Innovation Solution

A fire-fighting switch device with a sensor assembly and relay system that connects fire detection switches in series and parallel configurations, ensuring that multiple sensor types must detect a fire before activating the extinguishing device, reducing false triggers and improving accuracy.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Loss of information

If a code addressing scheme is used to locate detectors in a fire-fighting system, then the system can identify detector locations, but the system complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedetector location informationVSAvoidfire-fighting system complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Loss of informationVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The fire detection switch device itself generates and transmits its location information automatically when triggered, without requiring an external controller to address or query it. The device serves its own identification function by embedding location data in its alarm signal, eliminating the need for complex addressing schemes in the control system.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

Solution Approach 2:

The location identification function is extracted from the central fire controller and embedded directly into the fire detection switch device. Each device carries its own location information internally, removing the burden of external addressing and simplifying the overall system architecture.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

2Reliability

If multiple sensor types are required to detect fire before activation, then false activations are reduced, but the response time may increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvefire detection accuracyVSAvoidfire response time
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

Multiple sensor types (smoke, heat, flame) are pre-configured within the fire detection switch device, each capable of independently detecting fire conditions. The device is designed in advance to evaluate multiple detection criteria simultaneously, so when fire occurs, the pre-positioned sensors can quickly verify the condition without sequential checking, reducing time loss while maintaining high reliability.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Applied Scientific Principles

This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.

Function Achieved in This Case

The solution simplifies the fire-fighting system, reduces costs, and enhances reliability by ensuring that only when multiple sensors detect a fire will the extinguishing device be activated, minimizing both false negatives and accidental activations.

Implementation Method 1

the sensor assembly is a smoke sensor, a temperature sensor, or an infrared sensor

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectSmoke detection: Absorption Spectroscopy

Implementation Method 2

the sensor assembly is a smoke sensor, a temperature sensor, or an infrared sensor

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectThermal detection: Thermal Radiation

Implementation Method 3

the sensor assembly and the first relay cooperate to implement an addressing function

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectRelay control: Electromagnetic Induction

Data Source

PatentEP4046692B1Firefighting switch device and firefighting system
Publication Date: 2024.06.05 CONTEMPORARY AMPEREX TECHNOLOGY (HONG KONG) LIMITED
  • EP4046692B1 patent drawingFigure 1~2
  • EP4046692B1 patent drawingFigure 3~4
  • EP4046692B1 patent drawingFigure 5~6

AI summary

Embodiments of this application provide a fire-fighting switch device and a fire-fighting system, which are applied to the field of fire fighting. The fire-fighting switch device includes a plurality of fire detection switch units, where the fire detection switch unit includes one or more fire detection switches, the one or more fire detection switches form at least one switch path, the fire detection switch is configured to turn on when a fire is detected, and any one of the switch paths is configured to transmit a voltage signal to a fire-extinguishing device when all of the fire detection switches on the switch path are turned on. In this solution, when a fire is detected by one fire detection switch unit, the fire-extinguishing device can be controlled to extinguish the fire provided that all fire detection switches on one switch path in the fire detection switch unit are turned on. Therefore, code addressing is unnecessary for determining where an exception has occurred, thereby reducing computation and making the fire-fighting switch device work with less complexity.