JPH0567172B2 - - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Industrial Field of Application] The present invention relates to a method for inspecting smoke detectors, and is particularly suitable for application to photoelectric smoke detectors.

[Summary of the Invention] The present invention provides a method for inspecting a smoke detector, in which a pin member is provided in the sensor body so as to be movable back and forth so that the light reception signal level of the light receiving element changes according to the light emission signal level of the light emitting element. By appropriately selecting the amount of protrusion of the pin member, supplying a test-level light emission signal, and determining whether the sensor is in a state where it can operate normally based on the received light signal level, the smoke detector This allows the system to be maintained in a state where it can be constantly monitored.

[Prior Art] A photoelectric smoke detector has a light-emitting element and a light-receiving element arranged with their optical axes shifted, and the light-receiving element captures the light scattered by the smoke from the light emitted from the light-emitting element when smoke is generated. It is designed to detect the occurrence of

[Problems to be Solved by the Invention] By the way, depending on where the smoke detector is installed, water vapor, fat, etc. may adhere to the surface of the optical element provided in front of the light-emitting element and the light-receiving element, reducing detection sensitivity. It starts to decrease. Therefore, the sensitivity of installed smoke detectors is often tested.

Conventionally, such inspections were performed by having an inspector blow smoke into a smoke detector.

However, this method requires an inspector to carry out the inspection, and also requires the complicated operation of blowing in smoke each time, which is still insufficient in terms of both man-hours and time.

The present invention has been made in consideration of the above points, and it is an object of the present invention to provide a method for testing smoke detectors that can quickly and accurately test the sensitivity of installed smoke detectors.

[Means for Solving the Problems] In order to solve the problems, the present invention provides a light source side optical system having a light emitting element at the bottom of the first long hole and a light receiving element at the bottom of the second long hole. in a smoke detector in which a light-receiving side optical system having A pin member is provided on the main body of the smoke detector so as to be able to move forward and backward toward the target, and the amount of protrusion of the pin member is determined so that the light receiving signal of the light receiving element reaches the threshold when a light emitting signal of a test level is given to the light emitting element during normal operation. When the light emitting signal is larger than the hold level and has a monitoring level that is smaller than the test level, the light reception signal is adjusted in advance so that it becomes smaller than the threshold level. A light emitting signal of a certain level is given to the light emitting element, and based on the level of the light reception signal from the light receiving element at that time, it is checked whether the sensing operation can be performed normally.

[Operation] If the amount of light emitted changes due to the diffraction phenomenon and/or reflection phenomenon caused by the pin member 20 provided in the smoke detector 1, the amount of light received also changes. Therefore, if the level of the light emitting signal sent to the light emitting element 7 is changed, the level of light received by the light receiving element 8 will also change.

In the present invention, the detection sensitivity of the smoke detector 1 is tested by utilizing the characteristics of the smoke detector 1 having such a pin member 20.

By appropriately selecting the amount of protrusion of the pin member 20 of the smoke detector 1, the level of the received light signal does not exceed the threshold level when monitoring the occurrence of a fire, and the level of the received light signal and the bell exceeds the threshold level during inspection. , the light emission signal level can be varied.
Here, if the former light emission signal level is taken as the monitoring level and the latter light emission signal level is taken as the inspection level, then the inspection level is higher than the monitoring level.

If the light-receiving signal level does not exceed the threshold level even if the light-emitting signal S12 at a test level that causes the light-emitting signal to exceed the threshold level is supplied, the light-emitting element 7 and the light-receiving element 8 are deteriorated, or the lens 13, 14 is dirty or has some kind of abnormality, and even if smoke enters during monitoring operation, it cannot be detected immediately. Therefore, it is checked whether the smoke detector itself is normal or not depending on whether or not the threshold level is exceeded.

[Example] Hereinafter, an example of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 shows one unit board 4 of the unit boards 3 and 4 that constitute the case body 2 of the smoke detector 1.
It is shown with a part cut away.

