VALVE FOR THE MANUAL AND AUTOMATIC OPERATION OF A FIRE EXTINGUISHER

Abstract

 The present invention relates to a manual fire extinguisher valve allowing, in addition to its usual manual operation, an automatic operation in which the extinguishing agent is projected outside when the extinguishing apparatus reaches a certain internal temperature or pressure determined by an element which may or may not be incorporated in the valve of the fire extinguisher.

Description

[0001] The present invention is included within the elements and devices forming part of manual fire extinguishers.

[0002] Currently, manual fire extinguishers generally consist of a metallic container to which a valve is screwed, the opening of which valve is manually actuated, a hose with a projection nozzle and a support. An extinguishing agent and a propellant gas are introduced inside the container.

[0003] The assembly complies perfectly with its function when it is used but it is completely useless against fires if there is nobody to activate it and is an additional danger due to its possibility of explosion. In order to avoid this possibility, some high-pressure extinguishers incorporate a pressure/temperature seal releasing the propellant gas thus avoiding the danger of explosion in these situations.

[0004] Patents PO0434168, EP97101877, EP96401032, W9734659 and others referring to new valves and devices for fire extinguishers are known but none of them considers the modification or implementation of a new manual valve that further allows its automatic operation when the fire extinguisher is in the presence of high temperatures or other fire-indicating parameters, i.e. in this situation, it not only releases the propellant gas but it operates by projecting the extinguishing product as if its valve were being actuated manually.

[0005] To that end, the present invention is focused on improving and modifying current valves and setting forth a new valve allowing the proposed operation.

[0006] The present invention first sets forth modifications further allowing the automatic operation of current valves without interfering in their normal operation.

[0007] Current valves (Figure 1) have an axial bore (3) on the wall of the threaded neck (7) of the valve for its coupling to the metallic container, communicating the upper part of the container of the fire extinguisher (8) (in which the propellant gas is contained) with the duct (6) in which the safety valve, the manometer or the pressure/temperature seal, if appropriate, are housed, allowing to transmit the propellant gas pressure to these elements.

[0008] In all manual fire extinguisher valves, the pressure-sealing mechanism or part (4) is located in the neck (7) screwing the valve to the fire extinguisher so any element behind this part (4) is isolated from the internal pressure of the fire extinguisher. On the other hand, all fire extinguishers incorporate a probe tube (5) screwed internally in the neck (7) of the valve, preventing the propellant gas from being released without first pushing and sweeping along the extinguishing product when the valve is actuated.

[0009] This probe tube (5) creates an isolated area (8) for the propellant gas and a forced path of the latter such that the gas pushes and sweeps the extinguishing product along in its outlet when the pressure-sealing part (4) of the valve is opened. In the automatic triggering of the fire extinguisher, the gas will also follow this path so that the extinguishing agent is swept along.

[0010] The present invention is illustrated by means of the following examples of modification and new valve which do not intend to limit its scope.

Example 1: modification allowing the automatic operation (Figure 2)

[0011] 

1) a bore (10) in the transverse cylindrical body of the valve in the end opposite to the one housing the manometer, with a diameter suitable for housing therein a temperature trigger, pressure trigger, etc, and an orientable projection nozzle

2) a bore (11) which, starting from a position before the shutoff valve (12) and inside the probe tube (5), communicates this space with the previous bore (10).

Example 2: modification which can achieve the same result (figure 3):

[0012] 

1) couple a T-shaped element in the end in which the manometer (1) is screwed and place the manometer in an end of said element and the trigger or pressure/temperature seal with the projection nozzle on the other free end.

2) transversally drill the bore (3) joining the space of the manometer (6) with the space of the propellant gas (8) and afterwards seal the two mouths (13 and 15) leading to this space (8), leaving only mouth (16) communicating with the inside of the probe tube open

[0013] Without any modification, a conventional valve will simply expel the propellant gas when the fire extinguisher reaches a certain temperature or pressure, the extinguishing agent remaining inside the container of the fire extinguisher and this propellant gas expulsion having no effect against the fire.

[0014] The modifications themselves, necessary to achieve this additional operation of current valves, lead to the overall design of a valve allowing this automatic operation, combining the normal sealing usefulness of current valves and the features of the proposed additional operation.

[0015] Example 3: The new valve (figure 4) may or may not maintain the connection by means of bore (3) joining the space of the container with propellant gas (8) and the space (6) in which the manometer is located, because its only purpose is to prevent the duct allowing the manometer to receive the pressure of the propellant gas from being obstructed in the outlet of the extinguishing agent when the fire extinguisher is actuated manually or automatically. This new valve has the actuation of opening (20) in a direction that is transverse to that of coupling (7) to the container of the fire extinguisher, i.e. according to the axis of the outlet of the gas from the fire extinguisher to the projection hose and with a pressure seal.

[0016] This arrangement allows creating a space directly connected with the probe tube and if desired, independent or not of the space of the manometer, easily and with minimal machining. This space houses: the sealing mechanism of the valve and the automatic triggering mechanism, the manometer if desired, this manometer being able to be connected to a suitable automatic projection nozzle or to the nozzle of the fire extinguisher if the pressure/temperature seal is located in a bridging of the seal of the valve or in the seal itself of the valve.

[0017] Explanation of Figures 1, 2 and 3:

1 = manometer

2 = safety valve

3 = pressure duct to manometer

4 = seal of the valve

5 = probe tube

6 = housing for safety valve and manometer

7 = neck of the valve.

8 = upper space of the container of the fire extinguisher

9 = outlet to projection hose

10 = bore for housing seal and nozzle

11 = bore

12 = space before seal and inside probe tube

13 = bore transverse to (3)

14 = side stopper

15 = lower stopper

16 = free mouth

Explanation of Figure 4

[0018] 

17 = orientable nozzle

18 = temperature/pressure seal

19 = sealing nipple and connection to hose

20 = sealing mechanism

21 = O-ring seal

Claims

1. A manual fire extinguisher valve, characterized in that it allows, either by the modification of an existing valve or by the construction of a new valve, in addition to the manual operation, an automatic operation of the fire extinguisher in which the extinguishing agent is automatically projected outside as a response to certain parameters indicating the presence of fire to an element.

2. A valve according to claim 1 wherein the automatic operation of the fire extinguisher is determined by an element acting according to parameters indicating the presence of fire (pressure, temperature, radiation, etc), being able to be located before the automatic nozzle, in the seal of the valve or bridging said seal if appropriate.

3. A valve according to claims 1 and 2, characterized in that the automatic projection of the extinguishing agent is carried out by means of an auxiliary nozzle suitable for the type of extinguishing agent

4. A valve according to claims 1 and 2, characterized in that the automatic projection of the extinguishing agent is carried out by means of the outlet nozzle of the fire extinguisher.

5. A valve according to claims 1, 2, 3 and 4, characterized in that the projection nozzle of the extinguishing agent can be orientable or pre-oriented.

6. A valve according to claim 1, characterized in that the pressure seal is located in the outlet mouth of the valve to the projection hose.

Drawing