Improved fire extinguisher for dispersing a fluorine-free fire extinguishing agent

Abstract

The invention relates to a fire extinguisher (100) comprising a mixing tube (150) having at least one lateral orifice (153A) relative to the axis (A1) configured to release at least part of the contents of a flushing cylinder (130) into an expansion chamber (120') of the reservoir (120). The extinguisher also comprises receiving means (130) for a fluorine-free additive (400) for the liquid to be sprayed (200), for example, an extinguishing agent. These receiving means are housed inside the reservoir (120) and are adapted to isolate the additive (400) from the liquid to be sprayed (200). The flushing cylinder (130) forms the receiving means (130) for the additive (400), the flushing cylinder (130) containing the pressurized propellant gas (300) and the fluorine-free additive (400). without partitioning between them, so that the propellant gas (300) carries the additive (400) towards the liquid to be sprayed (200),via the outlet (133B) of the blast cylinder (130) for the propellant gas.

Description

[0001] The present invention relates to a fire extinguisher improving the dispersion of an extinguishing agent.

[0002] Many embodiments of a fire extinguisher of this type are known, in which the means for receiving the additive or fire extinguishing agent consist of a cartridge housed inside the tank under conditions suitable for isolating the additive from the liquid to be sprayed, on the one hand, and from the pressurized propellant gas, on the other hand, as long as the seal of the flushing bottle has not been struck, and for making the interior of the cartridge communicate with the interior of the flushing bottle after striking the seal of the latter, so that the pressure of the propellant gas is applied to the interior of the additive cartridge;the wall of the latter is weakened locally, by various means, so that it opens under this pressure and, thus, on the one hand, a mixture of the additive with the liquid to be sprayed is produced and, on the other hand, a gaseous pressure is established on the mixture thus formed tending to expel this mixture through the outlet for the liquid to be sprayed, in a manner controlled by the action of an operator on the means of sealing or opening this outlet.;

[0003] Fire extinguishing agents used generally contain mixtures of surfactants that act as foaming agents, together with solvents and other additives that provide the desired mechanical and chemical properties to the foam. These fire extinguishing agents are subject to improvements in order to optimize the foaming characteristics of known fire extinguishing compositions, and to obtain a fire extinguishing process that is faster, more effective, and in particular, specifically adapted to a certain class of fires, without being limited to it.

[0004] One way to improve the foaming characteristics of fire extinguishing compositions is to modify the composition itself. For this purpose, fluorinated surfactants have long been used to improve foaming properties.

[0005] When a fluorinated agent is used, the extinguishing efficiency is very good and remains stable over time. Fluorinated agents are stable and do not react with the wall of the extinguisher. A fluorinated agent, particularly from the perfluorinated family, used as an additive can be a wetting agent, an anti-corrosive product or an AFFF (floating film forming agent). These fluorinated agents, sprayed onto the fire, have the particularity of forming a protective film which promotes extinction and prevents re-ignition: these chemical agents are therefore very effective at extinguishing fires.

[0006] However, these fluorinated agents have recently come under scrutiny for environmental safety reasons. The use of non-fluorinated, i.e. fluorine-free, fire extinguishing agents is therefore desirable.

[0007] For example, document FR 2 965 486 A1 describes a fire extinguisher comprising in its tank a member for receiving an additive intended to be mixed with a liquid contained in the extinguisher. The additive used is a powder of plant origin, preferably starch-based.

[0008] However, the use of a fluorine-free extinguishing additive composition does not allow the extinguishers to be used as they are and it is necessary to modify their configuration to allow this use.

[0009] In particular, an additive guaranteed to be fluorine-free, and more specifically, free of perfluorinated chemical components, is less stable over time and is likely to react chemically with the extinguisher wall. This instability of the fluorine-free additive gives it an abrasive and corrosive character. Furthermore, the lack of stability of the non-fluorinated additive risks inhibiting its effectiveness in the long term.

[0010] The aim of the present invention is to overcome these drawbacks and, to this end, the present invention provides a fire extinguisher having optimal operation with a fluorine-free extinguishing agent contained in the flush bottle.