Each unit board 3, 4 has a substantially symmetrical V-shaped shape with respect to the center line XX, and each has a first recess 5A, 5B on the light source side and a second recess 6A, 6B on the light receiving side. and has. The upper and lower ends of the unit board 3 are connected to the panel member 3 integrally with the unit board 3 and parallel to each other, as shown in FIG.
a and 3b are provided so as to protrude. The upper and lower ends of the unit board 4 are connected to the panel member 3.
A stepped portion (not shown) is formed that engages a and 3b. These panel members 3a and 3b are engaged with the stepped portions, and the end faces of both unit substrates 3 and 4 on the concave portion side are brought into contact with each other, and the clip members 16 and 1
7, a light source side optical system 18 having a cylindrical long hole 5 on the optical path side and a light receiving side optical system 19 having a cylindrical long hole 6 are formed.

A light emitting element 7 is housed in the deepest part of the long hole 5, and a light receiving element 8 is housed in the deepest part of the long hole 6. The lead wire 7a of the light emitting element 7 is drawn out through a small through hole 9 provided on the bottom surface that closes the long hole 5, and the lead wire 8a of the light receiving element 8 is also provided on the bottom surface that closes the long hole 6. It is drawn out to the outside through a through hole 10.

On the inner peripheral surfaces of the light source side long hole 5 and the light receiving side long hole 6,
Grooves 1 each carved at a predetermined pitch in the axial direction
1 and 12 are provided, a collimator lens 13 is locked in one of the grooves 11 of the elongated hole 5 on the light source side, and an objective lens 14 is locked in the groove 12 of the elongated hole 6 on the light receiving side. Note that the grooves 11 and 1
2 is provided not only to provide a degree of freedom for positioning the lenses 13 and 14 at optimal positions, but also to cut out light rays other than parallel rays as much as possible by the peaks formed by the grooves 11 and 12. It is set up for the purpose of

In addition to the above configuration, the smoke detector 1 according to this embodiment has a screw 20 as shown in FIG. The sensor 1 has a threaded hole 21 extending along the center line XX, into which a screw 20 is screwed.

The amount of protrusion of the screw 20 is such that, depending on the first level (hereinafter referred to as sensing level) light emitting signal S11 given to the light emitting element 7 during a normal sensing operation, the light beam is such that the light receiving element 8 does not perform a sensing operation. As it reaches the light receiving element 8, a second level larger than the first level
Level (hereinafter referred to as inspection level) emission signal S
12 is selected such that a light beam that does not cause the light receiving element 8 to perform a sensing operation reaches the light receiving element 8.

In fact, when the screw 20 was not provided, the amount of light reaching the light receiving element 8 hardly changed even if the light emission signal level for the light emitting element 7 was changed. On the other hand, when the screw 20 is made to protrude, the level of the light emission signal S1 changes (changes both light emission) due to diffraction phenomenon, reflection at the threaded portion, etc., and the light receiving element 8 responds accordingly. The amount of light received changes.

Therefore, as described above, it is possible to provide the light emission signal S12 at the test level at which the light receiving element 8 performs a sensing operation and the light emission signal S11 at a sensing level at which the light receiving element 8 does not perform any sensing operation.

An inspection device 25 is configured including the smoke detector 1 having the screw 20 that can move forward and backward as described above.

In FIG. 3, the control unit 26 supplies a voltage signal to the light emitting element 7 and also takes in a light reception signal from the light emitting element 8. During visual operation, the control unit 26 performs the visual operation based on the light reception signal SR. There is. An inspection switch 27 is connected to the control section 26, and when an inspection command signal CON is applied from the switch 27, an inspection program shown in FIG. 4 is started.

That is, the CPU 26a of the control unit 26 starts the program stored in the memory 26b in step S1, and then proceeds to the next step S2, where a test level light emission signal S12 is applied to the light emitting element 7. Thereafter, in step S3, the light emission signal SR is fetched from the light emitting element 8, and in the next step S4, it is determined whether the level of the light emission signal SR exceeds the threshold level.

As a result, if a positive result is obtained, lenses 13, 1
In step S5, it is determined that the light-emitting element 7 is not cloudy and the ability of the light-emitting element 7 is not degraded and can be detected when smoke is generated, and a message instructing "OK" is displayed on the display means 28. display,
The program is terminated in step S6.

