GB2298492A

GB2298492A - Testing alarms

Info

Publication number: GB2298492A
Application number: GB9504070A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Douglas Frank Lane
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1995-03-01
Filing date: 1995-03-01
Publication date: 1996-09-04
Anticipated expiration: 2015-03-01
Also published as: GB2298492B; GB9504070D0

Abstract

Smoke detectors and other alarms which include a pushbutton or equivalent operating member can be tested using an extendible shaft (10) which includes a number of telescopic sections (11, 12 and 13). One end section (11) includes a handgrip (14) and the other end section (13) terminates in an end formation (15) which is so shaped that it is a close fit when engaged with the pushbutton or equivalent operating member of the detector or alarm. Part of one of the sections (11) has a flat surface (19) which is marked to define a scale and a slider (21) is movable step-wise over the scale to provide a record that a testing operation has been effected.

Description

METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR TESTING Field of the Invention This invention relates to a method and apparatus for testing and has been developed in relation to the testing of smoke detectors and other alarms which include a push-button or equivalent operating member which has to be pressed periodically to check that the detector or alarm is functional and that any batteries within the detector or alarm have not become discharged beyond a predetermined level.

Smoke detectors, in particular, are normally located at the highest possible position within a room or building and thus, by the very nature of the function which they have to perform, can be relatively inaccessible.

If access to detectors and/or alarms is difficult to obtain, there is a risk that any checking functions will not be carried out. This may particularly be the case in respect of the elderly or infirm, i.e. the people who are most at risk and for whom it is most important that any detectors and/or alarms should be maintained in a functional condition.

It is accordingly an object of the present invention to provide a novel method and apparatus for testing, of particular application to the testing of smoke detectors and/or alarms.

Some elderly people become forgetful and, as a result, can forget how long it is since they tested a detector or alarm. The problem of forgetfulness is, of course, not just applicable to the elderly and it is accordingly an object of the present invention to provide an apparatus for testing which includes record/reminder means.

Summary of the Invention According to a first aspect of the present invention there is provided a method of testing a detector or alarm which includes a pushbutton or equivalent test member, said method comprising the use of a telescopically extendible shaft having a handgrip at one end and a formation at the other end specifically designed for engagement with a pushbutton or equivalent operating member of a detector or alarm.

The telescopically extendible shaft preferably includes a plurality of sections which are slidable relative to one another and manually operable locking means to prevent such relative sliding movement. The method of testing thus preferably includes extension of the shaft to the required length and operation of the locking means to fix the required length of the shaft.

The shaft preferably carries a recording element which is movable over a scale to indicate either the date on which testing has been carried out or the date on which the detector or alarm should next be tested. The method of testing thus preferably includes movement of the recording element to advance it by one step, such advancing movement preferably being effected once testing of the detector or alarm has been completed.

According to a second aspect of the present invention there is provided an apparatus for testing detectors and/or alarms, said apparatus comprising a telescopically extendible shaft having a handgrip at one end and a formation at the other end specifically designed for engagement with a pushbutton or equivalent operating member of a detector or alarm, said shaft carrying recording means for providing a record that a test has been carried out at a particular time.

The recording means may include a recording element which is movable over a scale to indicate either the date on which testing has been carried out or the date on which the detector or alarm should next be tested.

The scale may be marked in months with the recording element arranged to be advanced along the scale by one step each month when a test is carried out.

Brief Description of the Drawings Figure 1 is a side view of a smoke detector tester, Figure 2 is an enlarged view of one end of the tester, Figure 3 is detail plan view of part of the tester which acts as a record or reminder, and Figure 4 is a detail view showing the connection between two telescopically movable parts of the tester.

Description of the Preferred Embodiment The smoke detector tester shown in the drawings comprises an extendible shaft 10 which includes three sections 11, 12 and 13. The first section 11 includes a handgrip 14 and the third section 13 terminates in an end formation 15 which is shaped so that it is a close fit which engaged with the test button (not shown) of a smoke detector or other alarm.

The first section 11 has an open mouth to receive the second or central section 12 as a close sliding fit. A cap 16 has threaded engagement with the end part of the first section 11 and a bevelled plastic washer 17 is contained within the cap 16 and surrounds the second section 12. When the cap 16 is loosened, the second section 12 is freely slidable relative to the first section 11 whereas, when the cap 16 is tightened on to the end part of the first section 11, the bevelled washer 17 is displaced inwardly into gripping engagement with the outer surface of the second section 12 and relative sliding movement between the first and second sections 11 and 12 is thus prevented.

There is a similar cap 18 threaded on to the other end of the second section 12 and this also contains a bevelled plastic washer (not shown) so that, when the cap 18 is loosened, the third section 13 is freely slidable relative to the second section 12 whereas, when the cap 18 is tightened, the bevelled washer within the cap is displaced inwardly to grip the outer surface of section 13 and relative sliding movement between the sections 12 and 13 is prevented.

The first section 11 includes a part having a flat upwardly presented surface 19 bounded by a pair of parallel channels 20 which are engaged by the ends of an indicator slider 21 which is movable longitudinally of the channels 20 over the surface 19 which is marked to define a scale. The scale is a monthly scale and the arrangement is such that the slider 21 can be moved over the scale a month at a time. The channels 20 are formed with small humps or indentations to facilitate such stepwise movement.

The extendible shaft 10 will normally be stored in a retracted condition. When it is desired to test a smoke detector or other alarm, the sections 12 and 13 will be extended and the caps 16 and 18 will be tightened to fix the shaft 10 at the desired length. The end formation 15 will then be used to move the button or other operating member of the detector or alarm. Once the test procedure has been completed, the caps 16 and 18 will be slackened to allow the shaft 10 to be contracted and the slider 21 will be advanced one step over the scale to indicate that testing for that month has been completed.

Tt is to be noted that the inner ends of the sections 12 and 13 can carry bands 22 and 23 arranged to engage stops at the outer ends of sections 11 and 12 respectively to prevent the three sections from being completely separated from one another.

Claims

Claims:

1. A method of testing a detector or alarm which includes a pushbutton or equivalent operating member, said method comprising the use of a telescopically extendible shaft having a handgrip at one end and a formation at the other end specifically designed for engagement with a pushbutton or equivalent operating member of a detector or alarm.

2. A method as claimed in Claim 1, in which the telescopically extendible shaft includes a plurality of sections which are slidable relative to one another and in which manually operable locking means are provided to prevent such relative movement, said method including extension of the shaft to the required length and operation of the locking means to fix the required length of the shaft.

3. A method as claimed in either of the preceding claims, in which the shaft carries a recording element which is movable over a scale to indicate either the date on which testing has been carried out or the date on which the detector or alarm should next be tested, said method including movement of the recording element to advance it by one step.

4. A method as claimed in Claim 3, in which such advancing movement is effected once testing of the detector or alarm has been completed.

5. A method of testing a detector or alarm substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

6. An apparatus for testing detectors and/or alarms, said apparatus comprising a telescopically extendible shaft having a handgrip at one end and a formation at the other end specifically designed for engagement with a pushbutton or equivalent operating member of a detector or alarm, said shaft carrying recording means for providing a record that a test has been carried out at a particular time.

7. An apparatus as claimed in Claim 6, in which the recording means includes a recording element which is movable over a scale.

8. An apparatus as claimed in Claim 7, in which the scale is marked in months and the recording element is arranged to be advanced by one step each month when a test is carried out.

9. An apparatus for testing detectors and/or alarms substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as shown in the accompanying drawings.