[0011] The invention relates to a fire extinguisher comprising: a sealed reservoir extending along an axis and configured to receive a liquid to be sprayed, for example water, the reservoir being configured to comprise an expansion chamber formed by a portion of the reservoir not filled with the liquid to be sprayed, a sealed flushing bottle for a pressurized propellant gas, for use as a propellant for the liquid to be sprayed, the flushing bottle being housed inside the reservoir and having, for the propellant gas, an outlet fluidically connected to the inside of the reservoir, a mixing tube fluidically connected to the outlet of the flushing bottle and having an outlet intended to be immersed in the liquid to be sprayed,

[0012] According to the invention: the mixing tube has at least one lateral orifice relative to the axis configured to release at least in part the contents of the flushing bottle into the expansion chamber of the tank, the extinguisher comprises means for receiving a fluorine-free additive for the liquid to be sprayed, for example an extinguishing agent, these receiving means being housed inside the tank and capable of isolating the additive from the liquid to be sprayed, and the flushing bottle forms the means for receiving the additive, the flushing bottle containing the pressurized propellant gas and the fluorine-free additive without partitioning between them, such that the propellant gas carries the additive towards the liquid to be sprayed, through the outlet of the flushing bottle for the propellant gas.

[0013] The term "a part of the tank not filled with the liquid to be sprayed" means a part of the tank delimiting a first volume of the tank not occupied by the liquid to be sprayed from a second volume of the tank occupied by the liquid. It will be understood that the delimitation between the first volume and the second volume depends on the level of the liquid contained in the tank movable in the tank according to the orientation given to the tank relative to a vertical axis relative to the ground.

[0014] As is known, when the propellant gas is released, it is mixed with the fluorine-free additive, thus forming a first mixture, before being injected into the liquid via the outlet of the mixing tube. Then, the first mixture of the propellant gas and the fluorine-free additive is injected into the liquid to be sprayed contained in the extinguisher tank via the outlet of the mixing tube, thus forming a second mixture.

[0015] By providing such a lateral orifice, it is possible to insert a portion of this first mixture passing through the mixing tube to allow its injection into the expansion chamber of the tank, this simultaneously with the injection of the first mixture through the outlet of the mixing tube. Thanks to this arrangement of the mixing tube, the expansion chamber can be pressurized by the first mixture itself so that the pressure contained in this chamber in turn pressurizes the second mixture, thus promoting the rise of the second mixture through a rise tube while promoting the formation of the second mixture since the first mixture contained in the expansion chamber also mixes with the liquid to be sprayed. The dispersion of the extinguishing additive is then improved.

[0016] It will be understood that, for the mixing tube, a lateral orifice relative to the axis of the tank is formed laterally on this tube, that is to say on the side wall of this tube in any direction along a secondary axis having a different orientation from the axis of the tank, the secondary axis being intersecting the axis of the tank or not intersecting the axis of the tank.

[0017] Optionally, the side orifice is radial to the tank axis.

[0018] According to an alternative embodiment, the reservoir comprises the liquid to be sprayed.

[0019] Furthermore, by providing an additive directly in the flush bottle, without providing an additional cartridge for this purpose, the production and maintenance of the extinguisher is considerably simplified, particularly reducing the cost of manufacture and use.

[0020] According to a particular embodiment of the invention, the flushing bottle internally comprises a sealed return tube, sealed to the outlet of the flushing bottle for the propellant gas and fluidically connected in the flushing bottle.Thus, after striking a seal of the flushing bottle, the entire expulsion of the additive is facilitated since the propellant gas and the additive can only leave the flushing bottle by rising in this mixing tube, towards the outlet for the propellant gas, and the propellant gas begins by expelling the additive from the flushing bottle, towards the liquid to be sprayed, before itself escaping from the flushing bottle to put this liquid to be sprayed under pressure; to ensure optimized expulsion of the additive before the propellant gas itself escapes from the flushing bottle, the mixing tube is preferably made to penetrate the flushing bottle as low as possible in it.

