Fire extinguishers – Portable vessels – Gas pressure
Patent
1999-11-15
2000-10-17
Morris, Lesley D.
Fire extinguishers
Portable vessels
Gas pressure
169 88, A62C 3700
Patent
active
061316660
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
The invention relates to a fire extinguisher comprising a container containing an extinguishing agent and a holder for a propellent gas cartridge for filling the container containing the extinguishing agent with propellent gas, as well as an actuating mechanism which has an actuating member for actuating a resiliently prestressed valve pin which is rigidly connected to a push rod for opening the propellent gas cartridge and controls a valve for release of the extinguishing agent which is acted upon by the propellent gas, wherein before the fire extinguisher is first put into operation a safety element is arranged between the actuating mechanism and the spring-loaded valve pin for arresting the actuating member and the safety element can be removed from the space between the actuating member and the valve pin to release the arresting action.
Fire extinguishers of that kind are known. In the known fire extinguishers of that kind, before the fire extinguisher is put into operation, the safety element firstly has to be removed and then the actuating mechanism has to be acted upon for a short time so that the propellent gas cartridge is opened and the container containing the extinguishing agent is filled with propellent gas. During that time the propellent gas not only flows into the container but also out of the container as the valve is opened at the same time. For that reason the opening procedure for the propellent gas cartridge should be as short as possible so that, after the propellent gas cartridge is opened, the propellent gas initially only fills the container in which the extinguishing agent is disposed and which is automatically closed by the resiliently prestressed valve pin. It is only in the event of a subsequent second actuation that the extinguishing agent should then be sprayed with the fire extinguisher, under the impulsion of the propellent gas in the container.
In this respect there is the danger that the first actuation procedure lasts too long so that the build-up of pressure achieved in the container is not sufficient to spray the extinguishing agent out of the container, down to a predetermined residual amount. In other words, too much extinguishing agent is left over in the container. That disadvantage should be eliminated.
Furthermore in accordance with a European standard there is now the requirement that, after the fire extinguisher has been armed, the actuating mechanism must initiate the extinguishing process immediately upon first actuation or depression of the actuating mechanism.
The present invention now aims to take account of those requirements. In a fire extinguisher of the kind set forth in the opening part of this specification, in accordance with the invention, that is achieved in that the safety element is of a wedge-shaped configuration and can be withdrawn from the space between the actuating member and the valve pin so that upon withdrawal of the safety element the propellent gas cartridge is automatically opened and the arresting action in respect of the actuating member is removed.
The propellent gas cartridge is opened automatically when the safety element is withdrawn, by virtue of the wedge-shaped configuration thereof. That procedure also takes place in a relatively short period of time as withdrawal of the safety element takes place more or less jerkily by virtue of the resistance force due to the resiliently loaded valve pin and thus no propellent gas is lost to the exterior, and the propellent gas is now utilised exclusively for filling the container.
As the actuating mechanism no longer has to be depressed to open the propellent gas cartridge, but this was implemented by withdrawal of the safety element, the invention also achieves the advantage that, when the actuating mechanism is first depressed, it is possible to begin immediately with the extinguishing procedure for there will generally be at least between 2 and 3 seconds between arming and depressing the actuating mechanism, a time which is sufficient for completely filling the container with propell
REFERENCES:
patent: 3719232 (1973-03-01), Gubela
patent: 3889758 (1975-06-01), Dunn
patent: 4862968 (1989-09-01), Woodman
Pelzel Wolfgang
Riad Nader
Bavaria Egypt (S.A.E.)
Morris Lesley D.
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