Fire protection sprinkler assembly

A sprinkler assembly comprising:

• a sprinkler frame having a proximal portion, a distal portion, an external surface and an internal surface, the internal surface defining an internal passageway extending from an inlet formed in the proximal portion to an outlet formed in the distal portion to define a longitudinal sprinkler axis of the sprinkler assembly;
• a support member formed about the distal portion, the support member having at least one stanchion disposed radially about the support member having a proximal receiver portion proximate the outlet and a distal projection portion, the proximal receiver portion disposed radially about the support member;
• and
• a deflector assembly including a proximal portion engaged with the receiver portion of the at least one stanchion, and a distal portion having a deflector member, the deflector assembly including a receiving structure engaged with the distal projection portion of the stanchion to locate the deflector member at a fixed distance from the outlet of the sprinkler frame in an unactuated state of the sprinkler assembly and remain at the fixed distance in an actuated state of the sprinkler assembly,
• wherein the proximal receiver portion includes a radial inner component and a radial outer component disposed radially outward of the radial inner component to define an axially extending channel between the radial inner and outer components,
• wherein the radial inner component is cantilevered off of the support member and extends radially away from a line parallel to the sprinkler axis to define an acute included angle such that the projection portion is biased radially outward into engagement with the receiver structure of the deflector assembly.