Patent Publication Number: US-2018050230-A1

Title: Electrical wall outlet fire detection system

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to an electrical wall outlet with an environment detector and in particular an electrical wall outlet with integral fire detector. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Emergency detection systems such as fire detection systems alert occupants and emergency professionals of possible fire emergencies. Fire detection systems have been developed to place fire detectors in differing environments and for sensing different events that signify the presence of a fire. Some prior systems include smoke detectors, particle detectors and heat sensors, individually or possibly in combination, to detect a possible fire. 
     Traditional fire detectors are stand-alone devices that are either powered by battery or may be hardwired to a facility&#39;s electrical system. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention is directed to an electrical wall outlet with integrated or built-in environment detector such as a fire detector. Advantageously, the electrical outlet is adapted to be disposed in a conventional electrical outlet box. As a result, the present electrical outlet with an integrated fire detector can be easily installed in a residential or commercial building, both new construction as well as use with an existing building. The electrical outlet has one or more electrical sockets. A carbon monoxide sensor and at least an additional sensor such as heat, particle, gas and smoke are disposed within or integral with the electrical outlet receptacle. A wireless transmitter is operatively associated with the carbon monoxide sensor and at least one of the additional sensors. In use, the electrical outlet fire detector sends a signal wirelessly to a remote alarm, monitoring station, or mobile electronic device such as a smart phone to alert one that a possible fire has been detected. 
     Advantageously, the combination of a carbon monoxide sensor along with an additional sensor such as heat, particle, gas and smoke allows for a more accurate identification of a fire event. For example, a computer processor is disposed within the electrical outlet fire detector and associated with the sensors to identify a fire event based on input from the carbon monoxide sensor and the other sensors. Alternatively, a computer processor can be located remote from the sensors (i.e., away from the outlet) and operatively associated with the sensors via a wireless signal or a computer network connection (e.g., a local area network (LAN), wide area network (WAN) or the internet). As with a processor which can be located in the outlet, the remote processor includes logic for identifying a fire event based on information generated from the carbon monoxide sensor and the additional sensor(s). 
     The present invention, in one form thereof, is directed to an electrical wall outlet with integrated fire detector. The wall outlet has an electrical outlet receptacle with one or more electrical sockets. The electrical outlet receptacle is adapted to be disposed in an electrical outlet box. A carbon monoxide sensor is disposed within or integral with the electrical receptacle. At least one additional sensor selected from the group consisting of heat, particle, gas and smoke is also disposed within or integral with the electrical receptacle. A wireless transmitter is operatively associated with the carbon monoxide sensor and the at least one additional sensor. In specific, further advantageous form, the electrical outlet has a computer network connection associated with the carbon monoxide sensor. 
     The present invention, in another form thereof is directed to a system for detecting fire. The system has an electrical outlet receptacle with one or more electrical sockets. The electrical outlet is adapted to be disposed in an electrical outlet box. A carbon monoxide sensor and at least an additional sensor selected from the group consisting of heat, particle, gas and smoke is disposed within or is integral with the electrical receptacle. A wireless transmitter is operatively associated with the carbon monoxide sensor and at least one additional sensor. An alert device has a receiver to wirelessly connect the alert device to the carbon monoxide sensor and the at least one additional sensor via the wireless transmitter. 
     The present invention in another form thereof is directed to an electrical wall outlet with integrated environment detector. The wall outlet has a housing adapted to be disposed in an electrical outlet box. One or more electric sockets are disposed within the housing. A at least one sensor selected from the group consisting of carbon monoxide, heat, particle, gas and smoke are disposed within or integral with the housing. A wireless transmitter is operatively associated with the sensor(s). In one further advantageous form, a computer processor is operatively associated with the sensor(s), to identify the presence of an environmental event such as a fire, gas leak, etc. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a schematic showing a system for detecting an environmental event such as a fire in accordance with the present invention. 
