Walter Kidde Portable Equipment, Inc.

Carrier Corporation

Matthew J Buchholz

Travis Silver

Kenneth J Mott

Stan Burnette

John J Andres

Bill Chandler

Ken Mott

Dave Bush

Lei Chen

Zhiwei Yang

Anis Zribi

Larry R Ratzlaff

Stanley D Burnette

Valeriy V Miagkov

Rick L Mantz

Richard Kwor

A life safety device includes a housing, a detector for detecting one or more conditions, and an actuatable mechanism coupled to the housing. The actuatable mechanism includes a light assembly operable in response to detection of at least one of the one or more conditions.

Hazard detector with optical status indicator

A detector device includes a light source disposed within a chamber, a sensor disposed within the chamber, a compensator circuit electrically coupled with the sensor, and a controller. The controller is operable to receive a sensor signal generated by the sensor, determine a compensation factor to adjust the sensor signal, and generate a compensation offset signal based on the compensation factor. The controller is further operable to output the compensation offset signal to the compensator circuit to produce a compensated sensor signal as an adjustment to the sensor signal, energize the light source, monitor the compensated sensor signal with respect to an alarm limit, and trigger an alarm event based on the compensated sensor signal exceeding the alarm limit.

Compensator in a detector device

A life safety device includes a housing and a light transmission device disposed within the housing. A first end of the light transmission device is visible at the exterior of the housing. The life safety device additionally includes a transmitter for generating a light. The transmitter is positioned within the housing adjacent the light transmission device. A receiver measures ambient light around the life safety device. The receiver is positioned within the housing adjacent the light transmission device.

A method of operating an alarm device including a processor and a light detector, the method including for operating the light detector to sample a light intensity within an interior space a plurality of times to produce a plurality of light intensity measurements, operating the processor to determine a light intensity value, wherein the light intensity value is based upon the plurality of light intensity measurements, and operating the processor to decide whether a night cycle can be determined based on the light intensity values.

Ambient light sensor in a hazard detector and a method of using the same

A method of manufacturing an electrochemical sensing system is provided. The method includes forming a sensor with a first sensing element disposed on a sensor, the first sensing element configured to detect a target gas, disposing a second sensing element on the sensor, the second sensing element configured to detect the target gas, and coupling a protective feature to the second sensing element, the protective feature configured to prevent non-target gases from contacting the second sensing element. The sensor is configured such that if the first sensing element generates a current exceeding a first threshold current value and the second sensing element does not exceed a second threshold current value it is determined that the first sensing element is contaminated and a restoration protocol is performed on the first sensing element.

State of health monitoring and restoration of electrochemical sensor

Embodiments are directed to a method for manufacturing a smoke detector, comprising: manufacturing a substrate that comprises a guard ring configured to surround an ion chamber collector plate pin connection point, a surface mount component connection point, and a trace coupling the ion chamber collector plate pin connection point and the surface mount component connection point, and coupling a surface mount component to the substrate at the surface mount component connection point.

PCB trace connection of ion smoke sensor

An indicator assembly for a visual life safety alarm is provided including a hollow, generally frustoconical reflector ring having an angled wall. The reflector ring is mounted to a housing of the visual life safety alarm at a first end. A first plurality of light devices is mounted to the housing within a first opening of the first end of the reflector ring. Light from the first plurality of light devices is configured to emit in a generally forwards direction. A second plurality of light devices is mounted to the housing near the angled wall of the reflector ring, opposite the first plurality of light devices. Light from the second plurality of light devices is configured to reflect from the angled wall in a direction generally angled from the visual safety alarm.

Alarm with reflector ring

Embodiments are directed to a reactive power supply circuit comprising: a capacitor configured to provide an output of the power supply circuit based on power received from a power source, a processor configured to control the output based on at least one of: a state of a first switch that selectively couples the capacitor to the power source based on a detected level of the output, and a state of at least one second switch that selectively couples the capacitor to the power source based on a determination of a state of one or more loads coupled to the output.

Reactive power supply

Embodiments relate to systems for, and methods of, providing low nuisance, fast response hazard notification. Advantageously, the disclosed techniques avoid sounding an alarm in response to typical nuisance events, such as burnt food.

Low nuisance fast response hazard alarm

A life safety device includes a battery assembly with a rechargeable battery. Extended shelf life is achieved by annually initiating an over-discharge protection mode in which a battery protection circuit prevents current flow from the battery. The life safety device remains in the over-discharge protection mode until the device is connected to a charging power source at the time of installation. The battery assembly then exits the protection mode and enters its normal mode of operation.

Life safety device with extended shelf life

When a rechargeable battery of a life safety device reaches its end of life, the life safety device provides an audible signal indicating that replacement is required. When the device is disconnected from line power, the rechargeable battery still contains a significant amount of energy. The device automatically begins controlled discharge the battery until the stored energy has been reduced to a safe level for disposal of the life safety device and its battery.

Life safety device with automatic battery discharge at the end of life

A life safety device can include a battery monitoring module configured to measure a voltage level of a battery, an alarm module configured to provide an alarm when the voltage level is less than or equal to a low battery threshold, and a silence module configured to silence the alarm for a random time period.

Low battery warning silencing in life safety devices

A life safety device can include a sensor configured to sense a hazardous condition, an interconnect module configured to communicate the hazardous condition to a wired life safety device using one or more wires, and a transceiver module configured to wirelessly communicate the hazardous condition to a wireless life safety device.

Growing community of inventors

Canon City, CO, United States of America

Matthew J Buchholz