Patent Description:
Some smoke detection systems have a number of sample points spaced around a building that are connected via sampling tubes to a remotely located single central detector apparatus that samples air taken from the sample points to determine if smoke or a fire is present in an area of the building. For example, such systems may be referred to as very early smoke detection apparatus (VESDA) systems.

<CIT> discloses a gas collecting and monitoring system for a dynamic environment. The gas collecting and monitoring system comprises a microcontroller, a gas sensor module, a nuclear radiation sensor module, a gas pump module, a wireless communication module, a power module, a memory module, a Beidou positioning module, a real-time clock module and an alarm module, wherein the gas sensor module is used for detecting type and concentration of leaked gas; the nuclear radiation sensor module is used for detecting radioactive gas with gamma rays; the gas pump module is used for transporting detected gas to the gas sensor module; the wireless communication module sends information of the system to a remote terminal; the Beidou positioning module is used for positioning the system.

<CIT> discloses systems and methods to monitor the presence of gases and particularly hazardous gases in and around equipment including drilling rigs. The system includes a gas detection system having at least one gas sensor for detecting hazardous gases around the equipment, individual conduits connected to each gas sensor for conveying gases from around the equipment to each gas sensor and a gas flow system to draw gases through the system.

The present invention is defined by the independent claim, to which reference should now be made.

The present disclosure relates to modular aspirated smoke, gas, or air quality monitoring systems and devices. Embodiments of the present disclosure use tubes to sample air, smoke, and/or gas from locations in a building.

According to the invention, a system has a common pump which provides overall pumping to draw air through a plurality (e.g., all) of the sampling tubes.

In some embodiments, the system has detector modules that can be individually removed and/or replaced. This can be beneficial as individual modules can be selectively removed for maintenance or repair without having to disconnect the sampling tubes. In such embodiments, the sampling tubes can be connected to the base of the device (the device is also referred to as a unit herein) and the modules can have releasable connections to the connectors on the base that can be reconnected when a replacement module is positioned, thereby reconnecting the sampling tubes associated with the module to the replacement module.

In various embodiments, each module has an air filter associated with it. The filter traps contaminants drawn in through the sampled air. This reduces or prevents contaminants, such as dust, pollen, viruses, undesirable chemicals, and bacteria, from being circulated through a building.

In some implementations, the air filter is detachable and/or replaceable from the detector module without having to remove the detector module itself. This can be beneficial as the technician does not have to disassemble the detector module, saving timing and the possibility of an error occurring during reassembly.

For common pump embodiments: The pump can be a module which can be readily removed and replaced if it fails, without having to dismantle any other parts of the system.

The pump also can be a module which can be sized in power and air flow capacity to suit the number of tubes and the length of tubes connected to the pump. That is, different capacity pump modules can be plugged in to suit different installed tube configurations which saves cost and power.

In such an embodiment, there can be a common vacuum manifold running from the pump along the inside of the rear mounting of the module. This structure enables a common vacuum pump to engage simply without having to have individual pump vacuum connections going to each module.

These embodiments are described in sufficient detail to enable those of ordinary skill in the art to practice one or more embodiments of this disclosure. It is to be understood that other embodiments may be utilized and that mechanical, electrical, and/or process changes may be made without departing from the scope of the present disclosure.

As will be appreciated, elements shown in the various embodiments herein can be added, exchanged, combined, and/or eliminated so as to provide a number of additional embodiments of the present disclosure. The proportion and the relative scale of the elements provided in the figures are intended to illustrate the embodiments of the present disclosure and should not be taken in a limiting sense.

As used herein, "a", "an", or "a number of" something can refer to one or more such things, while "a plurality of" something can refer to more than one such things. For example, "a number of components" can refer to one or more components, while "a plurality of components" can refer to more than one component.

<FIG> is an illustration of a perspective view of a modular aspirated smoke, gas, or air quality monitoring system device in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in <FIG>, the modular aspirated smoke, gas, or air quality monitoring system device <NUM> includes a base <NUM> onto which a number of detector modules <NUM> are attached thereto. The base <NUM> includes a number of components thereon. For example, the base includes a cable conduit <NUM> (large tube) that allows cabling to be routed through the interior of the conduit and connected to the modular aspirated smoke, gas, or air quality monitoring system device via an aperture in the device.

The cable conduit <NUM> connects to a cable management module <NUM> portion of the base <NUM>. The cable management module <NUM> has a housing with a cover to keep connections for power and data communication to and from the device out of sight and secure from tampering. The cable conduit also provides those functions. In the embodiment of <FIG>, the cable management module is located on the left side of the device, however, the embodiments of the present disclosure are not so limited.

