Rapid pressure diffusion actuator for a fire extinguisher

• US 9,539,452 B2
• Filed: 07/11/2014
• Issued: 01/10/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 07/11/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kidde Technologies, Inc. (Raytheon Technologies Corporation d/b/a RTX)
• Original Assignee: Kidde Technologies, Inc. (Raytheon Technologies Corporation d/b/a RTX)
• Inventors: Frasure, David, Porterfield, John Wright Jr., Hagge, Harlan
• Primary Examiner(s): Hall, Arthur O
• Assistant Examiner(s): Greenlund, Joseph A
• Application Number:
  US14/328,804
• Publication Number:
  US 20160008647A1
• Time in Patent Office: 914 Days
• Field of Search: 169/30, 169/46, 169/58, 169/61, 169/71, 169/72, 169/87, 239/271, 239/272, 137 6819- 683, 137/613, 222/5
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A62C 13/64 the extinguishing material being released by means of a valve
• CPC Class Codes: A62C 13/74 the pressure gas container being pierced or broken
• CPC Class Codes: A62C 3/08 in aircraft A62C3/0207 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A62C 37/46 Construction of the actuator

Abstract

According to one aspect, a fire extinguisher includes a fire extinguisher reservoir and a fire extinguisher outlet burst disc that forms a discharge barrier between the fire extinguisher reservoir and a discharge head to retain a pressurized fire extinguishing agent at an internal fire extinguisher pressure within the fire extinguisher reservoir. A cutter is detained within the fire extinguisher proximate the fire extinguisher outlet burst disc. An interior container within the fire extinguisher reservoir has a container pressure and is sealed with a container burst disc. An activation device having a piercing member is operable to pierce the container burst disc and diffuse the container pressure to create a pressure differential relative to the internal fire extinguisher pressure at the cutter, thereby driving the cutter through the fire extinguisher outlet burst disc to release the pressurized fire extinguishing agent through the discharge head.

Claims

1. A fire extinguisher actuator assembly for a fire extinguisher, the fire extinguisher comprising a fire extinguisher reservoir and a fire extinguisher outlet burst disc that forms a discharge barrier between the fire extinguisher reservoir and a discharge head to retain a pressurized fire extinguishing agent at an internal fire extinguisher pressure within the fire extinguisher reservoir, the fire extinguisher actuator assembly comprising:

a cutter detained within the fire extinguisher proximate the fire extinguisher outlet burst disc;

an interior container within the fire extinguisher reservoir, the interior container having a container pressure and sealed with a container burst disc, wherein the container pressure is less than the internal fire extinguisher pressure prior to piercing of the container burst disc; and

an activation device comprising a piercing member, the activation device operable to pierce the container burst disc and diffuse the container pressure to create a pressure differential relative to the internal fire extinguisher pressure at the cutter, thereby driving the cutter through the fire extinguisher outlet burst disc to release the pressurized fire extinguishing agent through the discharge head.

2. The fire extinguisher actuator assembly of claim 1, wherein the cutter is coupled to a shuttle body to form a cutter shuttle assembly, the cutter shuttle assembly biased to create a pressure equalization region between the shuttle body and the fire extinguisher outlet burst disc.

3. The fire extinguisher actuator assembly of claim 2, wherein the shuttle body comprises at least one pressure equalization hole to establish an equilibrium pressure in the pressure equalization region relative to a main interior region of the fire extinguisher reservoir, and the shuttle body further comprises at least one pressure vent hole to provide a pressure diffusion path between the interior container and the pressure equalization region.

4. The fire extinguisher actuator assembly of claim 3, wherein the at least one pressure vent hole provides a greater total transfer area than the at least one pressure equalization hole, and the pressurized fire extinguishing agent at the internal fire extinguisher pressure in the pressure equalization region diffuses into the interior container upon piercing of the container burst disc.

5. The fire extinguisher actuator assembly of claim 4, wherein the cutter shuttle assembly is detained by at least one flexible seal until the pressurized fire extinguishing agent at the internal fire extinguisher pressure in the pressure equalization region diffuses into the interior container to increase the container pressure and create the pressure differential relative to the internal fire extinguisher pressure at the cutter.

6. The fire extinguisher actuator assembly of claim 1, further comprising a container support tube in the fire extinguisher reservoir that mounts the interior container in a fixed position.

7. The fire extinguisher actuator assembly of claim 6, wherein the activation device is located in the container support tube.

8. The fire extinguisher actuator assembly of claim 1, further comprising a pressure transducer in the interior container.

9. The fire extinguisher actuator assembly of claim 1, wherein the fire extinguisher outlet burst disc and the container burst disc are hermetically sealed.

10. The fire extinguisher actuator assembly of claim 1, wherein the activation device is electrically driven absent a pyrotechnic trigger device.

11. A method of installing a fire extinguisher actuator assembly in a fire extinguisher, the fire extinguisher comprising a fire extinguisher reservoir and a fire extinguisher outlet burst disc that forms a discharge barrier between the fire extinguisher reservoir and a discharge head to retain a pressurized fire extinguishing agent at an internal fire extinguisher pressure within the fire extinguisher reservoir, the method comprising:

detaining a cutter within the fire extinguisher proximate the fire extinguisher outlet burst disc;

placing an interior container within the fire extinguisher reservoir, the interior container having a container pressure and sealed with a container burst disc, wherein the container pressure is less than the internal fire extinguisher pressure prior to piercing of the container burst disc; and

positioning an activation device comprising a piercing member within the fire extinguisher, the activation device operable to pierce the container burst disc and diffuse the container pressure to create a pressure differential relative to the internal fire extinguisher pressure at the cutter, thereby driving the cutter through the fire extinguisher outlet burst disc to release the pressurized fire extinguishing agent through the discharge head.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the cutter is coupled to a shuttle body to form a cutter shuttle assembly, the cutter shuttle assembly biased to create a pressure equalization region between the shuttle body and the fire extinguisher outlet burst disc.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the shuttle body comprises at least one pressure equalization hole to establish an equilibrium pressure in the pressure equalization region relative to a main interior region of the fire extinguisher reservoir, and the shuttle body further comprises at least one pressure vent hole to provide a pressure diffusion path between the interior container and the pressure equalization region.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein the interior container is mounted in a fixed position by a container support tube in the fire extinguisher reservoir, the activation device is located in the container support tube, and a pressure transducer is operable to monitor the container pressure of the interior container.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein the activation device is electrically driven absent a pyrotechnic trigger device.