Patent Application
20180028850
This invention relates to fire protection systems and devices, and more particularly fire suppression systems using nozzles for the protection of kitchens.
Known fire suppression systems for kitchens include nozzles suspended from pipes that extend into the kitchen space including into spaces occupied by kitchen personnel or areas subject to grease and other particles. Thus, the suspended nozzles and associated piping can cause one or more of the following problems for maintaining proper operation of both the fire protection and the kitchen functions: (i) be a source of or create a contamination issue or risk; (ii) present a physical obstruction and source of injury for kitchen personnel; (iii) be subject to tampering; (iv) impede work operations within the kitchen; and/or (v) occupy space such that the nozzles and piping can limit the space for cooking appliances. Moreover, the nozzles and associated piping can be aesthetically unpleasant.
Ventilation hoods provide a location beneath which fire protection nozzles can be installed. As used herein, ventilation hoods include ventilated ceilings or ventilation systems with extraction hoods or exhaust hoods, with or without filters. Generally, ventilation hoods include two or more ports or openings through which forced ventilation air is introduced, circulated and exhausted. In many ventilation hoods, filters are provided to filter the exhausted air of grease, fumes or other products from the cooking operations. However, current nozzle installation designs either leave the nozzle still visible below the hood or just above the hood skirt or flange such that the nozzles still present an obstruction to the kitchen functions as previously described. Moreover, it is believed that current installation designs locate the nozzle far below the ventilation filters or other exhaust ports to prevent any ventilation air currents from interfering with the nozzle performance.
Preferred systems and methods for ceiling ventilation hood and fire protection, as defined herein, are provided. The preferred systems and methods provide for fire protection nozzles within a ventilation hood at heights that minimize or more preferably eliminate the risks of contamination, injury and interference to kitchen operations and personnel. Accordingly, the preferred embodiments provide for a fire protection system in a ventilation ceiling hood that substantially conceals the fire protection nozzles from sight while effectively addressing a fire in a hazard zone below. In one particular preferred aspect, the systems and methods provide for fire protection nozzles proximate or adjacent the ventilation filters or ports within the ceiling ventilation hood that can effectively address a fire independent of any airflow or air currents through the ports and/or filters.
In one preferred embodiment of a ceiling ventilation hood and fire protection system, as defined herein, the system includes a ceiling ventilation hood that defines an upper plane and a lower plane with a filter disposed between the upper and lower planes. At least two nozzles are disposed in the ventilation hood between the upper and lower planes to provide overlapping protection of a hazard zone. Each of the nozzles define a spray pattern to effectively address a fire within the hazard zone independent of airflow through the filter.
In another preferred aspect, a method of appliance fire protection from a ceiling ventilation hood is provided. The ventilation hood defines an upper plane and a lower plane with a filter disposed between the upper and lower planes. The preferred method includes obtaining a fire protection nozzle; and distributing the nozzle for installation in the ceiling ventilation hood between the upper and lower planes to provide overlapping protection of a hazard zone with the nozzle defining a spray pattern to effectively address a fire within the hazard zone independent of airflow through the filter.
In another preferred method of appliance fire protection from a ceiling ventilation hood, the method includes locating a nozzle between the upper and lower planes of the hood and discharging a mist of firefighting fluid from the nozzle independent of airflow through the filter. Although the Summary of the Invention and the preferred systems and methods address the disadvantages of current fire protection nozzles for kitchens with ceiling ventilation hoods, as defined herein, with fire protection nozzles preferably adjacent or proximate a filter or ventilation port of the ventilation hood, it is to be understood that fire protection nozzle arrangements proximate any ventilation port is covered. The Summary of the Invention is provided as a general introduction to some embodiments of the invention, and is not intended to be limiting to any particular configuration or system. It is to be understood that various features and configurations of features described in the Disclosure of the Invention can be combined in any suitable way to form any number of embodiments of the invention. Some additional example embodiments including variations and alternative configurations are provided herein.
The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated herein and constitute part of this specification, illustrate exemplary embodiments of the invention and, together with the general description given above and the detailed description given below, serve to explain the features of the exemplary embodiments of the invention.
Like reference symbols in the various drawings indicate like elements.
