Abstract: A wall-mounted stand-alone smoke detector has an elongated housing. The housing has two ends. One end forms a base. The other end houses a sensor head remote from the base. A rigid member supports the sensor and connects the sensor to the base. The sensor head has a smoke sensor, a signal conditioner and a preamplifier for respectively detecting, conditioning, amplifying and providing signals from the sensor to a signal processor in the base. A positioning probe is attached to the sensor head end of the housing for positioning the sensor spaced from a ceiling of a room. The end housing the sensor may be angled for spacing the sensor from a wall on which the detector is mounted. All mounting, display control interaction and routine maintenance can be performed within easy reach, without climbing. The base has a power supply. A signal processor in the base is connected to the sensor head. Circuitry analyzes and processes signals, recognizing an alarm state and activating audible and visual alarms.

Abstract: A child-resistant latch release mechanism which requires operation of two control members which are separated by a distance greater than that which can be effectively spanned by a preschool child. The two control members must be operated first in a certain sequence and then simultaneously in order to permit operation of the latch release mechanism. Conventional self-latching upon closure is retained by the invention latch release mechanism.