Walter Kidde Portable Equipment, Inc.

Other

Walter Kiddle Portable Equipment, Inc.

Joseph G DeLuca

John J Andres

Larry R Ratzlaff

Chris R Gilbert

Stephen M Ernst

Jason Michael Sharpe

Michael W Apperson

Richard Kwor

Craig Kleinberg

John Wurtenberger

Micahel W Apperson

Travis Silver

Stan Burnette

An electronic device, for example a smoke alarm, that includes a battery carrier that includes a push to open and push to close apparatus for opening and closing the carrier. In one embodiment, the carrier is mounted so as to be pivotable between a closed position and an open position. Pivoting movement of the carrier is controlled by a double acting latch mechanism that includes at least one heart-shaped cam groove and at least one cam follower engaging with the cam groove. The carrier is a simple to access and operate to facilitate replacement of the battery. A lockout mechanism can also be provided to prevent closure of the carrier without a battery installed. In addition, a tamper resist mechanism can be provided to prevent the carrier from being opened when the carrier is at the closed position.

Pivoting battery carrier and a life safety device incorporating the same

A matchmaking ring and method of communicating personal status to another person is provided. The matchmaking ring of the present invention includes means for identifying personal characteristics of the ring wearer. The matchmaking ring further includes means for identifying desired personal characteristics of a potential partner of the ring wearer. When one matchmaking ring is compared or abutted to another matchmaking ring, the engagement or non-engagement between the two rings determines if two people are compatible. Further, the ring itself acts as an indicator to other people that the ring wearer may be a potential partner. Thus, the invention provides a method of wearing the matchmaking ring and identifying others that are wearing a similar matchmaking ring as a potential partner. The ring may be worn as a wedding ring to stave off unwanted advances from individuals who do not know of the ring's significance.

Matchmaking jewelry and method

A life safety alarm, for example a smoke alarm, that is battery powered, has an extended life, and is less prone to user mistakes. The batteries are sealed inside the alarm portion so that the batteries cannot be accessed by the user. As a result, the batteries are not replaceable. Rather, the alarm portion is replaced at the end of the alarm life, for example after expiration of a predetermined time period, such as ten years. The alarm is designed to be automatically activated upon initial attachment of the alarm portion to the bracket. The alarm can be manually deactivated, but once deactivated, the alarm cannot be reactivated and the alarm portion cannot be reattached to the bracket.

Life safety alarm with a sealed battery power supply

Presented is a communications protocol for use by interconnected hazardous condition detectors, such as smoke and carbon monoxide detectors for use in dwellings and other structures. This communications protocol provides conventional signaling to indicate the presence of a smoke condition necessitating the generation of a smoke temporal pattern by all interconnected detectors. The protocol further defines a signaling method by which conventional smoke detectors that are incapable of providing temporal patterns other than that required for a smoke alarm condition will not be sent into an alarm mode of operation upon receipt of a signal other than the conventional smoke alarm signal. This communications protocol defines a pulsed signal to indicate a non-smoke alarm condition that is of a duration that will not trigger the conventional smoke alarms. To allow for the transmission of multiple hazardous conditions alarm notifications, as well as the transmission of additional hazardous condition detector control signals, the communications protocol utilizes a multi-bit signal transmitted via the conventional single signal I/O wire of currently existing interconnect wiring. Through the use of an 8 bit alarm signal, multiple hazardous conditions may be signaled as well as operating modes such as test, hush, reset, low battery, etc. Also presented are smoke, carbon monoxide, and combination hazardous condition detectors that utilize the communications protocol presented herein.

Communication protocol for interconnected hazardous condition detectors, and system employing same

A detector assembly is adapted to be removably secured to a female electrical receptacle connected to a power supply where the female receptacle is mounted at a surface of a structure. The detector apparatus includes a housing and an electrically powered circuit mounted in the housing. The circuit includes components operable to detect an alarm condition (such as carbon monoxide or smoke) and to provide an alarm in response to the detection. A primary power source includes a male electrical connector secured to the housing and extending outwardly there from. A secondary power source includes a battery connector mounted within the housing and adapted to removably receive a battery contained within the housing. The circuit is adapted to draw power from the secondary source in the event of a detected loss of power from the primary source. The apparatus includes a sensor for sensing displacement of the housing from the female electrical receptacle. The circuit is adapted to provide an alarm in response to the displacement of the housing from the mounted surface.

