Patent ID: 7188679

Claim:
Apparatus for remote inspection of portable fire extinguishers in installed positions at one or a system of fire extinguisher stations, said apparatus comprising: a fire extinguisher gauge mounted to a portable fire extinguisher comprising a fire extinguisher tank defining a volume containing fire extinguishing material and disposed in communication with the volume for detection and display of pressure condition of the fire extinguishing material contained within the volume of the fire extinguisher tank; an electronic circuit in communication between the fire extinguisher and a remote central station for issue of a wireless signal to the remote central station upon detection of one or more predetermined conditions selected from: predetermined internal conditions and predetermined external conditions, the predetermined internal conditions comprising an out-of-range pressure condition of fire extinguishing material contained within the volume of the fire extinguisher tank of the fire extinguisher at the fire extinguisher station, and the predetermined external conditions comprising lack of presence of a fire extinguisher in its installed position at the fire extinguisher station and presence of an obstruction to viewing of or access to the fire extinguisher station; wherein said electronic circuit comprises a detector for the the predetermined internal condition adapted to initiate the wireless signal to the remote central station upon detection of the predetermined internal condition; wherein said detector for the predetermined internal condition comprises said fire extinguisher gauge for detecting the out-of-range pressure condtion of fire extinguishing material contained within the volume of the fire extinguisher tank of the fire extinguisher at the fire extinguisher station; and wherein said fire extinguisher gauge comprises a gauge pointer and a gauge scale, said gauge pointer being moveable relative to said gauge scale for indication of pressure, and said apparatus further comprises a magnet mounted to said gauge pointer and at least one sensor responsive to proximity of said magnet as the tank approaches an out-of-range pressure condition.