CN116448947A - Insect protection device for suction type smoke, gas or air quality monitoring system and device - Google Patents

Abstract

Devices, methods, and systems having insect protection devices in devices and systems for aspirated smoke, gas, or air quality monitoring are described herein. A suction type smoke, gas or air quality monitoring unit comprising: a detector module including at least one particle sensing chamber within the detector module and an air inlet connecting a sampling tube to the particle sensing chamber to allow air to pass from the sampling tube to the particle sensing chamber; and a helical insect protection device positioned within the inlet.

Description

Insect protection device for suction type smoke, gas or air quality monitoring system and device

PRIORITY INFORMATION

This patent application claims priority from U.S. provisional application No. 63/300,161 filed on 1 month 17 of 2022, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.

Technical Field

The present disclosure relates generally to insect protection devices for use in devices and systems for aspirated smoke, gas or air quality monitoring.

Background

Some smoke detection systems have multiple sampling points spaced around the building that are connected via sampling tubes to a single, remotely located central detector device that samples air from the sampling points to determine whether smoke, harmful chemicals, or fire is present in the area of the building. For example, such systems may be referred to as very early smoke detection device (VESDA) systems.

In some jurisdictions, a requirement of fire protection standards is that the smoke detection system be equipped with an insect guard in which a net is used to prevent entry of large insects, which can trigger false alarms if they reach the smoke detection chamber. In such implementations, the pore size of the insect protection device is specified by applicable fire protection standards.

Although used for this purpose, the mesh is prone to accumulate dust, lint and other particles and thus prevent smoke and other harmful particles from entering the detection unit. This is especially true for nets placed in the air flow path of a suction type smoke detection system, which are almost always in a position where they will be placed to keep insects out of the unit.

Drawings

Fig. 1 is an illustration of a perspective view of an aspirated smoke, gas, or air quality monitoring system apparatus that may be used in accordance with embodiments of the present disclosure.

Fig. 2 is an illustration of an aspirated smoke, gas, or air quality monitoring system that may be used in accordance with embodiments of the present disclosure.

Fig. 3 is an illustration of a perspective view of an aspirated smoke, gas, or air quality monitoring system device according to an embodiment of the disclosure, with one of the detector modules removed.

Fig. 4 is an exploded view illustration of one of the removed detector modules, showing an insect protection device, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

Fig. 5A-5E are illustrations of different wire element cross-sectional shapes according to different embodiments of the present disclosure.

Detailed Description

Devices, methods, and systems having insect protection devices in devices and systems for aspirated smoke, gas, or air quality monitoring are described herein. A suction type smoke, gas or air quality monitoring unit comprising: a detector module including at least one particle sensing chamber within the detector module and an air inlet connecting a sampling tube to the particle sensing chamber to allow air to pass from the sampling tube to the particle sensing chamber; and a helical insect protection device positioned within the inlet. Embodiments of the present disclosure use pipes to sample air, smoke and/or gas from a location in a building located remotely from a central detector module (air quality monitoring unit).

In the present disclosure an insect protection structure is proposed which uses a wire element formed in a spiral form by coiling the wire element in a plane such that the wire is coiled around itself to create a larger coil in each revolution around a reference point at the centre of the spiral. In embodiments of the present disclosure, the gap between adjacent outer surfaces of two adjacent coils is no greater than allowed by applicable government standards (such as UL standard 268, 7 th edition, section 7.2).

Another form is a wire element formed in a zigzag pattern in which the gap between adjacent layers does not exceed an allowable standard.

The advantage of these arrangements is that the relative aperture area is high compared to the total area compared to the mesh, allowing less resistance to air flow and thus less accumulation of airborne dust.

The various types of wires used to form the spiral may have different cross-sections and may provide different characteristics of air flow rate, turbulence generation, and/or dust accumulation, among other characteristics. For example, the line may be circular, oval or teardrop shaped. The cross-sectional shape may also be polygonal, such as triangular, rectangular, diamond, other parallelograms, trapezoids, etc.

In one implementation, a rectangular cross-section version of the wire element used in the suction system may taper its windward edge, thereby creating a trapezoidal shape to reduce windward edge surface and reduce aerodynamic drag and turbulence, thereby further reducing the tendency to collect dust from the airflow. Such a design is desirable because the creation of shape is relatively easy from a manufacturing point of view, because the wire may be tapered before the coiling process for forming the spiral is achieved. Similar functional effects may also be achieved with wire elements of oval cross-section and teardrop-shaped cross-section, as will be discussed in more detail below with respect to fig. 5A-5E.

