WO1999019666A1

WO1999019666A1 - Lamp fitting and monitoring device

Info

Publication number: WO1999019666A1
Application number: PCT/AU1998/000842
Authority: WO
Inventors: Hilary Elizabeth Craig
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1997-10-15
Filing date: 1998-10-13
Publication date: 1999-04-22
Anticipated expiration: 2000-04-15

Abstract

A combined light fitting and sensing device (2) including: a lamp holder (6) having a base portion (18) and a lamp fitting portion (14) projecting therefrom, the base portion enabling the lamp holder to be mounted to a surface (4); a housing (10) having a recess (32) which is shaped so that it can overlie said base portion (18) with the lamp fitting portion (14) extending through said recess (32); one or more sensing elements (15, 52) for sensing smoke and/or movement, said sensing elements being located in said housing; and wherein said housing (10) includes mounting means (33) for mounting the housing to said surface (4) or to said base portion (18).

Description

LAMP FITTING AND MONITORING DEVICE

This invention relates to a lamp fitting and smoke detector device and/or other monitoring device.

Normally, smoke detectors comprise a small housing which is usually formed from plastics material and mounted on the ceiling of a room. The room may include lamp fittings and the addition of a smoke detector can detract from the appearance of the room.

U.S. Patent No. 4,896,145 discloses a combined light and fire detector fixture mounted on a recessed electrical box. The electrical box includes a housing and mounting means is provided for mounting a light fixture to the housing. Whilst this arrangement does have the advantage of providing a combined light and fire detector, it does have the disadvantage that it is relatively inflexible in the manner in which it is installed. Also, because of its construction, it does not lend itself to having a neat and attractive appearance.

The general object of the invention is to provide an improved combined lamp fitting and smoke detector and monitoring device.

According to the present invention there is provided combined light fitting and sensing device including: a lamp holder having a base portion and a lamp fitting portion projecting therefrom, the base portion enabling the lamp holder to be mounted to a surface; a housing having a recess which is shaped so that it can overlie said base portion with the lamp fitting portion extending through said recess; one or more sensing elements for sensing smoke and/or movement, said sensing elements being located in said housing; and wherein said housing includes mounting means for mounting the housing .to said surface or to said base portion.

In one form of the invention, the lamp fitting may be arranged to be substantially permanently connected to a ceiling or wall so that the electric wiring thereto can be fixed in place. The housing which contains the smoke detecting equipment cm then be mounted on or about the lamp fitting so as to provide a neat assembly. When it is necessary to gain access to the interior of the housing for replacement of a battery or the like, the housing can be uncoupled from the l.amp holder p.art without disturbing the connection of the l.amp holder part to the ceiling or wall.

The invention will now be further described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a side view of a lamp fitting and smoke detector device constructed in accordance with the invention;

FIGURE 2 is a plan view of the device (with the lamp removed); FIGURE 3 is a schematic cross-sectional view through a preferred embodiment of the invention;

FIGURE 4 is a schematic cross-sectional view through a further embodiment of the invention; and

FIGURE 5 is a schematic cross-sectional view through a further embodiment of the invention.

Figure 1 illustrates a combined lamp fitting .and smoke detector device 2 for mounting on a surface 4, such as a wall or ceiling. The device 2 includes a lamp holder 6 for mounting a lamp 8. The device 2 includes a housing 10 within which are mounted components (not shown) for smoke detecting. These components are standard components and therefore need not be described in detail. The housing 10 includes openings 12 to enable passage of air into the interior of the housing for smoke detection in the usual way.

In one embodiment of the invention, the holder 6 and housing 10 may be integrally formed as an injection moulded housing. The housing may include screw openings (not shown) for fixing the housing to the surface 4.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention, however, the holder 6 is formed separately from the housing 10 and one arrangement of this is shown in Figure 3. In this form of the invention, the device comprises an assembly having a lamp fitting portion 14 and a smoke detecting housing 16 which are arranged to interfit and/or interlock with one another. The lamp fitting portion 14 is somewhat similar in construction to a known form of batten holder. It comprises a base portion 18 having a flange 20 with screw holes 22 for fixing the flange 20 to the surface 4. Electric cables 23 pass through a central opening of the flange 20 to the interior of the fitting 14 for a more or less permanent electrical connection to the lamp holder 6. In this way the lamp fitting portion 14 is fixedly connected to the surface 4 in the usual way, although it can be removed if necessary by removing the screws 24 for rewiring. Sensing elements 15 and a power source such as a battery 17 mounted on an annular circuit board 19 and are located within the housing 16. The housing portion 16 includes a base 30 having a central recess 32 which in use receives the flange 20 of the lamp fitting portion 14. The base 30 may include screw holes 33 for receipt of screws (not shown) for mounting the base on the surface 4 or to the flange 20. The housing portion 16 also includes a cover 34 which includes a central tubular portion 36, annular face 38 and sidewalls 40. The cover 34 is connected to the base 30 by interlocking projections (not shown) or by screw threaded components (not shown) or by other suitable means. The tubular portion 36 is such that in the assembled device the holder portion 6 passes therethrough to enable a lamp to be mounted in the lamp holder 6 in the usual way. In the assembly of Figure 3, if access is required to the interior of the housing 10, the cover 34 can be removed without disturbing the wiring to the lamp fitting portion 14. This is especially suitable where the smoke detecting components are powered by means of a battery which needs to be periodically replaced. In an alternative form of the invention, the circuitry for the smoke detector include a battery charging circuit for charging rechargeable batteries such as Ni-Cad batteries or the like. In this arrangement the battery charging circuit would be electrically coupled to the mains.