Shown in
As used herein, “ceiling” defines a ventilation hood suitable for installation with its lower plane 16 at a vertical height above the hazard HAZ such that the nozzles 20 are located in a preferred nozzle location zone NL, as described herein, to effectively address a fire in the hazard HAZ. The upper plane 14 is generally an imaginary plane perpendicular to the vertical axis A-A above an uppermost portion of the ventilation hood 12 such as for example one or more ports 12b defining either an inlet or outlet port for the independent or combined delivery, circulation or exhaust of forced air, ventilated air, make-up air or exhaust. The ceiling ventilation hood 12 can be framed as either a ventilated ceiling or an exhaust or extraction hood. Accordingly, the upper plane 14 can be an uppermost surface of the duct above an extraction hood through which the ventilated air flows or alternatively, the ceiling CL of the kitchen or building in which the ventilated ceiling is installed. As schematically shown, a ventilation system 11 includes air handler(s) and associated equipment for providing, forcing or pulling make-up air, make-up air curtain and/or ventilated exhaust including, for example, one or more circulating, forced air and/or exhaust blowers, fans, dampers, ducting or piping, etc. In cross-section, the hood 12 defines outer lateral edges 13a, 13b that extend generally vertically in the direction from the upper plane 14 to the lower plane 16. In a preferred aspect, one or more of the lateral edges of the hood 12 is defined by a lateral duct that conveys forced air from the ventilation system 11.
In the preferred system 10, one or more fire protection nozzle(s) 20 are located or installed within the ventilation hood 12. Referring to
The nozzle(s) 20 preferably defines a conical spray pattern about the nozzle axis B-B. Preferred embodiments of the systems and methods described herein employ a preferred spray pattern to effectively address and more preferably suppress a fire. To “effectively address” a fire is to apply a firefighting fluid on and/or about the fire to provide satisfactory fire protection and more preferably satisfy the requirements of industry accepted standards, such as for example, National Fire Protection Association (“NFPA”) Standards NFPA 96 (2014) and NFPA 17A (2014). The hazard zone HAZ defines the area to be preferably targeted by overlapping nozzle appliance protection. A cooking appliance can completely fill the hazard zone HAZ or a portion thereof. For the purposes herein, “overlapping nozzle appliance protection” is the protection of cooking appliances by nozzles spaced preferably uniformly at uniform elevations. Exemplary characteristics of the spray pattern can be one or more combinations of spray angle about the nozzle axis B-B, a droplet size, a droplet velocity, a spray profile, and/or density. Thus, factors affecting or defining the preferred spray pattern can be any one of working nozzle flow rates and/or fluid delivery pressure or working pressure of the nozzle at its nozzle height within the nozzle location zone NL. Accordingly, there are one or more preferred relationships between the firefighting supply 30, 32 and the preferred nozzle location zone NL described herein. With reference to
An axial plane AP is shown in
Nozzle(s) 20 is installed so that its nozzle axis B-B is disposed in the axial plane AP with its outlet 22b within the preferred nozzle location zone NL. As used herein, a “nozzle location zone” NL is an area of the axial plane within a closed formed boundary with the nozzle 20 installed such that: (i) the nozzle axis is directed at, and preferably intersects, the intersection of the hazard zone HAZ, the central plane CP and the axial plane AP; and (ii) the nozzle can generate a spray pattern that impacts the hazard zone HAZ and preferably satisfies one or more industry accepted standards for kitchen protection using nozzles.
Shown schematically in each of
For the preferred nozzle location zone NL and maximum nozzle height ranging from eight-four inches to ninety-nine inches, there is a preferred relationship with the firefighting supply 30, 32 to provide for the effective spray pattern at the increased heights. For example, the nozzle location zone NL and supply 30,32 can define a preferred ratio of outlet maximum nozzle height-to-working fluid pressure that ranges from 9.9:1 to 0.6:1. Alternatively or additionally, the nozzle location zone NL and supply 12 defining a preferred ratio of maximum nozzle height-to-working flow rate from the nozzle that ranges from 155:1 to 38:1.
The nozzle location zone NL further defines a nozzle axis B-B between a nozzle outlet 20b and a preferred target of the hazard zone HAZ. For example, a preferred target is at the intersection between the hazard zone and a central plane bisecting the hazard zone along its length. The nozzle 20 is preferably oriented at its nozzle height within the nozzle location zone such that the outlet is directed along the preferred nozzle axis B-B and aimed at the preferred target. Alternate targets in the hazard zone HAZ can be identified to alternatively orient the nozzle 20.