The insect protection device is a product differentiator for air detection systems in that it meets regulatory requirements while reducing or minimizing resistance to air flow or air movement and reducing the likelihood of blockage due to contamination of the protection device. The spiral insect protection means, which may be made of plastic, metal or other solid material, is placed in such a way that the air containing the smoke must pass through it before it enters the area where the smoke can be detected. The separation distance between the convolutions is set so as to prevent insects from entering the smoke detection area and potentially triggering a false alarm. Figure 1 shows a specific implementation of an air monitoring system with an insect protection device.

In the following detailed description, reference is made to the accompanying drawings, which form a part hereof. The drawings illustrate by way of example one or more embodiments in which the disclosure may be practiced.

These embodiments are described in sufficient detail to enable those of ordinary skill in the art to practice one or more embodiments of the disclosure. It is to be understood that other embodiments may be utilized and mechanical, electrical, and/or process changes may be made without departing from the scope of the present disclosure.

It should be understood that elements shown in the various embodiments herein may be added, exchanged, combined, and/or eliminated so as to provide a number of additional embodiments of the present disclosure. The proportions and relative sizes of the elements provided in the drawings are intended to illustrate embodiments of the present disclosure and should not be limiting.

The figures herein follow the following numbering convention: one or more first digits correspond to a drawing reference number, and the remaining digits identify an element or component in the drawing.

As used herein, "a" or "several" things may refer to one or more of such things, while "a plurality" of things may refer to more than one of such things. For example, "a number of components" may refer to one or more components, while "a number of components" may refer to more than one component.

Fig. 1 is an illustration of a perspective view of an aspirated smoke, gas, or air quality monitoring system apparatus that may be used in accordance with embodiments of the present disclosure. As shown in fig. 1, in some embodiments, each detector module (which in the embodiment shown in fig. 1 has two sampling tubes associated with it) and the system have detector modules that can be removed and/or replaced individually.

This may be beneficial because individual modules may be selectively removed for maintenance or repair without the need to disconnect the sampling tube. Similarly, the insect protection device may be removed and cleaned or replaced.

As shown in fig. 1, the illustrated embodiment is a modular suction type smoke, gas or air quality monitoring system device 100 that includes a base 102 to which a plurality of detector modules 104 are attached. The base 102 includes a plurality of components thereon. For example, the base includes a cable conduit 112 (large tube) that allows wiring to be routed through the interior of the conduit and connected to the suction type smoke, gas or air quality monitoring system device via an aperture in the device.

The cable duct 112 is connected to the cable management module 108 portion of the base 102. The cable management module 108 has a housing with a cover to maintain a connection for power and data communications to and from devices outside of the line of sight and to protect against tampering. The cable duct also provides these functions. In the embodiment of fig. 1, the cable management module is located on the left side of the device, however, embodiments of the present invention are not limited thereto.

In the embodiment of fig. 1, beside the cable management module is a communication module 110. The communication module 110 includes an easy-access reset button (316 of fig. 3) on the front. The communication module 110 may also include other operating buttons and/or dials within the housing and cover (318 of fig. 3) to also keep them out of view and to protect against tampering. In some embodiments, the cover may be or have an at least partially translucent portion, allowing the technician to see the status of the button/dial (e.g., its current setting), so the technician can see its status, but the button/dial is not accessible for tampering.

In some embodiments, the covers of one or more modules of the aspirated smoke, gas or air quality monitoring system device may be protected so that they need to be removed by a tool (a special tool carried by a technician). As such, a person desiring to tamper with the smoke, gas or air quality monitoring system device will likely not have access to the internal components of the module.

On the right side of the aspirated smoke, gas or air quality monitoring system arrangement shown in fig. 1, a plurality of detector modules 104-1 … 104-N (commonly referred to as modules 104) are provided. Each of these detector modules contains one or more sensors that sense one or more environmental elements in the sampled air that moves through one or more tubes connected to the detector. The sensor may, for example, detect particles (such as smoke particulates) or gases (such as carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide) and/or detect other environmental factors that may be indicative of less desirable air quality.

In the embodiment shown in fig. 1, each detector 104 is connected to a plurality of channels/tubes 114. The embodiment of the aspirated smoke, gas or air quality monitoring system apparatus shown in fig. 1 further includes five detector modules 104, each having two channels, meaning that the apparatus can sample on ten channels, however the number of modules and/or channels per module is not limited thereto. The embodiment of fig. 1 also includes a mounting bracket 150 for mounting the device to a wall or rack.

Fig. 2 is an illustration of an aspirated smoke, gas, or air quality monitoring system that may be used in accordance with embodiments of the present disclosure. In such systems, the aspirated smoke, gas, or air quality monitoring system may include a sensing unit 202 (unit 102 of fig. 1) having a detector module (module 104 of fig. 1) including at least one particulate sensing chamber within the detector module and an air inlet (424 in fig. 4) connecting one end of the sampling tube 214 to the particulate sensing chamber to allow air to pass from the sampling tube 214 to the particulate sensing chamber.

