JPH0285782A - Alarm device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To test whether or not an alarm device can operate normally under the severest condition by detecting that the voltage of a battery drops from a prescribed threshold voltage. CONSTITUTION:When a low-battery testing switch 8 is closed, a circuit which by-passes a stabilization circuit 3 through a resistance 7 is formed. Then a power supply voltage which is produced by dropping the constant voltage of the circuit 3 or a voltage after the supply of a constant current is released to a level lower than a low-battery threshold voltage Vr, but higher than the final using limit voltage by means of a resistance 7 is supplied to each circuit section. Therefore, a low-battery detection circuit 6 gives a low-battery detecting output to an alarm display circuit 5 and the circuit 5 issues a low-battery alarm. Simultaneously, an operation testing switch 9 is closed and the circuit 5 issues an abnormality alarm based on a false abnormality detecting output when the circuit 5 normally operates in a state where the battery voltage is dropped from the threshold voltage Vr, in order to receives a false abnormality detecting signal.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Field of Industrial Application] The present invention relates to an alarm device that includes a built-in battery as a power source and that detects and warns abnormalities such as fire and theft.

[Prior Art] Conventionally, alarm devices with a built-in battery as a power source include, for example, a fire detector for home use that is equipped with a fire detection circuit and an alarm circuit, and a battery power source used as a security system for apartment complexes such as condominiums. There are known alarm transmitters that have a built-in alarm and transmit security information wirelessly to a receiver installed in a manager's room or the like when an abnormality is detected.

By the way, in fire detectors and alarm transmitters that have a built-in battery power source, a low battery alarm is issued when the battery voltage falls below a predetermined threshold voltage in order to detect a dead battery and prompt for battery replacement. A low battery detection circuit is provided.

Furthermore, with the provision of a low battery detection circuit,
In order to check whether the low battery detection circuit operates normally when the battery voltage actually drops, when the low battery test switch is operated, the power supply voltage from the battery to each circuit is checked for low battery detection. A low battery test circuit is provided that lowers the voltage below the threshold voltage of the low battery to operate a low battery detection circuit in a pseudo manner.

On the other hand, in addition to the operation test of the low battery detection circuit, this type of alarm device is equipped with an operation test circuit that simulates an abnormality detection state and performs an alarm operation by operating an operation test switch. There is.

By the way, the threshold voltage for detecting low battery is set higher than the final usage limit voltage that would make the device inoperable, so even if a low battery alarm is issued, the device will not immediately become inoperable. It is possible to operate normally until the voltage drops to the final usage limit.

[Problems to be Solved by the Invention] However, in conventional alarm devices, the low battery alarm operation test and the abnormal alarm operation test were conducted independently, so the battery was not replaced after the low battery alarm was issued. If an abnormality such as a fire or theft occurs until the battery voltage drops to the final use limit voltage, there is no check whether the alarm operation based on the abnormality detection is performed normally or not. There was a problem in that the reliability of the device could not be fully guaranteed because the functions of the device could not be confirmed.

The present invention was made in view of these conventional problems, and allows the device to operate normally under the most severe conditions from the time the low battery alarm is issued until the battery voltage drops to the final use limit voltage. An object of the present invention is to provide an alarm device that can test whether or not a warning occurs.

[Means for Solving the Problems] In order to achieve this object, the present invention includes low battery detection means for detecting that the battery voltage has fallen below a predetermined threshold voltage and issuing a low battery alarm; A low battery test means that reduces the battery voltage supplied to each circuit section based on a low battery test operation to below a low battery detection threshold voltage (but above a final use limit voltage), and an abnormality detection circuit that reduces the battery voltage supplied to each circuit section in a low battery test state. An operation test means for simulating operation is provided.

[Function] According to the configuration of the present invention, the battery voltage supplied from the battery to each circuit section is lowered to below the threshold voltage for low battery detection by the low battery test, and in this state, the abnormality detection circuit is activated. A simulated operation test will be conducted to determine whether the battery can operate normally after the low battery alarm is issued and when the battery voltage drops to the final use limit voltage. The reliability of the alarm system can be greatly improved through operational tests.

[Embodiment] Fig. 1 is a circuit block diagram illustrating an embodiment of the present invention, taking as an example an alarm device such as a household fire detector, which integrally incorporates an abnormality detection circuit and an alarm display circuit. It is a diagram.

First, the configuration will be described. Reference numeral 1 denotes a battery, which supplies, for example, a power supply voltage of 6 cm to each circuit section in a normal state. 2 is a power switch, and when power switch 2 is turned on, battery 1 is
The obtained battery voltage is stabilized by the stabilizing circuit 3 and then supplied to each circuit section. As the stabilizing circuit 3, a constant voltage circuit that supplies a constant voltage to the load side or a constant current circuit that supplies a constant current to the load side is used.

On the output side of the stabilizing circuit 3, there is an abnormality detection circuit 4 that detects an abnormality such as a fire, an alarm display circuit 5 that displays an alarm based on the detection output of the abnormality detection circuit 4, and a battery 1 obtained through the stabilization circuit 3. A low battery detection circuit 6 is provided to issue a low battery alarm by detecting that the power supply voltage from the battery becomes equal to or lower than a predetermined low battery threshold voltage Vr.