In the embodiment of <FIG>, next to the cable management module is a communications module <NUM>. The communications module <NUM> includes an easy access reset button (<NUM> of <FIG>) on the front. The communication module <NUM> also can include other operational buttons and/or dials within the housing and a cover (<NUM> of <FIG>) to also keep them out of sight and secure from tampering. In some embodiments, the cover can be or have a portion that is at least partially translucent, allowing a technician to see the status of the buttons/dials (e.g., their current settings), so the technician can see their status, but the buttons/dials are not accessible to be tampered with.

In some embodiments, the covers of one or more modules of the modular aspirated smoke, gas, or air quality monitoring system device can be secured such that they need to be removed by a tool (specialized tool carried by a technician). In this manner, it is likely that those wishing to tamper with the modular aspirated smoke, gas, or air quality monitoring system device will not be able to access the internal components of the modules.

On the right side of the modular aspirated smoke, gas, or air quality monitoring system device illustrated in <FIG>, a number of detector modules <NUM>-<NUM>. <NUM>-N (referred to generally as modules <NUM>) are provided. These detector modules each contain one or more sensors that sense one or more environmental elements in the sampled air moving through the one or more tubes connected to the detector. Sensors can, for example, detect particulate, such as smoke particles, or gases, such as carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, and/or detect other environmental elements that may indicate less than desirable air quality.

In the embodiment illustrated in <FIG>, each detector <NUM> is connected to multiple channels/tubes <NUM>. The modular aspirated smoke, gas, or air quality monitoring system device embodiment illustrated in <FIG> also includes five detector modules <NUM> each having two channels, meaning this device can sample on ten channels, however the number of modules and/or channels per module is not so limited. The embodiment of <FIG> also includes a mounting bracket <NUM> for mounting the device to a wall or rack.

<FIG> is an illustration of a top view of a modular aspirated smoke, gas, or air quality monitoring system device in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure. <FIG> shows the cable conduit <NUM> mounted to the top of the base <NUM> behind the cable management module <NUM> and the multiple sampling tubes <NUM> connected to the top of the base <NUM>. In this embodiment, the tubes <NUM> are arranged such that the tubes are provided in pairs with each pair aligned with a detector module <NUM>. The embodiment of <FIG> also includes a mounting bracket <NUM> that can be used to mount the modular aspirated smoke, gas, or air quality monitoring system device to a wall or to a wall mounted rack, as illustrated in <FIG> and <FIG>.

<FIG> is an illustration of a perspective view of a modular aspirated smoke, gas, or air quality monitoring system device with one of the detector modules removed in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure. As in <FIG>, <FIG> also shows the cable conduit <NUM>, the cable management module <NUM> and the communication module <NUM>, with reset button <NUM> and cover <NUM>. <FIG> also provides a more detailed view of the interior components of the base as well as the detector module and its filter module/cover.

As shown in <FIG>, the detector modules are independently removeable from the base <NUM> of system <NUM>. Each detector module also has a cover thereon that is removable. The cover can have a display <NUM> that indicates a status condition of the individual detector. In some embodiments, the cover can be a filter module as described in more detail below.

<FIG> also illustrates that the base <NUM> has a number of tube connections that connect the tubes <NUM> to its associated detector module and circuitry connections for providing connections for power and data transmission purposes of the components of the module, such as for sensing components and data collection. Similar connections are also shown on the front surface of the detector. These connections can be used for attachment of other modules that can be added on (e.g., gas sensing module and/or air quality module, added to a smoke sensing module) to the detector module. In the embodiment of <FIG> the base <NUM> includes a pump to facilitate movement of air through the tubes <NUM> and through the modules <NUM>. <FIG> also shows the mounting bracket <NUM> attached to the back side of the base <NUM>.

In some embodiments, each detector module can also have a filter that can be removed from the detector module without disassembling the detector module. Such functionality can thereby save the technician's time during maintenance of the system.

