Portable fire extinguisher
AssigneeChubb Fire Security division of Racal-Chubb Canada Inc.
InventorStuart D. Woodman
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A portable disposable fire extinguisher comprises a container for fire extinguishing medium, a discharge head, and a valve device within the discharge head for controlling a discharge passage. The valve is normally biased to a closed position by a return spring and by pressure in the container. The discharge head is constituted by a one-piece moulding providing a valve body, a carrying handle, a discharge nozzle and an operating lever which is connected to the valve body by a plastic hinge. Accidental operation of the lever is prevented by a discardable stop plate forming part of the moulding and connected thereto by frangible connections.
Claims9
A portable fire extinguisher comprising a container for fluent fire extinguishing medium stored under pressure, a discharge head thereon, and valve means within the discharge head operable to control a discharge passage, said valve means including a valve member which is normally biased to a closed position to prevent discharge, wherein the discharge head is constituted by a one-piece plastic moulding defining a valve body, coupling means at one end of the valve body operatively connecting the valve body to the container, a carrying handle projecting laterally from one side of the valve body, a discharge nozzle projecting laterally from the other side of the valve body, an operating lever connected to the other end of the valve body by a plastic hinge and extending laterally across said other end in spaced relation to the carrying handle, and a stop plate extending between the lever and the carrying handle and connected thereto by frangible connections whereby to prevent accidental operation of the lever, said lever when operated being engageable with said valve means whereby to displace the valve member from its closed position and so effect discharge of the fluent fire extinguishing medium.
In a portable fire extinguisher comprising a container for fire extinguisher medium stored under pressure, an improved discharge head assembly comprising, in combination:
- a one-piece plastic moulding providing a valve body having a longitudinally extending bore therethrough, coupling means at one end of the valve body operatively connecting the body to the container, a carrying handle projecting from one side of the body, a discharge nozzle projecting from the other side of the body, the discharge nozzle having a discharge passage communicating with the bore, an operating lever connected to the other end of the valve body by a plastic hinge and extending laterally across said other end of the body in spaced relation to the carrying handle, and a stop plate extending between the lever and the carrying handle and connected thereto by frangible connections whereby to prevent accidental operation of the lever;
- said longitudinally extending bore providing a first inlet bore portion extending from said one end of the valve body and terminating in a valve seat, and a second bore portion of reduced diameter extending from the first bore portion to said other end of the valve body;
- a valve member located in the bore, the valve member comprising a plunger which is slidable along said second bore portion in sealing engagement therewith, and a stem extending from the plunger and terminating in a closure member which is engageable with the valve seat;
- the valve member normally being biased to a closed position at which it sealingly engages the valve seat;
- said stem defining with the wall of said second bore portion a valve chamber communicating with the discharge passage;
- said plunger projecting from the bore at said other end of the valve body and being engageable by said lever, when operated, to displace the valve from its closed position thereby to effect discharge;
- the valve member having a longitudinally extending central bore therein exposed to container pressure and housing a probe member slidably located in said central bore, the probe member being biased to a limit position by container pressure;
- externally operable means connected to the probe member for displacing the probe member from said limit position;
- and
- indicator means connected to said externally operable means for indicating whether the probe member is returned to the limit position thereby to provide an indication that the container is charged.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.