Concealed sprinkler

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9931528-B2
Application number	US-201514922961-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 26, 2015
Priority date	Nov 28, 2006
Publication date	Apr 3, 2018
Grant date	Apr 3, 2018

Abstract

A concealed sprinkler including a body having a proximal portion and a distal portion. The distal portion includes an annular wall defining a chamber and an opening in communication with the chamber. A deflector assembly is disposed within the chamber. A trigger assembly having a lever assembly engaged with an inner surface of the annular wall supports the deflector assembly in the first position, the trigger assembly including and a thermally rated plate assembly having a lip portion to substantially circumscribe and substantially cover opening and chamber.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A concealed sidewall sprinkler having an unactuated state and an actuated state, the sprinkler comprising:
a sprinkler body having a proximal portion defining an inlet and a distal portion having an internal surface forming an outlet, the body defining an internal passageway between the inlet and the outlet extending along a longitudinal axis, the distal portion including an annular wall having an outer surface and an inner surface having an internal shelf to define a chamber distal and an opening of the chamber distal of the outlet;
a deflector assembly including a pair of arms and a deflector, the deflector assembly having a first position with the deflector disposed within the chamber and a second position with the deflector distal of the first position, the deflector including a face portion disposed perpendicular to the longitudinal axis and a hood portion extending substantially orthogonally to the face portion, the face portion including a central hole with two through holes disposed about the central hole, the pair of arms extending through the two holes to support the deflector in a telescopic manner;
a closure assembly disposed within the outlet and including a biasing element in sealing engagement with the inner surface forming the outlet when the deflector is in the first position; and
a trigger assembly to support the deflector assembly in the first position, the trigger assembly including:
a thermally responsive plate assembly distal of the chamber opening to control the unactuated and actuated state;
a lever assembly including a pair of lever members diametrically disposed about the longitudinal axis with a first pair of diametrically opposed lever ends engaged with the shelf and a second pair of diametrically opposed lever ends engaged with the thermally responsive plate assembly;
a bridge element bridging the pair of lever members to support the deflector assembly in its first position, the bridge element defining a channel straddled about the diametrically opposed first ends of the pair of lever members, the bridge element having a first end and a second end with a plurality of outer planar surfaces about the channel extending from the first end to the second end of the bridge element, the plurality of planar surfaces including one entirely planar surface extending from the first end to the second end of the bridge element perpendicular to the longitudinal axis; and
a set screw axially aligned along the longitudinal axis and threaded through the one entirely planar surface of the bridge element extending perpendicular to the longitudinal axis to abut the deflector assembly with the deflector in the first position.

2. The concealed sidewall sprinkler of claim 1 , wherein the one entirely planar surface of the bridge element extending perpendicular to the longitudinal axis defines a bridge length, the bridge element defining a bridge height in the direction of the longitudinal axis, the bridge height to the bridge length defining an aspect ratio substantially less than 1.

3. The concealed sidewall sprinkler of claim 2 , wherein the bridge element defines a bridge thickness in a direction transverse to each of the bridge height and bridge length, the bridge thickness to bridge length defining another aspect ratio substantially less than 1.

4. The concealed sidewall sprinkler of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of outer planar surfaces of the bridge element include a pair of parallel planar surfaces extending from the first end to the second end of the bridge element and disposed about the one entirely planar surface extending perpendicular to the longitudinal axis.

5. The concealed sidewall sprinkler of claim 4 , wherein the parallel planar surfaces are spaced apart to define a thickness of the bridge element such that within the chamber there is a gap between the shelf and at least one of the parallel planar surfaces.

6. The concealed sidewall sprinkler of claim 4 , wherein the plurality of planar surfaces define a U-shaped cross-section of the bridge element.

7. The concealed sidewall sprinkler of claim 1 , wherein the bridge element defines a point of contact between each of the first and second ends of the bridge element and the pair of lever members.

8. The concealed sidewall sprinkler of claim 1 , wherein the thermally responsive plate assembly includes a central opening to access the set screw.

9. The concealed sidewall sprinkler of claim 8 , wherein the thermally responsive plate assembly comprises two openings disposed about the longitudinal axis with the second pair of diametrically opposed lever ends occupy the two openings of the thermally responsive plate assembly.

10. The concealed sidewall sprinkler of claim 1 , wherein the pair of lever members define an included angle therebetween of about 136 degrees.

11. The concealed sidewall sprinkler of claim 1 , wherein each of the pair of arms of the deflector assembly have a length and a variable width along the length, including an enlarged proximal end to limit axial travel of the arms and a narrow distal portion extending through the through holes in the deflector face portion.

12. The concealed sidewall sprinkler of claim 11 , wherein the distal portion of the body includes a plurality of openings, the arms sliding through two openings in the plurality of openings.

13. The concealed sidewall sprinkler of claim 11 , wherein the hood extends through an opening in the plurality of openings of the distal portion when the deflector is in the first position.

14. The concealed sidewall sprinkler of claim 13 , wherein the chamber includes an overflow space for a portion of the deflector when the deflector is in the first position.

15. The concealed sidewall sprinkler of claim 1 , wherein the deflector assembly includes an element affixed within the central opening of the face portion of the deflector, the element having a blind bore abutted by the set screw to place the deflector in the first position.

16. The concealed sidewall sprinkler of claim 15 , wherein the element comprises a button having a frustroconical tip disposed within the outlet when the deflector is in the first position.

17. The concealed sidewall sprinkler of claim 15 , wherein the closure assembly includes the button with the biasing element disposed about the frustroconical tip.

18. The concealed sidewall sprinkler of claim 1 , wherein the face portion of the deflector includes a bent peripheral portion and a plurality of slots of varying geometry symmetrically disposed about the face portion, the face portion including two pairs of open-ended slots that vary in length and in width, one slot pair narrows proximate a peripheral edge of the face portion and the other pair widens proximate the peripheral edge, the peripheral bent portion including a plurality of open-ended slots symmetrically disposed about the central opening and the hood portion includes at least one pair of slots.

19. The concealed sidewall sprinkler of claim 1 , wherein the bridge element has contact with the lever members for transferring a load of the biasing element to the trigger assembly, the bridge element contact consisting of a first point of contact and a second point of contact, the first point of contact being between the first end of the bridge element and one end of the first pair of diametrically opposed lever ends and the second point of contact being between the second end of the bridge element and the other end of the first pair of diametrically opposed lever ends, the one entirely planar surface of t

Assignees

• Tyco Fire Products Lp

Inventors

• Abels Bernhard
• Silva Jr Manuel R
• Chavez Marcelo J

Classifications

• A62C31/02

  Nozzles specially adapted for fire-extinguishing · CPC title

• B05B1/02

  designed to produce a jet, spray, or other discharge of particular shape or nature, e.g. in single drops, {or having an outlet of particular shape}(B05B1/26, B05B1/28, B05B1/34 take precedence) · CPC title

• A62C37/12

  with fusible links · CPC title

• B05B12/08

  responsive to condition of liquid or other fluent material {to be} discharged, of ambient medium or of target {; responsive to condition of spray devices or of supply means, e.g. pipes, pumps or their drive means} · CPC title

• A62C35/68 Primary

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