GB2249650A

GB2249650A - An earthquake warning device

Info

Publication number: GB2249650A
Application number: GB9024041A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Chin-Hsin Hsu
Original assignee: HSU CHIN HSIN
Current assignee: HSU CHIN HSIN
Priority date: 1990-11-06
Filing date: 1990-11-06
Publication date: 1992-05-13
Also published as: GB9024041D0

Abstract

The earthquake warning device includes a horizontal leveling instrument with two mercury switches (61, 62 in fig. 2) disposed horizontally, but in opposite directions. As the earthquake warning device is tilted in any direction, one of the mercury switches will be turned on so that an electrical circuit will be actuated to turn on two emergency lights 2 and a loudspeaker 3 thereby sending out warning signals. The intersecting angle between the two mercury switches may be adjusted to vary the sensitivity of the apparatus. <IMAGE>

Description

AN EARTHQUAKE WARNING DEVICE BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to an earthquake warning device.

It has been found that some earthquakes are so violent that they may cause extensive damage. Generally, the original shock is most damaging, but occasionally a large earthquake is followed, perhaps days later, by an ever lager aftershocks. Some earthquakes are preceded by much smaller foreshocks.

Hence, there is a need for a sensitive instrument which may send out warning signals in case there is an earthquake.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to an earthquake warning device.

It is the primary object of the present invention a horizontal leveling instrument thereby actuating a loudspeaker as well as turning on emergency lights.

It is another object of the present invention to provide an earthquake warning device which is ver sensitive to earthquake.

It is still another object of the present invention to provide an earthquake warning device which is simple in construction.

It is still another object of the present invention to provide an earthquake warning device which is economic to produce.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide an earthquake warning device which is easy to manufacture.

The novel features which are characteristics of the invention, together with further objects and advantages thereof will be better understood from the following description considered in connection with the accompanied drawings and in which a preferred embodiment of the invention is illustrated by way of example. It is to be expressly understood, however, that the drawings are for the purpose of illustration and description only and are not intended as a definition of the limits of the invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an earthquake warning device according to the present invention; FIG. 2 is an exploded view of the earthquake warning device; FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a horizontal leveling instrument of the earthquake warning device; FIG. 4 shows the function of the mercur switches of the horizontal leveling instrument; and FIG. 5 shows that the two mercury switches are disposed to intersect at an angle of 3 degrees.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT For purposes of promoting an understanding of the principles of the invention, reference will now be made to the embodiment illustrated in the drawings. Specific language will be used to describe same. It will, nevertheless, be understood that no limitation of the scope of the invention is thereby intended, such alternations and further modifications in the illustrated device, and such further applications as would normally occur to one skilled in the art to which the invention relates.

With reference to the drawings and in particular to FIG. 1 thereof, the earthquake warning device 1 according to the present invention mainly comprises two emergency lights 2 on the top, a loudspeaker 3 on the left side of the surface board, a knob 41 for a horizontal leveling instrument, a charge indicator 71, and three control switches 52, 53 and 54.

The power of the earthquake warning device 1 is supplied by rechargeable batteries (not shown) disposed therein. The switch 53 is designed to control the charging of the rechargeable batteries. The electricity of the batteries is indicated by the charge indicator 71. The switch 54 is used to control the lights 2 while the switch o3 to control the horizontal leveling instrument 4.

