Patent Publication Number: US-2022226841-A1

Title: Smoke generator with deflector

Description:
RELATED APPLICATION DATA 
     This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 16/397,081, filed Apr. 29, 2019, which is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 15/859,874, filed Jan. 2, 2018, now U.S. Pat. No. 11,045,820, dated Jun. 29, 2021, and claims the benefit of European Patent Application No. 16197296.3, filed Nov. 4, 2016, the disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entireties. 
    
    
     TECHNICAL FIELD 
     The present invention relates to the field of smoke generators. In particular the invention relates to smoke generators for home or business alarm systems. In particular it relates to smoke generators with smoke deflectors for evenly distributing, in a room, smoke generated by a chemical process. 
     PRIOR ART 
     One example of such a smoke generator is found in EP0623906B1 which discloses a burglar-proofing system and theft proofing apparatus. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The smoke generator and smoke deflector of the invention is intended to generate and distribute smoke in a room where a break-in or other similar unauthorised access to a room or building is taking place in order to subdue the amount of harm caused by the intruder by impairing his or her vision and maybe also his or her breathing. The inventors have realised that smoke, if not particularly guided, tend to distribute unevenly in a room, and therefore may provide areas of less dense smoke providing a burglar with a possibility to continue his or her unauthorised activity in spite of alarm sounding and smoke being deployed. There is also a need for a small and compact smoke generator and smoke deflector that are easily manufactured and assembled. Further there is a need to be able to easily replace expendables, such as smoke pyrotechnic canister, and batteries. 
     The present invention provides a smoke generator and a deflector for a smoke generator and a residual collector for the smoke deflector for collecting debris which may be formed during the chemical process of smoke generation. There is also provided means for easily exchanging a pyrotechnic canister. 
     The smoke deflector of the present invention comprises at an upper surface a flange defining an inlet opening allowing smoke from a bottom portion of a pyrotechnic smoke canister to enter an inside of the smoke deflector. The upper flange is part of a smoke deflector upper part. The smoke deflector upper part is attached to a smoke deflector lower part together defining a smoke deflector cavity. The smoke deflector cavity has an inlet opening as described above, and an elongated outlet opening, horizontally arranged, for distributing the smoke into the room. Further, the smoke deflector cavity is arranged to have a shape generally resembling a cylindrical sector having a relatively small thickness. The cylindrical sector has an upper surface, a lower surface, two side surfaces, a base surface, and an apex. The apex may end in a pointed shape or form a cut shape. Preferably, the upper and lower surfaces are arranged to slant downwards from the apex to the base at an angle of 10 to 15 degrees relative to the horizontal plane. 
     The inlet opening can be viewed as being arranged at the upper surface near the apex. The outlet opening can be viewed as being arranged at the base surface, corresponding to a major portion of, or the entire base surface. 
     In detail, the upper surface of the lower part of the smoke deflector, forming the floor of the smoke deflector cavity, may be flat or formed to be slightly dome-shaped. The dome shape may be of one of three particular shapes or of a combination thereof. A first particular dome shape entails that a floor upper portion, near the apex is slanting a first number of degrees relative to the horizontal plane, and a floor lower portion is slanting a second number of degrees relative to the horizontal plane, wherein the second number of degrees are greater than the first number of degrees. 
     A second particular dome shape entails that the upper surface of the lower part of the smoke deflector, forming the floor of the smoke deflector cavity is shaped like a portion of a cone, wherein imaginary lines starting at an apex of the cone, imaginary or not, and ending at the periphery of the upper surface, all are assuming an angle of 75 to 80 degrees relative to a vertical line through the apex of the cone, imaginary or not. 
     The flat shape is a plane shape, equal to a plane slanting 10 to 15 degrees relative to a horizontal plane, with its highest point at the apex and its lowest points located at lower rim of orifice defining the outlet opening. 
     The floor of the smoke detector cavity may in a preferred embodiment be provided with a residual collector for collecting residual debris that may be formed by the chemical process of producing smoke. 
     The residual collector is preferably arranged as a groove at the floor of the smoke deflector cavity, close to where it forms the elongated outlet orifice, or even forming the lower portion of that outlet orifice. 
     The smoke deflector is easily manufactured by e.g. injection moulding or die-casting of an upper part and a lower part which is assembled to form the ready smoke deflector. The structure defining the residual collector grove can easily be formed as an integral part of the lower part by e.g. injection moulding or die-casting. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       In order that the manner in which the above recited and other advantages and objects of the invention are obtained will be readily understood, a more particular description of the invention briefly described above will be rendered by reference to specific embodiments thereof which are illustrated in the appended drawings. 
       Understanding that these drawings depict only typical embodiments of the invention and are not therefore to be considered to be limiting of its scope, the invention will be described and explained with additional specificity and detail through the use of the accompanying drawings in which: 
         FIG. 1A  shows a side view of a smoke generator. 
         FIG. 1B  shows a front/upper view of a smoke generator with a smoke deflector separated from the rest of the smoke generator. 
