Patent Application
20190015690
The present disclosure relates to fire extinguishers, and more particularly to fire extinguishers for aerospace applications.
Traditional aircraft fire extinguishers utilize a sphere filled with liquefied extinguishing agent that is expelled through a discharge head at or near the bottom of the spherical container. During discharge, the liquefied agent is driven down and out of the container by the combined agent vapor pressure and a super-pressurizing gas. These containers typically require customized brackets with supports or plates which interface with mounting lugs on the container, typically along the equator thereof. Designs which locate the discharge head outlets further up the side of the container limit the mass of the liquefied agent which is expelled. A dip-tube can be used to increase agent utilization for such designs. However, the dip-tubes present issues with respect to manufacturability and reliability.
The conventional techniques have been considered satisfactory for their intended purpose. However, there is an ever present need for improved fire extinguishers. This disclosure provides a solution for this problem.
A fire extinguisher includes a main dome partially surrounding an internal space housing agent. A secondary dome is mounted to the main dome and is inverted with respect to the main dome.
The secondary dome can have a radius of curvature that is equal to that of the main dome. The secondary dome can be welded to the main dome. The secondary dome and main dome can include stainless steel, aluminum, titanium or composites. The main dome and the secondary dome can be spherical. The main dome and the secondary dome can be cylindrical. A discharge outlet can be positioned closer to the secondary dome than to an apex of the main dome opposite the secondary dome. The discharge outlet can include a discharge outlet configured to discharge laterally relative to an axis of symmetry of the main dome and the secondary dome.
The main dome can circumferentially enclose the secondary dome, wherein the secondary dome divides the interior of the main dome into the internal space housing agent and an internal space free of agent. The internal space housing agent can be pressurized relative to the internal space free of agent. The internal space housing agent can be pressurized relative to ambient, and wherein the internal space free of agent is not pressurized relative to ambient. One or more mounting lugs can be mounted to the main dome opposite the internal space housing agent.
A support plate can be mounted opposite the main dome across the secondary dome. The internal space housing agent can be defined between the main dome and the secondary dome and can be pressurized relative to an internal space free of agent defined between the secondary dome and the support plate. The internal space housing agent can be pressurized relative to ambient, wherein the internal space free of agent is not pressurized relative to ambient. One or more mounting lugs can be mounted to the support plate.
These and other features of the systems and methods of the subject disclosure will become more readily apparent to those skilled in the art from the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments taken in conjunction with the drawings.
So that those skilled in the art to which the subject disclosure appertains will readily understand how to make and use the devices and methods of the subject disclosure without undue experimentation, preferred embodiments thereof will be described in detail herein below with reference to certain figures, wherein:
Reference will now be made to the drawings wherein like reference numerals identify similar structural features or aspects of the subject disclosure. For purposes of explanation and illustration, and not limitation, a partial view of an exemplary embodiment of a fire extinguisher in accordance with the disclosure is shown in
The fire extinguisher 100 includes a main dome 102 partially surrounding an internal space 104 housing fire extinguishing agent. A secondary dome 106 is mounted to the main dome 102, i.e. inside the interior of the main dome 102. The secondary dome 106 is inverted with respect to the main dome 102, i.e. the secondary dome is mounted in the bottom half of the secondary dome as oriented in
The secondary dome 104 is welded or otherwise sealed to the main dome 102 at a joint 108 that is at, below, or above the equator E of the main dome 102. The secondary dome 106 and main dome 102 can be made of stainless steel or any other suitable metal. In
With reference again to
The main dome 102 circumferentially encloses the secondary dome 106, wherein the secondary dome 106 divides the interior of the main dome 102 into the internal space housing agent 104 and an internal space free of agent 114. The internal space housing agent 104 is pressurized relative to the internal space free of agent 114, which in turn can be unpressurized relative to ambient. With the discharge outlets 110 proximate the bottom of the internal space housing agent 104, all or almost all of the agent can be discharged through the outlets 110 even though the discharge outlets 110 are well above the bottom of the main dome 102 and do not require a dip-tube like conventional fire extinguishers. Although shown and described in the exemplary context showing two discharge outlets 110, those skilled in the art will readily appreciate that any suitable number of discharge outlets, including one, can be used without departing from the scope of this disclosure. One or more mounting lugs 116 are mounted to the main dome 102 opposite the internal space housing agent 104, so fire extinguisher 100 can readily be floor mounted.
With reference now to
Those skilled in the art will readily appreciate that the internal dome, e.g. secondary domes 106 or 206, can be configured such that the size, shape, thickness, and material properties provide the required strength to contain the pressurized agent.
The methods and systems of the present disclosure, as described above and shown in the drawings, provide for fire extinguishers with superior properties including mounting lugs that can be located near the bottom of the fire extinguisher, enabling mounting on a floor structure without additional support structures, while the relative position of the discharge outlets can maximize usage of the extinguishing agent. While the apparatus and methods of the subject disclosure have been shown and described with reference to preferred embodiments, those skilled in the art will readily appreciate that changes and/or modifications may be made thereto without departing from the scope of the subject disclosure.
