Temporary Protective Device for Fire Protection Sprinklers

A protective cap for housing a fire protection sprinkler assembly having a trigger assembly and an escutcheon plate with a peripheral surface, the protective cap comprising:

• an open receiver end portion defined by a plurality of gription segments angularly spaced apart about a central longitudinal axis to engage and partially circumscribe the peripheral surface of the escutcheon plate;
• a closed terminal end portion opposite and axially spaced from the open receiver end portion along the central longitudinal axis;
• and
• an aerosol shield extending between the open receiver end portion and the closed terminal end portion, the aerosol shield being centered about the central longitudinal axis to define an internal chamber for housing the fire protection sprinkler assembly, the aerosol shield including a plurality of shielded openings for gas communication with the internal chamber to operate the trigger assembly.

A protective cap for housing a fire protection sprinkler assembly having a thermal sensitivity, the protective cap comprising:

• an open receiver end portion for engagement with the fire protection sprinkler assembly;
• a closed terminal end portion opposite and axially spaced from the open receiver end portion along a central longitudinal axis;
• and
• an aerosol shield extending between the open receiver end portion and the closed terminal end portion that defines an internal chamber about the central longitudinal axis for housing the fire protection sprinkler assembly, the aerosol shield maintaining the thermal sensitivity of the fire protection sprinkler assembly and allowing a sufficient flow of heated air into the internal chamber to thermally actuate the fire protection sprinkler;
• and
• permitting a sufficient flow of firefighting fluid from the thermally actuated fire protection sprinkler to displace the protective cap.