Such a configuration is the same as a conventional battery built-in alarm device, such as a household fire detector, but in the present invention,
A series circuit consisting of a resistor 7 and a low battery test switch 8 is connected in parallel with the stabilizing circuit 3 to lower the battery voltage below the low battery threshold voltage Vr, and when the low battery test switch 8 is closed, the stabilizing circuit 3 is bypassed and loses the constant voltage or constant current stabilization function,
By supplying the power supply voltage from the battery 1 to the circuit section via the resistor 7, the power supply voltage is artificially lowered below the low battery threshold voltage Vr.

Furthermore, an operation test switch 9 is connected in parallel with the output of the abnormality detection circuit 4.
is provided, and when the operation test switch 9 is closed, the same state as that in which the abnormality detection circuit 4 generates the detection output is created in a pseudo manner, and the alarm display circuit 5 is activated.

Further, in the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, the low battery test switch 8 and the operation test switch 9 are used as interlocking switches, so that the operation test is performed simultaneously with the low battery test.

Furthermore, the low battery threshold voltage Vr set in the low battery detection circuit 6 is set at a level lower than the final use limit voltage Vl at which the alarm device becomes inoperable, as shown in the battery voltage drop characteristics over time in FIG. Low battery threshold voltage V
r is set to a relatively high voltage, so that even if a low battery alarm is issued, the normal alarm function is performed until the battery voltage drops to the final use limit voltage ■L.

Next, the operation of the embodiment shown in FIG. 1 will be explained.

The test operation in the embodiment shown in FIG. 1 is performed at the time of installation of the alarm device or periodically after installation, and since the power switch 2 is in the on state when the device is in use, The power supply voltage from the battery 1 is stabilized by a stabilizing circuit 3 and supplied to each circuit section of an abnormality detection circuit 4, an alarm display circuit 5, and a low battery detection circuit 6.

If the low battery test switch 8 is closed in order to perform an operation test in this state, the operation test switch 9 is also closed in conjunction with this.

When the low battery test switch 8 is closed, a circuit that bypasses the stabilizing circuit 3 by the resistor 7 is formed, and the supply of constant voltage or constant current by the stabilizing circuit 3 is canceled, and the voltage drop caused by the resistor 7 causes a circuit to bypass the stabilizing circuit 3. Below the set low battery threshold voltage Vr and the final use limit voltage V2
A power supply voltage lowered to a predetermined voltage higher than the above voltage is supplied to each circuit section. For this reason, the low battery detection circuit 6 detects the power supply voltage that is equal to or lower than the low battery threshold voltage Vr and provides a low battery detection output to the alarm display circuit 5, which causes the alarm display circuit 5 to emit an intermittent buzzer, blink an indicator light, etc. will issue a low battery warning.

At the same time, the operation test switch 9 closes and the alarm display circuit 5 receives a pseudo abnormality detection signal, so if the alarm display circuit 5 is working normally with the battery voltage dropped below the low battery threshold voltage Vr, An abnormality warning will be issued based on the pseudo abnormality detection output.

On the other hand, if a low battery alarm is issued in the operation test but no abnormality alarm is issued, it may not be possible to function normally with the battery voltage dropped between the low battery threshold voltage Vr and the final use limit voltage Vl. In this case, the low battery threshold voltage Vr is made higher and the resistance value of the resistor 7 is made smaller to lower the final use limit voltage Vj2.
By correcting to a higher value, it is possible to adjust to a normal operating state in a limit state where a low battery alarm and an abnormality alarm are issued at the same time. Note that the low battery test switch 8 and the operation test switch 9 in FIG. 1 may not be used as interlocking switches, but may be tested individually.

FIG. 3 shows an outline of a wireless housing information system. 10 is a transmitter installed on the residential unit side. This transmitter 10 has a built-in battery as a power source, and a sensor 11 detects an abnormality. When the signal is received, security information corresponding to abnormality detection is transmitted from the transmitting antenna 12. In response to the transmitter 10, a receiver 13 is installed in a manager's room, etc., and a receiving antenna 14 receives the transmission signal from the transmitter 10, receives and decodes the security information, and identifies the dwelling unit where the abnormality has occurred and the details of the abnormality. A warning will be displayed.

This receiver 13 receives power supply from commercial AC 100V.

Therefore, in the housing information system as shown in FIG. 3, the transmitter 10 that is installed on the residential unit side and has a built-in battery as a power source corresponds to the alarm device targeted by the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a circuit block diagram showing an embodiment of the transmitter 10 in the housing information system shown in FIG. and is supplied to each circuit section via the stabilizing circuit 3. The output side of the stabilizing circuit 3 is provided with an encoder 15, a transmitting circuit 16, and a low battery detection circuit 6 similar to the embodiment shown in FIG. series circuit is connected.