         FIG. 2  shows an exploded perspective view of a smoke generator. 
         FIG. 3  shows a perspective view of a smoke deflector for a smoke generator. 
         FIG. 4A  shows a perspective view of an upper part of the smoke deflector of  FIG. 2 . 
         FIG. 4B  shows a view from above of the smoke deflector upper part of  FIG. 4A . 
         FIG. 4C  shows a cross sectional view of the smoke deflector upper part of  FIG. 4B . 
         FIG. 5A  shows a perspective view of a smoke deflector lower part. 
         FIG. 5B  shows another perspective view of the smoke deflector lower part of  FIG. 5A . 
         FIGS. 6A, 6B, 6C  show further views of the lower part of the smoke deflector analogous to  FIGS. 4A, 4B, 4C . 
         FIG. 7A  shows a perspective view of a smoke generator with upper and lower parts slightly separated. 
         FIG. 7B  shows the smoke generator lower part of  FIG. 7A . 
         FIG. 8  shows an exploded view of a smoke generator upper part with a pyrotechnical canister. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       FIG. 1A  shows a side view of a smoke generator  100  for generating smoke upon activation in order to fill a space such as a room with smoke to prevent burglary or other non-desired activity. The smoke generator comprises an upper part  1 , 101  and a smoke deflector  103  arranged to be connected to the upper part to allow smoke to flow from a smoke canister housed in the upper part into the smoke deflector  103 . 
       FIG. 1B  shows a front/upper view of a smoke generator with the smoke deflector  103  separated from the upper part  1 ,  101 . 
       FIG. 2  shows an exploded perspective view of a smoke generator. The smoke generator comprises an upper part  1  and a lower part assembly comprising a battery lid  4 , a compartment divider frame  3  for defining a smoke deflector compartment and a battery compartment, an electronics unit  14 , and a smoke deflector  5 , 6  comprising a smoke deflector upper part and a smoke deflector lower part. Further the lower part assembly comprises a smoke generator lower part outer casing  2  for shape, protection and structural stability. 
       FIG. 3  shows a perspective view of the smoke deflector  103  for the smoke generator. The smoke deflector  103  comprises at an upper surface a flange  115  defining an inlet opening allowing smoke from a bottom portion of a pyrotechnic smoke canister to enter an inside of the smoke deflector. The flange  115  is part of a smoke deflector upper part  106 . The flange  115  simultaneously constitutes connection means and conduit means for smoke streaming from the pyrotechnic canister. The smoke deflector upper part  106  is attached to a smoke deflector lower part  109  together defining a smoke deflector cavity. The smoke deflector cavity is provided with an inlet opening as described above, and an elongated, preferably curved, outlet opening. The upper and lower parts are shaped to define the smoke deflector cavity to have a shape generally resembling a cylindrical sector having a relatively small thickness. The cylindrical sector has an upper surface, a lower surface, two side surfaces, a base surface, and an apex. The apex may end in a pointed shape or form a cut shape. Preferably, the upper and lower surfaces are arranged to slant downwards in the direction of smoke from the apex to the base at an angle of 10 to 15 degrees relative to the horizontal plane. Thus, smoke gases are forced to change direction about 75 to 85 degrees from vertical direction, and at the same time spreading in the plane slanting 10 to 15 degrees relative to the horizontal plane, guided by the deflector. The inlet opening can be viewed as being arranged at the upper surface near the apex. The outlet opening can be viewed as being arranged at the base surface, corresponding to a major portion of, or the entire base surface. 
     The smoke deflector cavity is preferable extending both in front of the inlet opening and at the left and the right sides of the virtual extension of the inlet opening to form a right supporting volume, and a left supporting volume extending to the left and right respectively beyond a virtual line extending from a defining edge of inlet opening to a defining edge of outlet opening. 
       FIG. 4A  shows a perspective view of an upper part of the smoke deflector of  FIG. 3 .  FIG. 4B  shows a view from above of the smoke deflector upper part of  FIG. 4A . It can be seen that the shape as seen from the above is a circular sector shape were a sector centre portion is cut off. It can be seen that the flange defining the inlet opening is arranged near that cut.  FIG. 4C  shows a cross sectional view of the smoke deflector upper part of  FIG. 4B . 
       FIG. 5A  shows a perspective view of a smoke deflector lower part. The upper surface of the lower part of the smoke deflector, forming the floor of the smoke deflector cavity, may be flat or formed to be slightly dome-shaped. The dome shape may be of one of three particular shapes or of a combination thereof. A first particular dome shape entails that a floor upper portion, near the apex, is slanting a first number of degrees relative to the horizontal plane, and a floor lower portion, near the outlet opening, is slanting a second number of degrees relative to the horizontal plane, wherein the second number of degrees are greater than the first number of degrees. 