         FIG. 2  is an electrical outlet with integrated fire detector in accordance with the present invention. 
         FIG. 3  is an electrical outlet box into which the electrical outlet with integrated fire detector of  FIG. 2  can be disposed. 
         FIG. 4  is a front elevation view of the electrical outlet of  FIG. 2  disposed within the electrical outlet box of  FIG. 3 . 
         FIG. 5  is a cross section view of the electrical outlet box of  FIG. 4  taken along line  5 - 5 . 
         FIG. 6  is a schematic showing aspects of the electrical outlet with integrated fire detector in accordance with the present invention. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     The present invention will now be described with reference to the figures.  FIG. 1  is a schematic showing fire alert system  10  which includes an electrical outlet  12  having an integrated fire detector. The electrical outlet  12  wirelessly connects to various receivers or devices including a home security system  14 , smoke detector  16 , an electronic mobile device  18 , a remote alarm  20  and a monitoring station  24 . The receivers, e.g. smoke detector  16 , a remote alarm  20  and a monitoring station  24  can have their own, respective environment sensors such as a carbon monoxide sensor, heat, particle, gas and smoke. Although only one electrical outlet  12  is shown in  FIG. 1  for simplifying the schematic, the system  10  can have a number of outlets  12  located throughout a building to act as a network of fire detectors. 
     Referring now to  FIGS. 2-5  along with  FIG. 1 , the electrical outlet  12  has a housing or receptacle body  20  which holds or houses two electrical sockets  21   a ,  21   b . Alternatively, if desired, the electrical outlet can include additional sockets, a light switch or other conventional electrical outlet receptacle devices including but not limited to switches, ground fault interrupters (GFI), etc. 
     Terminals  22 ,  23  are used to connect the electrical outlet receptacle  20  to current in a building such as a  120 / 220  supply with a ground wire connected to terminal  24 . 
     Advantageously, the electrical outlet receptacle  20  can be disposed within a conventional electrical box  30  ( FIG. 3 ).  FIGS. 4 and 5  show a typical installation of the electrical outlet receptacle  20  installed in the electrical outlet box  30  and held in place by screws  25 . 
     Referring now to  FIG. 6 , the electrical outlet  20  is shown as a schematic to simplify understanding of its integrated fire detector. Elements shown in  FIG. 6  schematically are either disposed within the housing or receptacle  20  or may be disposed along an exterior surface of the housing or receptacle  20  as appropriate and desired in accordance with this disclosure. The electrical outlet  12  has several sensors including a carbon monoxide sensor  60 , a particle sensor  61 , a heat sensor  62 , a smoke sensor  63 , and gas sensor  64 . The gas sensor  64  can be adapted to detect various environment gases, including but not limited to carbon dioxide, natural gas and other organic hydrocarbons, scents and odors. Advantageously, each of the sensors  60 - 64  are connected to a computer board  65  with computer processor  66 . Processor  66  includes computer logic for identifying a possible fire event from signals received from the sensors  60 - 63 . When processor  66  identifies a possible fire, the processor  66  sends a signal via communication module  68 , via a wired connector or a wireless connection via wireless transmitter  69 , indicating the identification of a possible fire or other environmental event. 
     Referring now to the communication module  68  in more detail, the communication module  68  transmits a wireless signal via transmitter  69  to a receiver which provides audible/visual/communication information to appropriate personal. A non-exclusive list of receivers include, but are not limited to the home security system  14 , smoke detector  16 , electronic mobile device  18 , remote alarm  20  and monitoring station  24  (see,  FIG. 1 ). The wireless communication may include any type of wireless transmission technology, including, but not limited to, WiFi, 3G, 2G, 2.5G, 4G, WiMax, BlueTooth. Some, but not all, possible communication networks that may comprise a computer network or be otherwise part of a system that includes a local area network (LAN), a wide area network (WAN), the Internet, a telephone line, a cable line, as well as an RF channel, an optical communications line, and a satellite communications link. 
