Temperature-compensated pressure controller, operationally reliable extinguisher provided with such a pressure controller and process for filling such a pressure controller

• US 4,697,643 A
• Filed: 04/21/1986
• Issued: 10/06/1987
• Est. Priority Date: 03/07/1986
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Thomson-CSF
• Original Assignee: Thomson-CSF
• Inventors: Sassier, Pierre
• Primary Examiner(s): Nase, Jeffrey V.
• Application Number:
  US06/853,922
• Time in Patent Office: 533 Days
• Field of Search: 169/23, 169/75, 340/605, 340/626, 116/70, 73/706, 73/708, 73/717, 200/81.4, 200/81.5, 200/83 D
• US Class Current: 169/23
• CPC Class Codes: A62C 3/08 in aircraft A62C3/0207 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A62C 37/00 Control of fire-fighting equipment heat-sensitive devices G01K

Abstract

Extinguisher provided with a temperature compensated pressure controller, comprising a propelling agent and an extinguishing agent under gaseous form, wherein it comprises a sealed chamber filled with a mixture having a thermodynamic characteristic similar to that of the two agents in the extinguisher, a system for measuring the differential pressure exisiting between the inside of the sealed chamber and the chamber per se and a device actuated by the system for measuring the differential pressure and generating an alarm signal when the differential pressure exceeds a threshold value.

Claims

1. A temperature compensated pressure controller for a fire extinguisher or other pressurized vessel comprising:

a reference pressure chamber means for holding a predetermined amount of compressible fluid;

a vessel pressure chamber means which is adapted to be in communication with the interior of said fire extinguisher or pressurized vessel;

movable wall means which is mounted to move when the pressure in said reference chamber means differs from the pressure in said vessel chamber means, said movable wall means having an elongate finger integral therewith;

an atmospheric pressure chamber means which is adapted to be communication with the atmosphere;

means for biasing said movable wall means to a predetermined position, said biasing means further acting to separate said elongate finger from said vessel chamber means and to allow communication space defined thereby around said finger with said atmosphere chamber means; and

electric means for producing a signal responsive to displacement of said finger, whereby loss of pressure in said fire extinguisher or pressurized vessel may be detected regardless of the ambient atmospheric pressure.

2. A pressure controller according to claim 1, wherein said biasing means comprises at least one bellows which defines a wall for said reference chamber means.

3. Pressure controller according to claim 1, wherein the reference chamber means is limited by a wall that is deformable at least in the direction of displacement of the movable device and in contact with the pressure of the capacity to be controlled.

4. Pressure controller according to claim 3, wherein the deformable wall is constituted by a Bourdon tube, one end of which is connected to the movable wall means.

5. Pressure controller according to claim 3, wherein the deformable wall is constituted by bellows associated to the movable wall means.

6. A fire extinguisher of type having a propelling agent and an extinguishing agent stored in an interior chamber thereof, having a temperature compensated pressure controller comprising

a reference pressure chamber means for holding a predetermined amount of compressible fluid;

a vessel pressure chamber means which is in communication with the interior of said fire extinguisher;

movable wall means which is mounted to move when the pressure in said reference chamber means differs from the pressure in said vessel chamber means, said movable wall means having an elongate finger integral therewith;

an atmospheric pressure chamber means which is in communication with the atmosphere;

means for biasing said movable wall means to a predetermined position, said biasing means further acting to separate said elongate finger from said vessel chamber means and to communicate a space around said finger with said atmospheric chamber means; and

electric means for producing a signal responsive to displacement of said finger, whereby loss of pressure in said fire extinguisher or pressurized vessel may be detected regardless of the ambient atmospheric pressure.

7. Extinguisher according to claim 6, wherein the elongate finger is mounted upon a shaft with an abutment in order to limit its stroke, the shaft being an extension of the movable wall means.

8. Extinguisher according to claim 7, wherein the electric means is disposed in said atmospheric chamber means and wherein the shaft passes through an orifice at the separation between the vessel chamber means and the atmospheric chamber means.

9. Extinguisher according to claim 6, wherein the reference chamber means is filled with the same mixture of two gaseous agents as the extinguisher.

10. Extinguisher according to claim 9, wherein the interface between a housing of the controller and a wall of the extinguisher is constituted by a threading in order to render removable the pressure controller.