Fire sprinkler with actuator
AssigneeTyco Fire Products LP
InventorScott Thomas Macomber
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A sprinkler includes a frame, a deflector member, a sealing assembly, and a releasing mechanism for a controlled actuation. The releasing mechanism includes a hook member, a strut member, a load member, a link member, and an actuator. The link member surrounds or frames the strut and hook members and holds the members in a static relationship of an unactuated configuration. A preferred link member includes a single central slot through which each of the hook member and the strut member extend. The actuator is arranged with respect to the link member to separate the hook and strut members and break the link member upon operation of the actuator.
Claims36
A sprinkler comprising:
- a frame having a first end and a second end spaced apart along a longitudinal sprinkler axis, the first end of the frame has a body including an inlet, an outlet, and an internal passageway extending between the inlet and the outlet along the longitudinal axis of the sprinkler;
- a sealing assembly is disposed in the outlet to occlude the outlet and prevent the flow of a fluid through the passageway from the inlet to the outlet;
- and
- a releasing mechanism having an unactuated state to support the sealing assembly in the outlet and an actuated state to release support from the sealing assembly, the releasing mechanism including:
- a hook member having a first end portion and a second end portion;
- a strut member having a first end and a second end, the first end of the strut member in contact with the hook member at the first end portion at a location offset from the longitudinal axis, the second end of the strut member is in contact with the sealing assembly at a location aligned with the longitudinal axis;
- a link member having a fracture region and internal edges defining a central slot, the strut member and the hook member extending through the central slot such that the hook member and the strut member are spaced apart in the central slot to contact opposed internal edges of the link member;
- a load member engaged with the second end of the frame contacts the first end portion of the hook member at a location aligned with the longitudinal axis and opposed to the strut member to;
- and
- an actuator proximate the second end portion of the hook member and the second end of the strut member in the unactuated state of the releasing mechanism at a location between the link member and the second end of the strut member, the actuator separating the hook and strut members in the actuated state of the releasing mechanism to break the link member along the fracture region.
A method of controlling operation of a sprinkler, the method comprising:
- sealing the sprinkler with a hook and a strut assembly with a thermally insensitive link member having a central slot that frames the hook and the strut in a spaced relation;
- breaking the link member.
A sprinkler comprising:
- a frame having a first end and a second end spaced apart along a longitudinal sprinkler axis, the first end of the frame has a body including an inlet, an outlet, and an internal passageway extending between the inlet and the outlet along the longitudinal axis of the sprinkler;
- a sealing assembly is disposed in the outlet to occlude the outlet and prevent the flow of a fluid through the passageway from the inlet to the outlet;
- and
- a releasing mechanism having an unactuated state to support the sealing assembly in the outlet and an actuated state to release support from the sealing assembly, the releasing mechanism including:
- a hook member having a first end portion and a second end portion;
- a strut member having a first end and a second end, the first end of the strut member in contact with the hook member to define a contact region, the second end of the strut member is in contact with the sealing assembly at a location aligned with the longitudinal axis;
- a link member engaged with the strut member and the hook member at a first distance from the contact region;
- and
- an actuator proximate to the second end portion of the hook member and the strut member to separate the hook and strut members to break the link member, the actuator being at a second distance from the contact region that is greater than the first distance.
A method of controlling operation of a sprinkler, the method comprising:
- maintaining a sealing assembly within an outlet of the sprinkler with a static assembly of a hook member, strut member and link member;
- and
- displacing the strut member with respect to the hook member by a linear actuation force from an end portion of the hook member.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.