Sensor for connection to a joining partner, adaptor for installing the sensor to a joining partner and installation method for installing the sensor using the adaptor on a joining partner

Abstract

An adapter for installing a sensor, more particularly designed as a fire alarm, has a sensor housing which can be connected to a building and is designed to accommodate electrical and/or electronic components of the sensor. To simplify and accelerate the installation, an adapter is designed to be connected, by way of a direct installation technique, to the building by means of an adapter top side and to the sensor by means of an adapter bottom side.

Claims

1. An adaptor for connecting a sensor having an adaptor top side which in the installation position bears against a joining partner and an adaptor underside which can be releasably connected to a sensor housing of the sensor in the installation position, wherein said adaptor is adapted to be connected to a building or a base surface by way of the direct installation procedure and it is of a substantially disc-shaped or plate-shaped configuration, wherein it has at least two recesses on an adaptor underside, and that magnetic elements are arranged or accommodated in the recesses and cooperate with a magnet at a front end of a setting tool and that a metal disc has a nail passage opening, through which a nail can pass upon setting in the course of the direct installation procedure.

2. An adaptor according to claim 1 wherein it includes a connector for connection to the sensor.

3. An adaptor according to claim 1 wherein it has at least one centerer.

4. An adaptor according to claim 3 wherein the centerer includes mutually spaced centring pins and a connector arranged between the same.

5. An adaptor according to claim 4 wherein the centring pins are radially spaced from each other and two latching hooks are respectively arranged at a spacing which is so formed, adapted to engage mutually opposite edges of a slot provided on the joining partner.

6. An adaptor according to claim 1 wherein it is in the form of a plastic component.

7. An adaptor according to claim 1 wherein it is substantially of a ring-shaped configuration and has a central opening passing through an adaptor plane defined by the adaptor.

8. An installation kit including an adaptor according to claim 1 and a fire alarm sensor.

9. An installation method for the installation of an adaptor according to claim 1 for a sensor or the like on a joining partner, at an installation height of about 2 to 6 metres without using a ladder by way of the direct installation procedure including the method steps: attaching a first magnetic element on an underside of the adaptor to a magnet on a bolt guide means of a setting tool which is arranged in a setting tool holder with bars, lifting the adaptor held at the bolt guide means by way of the bars of the setting tool holder to the installation height, pressing the adaptor in an installation position with an adaptor top side against the joining partner and pre-fixing the adaptor to the joining partner by means of setting of at least one first nail through an adaptor plane of the adaptor at the installation height, characterised by the further method step after setting of the first nail: transposing the bolt guide means of the setting tool by means of the setting tool holder at the installation height, connecting the magnet at the bolt guide means to a second magnetic element at the underside of the adaptor, and setting a second nail through the adaptor for final fixing of the adaptor to the joining partner.

10. An installation method according to claim 9 wherein a wiring means or connection of the sensor is provided between the pre-fixing step and the final fixing step of the adaptor at the installation height.

11. An installation method according to claim 9 wherein after fixing of the adaptor to the joining partner by way of the direct installation procedure the sensor is then connected in particular releasably to the adaptor.

12. An installation method according to claim 9 wherein prior to the pre-fixing step the adaptor is firstly oriented on the joining partner, preferably by means of a laser, in particular a cross line laser.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING

(1) The foregoing summary, as well as the following detailed description of the preferred invention, will be better understood when read in conjunction with the appended drawings. For the purpose of illustrating the preferred invention, there are shown in the drawings embodiments which are presently preferred. It should be understood, however, that the invention is not limited to the precise arrangements and instrumentalities shown. In the drawings:

(2) The terms “upward” and “downward” relate to the view in the Figures.

(3) FIG. 1 shows a side view of a sensor according to the invention in the form of a fire alarm, installed beneath a ceiling,

(4) FIG. 2 shows an enlarged cross-section of an adaptor according to the invention,

(5) FIG. 3 shows a perspective view of the adaptor of FIG. 2 from below,

(6) FIG. 4 shows a side view of an exploded illustration or an installation kit according to a preferred embodiment including an adaptor, an interposed ring-shaped sensor base and a sensor head connected to the sensor base, and

(7) FIG. 5 shows a plan view of the adaptor of FIG. 4.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

(8) Referring to FIG. 1 the sensor according to the invention includes a sensor base 2 which is of a substantially hollow-cylindrical configuration and a sensor head 4 which is geometrically matched to the external geometry of the sensor base 2 and which can be releasably fixed at the underside to the sensor base 2. The sensor base 2 is connected with its end which is the upper end in the installed position to a ceiling 8 by way of the adaptor 6 according to the invention using a direct installation procedure. In this embodiment the adaptor 6 which is in the form of a plastic component is of an outside diameter of about 11 cm, a height of 6 cm and a weight of about 30 grams.

