JPH0652297B2 - Alarm device - Google Patents

Description

Description: BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an alarm device which incorporates a battery as a power source and detects an abnormality such as a fire or theft and gives an alarm.

[Prior Art] Conventionally, as an alarm device having a battery built in as a power source, for example, a fire detector for a home integrally provided with a fire detection circuit and an alarm circuit, or a battery power source used as a security system for an apartment house such as an apartment There is known an alarm transmitter or the like which has a built-in alarm and wirelessly transmits security information to a receiver installed in an administrator room or the like when an abnormality is detected.

By the way, fire detectors and alarm transmitters with such a built-in battery power supply detect low batteries and prompt battery replacement, so a low battery alarm is issued when the battery voltage falls below a specified threshold voltage. A low battery detection circuit that outputs

Furthermore, with the provision of a low battery detection circuit,
To check whether the low-battery detection circuit operates normally when the battery voltage actually drops, the power supply voltage from the battery to each circuit part is detected for low-battery detection when the low-battery test switch is operated. A low-battery test circuit for activating the low-battery detection circuit is provided by dropping the voltage below the threshold voltage.

On the other hand, in addition to the operation test of the low battery detection circuit, this type of alarm device is provided with an operation test circuit for artificially creating an abnormality detection state by operating the operation test switch to perform an alarm operation. There is.

By the way, the threshold voltage for detecting low battery is set higher than the final use limit voltage that causes the device to become inoperable, and the device does not immediately become inoperable even when a low battery alarm is issued. Instead, it is designed to operate normally until it reaches the final use limit voltage.

[Problems to be Solved by the Invention] However, in the conventional alarm device, since the operation test of the low battery alarm and the operation test of the abnormality alarm are performed independently, the battery is not replaced after the low battery alarm. If an abnormality such as a fire or theft occurs before the battery voltage drops to the final use limit voltage, it is not checked whether the alarm action based on the abnormality detection is normally performed. There is a problem that the reliability of the device cannot be sufficiently guaranteed because the function of the device cannot be confirmed.

The present invention has been made in view of such conventional problems, and the device operates normally under the most severe conditions from when the low battery alarm is issued to when the battery voltage drops to the final use limit voltage. An object of the present invention is to provide an alarm device capable of testing whether or not to do.

[Means for Solving the Problems] Test means for decreasing the power supply voltage from the battery to a predetermined voltage within a range of not more than the threshold voltage and not less than the final use limit voltage by the test operation, and in conjunction with the test operation of the test means. An operation test means for artificially operating the abnormality detection circuit is provided.

[Operation] According to such a configuration of the present invention, the battery voltage supplied from the battery to each circuit unit is lowered to the threshold voltage for low battery detection or less by the low battery test, and in this state, the abnormality detection circuit Pseudo operation test is performed to test whether the battery can operate normally during the period when the battery voltage drops to the final use limit voltage after the low battery alarm is issued. The reliability of the alarm device can be greatly improved by the operation test at.

[Embodiment] FIG. 1 is a circuit block diagram showing an embodiment of the present invention by exemplifying an alarm device such as a fire detector for home use in which an abnormality detection circuit and an alarm display circuit are integrally incorporated. It is a figure.

First, the configuration will be described. 1 is a battery, which supplies a power supply voltage of 6 V to each circuit unit in a normal state, for example. 2 is a power switch, and by turning on the power switch 2, the battery 1
The battery voltage thus obtained 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 stabilization circuit 3, an abnormality detection circuit 4 for detecting an abnormality such as a fire, an alarm display circuit 5 for displaying an alarm according to the detection output of the abnormality detection circuit 4, and a battery 1 obtained via the stabilization circuit 3 A low-battery detection circuit 6 is provided for detecting that the power supply voltage from the power source is below a predetermined low-battery threshold voltage Vr and issuing a low-battery alarm.

Although such a configuration is the same as a conventional alarm device having a built-in battery, for example, a home fire detector, in the present invention,
A series circuit of a resistor 7 and a low-battery test switch 8 for dropping the battery voltage below the low-battery threshold voltage Vr is connected in parallel with the stabilizing circuit 3, and when the low-battery test switch 8 is closed, the stabilizing circuit 3 causes the resistor 7 to move. It is bypassed by and loses the stabilizing function of constant voltage or constant current,
The power supply voltage from the battery 1 is supplied to the circuit portion via the resistor 7 so that the power supply voltage is artificially lowered to the low battery threshold voltage Vr or less.

