Systems and methods for suppressing fire in containers

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9770612-B2
Application number	US-201313891728-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 10, 2013
Priority date	May 15, 2012
Publication date	Sep 26, 2017
Grant date	Sep 26, 2017

Abstract

A device for suppressing fire inside a container includes a support structure configured to be mounted inside a vehicle at a position associated with at least one location configured to receive a container. The device further includes a deployment structure coupled to the support structure and a penetrator assembly coupled to the deployment structure. The penetrator assembly includes a nozzle having a tip configured to pierce a container and an actuator associated with the nozzle. The actuator is configured to extend the tip of the nozzle such that it pierces a container. The support structure and the deployment structure are configured such that the penetrator assembly is movable in at least one plane with respect to the support structure, and the penetrator assembly is configured to receive fire suppressant and direct the fire suppressant into the container.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A device for suppressing fire inside one or more containers, the device comprising:
a support structure configured to be mounted inside a vehicle at a position associated with two or more locations within the vehicle, each location respectively configured to receive a container;
a deployment structure coupled to the support structure;
a penetrator assembly coupled to the deployment structure, the penetrator assembly comprising:
a nozzle having a tip configured to pierce one or more containers, and
an actuator associated with the nozzle, wherein the actuator is configured to extend the tip of the nozzle such that it can pierce a container,

wherein the deployment structure is configured to move relative to the support structure to a plurality of positions, including two or more respective positions, each respective position associated with a location configured to receive a container, whereby the movement of the deployment structure to a respective position places the coupled penetrator assembly in a position where the nozzle can be extended by the actuator to pierce the container, and
wherein the penetrator assembly is configured to receive fire suppressant and direct the fire suppressant into one or more containers, the device thereby being capable of selectively directing fire suppressant into one or more containers.

2. The device of claim 1 , wherein the support structure comprises a pivot support coupled to a pivot structure, wherein the pivot structure couples the support structure and the deployment structure to one another.

3. The device of claim 2 , wherein the pivot structure couples the support structure and the deployment structure to one another such that the deployment structure is movable relative to the support structure to the plurality of positions.

4. The device of claim 1 , wherein the support structure comprises a stow actuator configured to maintain the deployment structure in a stowed condition and release the deployment structure from the stowed condition for movement to a deployed condition.

5. The device of claim 4 , wherein the stow actuator comprises one of a pneumatic cylinder, a hydraulic cylinder, and an electric actuator.

6. The device of claim 1 , wherein the deployment structure comprises an arm having a first end and a second end, the first end of the arm being coupled to the support structure and the second end of the arm being coupled to the penetrator assembly.

7. The device of claim 6 , wherein the arm is configured to pivot with respect to the support structure at the first end.

8. The device of claim 7 , wherein the arm is configured to pivot about a horizontal axis at the first end.

9. The device of claim 7 , wherein the arm is configured pivot about a vertical axis at the first end.

10. The device of claim 7 , wherein the arm is configured to pivot about a horizontal axis and a vertical axis at the first end.

11. The device of claim 6 , wherein the second end of the arm and the penetrator assembly are configured to pivot with respect to one another.

12. The device of claim 11 , wherein the arm is configured to pivot with respect to the support structure at the first end, and wherein the arm and the penetrator assembly are configured such that as the arm pivots with respect to the support structure, the arm and the penetrator assembly pivot with respect to one another so that the penetrator assembly maintains a substantially constant orientation relative to the support structure.

13. The device of claim 12 , wherein the arm comprises an upper link and a lower link, wherein the upper and lower links extend parallel with respect to one another between the first end and the second end of the arm.

14. The device of claim 1 , wherein the actuator of the penetrator assembly comprises one of a pneumatic cylinder, a hydraulic cylinder, an electric actuator, and a spring.

15. The device of claim 1 , wherein the nozzle comprises a tubular member, and wherein the tip is located at a first end of the tubular member.

16. The device of claim 15 , wherein the tubular member has a circular cross section.

17. The device of claim 15 , wherein the first end of the tubular member has a cutting edge.

18. The device of claim 15 , wherein the tubular member is frangible so that once the tip has penetrated the container, the container can be moved relative to the device without the tip being removed from the container.

19. The device of claim 1 , wherein the penetrator assembly comprises a reservoir configured to receive fire suppressant and provide flow communication with the nozzle.

20. The device of claim 19 , wherein the reservoir is configured to receive and combine first and second fire suppressant components.

21. The device of claim 20 , wherein the first fire suppressant component comprises gas and the second fire suppressant component comprises foam solution, and the penetrator assembly is configured to combine the gas and the foam solution to form fire suppressant foam and discharge the fire suppressant foam from the nozzle into the container.

22. The device of claim 1 , wherein the deployment structure is moveable in at least one plane relative to the support structure.

23. The device of claim 22 , wherein the deployment structure is pivotable relative to the support structure and can pivot to each respective position.

24. The device of claim 23 , wherein the deployment structure can be pivoted relative to the support structure in two generally orthogonal planes.

25. The device of claim 24 , wherein the deployment structure can be pivoted in a generally horizontal plane and a generally vertical plane, relative to locations within the vehicle configured to receive respective containers.

26. The device of claim 1 , wherein the deployment structure can move to three or more respective positions and the device is capable of selectively directing fire suppressant into one or all of three containers.

27. The device of claim 1 , wherein the deployment structure can move to four respective positions and the device is capable of selectively directing fire suppressant to one or all of four containers.

Assignees

• Petzinger Mark R
• Federal Express Corp

Inventors

• Petzinger Mark R

Classifications

• A62C31/22

  specially adapted for piercing walls, heaped materials, or the like · CPC title

• A62C37/08

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

• A62C3/08 Primary

  in aircraft {(A62C3/0207 takes precedence)} · CPC title

• A62C3/07 Primary

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

• A62C5/02

  of foam · CPC title