WO2016202337A1

WO2016202337A1 - A fluid-releasing alarm unit

Info

Publication number: WO2016202337A1
Application number: PCT/DK2015/050173
Authority: WO
Inventors: Hjørleif JOHANSEN
Original assignee: Protect A/S
Priority date: 2015-06-17
Filing date: 2015-06-17
Publication date: 2016-12-22

Abstract

The invention relates to a fluid-releasing alarm unit, wherein the alarm unit comprises at least one fluid-releasing means, at least one actuating means (1) and at least one control module (2), the fluid-releasing means including an outer container (3) adapted to contain a propellant (4), an inner container (5) adapted to contain a fluid (6), wherein a final pressure of the propellant (4) is greater than an initial pressure of the propellant (4) when the inner container (5) is at least partly filled with the fluid (6), and a flow controlling means (7) for enabling/disabling the flow of the fluid (6) from the inner container (5) to the outside of the outer container (3), wherein the control module (2) is adapted to trigger the actuating means (1) for causing the flow controlling means (7) to enable the flow of the fluid (6), which, under the final pressure of the propellant (4), is released by the fluid-releasing means. Also, the invention relates to a security system (8) and a method (100) thereof.

Description

A fluid-releasing alarm unit Field of the invention

The invention relates to the technical field of alarm and security systems, particularly to alarm and security systems where a fluid is released as a means for warding off an intruder.

Background of the invention

A fluid-releasing alarm unit typically comprises a housing accommodating a container storing a liquid, In particular, a flexible tube is used in the container to convey the liquid towards a nozzle that releases the liquid in spray form when an intrusion is detected. However, due to this construction, the container must always be in a standing position in order to properly release the liquid; this is a shortcoming since it limits the positions where to install the alarm unit. In fact, it would be desirable to spray the liquid directly where the intruder would be most caught by surprise and thereby warded off quicker. Hence, there is a long-felt need in the technical field of fluid-releasing alarm units of overcoming the abovementioned drawbacks of the state-of-the-art solutions.

Aspects of the invention

The first aspect of the invention is to provide an improvement to the state-of-the-art. The second aspect of the invention is to solve the aforementioned drawbacks of the prior art by providing an alarm unit, which is capable of releasing fluid in any posi- tion.

Description of the invention

The aforementioned aspects of the invention are achieved by a fluid-releasing alarm unit comprising at least one fluid-releasing means, at least one actuating means (e.g., one actuating means per fluid-releasing means) and at least one control module (e.g., including a wired or a wireless communication sub-module adapted to interface with a control unit of the security system or with at least one sensor such as a motion detector), the fluid-releasing means including an outer container (e.g., an aerosol can) adapted to contain a propellant (e.g., air or a suitable gas such as nitrogen, preferably under an initial pressure greater than the atmospheric pressure), an inner container (e.g., a laminated multi-layered bag) adapted to contain a fluid, wherein a final pressure of the propellant is greater than an initial pressure of the propellant when the in- ner container is at least partly filled with the fluid, and a flow controlling means (e.g., a valve) for enabling/disabling the flow of the fluid from/to the inner container to/from the outside of the outer container, wherein the control module is adapted to trigger the actuating means (e.g., when an intrusion is detected) for causing the flow controlling means to enable the flow of the fluid, which, under the final pressure of the propellant, is released by the fluid-releasing means.

The technical effect achieved by the invention is that, thanks to such fluid-releasing means, regardless the position of the fluid container, which is not limited anymore to the standing position, the alarm unit can easily release the fluid and the fluid container can get totally emptied. Hence, the invention has the advantage of providing an alarm unit capable of releasing a fluid from any position (e.g., the alarm unit may be installed at the ceiling while the fluid-releasing means may be accommodated horizontally inside the housing of the alarm unit).

In an advantageous embodiment of the invention, the fluid is a fog-generating fluid (e.g., a fluid comprising water and glycol) and the alarm unit/fog cannon further comprises at least one heat exchanger for turning the fog-generating fluid into fog. Herein, the term "fog" also encompasses the term "smoke". The technical effect achieved by this embodiment is that, when an intrusion is detected, fog is released in the interested area so that the intruder is suddenly blinded and quickly scared away. Hence, this embodiment has the advantage of effectively warding off the intruder when the alarm is triggered. Also, the aforementioned aspects of the invention are achieved by a security system comprising at least one fluid-releasing alarm unit as described above, at least one sensor (e.g., located in the same room as the alarm unit) and a control unit (e.g., remotely located from the alarm unit), the sensor being adapted to detect an event (e.g., a change in temperature, pressure, phase shifts, etc.) in the surroundings of the sensor and to send a notification about the event to the control unit, wherein the control unit is adapted to read the notification of the sensor and to trigger the alarm unit for releasing the fluid (e.g., the control unit sends a notification to the control module, which triggers the actuating means). Also, the aforementioned aspects of the invention are achieved by a method comprising:

- providing a security system as described above;

- the sensor detecting an event in the surroundings of the sensor;

- the sensor sending a notification about the event to the control unit;

- the control unit reading the notification of the sensor;

- the control unit triggering the alarm unit; and

- the alarm unit releasing the fluid.