The sampling point 222 is connected at the other end of the sampling tube 214. The sampling point collects air from the monitored area and the pump draws air through the sampling point 222 into the sampling tube 214, through the tube and into the sensing unit 202 where the air is tested for particles, chemicals or other items that may be harmful to occupants or indicative of an emergency condition (fire) in the monitored area.

The spiral insect protection device (440 in fig. 4) may be positioned in the sampling point 222, the sampling tube 214, or the sensing unit 202. Positioning the insect protection device in the sensing unit may be beneficial as it allows easy access for cleaning and/or replacement. Positioning the insect protection means in the sampling point or in the sampling tube may be advantageous, as this location is closer to the location where the insects enter the system.

The monitoring system may be configured to be located within a building and, as shown in fig. 2, the sensing unit may be configured to be located in a first location (first room) and the sampling point configured to be located in a second location (second room) different from the first location. For example, the second location may be located remotely from the first location (construction machine area) (office area).

Fig. 3 is an illustration of a perspective view of an aspirated smoke, gas, or air quality monitoring system device according to an embodiment of the disclosure, with one of the detector modules removed. As shown in fig. 1, fig. 3 also shows cable duct 312, cable management module 308, and communications module 310, as well as reset button 316 and cover 318. Fig. 3 also provides a more detailed view of the base and the detector module and its internal components of the filter module/cover.

As shown in fig. 3, the detector modules are independently removable from the base 302 of the system 300. Each detector module also has a removable cover thereon. The cover may have a display 320 indicating the status condition of the individual detectors. In some embodiments, the cover may be a filtration module as described in more detail below.

Fig. 3 also shows that the base 302 may have multiple tube connections connecting the tubes 314 to their associated detector modules, as well as circuit connections for providing connections for power and data transfer purposes for components of the modules, such as for sensing components and data collection. A similar connection is also shown on the front surface of the detector. These connections may be used to attach other modules that may be added (e.g., a gas sensing module and/or an air quality module added to the smoke sensing module) to the detector module. In the embodiment of fig. 3, the base 302 may include a pump to facilitate movement of air through the tube 314 and through the module 304. Fig. 3 also shows a mounting bracket 350 attached to the rear side of the base 302.

In some embodiments, each detector module may also have a filter that is removable from the detector module without dismantling the detector module. Thus, such functionality may save time for technicians during system maintenance.

Fig. 4 is an exploded view illustration of one of the removed detector modules, showing an insect protection device, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. In the embodiment shown in fig. 4, module 404 has a plurality of particle sensing chamber inlets 424 on side 423 corresponding to side 323 of fig. 3. The inlets are each connected to a different particle sensing chamber and a plurality of particle sensing chamber outlets 434 within the module 404.

In use, the module 404 is connected to corresponding inlet and outlet ports of the base 302 of fig. 3 via the inlet 424 and outlet 434 such that air to be tested can be transferred from the tube 314 to the module 304.

As can be appreciated from the layout of the modules shown, in the embodiment of fig. 4, the module 404 can be used to sample air from two sampling tubes 414 through an air path (the path of air through the sampling points, sampling tubes, and detector modules). However, some embodiments may have more or fewer air sampling paths disposed therein.

Each air sampling path draws air from one of the tubes 314 and tests the air to see if it contains smoke, undesirable chemicals, or a threshold level of particulates (through the use of a sensor in a particulate sensing chamber designed to identify one or more such particulates). In addition, the sensor may be easily changed to change the use of the unit to sense different types of particles, which may be beneficial in some implementations.

In the embodiment shown in fig. 4, insect repellent device 440 is a spiral removable insect repellent device that fits within inlet 424. In some embodiments, the inner surface of inlet 424 has a flange 444 formed thereon, and wherein flange 444 is shaped to allow a portion of the outer surface of the insect-protecting device to rest on flange 444. For example, the non-flanged portion of the inner surface of the inlet has a first diameter, but the portion where the flange is located has a second diameter that is smaller than the first diameter. The insect protection means has a diameter smaller than the first diameter but larger than the second diameter. In this way, the insect protection device is sized to fit within the inlet, but is large enough such that the outer edge of the insect protection device rests on the flange, thereby securing the insect protection device within the inlet.

The implementation of fig. 4 also includes a gasket 442 that is inserted into inlet 424 after insertion of insect repellent device 440 and inhibits removal of insect repellent device 440 from inlet 424. Washer 442 frictionally interacts with the inner surface of inlet 424 to inhibit removal of insect repellent device 440 from inlet 424. In some embodiments, an adhesive material is interposed between the outer surface of washer 442 and the inner surface of inlet 424 to inhibit removal of insect repellent device 440 from inlet 424.