Hazard detector with theft detection

An apparatus for the detection and enunciation of hazardous conditions within an environment comprises at least two detection circuits positioned to sense ambient conditions within a home or business environment. One of the detection circuits senses the presence of smoke, and the other detection circuit senses the presence of carbon monoxide. The apparatus also comprises an alarm circuit which is responsive to each of the detection circuits for generating at least one alarm pattern, and preferably a separate alarm pattern for each different sensed condition. A voice synthesizer circuit is also included, and is responsive to each of the detection circuits for generating at least one voice message. As with the alarm patterns, the voice synthesizer preferably generates separate voice messages for each separate detected condition. The apparatus advantageously also contains an interleaving control circuit. This interleaving control circuit interleaves the alarm patterns and voice messages in a predetermined sequence to reduce confusion in an emergency situation. A method for the detection and enunciation of multiple hazardous condition within an environment is also presented, and comprises the steps of: (a) sensing ambient conditions within the environment to detect at least two hazardous condition; (b) generating an alarm pattern and a voice message in response to sensing the hazardous conditions; (c) interleaving the alarm pattern and the voice message; and (e) enunciating these interleaved alarm patterns and voice.

Multicondition detection apparatus and method providing interleaved tone and verbal warnings

A microcontroller-based hazardous condition detector having an intelligent hush feature is presented. The microcontroller controls the operational mode of the detector by monitoring a single user-actuated switch, the inputs from a smoke chamber and a carbon monoxide detector circuit, and the current operating mode of the detector. When in a normal or no-alarm mode, actuation of the switch will cause the microcontroller to place the detector in a test mode of operation. If the detector is in a carbon monoxide alarm mode, actuation of the switch will act to reset the accumulator function of the microprocessor for the carbon monoxide alarm sensing. If the detector is in a smoke alarm mode, actuation of the switch may place the detector in a hush mode if the level of smoke is sufficiently low, or will have no effect if the level of smoke is too high. Once in the hush mode, actuation of the switch will place the detector into the smoke alarm mode. The microcontroller will also place the detector in the smoke alarm mode if the level of smoke increases beyond a certain limit, and after the expiration of a hush mode time limit. To coordinate this operation, the sensitivity of the detector is not changed in any mode of operation, and the microcontroller monitors both an alarm and a hush threshold.

Microprocessor-based combination smoke and carbon monoxide detector having intelligent hush feature

A single battery lockout mechanism for a multiple battery compartment in an electrical unit, preferably a smoke detector or a carbon monoxide detector. The lockout mechanism prevents the battery compartment from being enclosed when fewer than all batteries are present in the compartment. The detector unit is of the bracket mounted type in which the lockout mechanism prevents the detector base from being mounted to a wall or ceiling affixed bracket. The electrical detector includes a detector base adapted to mount to the mounting bracket over a mating region. The detector base has a multiple battery compartment comprised of a plurality of battery receiving regions. A single lockout actuator is movably mounted on the base for movement between obstructing and non-obstructing positions. A spring supported by the detector base biases the lockout actuator towards the obstructing position. When all of the battery receiving regions are filled, the action of the spring is overcome and the lockout actuator is moved to the non-obstructing position. The lockout actuator has a battery sensing portion and a lockout tab. In the obstructing position, the battery sensing portion projects into one of the battery receiving regions and the lockout tab projects into the mating region. This tab prevents the base from mounting to the bracket. In the non-obstructing position, the battery sensing portion is disposed adjacent one of the battery receiving regions and the tab is disposed adjacent the mating region to allow the base to be mounted to the bracket.

Growing community of inventors

Colorado Springs, CO, United States of America

Joseph G DeLuca