Detection signals from sensors for fire, theft, gas leaks, etc. are given to the encoder 15, and upon receiving the detection signal from the sensor, the encoder 15 combines security information corresponding to the detection signal and its own address information. This code signal is output to the transmitting circuit 16, which modulates the carrier frequency signal and transmits it from the transmitting antenna 12 to the receiver. The encoder 15 is also given the detection output of the low battery detection circuit 6, and upon receiving the low battery detection output, it outputs a code signal consisting of low battery detection information and its own address information to the transmission circuit 16 and transmits it. The signal is transmitted from the antenna 12 to the receiver.

To explain the test operation of the transmitter shown in FIG. 4, when the low battery test switch 8 is closed for an operation test while the power switch 2 is closed, the function of the stabilizing circuit 3 is lost and the resistance The battery voltage reduced by the voltage drop caused by 7 is detected by the low battery detection circuit 6 and the encoder 15.
, and the transmitting circuit 16. The power supply voltage reduced via the resistor 7 by closing the low battery test switch 8 must be within a voltage range that is below the low battery threshold voltage Vr set in the low battery detection circuit 6 and above the final use limit voltage VA. , the low battery detection circuit 6 outputs a low battery detection output to the encoder 15, and the low battery detection circuit 6 outputs a low battery detection output to the encoder 15.
If it is operating normally, it outputs a code signal consisting of low battery information and its own address information to the transmitting circuit 16, and if the transmitting circuit 16 is also operating normally with the reduced power supply voltage, the transmitting antenna 12 A transmission signal containing low battery information and self-address information is sent to the receiver.

Through such a low battery operation test, the transmitter 10
The signal transmitted from the receiver 1 is as shown in FIG.
3, and if the low battery alarm is normally received and displayed, it can be determined that the transmitter 10 has operated normally.

On the other hand, even if the transmitter 10 is tested for operation, if the receiver 13 does not normally receive and display the low battery alarm, it can be determined that the transmitter 10 is malfunctioning.

In particular, in the embodiment shown in FIG. 4, the low battery detection circuit 6 is operated in a pseudo manner by turning on the low battery test switch 8, and the detection output from the sensor is not generated in a pseudo manner. Similar to the abnormality detection signal from the sensor, the detection output of the low battery detection circuit 6 is converted into a transmission code signal by the encoder 15 and sent from the transmission antenna 12 to the receiver 13 via the transmission circuit 16, so that low battery can be detected. The operation of the encoder 15 and the transmitting circuit 16 can be confirmed in the same way as when the detection output from the sensor is created in a pseudo manner using only the output, and as a result, in the embodiment shown in FIG. As shown, the low battery alarm can be confirmed and the operation test can be performed at the same time only by the low battery test without the need to specifically provide the operation test switch 9 that produces a pseudo abnormality detection output.

Of course, in the embodiment shown in FIG. 4, as in the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, an operation test switch 9 is separately provided, and by closing the operation test switch 9, a pseudo sensor output is given to the encoder 15 and transmitted. You may also check the operation.

Note that the above embodiments take home fire detectors and alarm transmitters in housing information systems as examples;
The present invention is not limited thereto, and can be applied as is to any suitable alarm device that incorporates a battery as a power source.

[Effects of the Invention] As described above, according to the present invention, there is provided a low battery detection means for detecting that the battery voltage has decreased below a predetermined threshold voltage and issuing a low battery alarm, and a low battery test operation. Low battery test means for lowering the battery voltage supplied to each circuit section based on the low battery detection threshold voltage below the low battery detection threshold voltage, and operation test means for pseudo-activating the abnormality detection circuit in the low battery test state. , low battery test shows that the battery voltage supplied from the battery to each circuit section is low μ.

The voltage is lowered to below the threshold voltage for battery detection, and a simulated operation test of the abnormality detection circuit is performed in this state. The reliability of the alarm device can be greatly improved by conducting an operation test under such a battery voltage limit state.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

Fig. 1 is a circuit block diagram showing an embodiment of the present invention, Fig. 2 is a characteristic diagram showing changes in battery voltage over time, Fig. 3 is a block diagram showing an outline of the housing information system, Fig. 4 FIG. 2 is a circuit block diagram showing another embodiment of the present invention intended for a transmitter of a housing information system. 1: Battery 2: Power switch 3: Stabilization circuit 4: Abnormality detection circuit 5: Alarm display circuit 6: Low battery detection circuit 7: Resistor 8: Low battery test switch 9: Operation test switch 10: Transmitter 11: Sensor 12: Transmitting antenna 13: Receiver 14: Receiving antenna 15: Encoder 16: Transmitting circuit

Claims (1)

[Claims] A battery that supplies power to each circuit section of the device, an abnormality detection circuit that detects abnormalities such as fire and theft, and an alarm display or external alarm signal based on the output of the abnormality detection circuit. A low battery detection circuit that detects a drop in the battery voltage to a predetermined threshold voltage or less and issues a low battery alarm; low battery test means for reducing the power supply voltage supplied to the circuit section to a predetermined voltage within a range that is below the threshold voltage of the low battery detection circuit and above the final use limit voltage; An alarm device comprising operation test means for simulating operation of a detection circuit.