As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the horizontal leveling instrument 4 mainly comprises a casing 42, a rotating cylindrical member 43, two mercury switches 61 and 62, a core 44, and two conducting plates 45 and 46. The core 44 is tubular in shape and provided with scales 441 at its outer surface. On the core 44 there is a conducting plate on which is a mercury switch 62. The rotating cylindrical member 43 is open in the bottom in which the mercury switch 61 and the core 44 are disposed and has two asymmetric windows 431 for showing the position of the core 44. The core 44 is rigidly engaged with the rotating cylindrical member 3 b a screw 432 extending therethrough.The outer surface of the rotating cylindrical member 43 is calibrated with scales 433 for detecting the relative position of the core 44 to that of the rotating cylindrical member 43. On the top of the rotating cylindrical member 43 there are formed a plurality of positioning recesses 434 around the circumference and a rod 435 extending upwardly from the center into the knob 41 throught the casing 42. The casing 42 is open in the bottom so as to receive the rotating cylindrical member 43 and has at the top a surface plate 421 the bottom surface of which is formed with two recesses 422 receiving a spring 423 and a steel ball 424.In assembly, the top of the cylindrical member 43 is in close contact with the lower surface of the surface plate 421 confining the steel balls 424 between the recesses 422 and the spring 423 and so the rotating cylindrical member 43 may be turned smoothly through the rod 435. The horizontal leveling instrument 42 is sealed with cover 425 at the open bottom and has two slots 426 for adjusting the position of the core 44 relative to that of the rotating cylindrical member 43.

Referring now to FIG. 4, the horizontal leveling instrument 4 comprises two mercury switches 61 and 62. The mercury switch has a tube into which there is a drop of mercury. One end 6a of the tube is connected with two conducting wires so that when the mercury drop moves to the end 6a by means of gravitational force, the conducting wires will be connected together. Since the two mercury switches 61 and 62 are disposed in opposite directions, one of the mercury switches 61 and 62 will be conducted no matter the horizontal leveling instrument 4 is tilted in any direction.

In short, only when the horizontal leveling instrument 4 is at horizontal position will both mercury switches be at off position.

The reason why the two mercury switches 61 and 62 are disposed separately is that if the two mercury switches 61 and 62 are disposed in exactly opposite directions (i.e. 180 degrees), the sensitive range will be around 5 degrees.

That is, the mercury switch 61 or 62 will not be conducted until the horizontal leveling instrument 4 is tilted at an angle larger than 5 degrees. Hence, in order to increase the sensitivity, the two mercury switches 61 and 62 are disposed in an opposite directions and intersect horizontally at an angle of 3 degrees, for example (see FIG. 5). Then the mercury switches 61 or 62 will be conducted if the horizontal leveling instrument 4 is tilted at an angle larger than 2 degrees.

The intersecting angle between the two mercury switches 61 and 62 may be adjusted b changing the position of the core 44 in the rotating cylindrical member 43 so as to adapt for use in different region. This is the chief characteristic of the present invention.

The present invention is further characterized in the loudspeaker 3 and the emergency lights 2 which are controlled by the switch 52. In assembly, the knob 1 is adjusted so as to extinguish the light 51 and only when the light 51 is extinguished, the horizontal leveling instrument 4 is at horizontal position. Then the switch 52 is turned on so that the loudspeaker 3 and the emergency lights 9 will be actuated in case of earthquake. Further, the.circuit controlling the loudspeaker 3 is designed so that if the vibration is stopped in 8 seconds, the loudspeaker 3 will also be actuated for 8 seconds only.

Although this invention has been described with a certain degree of particularity, it is understood that the present disclosure is made b way of example only and that combination and arrangement of parts may be resorted to without departing form the spirit and scope of the invention as hereinafter claimed.

Claims

I CLAIM:

1. An earthquake warning device comprising: a housing; two emergency lights mounted on a top of the housing; a loudspeaker mounted on a front surface of the housing; an electrical circuit controlling the two emergency lights and the loudspeaker; a horizontal leveling instrument disposed within the housing, said horizontal leveling instrument comprising a rotating cylindrical member having a rod extending out of the housing and engaged with a knob and to mercury switches can be adjusted to off position by turning the knob and electrically connected to the electrical circuit; whereby when the earthquake warning device is tilted in any direction, one of the mercury switches will be turned on so that the electrical circuit will be actuated to turn on the emergence lights and the loudspeaker thereby sending out warnings.

2. The earthquake warning device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the two mercury switches intersect horizontally at an angle of 3 degrees.