FIRE SPRINKLER SYSTEM

• US 20170151455A1
• Filed: 02/09/2017
• Published: 06/01/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 03/19/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Firebird Sprinkler Company LLC
• Original Assignee: Firebird Sprinkler Company LLC
• Inventors: Pigeon, Jeffrey J.
• Granted Patent: US 11,027,160 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: A62C 3/002 for warehouses, storage areas or other installations for storing goods
• CPC Class Codes: A62C 31/02 Nozzles specially adapted for fire-extinguishing
• CPC Class Codes: A62C 35/64 pressurised
• 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: A62C 37/12 with fusible links
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 1/267 the liquid or other fluent material being deflected in determined directions

Abstract

A fire suppression system in which side-discharge fire sprinklers are fitted to opposite sides of a supply line and aimed so that their coverage areas point in opposite directions. The fire sprinklers are alternated on left and right-hand sides of the supply line, and are spaced apart at a consistent interval. Each fire sprinkler includes a deflector configured to disperse the outflow of water over a non-circular coverage area. When two supply lines are installed next to each other so that half of the sprinklers on one supply line point toward the other supply line, and vise versa, the fire sprinklers are staggered so that their respective coverage areas are interlaced in the intermediate space.

Claims

1. An over-head fire suppression system for warehouse applications configured to disperse a fire suppressing liquid in a steam-like downward trajectory onto a storage area, said system comprising:

an elongated tubular supply line configured as a conduit to carry pressurized fire-suppressing liquid, said supply line having a longitudinal centerline, said supply line having right and left sides separated by a vertical plane passing through said longitudinal centerline,

a plurality of side-discharge fire sprinklers coupled directly to said supply line, each said fire sprinkler receiving fire-suppressing liquid from said supply line, each said fire sprinkler including a deflector configured to disperse the fire-suppressing liquid in a downward trajectory over a non-circular coverage area defined by a major diameter and a shorter minor diameter,

said plurality of fire sprinklers arranged so that half of said fire sprinklers are disposed on said right side of said supply line and the other half of said fire sprinklers are disposed on left side of said supply line in alternating fashion such that every other said fire sprinkler is disposed on said right side of said supply line with the other said fire sprinklers disposed in interleaved fashion on said left side of said supply line.

2. The system of claim 1 further including at least one blocking surface supported on said supply line in-between adjacent said fire sprinklers, said blocking surface configured to impede fire-suppressing liquid discharged from one said fire sprinkler from contacting a nearby said fire sprinkler and thereby avoid cold soldering, said at least one blocking surface comprises one or more integral portions of said deflector.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein each said fire sprinkler includes nipple connected to said supply line to receive the outflow of fire-suppressing liquid, a closure plugging said nipple to prevent the flow of fire-suppressing liquid therethrough, a thermally responsive trigger operatively associated with said closure, said at least one blocking surface substantially enclosing at least three sides of said trigger.

4. The system of claim 3 where each said fire sprinkler includes a frame connected to said nipple, said deflector including a hood attached to said frame, said hood having a generally semi-cylindrical configuration.

5. The system of claim 4 wherein said deflector further includes at least one baffle disposed inside said hood.

6. The system of claim 4 wherein said deflector further includes at least one downwash section disposed below said hood.

7. The system of claim 1 wherein said supply line includes at least one segment with at least one fire sprinkler disposed along said segment, a coupling disposed on opposite ends of said segment, said couplings configured to permit said segment to be rotated in order to adjust the angular position of said at least one fire sprinkler disposed along said segment.

8. The system of claim 1 wherein each fire sprinkler is separated from the next adjacent said fire sprinkler by a generally equal spacing interval.

9. The system of claim 1 wherein said major diameter of said non-circular coverage area is generally perpendicular to said supply line and said minor diameter is generally parallel to said supply line.

10. An over-head fire suppression system for warehouse applications configured to disperse a fire suppressing liquid in a steam-like downward trajectory onto a storage area, said system comprising:

a first elongated tubular supply line configured as a conduit to carry pressurized fire-suppressing liquid, said first supply line having a longitudinal centerline and right and left sides separated by a vertical plane passing through said longitudinal centerline, a plurality of side-discharge first fire sprinklers coupled directly to said right side of said first supply line, each said first fire sprinkler receiving a flow of fire-suppressing liquid from said first supply line, each said first fire sprinkler including a deflector configured to disperse the flow of fire-suppressing liquid in a downward trajectory over a non-circular coverage area, each said first fire sprinkler being separated from the next adjacent said first fire sprinkler by a generally equal spacing interval,

a second elongated tubular supply line configured as a conduit to carry pressurized fire-suppressing liquid, said second supply line having a longitudinal centerline and right and left sides separated by a vertical plane passing through said longitudinal centerline, said second supply line disposed parallel to said first supply line with said left side of said second supply line facing toward said right side of said first supply line, a plurality of side-discharge second fire sprinklers coupled directly to said left side of said second supply line, each said second fire sprinkler receiving fire-suppressing liquid from said second supply line, each said second fire sprinkler including a deflector configured to disperse the fire-suppressing liquid in a downward trajectory over a non-circular coverage area, each said second fire sprinkler being separated from the next adjacent said second fire sprinkler by a generally equal spacing interval, and

said spacing interval between said first fire sprinklers being generally equal to said spacing interval between said second fire sprinklers, said non-circular coverage areas from said first fire sprinklers being interlaced between said non-circular coverage areas from said second fire sprinklers.

11. The system of claim 10 wherein each said coverage area is defined by a major diameter (L2) generally perpendicular to the respective said supply line and a shorter minor diameter (W2) generally parallel to the respective said supply line, and wherein said minor diameter (W2) is less than two times said spacing interval but greater than said spacing interval, and wherein said major diameter (L2) is less than the perpendicular distance between said first and said second supply lines but greater than the one-half the perpendicular distance between said first and said second supply lines.

12. The system of claim 10, further including a warehouse, said warehouse including at least three beams suspended over a floor, said at least three beams arranged parallel to one another and generally equally spaced apart from one another by an interior length (L1), said at least three beams comprising a first beam and a second beam and a third beam, wherein said first supply line is disposed generally mid-way between said first and second beams and said second supply line is disposed generally mid-way between said second and third beams.