FR2557999A1 - Cordless transmitting alarm bell for dwellings, powered by photovoltaic solar energy - Google Patents

Abstract

The alarm bells are intended for blocks of flats and houses. The alarm call is emitted by a radio transmitter powered by photovoltaic solar energy. The bell is connected to a radio receiver also powered by photovoltaic energy. The device avoids laying down electric cables connecting the call button to the bell and eliminates the need for changing batteries or recharges the battery if this mode of operation is used.

Description

The present invention relates to the doorbells of buildings and residential pavilions and their installation.

The transmission of calls is most often made by an electric wire which connects the external button to the bell.

The installation price of this wire is expensive. This handicap is found in all remote signal or message transmission devices (alarm, valve control, household appliances, remote telephone, etc.).

To remove this constraint, many transmission devices (radio, optical, etc.) have been developed and deposited and their scope is likely to take into account the call bells of buildings and pavilions without however, this has been specified.

For their operation, these devices require an electrical supply which can be supplied either by a battery or an independent battery, or by a connection of the transmitter or receiver, or both, to the mains current.

Connection to the mains requires the intervention of an installer, even if this intervention is reduced due to the elimination of the transmission wire.

The use of batteries or independent batteries requires maintenance of the equipment, these sources of power quickly decaying, thus causing breakdowns due to lack of maintenance.

The doorbell device, object of the present invention, is characterized by a supply by solar photovoltaic cells, which by providing lasting operating autonomy, makes it possible to avoid these drawbacks.

Description of the device
The device, object of the present invention, consists of two essential parts, the call transmitter and the receiver, each part itself consisting of three elements.

For the transmitter, the three elements are the call button, the radio transmitter unit and the photovoltaic power panel.

The radio transmitter unit is permanently powered by a battery, which is recharged daily by the photovoltaic panel. These three elements are modular in the sense that they can either be joined to form a single whole, or be separated and connected by a short electric wire.

This modular presentation is necessary for the following technical reasons - the photovoltaic panel must be as exposed as possible to the sun. The ideal location may be different from the location where the call module is located.

- If the transmitter unit is located outside the residential enclosure and this enclosure is an obstacle to the propagation of the transmission (for example grid and iron door for the propagation of radio waves) then it will be advantageous to install it in a location where this spread is not hampered.

For the receiver, the three elements are the receiver block, the phatovolta; que panel and the buzzer. For technical reasons identical to those of the transmitter, these three elements are modular. They can be joined together to form a single whole, or be placed separately and linked together by a short electric wire.

The device thus described may include several variants jO Variants concerning the mode of call and reception.

The simplest mode of calling is usually a button which, when
is pressed by pressing a finger, activates the bell.

The first variant is to replace the call button with a keyboard
coded. This variant has two advantages: on the one hand, it offers better
their safety since only people informed of the code number
by the inhabitant are susceptible: to make their presence known to the
front door and on the other hand, the same keyboard can be used to
apartments in the same building. In this case, a code number
can be assigned to each of the apartment receivers.

The second variant consists in completing the call button or the keyboard
coded by an intercom (local sound transmitter such as walkie-talkie)
allowing a conversation exchange between the outside caller and
the resident called for better identification. Any other
variant linked to personal recognition (videophone, job analysis
preinte, etc.) can be considered.

20 Variants on the nature of the energy supply.

All types of photovoltaic panels can be used. In practice, for economic reasons, cheaper amorphous silicon panels than mono or polycrystalline silicon are recommended; those of other types are not readily available on the market.

The possible variant consists of a supply of electrical energy by manual means. In this case, the lowering of a rod or a call cord connected to a dynamo will generate an electrical impulse which will directly supply the transmitter unit. In this case, the presence of a buffer battery is no longer necessary.

 3 Variant concerning the mode of transmission.

The most applicable mode of transmission for the present invention is radio transmission. The coding of this transmission eliminates interference and increases the range for a low transmission power which is important given the power supplied by the photovoltaic panel which remains low if one wants to have a reduced reception area (e.g. 18 cm x 20 cm for 120 emA in amorphous Si).

In this case, to avoid acts of vandalism, the boxes of the transmitting and receiving blocks will be made of plastic so that the transmitting and receiving antennas are incorporated and not visible, therefore protected.

Presentation of the jo drawings The first 1/4 drawing shows the call device consisting of a photovoltaic solar panel; that (A), a radio transmitter block with incorporated antenna (B) and the call button (C) . These three juxtaposable elements are connected by an electric wire (2). The method of fixing to the support being hidden under the protective frame of the solar panel (1) or incorporated inside the boxes (B and C).

The second drawing t / i shows the ringing device consisting of a photovoltaic solar panel (A) and a radio receiver unit with incorporated antenna (B).

The electric wire (2) connects the panel or receiver block while the wire supplying the ring (3) remains free to be connected to a commonly available ring whose model is left to the choice of the user.

 3 The third drawing 3/4 shows the application of the device to a building.

In this case, the call system (A) has a code keypad which allows you to select the receivers (B, C, D and E) located in each apartment.

40 The fourth drawing 4/4 shows that in the device, the call button is replaced by a code keypad (D) - (A) being the solar power panel and (B) the transmitter block.

Applications as well as
The device which is the subject of the invention, the variants described which apply to it, is intended for all residential buildings.

Claims (5)

1) Call bell device for residential buildings characterized by the combination of a system of transmission by electromagnetic radio waves and a supply of this system with solar energy by photovoltaic panels. 2) Device according to claim 1 characterized by the replacement of the solar energy by a xeeanic energy produced manually supplying the current of electric supply necessary by the intermediai- re of a dynamo. 3) Device according to claim I characterized by the use of a coding which allows its application to all of the dwellings of the same building. 4) Device according to claim J characterized by the separation into three juxtaposable parts of the call transmitter assembly allowing better implementation flexibility to meet the technical constraints of operation of the solar panel and the transmitter block. 5) Device according to claim 1 characterized by the separation into two juxtaposable parts of the receiver assembly (panel and receiver block).