<FIG> is an illustration of a perspective view of a detector module of a modular aspirated smoke, gas, or air quality monitoring system device in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure. In the embodiment illustrated in <FIG>, the module <NUM> has multiple particulate sensing chamber inlets <NUM>-<NUM> and <NUM>-<NUM>, multiple particulate sensing chambers <NUM>-<NUM> and <NUM>-<NUM>, multiple particulate sensing chamber outlets <NUM>-<NUM> and <NUM>-<NUM>, multiple flow sensing chamber inlets <NUM>-<NUM> and <NUM>-<NUM>, multiple flow sensing chambers <NUM>-<NUM> and <NUM>-<NUM>, and multiple flow sensing chamber outlets <NUM>-<NUM> and <NUM>-<NUM>. The embodiment of <FIG> also shows the removable filter <NUM> having multiple inlets <NUM>-<NUM> and <NUM>-<NUM> and outlets <NUM>-<NUM> and <NUM>-<NUM>.

In use, the module <NUM> is connected, via inlets <NUM> and outlets <NUM> to corresponding inlet and outlet ports of the base <NUM> of <FIG>, such that the air to be tested can be communicated from tubes <NUM> to the module <NUM>. A first air sampling path is represented by components <NUM>-<NUM>, <NUM>-<NUM>, <NUM>-<NUM>, <NUM>-<NUM>, <NUM>-<NUM>, <NUM>-<NUM>, <NUM>-<NUM>, and <NUM>-<NUM>; while a second air sampling path is represented by components <NUM>-<NUM>, <NUM>-<NUM>, <NUM>-<NUM>, <NUM>-<NUM>, <NUM>-<NUM>, <NUM>-<NUM>, <NUM>-<NUM>, and <NUM>-<NUM>.

As can be understood from the layout of the module shown, in the embodiments of <FIG> and <FIG>, the module <NUM> including the filtering cap <NUM> can be used with air from two sampling tubes <NUM>. However, some embodiments may have more or less air sampling paths designed therein.

Each air sampling path draws air in from one of the tubes <NUM> and tests the air to see if it contains smoke, undesired chemicals, or a threshold level of particulate (by using a sensor in the particulate sensing chamber designed to identify one or more such particles). Additionally, being modular in design, the sensors can be easily changed to repurpose a unit to sense a different type of particle which can be beneficial in some implementations.

Once the air has passed through the particulate chamber, it passes out through the outlet <NUM> and into the inlet <NUM> of the filter. The filter reduces or removes the amount of particulate in the air as this particulate may be harmful or may contaminate the device or area around the device if not removed or reduced.

Once filtered, the air exits the outlet <NUM> of the filter <NUM> and enters the inlet <NUM> of the flow sensing chamber <NUM>. The flow sensor determines that a threshold level of air is passing through the air sampling path (e.g., from the space being sampled). This information can be utilized, for example, to determine whether the device is operating correctly and whether the particulate sensing data is accurate, among other uses for the data. Once the air has passed through the flow sensing chamber, it exits the module through outlet <NUM>.

One additional benefit of the modular nature of the design shown in <FIG> is that the filter can be easily changed if it becomes dirty or no longer effective for filtering a desired particle. Also, if a different particle is to be filtered, the filter can easily be removed and replaced by a different filter. This can also be the case where a different threshold of filtration is desired. A user can simply remove the current filter <NUM> and replace it with one that will filter more or less of the desired particulate.

<FIG> is an illustration of a front view of a rack of multiple modular aspirated smoke, gas, or air quality monitoring system devices in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure. In the embodiment of <FIG>, multiple modular aspirated smoke, gas, or air quality monitoring system devices are mounted together on a rack that can be mounted to a wall or the devices can be mounted to the wall directly without a rack.

The modular nature of this system design allows the system to be easily expanded to include monitoring of more channels. For example, the embodiment shown in <FIG> can accommodated <NUM> channels (<NUM> channels per detector module X <NUM> modules = <NUM> channels per modular aspirated smoke, gas, or air quality monitoring system device X four devices provided on the rack = <NUM> channels). Embodiments of the present disclosure are not limited to this configuration and more or less channels/detector module, detector modules/device, and/or devices/rack could be utilized.

In the arrangement illustrated in <FIG>, the first cable conduit section can run into the top of a first cable management module of a first modular aspirated smoke, gas, or air quality monitoring system device, via an aperture in the top of the first cable management module. The first modular aspirated smoke, gas, or air quality monitoring system device can also have an aperture in the bottom of the first cable management module <NUM>-<NUM> and a second section of the cable conduit <NUM>-<NUM> can be positioned between the first modular aspirated smoke, gas, or air quality monitoring system device and a second modular aspirated smoke, gas, or air quality monitoring system device such that the second section of the cable conduit runs into the top of the cable management module of the second modular aspirated smoke, gas, or air quality monitoring system device. In this manner, the communications and power connections (e.g., power cord, data cable) to the modular aspirated smoke, gas, or air quality monitoring system can be secured between the devices (e.g., between devices <NUM>-<NUM>, <NUM>-<NUM>, <NUM>-<NUM>, <NUM>-L via conduit sections <NUM>-<NUM>, <NUM>-<NUM>, <NUM>-<NUM>, <NUM>-L).

