Fire sprinkler assembly including adjustable drop

• US 10,561,872 B2
• Filed: 11/17/2016
• Issued: 02/18/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 11/17/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ASC Engineered Solutions LLC
• Original Assignee: Anvil International Incorporated (Mueller Water Products Incorporated)
• Inventors: Dafonseca, Odair, Beagen, Joseph
• Primary Examiner(s): Bochna, David
• Assistant Examiner(s): Linford, James A
• Application Number:
  US15/354,356
• Publication Number:
  US 20180133528A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,188 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A62C 35/68 Details, e.g. of pipes or valve systems valves in general F16K
• CPC Class Codes: A62C 37/11 heat-sensitive
• CPC Class Codes: F16B 2200/95 with markings, colours, indicators or the like
• CPC Class Codes: F16B 7/182 for coaxial connections of two rods or tubes
• CPC Class Codes: F16L 15/02 allowing substantial longitudinal adjustment by use of a long screw-threaded part
• CPC Class Codes: F16L 3/08 substantially surrounding the pipe, cable or protective tubing
• CPC Class Codes: F16L 3/133 and hanging from a pendant F16L3/14 takes precedence

Abstract

Provided herein is a fire sprinkler assembly including a bracket hub coupled to a bracket bar, and an adjustable drop coupled to the bracket hub. The adjustable drop may include an inner casing and an outer casing surrounding the inner casing, wherein the inner and outer casings include corresponding threading to permit rotation therebetween for adjusting an axial height, along a lengthwise axis, of the inner casing. In some approaches, a flexible metal conduit is directly coupled to a distal end of the inner casing or the outer casing. In some approaches, the inner casing includes a bellow disposed within an interior of the outer casing, the bellow having an expandable central component permitting contraction or expansion, which allows a sprinkler head coupled to the inner casing to be raised or lowered, accordingly.

Claims

1. A fire sprinkler assembly comprising:

a bracket hub coupled to a bracket bar;

an adjustable drop coupled to the bracket hub, the adjustable drop defining a lengthwise axis oriented transverse to the bracket bar, and the adjustable drop comprising;

an inner casing, the inner casing comprising;

a distal end;

a proximal end opposite the distal end, the proximal end comprising a shouldered segment; and

a threaded segment between the distal end and the proximal end, the threaded segment starting at the shouldered segment and extending along the inner casting towards the distal end, the shouldered segment defining an outer radius that is greater than an outer radius of the threaded segment; and

an outer casing surrounding the inner casing, the inner and outer casings including corresponding threading to permit rotation between the inner casing and the outer casing to adjust an axial height, along the lengthwise axis, of the inner casing, the outer casing further comprising a proximal end, a distal end, and an inner surface, the inner surface comprising a distal shoulder configured to contact the shouldered segment of the inner casing and to prevent the inner casing from being released out the distal end of the outer casing; and

a sprinkler head coupled to the distal end of the inner casing.

2. The fire sprinkler assembly of claim 1, further comprising a flexible conduit coupled directly to the adjustable drop.

3. The fire sprinkler assembly of claim 2, wherein the flexible conduit is directly coupled to the outer casing.

4. The fire sprinkler assembly of claim 1, wherein the threading of the inner casing is provided on an outer surface of the inner casing, and wherein the threading of the outer casing is provided on the inner surface of the outer casing.

5. The fire sprinkler assembly of claim 1, further comprising a keying feature formed in a distal end of the adjustable drop, the keying feature configured to receive a device for providing rotation of the inner casing or the outer casing.

6. The fire sprinkler assembly of claim 1, wherein the inner casing is a gasket, the gasket including a set of O-rings in contact with the inner surface of the outer casing.

7. The fire sprinkler assembly of claim 1, wherein the bracket hub is integrally formed with the proximal end of the outer casing.

8. The fire sprinkler assembly of claim 1, wherein the inner casing further comprises a ruler comprising markings configured to indicate the axial height.

9. The fire sprinkler assembly of claim 1, wherein the shouldered segment of the inner casing comprises at least one notch for an O-ring.

10. The fire sprinkler assembly of claim 1, wherein the distal shoulder of the outer casing comprises a section of the corresponding threading.

11. A fire sprinkler assembly comprising:

a bracket hub coupled to a bracket bar;

a flexible metal conduit coupled to the bracket hub; and

an adjustable drop coupled to the bracket hub and to the flexible metal conduit, wherein a lengthwise axis of the adjustable drop is oriented transverse to the bracket bar, and wherein the adjustable drop comprises;

an inner casing including external threading, the inner casing further comprising;

a distal end;

a proximal end opposite the distal end, the proximal end comprising a shouldered segment; and

a threaded segment between the distal end and the proximal end, the threaded segment starting at the shouldered segment and extending along the inner casting towards the distal end, the shouldered segment defining an outer radius that is greater than an outer radius of the threaded segment; and

an outer casing surrounding the inner casing, the outer casing including internal threading for engagement with the external threading of the inner casing, wherein the internal threading and the external threading permit rotation between the inner casing and the outer casing to adjust an axial height, along the lengthwise axis, of a sprinkler head coupled to the distal end of the inner casing, the outer casing further comprising a proximal end, a distal end, and an inner surface, the inner surface comprising a distal shoulder configured to contact the shouldered segment of the inner casing and to prevent the inner casing from being released out the distal end of the outer casing.

12. The fire sprinkler assembly of claim 11, wherein the flexible metal conduit is directly coupled to threading provided along the interior surface of the proximal end of the outer casing.

13. The fire sprinkler assembly of claim 12, wherein the bracket hub is integrally formed with the proximal end of the outer casing.

14. The fire sprinkler assembly of claim 11, further comprising a keying feature formed in a distal end of the adjustable drop, the keying feature configured to receive a device for providing rotation of the inner casing or the outer casing.

15. A fire sprinkler assembly comprising:

a bracket hub coupled to a bracket bar;

an adjustable drop coupled to the bracket hub, the adjustable drop including a central axis of rotation oriented transverse to the bracket bar, and the adjustable drop comprising;

an outer casing including internal threading, the outer casing further comprising a proximal end, a distal end, and an inner surface, the inner surface comprising a distal shoulder; and

an inner casing concentrically arranged within the outer casing, wherein the inner casing includes external threading for engagement with the internal threading of the outer casing, wherein the internal threading and the external threading permit rotation between the inner casing and the outer casing to adjust an axial height, along the central axis of rotation, of a sprinkler head coupled to a distal end of the inner casing, the inner casing further comprising a distal end, a proximal end opposite the distal end, and a threaded segment between the distal end and the proximal end, the proximal end comprising a shouldered segment, the shouldered segment defining an outer radius that is greater than an outer radius of the threaded segment, the shouldered segment configured to contact the distal shoulder of the inner surface of the outer casing and to prevent the inner casing from being released out the distal end of the outer casing, the threaded segment starting at the shouldered segment and extending along the inner casting towards the distal end; and

a flexible metal conduit directly coupled to the proximal end of the inner casing or the outer casing.