     Alternatively or in addition to using the wireless transmitter  69 , the communication module  68  can be directly wired to a computer network. For example, the communication module  68  can be hardwired connected to a local area network (LAN), wide area network (WAN) or the Internet. 
     Referring to  FIG. 1  along with  FIG. 6 , the identification of a possible fire event can be received wirelessly by various receivers or devices including the home security system  14 , smoke detector  16 , electronic mobile device  18 , remote alarm  20  and monitoring station  24 . For example, the home security system  14 , smoke detector  16 , electronic mobile device  18 , remote alarm  20  and monitoring station  24  have wireless receivers for receiving signals from the transmitter  69  for wireless communication between the electrical outlet  12  and the aforementioned receivers. The receivers can receive signals either directly from the transmitter  69  or wirelessly via a computer network operatively associated with the communication module  68  and/or transmitter  69 . Alternatively, rather than receiving wireless signals, the receivers can be hardwired to a telecommunication or computer network operatively associated with the sensors of the outlet  12 . Upon identification of a fire event, an appropriately adapted receiver can alert the fire department or other emergency personal of a possible dangerous event. 
     In alternative embodiments, the home security system  14 , smoke detector  16 , electronic mobile device  18 , remote alarm  20  and monitoring station  22  have respective computer processors for receiving and processing information from the sensors in the electrical outlet  12 . For example, the monitoring station  24  can have its own processor for processing data from the carbon monoxide sensor  60  and other sensors such as heat sensor  62  and smoke sensor  63  to identify a possible fire from the presence of detected carbon monoxide heat and smoke. 
     In use, when an environmental event such as a fire event is identified for example via processor  66  or respective processors in the receivers which receive data from the sensors in the electrical wall outlet via a wired connection or via transmitter  69 , an alert is sent from the receiver to warn occupants and emergency personnel of the fire event. For example, remote alarm  20  has a speaker  21  and a light  22  to alert one of a fire event by producing an audible sound or light, respectively. 
     In another example, the monitoring station  24  can be remote from a building to which electrical outlets  12  are installed. The monitoring station  24  can include human personnel who receive and review data from the sensors ( 60 - 64 ) and alert the appropriate emergency personnel upon receipt of information from the sensors ( 60 - 64 ) in the electrical outlet  12 . Alternatively, the monitoring station  24  can be completely automated and connected to a telephone line or other connection to remote emergency personnel to alert the emergency personnel that a possible fire event has been detected in the building. In addition, a location in the building of a fire event can be identified from data collected by the sensors ( 60 - 64 ) in the electrical outlets  12  deployed throughout a building. 
     It will now be clear to one of ordinary skill in the art that the present electrical outlet with integrated environment detector such as a fire detector has advantages and functions not found in prior fire detection systems. Having the detector integrated within an electrical outlet receptacle itself allows for easy installation in both new construction as well as retrofitting an existing building. In addition, integrating the detector within the electrical outlet allows for a compact product. Further, the use of a carbon monoxide sensor along with other sensors such as smoke, fire, heat, gas, etc., allows the present fire detector to be more sensitive to accurately identifying a fire event based on the presence of carbon monoxide along with smoke, particle, or heat present. In addition, communicating (advantageously wirelessly) between the sensors&#39; location where carbon monoxide along with smoke, particle, gas or heat is detected, allows for deployment of a sensor at a location where a fire is likely to occur, such as in the proximity of a wall to detect a possible electrical fire, and then transmits the detection of the event for receipt by a wireless device at a remote location from the location where the event is detected. As a result, a central system such as a monitoring station or an electronic mobile device can be used to receive detection of a possible fire event remote from the actual location of the fire or other environmental event. 
     Although the invention has been described with respect to a preferred embodiment, it is to be understood that the invention is capable of numerous modifications and variations, apparent to those skilled in the art, without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.