In a further alternative form of the invention, the smoke detecting circuitry may include a regulated power supply (not shown) coupled to the mains supply cables 23 for providing a DC voltage for operating the smoke detecting components.

In some situations it may be necessary to have the device match existing architectural features. This is particularly important in heritage houses and buildings .and the like. In these circumstances, a further housing (not shown) which has been moulded to the appropriate architectural shape may be provided to substantially surround the housing 10 .and holder 6. The outer decorative cover would include an opening through which a lamp suspension device or the like would pass. The outer decorative cover could be interlocked onto the housing 6 by suitable interlocking projections. Alternatively, the decorative housing could be made into parts, at least one of which is mounted on a track which is fixed to the ceiling adjacent to the housing 10. Normally the track itself would be concealed within the decorative housing. When access is required, the decorative housing would be moved along the track to permit access to the housing 10 and holder 6.

In the embodiments described above, the housing 10 contains components for smoke detecting. In accordance with the invention, the device may additionally or alternatively include other forms of sensing and/or monitoring equipment, particularly those used for security applications. In accordance with the invention, the housing may include motion detecting circuitry, heat detecting circuitry, video surveillance equipment, audio surveillance equipment or combinations of these components. It will be understood by those skilled in the art that these other forms of monitoring devices can be coupled into monitoring systems by hard wiring or by remote transmission such as infrared transmission and/or radio link-ups. Where heat sensing devices are to be used, it would be preferred to include heat shielding so that the heat sensitive elements are not caused to malfunction by heat emitted from the lamp mounted in the holder 6. Any problem in this area can be further alleviated by using low heat emitting lamps such as fluorescent lamps or other gas emission lamps. 5

Figure 4 illustrates a further embodiment of the invention. This is similar to the embodiment shown in Figure 3 except that a second toroidal housing 50 is provided. The housing 50 may include security monitoring circuitry 52 which is arranged to receive visible light infrared sound or the like through windows 54 provided in the housing. In this 0 arrangement, the second housing 50 can be coupled by means of screw fasteners or the like (not shown) to the first housing 10. Alternatively, the second housing 50 may be provided with openings (not shown) which align with the screw holes 33 in the first housing and in the annular face 38 thereof.

5 In accordance with the invention, a range of different housings can be provided, each having different sensing functions. For instance, one housing may include smoke detecting circuitry, another movement and/or heat detecting circuitry and a further housing may include visual and/or audio sensing equipment and so on. The user can then select the appropriate components to be installed in a stack around the light fitting. In some installations, it may be 0 appropriate to include all possible detectors, that is to say smoke detectors, movement sensors, heat detecting circuitry, video and/or audio sensing equipment. These could be coupled to an appropriate control unit which is mounted near a light switch or adjacent to the front door of a dwelling. The user can then select the appropriate functions which are required at various times. For instance the motion sensors could be activated for security

25 reasons when the occupiers are leaving the dwelling. Simple switching circuits could be provided to achieve this and these need not be described. This represents a flexible and convenient way of installing appropriate services in a building.

Figure 5 shows a modified form of the invention. In this arrangement, the housing 30 10 is provided with a transparent lamp cover 60 which is arranged to be connected to the cover 34. In the illustrated arrangement, the cover 34 includes a threaded skirt 62 which projects downwardly from the annular face 38. The open end of the lamp cover 60 is provided with an internal thread 64 which meshes with the thread on the skirt 62. This enables a user to remove the outer cover 64 in order to get access to the lamp (not shown) which is mounted in the holder 6 and would be located within the lamp cover 60.

Many modifications will be apparent to those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

Claims

CLAIMS:

1. A combined light fitting and sensing device (2) including: a lamp holder (6) having a base portion (18) and a lamp fitting portion (14) projecting therefrom, the base portion enabling the lamp holder to be mounted to a surface (4); a housing (10) having a recess (32) which is shaped so that it can overlie said base portion (18) with the lamp fitting portion (14) extending through said recess (32); one or more sensing elements (15,52) for sensing smoke and/or movement, said sensing elements being located in said housing; and wherein said housing (10) includes mounting means (33) for mounting the housing to said surface (4) or to said base portion (18).

2. A combined light fitting .and sensing device as claimed in claim 1 wherein the housing includes a base (30) including fastener holes (33) mounting the housing to the surface (4), the arrangement being such that the housing (10) can be removed without disturbing the mounting of the lamp holder to the surface.

3. A combined light fitting and sensing device as claimed in claim 2 wherein the recess is located centrally of the housing.

4. A combined light fitting and sensing device as claimed in claim 3 wherein the housing is generally toroidal.

5. A combined light fitting .and sensing device as claimed in claim 4 wherein the housing includes a cover (40) and means for mounting the cover to the base.

6. A combined light fitting and sensing device as claimed in claim 5 wherein the cover includes openings (12) to allow ambient air to circulate through the housing.

7. A combined light fitting and sensing device as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 6 wherein the device includes a second housing (50), mounting means for mounting the second housing (50) so that it is adjacent to the first housing (10), the second housing being toroidal, the arrangement being such that said lamp fitting portion extends through said second housing.

8. A combined light fitting and sensing device as claimed in claim 7 wherein the second housing includes sensing elements which are different from those in the first housing.

9. A combined light fitting and sensing device as claimed in claim 1 to 6 including a transparent lamp cover (60) and mounting means (62,64) for mounting the lamp cover to said housing (10).

10. A combined light fitting and sensing device as claimed in claim 1 to 6 or 9 wherein said housing (10) is moulded so as to have a decorative appearance.