Fire extinguisher with internal mixing and gas cartridge
OwnerRyan H. Barrows, Justun C. Seymour +2inventors
InventorsRyan H. Barrows, Justun C. Seymour, Hector Rousseau, Randy Rousseau
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Improvements to a portable fire extinguisher are disclosed. The improvements allow for frequent and simplified maintenance of a fire extinguisher with minimal training and without need for custom equipment. The improvements include an anti-bridging mechanism that can be articulated from the exterior of the chamber to fluff, mix or stir the powder within the chamber to keep it in a liquefied state. These features will extend the service intervals while maintaining the fire extinguisher in a ready condition.
Claims20
A portable fire extinguisher including a chamber configured to be filled with a dry fire suppressant material and to be pressurized with gas from a pressurized gas cartridge, the portable fire extinguisher further including a flow path for releasing the fire suppressant material from the chamber, the portable fire extinguisher comprising:
- an integral siphon tube having a first tube end coupled to the flow path and a second tube end disposed inside the chamber;
- a puncture pin disposed in the chamber such that the puncture pin releases liquefied gas from the pressurized gas cartridge directly into the chamber such that a stream of liquefied gas enters the chamber in an orientation that is parallel to an axis of the siphon tube and is directed at the dry fire suppressant material, the pressurized gas cartridge located externally from the chamber;
- at least two fluffing arms disposed in the chamber and configured to agitate the dry fire suppressant material in the chamber when the integral siphon tube is rotated, wherein each fluffing arm includes a first end coupled to the integral siphon tube and the fluffing arm extends radially away from the integral siphon tube to a second end inside the chamber, an upper surface of the fluffing arm sloped along its length away from the first tube end;
- and
- a support gusset coupled to the integral siphon tube and where a portion of the support gusset extends to a point adjacent to the second end one of the at least two fluffing arms, wherein the support gusset extends radially away from the integral siphon tube inside of the chamber and supports at least a portion of the fluffing arm, the support gusset adapted to resist a compressive force from the stream of liquefied gas from the pressurized gas cartridge applied to the fluffing arm where such force is applied in a direction that is parallel to the axis of the integral siphon tube.
A method of maintaining fire suppressant material housed in a fire extinguisher, the method comprising:
- configuring the fire extinguisher to comprise a chamber filled with a dry fire suppressant material, the chamber configured to be pressurized with liquefied gas released by a puncture pin directly into the chamber from a pressurized gas cartridge located externally from the chamber, the puncture pin disposed in the chamber, the portable fire extinguisher further configured with a flow path for releasing the dry fire suppressant material from the chamber, the portable fire extinguisher comprising an integral siphon tube having a first tube end coupled to the flow path and a second tube end disposed inside the chamber;
- agitating the fire suppressant material in the chamber using at least two fluffing arms disposed in the chamber and configured to agitate the dry fire suppressant material when the integral siphon tube is rotated, wherein each fluffing arm includes a first end coupled to the integral siphon tube and the fluffing arm extends radially away from the integral siphon tube to an opposite second end inside the chamber, each fluffing arm further comprising an upper surface of the fluffing arm sloped along its length away from the first tube end, each fluffing arm comprising a support gusset coupled to the integral siphon tube and to a point adjacent to the a distal end of the fluffing arm, wherein the support gusset extends radially away from the integral siphon tube inside of the chamber and supports at least a portion of the fluffing arm, the support gusset adapted to resist a compressive force from a stream of liquefied gas introduced directly into the chamber from the pressurized gas cartridge in an orientation that is parallel to an axis of the siphon tube and applied to the fluffing arm where such force is applied in a direction that is parallel to the axis of the integral siphon tube.
A portable fire extinguisher including a chamber configured to be filled with a dry fire suppressant material and to be pressurized with gas from a pressurized gas cartridge, the portable fire extinguisher further including a flow path for releasing the fire suppressant material from the chamber, the portable fire extinguisher comprising:
- an integral siphon tube having a first tube end coupled to the flow path and a second tube end disposed inside the chamber;
- a puncture pin disposed in the chamber such that the puncture pin releases liquefied gas from the pressurized gas cartridge directly into the chamber in an orientation that is parallel to an axis of the siphon tube and where the liquefied gas is directed at the dry fire suppressant material in a direction parallel to the siphon tube, the pressurized gas cartridge located externally to the chamber;
- at least two fluffing arms disposed in the chamber and configured to agitate the dry fire suppressant material in the chamber when the integral siphon tube is rotated, wherein each fluffing arm includes a first end coupled to the integral siphon tube and the fluffing arm extends radially away from the integral siphon tube to an opposite second end inside the chamber, an upper surface of the fluffing arm sloped along its length away from the first tube end, the integral siphon tube includes an inlet at a first end of the integral siphon tube and an outlet at an opposite second end of the integral siphon tube, wherein the inlet is configured to receive the fire suppressant material from the chamber and the outlet is configured to provide the fire suppressant material to the flow path;
- and
- a support gusset coupled to the integral siphon tube and where a portion of the support gusset extends to a point adjacent to the second end one of the at least two fluffing arms, wherein the support gusset extends radially away from the integral siphon tube inside of the chamber and supports at least a portion of the fluffing arm, the support gusset adapted to resist a compressive force from a stream of liquefied gas from the pressurized gas cartridge applied to the fluffing arm where such force is applied in a direction that is parallel to the axis of the integral siphon tube.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.