BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is longitudinal sectional view of a sprinkler according to the invention including a thermally activated trigger;
FIGS. 2-6 are perspective views of various different sprinkler embodiments according to the invention; and
FIG. 7 shows a plan view of an orthogonal spray pattern produce by a sprinkler according to the invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS
FIG. 1 shows a sprinkler 10 according to the invention. Sprinkler 10 includes a body 12 having an inlet 14 attachable to a piping network 16 in a fire suppression system. Inlet 14 is preferably threaded for convenient attachment to a compatibly threaded fitting. Body 12 has a collar 18 with flats 20 that allow a wrench to be used to tighten the sprinkler when mounting on the network.
An exit orifice 22 is positioned within the body and is in fluid communication with the inlet so that water supplied to the inlet by the piping network can be discharged from the exit orifice onto a fire. A deflector plate 24 is positioned in space apart facing relation to the exit orifice. The deflector plate is mounted onto body 12 by one or more legs 26 that extend substantially axially from the body along the fluid flow path. Water discharged through the exit orifice impinges on the deflector plate and is dispersed into an orthogonal spray pattern 28 shown in FIG. 7.
Exit orifice 22 is closed to prevent discharge by a thermal trigger mechanism 30. Although many different types of trigger mechanisms exist, the mechanism shown herein by way of example is a heat sensitive trigger mechanism comprising a sealing disk 32 held seated against the exit orifice by a glass bulb 34 containing a liquid 36 that expands when subjected to heat. Glass bulb 34 is compressed between an adjustable fitting 38 and the sealing disk 32 and provides sufficient force to maintain the disk seated and sealed against fluid pressure within the piping network. In the event of a fire, the air temperature around the sprinkler rises, and when it reaches a predetermined temperature, the expansion of liquid 36 causes the bulb to break. This releases the restraining force on sealing disk 32, which disengages from the exit orifice 22 and allows water to be discharged through the sprinkler. The water impinges on the deflector plate 24 and is dispersed into the orthogonal spray pattern 28 shown in FIG. 7. Alternate trigger mechanisms include electromechanical valves actuated by a control system with sensors that detect a fire condition by sensing heat, radiant heat, combustion products, as well as other fire parameters.
FIGS. 2-6 show various sprinkler embodiments capable of producing substantially orthogonal spray patterns. FIG. 2 shows a sprinkler 40 having an exit orifice 42 with a square perimeter 44. Sprinkler 40 also has a deflector plate 46 with a substantially square perimeter 48. Note that the term “perimeter”, when applied to the deflector plates, refers to the general shape of the plate, which may also have radially extending slots 50 which aid in the dispersal of the water stream from the exit orifice. It is found advantageous to match the perimeter shape of the deflector plate to the perimeter shape of the exit orifice. In this example, both perimeters are square. Other examples of sprinklers having matching perimeter shapes are described below.
FIG. 3 shows a sprinkler 52 having an exit orifice 54 with a rectangular perimeter 56, the deflector plate 58 in this embodiment having a substantially square perimeter 60.
The sprinkler 62, shown in FIG. 4, has a plurality of non-round orifices 64 and 66 in body 68. Orifices 64 and 66 have rectangular perimeters 70 and discharge jets of water along two discharge axes, each discharge axis substantially aligned axially with a respective orifice. The jets impinge on a deflector plate 72 having a substantially square perimeter 74. Multiple discharge axes created by multiple orifices helped distribute the water stream around the legs that support the deflector plate.
FIG. 5 shows a sprinkler 76 having an exit orifice 78 with a perimeter 80 defined by a plurality of interconnected convex curves 82. Sprinkler 76 has a deflector plate 84 having a perimeter 86 with substantially the same shape as the orifice. Perimeter 86 of plate 84 comprises a plurality of interconnected curves 88, the curves being concave and facing radially outwardly from an axis 90 substantially parallel to the flow of fluid through the exit orifice 78.
The sprinkler 92, shown in FIG. 6, has an exit orifice 94 comprising a plurality of lobes 96 that extend radially outwardly from an axis 98 oriented substantially parallel to the flow of fluid through the exit orifice. This orifice configuration discharges water substantially along four separate discharge axes, each lobe 96 defining a discharge axes aligned substantially axially with the orifice. The deflector plate 100 in this example has a perimeter 102 comprising interconnected convex curves as described above.
Sprinklers according to the invention that produce an orthogonal spray pattern provide improved efficiency over prior art sprinklers because the orthogonal spray pattern places water in all parts of a room without significant overlap with adjacent spray patterns. This feature allows for more efficient use of water as well as larger spacing between sprinklers, providing more area coverage with fewer sprinklers.
Patent Application
20080011491
