Method and apparatus for thermally activated sprinklers
AssigneeMide Technology Corporation
InventorsMarthinus Cornelius Van Schoor, Attila Jozsef Lengyel, Matthew Pike
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Abstract
A sprinkler head including a sprinkler body with a passage for fluid and a seal mechanism sealing the passage, and a cage member. A frangible bulb extends between the cage member and the seal. A shape memory alloy element is associated with the frangible bulb and has a first configuration that fits within, about, or abutting the bulb and a second configuration at a predetermined temperature which breaks the frangible bulb releasing the fluid through the passage.
Claims46
A sprinkler head comprising:
- a sprinkler body with a passage for fluid;
- a seal mechanism sealing said passage;
- a cage member;
- a frangible bulb extending between the cage member and the seal;
- and
- a shape memory alloy element associated with the frangible bulb having a first configuration that fits with the bulb and a second configuration at a predetermined temperature which breaks the frangible bulb releasing the fluid through the passage.
A sprinkler head comprising:
- a sprinkler body with a passage for fluid;
- a frangible bulb functioning to seal the passage;
- and
- a shape memory alloy element associated with the frangible bulb having a first configuration which fits with the bulb and a second configuration at a predetermined temperature which breaks the frangible bulb releasing the fluid from the sprinkler body.
A temperature sensitive device comprising:
- a frangible bulb;
- and
- a shape memory alloy element associated with the frangible bulb having a first configuration which fits with the bulb and a second configuration at a predetermined temperature which breaks the frangible bulb.
A method of manufacturing a temperature sensitive device, the method comprising:
- acquiring a shape memory alloy element made of material having an undeformed austenitic phase above a transition temperature;
- when the shape memory alloy element material is in its martinsite phase below the transition temperature, deforming the shape memory alloy element to fit with a frangible bulb;
- and
- associating the shape memory alloy element with the bulb and employing the bulb such that when the transition temperature is reached the shape memory alloy element material returns to its undeformed shape fracturing the bulb.
A sprinkler head comprising:
- a sprinkler body with passage for fluid;
- a seal mechanism for said passage;
- a cage member;
- and
- a shape memory alloy element extending between the cage and the seal mechanism biasing the seal closed in a first configuration, the shape memory alloy element having a second configuration at a predetermined temperature releasing the seal mechanism and allowing fluid to flow through the passage.
A sprinkler head comprising:
- a sprinkler body with passage for fluid;
- and
- a shape memory alloy element serving to seal the passage in a first configuration, the shape memory alloy element having a second configuration at a predetermined temperature allowing fluid to flow through the passage.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.