Apparatus for reducing the incidence of tampering with automatic fire sprinkler assemblies
First Claim
1. An apparatus for discouraging tampering with a sprinkler head of the type activated to discharge water when the sprinkler head is exposed to a predefined temperature or a trigger is moved, where the sprinkler head projects from a surface of a habitable structure into an area to be protected from fire, the apparatus comprising:
- magnetically active mounting means mountable to the surface;
an enclosure sized to substantially impede access to a trigger of the sprinkler head, at least a portion of said enclosure disposed to lie within an expected path of water discharged by the activated sprinkler head, and further including at least one aperture operative to admit heat from the area to the sprinkler head; and
magnetically active coupling means connected to said enclosure, sized and disposed to magnetically engage at least a portion of said mounting means, whereupon said enclosure is magnetically retained upon the surface to impede access to a trigger of the sprinkler head;
wherein when said sprinkler head is activated, said enclosure is pushed by discharged water, and said enclosure is thereby detached from the surface; and
wherein tampering is discouraged in that a tamperer must remove said enclosure in order to readily tamper with the sprinkler head by moving or damaging the sprinkler head trigger to cause activation of the sprinkler head.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A fire sprinkler head anti tamper canopy discourages hanging objects from a sprinkler head, or otherwise tampering or accidentally activating a sprinkler head. The canopy encloses the projecting portion of a sprinkler head, at least around the sides of the sprinkler head, and allows heat to enter and activate the sprinkler head, and water to escape from the sprinkler head for fire suppression. The canopy is magnetically secured to the wall or ceiling surface, without a requirement for physical attachment to the sprinkler head. Upon sprinkler head activation, water pressure dislodges the canopy, the latter returnable to an anti-tamper position once the fire sprinkler system has been reset.
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Citations
20 Claims
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1. An apparatus for discouraging tampering with a sprinkler head of the type activated to discharge water when the sprinkler head is exposed to a predefined temperature or a trigger is moved, where the sprinkler head projects from a surface of a habitable structure into an area to be protected from fire, the apparatus comprising:
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magnetically active mounting means mountable to the surface; an enclosure sized to substantially impede access to a trigger of the sprinkler head, at least a portion of said enclosure disposed to lie within an expected path of water discharged by the activated sprinkler head, and further including at least one aperture operative to admit heat from the area to the sprinkler head; and magnetically active coupling means connected to said enclosure, sized and disposed to magnetically engage at least a portion of said mounting means, whereupon said enclosure is magnetically retained upon the surface to impede access to a trigger of the sprinkler head; wherein when said sprinkler head is activated, said enclosure is pushed by discharged water, and said enclosure is thereby detached from the surface; and wherein tampering is discouraged in that a tamperer must remove said enclosure in order to readily tamper with the sprinkler head by moving or damaging the sprinkler head trigger to cause activation of the sprinkler head. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
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18. An apparatus for discouraging tampering with a sprinkler head of the type activated to discharge water when the sprinkler head is exposed to a predefined temperature or a trigger is moved, where the sprinkler head projects from a surface into an area to be protected from fire, the apparatus comprising:
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at least one magnetically active mounting plate affixable to the surface; an enclosure sized to substantially surround that portion of the sprinkler head that projects from the surface, thereby impeding access to a trigger of the sprinkler head, at least a portion of said enclosure disposed to lie within an expected path of water discharged by the activated sprinkler head, and further including at least one aperture operative to admit heat from the area to the sprinkler head; and at least one magnetically active enclosure flange connected to said enclosure, sized to magnetically and matingly engage said at least one mounting plate, whereupon said enclosure is magnetically retained upon the surface to surround that portion of the sprinkler head which projects from the surface; wherein when said sprinkler head is activated, said enclosure is pushed by discharged water, and said enclosure is thereby detached from the surface; and wherein tampering is discouraged in that a tamperer must remove said enclosure in order to readily tamper with the sprinkler head by moving the sprinkler head trigger to cause activation of the sprinkler head. - View Dependent Claims (19)
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20. A method for discouraging tampering with a sprinkler head of the type activated to discharge water when the sprinkler head is exposed to a predefined temperature or a trigger is moved, where the sprinkler head projects from a wall or ceiling surface into an area to be protected from fire, comprising the steps of:
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affixing at least one magnetically active mounting plate to the surface; impeding access to a trigger of the sprinkler head by substantially surrounding that portion of the sprinkler head that projects from the surface with an enclosure, without a requirement to contact the sprinkler head, at least a portion of the enclosure disposed to lie within an expected path of water discharged by the activated sprinkler head, the enclosure further including at least one aperture operative to admit heat from the area to the sprinkler head; and connecting the enclosure to the at least one magnetically active mounting plate using an enclosure flange connected to said enclosure, sized to magnetically and matingly engage the at least one mounting plate, whereupon the enclosure is magnetically retained upon the surface to surround that portion of the sprinkler head which projects from the surface; wherein when said sprinkler head is activated, said enclosure is pushed by discharged water, and said enclosure is thereby detached from the surface; and wherein tampering is discouraged in that a tamperer must remove said enclosure in order to readily tamper with the sprinkler head by moving the sprinkler head trigger to cause activation of the sprinkler head.
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Specification