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US4814766A Expired / Lapsed US ⏱️ 0.0 years remaining

Fire alarm and heat detection system and apparatus

Assignee: FIRE TRUMPET OF AMERICAN Inc A CORP OF TX
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Filing: 1987-12-07
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Granted: 1989-03-21
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Expires: 2007-12-07
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Abstract

Abstract A fire alarm and heat detection system and apparatus employs a thermoplastic film tape, of a plastic material which may or may not be heat shrinkable, e.g., polyvinyl chloride, polyethylene, polypropylene, rubber hydrochloride, polyvinylidene chloride, polyester, or nylon, having a substantial drop in tensil strength at a predetermined temperature. A conductor wire is supported on and extends for the entire length of the tape. The wire may be round in cross section or a flat foil and embedded in the tape or formed of two separate film tapes, heat sealed or adhesively laminated together or supported, by printing or the like, on the surface of a single tape. The tape and wire are supported across a supporting frame or yoke having supporting members spring loaded apart to apply a predetermined tension which may be preselected whereby the tape and wire will break on occurrence of a predetermined temperature. A circuit continuity monitoring device is connected to the conductor wire to detect interruption and an alarm mechanism connected thereto generates an alarm signal upon detection of the interruption of continuity of the conductor wire. The system differs from systems utilizing heat shrinkage of a plastic film in that the temperature of operation is variable while the heat shrinkage point is fixed for various plastic films.

Inventors

  • 👤 Willard A. Domingue

Bibliographic Details

Application Number —
Jurisdiction US
Data Source google_patents
Last Synchronized 2026-10-27 14:06
CPC Classifications
G; G08; G08B; G08B17/00; G08B17/02

Claims Analysis

Total Claims: 21
Claim 1
Independent Claim 100 words
A fire alarm system comprising a thermoplastic film tape, of a plastic material having a substantial drop in tensile strength at a predetermined temperature, a conductor wire supported on and extending the entire length of said tape, means supporting said tape and wire under predetermined tension such that said tape and wire will break on occurrence of said predetermined temperature, circuit continuity monitoring means connected to said conductor wire to detect interruption thereof, and alarm means connected to said circuit monitoring means and operable to generate an alarm signal upon detection of the interruption of continuity of said conductor wire.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim 100 words
A fire alarm system comprising a thermoplastic film tape, of a plastic material having a substantial drop in tensile strength at a predetermined temperature, a conductor wire supported on and extending the entire length of said tape, means supporting said tape and wire under predetermined tension such that said tape and wire will break on occurrence of said predetermined temperature, circuit continuity monitoring means connected to said conductor wire to detect interruption thereof, and alarm means connected to said circuit monitoring means and operable to generate an alarm signal upon detection of the interruption of continuity of said conductor wire.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim 19 words
The system of claim 1 in which said wire is round in cross section and embedded in said tape.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim 17 words
The system of claim 1 in which said wire is a flat foil embedded in said tape.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim 36 words
The system of claim 1 in which said tape is formed of two separate film tapes, heat sealed or adhesively laminated together, said wire being a flat foil secured in or printed on said laminated tapes.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim 33 words
The system of claim 1 in which said tape is of a thermoplastic material having heat shrinking characteristics and said predetermined temperature is substantially lower than the temperature at which heat shrinkage occurs.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim 27 words
The system of claim 1 in which said tape is of a thermoplastic material which does not undergo heat shrinkage at temperatures up to said predetermined temperature.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim 32 words
The system of claim 1 in which said tape is about 0.75 in wide and 3 mils thick and breaks at a temperature of 135°-200° F. under a tension of 3.5 pounds.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim 22 words
The system of claim 1 in which said tape is of polyvinyl chloride, polyethylene, polypropylene, rubber hydrochloride, polyvinylidene chloride, polyester, or nylon.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim 28 words
The system of claim 1 including a supporting frame having supporting members, spring loaded apart, said tape being supported across said supporting members and said tension applied thereby.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim 33 words
The system of claim 1 including a supporting frame comprising a yoke having flexible supporting members, flexed toward each other spring loaded apart with said tape supported thereacross, and said tension applied thereby.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim 21 words
The system of claim 1 including means to vary said tension to predetermine said breaking temperature of said tape and wire.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim 41 words
The system of claim 1 including a supporting frame having supporting members, spring loaded apart, said tape being supported across said supporting members and said tension applied thereby, and said wire being round in cross section and embedded in said tape.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim 42 words
The system of claim 1 including a supporting frame having supporting members, spring loaded apart, said tape being supported across said supporting members and said tension applied thereby, and said wire being a flat foil embedded in or printed on said tape.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim 59 words
The system of claim 1 including a supporting frame having supporting members, spring loaded apart, said tape being supported across said supporting members and said tension applied thereby, and said tape being formed of two separate film tapes, heat sealed or adhesively laminated together, and said wire being a flat foil secured between or printed on said laminated tapes.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim 55 words
The system of claim 1 including a supporting frame having supporting members, spring loaded apart, said tape being supported across said supporting members and said tension applied thereby, and said tape beinq of a thermoplastic material having heat shrinking characteristics and said predetermined temperature being substantially lower than the temperature at which heat shrinkage occurs.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim 49 words
The system of claim 1 including a supporting frame having supporting members, spring loaded apart, said tape being supported across said supporting members and said tension applied thereby, and said tape being of a thermoplastic material which does not undergo heat shrinkage at temperature up to said predetermined temperature.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim 43 words
The system of claim 1 including a supporting frame comprising a yoke having flexible supporting members, flexed toward each other spring loaded apart with said tape supported thereacross, and said tension applied thereby, said wire being a flat foil embedded in said tape.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim 61 words
The system of claim 1 including a supporting frame comprising a yoke having flexible supporting members, flexed toward each other spring loaded apart with said tape supported thereacross, and said tension applied thereby, and said tape being formed of two separate film tapes, heat sealed or adhesively laminated together, sand said wire being a flat foil secured between said laminated tapes.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim 60 words
The system of claim 1 including a supporting frame comprising a yoke having flexible supporting members, flexed toward each other spring loaded apart with said tape supported thereacross, and said tension applied thereby, and said tape being of a thermoplastic material having heat shrinking characteristics and said predetermined temperature being substantially lower than the temperature at which heat shrinkage occurs.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim 54 words
The system of claim 1 including a supporting frame comprising a yoke having flexible supporting members, flexed toward each other spring loaded apart with said tape supported thereacross, and said tension applied thereby, and said tape being of a thermoplastic material which does not undergo heat shrinkage at temperature up to said predetermined temperature.

References Cited (Backward Citations)

US4520352A Cited
US4575715A Cited

USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows

Annuity Stage Window Opens Payment Deadline Surcharge Period Until Estimated Fee Status
3.5 Years (Year 4) 1992-03-20 1992-09-19 1993-03-21 $2000.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8) 1996-03-20 1996-09-19 1997-03-21 $3760.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12) 2000-03-20 2000-09-19 2001-03-21 $7700.00 Window Closed / Lapsed

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