It should be noted that although illustrated in a similar manner, the sampling tubes are not connected between devices in <FIG>, but rather run from each detector to a particular location (e.g., a different location for each tube) within the building that is to be monitored. In such an arrangement, the mounting bracket and/or shape of the back of the modular aspirated smoke, gas, or air quality monitoring system device can be designed to allow space for the passage of the tubes from other devices on the rack to pass behind the modular aspirated smoke, gas, or air quality monitoring system devices.

Such a design feature can be seen in <FIG> where the back on the device has a number of recesses formed therein to provide a number of gaps <NUM> between the back of the device <NUM> and the front of the mounting bracket <NUM>. These gaps can be sized and shaped to allow tubes from the device and other devices to pass behind the device shown in <FIG>.

<FIG> is an illustration of a perspective view of a modular aspirated smoke, gas, or air quality monitoring system device in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure. In the embodiment of <FIG>, the modular aspirated smoke, gas, or air quality monitoring system device includes a pumping module (<NUM> in <FIG>). In this implementation, this pumping module provides air flow through the tubes and detector modules for all of the system rather than having separate pumps for each detector and its associated tubes.

<FIG> is an illustration of a perspective view of a modular aspirated smoke, gas, or air quality monitoring system device with one of the detector modules removed in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure. The embodiment shown in <FIG> is similar to the embodiment shown in <FIG>, in that the system <NUM> has: a base <NUM> with a cable management module <NUM> connected to a cable conduit <NUM>, connections to one or more sampling tubes <NUM>, a communication module <NUM>, and a number of detector modules <NUM>. However, the embodiment of <FIG> also includes the pumping module <NUM>.

In the arrangement shown, the pumping module <NUM> is attached at the right of the detector modules <NUM>, but it could be positioned elsewhere on the device (e.g., between communication module <NUM> and the left-most detector module (e.g., <NUM>-<NUM> of <FIG>)). Additionally, the pumping module <NUM> may be connected to the base <NUM> and/or to the mounting bracket.

<FIG> is an illustration of a top view of a modular aspirated smoke, gas, or air quality monitoring system device in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure. Similar to <FIG>, <FIG> shows the cable conduit mounted to the top of the base behind the cable management module and the multiple sampling tubes connected to the top of the base <NUM>, but also shows that this device includes a pumping module <NUM>. The embodiment of <FIG> also includes a mounting bracket that can be used to mount the modular aspirated smoke, gas, or air quality monitoring system device 701to a wall or to a wall mounted rack, as illustrated in <FIG>.

<FIG> is an illustration of a front view of a rack of multiple modular aspirated smoke, gas, or air quality monitoring system devices in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure. In the embodiment of <FIG>, multiple modular aspirated smoke, gas, or air quality monitoring system devices (<NUM>-<NUM>, <NUM>-<NUM>, <NUM>-<NUM>, <NUM>-M) each having a pumping module <NUM> (<NUM>-<NUM>, <NUM>-<NUM>, <NUM>-<NUM>, <NUM>-M) are mounted together on a rack that can be mounted to a wall or the devices can be mounted to the wall directly without a rack. As with the above rack structure of <FIG>, the modular nature of this system design allows the system to be easily expanded to include monitoring of more channels. Again, here the cable conduit can be expanded to include sections between the other devices of the rack and the sampling tubes can be accommodated behind the devices.

The embodiments of the present disclosure provide greater flexibility in creating a modular aspirated smoke, gas, or air quality monitoring system by allowing components to be part of a modular system, but to be independently replaceable or, in some cases, upgradable. Additionally, embodiments allow for a greater ability to expand the system in an organized, modular fashion. The embodiments of the present disclosure also provide a system that reduces technician time and system down time.

Claim 1:
A modular monitoring unit (<NUM>), comprising:
a base (<NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>) having a plurality of sampling tubes (<NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>) mounted thereon;
at least one pump (<NUM>); and
at least one detector module (<NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>) that is releasably attached to the base, wherein the pump is arranged to draw air from one of the sampling tubes, through connections in the base, and into a particulate sensing chamber (<NUM>) within the detector module.