On the other hand, if a negative result is obtained as a result of the judgment in step S4, the process proceeds to step S7, where the lenses 13 and 14 are fogged because the light emission signal level, which should normally exceed the threshold level, does not exceed the threshold level. The display means 2 displays a message containing an alarm indicating that the light emitting element 7 and the light receiving element 8 have deteriorated, that is, the detection ability is insufficient.
8, and the program is ended in step S6.

In the above configuration, during normal monitoring operation, the control unit 26 gives the monitoring level light emission signal S11 to the light emitting element 7, receives the current light reception signal SR from the light reception element 8, and sets the light reception signal level to the threshold. It is monitored whether or not the level is exceeded, and when the level is exceeded, the occurrence of smoke is displayed on a display means 28 to notify.

On the other hand, during the inspection operation when the inspection switch 27 is pressed, the control section 26 sends out the light emission signal S12 at the inspection level, takes in the light reception signal level at that time, and makes sure that the level of the light reception signal SR is higher than the threshold level. When it is small, display means 2 indicates that the monitoring operation cannot be performed normally.
Display on 8.

Therefore, by pressing the inspection switch 27, the inspector can check whether the smoke detector 1 is working properly or not. If the smoke detector 1 is not working properly, the inspector can replace the various parts 7 and 8 or replace the parts 7 and 8 that are attached to the lens surface. You can take appropriate measures such as removing dirt etc.

According to the above-described embodiment, it is possible to easily switch the light emission level to the inspection level without requiring a complicated operation such as spraying smoke on the smoke detector to check whether the smoke detector 1 is operating normally. This can be easily done by simple operations.

In addition, in the above-mentioned embodiment, a test level light emitting signal is applied to the light emitting element 7 to check whether it operates normally, but the light emitting signal level is continuously changed to exceed the threshold level. It may also be possible to determine whether normal operation is possible based on the level value. In this way, even more accurate judgment can be obtained.

Further, in the above-described embodiment, the inspection is performed only when the inspection switch 27 is pressed, but the present invention is not limited to this. Also good.

Further, in the above embodiment, the screw 20 was shown to be movable back and forth in order to adjust the level of the received light signal, but in addition to the screw, a pin or the like can also be used, and the method of moving it back and forth is also important. It is not limited to only along axis XX.

Further, in the above-described embodiment, the control unit 26
Although a device that controls 12 sensors is shown, a device that controls a plurality of sensors may be used.

[Effects of the Invention] As described above, according to the present invention, a pin member that can move forward and backward toward the intersection of the optical axis of the light emitting element and the optical axis of the light receiving element is provided, and if the smoke detector is normal, light is received. Since a light emitting signal with a light emitting level that can exceed the threshold level is applied to the light emitting element, it is easy to detect a situation where the light emitting element or light receiving element cannot operate normally due to deterioration. It can be easily detected by simple operations.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a partially cutaway front view of a smoke detector according to an embodiment, FIG. 2 is a plan view thereof, and FIG. 3 is an embodiment of a smoke detector inspection method according to the present invention. FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing the testing device, and a flowchart showing its testing procedure. 1... Smoke detector, 7... Light emitting element, 8... Light receiving element, 20... Pin member, 26... Control unit, 27
...Inspection switch, 28...Display means.

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] 1. A light source side optical system having a light emitting element at the bottom of the first long hole and a light receiving side optical system having a light receiving element at the bottom of the second long hole are connected to the optical axis of the light emitting element. In a smoke detector arranged so that the optical axis of the light receiving element intersects outside the first and second elongated holes, a pin is attached to the smoke detector main body so as to be movable forward and backward toward the intersection of the two optical axes. A member is provided, and the amount of protrusion of the pin member is determined by determining the amount of protrusion of the pin member when a test level light emission signal is given to the light emitting element during normal operation.
When the light receiving signal of the light receiving element becomes larger than the threshold level and the light emitting signal of the monitoring level lower than the inspection level is given to the light emitting element, the light receiving signal becomes smaller than the threshold level. The light emitting signal at the inspection level is applied to the light emitting element when the inspection mode is instructed, and the sensing operation is in a state where the sensing operation can be performed normally based on the level of the light reception signal from the light receiving element at that time. A method of testing a smoke detector to determine whether or not it is.