The plurality of linear edges 102 further preferably includes a third linear edge 102c and at least a fourth linear edge 102d spaced apart from one another to define a horizontal width D2 of the nozzle location zone NL parallel to the hazard plane HAZ. The nozzle location zone NL is spaced or off-set from the central plane CP in the axial plane AP. The third linear edge 102c is the most proximate or closest to the hazard zone central plane CP and the fourth linear edge 102d is the most remote or furthest from the central plane CP. The third linear edge 102c is preferably parallel to the central plane CP. The third linear edge 102c defines a preferred offset of 8 inches from the central plane CP and the fourth linear edge 102d is preferably disposed from the central plane CP a distance of 34 inches. In one preferred aspect a nozzle location zone NL is substantially trapezoidal, as seen for example in
In a preferred aspect of the nozzle location zone NL, the first edge 102a has a length to define a length-to-distance from the hazard zone HAZ of about 0.3:1. In another preferred aspect, the second edge 102b is spaced from the first edge 102a to define a vertical distance therebetween to define a vertical-distance to-width of the hazard zone ratio of about 0.9:1. The nozzle location zone NL can include additional preferred features and define preferred relationships with the hazard zone HAZ. For example, The preferred closed form of the nozzle location zone NL is a geometric boundary 100 off-set or spaced from the central plane CP having a geometric center G. The geometric center G is preferably positioned at a radius from the midpoint of the hazard zone depth W and its intersection with the central plane CP with the radius being at least two times the hazard zone depth W. In another aspect, the vertical height D1 of the nozzle location zone NL has a preferred length less than the hazard zone depth W. In one preferred relationship, maximum nozzle height V1 is about 2-3 times the vertical length D1 of the nozzle location zone NL with the minimum nozzle height being about 1⅔ to 2 times the vertical length D1 of the nozzle location zone NL.
In yet another preferred aspect, the nozzle location zone NL has a portion that is disposed outside the vertical projection AZ of the hazard zone HAZ. More preferably, approximately ⅔ or (66%) of the nozzle location zone NL is outside the vertical projection AZ. Additionally, where the first edge 102a defines a preferably maximum width of the nozzle location zone NL and the second edge 102b defines a preferred minimum width of the nozzle location zone NL, the first and second edges 102a, 102b define a preferred ratio that ranges from about 0.6 to about 0.8. Additionally or alternatively, herein the ratio of nozzle location zone area-to-hazard zone width is about twenty-two square inches (22 in2) of nozzle location zone area per each inch of hazard zone width. The first edge 102a can include a point that defines the greatest radial distance of the nozzle location zone NL to the midpoint of the hazard zone HAZ and the second edge 102b can include a point defining the smallest radial distance of the nozzle location zone NL to the midpoint of the hazard zone HAZ. In a preferred aspect, a first ratio of the greatest radial distance-to-hazard zone width W is about 2.8:1 and a second ratio of the smallest radial distance-to-hazard zone width W is about 1.7. Accordingly, a third ratio can be defined by the first ratio-to-second ratio to be about 1.65:1;
The preferred nozzle location zone NL can locate the one or more nozzles 20 within or relative to the hood 12 and its components. The hood 12 preferably includes one or more filters 18 or filtering structure for filtering out grease, combustion products, fumes, smoke, odors, heat, and steam from the air. A filter 18 is disposed between the upper and lower planes 14, 16 and is more preferably located within the hood between the lowest edge 12a and an upper exhaust outlet 12b to define the plenum and more preferably the plenum pod 15 between the upper plane 14 and the filter 18, which is generally the space enclosed by the filters and the portion of the hood 12 above the filters 18. The filters 18 are framed or mounted within the hood 12 to present a filter face 18a with a first edge 18b defining a first height H1 relative to the lower plane 16 and a second edge 18c spaced from the first edge 18b to define a normal axis C-C between the first and second edges 18b, 18c and extending perpendicular to the filter face 18a. The second edge defines a second height H2 relative to the lower plane 16.
