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US 6,702,033 B1Granted
Hybrid fire extinguisher
AssigneeAerojet-General Corporation
InventorsRobert M. Mitchell, Nicholas R. Arnot, George J. Callis
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A discharge valve element seals the outlet of a fire extinguisher vessel holding a fire suppressant. A source of gas pressurizes the suppressant at least when the extinguisher vessel is in a discharging condition. When the pressure acting on the element exceeds the threshold, the force resisting opening the element is overcome and substantially eliminated, whereupon the suppressant discharges through the outlet.
Claims20
A fire extinguisher comprising:
- a bottle having an interior;
- a fire suppressant contained by the bottle when the extinguisher is in a pre-discharge condition;
- a source of gas for pressurizing the suppressant at least when the bottle is in a discharging condition;
- an outlet, through which the suppressant is discharged when the extinguisher is in the discharging condition;
- and
- a valve having a valve element having a closed position sealing the outlet and an open position permitting discharge of the suppressant through the outlet, the valve element shiftable from the closed position to the open position responsive to a pressure within the bottle exceeding a discharge threshold pressure, whereupon the extinguisher enters the discharging condition and discharges the suppressant through the outlet,
- wherein:
- the valve element comprises a poppet having:
- a head;
- and
- a stem connected to the head,
- the head has a fore surface facing the bottle interior and an opposite aft face from which the stem extends along a poppet axis;
- and
- the valve comprises a locking element which in the pre-discharge condition has a first portion engaged to the poppet and a second portion held relative to the bottle and wherein in the pre-discharge condition the locking element transmits force to the poppet which retains the poppet in the closed position and, responsive to the pressure within the bottle exceeding the discharge threshold pressure the locking element ruptures, whereupon the pressure within the bottle drives the poppet to the open position and the extinguisher enters the discharging condition.
11 more elements
A fire extinguisher comprising:
- a bottle having an interior;
- a fire suppressant contained by the bottle when the extinguisher is in a pre-discharge condition;
- a source of gas for pressurizing the suppressant at least when the bottle is in a discharging condition;
- an outlet, through which the suppressant is discharged when the extinguisher is in the discharging condition;
- and
- a valve having a valve element having a closed position sealing the outlet and an open position permitting discharge of the suppressant through the outlet, the valve element shiftable from the closed position to the open position responsive to a pressure within the bottle exceeding a discharge threshold pressure, whereupon the extinguisher enters the discharging condition and discharges the suppressant through the outlet,
- wherein the valve element comprises:
- a head having a fore face facing the bottle interior and an opposite aft face;
- and
- a collapsible shaft between the head and a valve body.
7 more elements
A fire extinguisher comprising:
- a bottle extending from a first end to a second end, opposite the first end, the bottle having a failure pressure;
- a fire suppressant contained by the bottle when the extinguisher is in a pre-discharge condition;
- a source of gas for pressurizing the suppressant at least when the bottle is in a discharging condition;
- and
- an outlet, through which the suppressant is discharged when the extinguisher is in the discharging condition;
- a poppet having:
- a head;
- and
- a stem connected to the head,
- wherein the head has a fore face and an opposite aft face from which the stem extends along a poppet axis, the poppet having a closed position normally sealing the outlet and an open position permitting discharge of the suppressant through the outlet and wherein the head has a preferential rupture zone which, upon an internal pressure in the extinguisher exceeding a safety threshold pressure ruptures so as to permit discharge of suppressant from the extinguisher, reducing the internal pressure and preventing the internal pressure from rising to within a safety margin of said rupture pressure.
7 more elements
A fire extinguisher comprising:
- a bottle having an interior;
- a fire suppressant contained by the bottle when the extinguisher is in a pre-discharge condition;
- a replaceable cartridge containing a chemical propellant charge;
- and
- a cartridge holder assembly for holding the cartridge and having:
- a first end mounted within an aperture at an upper end of the bottle;
- a second end immersed within the suppressant when the extinguisher is in the pre-discharge condition;
- a closure, closing the first end;
- a squib mounted within the closure for igniting the propellant;
- and
- a gas generator relief plug initially sealing a path between the cartridge and the suppressant and comprising:
- a centrally apertured metal body;
- and
- a metal flap member initially secured to the metal body at least in part by a joint which is selected from the group consisting of a braze and a solder joint;
- wherein, upon combustion of the propellant, pressure applied to the flap by combustion gasses emitted by the propellant is effective to rupture the joint so as to allow the flap to assume a position wherein such path is unsealed and the combustion gasses may communicate with and pressurize the suppressant;
- and
- an outlet, through which the suppressant is discharged responsive to the pressurization of the suppressant.