The spiral of spiral insect-repellent device 440 is made up of a plurality of coils of wire wound around a central reference point that forms the center of the spiral. The spacing between the coils of the wires may be any suitable distance. For example, the separation distance may be determined based on applicable government standards. For example, in one exemplary embodiment, the spiral of spiral insect-protecting device 440 is composed of a single wire of multiple coils wound into a wire, and wherein the largest opening dimension between adjacent outer surfaces of two adjacent coils is no greater than 1.27mm.

Fig. 5A-5E are illustrations of different wire element cross-sectional shapes according to different embodiments of the present disclosure. Figure 5A provides the most easily manufactured design in which the wire element forming the spiral insect protection means has a circular cross-section 541-a.

Another easy to manufacture design is shown in FIG. 5B, which has a rectangular cross section 541-B. This design is beneficial in implementations where less particulate deposition on the guard is desired, as its top surface area is smaller than in the circular cross-section embodiment if the air travels from top to bottom.

Other quadrilateral shapes may be used. For example, in fig. 5C, one end of the rectangular cross-section may taper to reduce the top surface, thereby reducing the flat area over which particles may collect and increasing aerodynamic properties that increase airflow around the wire and reduce air turbulence that would reduce the ability of particles to fall on the wire surface.

Such aerodynamic effects may also be provided by the designs shown at 541-D and 541-E in fig. 5D and 5E. These oval and teardrop shaped designs have a larger top area that will provide a larger area to collect particles, but increase flow velocity and reduce drag due to turbulence.

Embodiments of the present disclosure provide greater flexibility in creating an aspirated smoke, gas, or air quality monitoring system that includes an insect guard that provides greater airflow and allows the insect guard to be independently cleanable and/or replaceable.

It is to be understood that the above description has been made in an illustrative fashion, and not a restrictive one. Combinations of the above embodiments, and other embodiments not specifically described herein, will be apparent to those of skill in the art upon reviewing the above description.

The scope of the various embodiments of the present disclosure includes any other applications in which the above structures and methods are used. The scope of the various embodiments of the disclosure should, therefore, be determined with reference to the appended claims, along with the full scope of equivalents to which such claims are entitled.

In the foregoing detailed description, various features are grouped together in the exemplary embodiments shown in the accompanying drawings for the purpose of streamlining the disclosure. This method of disclosure is not to be interpreted as reflecting an intention that the embodiments of the disclosure require more features than are expressly recited in each claim.

Rather, as the following claims reflect, inventive subject matter lies in less than all features of a single disclosed embodiment. Thus the following claims are hereby incorporated into the detailed description, with each claim standing on its own as a separate embodiment.

Claims (10)

1. A suction type smoke, gas or air quality monitoring unit comprising:

a detector module (404) comprising at least one particle sensing chamber within the detector module (404) and an air inlet (424) connecting a sampling tube (114) to the particle sensing chamber allowing air to be transferred from the sampling tube (114) to the particle sensing chamber; and

-a spiral insect protection means (440) positioned within the inlet (424).

2. The monitoring unit of claim 1, wherein the insect protection device (440) is a spiral removable insect protection device mounted within the inlet (424).

3. A monitoring unit according to claim 1, wherein the inner surface of the inlet has a flange (444) formed thereon and wherein the flange is shaped to allow a portion of the outer surface of the insect protection device (440) to rest on the flange (444).

4. The monitoring unit of claim 1, wherein the insect-protecting device (440) is a spiral removable insect-protecting device mounted within the inlet (424), and wherein the inlet (424) further comprises a gasket (442) that is inserted into the inlet (424) after insertion of the insect-protecting device (440) and inhibits removal of the insect-protecting device (440) from the inlet (424).

5. The monitoring unit of claim 4, wherein the gasket (442) frictionally interacts with an inner surface of the inlet (424) to inhibit removal of the insect protection device (440) from the inlet (424).

6. The monitoring unit of claim 4, wherein an adhesive material is interposed between an outer surface of the gasket (442) and the inner surface of the inlet (424) to inhibit removal of the insect protection device (440) from the inlet (424).

7. The monitoring unit of claim 1, wherein the spiral is comprised of a plurality of coils of wire and wherein a maximum opening size between adjacent outer surfaces of two adjacent coils is no greater than 1.27mm.

8. A monitoring unit according to claim 1, wherein the spiral consists of a plurality of coils of wire and wherein the wire has a circular cross section (541-a).

9. A monitoring unit according to claim 1, wherein the spiral consists of a plurality of coils of wire and wherein the wire has an elliptical cross section (541-E).

10. A monitoring unit according to claim 1, wherein the spiral consists of a plurality of coils of wire and wherein the wire has a rectangular cross section (541-B).