Protection and installation device for fire protection sprinkler

A protected fire protection sprinkler assembly comprising:

• a fire protection sprinkler including a body having an inlet, an outlet, an internal passageway extending between the inlet and the outlet along a central sprinkler axis, and an external thread formed about the central sprinkler axis, the fire protection sprinkler including a pair of spaced apart frame arms disposed in a plane and extending axially from the body and converging toward one another to form an apex centered along the central sprinkler axis and spaced axially from the outlet, the fire protection sprinkler including a thermally responsive trigger assembly disposed along the central sprinkler axis and a fluid deflection member affixed to the apex and centered along the central sprinkler axis with the apex between the thermally responsive trigger assembly and the fluid deflection member;
• and
• a protective device disposed about the fire protection sprinkler to at least partially surround the thermally responsive trigger assembly, the protective device including:
• a first protective member and a second protective member opposed from one another about the plane with at least one of the first and second protective members including an external torque assist surface of the protective device;
• a releasable lock arrangement to lock the first protective member to the second protective member;
• and
• at least one releasing segment to release the releasable lock arrangement,
• wherein each of the first and the second protective members includes a concave segment, a convex segment, and the external torque assist surface including the convex segment and a planar segment, the planar segments of the first and the second protective members confronting different arms.

A protected fire protection sprinkler assembly comprising:

• a fire protection sprinkler including a body having an inlet, an outlet, an internal passageway extending between the inlet and the outlet along a central sprinkler axis, and an external thread formed about the central sprinkler axis, the fire protection sprinkler including a pair of spaced apart frame arms disposed in a plane and extending axially from the body and converging toward one another to form an apex centered along the central sprinkler axis and spaced axially from the outlet, the fire protection sprinkler including a thermally responsive trigger assembly disposed along the central sprinkler axis and a fluid deflection member affixed to the apex and centered along the central sprinkler axis with the apex between the thermally responsive trigger assembly and the fluid deflection member;
• and
• a protective device disposed about the fire protection sprinkler to at least partially surround the thermally responsive trigger assembly, the protective device including:
• a first protective member and a second protective member opposed from one another about the plane with at least one of the first and second protective members including an external torque assist surface of the protective device;
• a releasable lock arrangement to lock the first protective member to the second protective member;
• and
• at least one releasing segment to release the releasable lock arrangement,
• wherein the releasable lock arrangement includes a pair of spacers between the first and the second protective members, the pair of spacers being radially disposed about the apex, with at least one of the pair of spacers forming a latched connection between the first and the second protective members.

A protected fire protection sprinkler assembly comprising:

• a fire protection sprinkler including a body having an inlet, an outlet, an internal passageway extending between the inlet and the outlet along a central sprinkler axis, and an external thread formed about the central sprinkler axis, the fire protection sprinkler including a pair of spaced apart frame arms disposed in a plane and extending axially from the body and converging toward one another to form an apex centered along the central sprinkler axis and spaced axially from the outlet, the fire protection sprinkler including a thermally responsive trigger assembly disposed along the central sprinkler axis and a fluid deflection member affixed to the apex and centered along the central sprinkler axis with the apex between the thermally responsive trigger assembly and the fluid deflection member;
• and
• a protective device disposed about the fire protection sprinkler to at least partially surround the thermally responsive trigger assembly, the protective device including:
• a first protective member and a second protective member opposed from one another about the plane with at least one of the first and second protective members including an external torque assist surface of the protective device;
• a releasable lock arrangement to lock the first protective member to the second protective member;
• and
• at least one releasing segment to release the releasable lock arrangement,
• wherein the releasable lock arrangement includes a pair of spacers between the first and the second protective members, with at least one of the pair of spacers positioned between the outlet and the fluid deflection member and forming a latched connection between the first and the second protective members, and
• wherein each of the first protective member and the second protective member further includes:
• a first radially extending shielding surface perpendicular to the central sprinkler axis;
• and
• a peripheral shielding surface contiguous to the radially extending shielding surface that at least partially circumscribes the fluid deflection member.