(9) For that purpose the adaptor 6 which is shown in greater detail in FIGS. 2 and 3 and which is substantially in the form of a toroidal disc, that is to say a disc in the form of a circular ring, is firstly pressed against the ceiling 8 with the adaptor top side and then the setting head or bolt guide of a bolt firing tool is introduced into circular recesses 10, 12 at the adaptor underside and the setting tool is triggered. In that case the nail which issues from the setting head of the setting tool passes through a central nail opening 14, 16 in the recesses 10, 12 of the adaptor and is joined to the ceiling 8 or the base surface in known fashion.

(10) The part of the nail magazine, that is severed in the fixing operation, can in that situation be received in the recess 10, 12 at the adaptor underside of the adaptor 6 so that no material of the magazine projects beyond the lower surface of the adaptor underside.

(11) Accordingly the adaptor 6 is non-releasably fixed in the target position to the ceiling 8.

(12) Fixing and orientation of the sensor base 2 on the adaptor 6 is effected by means of combined centring aids and a latch provided at the adaptor underside at diametrally opposite ends. The centerer respectively include mutually spaced centring pins 18, 20 and 22, 24 which are provided in pairs and between which latching tabs 26, 28 and 30, 32 which function alternately are provided, which means that the latching tabs 26, 28 and 30, 32 each have outwardly acting latching hooks or undercut configurations which in the installed position engage into longitudinal sides or longitudinal limbs at both sides of a corresponding slot in the sensor base 2.

(13) Consequently there are provided two corresponding slots in the sensor base 2 so that installation of the sensor base 2 to the adaptor 6 is only possible in a pre-defined and desired target position, as is prescribed for example in accordance with the safety-relevant requirements.

(14) It can be seen that the height of the adaptor 6 is only about 4-5 mm, that is to say it is of a markedly smaller height than the sensor base 2 and the sensor head 4. This means that the adaptor 6 fades completely into the background in terms of size in relation to the size of the sensor.

(15) FIG. 4 shows a side exploded view of an installation kit according to the invention including an adaptor 34, a sensor base 36 and a sensor head 38.

(16) In the installation position the annular sensor base 36 is therefore latched to the adaptor underside of the disc-shaped adaptor 34 which is provided with a central through opening and which is fitted to a ceiling (not shown). The sensor head 38 is in turn latched at the underside to the sensor base 36, therefore also being fixed releasably.

(17) FIG. 5 shows a plan view of the adaptor 34 of FIG. 4. This adaptor 34 is again in the form of a disc in the shape of a circular ring and has a central through opening, therefore being of a substantially greater length and width than its thickness, and is therefore of a disc-shaped configuration and virtually disappears in relation to the height of the sensor base 36 and the sensor head 38. This embodiment differs from the embodiment shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 in that, arranged or inserted in the recesses 34a, 34b provided in diametrally opposite relationship in the adaptor underside, there are two metal discs 40, 42 each having a central nail opening 40a, 42a, to which a magnet within the setting head of a setting tool can be connected in order in that way to be able to place the adaptor 34 easily in relation to a ceiling or wall even at greater heights of 2 to 6 metres and fix it there, more specifically without using a ladder and thus only from the ground.

(18) Once again fixing and orientation of the sensor base 36 on the adaptor 34 is effected by means of combined centring aids and latch provided at the adaptor underside at diametrally opposite ends. The centring means respectively include mutually spaced centring pins 36a-36d which are provided in pairs and between which are arranged alternately functioning latching hooks 38a-38d which act in opposite directions. This means that the latching hooks 38a-38d are spaced from each other or displaced relative to each other in the radial direction and each have latching hooks or undercut configurations which extend transversely relative to the radial direction and which in the installation position engage into longitudinal sides or longitudinal limbs at both sides of a corresponding slot in the corresponding joining partner, in particular in the sensor base 3.

(19) The releasable connection between the sensor base 36 and the sensor 38 is preferably effected in a similar way to the above-described connection between the adaptor 34 and the sensor base 36, but it can also be implemented in a different fashion. The subject-matter of the present invention ensues not just from the subject-matter of the individual claims but from the combination of the individual claims with each other. All details and features disclosed in the documents—including the Abstract—, in particular the spatial configuration shown in the drawings, are claimed as essential to the invention insofar as they are novel individually or in combination over the state of the art.

(20) It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that changes could be made to the embodiments described above without departing from the broad inventive concept thereof. It is understood, therefore, that this invention is not limited to the particular embodiments disclosed, but it is intended to cover modifications within the spirit and scope of the present invention as defined by the appended claims.

LIST OF REFERENCES

(21) 2 sensor base

(22) 4 sensor head

(23) 6 adaptor

(24) 8 ceiling

(25) 10, 12 recess

(26) 14, 16 nail opening

(27) 18, 20 centring pin

(28) 22, 24 centring pin

(29) 26, 28 latching tab

(30) 30, 32 latching tab

(31) 34 adaptor

(32) 34a, 34b recess

(33) 36a-d centring pin

(34) 38a-d latching hook

(35) 36 sensor base

(36) 38 sensor head

(37) 40, 42 metal disc

(38) 40a, 42a nail passage opening