Fire suppressant device and method, including expansion agent

• US 9,604,083 B2
• Filed: 04/01/2016
• Issued: 03/28/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 03/22/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Federal Express Corporation (FedEx Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Federal Express Corporation (FedEx Corporation)
• Inventors: Popp, James B.
• Primary Examiner(s): KIM, CHRISTOPHER S
• Application Number:
  US15/088,837
• Publication Number:
  US 20160213964A1
• Time in Patent Office: 361 Days
• Field of Search: 169/43, 169 45- 47, 169/53, 169 56- 62, 169 26- 29, 169/71, 169/72, 169/74, 169/77, 169/84, 169/85, 169/89, 239/271, 239/272, 239/276
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A62C 3/00 Fire prevention, containment or extinguishing specially adapted for particular objects or places in oil wells E21B29/08, A62C35/00; in mines or tunnels E21F5/00 ; for nuclear reactors G21C9/04
• CPC Class Codes: A62C 3/002 for warehouses, storage areas or other installations for storing goods
• CPC Class Codes: A62C 3/07 in vehicles, e.g. in road vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: A62C 3/08 in aircraft A62C3/0207 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A62C 31/22 specially adapted for piercing walls, heaped materials, or the like
• CPC Class Codes: A62C 35/08 Containers destroyed or opened by bursting charge
• CPC Class Codes: A62C 5/006 Extinguishants produced by combustion
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 2045/009 Fire detection or protection; Erosion protection, e.g. from airborne particles
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 25/00 Emergency apparatus or devices, not otherwise provided for parachutes B64D17/00, B64D19/00; jettisoning of fuel tanks or fuel per se B64D37/00; specially adapted for protection against criminal attack, e.g. anti-hijacking systems B64D45/0015 ; safety belts or body harnesses in general A62B35/00; safety belts or body harnesses for land vehicles B60R22/00; jettisonable parts of fuselage facilitating emergency escape B64C

Abstract

A device for suppressing and/or extinguishing a fire associated with a container may include a housing defining a hollow sleeve and a column configured to be received within the hollow sleeve. The column may define a first chamber, a second chamber, at least one aperture, and a piercing end configured to pierce a barrier. The first chamber may be configured to receive an expansion agent, and the second chamber may be configured to receive a fire extinguishing agent. The device may be configured such that upon activation of the expansion agent, the column extends from the housing so as to enable the piercing end to penetrate the container and to enable the fire extinguishing agent to be delivered into an interior of the container via the at least one aperture.

Claims

1. A device for suppressing and/or extinguishing a fire associated with a container, the device comprising:

a housing defining a hollow sleeve; and

a column configured to be received at least in part within the hollow sleeve, the column defining a chamber, at least one aperture, and a piercing end,

wherein the chamber is configured to receive an expansion agent and the column is configured to receive a fire extinguishing agent,

wherein the device is configured such that upon activation of the expansion agent, the column extends from the housing so as to enable the piercing end to penetrate the container and to enable the fire extinguishing agent to be delivered into an interior of the container via the at least one aperture, and

wherein the device further comprises an igniter lead configured to activate the expansion agent.

2. The device of claim 1, further comprising the expansion agent received in the chamber.

3. The device of claim 2, wherein the expansion agent comprises a pyrotechnic charge.

4. The device of claim 1, further comprising the fire extinguishing agent received in the column.

5. The device of claim 4, wherein the fire extinguishing agent comprises a fire extinguishing pyrotechnic charge.

6. The device of claim 1, wherein the chamber comprises a first chamber configured to receive the expansion agent and the column further comprises a second chamber configured to receive the fire extinguishing agent.

7. The device of claim 1, further comprising a timing fuse configured to activate the fire extinguishing agent after activation of the expansion agent.

8. The device of claim 1, wherein the housing comprises a stop member configured to prevent the column from separating from the housing when the column extends from the housing.

9. A device for suppressing and/or extinguishing a fire associated with a container, the device comprising:

a housing defining a hollow sleeve; and

a column configured to be received at least in part within the hollow sleeve, the column defining a chamber, at least one aperture, and a piercing end,

wherein the chamber is configured to receive a fire extinguishing agent and the column is configured to receive an expansion agent,

wherein the device is configured such that upon activation of the expansion agent, the column extends from the housing so as to enable the piercing end to penetrate the container and to enable the fire extinguishing agent to be delivered into an interior of the container via the at least one aperture, and

wherein the device further comprises the fire extinguishing agent received in the chamber, and the fire extinguishing agent comprises a fire extinguishing pyrotechnic charge.

10. The device of claim 9, further comprising the expansion agent received in the column.

11. The device of claim 10, wherein the expansion agent comprises a pyrotechnic charge.

12. The device of claim 9, wherein the chamber comprises a first chamber configured to receive the fire extinguishing agent and the column further comprises a second chamber configured to receive the expansion agent.

13. The device of claim 9, further comprising a timing fuse configured to activate the fire extinguishing agent after activation of the expansion agent.

14. The device of claim 9, further comprising an igniter lead configured to activate the expansion agent.

15. The device of claim 9, wherein the housing comprises a stop member configured to prevent the column from separating from the housing when the column extends from the housing.

16. A method for suppressing and/or extinguishing a fire associated with a container, the method comprising:

providing a device comprising

a housing defining a hollow sleeve,

a column configured to be received at least in part within the hollow sleeve defined by the housing in an initial position and configured to extend at least in part from the hollow sleeve in an activated position,

an expansion agent, and

a fire extinguishing agent;

igniting the expansion agent such that the column extends from the hollow sleeve defined by the housing to the activated position but is prevented from separating from the housing; and

delivering the fire extinguishing agent to an interior of the container, when the column is in the activated position.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein delivering the fire extinguishing agent to the interior of the container comprises piercing the container via the column.

18. The method of claim 17,

wherein the device includes a plurality of separate supplies of fire extinguishing agent, and

wherein delivering the fire extinguishing agent to the interior of the container comprises independently delivering the separate supplies of fire extinguishing agent at separate times over a duration of time.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the separate supplies of fire extinguishing agent comprise separate fire extinguishing pyrotechnic charges that are ignited independently of one another.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the separate fire extinguishing pyrotechnic charges are ignited by fuses configured to sequentially ignite.

21. The method of claim 19,

wherein the plurality of separate supplies of fire extinguishing agent are contained within the column, the expansion agent comprises a pyrotechnic charge that when ignited results in the column piercing the container, and the separate supplies of fire extinguishing agent are delivered to the container through at least one aperture in a portion of the column piercing the container.

22. The method of claim 18, wherein the separate supplies of fire extinguishing agent are delivered to the interior of the container through at least one aperture in the column.

23. The method of claim 16, wherein delivering the fire extinguishing agent to the interior of the container is repeated a plurality of times.

24. The method of claim 16, wherein the expansion agent comprises a pyrotechnic charge, and igniting the expansion agent comprises igniting the pyrotechnic charge.

25. The method of claim 16, wherein igniting the expansion agent results in the column piercing the container.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein the fire extinguishing agent is delivered to the interior of the container through at least one aperture in the column.