SPRAY HEAD PROVIDED WITH A PRESSURE SENSITIVE VALVE

TETE D'ATOMISEUR COMPORTANT UN ROBINET SENSIBLE A LA PRESSION

English Abstract

The object of the invention is to provide a new
spray head for group release in a fire fighting
installation with a high operating pressure. The spray
head comprises a spindle element pressed into the inlet
of the spray head with such a spring force that the
spindle element keeps the inlet closed against the rest
pressure of the installation but yields to the
operating pressure of the installation.

Claims

7
Claims
1. A spray head comprising a housing, an inlet in the
housing, nozzles on the housing, a release ampoule in
the housing, a spring in the housing, and a spindle
element pressed against the inlet of the housing by
the spring; the spring having such a spring force that
the spindle element keeps the inlet closed against a
stand-by pressure but yields to high pressure
extinguishing liquid for delivering the liquid to the
nozzles of the housing while the release ampoule
remains intact even when the force of the spring acts
on the release ampoule.
2. A spray head comprising a housing, an inlet in the
housing, nozzles on the housing, a release ampoule in
the housing, a spring in the housing, and a spindle
structure pressed against the inlet of the housing by
the spring; the spring having such a force that the
spindle structure keeps the inlet closed against a
stand-by pressure but yields to high pressure
extinguishing liquid of a high pressure source for
delivering the liquid to the nozzles of the housing
while the release ampoule remains intact even when the
force of the spring acts on the release ampoule, the
spindle structure comprising a first spindle element
and a second spindle element, the release ampoule being
engaged by the first spindle element which is pressed
upon by a first end of the spring, a second end of the
spring pressing the second spindle element against the

8
inlet of the housing, the second spindle element being
movable inwardly by a pressure larger than the stand-by
pressure, inward movement of the second spindle element
being limited by hitting a fixed stop in the housing.
3. The spray head according to claim 2, wherein the
force of the spring is such that the release ampoule is
not crushed when the second spindle element hits the
stop.
4. A spray head comprising:
a housing;
an inlet opening into the housing for receiving
first and second liquids
at least one nozzle connected to the inlet opening
for spraying the liquids from the housing when the
inlet opening is open;
one spindle element in the housing having one end
in the inlet opening for being acted on by first and
second pressures of the first and second liquids
received therein and being movable in the housing from
a first position in which the one end of the one
spindle element closes the inlet opening to a second
position in which the one end of the one spindle
element opens the inlet opening, the pressures acting
on the one end of the one spindle element to urge the
one spindle element toward the second position;
a spring in the housing and having one end acting
on the one spindle element and urging the one spindle
element into the first position for keeping the inlet

9
opening closed under the second pressure but open under
the first pressure;
release means in the housing for responding to a
fire with movement of the one spindle element from the
first position to the second position;
an ampoule in the release means for being crushed
or melted by the fire; and
another spindle element movably mounted in the
housing and having one end engaging the ampoule and an
opposite end engaging an opposite end of the spring.
5. The spray head according to claim 4, and further
comprising a stop for limiting the second position of
the one spindle element, and wherein the ampoule has a
strength such that it is not crushed by the spring and
the other spindle element when the one spindle element
is in the second position.

Description

CA 02133068 2005-11-22
1
SPRAY HEAD PROVIDED WITH A PRESURE SENSITIVE VALVE
The present invention relates to a spray head for
a fire fighting installation, in particular for such a
fire fighting installation that is capable of operating
with a high drive pressure for the extinguishing
liquid. By a high pressure is in this context meant
a pressure within the range about 30 bar to about 300
bar, while conventional low pressure installations have
an operating pressure of about 5-10 bar. As source for
the extinguishing liquid can preferably be utilized at
least one hydraulic accumulator to the
out-going line of which a number of automatically
releasable spray heads are connected.
It is in many cases desirable to, starting from
one spray head released directly by a fire broken out,
release a whole group of usually nearby spray heads.
The invention relates to a spray head for this
purpose. In one embodiment there is provided a spray
head comprising a housing, an inlet in the housing,
nozzles on the housing, a release ampoule in the
housing, a spring in the housing, and a spindle element
pressed against the inlet of the housing by
the spring; the spring having such a spring force that
the spindle element keeps the inlet closed against a
stand-by pressure but yields to high pressure
extinguishing liquid for delivering the liquid to the
nozzles of the housing while the release ampoule
remains intact even when the force of the spring acts
on the release ampoule.

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2
The invention shall in the following be described
with reference to exemplifying preferred embodiments
shown in the attached drawings.
Figure 1 shows a valve in a stand-by state.
Figure 2 shows the valve in activated state.
Figure 3 shows a coupling diagram of a fire
fighting installation in stand-by state.
Figures 4-6 show a first preferred embodiment of
spray heads included in the installation, in stand-by
state, in individually released state and in group
released state, respectively.
Figures 7-9 show a second preferred embodiment of
spray heads, in the same way as Figures 4-6.
A hydraulic accumulator with a high charge
pressure (e. g., 200 bar) is indicated by the reference
numeral 1. The accumulator 1, which in the following
also is called primary accumulator, comprises an outlet
tube 2, which preferably is provided with a number of
apertures in its wall in order to, according to what is
described in Canadian patent application 2,123,706,
deliver liquid and a mixture of the liquid and the
drive gas-of the accumulator, respectively. An
outlet valve connected to the tube 2 is generally
indicated by 3, the inlet of the valve by 4 and its
outlet by 5. The outlet 5 is via an out-going line 25
in connection with a number of automatically releasable
spray heads 26-29 as shown in Figure 3.
In the stand-by position of the valve 3, according
to Figure l, the connection between the inlet 4 of the
valve and the outlet 5 closed by a valve spindle 6.

