Smoke detector and method using elongated flexible low battery condition indicator member

A room-mountable battery-operated detector device, said device comprising, in combination, a housing, smoke detector means mounted in said housing, low battery condition indicator means mounted in said housing, said indicator means including a signal member normally stored in said housing and issuing means responsive to the detection of a low battery condition for issuing said signal member out of said housing and into the room in which the device is mounted, in which said signal member is an elongated flexible indicator member, and in which said issuing means is adapted to cause said indicator member to enter the room by a substantial distance to bring it in into position to be readily seen by persons in the room, and in which said issuing means includes means for releasing said indicator member from said housing and using the force of gravity to pull said member from said housing.

A room-mountable battery-operated detector device, said device comprising, in combination, a housing, smoke detector means mounted in said housing, low battery condition indicator means mounted in said housing, said indicator means including a signal member normally stored in said housing and issuing means responsive to the detection of a low battery condition for issuing said signal member out of said housing and into the room in which the device is mounted, in which said signal member is a light-weight prehensile member extending downwardly from said housing, when it is mounted on the ceiling of said room, to at least around eye level for adults standing in said room.

A room-mountable battery-operated detector device, said device comprising, in combination, a housing, smoke detector means mounted in said housing, low battery condition indicator means mounted in said housing, said indicator means including a signal member normally stored in said housing and issuing means responsive to the detection of a low battery condition for issuing said signal member out of said housing and into the room in which the device is mounted, in which said signal member is made of material selected from the group consisting of a tape or string;

• an accordion-foldable, pre-creased resilient tape;
• and a flexible wire coil.

A room-mountable battery-operated detector device, said device comprising, in combination, a housing, smoke detector means mounted in said housing, low battery condition indicator means mounted in said housing, said indicator means including a signal member normally stored in said housing and issuing means responsive to the detection of a low battery condition for issuing said signal member out of said housing and into the room in which the device is mounted, including a reel rotatably mounted in said housing for storing said indicator member in wound form, for unwinding to issue said indicator member from said housing to form a low-battery signal, and for re-winding to re-store said indicator member in said housing.

A method for operating a battery-powered smoke detector device, said method comprising the steps of, operatively associating highly prominent low device battery condition warning indicator means with said device, and operating said warning indicator means in response to a low condition of the device battery to extend from the device and provide highly prominent indication of said low device battery condition, said operating step comprising extending said low battery condition warning indicator means from said device under the force of gravity, said warning indicator means comprising an elongated, flexible signal member, and causing said member to hang down in a room to a level adjacent where people walk, to remind the people to replace the battery in the smoke detector.

A replacement cartridge for a low battery indicator in a smoke detector, said indicator comprising an elongated flexible member normally compacted into a small size, but being extended during actuation, said cartridge comprising a holder mountable in said smoke detector and holding said elongated flexible indicator member in compacted form.

A method for operating a battery-powered smoke detector device, said method comprising the steps of, operatively associating highly prominent low device battery condition warning indicator means with said device, and operating said warning indicator means in response to a low condition of the device battery to extend from the device and provide highly prominent indication of said low device battery condition, said indicator means comprising an elongated, prehensile element, said operatively associating step comprising storing said element in compacted form within the housing of said device, said operating step comprising extending said element by a substantial distance outside of said housing and causing it to fall by gravity into a room which said device is located to a level well below said device in said room.