Back to results
US 9,427,610 B2Granted
Dry sprinklers with multiple coupling arrangements
AssigneeTyco Fire Products LP
InventorsYoram Ringer, Manuel R. Silva, Jr., George B. Coletta, Roger H. Leduc, Sean D. Weed
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A dry sprinkler for a fire protection system having multiple alternative coupling arrangements for connection to the fluid supply piping of the system.
Claims19
A dry sprinkler comprising:
- an outer structural assembly having a proximal inlet, a distal outlet, and an internal passageway extending between the inlet and the outlet defining a longitudinal axis of the sprinkler, the outer structural assembly including:
- an inlet fitting including a proximal head portion and a distal body portion, the head portion having an external thread defining a nominal external thread diameter, the body portion including an external groove defining a nominal groove diameter being greater than the nominal external thread diameter, the external thread and groove providing the sprinkler with alternate threaded and grooved coupling arrangements for connection to a fluid supply pipe, the inlet fitting having an internal surface with four sections, each of the four sections defining a different portion of the internal passageway, the first section defining an inlet portion with a sealing surface of the dry sprinkler, the second section defining an expanding region of the internal passageway to a third portion that defines the widest portion of the internal passageway, and a fourth portion that converges the internal passageway in an axial-to-distal direction, inlet fitting having an outer surface portion that forms a transition between the proximal head portion and the distal body portion to define a transition portion between the external thread and the external groove, the transition portion defining a stop surface;
- an outlet frame including a deflector axially spaced at a fixed distance from the outlet;
- and
- a casing tube disposed between the inlet fitting and an outlet frame;
- a seal assembly disposed along the passageway for contacting the sealing surface;
- and
- a thermal trigger for supporting the seal assembly against the sealing surface in an unactuated state of the dry sprinkler.
5 more elements
A system for connecting a dry sprinkler to a fluid supply pipe, the system comprising:
- a fluid supply pipe fitting;
- and
- a dry sprinkler having an inlet fitting, an outlet frame and a casing tube between the inlet fitting, and the outlet frame to define a passageway of the sprinkler, the inlet fitting including a proximal head portion and a distal body portion with a transition portion between the proximal head and distal body portions, the head portion having an external thread, the body portion including an external groove, the sprinkler including an internal assembly to seal the passageway at the inlet fitting, and
- one of a threaded-type coupling connection and a grooved-type coupling connection between the inlet fitting and the fluid supply pipe fitting,
- wherein in the threaded-type coupling connection, the fluid supply pipe fitting is an internally threaded fitting, the external threads being threaded into the threaded pipe fitting;
- and
- wherein in the grooved-type coupling connection, the fluid supply pipe fitting is a grooved fitting coupled to the external groove of the inlet fitting with the external thread being substantially disposed within the grooved fitting;
- and
- wherein the inlet fitting comprises an internal surface with four sections, each of the four sections defining a different portion of the internal passageway, the first section defining an inlet portion with a sealing surface of the dry sprinkler, the second section defining an expanding region of the internal passageway to a third portion that defines the widest portion of the internal passageway, and a fourth portion that converges the internal passageway in an axial-to-distal direction, and inlet fitting having an outer surface portion that forms a transition between the proximal head portion and the distal body portion to define a transition portion between the external thread and the external groove, the transition portion defining a stop surface.
6 more elements
A method of coupling a dry sprinkler to a fluid supply pipe, the dry sprinkler having an inlet fitting, an outlet frame and a casing tube between the inlet fitting, and an internal assembly to seal the passageway at the inlet fitting, the method comprising:
- disposing the inlet fitting of the dry sprinkler along the fluid supply pipe, the inlet fitting having a proximal head portion and a distal body portion, the body portion including a transition portion between the proximal head and distal body portions, the head portion having an external thread, the body portion including an external groove;
- forming one of a threaded-type coupling connection and a grooved-type coupling connection between the inlet fitting and a fluid supply pipe fitting,
- wherein forming the threaded-type coupling connection includes threading the external threads to an internally threaded pipe fitting;
- and
- wherein forming the grooved-type coupling connection includes coupling the external groove of the inlet fitting to a grooved fluid supply pipe fitting and disposing the external thread within the grooved fluid supply pipe fitting;
- and
- wherein the inlet fitting comprises an internal surface with four sections, each of the four sections defining a different portion of the internal passageway, the first section defining an inlet portion with a sealing surface of the dry sprinkler, the second section defining an expanding region of the internal passageway to a third portion that defines the widest portion of the internal passageway, and a fourth portion that converges the internal passageway in an axial-to-distal direction, and inlet fitting having an outer surface portion that forms a transition between the proximal head portion and the distal body portion to define a transition portion between the external thread and the external groove, the transition portion defining a stop surface.
4 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.