Method of Producing and Using a Sprinkler Unit
AssigneeVictaulic Company
InventorsCharles Oakes, Michael J. Davis, Robert J. Ballard
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A sprinkler with flexible body for fire suppression incudes a sprinkler head. An adapter extends from the sprinkler head and a flexible conduit extends from the adapter. The conduit is connectable to a source of fire suppressing liquid. The sprinkler with flexible body has a composite K factor indicative of the discharge flow rate from a discharge opening defined by the sprinkler head and can be directly substituted for a sprinkler having the same K factor with no change in the hydraulic characteristics of the fire suppression system in which the sprinkler with flexible body is integrated. An embodiment without the adapter, wherein the flexible conduit extends from the sprinkler head, is also feasible.
Claims20
A method comprising:
- measuring a composite K factor of a sprinkler unit, said sprinkler unit comprising a sprinkler head defining a discharge opening and a flexible conduit coupled to said sprinkler head, wherein said composite K factor accounts for pressure losses from said flexible conduit and said sprinkler head;
- and
- labeling said sprinkler unit with indicia having said composite K factor.
A method of replacing an individual sprinkler head with a sprinkler unit, said sprinkler unit comprising a flexible conduit attached to a sprinkler head, said method comprising:
- removing said individual sprinkler head from a source of fire suppressing liquid, said individual sprinkler head having a specified K factor;
- and
- coupling said sprinkler unit to said source of fire suppressing liquid, wherein said sprinkler unit comprises indicia including a composite K factor, wherein said composite K factor accounts for pressure losses through said flexible conduit and said sprinkler head of said sprinkler unit,
- wherein said specified K factor of said individual sprinkler head is the same as said composite K factor of said sprinkler unit.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.