[0021] The invention may further comprise one of the following features taken alone or in combination: the mixing tube has only a single lateral orifice relative to the axis configured to release at least in part the contents of the flush bottle into the expansion chamber of the tank, the mixing tube has a section intended to be immersed and a section intended to be non-immersed in the liquid, the immersed section of the mixing tube is devoid of a lateral orifice, advantageously, the non-immersed section has a maximum length of 100 millimeters, advantageously, the outlet of the mixing tube is set back from a bottom wall of the tank by a value of between 30 millimeters and 350 millimeters, preferably by a value of between 150 millimeters and 310 millimeters, advantageously, the outlet of the mixing tube is positioned below the level of the liquid to be sprayed by a value at least equal to 30 millimeters,said level of the liquid to be sprayed corresponding to the level of the liquid to be sprayed in the tank before use of the extinguisher, advantageously, the total length of the mixing tube is between 140 millimeters and 300 millimeters, preferably equal to 270 millimeters, advantageously, the total height of the tank is between 400 millimeters and 600 millimeters, preferably between 428 millimeters and 580 millimeters, advantageously, the capacity of the tank is between 6 liters and 9 liters, advantageously, the lateral orifice of the mixing tube is positioned below the level of the liquid to be sprayed by a maximum value equal to 20 millimeters, said level of the liquid to be sprayed corresponding to the level of the liquid to be sprayed in the tank before use of the extinguisher, advantageously, the lateral orifice has a diameter between 0.5 millimeters and 2.5 millimeters, preferably between 1 millimeter and 2 millimeters,even more preferably equal to 1.5 millimeters, advantageously, the mixing tube has an internal diameter of between 3 millimeters and 10 millimeters, preferably between 6 millimeters and 7 millimeters, even more preferably equal to 5 millimeters, advantageously, the fire extinguisher further comprises: a riser tube associated with the tank, the riser tube having an outlet arranged in the tank for the liquid to be sprayed and configured to be fluidically connected to the ambient air, means for sealingly closing or opening the outlet of the riser tube to release the liquid to be sprayed, a seal for sealing the outlet for the propellant gas, means for controlling the percussion of the seal, the riser tube has no lateral orifice relative to the axis, the additive is a liquid, the outlet of the mixing tube opens into the tank,at a first level of the tank set back relative to a second level of the tank from which the outlet of the riser tube opens; in other words, the outlet of the mixing tube is positioned, inside the tank, at a first level of the tank set back relative to a bottom wall of the tank, and the outlet of the riser tube is positioned, inside the tank, at a second level of the tank set back relative to the bottom wall of the tank, the first level being set back relative to the second level with respect to the bottom wall, ,

[0022] Without the invention being limited thereto, examples of non-fluorinated, i.e. fluorine-free, fire extinguishing agents are known, for example, from patent application BE 1029051 A1.

[0023] As another example, a fluorine-free extinguishing additive can be produced from a composition comprising at least one fatty alcohol, at least one acrylic polymer, at least one thickener and water, in which said composition is free of organofluorine compounds, as described in patent application WO 2011 / 050980 A2.

[0024] Other characteristics and advantages of a fire extinguisher according to any one of the aspects of the invention will emerge from the description below, relating to a non-limiting example of embodiment. There figure 1 represents a sectional view of the extinguisher according to the invention in the assembled state, equipped with a lance hose, a trigger and a diffuser, this to particularly illustrate a riser tube contained in its tank. The figure 2 represents another sectional view of the fire extinguisher according to the invention in the assembled state, without the lance hose, the trigger and the diffuser, this to illustrate particularly a mixing tube contained in the tank. The figure 3 represents an enlargement of the figure 2 illustrating in more detail a configuration of the mixing tube. The figure 4 represents a sectional view of a flush bottle included in the tank and containing the fluoride-free additive. The figure 5 represents a partially exploded view of the extinguisher where the interior of the tank has been partially shown. figure 6 represents a perspective view of an example of a broadcasting system. The figure 7 represents a sectional view of an upper portion of the flush bottle and an associated nut.

[0025] With reference to the figures, a sectional view of the fire extinguisher 100 according to the invention is shown. The fire extinguisher comprises a reservoir 120 and a cover 180. The reservoir 120 has a general shape of revolution around an axis A1 which, in a determined orientation of use of the fire extinguisher 100, is vertical relative to a horizontal plane, as illustrated in the figures or forms a few degrees of angle of inclination relative to the vertical. This determined orientation of use of the fire extinguisher 100 will serve as a reference for the remainder of the description.

[0026] Optionally, by "vertical" we mean the direction of the gravity vector; and by "horizontal plane" we mean a plane perpendicular to this direction of the gravity vector.

[0027] More specifically, the reservoir 120 has a side wall 121, for example cylindrical of revolution around the axis A1, a bottom wall 122, for example convex downwards, to which this side wall 121 is connected in a lower zone of the reservoir 120, and a top wall 123 to which the side wall 120 is connected in an upper zone of the reservoir 120. These walls 120-123 are sealed and mutually connected in a gas- and liquid-tight manner so as to contain a liquid to be sprayed 200 which may consist for example of water, or water with anti-freeze, or another liquid or liquid mixture and fills the reservoir 120, for example over the majority of its height, the remainder of the reservoir 120 being for example filled with air at atmospheric pressure, the air being located in the upper zone of the reservoir. Said remainder of the reservoir forms an expansion chamber 120' in the reservoir 120.

[0028] It will be understood, for example, that the term “top” is defined in relation to the axis A1 as towards the top wall 123 of the tank 120, whereas the term “bottom” is defined in relation to the axis A1 as towards the bottom wall 122 of the tank 120.

