Chambered high sensitivity fiber optic smoke detection
AssigneeCarrier Corporation
InventorsMichael J. Birnkrant, Jennifer M. Alexander
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A detection system for measuring one or more conditions within a predetermined area includes at least one fiber optic cable for transmitting light to and receiving scattered light from one or more nodes and a cover plate having an internal cavity. The cover plate surrounds the one or more nodes such that the one or more nodes are in communication with the internal cavity. A control system is operably coupled to the at least one fiber optic cable so that the scattered light received by the one or more nodes is transmitted to the control system. The control system analyzes the scattered light to evaluate a condition at the one or more nodes.
Claims16
A detection system for measuring one or more conditions within a predetermined area comprising:
- at least one fiber optic cable including at least one optic core for transmitting light to and receiving scattered light from one or more nodes, the one or more nodes being formed in a mounting surface, the light being emitted from the one or more nodes via at least one emitter cone and the scattered light being received by the one or more nodes via at least one receiver cone;
- a cover plate having an internal cavity and an end surface, the end surface being affixed to the mounting surface and surrounding the one or more nodes such that the one or more nodes are in communication with the internal cavity, wherein a sensing volume where the at least one emitter cone and the at least one receiver cone extends outside of the cover plate;
- and
- a control system operably coupled to the at least one fiber optic cable so that the scattered light received by the one or more nodes is transmitted to the control system, wherein the control system analyzes the scattered light to evaluate a condition at the one or more nodes.
A method of measuring a condition comprising:
- transmitting light from one or more nodes of a fiber optic cable into an internal cavity defined by a cover plate surrounding the one or more nodes, the one or more nodes being formed at a mounting surface and an end surface of the cover plate being connected to the mounting surface;
- the light being emitted from the one or more nodes via at least one emitter cone and scattered light being received by the one or more nodes via at least one receiver cone
- scattering the light within the internal cavity;
- receiving a portion of the scattered light from the internal cavity via the at least one receiver cone, wherein a sensing volume where the at least one emitter cone overlaps the at least one receiving cone extends outside of the cover plate;
- communicating the scattered light to a control system;
- and
- analyzing the scattered light to evaluate a condition within the internal cavity adjacent the node.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.