Fire suppression activator

• US 4,893,680 A
• Filed: 10/17/1988
• Issued: 01/16/1990
• Est. Priority Date: 10/17/1988
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: United States Of America As Represented By The Secretary Of The Army (Government of the United States of America)
• Original Assignee: The United States Of America As Represented By The Secretary Of The Army
• Inventors: Simkovitz, Wilbert, Wittbrodt, Donald R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Peters, Jr., Joseph F.
• Assistant Examiner(s): BIDWELL, ANNE
• Application Number:
  US07/258,948
• Time in Patent Office: 456 Days
• Field of Search: 169/60-62, 169/DIG. 3, 169/19, 169/26, 169/56, 169/11, 169/59, 340/289, 340/292, 340/577, 340/652, 261/86, 261/88, 307/130
• US Class Current: 169/60
• CPC Class Codes: A62C 3/07 in vehicles, e.g. in road vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: A62C 37/40 with electric connection between sensor and actuator
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 169/03 Trip mechanisms

Abstract

An improved fire suppression system control. The control system has circuy which reacts to a break in the circuit caused by catastrophic events in a rapid fashion.

Claims

1. A fire suppression control system for use with a vehicle subject to catastrophic incidents the fire suppression system containing at least one pressurized container of halogenated material suitable for suppressing a fire, a distribution system for distributing the halogenated material to the situs of a fire within the vehicle, a valve disposed between the bottle and the distribution system to maintain the halogenated material in the bottle until needed and adapted to open rapidly when the fire suppression material is needed, a fire sensor which will sense the presence of a fire which will require the dispensing of the fire suppressing material and generate a signal that action is necessary, a control amplifier adapted to receive the signal from the sensor and in response to the signal activate the system by opening the valve, a source of power to provide power to operate the system, the improvement comprising an amplifier circuit having an amplifier maintained at a nominal voltage in the quiescent state, a circuit portion adapted to maintain the amplifier'"'"'s nominal voltage, a second circuit element adapted to sense when the electrical connection between the sensor and the amplifier is broken and generate an increased voltage which will activate the valve to dispense extinguishant to the damaged area, a third circuit element which will pass a sensor signal to the amplifier and open the valve when the sensor signals the presence of a fire.

2. A safety circuit for use with a fire suppression apparatus where a valve is attached to a pressurized container of extinguishant, the valve being normally closed and being adapted to open rapidly in response to a sensor signal so that the extinguishant is delivered to the site of a fire, the safety circuit having means for sensing a voltage potential normally present within the circuit in the undisturbed condition, means for generating an activating voltage when the sensed voltage disappears, the activating voltage opening the valve to dispense the extinguishant.