[0029] The top wall 123 is pierced, for example right through, with an orifice 123A for filling with liquid to be sprayed 200; this orifice 123A is advantageously delimited by an edge 123B of the top wall 123, which edge 123B is annular of revolution around the axis A1. The cover 180 is attached, for example removably, to the reservoir 120, to seal the orifice 123A in a sealed manner, and, as better shown in figure 5 , comprises for this purpose a flat wall 181 having the general shape of a disc of revolution around the axis A1, which flat wall 181 has towards the bottom an annular groove, of revolution around the axis A1, suitable for receiving the edge 123B of the orifice 123A and for applying itself in a sealed manner to this edge 123B by means of a seal not illustrated, when the cover 180 is fixed on the tank 120. This fixing is carried out for example, in a manner known per se, by bolting 124, preserving the sealing of the tank 120 by the flat wall 181 of the cover 180, on the top wall 123 around the orifice 123A of the tank 120.

[0030] The flat wall 181 thus has a downwardly facing flat lower face 181A, perpendicular to the axis A1, in which the groove is hollowed out. In the direction of distance from the axis A1, the lower face 181A connects to an unreferenced edge of the flat wall 181, which has, for example, a generally cylindrical shape of revolution around the axis A1 and connects the lower face 181A of the flat wall 181 to an upper face 181B of the flat wall 181. This upper face 181B, located outside the tank 120 and consequently exposed to the ambient air, is flat and perpendicular to the axis A1 like the face 181A.

[0031] On the upper face 181B, there projects upwards, along the axis A1, a boss 182 advantageously made in one piece with the flat wall 181 and pierced, on one side of the axis A1, with a conduit 183 for the outlet of the liquid 200 contained in the reservoir 120, which conduit 183 has for this purpose an opening 183A opening into the lower face 181A of the flat wall 181 and an opening 183B in the boss 182.

[0032] The extinguisher 100 further comprises control means 140 for striking a cover 134 of the flushing bottle 130.

[0033] The mouth 183A extends inside the reservoir 120, by a riser tube 160, for example rectilinear and for example sealed, having in the lower zone of the reservoir 120 a lower end 160A open downwards, for example beveled, and in the upper zone of the reservoir 120 an upper end 160B open upwards and connected in a sealed manner, around the mouth 183A, to the edge thereof, for example by coaxial fitting of this upper end 160B into the mouth 183A or by coaxial screwing of this upper end 160B into the mouth 183A, suitably tapped for this purpose.The lower end 160A of the riser tube 160 is immersed in the liquid 200 for a wide range of orientations of the axis A1 relative to the vertical and even in that there remains only a bottom of liquid 200 in the tank 120, at the end of the use of the extinguisher 100, and the riser tube 160 can thus ensure even in such conditions the rise of the liquid 200 to the mouth 183A and the outlet 183B of the conduit 183.

[0034] The conduit 183 is advantageously connected, in a sealed manner, to a flexible and sealed lance tube 190 provided with sealed closure means 191 and controlled and regulated opening, by action of the operator on a handle 191A, for example automatically returned to a state corresponding to the sealed closure of the tube 190, which means 191 are connected to a diffusion system 1, or extinguishing nozzle 1, of the liquid 200 to be sprayed into the ambient air.

[0035] Without being limited thereto, the diffusion system 1 may be or advantageously comprise an extinguishing nozzle 1 as described in document BE 1028003 A1. Such an extinguishing nozzle 1 is shown in figure 6 , it comprises a mixing chamber 2, a ventilation chamber 3 and a foaming chamber 4, wherein said ventilation chamber 3 is coupled to said mixing chamber 2, and comprises a first hollow cylindrical body 5 comprising at least three air inlet holes 6, said air inlet holes are arranged on the circumference and are directed into the first hollow cylindrical body, said foaming chamber comprises a second hollow cylindrical body having an axial length L and an inner diameter d, which foaming chamber 4 is coupled to said ventilation chamber 3, and said ventilation chamber 3 and / or said foaming chamber 4 comprise a lattice (not visible), wherein said lattice is oriented in the radial plane of the inner cross-section of the ventilation chamber 3 and / or the foaming chamber 4,and in that the ratio between the axial length and the internal diameter L:d of the foaming chamber 4 is between 4:5 and 9:5 to preferentially extinguish class A fires, or between 6:1 and 10:1 to preferentially extinguish class B fires.,

[0036] In a position offset from that of the conduit 183, the cover 180 is hollowed out with another conduit 184 having both a mouth 184A and an outlet 184B in the lower face 181A of the flat wall 181.

