Dry sprinkler assemblies

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9440104-B2
Application number	US-201213877443-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 28, 2012
Priority date	Jun 28, 2011
Publication date	Sep 13, 2016
Grant date	Sep 13, 2016

Abstract

A dry sprinkler for a fire protection system having a configuration with one or more coupling arrangements for connection to a fluid supply piping of the system. The dry sprinkler structure further includes an inner surface and inner assembly to provide a preferred discharge performance. The dry sprinkler provides for a flow rate from the outlet of the sprinkler in accordance with the start pressure at the inlet of the sprinkler and the rated discharge coefficient, K factor, ranging between 16.8 GPM/PSI½ and 33.6 GPM/PSI½.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A dry sprinkler comprising:
an outer structural assembly having a proximal inlet, a distal outlet, and an internal passageway extending between the inlet and the outlet defining a longitudinal axis of the sprinkler and a nominal K-factor as determined by a flow rate of fluid in gallons per minute from the distal outlet divided by the square root of a pressure of the fluid fed into the proximal inlet, the outer structural assembly including:
an outlet frame including an internal bore defining a distal portion of the passageway including the outlet, the outlet frame including a deflector axially spaced at a fixed distance from the outlet;
an inlet fitting including a proximal head portion and a distal body portion, the head portion having an external thread defining a nominal external thread diameter, the body portion including an external groove defining a nominal groove diameter being nominally greater than the nominal external thread diameter, the external thread and groove providing the sprinkler with alternate threaded-type and grooved-type coupling arrangements for connection to a fluid supply pipe, the body portion having a surface for abutting a complimentary grooved pipe or a pipe fitting, the inlet fitting having an inner surface defining a sealing surface of the dry sprinkler, the inner surface of the inlet fitting defining a proximal portion of the passageway having a first section and a second section distal of the first section with an internal diameter of the second section being greater than an internal diameter of the first section; and
a casing tube disposed between the inlet fitting and the outlet frame, the casing tube having an internal surface defining a section of the passageway between the outlet frame and the inlet fitting;

a thermal trigger assembly engaged with the outlet frame in an unactuated state of the sprinkler; and
a seal assembly disposed along the passageway, the seal assembly being supported by the thermal trigger assembly and in contact with the sealing surface in an unactuated state of the sprinkler, the sealing assembly being located in the second section in an actuated state of the sprinkler such that the sealing assembly is spaced from the sealing surface so as to permit fluid to flow from the outlet at about the flow rate defined by the nominal K-factor, the nominal K-factor ranging from 16.8 GPM/PSI 1/2 to 33.6 GPM/PSI 1/2 .

2. The dry sprinkler of claim 1 , wherein the sealing surface is located such that at least a portion of the external thread extends distally of the sealing surface.

3. The dry sprinkler of claim 1 , wherein at least a portion of the external thread of the inlet fitting extends proximally of the sealing surface.

4. The dry sprinkler of claim 1 , wherein the seal assembly includes a mounting member and a spring seal, the spring seal includes a central opening, the mounting member having a diverter portion extending through the central opening.

5. The dry sprinkler of claim 1 , further comprising a fluid tube having a proximal end and a distal end; and a guide tube disposed in the outlet frame and engaged with the fluid tube, the seal assembly supported by the fluid tube in contact with the sealing surface in the unactuated state and including a mounting member and a spring seal disposed on the mounting member for contacting the sealing surface in the unactuated state, the mounting member being affixed to the proximal end of the fluid tube such that the mounting member and the fluid tube are maintained in a fixed distance relationship to one another in translation of the seal assembly from the first section to the second section.

6. The dry sprinkler of claim 1 , further comprising a fluid tube having a proximal end and a distal end; and a guide tube disposed in the outlet frame and engaged with the fluid tube, the seal assembly being engaged with a proximal end of the fluid tube such that the seal assembly translates with respect to the fluid tube upon translation of the seal assembly from the first section to the second section, the fluid tube translating a first distance with respect to the sealing surface and the seal assembly translating a second distance with respect to the sealing surface, the second distance being greater than the first distance.

7. The dry sprinkler of any one of claims 5 and 6 , wherein the fluid tube includes a plurality of apertures and a plurality of projections.

8. The dry sprinkler of claim 6 , wherein the seal assembly includes a yoke assembly having a mounting member and a seal spring engaged with the mounting member, the mounting member including a plurality of levers each pivotally engaged with the mounting member, wherein the levers pivot from a first orientation to a second orientation so as to translate the mounting member relative to the fluid tube.

9. The dry sprinkler of claim 1 , wherein the sealing assembly remains centered along the longitudinal axis in each of the unactuated and actuated states.

10. The dry sprinkler of claim 1 , wherein the nominal K-factor is 16.8 GPM/(PSI)½, the external groove defines a nominal 2 inches, the external threads comprise American National Standard Taper Pipe Thread (NPT) defining a nominal 1.25 inch, and the sealing surface defines an internal opening diameter ranging from one inch (1 in.) to 1¼ inch.

11. The dry sprinkler of claim 10 , wherein the casing tube defines a nominal pipe diameter of 1½ inch and an axial length between about two to about fifty inches.

12. The dry sprinkler of claim 1 , wherein the inner surface of the inlet fitting expands the passageway from the sealing surface and distally converges toward the casing tube.

13. The dry sprinkler of claim 1 , wherein the nominal K-factor is defined by an axial spacing between the sealing assembly and the sealing surface in the actuated state, and an increase in the axial spacing in the actuated state increases the nominal K-factor by one nominal K-factor.

14. The system of claim 13 , wherein the nominal K-factor increases from a nominal K-factor of 16.8 GPM/(PSI) 1/2 to 19.6 GPM/(PSI) 1/2 .

15. The dry sprinkler of claim 14 , wherein when the nominal K-factor is 16.8 GPM/(PSI) 1/2 , the outlet diameter is 0.95 inches; and wherein when the nominal K-factor is 19.6 GPM/(PSI) 1/2 , the outlet diameter is 1.125 inches.

16. The dry sprinkler of claim 15 , wherein the external groove defines a nominal 2 inches, the external threads comprise American National Standard Taper Pipe Thread (NPT) defining a nominal 1.25 inch, and the sealing surface defines an internal opening diameter ranging from one inch (1 in.) to 1¼ inch.

17. The dry sprinkler of claim 1 , wherein the nominal K-factor is 25 GPM/(PSI)½, the external groove defines a nominal 2.5 inches, the external threads define an external thread diameter of 1.25 inch, and the sealing surface defines an internal opening diameter of 1.5 inches with the outlet being 1.4 inches, the seal assembly being located in the second section in the actuated state of the sprinkler to define an axial translation distance of the seal assembly of 1.5 inches.

18. The dry sprinkler of claim 1 , wherein the second section defines the widest portion of the interior of the inlet fitting and the inner surface of the inlet fitting defines another section distal of the second section that converges narrowly in the axial direction toward the casing tube.

19. The dry sprinkler of claim 18 , wherein the inner surface of the inlet fitting defines an expanding section between the sealing surface and the second

Assignees

• Ringer Yoram
• Silva Jr Manuel R
• Coletta George B
• Leduc Roger H
• Weed Sean D
• Tyco Fire Products Lp

Inventors

• Ringer Yoram
• Silva Jr Manuel R
• Coletta George B
• Leduc Roger H
• Weed Sean D

Classifications

• Y10T29/49826

  Assembling or joining · CPC title

• A62C37/14

  with frangible vessels · CPC title

• A62C35/68

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

• A62C37/12

  with fusible links · CPC title

• A62C35/62 Primary

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