Flexible dry sprinkler having a differential pressure controller

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11730990-B2
Application number	US-202117341662-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 8, 2021
Priority date	Feb 3, 2012
Publication date	Aug 22, 2023
Grant date	Aug 22, 2023

Abstract

A dry sprinkler includes a flexible tube section that maintains a pressurized fluid, such as a liquid antifreeze solution, between a first end and a second end. A first seal prevents fluid from a supply line from entering the flexible tube section. The first seal is maintained in a sealed position by a pressure of the pressurized fluid. A sprinkler head is coupled to the second end of the flexible tube section, and includes a frame, an output orifice, a deflector, a second seal that seals the output orifice, and a thermally responsive element configured to maintain the second seal in a sealed position when the thermally responsive element is in a non-responsive state. A differential pressure controller maintains a ratio between the pressure of the pressurized fluid in the flexible tube section and a pressure of a supply fluid in the supply line to at least a certain ratio.

First claim

I claim:

1. A dry fire protection sprinkler comprising:
a flexible tube having an inlet end, an outlet end, and a valve opening, and configured to contain a pressurized fluid;
a sprinkler frame connected to the outlet end of the flexible tube, and having an outlet orifice;
an outlet seal assembly having a sealing cap and a spring washer that are configured to seal the outlet orifice of the sprinkler frame, wherein the flexible tube contains the pressurized fluid between an inlet seal assembly and the sealing cap of the outlet seal assembly;
a thermally responsive element provided between the sprinkler frame and the sealing cap of the outlet seal assembly, the thermally responsive element being configured to fail when ambient temperature reaches a predetermined temperature, and to hold the sealing cap of the outlet seal assembly in an outlet orifice until the thermally responsive element fails;
a flexible tube pressure sensor configured to measure a pressure P 1 of the pressurized fluid in the flexible tube;
a control valve connected to the valve opening of the flexible tube, and configured to open and to close;
a pressurized fluid source connected to the control valve and configured to supply the pressurized fluid to the flexible tube when the control valve opens, the pressurized fluid in the pressurized fluid source being at a pressure P 2 ;
a fluid supply pressure sensor configured to measure a pressure P 3 of the pressurized fluid in the fluid supply line, the pressure P 2 of the pressurized fluid in the pressurized fluid source being greater than the pressure P 3 of the fluid in the supply line; and
a differential pressure controller connected to the control valve, to the flexible tube pressure sensor, and to the fluid supply pressure sensor, and, when a ratio of the pressure P 1 of the pressurized fluid in the flexible tube to the pressure P 3 of the fluid in the fluid supply line is less than a predetermined ratio of at least 3 to 1, the differential pressure controller sends a signal to the control valve to open, in order to allow the pressurized fluid in the pressurized fluid source at the pressure of P 2 to enter the flexible tube, and, when the ratio of the pressure P 1 of the pressurized fluid in the flexible tube to the pressure P 3 of the fluid in the fluid supply line equals the predetermined ratio, the differential pressure controller sends a signal to the control valve to close.

2. The dry fire protection sprinkler according to claim 1 , wherein the sprinkler frame has frame arms that form a hub that is spaced from the outlet orifice.

3. The dry fire protection sprinkler according to claim 2 , further comprising a deflector connected to the hub of the sprinkler frame.

4. The dry fire protection sprinkler according to claim 1 , wherein the outlet end of the flexible tube is threadably connected to the sprinkler frame.

5. The dry fire protection sprinkler according to claim 1 , further comprising a pressure indicator connected to the flexible tube, the pressure indicator being configured to indicate the pressure of the pressurized fluid in the flexible tube.

6. The dry fire protection sprinkler according to claim 5 , wherein the pressure indicator is at least one of an analog pressure monitor and a digital pressure monitor.

7. The dry sprinkler according to claim 5 , wherein the pressure indicator is constructed to communicate with an alarm system.

8. The dry fire protection sprinkler according to claim 7 , wherein the alarm system notifies an operator if the pressure of the pressurized fluid in the flexible tube decreases to a certain pressure value.

9. The dry fire protection sprinkler according to claim 1 , further comprising a flexible connector provided in the flexible tube and connected to the sealing cap of the outlet seal assembly.

10. The dry fire protection sprinkler according to claim 9 , wherein the flexible connector is one of a chain and a cable.