       FIG. 5B  shows another perspective view of the smoke deflector lower part of  FIG. 5A . A second particular dome shape entails that the upper surface of the lower part of the smoke deflector, forming the floor of the smoke deflector cavity is shaped like a portion of a cone, wherein imaginary lines starting at an apex of the cone, imaginary or not, and ending at the periphery of the upper surface, all are assuming an angle of 75 to 80 degrees relative to a vertical line through the apex of the cone, imaginary or not. The flat shape is a plane shape, equal to a plane slanting 10 to 15 degrees relative to a horizontal plane, with its highest point at the apex and its lowest points located at lower rim of orifice defining the outlet opening. 
       FIGS. 6A, 6B, 6C  show further views of the lower part  109  of the smoke deflector  103  analogous to  FIGS. 4A, 4B, 4C . 
     Residual Collector 
     The floor of the smoke detector cavity may in a preferred embodiment be provided with a residual collector  120  for collecting residual debris, including liquid, that may be formed by the chemical process of producing smoke. 
     The residual collector is preferably arranged as a groove at the floor surface  109 : 1  of the smoke deflector cavity, close to where it forms the elongated outlet orifice, or even forming the lower portion of that outlet orifice. The residual collector is preferably configured to have a horizontally arched shape to form an integral continuation of the smoke deflector cavity floor surface. It is preferably configured to have a groove gap and groove depth adapted to the amount and speed of debris expected to be formed during smoke generation, such that debris does not fill the entire groove, and also such that debris will not overshoot the gap of the groove. 
     The smoke deflector  103 ,  106 ,  109  is easily manufactured by e.g. injection moulding or die-casting of an upper part and a lower part which is assembled to form the ready smoke deflector. The structure  120  defining the residual collector grove can easily be formed as an integral part of the lower part by e.g. injection moulding or die-casting. 
       FIG. 7A  shows a perspective view of a smoke generator  100  with upper  1  and lower parts  710  slightly separated. Smoke generator upper part  1  and lower part  710  are configured to be attachable to a wall mount  705 .  FIG. 7B  shows the smoke generator lower part  710  of  FIG. 7A  in more detail. In a front compartment the smoke deflector  103  is arranged, and a battery compartment arranged behind the smoke deflector compartment is configured to house one or more batteries  701 . 
       FIG. 8  shows an exploded view of a smoke generator upper part with a pyrotechnical canister  810 . The smoke generator upper part comprise a two-piece canister housing  805 ,  815  for housing a smoke canister, the canister housing  805 ,  815  being configured to facilitating ease of replacement of canister housing  805 ,  815  together with canister as one item, when replacing the canister of a smoke generator. The two-piece canister housing  805 ,  815  comprises a first canister housing piece  805 , and a second canister housing piece  815 , and connection means to hold them together. The canister housing  805 ,  815  is preferably conformal and size adapted with the shape of the smoke canister  810 , such that cylindrical canister housings goes together with cylindrical smoke canisters, cuboidal canister housings goes together with cuboidal smoke canisters etc. However, cylindrical shape has shown to give an overall compact smoke generator. 
     The canister housing of claim  7  further being provided with an electrical interface for conveying electrical signals from outside the canister housing to the canister residing inside the canister housing, the canister housing also being provided with a smoke flow interface allowing smoke to flow from the canister to the outside of the canister housing. The electrical interface may include that the canister housing is configured to define an orifice which allow contactors to make electrical contact with contact areas of the smoke canister. The smoke flow interface may include that the canister housing is configured to define an orifice arranged to cooperate with a smoke outlet of the smoke canister. The canister housing is preferably made of plastic. 
     Advantages of the above described configuration is that the chemical component of the device is completely isolated from the electronic part of the device, so once triggered, it is possible change the canister subassembly and maintain the same electronics, which has the advantage of cost of materials, cost of maintenance, no need to reinstall the electronics. 
     A further advantage of the above described configuration of the smoke generator is that the pyrotechnical component, the canister, is embedded in a plastic housing, so there is no need to manipulate it directly when installing and when replacing the canister after having launched the smoke. 
     A still further advantage of the above described configuration of the smoke generator is that the smoke canister housing with a canister can be assembled in the device without any tool, making the process of installing it by a non qualified person, even as a “Do It Yourself” process. It is as easy as changing a battery in a smartphone. 
     LEGEND 
     
         
           3  Compartment divider frame 
           4  battery lid 
           100  Smoke generator 
           1 ,  101  Smoke generator upper part 
           103  Smoke deflector 
           6 ,  106  Smoke deflector upper part 
           106 : 1  Lower surface of smoke deflector upper part 
           5 ,  109  Smoke deflector lower part 
           109 : 1  Upper surface of smoke deflector lower part 
           112  Canister 
           115  Flange 
           120  Front wall of collector groove 
           130  Cartridge 
           701  Battery 
           705  Wall mount 
           710  Smoke generator lower part 
           801  Upper casing 
           805  First canister housing piece 
           810  Smoke canister 
           815  Second canister housing piece 
           820  Connector 
           825  Panel