Further, the operation test switch 9 is connected in parallel with the output of the abnormality detection circuit 4.
Is provided, and by closing the operation test switch 9, the alarm detection circuit 5 is activated by artificially creating the same state as when the abnormality detection circuit 4 produces a detection output.

Further, in the embodiment of FIG. 1, the low battery test switch 8 and the operation test switch 9 are interlocked switches, and 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 lower than the final use limit voltage Vl at which the alarm device becomes inoperable, as shown by the battery voltage drop characteristic with the passage of time in FIG. Low battery threshold voltage V
Since r is set to a high voltage, even if a low battery alarm is issued, a normal alarm function is performed until the battery voltage drops to the final use limit voltage Vl.

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

The test operation in the embodiment of 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 the stabilizing circuit 3 and is supplied to each circuit section of the abnormality detecting circuit 4, the alarm display circuit 5, and the low battery detecting circuit 6.

If the low battery test switch 8 is closed in order to perform the 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 for bypassing the stabilizing circuit 3 by the resistor 7 is formed, the supply of the constant voltage or the constant current by the stabilizing circuit 3 is released, and the voltage drop by the resistor 7 causes a drop in advance. Below the set low battery threshold voltage Vr, and the final use limit voltage Vl
The power supply voltage reduced to a predetermined voltage higher than is supplied to each circuit unit. Therefore, the low-battery detection circuit 6 detects a power supply voltage that is lower than the low-battery threshold voltage Vr and gives a low-battery detection output to the alarm display circuit 5, which then intermittently sounds the buzzer or blinks an indicator light. Issues a low battery alarm.

At the same time, since the operation test switch 9 is closed and the alarm display circuit 5 receives a pseudo abnormality detection signal, if the alarm display circuit 5 is operating normally with the battery voltage dropped below the low battery threshold voltage Vr, An abnormal alarm is issued based on the pseudo abnormal detection output.

On the other hand, when the abnormal alarm is not issued even if the low battery alarm is issued by the operation test, 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. It can be confirmed that in this case, the low battery threshold voltage Vr is increased and the resistance value of the resistor 7 is decreased to set the final use limit voltage Vl.
By correcting a higher value, it is possible to adjust to a normal operating state in a limit state in which a low battery alarm and an abnormal alarm are simultaneously issued. The low-battery test switch 8 and the operation test switch 9 in FIG. 1 may not be interlocked switches and may be individually tested.

FIG. 3 shows an outline of a wireless home information system, 10 is a transmitter installed on the dwelling unit side, and this transmitter 10 has a battery built in as a power source, and a sensor 11 detects an abnormality. When receiving the signal, the security information corresponding to the abnormality detection is transmitted from the transmitting antenna 12. For the transmitter 10, a receiver 13 is installed in an administrator's room or the like, and a reception signal from the transmitter 10 is received by a reception antenna 14 to receive and decode security information, and an abnormal unit and an abnormality content. Will be displayed as an alarm.
This receiver 13 is supplied with power from a commercial AC 100V.

Therefore, in the house information system as shown in FIG. 3, the transmitter 10 having a built-in battery as a power source installed on the dwelling unit side corresponds to the alarm device to which the present invention is directed.

FIG. 4 is a circuit block diagram showing an embodiment of the transmitter 10 in the house information system shown in FIG. 3, in which the battery 1 is built in as a power source, and the power source voltage from the battery 1 is set to the power switch 2 Also, it is supplied to each circuit section via the stabilizing circuit 3. An encoder 15, a transmission circuit 16 and a low battery detection circuit 6 are provided on the output side of the stabilization circuit 3, and a resistor 7 and a low battery test switch 8 are provided in parallel with the stabilization circuit 3. The series circuit of is connected.

A detection signal from a sensor such as a fire, theft, or gas leakage is given to the encoder 15, and when the detection signal from the sensor is received, the encoder 15 outputs security information corresponding to the detection signal and its own address information. The code signal is output to the transmission circuit 16, the transmission circuit 16 modulates the carrier frequency signal, and the modulated signal is transmitted from the transmission antenna 12 to the receiver. Further, the detection output of the low battery detection circuit 6 is also given to the encoder 15, and when the low battery detection output is received, a code signal including the low battery detection information and its own address information is output to the transmission circuit 16 and transmitted. The signal is transmitted from the antenna 12 to the receiver.