[0037] More precisely, from its mouth 184A to its outlet 184B, the conduit 184 has a first section 184C connected to the mouth 184A, a second section 184D, a third section 184E connected to the outlet 184B, and the second section 184D connecting the first section 184C to the third section 184E.

[0038] The first section 184C extends coaxially upwards, beyond the connection of the second section 184D, by a bore 184F opening into the open air in the upper face 181B of the flat wall 181. The bore 184F defines by its connection with the first section 184C an annular shoulder. The bore 184F receives and guides in coaxial sliding a rod 141 of the percussion control means 140, which is sealed with respect to the bore 184F by a sealing gasket thus preserving the seal between the conduit 184 and the ambient air. Above the upper face 181B of the flat wall 181, this rod 141 has a convex upper end 141A, for example hemispherical, around which the boss 182 forms a yoke.

[0039] The fire extinguisher comprises a handle 142. The handle 142 may be for carrying and / or, as will appear later, may be for activating the fire extinguisher 100 by percussion. This handle 142 extends cantilevered, opposite the conduit 183 relative to the axis A1, and the handle 142 is for example pivotally mounted. As long as it is not desired to activate the fire extinguisher 100, the handle 142 is held, by a removable pin 143 perpendicular to the axis A1 and bearing downwards on the flat wall 181, in an upper limit position illustrated in figures 1 And 2 , but when an operator wishes to put the extinguisher 100 into service, he removes the pin 143, which frees the handle 142 from tilting downwards relative to the boss 182.

[0040] The handle 142 has, integrally, above the convex upper end 141A of the rod 141, a bearing surface 142A allowing, when the handle 142 is tilted by the operator, to apply to the rod 141, by means of its convex upper end 141A, a force forcing the rod 141 to slide downwards inside the bore 184F of the flat wall 181, from a high position which is illustrated in the figures and which it occupies. In this high position, the bearing surface 142A is slightly spaced, upwards, from the convex upper end 141A of the rod 141 itself occupying its high position but, when the operator tilts the handle 142 downwards after having unpinned it, the latter comes to abut downwards by the bearing surface 142A on the upper end 141A of the rod 141 then causes a sliding movement of the latter downwards inside the bore 184F of the flat wall 181.

[0041] Inside the first section 184C of the conduit 184, the rod 141 has a widened lower end, in the form of a collar 141B, this collar 141B is shaped with respect to the connecting shoulder between the bore 184F and the first section 184C.

[0042] The rod 141 extends, integrally downwards, by a hollow needle 141C having an unreferenced external peripheral face with a diameter smaller than the respective diameters of the collar 141B and the first section 184C of the conduit 184.

[0043] The rod 141 and the hollow needle 141C, which may be made in a single piece, constitute a striker, actuated by the handle 142, to controllably release a pressurized propellant gas 300, chosen from a group comprising, for example, nitrogen, argon, carbon dioxide or comprising one or more gases from the group comprising, for example, nitrogen, argon, carbon dioxide, intended to expel the liquid 200 from the reservoir 120, and a fluorine-free extinguishing additive 400, preferably liquid, such as a wetting agent, an anti-corrosion agent, intended to be mixed beforehand with the liquid 200 to increase its ability to extinguish a certain type of fire.

[0044] In accordance with the present invention, this propellant gas 300 and this fluorine-free additive 400 are contained, without partitioning between them, in a single bottle or flushing cartridge 130 housed inside the tank 120 and connected in a sealed and integral manner, the bottle or flushing cartridge 130 is preferably removable, at the mouth 184A of the first section 184C of the conduit 184, mounted for example by tapping.

[0045] As illustrated in the figure 7 , a nut 500 may be included in the fire extinguisher 100, the nut 500 comprising a thread 501 capable of cooperating with a complementary part of the tubular neck 133A and an external thread 502 capable of cooperating with a complementary part of the mouth 184A of the first section 184C of the conduit 184. This intermediate connection piece ensures sealing.

[0046] This may be a 500 nut that has undergone zinc plating for its protection. The zinc plating of the 500 nut may further be reinforced by the application of a protective paint. According to one example, it is possible to use a protective finishing paint suitable for metals. This additional layer, generally transparent, makes it possible to isolate the metal constituting the 500 nut from the complementary parts mentioned above.

[0047] The conduit 184, which may be made of aluminum, is thus isolated from the nut 500 by this finishing paint. The purpose of this intermediate layer is to limit the development of galvanic corrosion.