14 more elements
A fire extinguisher comprising:
- a bottle having an interior;
- a fire suppressant contained by the bottle when the extinguisher is in a pre-discharge condition;
- and
- a gas generator assembly having:
- a chemical propellant charge;
- a body having at least one piece and having:
- a first end mounted within an aperture at an upper end of the bottle;
- a second end immersed within the suppressant when the extinguisher is in the pre-discharge condition;
- an initiator for igniting the propellant;
- and
- a gas generator relief poppet initially sealing a path between the propellant and the suppressant and comprising:
- a head having a fore surface facing the propellant and an aft surface and having a perimeter portion engaged to the body;
- and
- a stem extending aft from the head;
- wherein, upon combustion of the propellant, pressure applied to the head by combustion gasses emitted by the propellant is effective to rupture the head so as to separate a remainder of the gas generator relief poppet from the perimeter portion and allow the remainder to assume a position wherein such path is unsealed and the combustion gasses may communicate with and pressurize the suppressant;
- and
- an outlet, through which the suppressant is discharged responsive to the pressurization of the suppressant.
14 more elements
A fire extinguisher comprising:
- a bottle having an interior;
- a fire suppressant contained by the bottle when the extinguisher is in a pre-discharge condition;
- a replaceable cartridge containing a chemical propellant charge;
- and
- a cartridge holder assembly for holding the cartridge and having:
- a first end mounted within an aperture at an upper end of the bottle;
- a second end immersed within the suppressant when the extinguisher is in the pre-discharge condition;
- a closure, closing the first end;
- and
- an initiator assembly mounted within the closure for igniting the propellant and comprising:
- a body;
- a replaceable percussion cap primer having a primer charge;
- a firing pin;
- a spring;
- and
- a solenoid having:
- a coil;
- and
- a plunge, coupled to the firing pin by a sear and shiftable, by energizing of the coil from a first position at least to a second position so that such a shift draws the firing pin away from the primer until the plunger reaches the second position, whereupon release of the sear allows the firing pin to be driven by the spring to impact the primer and cause ignition of the primer charge which in turn causes ignition of the chemical propellant charge so as to pressurize the suppressant and discharge the suppressant from the extinguisher.
16 more elements
A fire extinguisher comprising:
- a bottle having an interior;
- a fire suppressant contained by the bottle when the extinguisher is in a pre-discharge condition;
- a chemical propellant charge;
- and
- a holder assembly for holding the chemical propellant charge and having:
- a first end mounted within an aperture at an upper end of the bottle;
- a second end immersed within the suppressant when the extinguisher is in the pre-discharge condition;
- a closure, closing the first end;
- and
- an initiator assembly mounted within the closure for igniting the propellant and comprising:
- triggering means for:
- (a) electrically triggering ignition of the propellant;
- and (b) mechanically triggering ignition of the propellant independent of electrical triggering,
- wherein said triggering means comprise:
- a replaceable percussion cap primer having a primer charge;
- a firing pin;
- a spring;
- a solenoid having:
- a coil;
- and
- a plunger, coupled to the firing pin by a sear and shiftable, by energizing of the coil, from a first position at least to a second position so that such a shift draws the firing pin away from the primer until the plunger reaches the second position, whereupon release of the sear allows the firing pin to be driven by the spring to impact the primer and cause ignition of the primer charge so as to provide the electrical triggering;
- and
- a mechanism for manually shifting the plunger from the first position to the second position in the absence of energizing of the coil so as to provide the mechanical triggering.
20 more elements
A method for remanufacturing a discharged fire extinguisher, the discharged fire extinguisher including a spent propellant container and a discharge head assembly coupled to an extinguisher bottle, the method comprising:
- removing the spent propellant container from the extinguisher bottle;
- inserting a replacement propellant container into the extinguisher bottle;
- removing a discharge valve head and a collapsed shaft from a body of the discharge head assembly;
- replacing the discharge valve head and collapsed shaft with:
- a replacement head having a fore face facing an interior of the extinguisher bottle and an opposite aft face, the replacement head being disposed in a port within the body of the discharge head assembly;
- and
- a replacement collapsible shaft, the replacement collapsible shaft supporting the replacement head within the port;
- and
- delivering a refill amount of fluid fire suppressant through a fill valve into the interior of the extinguisher bottle.
6 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.