Fire suppression system for vehicle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11679289-B2
Application number	US-202017114974-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 8, 2020
Priority date	Apr 7, 2020
Publication date	Jun 20, 2023
Grant date	Jun 20, 2023

Abstract

A fire suppression apparatus for a vehicle includes: a docking unit disposed on an exterior panel of a vehicle body, the exterior panel configured to cover an interior space of the vehicle wherein the docking unit comprises a hole through which a fire-fighting hose or a spray nozzle, which is connected to the fire-fighting hose, for supply of fire-fighting water pass to be coupled to the docket unit; a supply pipe having a first end connected to the docking unit; and a nozzle assembly arranged in the interior space in the vehicle and connected to a second end of the supply pipe, the nozzle assembly being configured to spray the fire-fighting water, which is supplied through the supply pipe from the fire-fighting hose or the spray nozzle, in order to respond to the outbreak of a fire in the interior space of the vehicle.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A fire suppression apparatus for a vehicle comprising:
a docking unit disposed on an exterior panel of a vehicle body, the docking unit being installed on the exterior panel configured to cover an interior space of the vehicle, the docking unit having a hole through which a fire-fighting hose for supply of a fire-fighting water or a spray nozzle connected to the fire-fighting hose passes;
a supply pipe having a first end connected to the docking unit; and
a nozzle assembly arranged in the interior space of the vehicle and connected to a second end of the supply pipe, the nozzle assembly configured to spray the fire-fighting water, which is supplied through the supply pipe from the fire-fighting hose or the spray nozzle, to extinguish a fire in the interior space of the vehicle in case of fire,
wherein the docking unit includes a docking coupler having a pipe shape and coupled to the exterior panel of the vehicle body such that an internal passage of the docking coupler communicates with the hole,
wherein the internal passage of the docking unit comprises a thread on an inner peripheral surface thereof configured to couple with the fire-fighting hose,
wherein the docking coupler includes:
a first coupler pipe part extending through and communicating with the hole, the first coupler pipe part having a thread on an inner peripheral surface thereof; and
a second coupler pipe part connected and communicating with the first coupler pipe part, the second coupler pipe part having a diameter smaller than that of the first coupler pipe part and having a thread on an inner peripheral surface thereof.

2. The fire suppression apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the interior space of the vehicle is configured as an engine room.

3. The fire suppression apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the vehicle includes a bus, and the exterior panel of the vehicle body is a flap door configured to open and close an engine room of the bus.

4. The fire suppression apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the vehicle includes a passenger automobile, and the exterior panel of the vehicle body is a hood configured to open and close an engine room of the passenger automobile.

5. The fire suppression apparatus of claim 1 :
wherein the fire-fighting hose is configured to be threadedly coupled to the thread of the first coupler pipe part or threadedly coupled to the thread of the second coupler pipe part through an internal passage in the first coupler pipe part.

6. The fire suppression apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the docking unit includes a plug configured to be releasably coupled to the hole and to an inlet of the docking coupler communicating with the hole, the plug configured to close the hole and the inlet of the docking coupler.

7. The fire suppression apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the nozzle assembly includes a plurality of nozzles provided along a fire-fighting pipe at regular intervals so as to uniformly spray the fire-fighting water toward an inside of an engine room.

8. A fire suppression apparatus for a vehicle comprising: a docking unit disposed on an exterior panel of a vehicle body, the docking unit being installed on the exterior panel configured to cover an interior space of the vehicle, the docking unit having a hole through which a fire-fighting hose for supply of a fire-fighting water or a spray nozzle connected to the fire-fighting hose passes;
a supply pipe having a first end connected to the docking unit; and
a nozzle assembly arranged in the interior space of the vehicle and connected to a second end of the supply pipe, the nozzle assembly configured to spray the fire-fighting water, which is supplied through the supply pipe from the fire-fighting hose or the spray nozzle, to extinguish a fire in the interior space of the vehicle in case of fire, wherein the docking unit includes:
a casing configured to be coupled to the exterior panel of the vehicle body such that an interior space of the casing communicates with the hole and the spray nozzle passes through the casing;
an opening unit arranged in the interior space of the casing, the opening unit configured to open and close the hole and an inlet hole of the casing communicating with the hole, wherein the opening unit is configured to be opened by pushing force of the spray nozzle which passes through the hole; and
a support pipe configured to be coupled to the casing such that an internal passage of the support pipe communicates with an outlet hole of the casing and is configured to accommodate the spray nozzle, the support pipe being connected to the second end of the supply pipe.

9. The fire suppression apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the support pipe has a lip on an inner surface thereof, the lip configured to be in contact with an outer peripheral surface of the spray nozzle so as to support the spray nozzle fitted into the internal passage of the support pipe,
wherein the lip is configured to seal the spray nozzle to prevent backflow of the fire-fighting water.

10. The fire suppression apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the opening unit includes:
a plurality of first bodies arranged in the interior space of the casing in a circumferential direction of the inlet hole, inner surfaces of the plurality of first bodies configured to define a guide surface;
a plurality of elastic elements arranged between the casing and the respective plurality of first bodies so as to elastically support the first bodies with respect to the casing; and
a plurality of second bodies configured to be rotatably and hingedly coupled to the respective first bodies, the plurality of second bodies configured to selectively open or close the inlet hole of the casing depending on a rotational angle of the plurality of second bodies with respect to the plurality of first bodies.

11. The fire suppression apparatus of claim 10 , wherein each of the plurality of elastic elements is a coil spring, a first end of which is configured to be coupled to an inner circumferential surface of the casing having a cylindrical shape and a second end of which is configured to be coupled to a corresponding one of the plurality of first bodies so as to support the plurality of first bodies with elasticity in an inward direction of the casing.

12. The fire suppression apparatus of claim 10 , wherein each of the plurality of second bodies includes:
a connecting bridge having a plate shape and configured to be hingedly coupled to a corresponding one of the plurality of first bodies and;
a body block configured to be integrally formed with the connecting bridge, the body block being in close contact with the guide surface so as to close the inlet hole of the casing when the plurality of second bodies are rotated.

13. The fire suppression apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the plurality of first bodies have rubber pads on the inner surfaces, respectively, thereof, and
wherein the plurality of second bodies, which are brought into contact with the spray nozzle when the plurality of second bodies are rotated, comprise rubber pads, respectively.

14. The fire suppression apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the opening unit further includes return springs at a hinge portion between the plurality of first bodies and the plurality of second bodies, the return springs are configured to provide elastic restoring force in a direction in which the plurality of second bodies are rotated to a closed position from the plurality of first bodies.

Assignees

• Hyundai Motor Co Ltd
• Kia Motors Corp

Inventors

• Shin Hyeon Gi

Classifications

• A62C35/60

  wet, i.e. containing extinguishing material even when not in use · CPC title

• A62C37/36

  an actuating signal being generated by a sensor separate from an outlet device · CPC title

• A62C35/68

  Details, e.g. of pipes or valve systems (valves in general F16K) · CPC title

• A62C3/07 Primary

  in vehicles, e.g. in road vehicles · CPC title

• A62C31/02

  Nozzles specially adapted for fire-extinguishing · CPC title