The filter 18 can be mounted at an angle as shown such that the normal axis C-C defines an acute included angle with respect to the vertical axis A-A or a line parallel to the vertical axis. For example, the filter 18 can be disposed to define an included angle ranging from 30°-45° with respect to the vertical axis A-A. Accordingly, in one preferred aspect the first edge 18b is disposed above the second edge 18c with respect to the lower plane 16. Thus, the second edge 18c preferably defines a second height H2 that is smaller than the first height H1 defined by the first edge 18b relative to the lower plane 16. Alternatively, the face 18a of the filter 18 can be disposed perpendicular to the vertical axis A-A such that the first and second heights H1, H2 of respective first and second edges 18b, 18c are the same. The filter 18 is preferably located horizontally within the hood 12 relative to the lateral edges 13a, 13b of the hood 12. To define the lateral location of the filter 18, the first edge 18b can define a first lateral distance L1 with respect to the closest lateral edge 13a and the second edge 18c defines a second lateral distance L2 with respect to the lateral edge 13a. Depending upon the angle of orientation of the filter 18, the first and second edges 18b, 18c can be located at a distance that ranges from 10-800 inches from the lateral edges 13a, 13b of the ventilation hood 12.
In a preferred embodiment of the system 10, the nozzle location zone NL locates the nozzle(s) 20 adjacent the filter 18 and the plenum pod 15 defined by the filter. The nozzle 20 can be mounted so as to penetrate a ceiling panel 12d of the hood 12. Accordingly, the operation and effectiveness of the nozzle 20 to effectively address a fire is preferably independent of the operation of the ventilation system 11 and airflow through the filter 18. Thus, it is believed that preferred embodiments of the system 10 are unlike prior known kitchen fire protection systems because the fire protection nozzle(s) 20 are located within the hood adjacent or proximate the filters and plenum to address fires beneath the hood and can do so effectively, with operation of the ventilation system 11 on or off and without any resulting air currents negatively impacting fire protection performance.
The nozzle 20 location and its orientation can more preferably be defined relative to one more features of the filter 18 and/or its mounting in the ventilation hood 12. The nozzle 20 can be located with its outlet 22b even or level with the lower plane 16 and more preferably between the upper and lower planes 14, 16 of the hood 12. More preferably, as seen for example in
For the preferred embodiment shown, the discharge or spray pattern preferably extends into the flow path of the ventilation system. More specifically, the nozzle 20 is preferably disposed adjacent the filter 18 and oriented such that the nozzle axis B-B intersects the normal axis C-C of the filter 18 below the lower plane 16 of the ventilation hood 12. The nozzle 20 can be alternatively located and oriented relative to the filter 18. For example, the nozzle 20 and its outlet 22b can be located adjacent the filter such that the outlet 22b is at the second height H2 of the second edge of the filter 18 relative to the lower plane 16 and more preferably a relative percentage of the second height H2, such as for example, 50-300% of the second height H2 defined by the second edge 18c relative to the lower plane 16. Additionally or alternatively, a nozzle 20 and outlet 22b can be located between two filters 18. The outlet 22b can be more preferably located so as to be centered between the two filters 18 and vertically positioned at a percentage of the second height H2 of the second edge 18c of the filter 18 relative to the lower plane 16 of the ventilation hood 12. Further in the alternative, the nozzle 20 can be oriented such that the discharge axis B-B intersects the normal axis C-C of the filter 18 above the lower plane 16 of the ventilation hood 12 or even further in the alternative, discharge axis B-B diverges from the normal axis C-C of the filter 18 in a direction from the lower plane 16 of the hood 12 toward the hazard zone HAZ.
In a preferred aspect the ceiling ventilation hoods and fire protection systems further provide preferred methods of appliance fire protection of an appliance that includes obtaining a fire protection nozzle 20 and distributing the nozzle for installation in a ceiling ventilation hood 12 between the upper and lower planes 14, 16 to provide preferred overlapping protection of the hazard zone HAZ defined by the appliance. Preferred methods of appliance fire protection include discharging a mist of firefighting fluid from the installed nozzle independent of airflow through the filter and/or air flow ports of the hood 12.
A number of embodiments of the invention have been described. Nevertheless, it will be understood that various modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Accordingly, it is intended that the present invention not be limited to the described embodiments, but that it has the full scope defined by the language of the following claims, and equivalents thereof.
This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 62/117,933, “Extended Height Overlapping Nozzle Protection,” filed on Feb. 18, 2015, and U.S. Provisional Application No. 62/149,254, “Fire Protection Systems and Methods for Ventilation Hoods” filed on Apr. 17, 2015, each of which is incorporated by reference in its entirety.
| Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| PCT/US16/18545 | 2/18/2016 | WO | 00 |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 62117933 | Feb 2015 | US | |
| 62149254 | Apr 2015 | US |
