Fire extinguishers – Fluid systems – Distributing systems
Patent
1994-05-20
1996-07-02
Hoge, Gary C.
Fire extinguishers
Fluid systems
Distributing systems
169 19, 169 37, 169 38, 137 79, 137504, A62C 3558
Patent
active
055312756
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
The present invention relates to an installation for fighting fire, with at least one releasing means reacting under the influence of an indication of fire, to initiate a fire extinguishing process.
In known equipment of this kind, especially in public spaces, such as restaurants, that particular individual sprinkler, the release ampoule or the like of which becomes under influence of hot air or smoke, has been activated. It has hereby been presumed that hot air or smoke rises practically in the vertical direction.
In reality, e.g. ventilation causes the hot air or the smoke to move obliquely upwards, for which reason often such a sprinkler which is not positioned right above the fire, has been activated. An active sprinkler in "wrong" position may lead to a general cooling in the room, with the result that the "correctly" positioned sprinkler above that fire remains inactive in spite of the fire developing.
One object of the present invention is to provide a new fire-fighting istallation which eliminates the said problem.
The equipment according to the present invention is mainly characterized in that said releasing means is arranged to activate a group of spray heads.
In a preferred embodiment of the invention, said group of spray heads forms a part of a larger system of individually activatable spray head groups. Preferably the groups of spray heads are aranged to overlap each other by means of the respective border spray heads which are activatable alternatively within either respective group. This can be achieved e.g. by means of check valves at the border spray heads, which valves prevent extinguishing liquid from flowing from an activated group of spray heads to an inactivated group of spray heads.
The groups of spray heads can be positioned near or at the ceiling of a restaurant room, whereat one or several releasing spray heads can be provided for each group of spray heads and the releasing spray head or heads are preferably arranged to distribute extinguishing liquid directly to the other spray heads in the respective group.
The spray heads, their individual nozzles and the mutual arrangement of the nozzles are preferably made according to what is presented in the international patent applications PCT/FI92/00060, PCT/FI92/00155 and PCT/FI92/00156, to produce a fog-like spray of a high operating pressure and having a good penetration power.
By a fog-like spray is meant a spray of small droplets having a diameter typically 30 to 100 microns and preferably set in a strong whirling motion. By a high operating pressure is here in general meant from about 100 bar up to about 300 bar, as compared to an operating pressure of generally 2 to 10 bar in conventional sprinkler installations, which produce a rain-like spray. It shall be noted, however, that the values given above are not absolute; definite limiting values are difficult to present.
One important advantage of a fog-like spray in connection with a so-called group activation, as here presented, is that a curtain effect is obtained, i.e. that the area and space covered by an activated group of spray heads will be separated from the rest of the larger space, so that most of the fog-like spray remains in the fire area. Further, that air which is sucked into the fire from the sides brings "fog" into the fire, and the smoke generated by the fire becomes at least partially washed.
In a further preferred embodiment of the invention, at least one release means is positioned in an upper region of the respective space and at least one spray head governed by the release means is positioned in the floor or in a wall of the respective space. Especially in this embodiment, the release means may, instead of a spray head, be e.g. a smoke detector which gives a signal to e.g. a solenoid valve which in turn activates a group of spray heads. Thus, the extinguishing liquid need not necessarily be distributed to the respective group of spray heads through the releasing means itself, such as a spray head, but electrical or electronical known activating equipment may be
REFERENCES:
patent: 3702159 (1972-11-01), Livingston
patent: 3703930 (1972-11-01), Lofstrand et al.
patent: 3884304 (1975-05-01), Messerschmidt et al.
patent: 3990518 (1976-11-01), Hemme
patent: 4359097 (1982-11-01), Claussen
patent: 4361189 (1982-11-01), Adams
patent: 4428434 (1984-01-01), Gelaude
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