[0048] The nut 500 and the complementary parts can be shaped to receive two O-rings, a first seal 510 being arranged between the nut 500 and the complementary part of the tubular neck 133A and a second seal 511 being arranged between the nut 500 and the mouth 184A of the first section 184C of the conduit 184. The combination of the nut 500 and two seals makes it possible to improve the sealing of the connection. This improvement in sealing thus limits galvanic corrosion, in particular in the form of crystals, at this location which is also difficult to cover correctly with a possible layer of protective finishing paint.

[0049] Also, the inner surface of the flushing bottle 130 is covered with a protective layer suitable for preventing transfer of ferrous ions into the fluorine-free extinguishing agent. This protective layer also prevents the development of corrosion in the form of rust. A filling port 512 is provided in the nut 500, transverse to the direction of extension of the nut 500. This is a through opening allowing the flushing bottle 130 to be filled with dedicated equipment. This is possible when the nut 500 is partially unscrewed so as to allow communication between the filling port 512 and the interior of the flushing bottle 130.

[0050] The second seal 511 rests at the filling orifice 512 so as to prevent the potential entry of water into this filling orifice 512.

[0051] Preferably, this protective layer is a paint, in particular the protective paint used for the 500 nut. In the absence of this protective layer, the extinguishing power of the fluorine-free extinguishing agent may decrease over time.

[0052] The flushing bottle 130 may have a shape of revolution around an axis A2, optionally parallel to the axis A1. The flushing bottle 130 is delimited by a side wall 131, for example cylindrical of revolution around the axis A2, with an outside diameter smaller, for example much smaller, than the inside diameter of the side wall 121 of the tank 120 so as to allow its introduction, and / or respectively its extraction, through the orifice 123A of the tank 120, together with the riser tube 160, when the cover 180 is placed on the tank 120 and / or respectively when this cover 180 is removed for the purpose of maintenance or refilling the extinguisher 100 used;downwards, the wall 131 connects to a bottom wall 132, defining a lower zone of the flushing bottle 130 and having for example a convexity downwards, that is to say towards the bottom wall 122 of the tank 120 whereas, upwards, it connects to a top wall 133 defining an upper zone of the flushing bottle 130 with a convex shape towards the cover 180; the bottom walls 132 and top walls 133 are for example hemispherical or the bottom wall 132 is as shown in ; figure 4 .

[0053] It will be understood that the term "top" is defined relative to the axis A2 as towards the top wall 133 of the flushing bottle 130, while the term "bottom" is defined relative to the axis A1 as towards the bottom wall 132 of the flushing bottle 130.

[0054] The walls of the flushing bottle 130 are sealed and mutually connected in a sealed manner, except that the top wall 133 is connected to a tubular neck 133A, of revolution around the axis A2, projecting from its connection with the top wall 133, and opened by an outlet orifice 133B for the propellant gas 300 and the additive 400.

[0055] When the fire extinguisher 100 is not in use, the outlet orifice 133B is sealed by a sealed cover 134 of the flushing bottle 130, fixed in a sealed but preferably removable manner to the flushing bottle 130 around the outlet orifice 133B.

[0056] The seal 134 is chosen so that it can be easily perforated by the needle 141C, on the one hand, but the seal 134 and its attachment are chosen so as to withstand the overpressure prevailing inside the flushing bottle 130 in comparison with the inside of the tank 120 before perforation under normal storage conditions of the extinguisher, on the other hand; the seal 134 is preferably turned to break as a priority, that is to say preferentially at the flushing bottle 130, in the event of abnormally high overpressure therein, in order to avoid an explosion of the flushing bottle 130 in such a case.

[0057] Once the seal 134 is perforated, the propellant gas 300 and the additive 400 escape from the flushing bottle 130 through the outlet orifice 133B towards the conduit 184 towards the space located inside the tank 120 but outside the flushing bottle 130, respectively to pressurize the liquid 200 and to mix with it. This mixing of the additive 400 with the liquid 200 is facilitated by the use of a mixing tube 150 sealed at the outlet 184B of the conduit 184 connecting in a sealed manner, for example by fitting into this conduit 184.The sealed mixing tube 150, for example rectilinear, thus having an upper end 150A open directly secured to the outlet 184B and a lower end 150B open downwards and located in the reservoir 120 also immersed in the liquid 200, preferably above, relative to the bottom wall 122 of the reservoir 120, the lower end 160A of the riser tube 160 but within the liquid 200 and for example halfway up the latter. In this configuration, the mixing tube 150 has a submerged section 152 in the liquid to be sprayed 200 and opening through its outlet 150B and a non-submerged section 153 into the expansion chamber 120'.

[0058] According to the invention, the mixing tube 150 has one or more orifices, for example lateral or lateral, 153A relative to the axis A1 to release at least in part the contents of the flushing bottle 130 directly into the expansion chamber 120' of the tank 120. According to a preferred variant of the invention, the lateral orifice 153A is formed on the non-immersed section 153.

