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US 12,397,185 B2Granted
Flexible dry sprinkler having a differential pressure controller
AssigneeThe Reliable Automatic Sprinkler Co., Inc.
InventorThomas Multer
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A dry fire protection sprinkler in which, when a ratio of a pressure P1 of a pressurized fluid in a flexible tube to a pressure P3 of the fluid in a fluid supply line is less than a predetermined ratio of at least 3 to 1, a differential pressure controller sends a signal to a control valve to open, in order to allow the pressurized fluid in a pressurized fluid source at a pressure of P2 to enter the flexible tube, and, when the ratio of the pressure P1 of the pressurized fluid in the flexible tube to the pressure P3 of the fluid in the fluid supply line equals the predetermined ratio, the differential pressure controller sends a signal to the control valve to close.
Claims46
A dry fire protection sprinkler comprising:
- a flexible tube having an inlet end, an outlet end, and a valve opening, the flexible tube configured to contain a pressurized fluid supplied from a fluid supply line;
- an outlet seal assembly having a sealing cap configured to seal an outlet orifice of a sprinkler frame, wherein the flexible tube contains the pressurized fluid between an inlet seal assembly and the sealing cap of the outlet seal assembly;
- a thermally responsive element configured to fail when ambient temperature reaches a predetermined temperature, and to hold the sealing cap of the outlet seal assembly in an outlet orifice until the thermally responsive element fails;
- a flexible tube pressure sensor configured to measure a pressure P1 of the pressurized fluid in the flexible tube;
- a control valve connected to the valve opening of the flexible tube, and configured to open and to close;
- a pressurized fluid source connected to the control valve and configured to supply the pressurized fluid from the fluid supply line to the flexible tube when the control valve opens, the pressurized fluid in the pressurized fluid source being at a pressure P2;
- a fluid supply pressure sensor configured to measure a pressure P3 of the pressurized fluid in the fluid supply line, the pressure P2 of the pressurized fluid in the pressurized fluid source being greater than the pressure P3 of the fluid in the supply line;
- and
- a differential pressure controller connected to the control valve, to the flexible tube pressure sensor, and to the fluid supply pressure sensor, and, when a ratio of the pressure P1 of the pressurized fluid in the flexible tube to the pressure P3 of the fluid in the fluid supply line is less than a predetermined ratio of at least three to one, the differential pressure controller sends a signal to the control valve to open, in order to allow the pressurized fluid in the pressurized fluid source at the pressure of P2 to enter the flexible tube, and, when the ratio of the pressure P1 of the pressurized fluid in the flexible tube to the pressure P3 of the fluid in the fluid supply line equals the predetermined ratio, the differential pressure controller sends a signal to the control valve to close.
6 more elements
A dry fire protection sprinkler comprising:
- an inlet seal assembly having an inlet plug;
- a flexible tube having an inlet end, an outlet end, and a valve opening, the flexible tube having a circular inner cross section and being configured to contain a pressurized fluid supplied from a fluid supply line;
- an outlet seal assembly having a sealing cap configured to seal an outlet orifice of a sprinkler frame, wherein the flexible tube contains the pressurized fluid between the inlet seal assembly and the sealing cap of the outlet seal assembly;
- a thermally responsive element configured to fail when ambient temperature reaches a predetermined temperature, and to hold the sealing cap of the outlet seal assembly in the outlet orifice until the thermally responsive element fails;
- a flexible tube pressure sensor configured to measure a pressure P1 of the pressurized fluid in the flexible tube;
- a control valve connected to the valve opening of the flexible tube, and configured to open and to close;
- a pressurized fluid source connected to the control valve and configured to supply the pressurized fluid from the fluid supply line to the flexible tube when the control valve opens, the pressurized fluid in the pressurized fluid source being at a pressure P2;
- a fluid supply pressure sensor configured to measure a pressure P3 of the pressurized fluid in the fluid supply line, the pressure P2 of the pressurized fluid in the pressurized fluid source being greater than the pressure P3 of the fluid in the supply line;
- and
- a differential pressure controller connected to the control valve, to the flexible tube pressure sensor, and to the fluid supply pressure sensor, and, when a ratio of the pressure P1 of the pressurized fluid in the flexible tube to the pressure P3 of the fluid in the fluid supply line is less than a predetermined ratio of at least three to one, the differential pressure controller sends a signal to the control valve to open, in order to allow the pressurized fluid in the pressurized fluid source at the pressure of P2 to enter the flexible tube, and, when the ratio of the pressure P1 of the pressurized fluid in the flexible tube to the pressure P3 of the fluid in the fluid supply line equals the predetermined ratio, the differential pressure controller sends a signal to the control valve to close.
7 more elements
A dry fire protection sprinkler for use in an area that is exposed to freezing conditions, the dry fire protection sprinkler comprising:
- a flexible tube having an inlet end, an outlet end, and a valve opening, the flexible tube configured to contain a pressurized fluid supplied from a fluid supply line, the pressurized fluid being a liquid anti-freeze solution that is not susceptible to freezing at the freezing point of water;
- an outlet seal assembly having a sealing cap configured to seal an outlet orifice of a sprinkler frame, wherein the flexible tube contains the pressurized fluid between an inlet seal assembly and the sealing cap of the outlet seal assembly;
- a thermally responsive element configured to fail when ambient temperature reaches a predetermined temperature, and to hold the sealing cap of the outlet seal assembly in the outlet orifice until the thermally responsive element fails;
- a flexible tube pressure sensor configured to measure a pressure P1 of the pressurized fluid in the flexible tube;
- a control valve connected to the valve opening of the flexible tube, and configured to open and to close;
- a pressurized fluid source connected to the control valve and configured to supply the pressurized fluid from the fluid supply line to the flexible tube when the control valve opens, the pressurized fluid in the pressurized fluid source being at a pressure P2;
- a fluid supply pressure sensor configured to measure a pressure P3 of the pressurized fluid in the fluid supply line, the pressure P2 of the pressurized fluid in the pressurized fluid source being greater than the pressure P3 of the fluid in the supply line;
- and
- a differential pressure controller connected to the control valve, to the flexible tube pressure sensor, and to the fluid supply pressure sensor, and, when a ratio of the pressure P1 of the pressurized fluid in the flexible tube to the pressure P3 of the fluid in the fluid supply line is less than a predetermined ratio of at least three to one, the differential pressure controller sends a signal to the control valve to open, in order to allow the pressurized fluid in the pressurized fluid source at the pressure of P2 to enter the flexible tube, and, when the ratio of the pressure P1 of the pressurized fluid in the flexible tube to the pressure P3 of the fluid in the fluid supply line equals the predetermined ratio, the differential pressure controller sends a signal to the control valve to close.
6 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.