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The valve spindle 6 has an axial through channel 7
which connects the outlet 5 to a liquid space 8 which,
in turn, is in connection to a small (e. g., about
0.3 liter) hydraulic accumulator 9 with a low charge
pressure (e. g., 6-10 bar), in the following also called
-secondary accumulator.
The valve spindle 6 has a head 10 which like a
piston is movable in the liquid space 8 between the
position of Figure 1, in which the head 10 presses
against the valve housing surrounding the spindle 6 and
the connection from the inlet 4 to the outlet 5 is
closed, and the position of Figure 2, in which the
head 10 presses against shoulder 11 and the connection
from the inlet 4 to the outlet 5 is open.
In Figure l, the spindle 6 is kept in place by the
liquid space 8 pressure, which acts on the spindle
head 10, and by a spring 12 pressing on the spindle
head 10. The pressure in the inlet 5 on the spindle
end therein and the pressure of the primary accumulator
on a ring shoulder 13 formed in the spindle 6 act in
the opposite direction.
When a spray head being in connection to the
outlet 5 is released, the secondary accumulator 9
starts delivering liquid to the spray head in question.
Hereby the pressure in the liquid space 8 falls
quickly whereat the pressure action of the primary
accumulator 1 on the shoulder 13 wins and the spindle
starts moving to the right in Figure 1 and as that end
of the spindle 6 which is towards the outlet 5 reaches
the inlet 4 the end comes under the influence of the

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pressure of the primary accumulator and the spindle is
driven to the end position of Figure 2, against the
stop 11. The force of the spring 12 is preferably
adapted in such a way that it after the primary
accumulator having been discharged is capable of
driving the spindle 6 back from the position of
Figure 2 to the position of Figure 1.
A nonreturn valve 14 positioned in the channel 7
of the valve spindle 6 prevents the pressure of the
primary accumulator in the position of Figure 2 from
entering the liquid space 8. A manometer is indicated
by 15 and a manually operable reserve release means,
which in Figures 1 and 2 is turned out and does not
effect the function, is indicated by 16.
It is often of advantage to, when a fire has
broken out, activate a group of such spray heads too
which still have their release ampoules intact. The
spray heads 26-29 in Figure 3 can be supposed to be
such a group, and one preferable embodiment of spray
heads for this purpose is shown in Figures 4-6.
The spray head has a conventional release
ampoule 30 engaged by a first spindle element 31,
pressed upon by a spring 32 which by its other end
presses a second spindle element 33 against the inlet
opening of the spray head. The force of the spring 32
is adapted in such a way that it without crushing the
ampoule 30 is capable of keeping the second spindle
element 33 in the inlet of the spray head, according to
Figure 4, against the full pressure of the secondary
accumulator 9, i.e. when the valve 3 mounted on the

CA 02133068 2005-11-22
primary accumulator 1 is in the state according to
Figure 1. Hereby the spindle element 33 keeps the
connection to the nozzles 34 of the spray head closed.
In Figure 5, the ampoule 30 of the spray head 26
5 has been crushed or is molten under the influence of a
fire broken out nearby. The spring 32 has hit down the
spindle element 31 and the spindle element 33 has,
under the influence of the pressure of the secondary
accumulator 9, been able to follow to hit a stop 35
fixed to the housing of the spray head. The connection
from the inlet of the spray head 26 to its nozzles 34
is open.
By this, as earlier has been described, the
valve 3 on the primary hydraulic accumulator 1 will
take the state according to Figure 2, and the pressure
of the primary accumulator will act in the inlets to
the spray heads 27, 28, and 29 as well. As is seen in
Figure 6, e.g. the spindle element 33 of the spray
head 29 will be hit into abutment against the stop 35
and the connection from the inlet of the spray head to
the nozzles 34 is open. The force of the spring 32 is
preferably adapted in such a way that it neither in
fully compressed state, according to Figure 6, crushes
the release ampoule 30; the pressure for opening can be
set to e.g. 15 bar in the line 35.
Figures 7-9 show an alternative embodiment which
can be mounted on a wall and which works according to
the same principle as in the foregoing has been
described with reference to Figures 4-6. The spray
heads according to Figures 4-9 can of course be used

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independently of valves according to Figures 1 and 2,
which valves on their part do not presuppose spray
heads according to Figures 4-9.
For larger installations the invention can of
course be applied on an arbitrary number of hydraulic
accumulators and/or high pressure pumps. With respect
to spray heads, nozzles, group release and other
arrangements, in each case can at will be applied what
has been described in Canadian Patent Nos. 2,104,302;
2,103,069; 2,103,070; 2,111,232; 2,111,233; 2,123,707;
2,123,706; and 2,123,705.

Representative Drawing