[0059] The radial orifice 153A is here radial with respect to the axis A1, but it could take any orientation along a secondary axis intersecting the axis A1.

[0060] According to an embodiment not shown, two orifices 153A are formed passing right through the wall of the mixing tube 150 in the same direction.

[0061] Furthermore, since the additive 400 and the propellant gas 300 tend to collect respectively in the lower zone of the flushing bottle 130 and in the upper zone thereof, it is preferably ensured that the additive 400 is completely expelled from the flushing bottle 130, before the propellant gas 300 escapes therefrom, by providing inside the flushing bottle 130 a sealed dip tube 135 having an upper end 135A connected in a sealed manner to the neck 133A, for example by force fitting therein, and an open lower end 135B, for example cut at an angle, in the lower zone of the flushing bottle 130 in order to immerse in the additive 400 practically until it is completely expelled.

[0062] Under these conditions, the use of the extinguisher 100 is carried out in the following manner, the handle 142 being assumed to be initially immobilized by means of the pin 143 in its high position in which the bearing surface 142A does not stress the rod 141, itself in the high position, the cover 134 being intact and sealingly closing the flushing bottle 130; all communication is initially assumed to be closed between the flexible lance tube 190 and the diffusion system or diffuser 1, by the closure means 191.After removing the pin 143, the operator holding the extinguisher in the vertical position illustrated in the figures or in a position close to the vertical, in which the cover 180 is turned upwards, presses the handle 142 to tilt it downwards, which brings the bearing surface 142A into contact with the upper end 141A of the rod 141 then causes the latter to slide downwards inside the bore 184F, with successively bringing the needle 141C into contact with the cover 134 then perforating the latter, which releases the pressurized gas 300 and the additive 400 initially contained in the flushing bottle 130.

[0063] The contents of the flush bottle 130 are then released simultaneously through the outlet 150B of the mixing tube 150 to be mixed with the liquid 200 and, furthermore, through the side orifice 153A to be released into the expansion chamber 120' of the tank 120.

[0064] The delimitation between the non-immersed section 153 and the immersed section 152 being conditioned by the level of the liquid 200 to be sprayed present in the tank 120, it will be understood that depending on the orientation given to the extinguisher 100, by keeping the cover 180 turned upwards, the lateral orifice 153A can also be immersed in the liquid 200 to be sprayed. Under these conditions, it should be noted that this configuration still remains favorable to the advantages described in the present application, since the gas expelled by this orifice 153A tends to rise in the liquid 200 to be sprayed to fill the expansion chamber 120'.

[0065] The compression chamber is then pressurized by the mixture from the flushing bottle 130 so that the pressure contained in this chamber in turn pressurizes the contents of the tank, thus promoting the rise of the liquid 200, itself mixed with the contents of the flushing bottle 130 through the outlet 150B of the mixing tube 150, through the rise tube 160. The dispersion of the extinguishing additive is then improved.

[0066] The propellant gas 300 causes the expulsion of the additive 400 which, rising through the dip tube 135, traveling through the conduit 184 and descending through the outlet 184B of the latter and through the mixing tube 150, reaches the liquid 200 with which it mixes, then the gas 300 itself, following the same path, spreads inside the reservoir 120, outside the flush bottle 130, to pressurize the mixture of the liquid 200 and the additive 400. The operator can then, by acting on the handle 191A, release at will the mixture of the liquid 200 and additive 400, which rises through the riser tube 150 under the pressure of the compressed gas 300 and escapes, in a controlled manner by acting on the handle 191A, through the diffuser 1 which ensures its dispersion.

[0067] When the extinguisher 100 is empty or practically empty of liquid 200, it can be recharged by removing the cover 180, filling with liquid through the orifice 123A, replacing the assembly formed by the flushing bottle 130, then empty, and the perforated seal 134, by means of a new flushing bottle 130 containing the desired quantities of pressurized gas 300 and additive 400, closed by a new seal 134 retained at the orifice 133B of the flushing bottle 130, and reassembling the cover 180 thus reequipped.

[0068] Remarkably, the following configurations were found to independently improve dispersion: by providing a single lateral orifice 153A for the mixing tube 150, when the submerged section 153 of the mixing tube 150 is devoid of a lateral orifice 153A, when the non-submerged section has a maximum length of 100 millimeters, when the lateral orifice 153A has a diameter of between 0.5 millimeters and 2.5 millimeters, preferably of between 1 millimeter and 2 millimeters, even more preferably equal to 1.5 millimeters, when the mixing tube 150 has an internal diameter of between 3 millimeters and 10 millimeters, preferably of between 6 millimeters and 7 millimeters, even more preferably equal to 5 millimeters.

