Fire and smoke protection device for use in buildings
OwnerEdward E. Tefkainventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An anti-security control for unlocking the normally locked door which separates the corridor side and the stairwell side of buildings, such as hotels. The anti-security control is preferably adapted for use with and draws power from any conventional-type of smoke and fire detection and alarm system. When the detection and alarm system senses the existence of a dangerous level of smoke or fire, current is shunted to a solenoid which operates to unbolt the normally locked separation door. A depressible button may be operatively affixed on the corridor side of the door to provide access from corridor to the stairwell regardless of whether a smoke or fire condition is sensed by the detection system.
Claims10
For use with a hotel-like security system in which a normally closed, but manually physically movable, framed door blocks free access between a corridor area and a stairwell area of a hotel or other building, the improvement of an anti-security control that is to be activated only under smoke and/or fire conditions, comprising, in combination:
- movable bolt means positioned for normally securing the door in a closed, locked position within its frame, to prevent any manual movement of the door that could provide selective access between the stairwell and corridor in the absence of a smoke and/or fire condition, said bolt means including biasing means for normally biasing said bolt means into a locked position;
- means for supplying electric power to the anti-sercurity control;
- detector means responsive to smoke and/or fire conditions sensed in either of the two said areas separated by the closed door, said detector means being operatively connected to said power means and including gating means for gating power when smoke and/or fire conditions are sensed;
- signal means for providing an alerting audible signal when smoke and/or fire conditions are sensed, said signal means being operatively connected to said gating means;
- and
- release means for automatically moving said bolt means against said biasing means to release the door from its normally locked condition, without opening the door when a dangerous smoke and/or fire condition is sensed by said detector means, said release means being operatively connected to said gating means, whereby, when the detector means senses a dangerous smoke and/or fire condition, said gating means shunts power to energize both said signal means and said release means to thereby provide an audible alerting signal and also permitting selective manual opening movement of the door, to permit selective access by a person between the corridor and the stairwell side of the hotel, or other hotel-like building.
An improved anti-security control for use with a hotel-like security system for a hotel or other building, in which a framed security door, constructed only for a person to effect selective manual physical movement thereof, normally is closed and blocks free access between an outside hotel stairwell to an inside hotel corridor and is substantially constantly locked, for security purposes, by a movable latch means that is operatively associated with the door and is normally biased to a closed-latch position by said security system, so as to prevent unauthorized selective manual movement of the door from the hotel's outside stairwell, and said movable latch means being movable to a non-latching position;
- said improved anti-security control being constructed and arranged to be automatically activated only under smoke and/or fire conditions, and comprising, in combination:
- a detector means that is responsive to smoke and/or fire conditions in any of the inside corridor or outside stairwell of the hotel or building,
- an electric power supply that has the power capacity to override that portion of the hotel-like security system that normally latches the framed security door when the door is in its closed position, said latch means including a locking bolt normally spring biased to a locking position;
- and means operatively associated with the said electric power supply, the said detector means, and the said movable locking bolt to override the biasing spring portion of the hotel-like security system which bolts the security door in its closed position, and leaving the door closed, by moving said movable bolt against said biasing spring to an inoperative position but only when a dangerous smoke and/or fire condition in the hotel is sensed by said detector means, thereby leaving said security door in its normally closed attitude but unlocked so as to permit a person to thereafter selectiely use the security door as a manually openable door, from the stairwell to the corridor and vice versa, and through which the person may seek shelter on either side of the security door as conditions demand.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.