11. The dry fire protection sprinkler according to claim 1 , wherein the flexible tube is a corrugated metal hose.

12. The dry fire protection sprinkler according to claim 1 , wherein the flexible tube is a corrugated plastic hose.

13. The dry fire protection sprinkler according to claim 1 , wherein the spring washer of the outlet seal assembly is provided in the outlet orifice of the sprinkler frame, and the sealing cap of the outlet seal assembly is an annular disk that sits in the spring washer of the outlet seal assembly.

14. The dry fire protection sprinkler according to claim 13 , wherein the annular disk of the outlet seal assembly has an annular groove, and the spring washer of the outlet seal assembly is positioned in the annular groove.

15. A dry fire protection sprinkler comprising:
an inlet seal assembly;
a flexible tube having an inlet end, an outlet end, and a valve opening, and configured to contain a pressurized fluid, wherein the flexible tube has a circular inner cross section; a sprinkler frame connected to the outlet end of the flexible tube, and having an outlet orifice; an outlet seal assembly having a sealing cap and a spring washer that are configured to seal the outlet orifice of the sprinkler frame, wherein the flexible tube contains the pressurized fluid between the inlet plug of the inlet seal assembly and the sealing cap of the outlet seal assembly; a thermally responsive element provided between the sprinkler frame and the sealing cap of the outlet seal assembly, the thermally responsive element being configured to fail when ambient temperature reaches a predetermined temperature, and to hold the sealing cap of the outlet seal assembly in the outlet orifice until the thermally responsive element fails; a flexible tube pressure sensor configured to measure a pressure P 1 of the pressurized fluid in the flexible tube; a control valve connected to the valve opening of the flexible tube, and configured to open and to close; a pressurized fluid source connected to the control valve and configured to supply the pressurized fluid to the flexible tube when the control valve opens, the pressurized fluid in the pressurized fluid source being at a pressure P 2 ; a fluid supply pressure sensor configured to measure a pressure P 3 of the pressurized fluid in the fluid supply line, the pressure P 2 of the pressurized fluid in the pressurized fluid source being greater than the pressure P 3 of the fluid in the supply line; and a differential pressure controller connected to the control valve, to the flexible tube pressure sensor, and to the fluid supply pressure sensor, and, when a ratio of the pressure P 1 of the pressurized fluid in the flexible tube to the pressure P 3 of the fluid in the fluid supply line is less than a predetermined ratio of at least 3 to 1, the differential pressure controller sends a signal to the control valve to open, in order to allow the pressurized fluid in the pressurized fluid source at the pressure of P 2 to enter the flexible tube, and, when the ratio of the pressure P 1 of the pressurized fluid in the flexible tube to the pressure P 3 of the fluid in the fluid supply line equals the predetermined ratio, the differential pressure controller sends a signal to the control valve to close.

16. The dry fire protection sprinkler according to claim 15 , wherein the sprinkler frame has frame arms that form a hub that is spaced from the outlet orifice.

17. The dry fire protection sprinkler according to claim 16 , further comprising a deflector connected to the hub of the sprinkler frame.

18. The dry fire protection sprinkler according to

Assignees

• Reliable Automatic Sprinkler Co Inc

Inventors

• Multer Thomas

Classifications

• A61K38/00

  Medicinal preparations containing peptides (peptides containing beta-lactam rings A61K31/00; cyclic dipeptides not having in their molecule any other peptide link than those which form their ring, e.g. piperazine-2,5-diones, A61K31/00; ergot alkaloids of the cyclic peptide type A61K31/48; containing macromolecular compounds having statistically distributed amino acid units A61K31/74; medicinal preparations containing antigens or antibodies A61K39/00; medicinal preparations characterised by the non-active ingredients, e.g. peptides as drug carriers, A61K47/00) · CPC title

• A61P9/10

  for treating ischaemic or atherosclerotic diseases, e.g. antianginal drugs, coronary vasodilators, drugs for myocardial infarction, retinopathy, cerebrovascula insufficiency, renal arteriosclerosis · CPC title

• A61P19/00

  Drugs for skeletal disorders · CPC title

• A61P19/08

  for bone diseases, e.g. rachitism, Paget's disease · CPC title

• A61P25/00

  Drugs for disorders of the nervous system · CPC title