[0069] Furthermore, tests have made it possible to identify preferred mixing tube lengths for optimizing the volume of foam delivered. In this case, it has been found that these advantages occur when the outlet 150B of the mixing tube 150 is set back from the bottom wall 122 of the reservoir 120 by a value of between 30 millimeters and 350 millimeters, preferably by a value of between 150 millimeters and 310 millimeters. It has been found that a setback of a value of between 110 millimeters and 130 millimeters, preferably equal to 120 millimeters, from the bottom wall 122 of the reservoir 120 offers the best foam volume performance regardless of the quantities of fluorine-free additive used.

[0070] Obviously, the invention is not limited to the examples which have just been described and numerous adjustments can be made to these examples without departing from the scope of the invention defined by the appended claims. For example, the different characteristics, forms, variants and embodiments of the invention can be associated with each other in various combinations insofar as they are not incompatible or exclusive of each other. In particular, all the variants and embodiments described above can be combined with each other.

Claims

1. A fire extinguisher (100) including: - a sealed tank (120) extending along an axis (A1) which, in a given orientation of use of the extinguisher (100), is vertical relative to a horizontal plane or forms a few degrees of inclination angle relative to the vertical, the sealed tank (120) comprising a liquid to be sprayed (200), for example water, the tank being configured to comprise an expansion chamber (120') formed by a part of the tank (120) not filled with the liquid to be sprayed (200), - a sealed expellant bottle (130), comprising a pressurized propellant gas (300), for use as a propellant for the liquid to be sprayed (200), the expellant bottle (130) being housed inside the tank (120) and having, for the propellant gas (300), an outlet (133B) fluidly connected to the inside of the tank (120), - a mixing tube (150) fluidly connected to the outlet (133B) of the expellant bottle (130) and having an outlet (151B) provided to be immersed in the liquid to be sprayed (200), - wherein the extinguisher comprises a fluorine-free additive (400) for the liquid to be sprayed (200), for example an extinguishing agent, and means (130) for receiving the fluorine-free additive (400), these receiving means being housed inside the tank (120) and capable of isolating the additive (400) from the liquid to be sprayed (200), characterized in that: - the mixing tube (150) has at least one orifice (153A) lateral to the axis (A1) configured to release at least part of the contents of the expellant bottle (130) in the expansion chamber (120') of the tank (120), - the expellant bottle (130) forms the means (130) for receiving the additive (400), the expellant bottle (130) containing the pressurized propellant gas (300) and the fluorine-free additive (400) without partitioning between them, such that the propellant gas (300) drives the additive (400) towards the liquid to be sprayed (200), through the outlet (133B) of the expellant bottle (130) for the propellant gas (300).

2. The fire extinguisher (100) according to the preceding claim, characterized in that the mixing tube (150) has a single orifice (153A) lateral to the axis (A1) configured to release at least in part the contents of the expellant bottle (130) into the expansion chamber (120') of the tank (120).

3. The fire extinguisher (100) according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the orifice (153A) has a diameter comprised between 0.5 millimeters and 2.5 millimeters, preferably comprised between 1 millimeter and 2 millimeters, even more preferably equal to 1.5 millimeters.

4. The fire extinguisher (100) according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the mixing tube (150) has an internal diameter comprised between 3 millimeters and 10 millimeters, preferably comprised between 6 millimeters and 7 millimeters, even more preferably equal to 5 millimeters.

5. The fire extinguisher (100) according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that it further comprises: - a riser tube (160) associated with the tank (120), the riser tube (160) having an outlet (160A) disposed in the tank (120) for the liquid to be sprayed (200) and configured to be fluidly connected to the ambient air, - shut-off means (191) for sealingly closing or opening the outlet (160A) of the riser tube (160) to release the liquid to be sprayed (200).

6. The extinguisher according to the preceding claim, characterized in that the outlet (150B) of the mixing tube (150) emerges, inside the tank (120), at a first level of the tank (120) in set back from a second level of the tank (120) from which the outlet (160A) of the riser tube (160) emerges.

7. The fire extinguisher (100) according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the riser tube (160) has no orifice lateral to the axis (A1).

8. The fire extinguisher (100) according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the additive (400) is a liquid.

9. The extinguisher according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the outlet (150B) of the mixing tube (150) is set back from a bottom wall (122) of the tank (120) by a value comprised between 30 millimeters and 350 millimeters, preferably by a value comprised between 150 millimeters and 310 millimeters.

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