In-rack fire protection sprinkler system including at least one unitary horizontal barrier that covers racks of adjoining racks and at least one rack level fire protection sprinkler disposed below the at least one horizontal barrier

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12128264-B2
Application number	US-202318463370-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 8, 2023
Priority date	Aug 10, 2012
Publication date	Oct 29, 2024
Grant date	Oct 29, 2024

Abstract

A fire protection sprinkler system includes a horizontal barrier that covers two adjacent racks, and the vertical flue space between the racks. The horizontal barrier is provided at a predetermined height, and has a width that is at least equal to a width of the rack, and a depth that is at least equal to a sum of a depth of the rack, a depth of the other rack, and a depth of the vertical flue space. In addition, the horizontal barrier is a sheet having one or more apertures. The system also includes a rack level fire protection sprinkler connected to a fluid supply conduit, and being disposed in the vertical flue space below the horizontal barrier. The rack level sprinkler has a K-factor of 11.2 gpm/(psi) 1/2 or greater, and is vertically spaced from commodities stored on the rack and the other rack covered by the horizontal barrier.

First claim

We claim:

1. A rack and fire protection sprinkler system comprising:
(A) a first plurality of adjoining racks having a vertical flue space provided between a pair of adjacent racks of the first plurality of adjoining racks, with commodities being stored on the racks;
(B) a second plurality of adjoining racks having a vertical flue space provided between a pair of adjacent racks of the second plurality of adjoining racks, the second plurality of adjoining racks being spaced from the first plurality of adjoining racks by an aisle width, with commodities being stored on the racks;
(C) at least one first unitary horizontal barrier that covers (i) a rack, of the first plurality of adjoining racks, (ii) another rack, of the first plurality of adjoining racks, and (iii) the vertical flue space between the rack and the other rack, of the first plurality of adjoining racks, the at least one unitary first horizontal barrier being provided at a first predetermined height, having a predetermined width, and having a depth that is at least equal to a sum of (i) a depth of the rack;
(D) at least one second unitary horizontal barrier that covers (i) a rack, of the second plurality of adjoining racks, (ii) another rack, of the second plurality of adjoining racks, and (iii) the vertical flue space between the rack and the other rack, of the second plurality of adjoining racks, the at least one second horizontal barrier being provided at a second predetermined height, having a predetermined width, and a depth that is at least equal to a sum of (i) a depth of the rack, of the second plurality of adjoining racks, (ii) a depth of the other rack, of the second plurality of adjoining racks, and (iii) a depth of the vertical flue; and
(E) a fire protection sprinkler system for the protection of the commodities stored on the first plurality of adjoining racks and the second plurality of adjoining racks, the fire protection sprinkler system comprising:
(a) a first fluid supply conduit, associated with the first plurality of adjoining racks, configured to deliver a fire protection fluid received from a fire protection fluid source;
(b) at least one first rack level fire protection sprinkler connected to the first fluid supply conduit, the at least one first rack level sprinkler (i) being disposed in the vertical flue space below the at least one unitary first horizontal barrier, and (ii) being vertically spaced from the commodities stored on the rack and the other rack, of the first plurality of adjoining racks, covered by the at least one unitary first horizontal barrier;
(c) at least one ceiling level fire protection sprinkler provided above the at least one unitary first horizontal barrier and connected to the first fluid suppl conduit;
(d) a second fluid supply conduit, associated with the second plurality of adjoining racks, configured to deliver the fire protection fluid received from the fire protection fluid source; and
(e) at least one second rack level fire protection sprinkler connected to the second fluid supply conduit associated with the second plurality of adjoining racks, the at least one second rack level sprinkler (i) being disposed below the at least one second horizontal barrier, and being vertically spaced from the commodities stored on the rack and the other rack, of the second plurality of adjoining racks, covered by the at least one second unitary horizontal barrier.

2. The rack and fire protection sprinkler system according to claim 1 , wherein the aisle width is at least 4 feet (1.22 meters).

3. The rack and fire protection sprinkler system according to claim 1 , wherein the first predetermined height at which the at least one first horizontal barrier is provided and the second predetermined height at which the at least one second horizontal barrier is provided are between 10 feet and 30 feet (3.05 meters to 9.14 meters).

4. The rack and fire protection sprinkler system according to claim 1 , wherein each of the at least one first rack level sprinkler and each of the at least one second rack level sprinkler are one of (i) an extended coverage sprinkler, (ii) a storage sprinkler, or (iii) an extended coverage storage sprinkler.

5. The rack and fire protection sprinkler system according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one first rack level sprinkler includes two or more first rack level sprinklers that are arranged in a row at a horizontal spacing of at least about 8 feet (2.44 meters), and the at least one second rack level sprinkler includes two or more second rack level sprinklers that are arranged in a row at a horizontal spacing of at least about 8 feet (2.44 meters).

6. The rack and fire protection sprinkler system according to claim 1 , wherein each of the at least one first rack level sprinkler and the at least one second rack level sprinkler is provided at a center of a length of each rack, of the first plurality of racks and the second plurality of racks.

7. The rack and fire protection sprinkler system according to claim 1 , wherein each of the at least one first rack level sprinkler and the at least one second rack level sprinkler comprise:
(1) a body having an inlet connected to a fluid supply conduit, which is a corresponding one of the first fluid supply conduit and the second fluid supply conduit, within the vertical flue space, and an outlet defining an outlet orifice;
(2) a seal cap that seals the outlet orifice;
(3) a frame extending from the body;
(4) a deflector connected to the frame; and
(5) a thermally responsive element supported between the seal cap and the frame, the thermally responsive element urging the seal cap that seals the outlet orifice when the rack level sprinkler is in an inactivated state,
wherein, when the first predetermined height at which the at least one first horizontal barrier is provided and the second predetermined height at which the at least one second horizontal barrier is provided are up to about 30 feet (9.14 meters) and each of the at least one first rack level sprinkler and the at least one second rack level sprinkler is positioned in the vertical flue space between the stored commodities and the at least one first horizontal barrier, and in the vertical flue space between the stored commodities and the at least one second horizontal barrier, respectively, the at least one first rack level sprinkler and the at least one second rack level sprinkler deliver the fire protection fluid over the stored commodities when the at least one first rack level sprinkler and the at least one second rack level sprinkler are in an activated state.

8. The rack and fire protection sprinkler system according to claim 1 , wherein the first fluid supply conduit is disposed at or above a rack support frame of the first plurality of adjoining racks that is adjacent to the first fluid supply conduit, and the second fluid supply conduit is disposed at or above a rack support frame of the second plurality of adjoining racks that is adjacent to the second fluid supply conduit.

9. The rack and fire protection sprinkler system according to claim 1 , wherein each of the at least one first rack level sprinkler and the at least one second rack level sprinkler comprises:
(1) a frame; and
(2) a deflector connected to the frame,
wherein only the deflector and a portion of the frame of each of the at least one first rack level sprinkler protrude below a rack support frame of the first plurality of adjoining racks that is adjacent to the first fluid supply conduit, and only the deflector and a portion of the frame of each of the at least one second rack level sprinkler protrude below a rack support frame of the second plurality of adjoining racks that is adjacent to the second fluid supply conduit.

Assignees

• Reliable Automatic Sprinkler Co Inc

Inventors

• Multer Thomas
• Pahila Oliver

Classifications

• A62C35/68

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

• A62C3/06

  of highly inflammable material, e.g. light metals, petroleum products · CPC title

• A62C35/58

  Pipe-line systems · CPC title

• A62C3/002 Primary

  for warehouses, storage areas or other installations for storing goods · CPC title