Note that all the aforementioned advantages of the alarm unit are also met by the sys tern and the method described above.

Hereafter, the invention will be described in connection with drawings illustrating non limiting examples of the invention.

Brief description of the drawings

FIG. l: A fog security system.

FIG.2: A method of releasing fog in a fog security system.

Notations

1 : Actuating means

2: Control module

3: Outer container

4: Propellant

5: Inner container

6: Fluid/Fog-generating fluid

7: Flow controlling means/Valve

8: Security system/Fog security system

9: Sensor

10: Control unit

1 1: Actuator/Releasing adapter

12: Connection pipe

13 : Heat exchanger 16: First connection

17: Second connection

18: User interface

Preferred embodiments of the invention

FIG. l shows a fog security system 8 comprising a fog camion. The fog cannon includes a fluid-releasing means comprising an outer container 3 and an inner container 5 containing a fog-generating fluid 6. A pressurized propellant 4 occupies the space between the outer container 3 and the inner container 5. The outer container 3 includes a valve 7 (e.g., a spring-loaded valve), which, when activated, releases the fluid 6 from the inner container 5. In this exemplary embodiment, the valve 7 releases the fluid 6 from the inner container 5 when an actuating means 1 (e.g., an electrical motor with a slow action motion) pushes the outer container 3 up against an actuator/releasing adapter 11. As long as the actuating means 1 keeps the outer container 3 activated up against the releasing adapter 11, the fluid 6 is released from the inner container 5. The fluid 6 then flows through a connection pipe 12 to a heat exchanger 13 where the fluid 6 is transformed into fog 15 and released from a nozzle 14. A control module 2 controls the temperature of the heat exchanger 13 via a first connection 16 and the activation of the actuating means 1 via a second connection 17. The control module 2 is adapted to be connected (e.g., via a user interface 18) to a control unit 10 and/or a sensor 9 (e.g., a motion detector). When an intrusion is detected by the control unit 10 on the base of the measurements received from the sensor 9, the control unit 10 informs the control module 2, which then triggers the actuating means 1, thus activating the release of the fluid 6 from the inner container 5. Note that the control module 2 could also directly be connected to the sensor 9 and estimate if an intrusion is taking place or not (thus, the control unit 10 may be optional in this case). FIG.2 shows a method 100 comprising:

- providing 101 a security system 8 as described above;

- the sensor 9 detecting 102 an event in the surroundings of the sensor 9; - the sensor 9 sending 103 a notification about the event to the control unit 10;

- the control unit 10 reading 104 the notification of the sensor 9;

- the control unit 10 triggering 105 the alarm unit; and

- the alarm unit releasing 106 the fluid 6.

Claims

1. A fluid-releasing alarm unit, characterized in that the alarm unit comprises at least one fluid-releasing means, at least one actuating means (1) and at least one control module (2), the fluid-releasing means including an outer container (3) adapted to contain a propellant (4), an inner container (5) adapted to contain a fluid (6), wherein a final pressure of the propellant (4) is greater than an initial pressure of the propellant (4) when the inner container (5) is at least partly filled with the fluid (6), and a flow controlling means (7) for enabling/disabling the flow of the fluid (6) from the inner container (5) to the outside of the outer container (3), wherein the control module (2) is adapted to trigger the actuating means (1) for causing the flow controlling means (7) to enable the flow of the fluid (6), which, under the final pressure of the propellant (4), is released by the fluid-releasing means.

2, The alarm unit according to claim 1, wherein the fluid (6) is a fog-generating fluid and the alarm unit further comprises at least one heat exchanger (13) for turning the fog- generating fluid into fog (15).

3. A security system (8), characterized in that the security system (8) comprises at least one fluid-releasing alann unit according to claim I or claim 2, at least one sensor

(9) and a control unit (10), the sensor (9) being adapted to detect an event in the surroundings of the sensor (9) and to send a notification about the event to the control unit (10), wherein the control unit ( 10) is adapted to read the notification of the sensor (9) and to trigger the alarm unit for releasing the fluid (6).

4. A method (100), characterized in that the method (100) comprises:

- providing (101) a security system (8) according to claim 3;

- the sensor (9) detecting (102) an event in the surroundings of the sensor (9);

- the sensor (9) sending (103) a notification about the event to the control unit (10): - the control unit (10) reading (104) the notification of the sensor (9);

- the control unit (10) triggering (105) the alarm unit; and

- the alarm unit releasing (106) the fluid (6).