The test operation of the transmitter shown in FIG. 4 will be described. When the low battery test switch 8 is closed for an operation test in a use state in which the power switch 2 is closed, the function of the stabilizing circuit 3 is lost and the resistance is reduced. The battery voltage reduced by the voltage drop by 7 is the low battery detection circuit 6 and the encoder 1.
5 and the transmission circuit 16. The power supply voltage lowered through the resistor 7 by closing the low battery test switch 8 is within the voltage range of the low battery threshold voltage Vr set in the low battery detection circuit 6 and the final use limit voltage Vl or more. Then, the low battery detection circuit 6 outputs the low battery detection output to the encoder 15, and the encoder 1 uses the reduced power supply voltage.
If No. 5 is operating normally, a code signal consisting of low battery information and its own address information is output to the transmitting circuit 16, and if the transmitting circuit 16 is also operating normally at the lowered power supply voltage, the transmitting antenna Low battery information from 12,
And a transmission signal including self-address information is sent to the receiver.

Through the low battery operation test, the transmitter 10
The signal transmitted from the receiver 1 is, as shown in FIG.
If it is received and reproduced at 3, and if the reception display of the low battery alarm is normally performed, the transmitter 10 can be determined to be operating normally.

On the other hand, even if the transmitter 10 performs the operation test, 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 artificially operated by turning on the low battery test switch 8, and the detection output from the sensor is not artificially created. The detection output of the low battery detection circuit 6 is converted into a transmission code signal by the encoder 15 like the abnormality detection signal from the sensor, and is transmitted from the transmission antenna 12 to the receiver 13 via the transmission circuit 16, so that the detection of low battery is detected. As in the case where the detection output from the sensor is artificially created only by the output, the encoder 15
And the operation of the transmission circuit 16 can be confirmed. As a result, in the embodiment of FIG. 4, the operation test switch 9 for producing a pseudo abnormality detection output as shown in FIG. 1 is not particularly provided. However, the confirmation of the low battery alarm and the operation test can be simultaneously performed only by the low battery test.

Of course, also in the embodiment of FIG. 4, as in the embodiment of FIG. 1, the operation test switch 9 is separately provided, and the operation test switch 9 is closed to give a pseudo sensor output to the encoder 15 for transmission. The operation may be confirmed.

In addition, although the above-described embodiment is an example of a home fire detector and an alarm transmitter in a house information system,
The present invention is not limited to this, and can be applied as it is to an appropriate alarm device having a battery as a power source.

[Effects of the Invention] A test means for reducing the power supply voltage from the battery to a predetermined voltage within a range of not more than the threshold voltage and not less than the final use limit voltage by the test operation, and an abnormality detection circuit in conjunction with the test operation of the test means. Since the operation test means for quasi-operation is provided, the battery voltage supplied from the battery to each circuit unit is lowered to the threshold voltage for low battery detection or less by the low battery test, and in this state, the abnormality detection circuit Since a pseudo operation test of is performed, it will be tested whether it can operate normally while the battery voltage drops to the final use limit voltage after the low battery alarm is issued. The reliability of the alarm device can be greatly improved by performing the operation test in the limit state of the voltage.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a circuit block diagram showing an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a characteristic diagram showing a time change of a battery voltage, FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing an outline of a house information system, and FIG. FIG. 6 is a circuit block diagram showing another embodiment of the present invention which is applied to a transmitter of a home information system. 1: Battery 2: Power switch 3: Stabilization circuit 4: Abnormality detection circuit 5: Alarm display circuit 6: Low battery detection circuit 7: Resistance 8: Low battery test switch 9: Operation test switch 10: Transmitter 11: Sensor 12 : Transmission antenna 13: Receiver 14: Reception antenna 15: Encoder 16: Transmission circuit

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A battery for supplying a power supply voltage, a stabilizing circuit for stabilizing the power supply voltage and supplying it to each circuit portion of the apparatus, an abnormality detection circuit for detecting an abnormality such as fire, theft, and the like, An alarm provided with a detection circuit for detecting a drop to a predetermined threshold voltage or less and outputting a low battery alarm, and an alarm display circuit for displaying an alarm or sending an alarm signal to the outside based on the output of the abnormality detection circuit. In the device, a test means for lowering the power supply voltage from the battery to a predetermined voltage within the range of not more than the threshold voltage and not less than the final use limit voltage by a test operation, and the test operation of the test means in conjunction with the test means. An alarm device comprising an operation test means for artificially operating an abnormality detection circuit.