The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Sep. 26, 2000
Filed:
Dec. 30, 1998
David M Finnegan, Uxbridge, MA (US);
Grinnell Corporation, Cranston, RI (US);
Abstract
A fire protection sprinkler has a body with an orifice and a coaxial outlet for delivery of fire protection fluid from a source; a cap that resists flow of fluid from the outlet in a sprinkler standby condition; and an actuator securing the cap in the standby condition and releasing the cap in an operating condition to permit flow of fluid from the outlet. The actuator includes a thermally sensitive release assembly with an elongated thermally sensitive element, e.g. a frangible bulb, that breaks apart upon exposure to a predetermined elevated temperature range; opposed arms releasably positioning the frangible bulb with its axis transverse to the orifice axis; and a spring release member disposed substantially between the body and the thermally sensitive release assembly, the spring release member bearing against and applying force to the thermally sensitive release assembly transversely to the bulb axis, the spring release member being restrained in sprinkler standby condition by a combination to transverse and axially-directed compressive forces applied to the thermally sensitive release assembly by the opposed arms. Upon reaching the predetermined elevated temperature range, the bulb breaks apart to release the thermally sensitive release assembly from its sprinkler standby condition disposed substantially between the opposed arms, thereby releasing the spring release member to allow fire retardant fluid to flow from the outlet.