1. An applicator for applying a substance, the applicator comprising:
a) a nozzle adapted to deliver the substance; and a gas port configured to be enveloped by the substance and to deliver a gas flow to disrupt a flow of the substance.
2. The applicator of claim 1, wherein the gas port is coaxial with the nozzle.
3. The applicator of claim 1, wherein the gas port is adjacent to the nozzle and configured to deliver the gas flow in a direction that is coaxial with the flow of the substance from the nozzle.
4. The applicator of claim 1, wherein the gas port has a gas port outer surface that is smaller than an inner nozzle surface such that a space between the gas port outer surface and the inner nozzle surface is the flow path for the substance.
5. The applicator of claim 1, wherein the gas port is configured to deliver a gas flow that breaks the flow of the substance.
6. The applicator of claim 1, wherein the gas port comprises tubing located adjacent and externally to the nozzle, and wherein the gas port terminates in front of the nozzle such that the substance envelopes an end of the tubing.
7. The applicator of claim 1, wherein the gas port comprises tubing located at least partly within the nozzle and exits the nozzle in a zone between an end of the nozzle and the work surface or receptacle such that the substance envelopes an end of the tubing.
8. The applicator of claim 1, wherein the nozzle is configured to supply a hot melt adhesive.
9. The applicator of claim 1, wherein the gas port is in a fixed position that extends between 0.5 to 30 millimeters beyond an end of the nozzle.
10. The applicator of claim 1, wherein the gas port is configured to deliver a gas flow comprising a gas selected from the group consisting of: air, nitrogen, carbon dioxide, halogenated compounds, steam, hydrocarbons, and combustion products.
11. The applicator of claim 1, wherein the gas port is configured to have a gas pressure of at least 5-psi and a gas flow having duration of between 0.01 and 3.0 seconds.
12. The applicator of claim 1, wherein the applicator comprises a hot melt adhesive gun.
13. A method of facilitating the disruption of strings formed by the application of a substance, the method comprising:
a) providing a nozzle for delivering the substance;
b) providing a gas port configured to deliver a gas flow;
c) positioning the gas port relative to the nozzle such that the substance flowing from the nozzle envelopes at least a portion of the gas port, and such that the gas flow from the gas port can disrupt the flow of the substance.
14. The method of claim 13, wherein positioning the gas port comprises positioning the gas port at least partially inside the nozzle and coaxial with the nozzle.
15. The method of claim 13, wherein positioning the gas port comprises positioning the gas port at least partly externally and adjacent to the nozzle, wherein an end of the gas port is configured to deliver the gas flow in a direction that is coaxial with the direction of flow of the substance.
16. The method of according to claim 13, wherein providing a nozzle comprises providing a hand-held glue gun.
17. A detachable nozzle for a substance applicator, wherein the substance application and the detachable nozzle are adapted to receive a gas port tubing.
18. The nozzle of claim 17, wherein the nozzle has multiple substance outlet ports and corresponding multiple gas ports for disrupting the flow of the substance.
19. The nozzle of claim 17, wherein the gas port comprises tubing located at least partly within the nozzle and exits the nozzle in a zone between an end of the nozzle and the work surface or receptacle such that the substance envelopes an end of the tubing.
20. The nozzle of claim 17, wherein the gas port is in a fixed position that extends between 0.5 to 30 millimeters beyond an end of the nozzle.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1. A combined flame and smoke detection system comprising means for producing a digital image of a detection region, smoke and flame detection processing means operable to process at least two said digital images and generate an output signal according to the data generated in the process.
2. A combined flame and smoke detection system utilising a processor to process digital images of a detection region generated from images captured by a camera in accordance with a flame detection routine and a smoke detection routine to detect smoke and flame, said processor being arranged to provide a signal indicative of smoke detected, flame detected or smoke and flame detected according to the respective outputs of said routines.
3. A system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said processor is arranged to generate an output signal indicating the detection of smoke, flame detected or smoke and flame detected and said data comprises a flame detected indicator and a smoke detected indicator.
4. A system as claimed in claim 1, 2 or 3, wherein said processor processes successive said digital images.
5. A combined smoke and flame detection system comprising at least one video camera, a video frame comparator and a processor, wherein said processor is arranged to analyse successive frames captured by the or each said camera by comparing individual pixels thereof to detect the presence of smoke and flame, said processor analysing said successive frames according to at least two predefined relationships so as to be capable of detecting smoke and flame and generating an output signal indicating the presence of smoke, flame, or smoke and flame.
6. A system as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, further comprising means for producing a visual display in accordance with said output signal.
7. A system as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, further comprising means for producing an alarm signal in accordance with said output signal.
8. A method of detecting smoke and flame, the method comprising the steps of:
receiving digitised images of a region to be monitored;
comparing pixels of one of said images with pixels of another said image according to two predetermined procedures to produce a flame present decision and a smoke present decision; and
providing a fire detected signal according to said smoke present and flame present decisions.
9. A method of detecting smoke and flame, the method comprising the steps of:
producing digitised images of a region to be monitored;
comparing pixels of one of said images with pixels of another said image according to two predetermined procedures to produce a flame present decision and a smoke present decision; and
providing a fire detected signal according to said smoke present and flame present decisions.
10. A method as claimed in claim 8 or claim 9 in which the pixels of successive images are compared.
11. A method as claimed in any one of claims 8 to 10, wherein one said predetermined procedure produces a flame present decision and comprises the step of filtering said digitised images such that only changes in pixel characteristics occurring within a predetermined frequency band are used to produce said flame present decision.
12. A method as claimed in claim 11, wherein said filtering step comprises filtering out changes in pixel characteristics occurring in the frequency band 1.25 to 4 Hz.
13. A method as claimed in claim 11 or claim 12, wherein said one procedure includes the step of determining the density of changes in pixel characteristics and determining the presence of a flame if a density in excess of a predetermined density value is determined.
14. A method as claimed in any one of claims 8 to 13, wherein said fire detected signal is produced in accordance with a weighted analysis of said flame present decision and said smoke present decision.
15. A method as claimed in any one of claims 8 to 13, wherein said fire detected signal is produced in accordance with a vote based analysis of said flame present decision and said smoke present decision.
16. A method of operating a computer for smoke and flame detection comprising the steps of:
receiving digitised images of a region to be monitored;
comparing pixels of one of said images with pixels of another said image according to two predetermined procedures to produce a flame present decision and a smoke present decision; and
providing a fire detected signal according to said smoke present and flame present decisions.
17. A method of detecting fire, the method comprising the steps of:
receiving digitised images of a region to be monitored;
comparing pixels of one of said images with pixels of another said image according to a flame detection procedure to produce at least one flame detection indicia;
comparing pixels of one of said images with pixels of another said image according to a smoke detection procedure to produce at least one smoke detection indicia; and
using the flame detection indicia and the smoke detection indicia to determine and generate a fire detected signal.
18. A computer program carrier having thereon code portions which when loaded and run on computer means cause the computer means to execute the method of any one of claims 8 to 17.
19. A computer program carrier having thereon code portions which when loaded and run on computer means cause the computer means to constitute the system according to any one of claims 1 to 7.