Claims
- 1. A quick release sprinkler comprising:
- a sprinkler body defining a flow passage for conducting a fire retarding fluid to an outlet;
- a valve seat formed on an end face of the sprinkler body around the outlet, the valve seat including stop means extending from the end face and spaced radially outwardly from the outlet;
- a sealing member seated on the valve seat, at least a portion of the sealing member being spaced radially outwardly from the outlet;
- a resiliently flexible valve disk for obstructing the flow of fluid through the outlet, the valve disk having a peripheral flange portion turned over the sealing member towards the sprinkler body and resting against the stop means such that the stop means prevents outward radial movement of the peripheral flange portion of the valve disk;
- a substantially rigid, frangible, thermal responsive element received centrally on the valve disk opposite the flow passage; and
- loading means for adjustably loading the frangible element under compression against the valve disk such that the valve disk resiliently deflects, without outward radial movement of the peripheral flange portion, to compress the sealing member against the valve seat to seal the outlet.
- 2. The quick release sprinkler of claim 1, further comprising an annular groove extending into the valve seat spaced outwardly from the outlet.
- 3. The sprinkler head of claim 2, wherein the cross-section of the annular groove is substantially V-shaped.
- 4. The sprinkler head of claim 2, wherein the sealing member comprises an O-ring.
- 5. The sprinkler head of claim 4, further comprising a friction reducing layer on a side of the valve disk contacting the O-ring.
- 6. The sprinkler head of claim 4, wherein the outlet is entirely sealed by the O-ring, the valve disk and the valve seat.
- 7. The sprinkler head of claim 4, wherein the annular groove, the O-ring and the annular disk are all symmetric with respect to a central axis of the outlet for uniform compression of the O-ring by the valve disk.
- 8. The sprinkler head of claim 1, wherein the valve disk includes a recessed, centrally located nest for receiving the frangible element and a stiffening rib surrounding the nest for transferring compressive loading from the frangible element on the valve disk to a flex zone portion of the valve disk radially surrounding the stiffening rib.
- 9. The sprinkler head of claim 8, wherein the sealing member comprises a seal assembly having a sealing disk portion and a bushing portion, the sealing disk portion being a resiliently flexible disk having a peripheral flange portion for engaging said valve seat to seal the outlet, the sealing disk further being complemental in shape for engaging the valve disk, said bushing portion being substantially cylindrical and having an aperture extending partially therethrough for at least partially receiving the recessed, centrally located nest of the valve disk, the bushing portion being shaped for free insertion into and removal from the outlet.
- 10. The sprinkler head of claim 9, wherein the sealing disk portion is completely separable from the bushing portion of the seal assembly.
- 11. The sprinkler head of claim 9, further comprising biasing means interposed between the valve disk and the seal assembly.
- 12. The sprinkler head of claim 11, wherein the biasing means is a wave spring.
- 13. The sprinkler head of claim 9, wherein the bushing portion is angled relative to its central axis at an end distal to the sealing disk portion.
RELATED APPLICATION
This is a continuation-in-part application of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 357,389, filed May 25, 1989, now abandoned.
US Referenced Citations (10)
Continuation in Parts (1)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
357389 |
May 1989 |
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