Dry sprinkler

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9345918-B2
Application number	US-201213722571-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 20, 2012
Priority date	Dec 20, 2012
Publication date	May 24, 2016
Grant date	May 24, 2016

Abstract

A dry sprinkler is provided that includes a conduit with a fluid inlet and a fluid outlet, a valve positioned near the fluid inlet and a fire sprinkler head that is positioned near the fluid outlet. The fire sprinkler head is operably connected to the valve by a tie. When the fire sprinkler head reacts to an elevated temperature condition, the tie is engaged and is operable to open the valve. In a normal state, before the fire sprinkler head reacts, the tie can be unbiased toward the fire sprinkler head. The tie can also be non-rigid and/or in a non-compressed state within the conduit. The conduit of the dry sprinkler can be flexible.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A dry sprinkler comprising:
a fluid conduit that is configured to couple to a fluid supply, the conduit having a first end and a second end;
a valve that is positioned proximate to the first end of the conduit, the valve having (i) a closed state that prevents fluid from the fluid supply from flowing through the conduit, and (ii) an open state that allows fluid from the fluid supply to flow through the conduit;
a fire sprinkler head positioned proximate to the second end of the conduit, the fire sprinkler head having a thermally responsive element that reacts to an elevated temperature condition;
an unbiased tie positioned within the conduit and being operably coupled to the valve, the unbiased tie having at least an unengaged state and an engaged state; and
an engagement action that is coupled to the unbiased tie, the engagement action being triggered when the thermally responsive element reacts to the elevated temperature condition;
wherein (i) the unbiased tie is not biased towards the sprinkler head in the unengaged state, (ii) the triggering of the engagement action causes the unbiased tie to change from the unengaged state to the engaged state, and (iii) changing the unbiased tie to the engaged state from the unengaged state allows the valve to change from the closed state to the open state; and
wherein the engagement action is configured to apply tension to the unbiased tie when the engagement action is triggered.

2. A dry sprinkler comprising:
a fluid conduit that is configured to couple to a fluid supply, the conduit having a first end and a second end;
a valve that is positioned proximate to the first end of the conduit, the valve having (i) a closed state that prevents fluid from the fluid supply from flowing through the conduit, and (ii) an open state that allows fluid from the fluid supply to flow through the conduit;
a fire sprinkler head positioned proximate to the second end of the conduit, the fire sprinkler head having a thermally responsive element that reacts to an elevated temperature condition;
an unbiased tie positioned within the conduit and being operably couple to the valve, the unbiased tie having at least as unengaged state and an engaged state; and
a valve catch that is coupled to the unbiased tie, wherein changing the unbiased tie from the unengaged state to the engaged state causes the valve catch to allow the valve to move from the closed state to the open state,
wherein (i) the unbiased tie is not biased towards the sprinkler head in the unengaged state, (ii) the reaction of the thermally responsive element to the elevated temperature condition causes the tie to change from the unengaged state to the engaged state, and (iii) changing the tie to the engaged state from the unengaged state allows the valve to change from the closed state to the open state; and
wherein the valve catch includes a biasing member that biases the valve in the closed state and a release member that translates a load applied to the tie when the tie changes from the unengaged state to the engaged state to release the bias applied by the bias member, thereby allowing the valve to move to the open state.

3. A dry sprinkler comprising:
a fluid conduit that is configured to couple to a fluid supply, the conduit having a first end and a second end;
a valve that is positioned proximate to the first end of the conduit, the valve having (i) a closed state that prevents fluid from the fluid supply from flowing through the conduit, and (ii) an open state that allows fluid from the fluid supply to flow through the conduit;
a fire sprinkler head positioned proximate to the second end of the conduit, the fire sprinkler head having a thermally responsive element that reacts to an elevated temperature condition; and
an unbiased tie positioned within the conduit and being operably couple to the valve, the unbiased tie having at least and unengaged state and an engaged state;
wherein (i) the unbiased tie is not biased towards the sprinkler head in the unengaged state, (ii) the reaction of the thermally responsive element to the elevated temperature condition causes the tie to change from the unengaged state to the engaged state, and (iii) changing the tie to the engaged state from the unengaged state allows the valve to change from the closed state to the open state; and
wherein the unbiased tie comprises any of the following: a cord, a rope, a string, a loop, a chain, a chain-like member, a cable, a ribbon, a tube, a wire, a monofilament line, and a multifilament line.

4. The dry sprinkler according to claim 3 , wherein a first portion of the unbiased tie is connected to a valve catch that is configured to allow the valve to move from the closed state to the open state when the unbiased tie changes from the unengaged state to the engaged state and a second portion of the unbiased tie is connected to an engagement action that is configured to apply a load to the tie when the thermally responsive element reacts to the elevated temperature condition.

5. The dry sprinkler according to claim 4 , wherein the unbiased tie is provided with slack such that a free length of the unbiased tie extending from the valve catch to the engagement action is longer than a portion of the conduit that extends from the valve catch to the engagement action.

6. A dry sprinkler comprising:
a fluid conduit that is configured to couple to a fluid supply, the conduit having a first end and a second end;
a valve that is positioned proximate to the first end of the conduit, the valve having (i) a closed state that prevents fluid from the fluid supply from flowing through the conduit, and (ii) an open state that allows fluid from the fluid supply to flow through the conduit;
a fire sprinkler head positioned proximate to the second end of the conduit, the fire sprinkler head having a thermally responsive element that reacts to an elevated temperature condition;
an unbiased tie positioned within the conduit and being operably coupled to the valve, the unbiased tie having at least an unengaged state and an engaged state, and
a sheath member that is located within the conduit and surrounds the unbiased tie over most of its length;
wherein (i) the unbiased tie is not biased towards the sprinkler head in the unengaged state, (ii) the reaction of the thermally responsive element to the elevated temperature condition causes the tie to change from the unengaged state to the engaged state, and (iii) changing the tie to the engaged state from the unengaged state allows the valve to change from the closed state to the open state.

7. A dry sprinkler comprising:
a flexible conduit that is configured to be coupled to a fluid supply, the flexible conduit having a first end that is a fluid inlet and a second end that is a fluid outlet;
a valve positioned proximate to the first end, the valve having a sealing member that is urged to a closed position in which fluid from the fluid supply is prevented from flowing through the conduit, the sealing member being movable to an open position in which fluid from the fluid supply flows through the conduit;
a fire sprinkler head positioned proximate to the second end of the conduit the fire sprinkler head having a thermally responsive element that is configured to react to an elevated temperature condition;
an unbiased tie positioned within the flexible conduit and being present in the flexible conduit in a state such that the unbiased tie is not biased toward the fire sprinkler head, the unbiased tie having a first portion and a second portion, the first portion of the unbiased tie being operably coupled to the sealing member to urge it to the open position when the unbiased tie is engaged;
an engagement action connected to the second portion of t

Assignees

• Bucher Richard A
• Cygler Frank J
• Reilly William J
• Liu Yi
• Thau Jr Lawrence W
• Victaulic Co Of America

Inventors

• Bucher Richard A
• Cygler Frank J
• Reilly William J
• Liu Yi
• Thau Jr Lawrence W

Classifications

• A62C35/62 Primary

  dry, i.e. empty of extinguishing material when not in use · CPC title

• A62C35/68

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

• A62C37/08

  comprising an outlet device containing a sensor, or itself being the sensor, i.e. self-contained sprinklers · CPC title

• A62C37/11 Primary

  heat-sensitive · CPC title

• Y10T137/0486

  Specific valve or valve element mounting or repairing · CPC title